Patent Abstract:
A fence which includes upper and lower horizontal rails with boards extending between the rails. The rails are formed into separable half parts which are connectable together about the boards. The half parts include opposing ribs which separate the boards.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/260,051, filed Jan. 5, 2001. 
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a fence and will have particular but not limited application to a fence formed with substantially extruded plastic materials. 
     In this invention, the fence includes an upper horizontal rail and a lower horizontal rail with boards extending between the rails. At least one of the rails is formed by separable half parts with each part including a cooperating fastener for securing the parts together about the boards. At least one, and preferably both, of the joined half parts, are formed with protruding ribs which form spacers extending between the boards. A space is formed between adjacent paired ribs of the joined half parts which permits a board to be fitted between the parts and separated from the adjacent board by a protruding rib. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a fence which is of simple manufacture and assembly. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a fence which can be rapidly and easily assembled and installed. 
     Still, a further object of this invention is to provide a fence which is of durable and economical construction. 
     Other objects of this invention become apparent upon the reading of the following description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following described drawings relate to the invention as follows: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of this invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a detailed perspective view of that portion of  FIG. 1  within circle  2 . 
         FIG. 3  is a detailed perspective view of that portion of  FIG. 1  within circle  3 . 
         FIG. 4  is a detailed perspective view of that portion of  FIG. 1  within circle  4 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view in fragmentary form of the upper portion of the fence of  FIG. 1  with the components thereof separated for purposes of illustration. 
         FIG. 6  is a fragmentary perspective view of the lower portion of the fence of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is a detailed view similar to  FIG. 4  but illustrative of a modified embodiment in which a single half part is utilized as the bottom rail of the fence. 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view taken through line  8 — 8  of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is an end view of the rails utilized for the fence of  FIG. 1  showing with the half parts thereof in separated form. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the separated half parts illustrated in  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a partial elevational view of a fence construction embodying the components of this invention and shown in a modified form. 
         FIG. 12  is a vertical sectional view of a fence of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is a partial elevational view of another embodiment utilizing the component parts of the invention. 
         FIG. 14  is a vertical sectional view of a fence of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 15  is partial elevational view of still another embodiment of this invention utilizing the components thereof. 
         FIG. 16  is a vertical sectional view of the fence of  FIG. 15 . 
         FIG. 17  is an end view of a modified rail construction. 
         FIG. 18  is an end view of another modified construction of the rail of this invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The preferred embodiments illustrated are not exhaustive or intended to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. They are chosen to better describe the invention to enable one skilled in the art to best utilize the invention. 
     Fence  10  illustrated in  FIGS. 1–6  includes a bottom rail  12 , an intermediate rail  14 , and a top rail  16 . Interconnecting rails  12 ,  14  and  16  are end posts  18 . Extending between bottom rail  12  and intermediate rail  14  are of boards  20 . In some constructions of this invention, the use of top rail  16  would be eliminated with only rails  12  and  14  being utilized to retain boards  20 . (See  FIG. 13 ). 
     Each of the rails  12 ,  14  and  16  are formed into two half parts  22  and  24 . Except for the fasteners  26  which connect the half parts, one half part  22  is essentially a mirror image of the other half part  24 . As best illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 10 , each rail half part  22  and  24  includes an intermediate longitudinal portion which accommodates boards  20  and which is formed with outer edges  28 ,  30 , each having a flange  32  spaced inwardly from the upper and lower edges. Overlying flanges  32  are longitudinally spaced ribs  34  which for each rail half part,  22 ,  24  protrude inwardly from one of the outer edges  28 ,  30 . Ribs  34  forms spacers which separate boards  20  as they extend between the rails. The remaining outer edge  28 ,  30  of each rail half part  22 ,  24  is formed, preferably, into an uninterrupted flange  36  which parallels the underlying adjacent flange  32 . As will be explained later, in some forms of this construction, flange  36  could also be formed into longitudinally spaced ribs of  34  depending upon the intended construction of the fence. Fasteners  26  form a part of flanges  32  which, when the two half parts are mated or pressed together, form an interfering fit between the half parts, thus forming the rail. The manner and form of fasteners  26  can vary which is shown in  FIG. 17  illustrative of a different form of fasteners  26 ′ and in  FIG. 18  in which fasteners  26 ′ are illustrated. 
     With half parts  22 ,  24  of each rail  12 ,  14  and  16  joined by their respective fasteners  26 , ribs  34  confront one another to form a space  40  between the paired adjacent ribs. This space  40  provides an opening into which a board  20  is fitted with the confronting ribs  34  forming a spacer  41  between the boards. At each end portion of each rail half part  22 ,  24  of intermediate rail  14 , flanges  32  and  36  as well as ribs  34  have been removed or notched at  50  to accommodate the end posts  18 . For bottom rail  12  and top rail  16 , flange  36  is not notched at the end portions, although flanges  32  and ribs  34  have been removed at the end portions  51  which not only accommodates the end posts  18 , but allows flanges  36  of half parts  22 ,  24  to overlie the top or bottom of the end post  18  as the case may be in an abutting relationship so to provide a covering face at the upper and lower edges of the fence. (See  FIGS. 2 and 4 ). The cutout portions  50 ,  51  of each rail half part  22 ,  24  accommodates end posts  18  when the two half parts are joined and interlocked together by their respective fasteners  26 . 
     It is best illustrated in  FIGS. 2–4 , the end posts are connected to the joined rail half parts  22 ,  24  by screw fasteners  44 , which are turned through the half part and into the adjacent end post. The boards  20  which extend between rails  12  and  14  are spaced apart by ribs  34  with the bottom end of the boards resting upon a flange  32  of the adjoining half parts  22 ,  24  of bottom rail  12 .  FIGS. 7  and  8  depict only a single half part  22 , 24  attached by fastener  44  to the end post  18 . 
       FIGS. 11 and 12  depict a modified embodiment of this invention in which a lattice work  46  has been inserted between rails  14  and  16  of the fence of the  FIG. 1 . This is accomplished by cutting or deleting the ribs  34 , and depending upon the thickness of the lattice work, reducing the middle longitudinal portion of each of the attached half part  22 ,  24  of the rails so as to permit the lattice work to be fitted at its upper and lower marginal edges between the connected half parts, as best seen in  FIG. 12 .  FIGS. 13 and 14  are illustrative of yet another embodiment of this invention in which the top rail  16  and the extended parts of the end posts  18  have been eliminated with only two rails  12  and  14  being utilized to contain the extending boards  20 .  FIGS. 15 and 16  are illustrated as still another embodiment of this invention in which extensions  48  of the boards  20  are inserted into rail  14  with its uppermost flanges  36  having been removed to accommodate the post extensions which rest upon the adjacent underlying flange  32 . The posts are held by screw fasteners  49  which extend into the half part  24  of rail  14  and the extensions. 
     The component parts of this invention are preferably formed from extruded plastic. This provides for an economical, durable, and easily maintained product. 
     The invention is not to be limited by the details above given, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4