Patent Abstract:
A shaped, decorative pergola vinyl end cap and end piece, a method of shaping pergola vinyl component ends, and a portable tool used for shaping pergola vinyl component ends.

Full Description:
RELATED U.S. APPLICATION DATA  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/010,163, filed Dec. 10, 2004, now pending, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/364,447, filed Feb. 11, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,829,862, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/356,521, filed Feb. 13, 2002. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates generally to pergolas, and more particularly to pergola end caps.  
         [0003]     Prior art pergolas have generally been made from wood or metal. Wood and metal are adversely affected by weather, structurally and aesthetically deteriorating over time. To overcome the weather limitations of prior art materials, vinyl is becoming a popular substitute material. Vinyl provides the structural and aesthetic qualities of prior art materials with the added advantage of being nearly impervious to the effects of weather.  
         [0004]     The vinyl components used in constructing pergola structures are pre-made rigid extrusions. Vinyl extrusions have generally hollow, rectangular shapes. End caps are required to finish protruding pergola ends. Prior art vinyl end caps have been flat pieces. Aesthetically, it is desirable to have shaped pergola ends, especially if decorative ends are desired in the pergola structure.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The present invention provides a shaped, decorative pergola vinyl end cap, a method of shaping pergola vinyl component ends, and a portable tool used for shaping pergola vinyl component ends.  
         [0006]     These together with other objects of the invention, along with various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  is a rectangular vinyl extrusion before shaping;  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a rectangular vinyl extrusion after shaping;  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view, partly in section, of a pergola structure.  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a template.  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of 2×6 and 2×8 pergola end caps.  
         [0012]      FIG. 6  is a shaped rectangular vinyl extrusion end with pergola end cap applied.  
         [0013]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a 2×8 pergola end cap.  
         [0014]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a 2×6 pergola end cap.  
         [0015]      FIG. 9  is a front view of a 2×6 pergola end cap.  
         [0016]      FIG. 10  is a rear view of a 2×6 pergola end cap.  
         [0017]      FIG. 11  is a side view of a 2×6 pergola end cap.  
         [0018]      FIG. 12  is a bottom view of a 2×6 pergola end cap.  
         [0019]      FIG. 13  is a top view of a 2×6 pergola end cap.  
         [0020]      FIG. 14  is a rear view of a 2×8 pergola end cap.  
         [0021]      FIG. 15  is a front view of a 2×8 pergola end cap.  
         [0022]      FIG. 16  is a side view of a 2×8 pergola end cap.  
         [0023]      FIG. 17  is a bottom view of a 2×8 pergola end cap.  
         [0024]      FIG. 18  is a top view of a 2×8 pergola end cap.  
         [0025]      FIG. 19  is a front perspective view of a shaped end piece.  
         [0026]      FIG. 20  is a rear perspective view, partly in section, of a shaped end piece.  
         [0027]      FIG. 21  is a front perspective view of the shaped end piece attached to an extrusion end.  
         [0028]      FIG. 22  is a front perspective view of the shaped end piece attached to an extrusion end by means of tabs.  
         [0029]      FIG. 23  is a front perspective view of the shaped end piece attached to an extrusion end by means of an external collar.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0030]     Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like elements are indicated by like numerals, there is shown a rectangular vinyl extrusion  10  before ( FIG. 1 ) and after ( FIG. 2 ) shaping. The extrusions  10  are major vinyl components used to form a pergola structure  1 . Unlike wood, vinyl pergola elements must have their shapes assembled as opposed to simple mitering. A pergola is an arbor formed of horizontal trellis work supported on columns or posts. See  FIG. 3 . The pergola  1  has a trellis work “roof”  2  formed of horizontal carrying beams  3  and horizontal rafters  4 . The beams  3  are supported by vertical posts  5 . The beams  3  and rafters  4  are made from vinyl extrusions  10  with ends  11  which extend over the support posts  5  and carrying beams  3 . The extrusion ends  11  are shaped prior to being formed into the pergola structure  1 , typically by cutting with a CNC machine. Alternatively, a tool comprised of a template  50  may be fitted over the extrusion end  11  and the extrusion end  11  manually routed. See  FIG. 4 . A typical router used would be a laminate trimmer-style router with a collar or bearing able to follow the outline of the invention template. Each shaped extrusion end  11  then has an end cap  30  applied. See  FIG. 5 . Each end cap  30  is glued onto a shaped extrusion end  11 . See  FIG. 6 . The end caps  30  may be preformed with a mold. Alternatively, a shaped end piece  60  as described in detail below may be preformed and then applied to an unshaped extrusion end  11 .  
