Patent Publication Number: US-7721507-B2

Title: Mounting bracket for column assembly

Description:
FIELD 
   The present disclosure relates to a mounting bracket for a column assembly, such as, for example, a prefabricated outdoor column assembly or the like. 
   BACKGROUND 
   Outdoor columns are typically constructed with masonry building materials such as concrete, cement mortar, reinforcing steel bar, clay, marble, brick, stone or stackable pre-cast concrete block of various shapes to achieve a column. Often these columns are in the form of prefabricated column assemblies adapted to be installed on site by a mounting post secured to the ground. These materials require extensive labor, packaging and heavy equipment to transport to and install at the installation site. 
   SUMMARY 
   The present disclosure relates to a mounting bracket for a prefabricated column assembly comprising a column having an external wall and an internal wall defining a channel for receiving a mounting post. The mounting bracket has a body defining a hole for receivingly engaging the mounting post. The mounting bracket also defines a slot for receiving a support strip for providing a lateral support anchor for the prefabricated column assembly for supporting a fence or other structure. The mounting bracket may include a plurality of the slots for receiving other support strips. The mounting bracket may be square or otherwise rectangular and may be generally symmetrical to provide further benefits. 
   The present disclosure also relates to a prefabricated column assembly including one or more of the mounting brackets. The prefabricated column assembly may include a pair of the mounting brackets spaced from each other to provide additional alignment benefits. The slots of each mounting bracket align with slots of the other mounting bracket so that each pair of aligned slots may receive a corresponding one of the support strips to provide further benefits. 
   Features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and the accompanying drawings described below, wherein an embodiment of the disclosure is described and shown, and in part will become apparent upon examination of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present disclosure and the advantages thereof will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a prefabricated column assembly shown in broken to illustrate one of the mounting brackets of the assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure engaging the prefabricated column assembly with a mounting post and a partial view of a fence secured to the prefabricated column assembly; 
       FIG. 2  is a cross section of the column of the prefabricated column assembly and the mounting post of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the mounting bracket of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective bottom view of the mounting bracket of  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIG. 5  is a cross section of a prefabricated column assembly in accordance with an other embodiment of the present disclosure. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   While the present disclosure may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and herein will be described in detail, an embodiment with the understanding that the present description is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the disclosure and is not intended to limit the disclosure to the details of construction, methods and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. 
     FIGS. 1-4  disclose a prefabricated column assembly  10  including a pair of mounting brackets  12  in accordance with an illustrated embodiment of the present disclosure, a column  14 , a decorative top cover  16 , and a support strip  18  secured to the pair of mounting brackets  12 ; a mounting post  22  engaged with the mounting brackets  12  securing the prefabricated column assembly  10  in place; and a structure in the form of a fence  24  secured to the support strip  18  of the prefabricated column assembly  10 . The column  14  has a generally square or otherwise rectangular cross section substantially along the length and is constructed of masonry materials. The column  14  may have any other suitable configuration and may be constructed of any other suitable materials in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure. The column  14  includes an external wall  30 , an internal wall  32  that defines a channel  34  substantially along the length of the column  14 , a top  38  and a bottom  40 . The channel  34  has a cross section that is generally square or otherwise rectangular substantially along the length of the column  14 . The mounting post  22  may be secured to the ground with cement or the like or in any other suitable manner. 
   Each of the mounting brackets  12  in accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the present disclosure includes a body  48  that defines a central hole  50  and a peripheral edge  52 . The central hole  50  is square or otherwise rectangular and sized to slidingly and receivingly engage the mounting post  22  which may, for example, be in the form of a 4″×4″ wood, PVC, steel or aluminum post or may have any other size or construction. The body  48  extends from the central hole  50  to the peripheral edge  52 , and includes a bottom side  54  and a top side  56 . The mounting bracket  12  is generally square or otherwise rectangular and is sized to be snugly received by the channel  34  of the column  14 . Each mounting bracket further includes an internal flange  58  further defining the central hole  50 . 
