Patent Publication Number: US-2002000504-A1

Title: Christmas lights holder

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The present invention relates to a holder for Christmas lights and more particularly to a Christmas light holder suspended from a rain gutter of a house or other building structure.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] Christmas lights are typically hung on trees or houses and other types of buildings; office buildings, buildings at shopping centers, and the like. Quite often the lights are hung from the gutters of such buildings but the stringing process is often difficult particularly where it is desired to eliminate sagging between supports. This is not to infer that it cannot be done but considerable effort is involved in achieving such results.  
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide a support for Christmas lights strung from rain gutters of buildings.  
       [0004] It is another object of the present invention to provide a bracket that can be secured to the rain gutter of a building and securely hold a Christmas light bulb and the wires connected to the bulb.  
       [0005] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a bracket for supporting Christmas lights from a rain gutter or the like, the bracket having a partial loop that fits under and/or partly around a gutter nail to securely hold the bracket.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] A bracket according to the present invention has in one form two halves that are mirror images of one another. The two halves are joined by a partial loop that is intended to pass under a gutter nail and come up under and, in one embodiment, partially surround it. Such arrangement provides strong support for the bracket preventing it from being accidentally pulled off of the gutter except by destroying it.  
       [0007] The bracket flares outwardly from the two ends of the partial loop above the gutter nail all in a plane parallel to the longitudinal dimension of the gutter. The ends of the flared members terminate in right angle members that pass over the top of the gutter and then extend downwardly by a sufficient distance to grasp the gutter. The ends of the downward extensions turn at right angles away from each other parallel to the longitudinal dimension of the gutters and are spiralled. The wires of the bulb are situated in the spirals supporting the bulb socket in the region between the spirals.  
       [0008] The downward extensions may be angled inwardly to grasp the gutter between the interior and exterior parts.  
       [0009] In a form of the bracket used for guiding the wire around a corner of the gutter, the members that flare out from the loop are located at right angles to one another so that the two members extend over the two sections of the gutter at right angles to one another.  
       [0010] The above and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention, together with the best means contemplated by the inventor thereof for carrying out the invention will become more apparent from reading the following description of a preferred embodiment and perusing the associated drawings in which: 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0011]FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment useful with small bulbs in regions of relatively mild weather;  
     [0012]FIG. 2 is a side view of the bracket of FIG. 1 installed on a gutter;  
     [0013]FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the bracket of FIG. 1 installed on a gutter with a bulb in place;  
     [0014]FIG. 4 is a top view of a modification of the bracket of FIG. 1 useful in regions of strong winds;  
     [0015]FIG. 5 is a side view of the bracket of FIG. 4 installed on a gutter;  
     [0016]FIG. 6 illustrates a bracket for going around corners; and  
     [0017]FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the bracket of FIGS. 4 and 5 installed on a gutters 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0018] Referring specifically to FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, a partial loop  2  of a holder generally designated by the reference numeral  1  is normally retained in a generally vertical position about a gutter nail and sleeve  3  as seen in FIG. 2. The loop  2  terminates at its upper ends in extensions  6  and  8  that extend in opposite directions from one another at generally right angles to the nail and sleeve  3 . The loop  2  at the junction with members  6  and  8  is less open at its upper end than its lower end to assist in retaining the holder on sleeve  3 .  
     [0019] The extensions  6  and  8  terminate in members  14  and  16 , respectively, that extend at right angles from members  6  and  8 , respectively, and come across a front lip  15  of a gutter  17 . The members  14  and  16  terminate in downwardly extending members  20  and  22 , respectively, in front of gutter  17 .  
     [0020] As a result of the relatively wide separation between the members  14  and  16 , provided to maintain stability of the bracket, bulb and wire supports  30  and  32  extending at right angles from members  14  and  16 , must initially be directed toward one another to close this gap to support a bulb socket. The space left between these members should preferably be no more than the width of a socket  19  of a bulb  21  to be supported by the bracket. Specifically the members  20  and  22  terminate in inwardly extending members  24  and  26 , respectively, leaving a gap  28  therebetween to accept the socket for a bulb. The members are then turned at  1800  to provide for the helical members  30  and  32  in which wires  23  and  25  leading from socket  19  are wound and supported.  
     [0021] The bracket shown in FIGS.  1  to  3  is intended for use with small bulbs and sockets in relatively mild environments. This bracket is subject to a number of modifications.  
     [0022] Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5 and  7  of the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated a bracket for use with large bulbs.  
     [0023] The bracket again has a loop  37  for engaging a sleeve  35  around the gutter nail (not illustrated) of a gutter  49 . The upper ends of loop terminate in members  42  and  44  extending outwardly parallel to the gutter. Members  46  and  48  extend across the top of the gutter from members  42  and  46 , respectively.  
     [0024] As viewed in FIGS. 5 and 7, the gutter  49  has a vertical downwardly depending surface  51  followed by an inwardly slanted section  53 . The bracket has downwardly extending legs  41  and  43  seated against surface  51  and continuing into inwardly extending legs  50  and  51  being illustrated in FIG. 7. These legs follow the contour of the gutter and thus engage surfaces  51  and  53  of the gutter holding the bracket tightly against the nail-sleeve arrangement and the surface  53  of the gutter making for a strong connection between the two.  
     [0025] The members  50  and  55  and its counterpart have outwardly extending legs,  52  and  56  being illustrated. The legs  52  and  56  terminate in spiral wire holders  58  and  60 , respectively. Thus the lights are held out from the gutter for great visibility both from the front and the side.  
     [0026] Referring now to FIG. 6 of the drawings, there is illustrated a corner bracket useful for taking the string of lights around a corner. A gutter  63  is illustrated with sections  65  and  67  at right angles to one another. Turns of more or less than 90° can be accommodated.  
     [0027] Specifically, the loop of the bracket is raised into a horizontal plane and is conformed to the angle between sections  65  and  67  of the gutter  63 , in this instance, 90°. Thus a bracket having right angled legs  64  and  66  seats against the interior surfaces of sections  65  and  67 , respectively. The legs  64  and  66  terminate in inwardly directed right angled members  68  and  70 , respectively. The gap of FIG. 1 is now seen as gap  72  in FIG. 6. Angled members  74  and  76  extend away from members  68  and  70  and turn and extend as members  78  and  80  over the top of the gutter sections  65  and  67 , respectively. The members  78  and  80  then turn down and carry wire support spirals  82  and  84  extending toward the corner of the gutter to carry the wires away from the sharp edge of the corner of the gutter.  
     [0028] Thus the brackets securely support Christmas lights from either of two of the more common types of gutters and can readily accommodate other styles of gutters. The corner bracket securely holds the wires of a string of lights even around bends in the gutters.  
     [0029] Once given the above disclosure, many other features, modifications and improvements will become apparent to the skilled artisan. Such features, modifications and improvements are, therefore, considered to be a part of this invention, the scope of which is to be determined by the following claims.