1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fences and, more specifically, to an extruded cutomizable bottom rail for a fence having a topside that is machine customizable to receive a plurality of stanchions taken from the group of picket, post, pole rod, bar, shaft, bar, and lath and supported on a substantially co-planar platform interiorly extending the length of the rail spaced apart from the topside separating the interior cavity into a stanchion supporting portion and a structurally reinforced portion.
Within the structurally reinforced portion is a metallic stiffener positioned within a stiffener compartment having a plurality of braces extending between the rail's interior walls and the stiffener compartment walls that are situated for continued structural integrity of the product and continued continuity of the rail having the stiffener serving as brace anchor and deterring deformation of the fence rail of the instant invention from exterior forces.
The stiffener once positioned within the compartment may be fixed in location by forming a tab through pressure applied against a portion of the compartment wall sufficient to angularity bend said portion, relative to its longitudinal orientation, including the metallic stiffener and opposing compartment wall preventing movement therefrom.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other fences designed for modular assembly. While these fences may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.
Therefore, it is felt that a need exist for a customizable fence bottom rail having the aforementioned properties.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide an extruded bottom fence rail that is customizable for a desired fence style.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a customizable fence rail having a top surface and bottom surface with conjoined walls extending therebetween forming an interior cavity.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a customizable fence rail having an interior longitudinal wall formed within the top section of the interior cavity providing a slat/picket support portion and a lower structural reinforcement portion.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a customizable fence rail wherein said slat/picket portion is customizable through machining at least one aperture of appropriate shape to receive a predetermined slat/picket with the internal longitudinal wall serving as support for said slat/picket.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a customizable fence rail where the aforementioned aperture has a peripheral rim that serves to reinforce the slat/picket from lateral displacement.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a customizable fence rail where the aforementioned structural reinforcement portion is primarily comprised of an elliptically shaped channel spanning the length of the fence rail conjoinedly extending from the interior base surface having a plurality of subtended braces.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a customizable fence rail where the subtended braces extend approximately from the top, center and bottom exterior elliptical walls to the interior housing surfaces.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a customizable fence rail having a metal stiffener that is inserted into said elliptically shaped channel to preventing bowing of the fence rail under lateral forces.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a customizable fence rail having a metal stiffener that is anchored within said elliptical channel by punching through the elliptical wall, metal stiffener and opposing elliptical wall forming a tab that lockingly fastens the metal fastener to the elliptical channel.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing an cutomizable extruded bottom rail for a fence having a topside that is machine customizable to receive a plurality of stanchions taken from the group of picket, post, pole rod, bar, shaft, bar, and lath and supported on a substantially co-planar platform interiorly extending the length of the rail spaced apart from the topside separating the interior cavity into a stanchion supporting portion and a structurally reinforced portion with the structurally reinforced portion having a metallic stiffener positioned within a stiffener compartment with a plurality of braces extending between the rail's interior walls and the stiffener compartment walls that are situated for continued structural integrity of the product and continued continuity of the rail having the stiffener serving as brace anchor and deterring deformation of the fence rail of the instant invention from exterior forces.
The stiffener once positioned within the compartment may be fixed in location by forming a tab through pressure applied against a portion of the compartment wall sufficient to angularly bend said portion, relative to its longitudinal orientation, including the metallic stiffener and opposing compartment wall preventing movement therefrom.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which forms a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.
In order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:
Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the figures illustrate the Customizable Extruded Fence Rail of the present invention. With regard to the reference numerals used, the following numbering is used throughout the various drawing figures.
10. Extruded Customizable Fence Rail of the present invention
12. fence pickets
14. fence top rail
16. fence rail wall
17. interior wall surface
18. fence rail cutomizable top surface
20. fence rail base
22. base interior surface
24. routed aperture
26. routed aperture rim
28. picket support wall
30. stiffener compartment
32. stiffener compartment top surface
34. stiffener compartment walls
36. stiffener wall exterior surface
38. stiffener compartment top surface brace
40. stiffener compartment wall center brace
42. stiffener compartment wall bottom brace
44. metal stiffener
46. punched tab stiffener retainer
The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of the invention (and several variations of that embodiment). This discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the invention to those particular embodiments, practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well. For definition of the complete scope of the invention, the reader is directed to appended claims.
Referring to
The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. The invention is defined by the claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.
This application is subject to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/864032 filed 02 Nov. 2006.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60864032 | Nov 2006 | US |