Patent ID: 7237766

Claim:
A retaining device for use with two elongated slats longitudinally located in a chain linked fence, each elongated slat having opposed first and second longitudinal slat surfaces and opposed first and second longitudinal slat edges, each elongated slat having a notch located in a portion of a slat end, the notch extending transversally from the first slat edge substantially toward the second slat edge, said device comprising: a cap member including: a first panel having generally opposite first and second panel side edges and a first panel surface thereof, an intermediate panel including first and second intermediate panel edges and a first retainer lip connected to said first intermediate panel edge at about 90 degrees depending therefrom, with said first panel connected to said second intermediate panel edge at about 90 degrees relative thereto, said intermediate panel extending outwardly from said first panel surface; and a second panel, said second panel being connected to said intermediate panel at a location generally equidistant between said first and second intermediate panel edges and offset from said first panel; and a guide rail connected to said first panel, said guide rail extending along said first panel and outwardly from said first panel surface, said guide rail having first and second spaced apart longitudinal stop ends located inwardly away from respective said first and second panel side edges, said guide rail being configured to be engaged within the notches of the two slats as the two slats are moved toward one another from the first and second stop ends of the guide rail with an opening formed in each of the slats by the notch located in a portion of the slat sliding over the guide rail, said guide rail including a guide rail edge, a second retainer lip connected to said guide rail edge at about 90 degrees relative thereto, said guide rail edge and said second retainer lip substantially extending from said first stop end to said second stop end, a third retainer lip substantially opposed to said first retainer lip and connected to said guide rail edge at about 90 degrees relative thereto, said third retainer lip substantially extending from said first stop end to said second stop end.