Patent ID: 7571897

Claim:
A fence post for a fence system having one or more rails supporting a plurality of pickets mounted to the rails, said fence post comprising: an elongated post member having a first end configured to be inserted into the ground and a second end configured to support the rails and the pickets, said post member having a first sidewall, a second sidewall spaced apart from said first sidewall, a back wall interconnecting a back edge of each of said first sidewall and said second sidewall, a first wing flange extending outwardly from a forward edge of said first sidewall and a second wing flange extending outwardly from a forward edge of said second sidewall, said first wing flange and said second wing flange substantially in the same plane in spaced apart relation to said back wall, said first sidewall, said second sidewall and said back wall defining a channel, said back wall having one or more mounting apertures, each of said mounting apertures configured to receive a connector therein; and a bracket attached to said post member and configured to attach to at least one of said one or more rails, said bracket comprising a center section, a first sidewall attached to a first edge of said center section, a second sidewall attached to a second edge of said center section, a first flange extending outwardly from said first sidewall and a second flange extending outwardly from said second sidewall, said first flange and said second flange substantially in the same plane in spaced apart relation to said center section, said center section received in said channel of said post member with said first flange in substantially abutting relation with said first wing flange and said second flange in substantially abutting relation with said second wing flange, said center section of said bracket having at least one bracket mounting aperture cooperatively configured with said mounting apertures of said post member to receive said connector therein so as to securely mount said bracket to said post member.