Patent Abstract:
The invention may relate to a bracket that is used in building fences or floor joists or the like. The bracket is substantially concealed from view after assembly. The invention may also be a method for building fences involving a bracket that is concealed from view after the fence is completed.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention may relate to fixtures for building fences or setting floor joists and the like. This invention also relates to the method of building a fence wherein the apparatus attaching the rails to the post is hidden from view. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Households have long used fences to demarcate property lines, to exclude others and to maintain privacy. Fences can add value to a residential home based on appearance and function. It is known in the art to put posts into the ground as the main structural support for a fence. It is also known to put a rail from post to post to further support the fence. Pickets can be hung from this structure or it can be covered in wire mesh. 
     In the case of privacy fences, cedar planks are attached to rails and are spaced closely to limit the view through the fence. These fences have the planks overlap the posts or butt up right next to the post. For years the only solution was to have a joist hanger that would wrap under the rail and attach to the post. This is unsightly and limits how close the planks or pickets can be to the post. It is therefore desirable to hide the means for attaching the rail to the post. It is also desirable to have the attachment means be below the attachment surface of the rail. 
     SUMMARY 
     The deficiencies in the art have been satisfied after a long felt need. An embodiment of the current invention is a bracket that can be used to attach rails to posts without being seen or without extending beyond the attachment side of the rail. This solution was not obvious because it may require a cut in the rail along its length to fit the bracket within the rail. The bracket may be attached to the posts at the appropriate height and then the rail with a slit cut along its length is slid down over the brackets protruding flange. The bracket has a plurality of slots at known distances on the protruding flange through which fasteners penetrate and attach the rail to the bracket. Another exemplary feature of the invention is alignment notches along the attachment flange which allow a builder to know where the plurality of slots are because the notches line up with the slots and can be seen with the rail in place. Additionally, a secondary or tertiary flange may extend perpendicular to the attachment flange or protruding flange to allow a rail to sit in place while it is fastened. Alternatively a distal bulge slightly larger than the slit in the rail will cause friction to hold the rail in place while it is fastened. This bracket allows all flanges of the bracket to be hidden in the rail or between the rail and the post. All fasteners can be sunk flush to the surface so all panels, planks or pickets sit flush and can be placed where ever the builder desires. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of one embodiment of the bracket. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the bracket of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of another embodiment of the bracket. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the bracket of  FIG. 3   
         FIG. 5  is a front view of the bracket of  FIG. 3  and similar to the embodiment in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the bracket of  FIG. 3  and is similar to the bracket in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention wherein a bracket is used in a fence. 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of the fence in  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention wherein the bracket is used to hang floor joists. 
         FIG. 10  is a front view of an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The rail hanger  1  comprises a first flange  2  that protrudes away from two attachment flanges  4 . The distal end  3  of the first flange may be narrow or may have a distal bulge  9  to temporarily secure a rail  12  in place while permanent rail fasteners  17  are inserted. One of the major advantages of the rail hanger  1  may be that it is easily manufactured by making bends at the distal end  3  and at the attachment flange bends  10 . Another embodiment may have a lower bend  26  where the first flange  2  is manufactured from a single sheet of material and the attachment flanges  4  are folded away from the first flange. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 ; the rail hanger  1  has a first flange  2  that protrudes away from the attachment flange  4 . The first flange  2  consists of two pieces of material folded back adjacent to each other. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 ; the rail hanger  1  may have rail apertures  5  which may be in the form of slots or holes. The rail aperture is placed at a known distance to allow blind installation of rail fasteners  17 . Slots would allow variation in rail fastener  17  placement in the lengthwise direction of a rail  12 . The slots would still bear load in the vertical direction which is the primary loading of a rail  12 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 ; the rail hanger  1  has an attachment flange  4  that may have a secondary flange  7  protruding perpendicular outward. The first flange  2  may have a tertiary flange  8  protruding perpendicular outward from the first flange  2 . The secondary flange  7  and tertiary flange  8  may either or both be on a rail hanger  1  to support a rail  12  while the rail fasteners  17  are installed. 
       FIG. 4  shows the rail apertures  5  through the first flange  2 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 ; the rail hanger  1  comprises post attachment apertures  6  wherein fasteners attach the rail hanger  1  to a post  14 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 ; the isometric view of a rail hanger shows the relationship of the alignment notches  27  and the rail apertures  5 . The alignment notches  27  can be seen while the rail  12  is in place. A builder can align a rail fastener  17  with the alignment notch  27  and be confident that the rail fastener  17  will clear the rail aperture  5  and continue into the rail  12 . This allows builders to quickly fasten the rail  12  to the rail hanger  1  without taking measurements and avoiding costly rework. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 ; a fence is constructed using a post  14  attached to a rail  12  using a rail hanger  1 . The gap between the rail  12  and post  14  is exaggerated to show the rail hanger  1 . Rail fasteners  17  are installed through the rail  12  and through the rail apertures  5 . Pickets  13  or planks are attached to the rail  12  and may be attached adjacent to the post  14  without interference with the rail hanger  1 . The rail hanger  1  is hidden on the back side of the fence and can only be seen through a small gap. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 ; a rail  12  has a rail slit  19  extending along the length of the rail  12  through which the rail hanger  1  extends. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 ; a rail hanger  1  extends into a floor joist  15  through a joist slit  20  cut into the floor joist  15 . Joist fasteners  18  extend through the joist  15  and the rail hanger  1 . The rail hanger is fastened to the band  16  and load from the joists  15  is transferred into the band  16 . The rail hanger  1  may made from a material that is folded to shape. A preferred embodiment may be a galvanized or stainless steel approximately one sixteenth of an inch ( 1/16″) thick. This allows the rail hanger  1  to fit into a rail slit  19  or joist slit  20  that is one eighth of an inch (⅛″) or the standard blade width of a circular saw cut. The material for the rail hanger  1  may be galvanized steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, plastic or wood. The material thicknesses may be preferably 0.005″ to 0.1.″ The slit width  19 ,  20  may be preferably 0.010″ up to 0.200″ and from 1 inch up to 4 inches deep from end of rail  25 . The distance from top of first flange  21  to bottom of first flange  22  is approximately the width of the board used as the rail  12 . For rough 2×4″ boards this distance would be just less than 4 inches. For rough 2×8″ joists this distance would be approximately under 8 inches. Finished board are one half inch smaller in each dimension. This distance could feasibly range from one inch to sixteen inches. 
     The method of making a fence comprises putting posts  14  in post holes. Rails  12  are cut to length to fit between posts  14 . Slits  19  are cut through the center of the rails  12  from rail top  23  to rail bottom  24  to a depth of up to 2 inches from end of rail  25 . A rail hanger  1  is fastened to the posts  14  using fasteners through post attachment apertures  6  at a desired height. The rails  12  are put in place with the rail hanger first flange  2  within the slit  19  in the rail  12 . Rail fasteners  17  are fastened through the rail  12  and rail hanger  1 . The rail fasteners are aligned using the alignment notches  27  which are visible after a rail  12  is put in place. Pickets or planks  13  are fastened to the rail  12 .

Technology Classification (CPC): 4