         [0031]     Each extrusion  10  is comprised of a first side  12 , an opposing second side  13 , a top side  14  and a bottom side  15 , said sides  12 ,  13 , top side  14  and bottom side  15  defining an extrusion interior  16 . The extrusion interior  16  has one or more internal bracing walls  17  perpendicularly joined to first side  12  and second side  13 , said bracing walls  17  being parallel to said top side  14  and bottom side  15 .  
         [0032]     The invention template  50  has a first side  52 , an opposing second side  53 , a top side  54 , an open bottom side  55 , a forward, shaped end  56 , and an open rear end  57 , said sides  52 ,  53 , top side  54 , open bottom side  55 , forward shaped end  56  and open rear end  57  defining a template interior  51 . The template forward shaped end  56  may have side connectors  58 , said side connectors being elongated, narrow elements connecting said first side  52  with said second side  53 , thereby providing stiffening to the template  50 . The template  50  is slid over the extrusion  10 , template open rear end  57  over an extrusion end  11  first. The template  50  is then moved along the extrusion  10  until the top  54  of the template forward shaped end  56  is aligned with the top  14  of the extrusion end  11 . The portion of the extrusion  10  protruding  18  forward of the template forward end  56  is then cut away. This results in an extrusion  10  with a shaped end  11 ′. See  FIG. 2 .  
         [0033]     An invention end cap  30  is then applied to the shaped extrusion end  11 ′. For purposes of exposition, applicant assumes that two cross-sectional sizes of extrusions will be used, i.e., 2×6 and 2×8. A 2×6 extrusion will generally have two bracing walls  17  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . A 2×8 extrusion will generally have three bracing walls  17 . Each end cap  30  has an outside, forward side  31 , an inside, rear side  32 , a top portion  33 , a bottom portion  34 , and two opposite side edges  35 . Each side edge has one or more rearwardly protruding shaped side flanges  36 . The end cap top portion  33  and bottom portion  34  each have a rectangular arrangement of rearwardly protruding flanges  37 . The rearwardly protruding flanges  36 ,  37  are adapted to engage the interior portions of the extrusion sides  12 ,  13 , top  14  and bottom  15 . The flanges  36 ,  37  are arranged to fit between and around the bracing walls  17 . Each end cap  30  is placed against a shaped extrusion end  11 ′ wherein the end cap inside, rear side  32  is positioned against the extrusion shaped end  11 ′ and the flanges  36  into the extrusion interior  17 , said end cap top portion  33  abutting the extrusion top  14  and said end cap bottom  34  portion abutting the extrusion bottom  15 .  
         [0034]     Referring more particularly to  FIGS. 19-21 , in an alternate embodiment, a shaped end piece  60  may be preformed and then applied to an unshaped extrusion end  11 . The shaped end piece  60  has a first side  62 , an opposing second side  63 , a top side  64 , a bottom side  65 , a forward, closed, shaped end  66 , and an open rear end  67 , said sides  62 ,  63 , top side  64 , bottom side  65 , forward shaped end  66  and open rear end  67  defining an end piece interior  61 . The shaped end piece forward end  66  may be formed as described above with an end cap  30  applied. The shaped end piece open rear end  67  is fitted against and joined to an unshaped extrusion end  11  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 21 . The shaped end piece  60  has a cross section dimensionally equal to the cross section of the extrusion  10 .  
         [0035]     The shaped end piece  60  may be glued to the extrusion end  11  by means of tabs  68  protruding from the shaped rear end into the extrusion end interior  16 . See  FIG. 22 . The heavy duty glue used fuses the vinyl pieces, i.e., extrusion  10  and shaped end piece  60 , together. Alternatively, the shaped end piece  60  may be joined to the extrusion end  11  by means of an external collar  69  fitted about the seam formed by the extrusion end  11  and shaped end piece rear  67 . See  FIG. 23 .  
         [0036]     It is understood that the above-described embodiment is merely illustrative of the application. Other embodiments may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4