Patent ID: 8132791

Claim:
A fence post comprising: four sides, forming a generally rectangular tube, with each of said sides having an external surface and an internal surface, at least one generally U shaped channel, each of said channels being fixedly attached to and extending essentially longitudinally along a portion of said internal surface of at least one of said sides, each of said channels being configured to receive and to essentially surround on three sides and stably support a longitudinal end portion of a picket, and a channel cover extending essentially longitudinally along said external surface of each of said sides to which a respective said channel is fixedly attached, each of said channel covers being integrated with said external surface along which said channel cover extends such that said channel cover and said external surface are visually indistinguishable, each of said channel covers being selectively removable in whole or in part in any width or length, up to said channel's width and length, so as to allow access to at least a portion of at least one of said channels from outside said fence post; a plurality of rail receiving openings formed in said at least one side of said fence post on which said generally U shaped channel is present, vertically aligned with said respective channel and configured to receive a picket supporting rail oriented generally normal to said post; wherein a respective one of said channel cover is selectively removed between said rail receiving openings, so that said longitudinal end portion of a picket can be horizontally, slideably received within said portion of said channel that is accessible from outside said fence post, and wherein when said longitudinal end portion of said picket has been horizontally, slideably received within said portion of said channel, said channel essentially surrounds on three sides and stably supporting said longitudinal end portion and discourages said picket from bowing.