Patent ID: 8322081

Claim:
In combination: a plurality of bracket assemblies for collectively supporting and removably receiving and supporting a gutter, the bracket assemblies being mountable on a building in a spaced-apart relationship, wherein each bracket assembly comprises: a first, stationary bracket that is mountable on the building, the stationary bracket being L-shaped and having a vertical leg and a horizontal leg extending outwardly from the vertical leg; and a second bracket that can support the gutter and that is pivotally connected to the first bracket about a pivot point so as to be capable of dumping the gutter from an upright position to a dumped position, the second bracket being generally C-shaped when in the upright position and including (a) an upper leg having an inner end and an outer end, the upper leg being angled downwardly along at least the majority of the length thereof from the inner end toward the outer end when the gutter is in its upright position so as to be beneath the level of the top of the gutter when the gutter is mounted on the bracket assembly, (b) a center leg having an upper end coupled to the inner end of the upper leg and extending downwardly adjacent the vertical leg of the stationary bracket when the gutter is in its upright position, (c) a lower leg having an inner end coupled to a lower end of the center leg and an outer end pivotally coupled to the horizontal leg of the stationary bracket at the pivot point; and an elongated rigid tubular support member that is positionable in the gutter and that couples the upper legs of the second brackets of the bracket assemblies to one another, wherein the elongated support member is spaced from the pivot point, and wherein the entirety of the rigid tubular support member is located beneath an upper edge of the gutter and when the gutter is in an upright position.