   The peripheral edge  52  of each mounting bracket  12  is in the form of a flange that extends at a 90 degree angle from the body  48  and extends around the periphery of the body  48 . In the illustrated embodiment, the flange extends upward from the body  48  when the mounting bracket  12  is disposed within the channel  34  of the column  14 . The peripheral edge  52  engages by contact the internal wall  32  of the column  14 . An adhesive or the like may be used to secure the peripheral edge  52  to the internal wall  32  to position the mounting bracket  12  at a desired location. The peripheral edge  52  may have any other suitable configuration in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure. 
   The mounting bracket  12  is generally symmetrical in the lateral direction, and includes four sides  60 . The body  48  and the peripheral edge  52  define a slot  64  disposed at the center of each side  60  of the mounting bracket. Each of the slots  64  has an open side facing laterally outward, and is configured to receive a respective support strip  18  to provide a lateral anchor support for securing the fence  24  or for securing any other structure to the prefabricated column assembly  10  including for example, gates, signage, mailboxes, lights, etc. The support strip  18  extends parallel to the mounting post  22 . Each mounting bracket  12  may receivingly engage four support strips  18 . 
   The fence  24  or other structure may be secured to the support strip  18  by any suitable fasteners (not shown) or by any other suitable means. A portion of the fence  24  or other structure and/or the fasteners may extend through an opening  68  defined by the column  14  to secure the fence  24  or other structure to the support strip  18 . The opening  68  may be any size and configuration and may be defined anywhere on the column  14  that enables the fence  24  or other structure to be secured to the support strip  18 . Further, if more than one support strip  18  is engaged with the mounting brackets  12 , openings  68  may be included corresponding to each of the other support strips. Still further, more than one opening  68  may be formed for one or more of the support strips  18  to enable the fence  24  or other structure to be secured to the support strip at more than one location on the support strip. 
   Each of the slots  64  of one of the mounting brackets  12  vertically aligns with a respective one of the slots  64  of the other mounting bracket  12 . Thus, the support strip  18  extends vertically from one of the slots  64  of one of the mounting brackets  12  to one of the slots  64  of the other mounting bracket  12  aligned therewith. The support strip  18  may be secured within the aligned slots  64  of the mounting brackets  12  or to the internal wall  32  (or both) with an adhesive or the like or by any other suitable means, or may otherwise be lodged within the aligned slots. The support strip  18  may be in the form of a strip of decking material or any other strip of wood or other suitable material. In the illustrated embodiment of the present disclosure, each slot  64  may be 1″×6″, but may have any other suitable size and configuration in accordance with other embodiments. Further, the fasteners may be any suitable type and the opening  68  defined by the column  14  may have any suitable configuration. 
   One support strip  18  can be disposed within any of the aligned pairs of slots  64  of the mounting brackets  12  (e.g., on any of the sides  60  of the mounting brackets) depending upon where the fence  24  or other structure will be secured to the prefabricated column assembly  10 . If the fence  24  or other structure is disposed on more than one side of the column  14 , other support strips  18  can be disposed within other aligned pairs of slots  64 . Thus, each of the mounting brackets  12  provides four different locations for receiving support strips  18  so that fences  24  or other structures can be secured to the prefabricated column assembly  10  on all sides of the column  14 . 
   The body  48  of each mounting bracket  12  also includes a plurality of ribs  70  extending from the hole  50  to the peripheral edge  52  to provide increased rigidity to the mounting bracket. Each rib  70  is in the form an indentation have an arcuate cross section, protruding from the top side  56  of the body  48  and defining corresponding channels  72  on the bottom side  54  of the body  48 . The indentations may be disposed at any other suitable locations and have any other suitable configurations in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure. The mounting brackets  12  may be constructed of any suitable material, such as, for example, ABS plastic or any other suitable plastic or non-plastic material. 
