Patent Publication Number: US-6340151-B1

Title: Fence cornerpost assembly brackets

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Provisional Utility Patent Application No. 60/164,725 filed on Nov. 12, 1999. 
    
    
     I. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention is a set of components for the placement and support of vertical cornerposts or vertical fence posts having a shoe component, a saddle component, a tie component, a draw wire and a cinch bracket. It is provided in several dimensions to accommodate posts of differing circumference. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     The following U.S. Patents cited and disclosed herein are incorporated within this provisional patent application. They represent prior art which demonstrates the novelty and unique characteristics of the present invention over such prior art. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,342 to Van Winkle, discloses a cornerpost arrangement having pre-milled fencing components which interlock using a notch and tongue groove assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,055 to Griggs, discloses a T-post brace assembly which inserts over the T-post and angularly braces the T-post for lateral support. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,235 to Kilmer, an augured base fencepost support bracket is disclosed. 
     A cornerpost assembly having buried plates for vertical and angled enforcement are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,181 to Asher. Fence post clips providing insertion for attachment of horizontal fencing rails is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,757 to Kirlwood, and a bolted fence rail fastener is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,226 to Parisien. 
     II. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the current invention is to provide a series of components which are incorporated into a cornerpost or stretchpost assembly for use with generally round or square fencing materials of wood, metal or other tubular composition. Three major pre-formed and angled components are provided; the shoe component, saddle component and a tie component. A draw wire and a cinch bracket are also included in the invention. This arrangement may be utilized with or without independently fastening the three major components to the fencing materials, and provide stable lateral support to the corner or stretch posts. Another objective of this assembly utilization is that it allows for the setting and erection of the corner or stretch post by one-person. 
    
    
     III. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The following drawings are formal drawings submitted with this utility patent application. 
     FIG. 1 a view of the invention assembly. 
     FIG. 2 a-d  are four different views of the saddle component. 
     FIG. 3 a-b  are two different perspective views of the shoe component. 
     FIG. 4 a-b  are two different perspective views of the tie component. 
     FIG. 5 is a drawing of the cinch bracket. 
    
    
     IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The invention  10 , as shown in FIGS. 1-5 of the drawings, is an assembly of components utilized in the stabilized and firm setting and placement of corner or stretch fencing posts, comprising a shoe component  20 , a saddle component  40 , a tie component  60 , a draw wire  80 , and a cinch bracket  90 . 
     The shoe component  20 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 a-b  of the drawings, is a relatively cylindrical, solid molded component having a shoe face  22 , shoe post retaining tabs  24 , and an angled seating groove  26 . It is the lowest mounted component on a first vertical fencing post  30 , and is the first component applied. Once applied, a first end  52  of a length of an angled brace post  50  is place on the shoe face  22 , resting on the shoe post retaining tabs  24 , at an upward angle towards a second vertical fencing post  32 . 
     The saddle component  40 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a-d  of the drawings, is the second applied component. It is a relatively cylindrical, solid molded component having a first saddle face  42 , within which a second end  54  of the length of angled brace post  50  is placed, saddle post retaining tabs  44  to support the angled brace post  50 , and a second saddle face  46  situated on a horizontal plane, also having saddle post retaining tabs  44 , which support a first end  72  of a horizontal brace post  70 . The saddle component  40  also has an angled seating groove  48 , formed for secure abuttment to the second vertical fencing post  32 . 
     The tie component  60 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 a-b  of the drawings, is a relatively cylindrical, solid molded component having a tie face  62 , upon which a second end  74  of the horizontal brace post  70  is placed. It is the third applied component of the invention  10 . Tie post retaining tabs  64  support the second end  74  of the horizontal brace post  70  within the tie face  62 . A vertical seating groove  66  is present within the tie component  60  wherein the tie component  60  is abutted against the first vertical fencing post  30  at a location on the first vertical fencing post  30  well above the shoe component  20 . 
     The draw wire  80  is a circular length of stiff wire which is loosely looped around the first vertical fencing post  30  and the second vertical fencing post  32  in the shape of a figure eight. At a crossing location  82  of the draw wire  80 , the cinch bracket  90  is applied. The cinch bracket  90 , as shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings, has at least two wire grooves  92 , within which the draw wire  80  is placed. The cinch bracket  90  has at least one nail anchor hole  94  between the wire grooves  92 . Once applied to the draw wire  80 , the cinch bracket  90  and draw wire  80  are twisted, shortening the length of draw wire  80  until the angled brace post  50  and horizontal brace post  70  are immovably secured between the first vertical fencing post  30  and second vertical fencing post  32 . The cinch bracket  90  is then attached to the horizontal brace post  70  to maintain the length of the draw wire  80  after being twisted. 
     The invention  10  includes not only the above disclosed components, but also the method of assembly. For a stretch post, as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, one set of the invention  10  is utilized. For a corner post, two sets of the invention  10  are utilized in a perpendicular configuration. The shoe component  20 , saddle component  40 , tie component  60  and cinch bracket  90  may be made of a high carbonized plastic, fiberglass, metal, ceramic, or any other non-deformable material. The draw wire  80  is made of a heavy gauge wire of sufficient tensile strength to apply enough tension to the assembled components to securely hold them together and to withstand the forces applied by multiple strands of stretched fencing wire, panels or rails.