Patent ID: 7216855

Claim:
A fence rail mounting clip for attaching an end of an elongated hollow fence rail to a fence post, wherein said rail includes an outside wall that includes an interior surface which surrounds an interior bore and wherein said fence rail mounting clip comprises: a bracket having a rear wall with a rear surface and a front surface; a peripheral wall extending outwardly away from the front surface; whereby the peripheral wall and front surface define a fence rail receptacle that is adapted to receive the end of the rail therein; a first rail support extending outwardly away from the front surface of the rear wall and inwardly of the peripheral wall; whereby a section of the rear wall connects the first rail support to the peripheral wall; at least one flange projecting outwardly away from an outer wall of the first rail support and toward the peripheral wall; said flange being disposed substantially at right angles to the section of the rear wall; and wherein the flange terminates at an outer edge that is spaced a distance inwardly from the peripheral wall, whereby a gap is defined between the outer edge and the peripheral wall; and wherein the outside wall of the fence rail is received within the gap when the end of the rail is engaged in the fence rail receptacle.