   In the illustrated embodiment, two mounting brackets  12  are disposed within the channel  34  and vertically spaced from each other to provide alignment benefits. Additionally, the upper of the two mounting brackets  12  may be spaced from the top  38  of the column  14  to provide space  80  for any desired column accessories such as, for example, a mailbox (not shown) or any other materials or structure. The mailbox or such other materials or structure may be supported by the top side  56  of the upper mounting bracket  12 . The lower of the two mounting brackets  12  may be spaced from the bottom  40  of the column  14  to provide space  82  to install and house conduit or any other suitable electric or other materials, structure or accessories. One or both of the mounting brackets  12  may instead be positioned at other locations along the mounting post  22 , and more than two or less than two mounting brackets  12  may instead be used in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure. 
   The mounting brackets  12  may be secured to the mounting post  22  in any suitable manner. For example, an adhesive or the like may secure the flange  58  of the mounting brackets  22  to the mounting post  22 . In the illustrated embodiment, four apertures  90  are defined by the flange  58  symmetrically disposed about the hole  50 . Fasteners (not shown) or the like may be inserted through one or more of the apertures  90  to secure the bracket  12  to the mounting post. The flange  58  may define any other number of apertures  90  and the apertures  90  may be positioned anywhere else on the flange or mounting bracket  12  in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure. 
   The body  48  of each mounting bracket  12  may define four apertures  92  symmetrically disposed about the hole  50  for receiving electrical conduit  200  (see  FIG. 5 ) or any other conduit or structure. The conduit  200  may, for example, be used to provide electrical connection to accessories of the prefabricated column assembly. The body  48  may define any other number of apertures  92  and the apertures  92  may be positioned anywhere else in the body  48  in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     FIG. 5  illustrates a prefabricated column assembly  110  in accordance with an other embodiment of the present disclosure including a pair of the mounting brackets  12 . The prefabricated column assembly  110  is substantially identical to the prefabricated column assembly  10  of  FIGS. 1 and 2  except that a decorative cover  116  includes a light and the conduit  200  is shown extending from the light to the exterior of the column  14 . The conduit  200  extends from the light through one of the apertures  92  of each of the brackets  12  and through an aperture  202  defined by the column  14 . 
   The prefabricated column assembly  10  having the pair of mounting brackets  12  in accordance with the present disclosure may provide many advantages. For example, the prefabricated column assembly  10  is readily securable to the mounting post  22 , and a plurality of the prefabricated column assemblies therefore can be readily installed to mounting posts in an efficient manner. Because of their structure and positions, the mounting brackets  12  also provide alignment benefits in connection with securing the prefabricated column assembly to the mounting post  22 . Further, the slots  64  allow the prefabricated column assemblies  10  to be used to secure the fence  24  or any other structure to the prefabricated column assembly, providing lateral support for the fence or other structure. Still further, because each mounting bracket  12  includes four slots  64 , the mounting bracket is capable of providing lateral support on four different sides and, because the mounting bracket is symmetrical, it can provide these benefits and still be easily engageable with the column  14 . 
   The prefabricated column assembly  10  and  110  may have any other suitable configuration and construction in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the column  14  may have a circular cross section or any other suitable cross section, the decorative cover  16  and  116  may be in any other suitable form or may be excluded, and any suitable accessories or attachments may be included with the prefabricated column assembly  10  and  110 . Further, the mounting bracket  12  may also have any other suitable configuration in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the mounting bracket  12  may have a circular cross section or any other suitable cross section, and may or may not be symmetrical in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure. Further, the slots  64  may have any other suitable configuration, location and number in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure. 
   While embodiments have been illustrated and described in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustrations and descriptions are considered to be exemplary and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only illustrative embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the disclosure are desired to be protected. The description and figures are intended as illustrations of embodiments of the disclosure, and are not intended to be construed as having or implying limitation of the disclosure to those embodiments. There are a plurality of advantages of the present disclosure arising from various features set forth in the description. It will be noted that alternative embodiments of the disclosure may not include all of the features described yet still benefit from at least some of the advantages of such features. Those of ordinary skill in the art may readily devise their own implementations of the disclosure and associated methods, without undue experimentation, that incorporate one or more of the features of the disclosure and fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims.