# US 2019/0316378 A1 · Brackets for Temporary Support of a Rail Between Upright Posts During Construction of a Fence or the Like > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0316378 A1 - Document ID: US20190316378A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/353,554 - Filed: 2019-03-14 - Published: 2019-10-17 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-14 - Applicants: The EZ Fence Bracket Company - Inventors: Bruce Wall; Angus Taylor - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190316378A1 ## CPC - E04H 17/1452: {the ends of the rails are fixed on the lateral sides of the posts} - E04H 17/1488: {Brackets for connections between rails and posts (E04H17/1448- E04H17/1486 take precedence)} - E04H 17/1417: {with vertical cross-members} - E04H 17/26: Devices for erecting or removing fences - F16B 7/0486: {forming an abutting connection of at least one tube} - E04H: BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL (foundations E02D) - F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D) ## Abstract For temporarily supporting a rail during installation between a pair of upright posts, a bracket features an inner face for placement against a lateral side of the first post, and an outer face lying opposite the inner face. An upright bracing flange projects inwardly from the inner face of the bracket at an upright edge thereof to embrace a corner of the first post in squared relation thereto. A seat extends perpendicularly away from the bracing flange to receive an underside of the rail and place an end of the rail closely adjacent the lateral side of the first post. An upright shoulder is situated above the seat in perpendicular relation thereto and parallel relation to the bracing flange to receiving a face of the rail. Seating and abutting the rail with the seat and the upright shoulder of the bracket thus squares the rail with the post. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for temporarily supporting an end of a rail during installation thereof between a pair of upright posts, said device comprising: a bracket for placement on a first upright post at a lateral side thereof that faces toward a second upright post spaced therefrom, said bracket comprising: an inner face for placement against the lateral side of the first post; an outer face lying opposite the inner face to face toward the second post; an upright bracing flange projecting inwardly from the inner face of the bracket at an upright perimeter edge thereof to reach inwardly from the lateral side of the first post against an adjacent outer side thereof so that the inner face and the bracing flange cooperatively embrace a corner of the post at which the lateral side and the adjacent outer side intersect, thereby squaring the bracket relative to said corner of the post; a seat extending perpendicularly away from the bracing flange to receive an underside of the rail atop said seat in a position placing an end of the rail in close adjacency or abutment with the lateral side of the first post; and an upright shoulder situated above the seat in perpendicular relation thereto and parallel relation to the bracing flange for receiving a face of the rail in abutted contact against the upright shoulder, whereby seating and abutment of the rail against the seat and the upright shoulder of the bracket acts to square the rail with the post. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the seat comprises a seating flange projecting outwardly away from the outer face of the bracket to define a widened seat area whose width exceeds a thickness dimension of the bracket measured between the inner and outer faces thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 comprising a tape measure slot in which a catch tab of a tape measure in insertable to enable a post-to-post measurement between the two posts after installation of the device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the shoulder comprises a shoulder flange projecting outwardly away from the outer face of the bracket to define a shoulder width that exceeds a thickness dimension of the bracket measured between the inner and outer faces thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4 comprising a tape measure slot at an intersection of the shoulder flange and the outer face of the bracket to enable insertion of a tape measure catch in said slot to measure the distance between the two posts after installation of the device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the bracket comprises a bent plate having a main portion that defines the inner-and outer faces of the bracket and from which the bracing flange is integrally bent. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2 wherein the bracket comprises a bent plate having a main portion that defines the inner-and outer faces of the bracket and from which the seating flange is integrally bent. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4 wherein the bracket comprises a bent plate having a main portion that defines the inner-and outer faces of the bracket and from which the shoulder flange is integrally bent. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The device of any one of claim 7 wherein the bracing flange is integrally bent from the main portion of the bent plate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein an entirety of the bracket is defined by a singular bent plate having a main portion which defines the inner and outer faces and from which other portions of the bracket are integrally bent. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6 wherein the main portion of the bent plate has a vertical leg from which a horizontal leg reaches perpendicularly outward at an elevation below an upper end of the vertical leg, the seat resides atop the horizontal leg, the upright shoulder resides at an inner side of the vertical leg from which the horizontal leg extends, and the bracing flange resides at an opposing outer side of the vertical leg. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 wherein the main portion of the bent plate is L-shaped and consists solely of said vertical and horizontal legs. