Patent ID: 8398032

Claim:
A mounting device for a gutter for buildings that extends in a first longitudinal direction, the gutter having a generally channel or trough shaped body for collecting water and having an inner wall, the mounting device comprising an elongated device body that extends in a second longitudinal direction between opposite ends, the body including: a generally U-shaped portion having first and second spaced apart legs having opposing surfaces defining a recess therebetween for closely receiving part of the inner wall of the gutter in an installed position, the first leg of the U-shaped portion including a plurality of gutter retaining clips and a plurality of access apertures, the plurality of retaining clips and access apertures being spaced apart from one another in the second longitudinal direction and extending into the recess, the second leg of the U-shaped portion being attachable to the building with access to the second leg being provided through the access apertures in the first leg, the second leg having opposite rear and forward facing surfaces, the rear facing surface being arranged to face the building when the second leg is attached to the building and the forward facing surface being one of the opposing surfaces defining the recess so as to allow for locating of the inner wall of the gutter into the recess into the installed position when the second leg is attached to the building, and when the gutter is located in the installed position, opposite surfaces of the inner wall of the gutter are in facing relation with respective ones of the opposing surfaces of the first and second legs and the retaining clips closely cooperate with the second leg of the U-shaped portion and the inner wall of the gutter to retain the gutter to the mounting device; and wherein the mounting device is configured such that when the gutter is in the installed position, the second longitudinal direction of the elongated device body is substantially parallel to the first longitudinal direction of the gutter.