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the bracket comprises a main portion defining the inner and outer faces and having a vertical leg from which a horizontal leg reaches perpendicularly outward at an elevation below an upper end of the vertical leg, the seat resides atop the horizontal leg, the upright shoulder resides at an inner side of the vertical leg from which the horizontal leg extends, and the bracing flange resides at an opposing outer side of the vertical leg. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The device of claim 13 wherein the main portion of the bracket is L-shaped and consists solely of said vertical and horizontal legs. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 comprising a fastening hole penetrating the bracket from the outer face thereof to the inner face thereof to enable temporary fastening of the bracket to the lateral side of the post through said fastening hole. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein a seating depth of the bracket measured from the shoulder to the bracing flange equates to a half-width of the post minus a half-thickness of the rail, whereby the bracket is configured to center the rail across the lateral side of the post. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein a seating depth of the bracket measured from the shoulder to the bracing flange equates to a full-width of the post minus a full-thickness of the rail, whereby the bracket is configured to place the rail in flush relation to a third side of the post that intersects the lateral side of the post at which the bracket is placed and that is situated opposite the adjacent outer side of the post that is embraced by the bracing flange. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 comprising a visual marker situated on the bracket and spaced above the seat by a distance that equals a width of the rail, whereby placement of the visual marker in alignment with a top end of the post places a top edge of the rail flush the top end of the post when the rail is placed atop the seat. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The device of claim 18 wherein the visual marker is an upper end of the bracket or an upper end of the shoulder. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16 in combination with the rail and at least one of the posts. ### Claim 21 A device for temporarily supporting an end of a rail during installation thereof between a pair of upright posts, said bracket comprising: a planar main portion having a vertical leg that is coplanar with a horizontal leg that reaches perpendicularly outward from the vertical leg at a spaced elevation below a top end of said vertical leg, said planar main portion having opposing inner and outer faces; an upright bracing flange reaching perpendicularly inward from the vertical leg of the planar main portion at an upright outer edge of said vertical leg that resides opposite the horizontal leg of the planar main portion; a seating flange reaching perpendicularly outward from the horizontal leg of the planar main portion at a horizontal upper edge of said horizontal leg; and a shoulder flange reaching perpendicularly outward from the vertical leg of the planar main portion at an upright inner edge of said vertical leg that resides opposite the upright outer edge thereof. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The device of claim 21 wherein the bracket comprises a bent L-shaped plate that defines the L-shaped main portion, and of which the upright bracing flange, the seating flange and the shoulder flange are integrally bent portions. ### Claim 23 A method of installing a rail between first and second upright posts that have facing-together lateral sides that intersect adjacent outer sides of said uprights posts at outer corners thereof, said method comprising: (a) with a bracket device having an inside corner, a support seat and a shoulder that resides in perpendicular relation to said support seat, achieving a squared position of said bracket device on the first upright post by embracing the inside corner of said bracket about the outside corner of the first upright post, said squared position acting to (i) place the support seat of said bracket device adjacent to the lateral side of the first upright post in perpendicular relation to the outside corner of the first upright post, and (ii) place the shoulder of said bracket device adjacent to said lateral side of the first upright post in parallel relation to the outside corner of the first upright post at a distance inward therefrom; (b) with said inside corner of the bracket device embraced about the outside corner of the first upright post, fastening the bracket device to the first upright post to maintain the squared position of the bracket device thereon; (c) seating an underside of the rail atop the support seat of the bracket device with a first end of the rail in close adjacency or abutment with the lateral side of the first upright post and with a face of the rail in abutment against the shoulder of the bracket device, and, with a second end of the rail supported on the second upright post, fastening the first end of the rail to the first upright post; and (d) unfastening and removing the bracket device from the first upright post. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23 comprising, before step (c) installing a second matching bracket device on the second post by performing steps (a) and (b) with said second bracket device at said second post, and during step (c), using said second bracket device to support the second end of the rail during fastening of the first end of the rail to the first post. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23 wherein achieving the squared position in step (a) comprises placing a visual marker of the bracket device in alignment with a top end of the first post, and thereby automatically setting an elevation of the seat at a downward distance the top end of the post that equals a predetermined width dimension of the rail so that placement of the rail on the seat in a widthwise-up orientation automatically places a top edge of the rail flush with the top end of the post. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25 wherein the visual marker of the bracket device is an upper end of the bracket device or an upper end of the shoulder thereof. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23) The method of claim 23 wherein the bracket device is the device of any one of claims 1 to 22.