Post cap

A post cap for joining two wooden beams at a right angle wherein the end of one beam abuts another beam;

• said cap comprising two parallel spaced plates, each said plate being adapted to lie contiguous to two wooden beams on opposite sides thereof, and two substantially identical spaced parallel strips attached to lie between said beams where they are joined together;
• said plates being punctured by a plurality of nail guide holes and by a single central elongated slotted hole extending substantially perpendicularly to said strips to guide a toe nail in piercing both wooden beams.

An integral post cap for use in joining a post to a beam in a common plane in which a post and beam are at a right angle, the cap comprising a pair of spaced parallel upright plates having upright outer side edge portions, a pair of substantially identical spaced parallel strips connected directly to a medial portion of said plates and being substantially perpendicular to each of said plates, said strips having outer side edges respectively spanning between and substantially aligned with said outer side edge portions of respective said plates, each said plate containing a plurality of spaced nail holes adapted to guide nails into a post and a beam.

A post cap blank comprising a rectangular planar member having spaced parallel outer end edges and spaced parallel outer side edges, a pair of elongated horizontal cuts extending respectively parallel to said side edges and terminating remotely from said end edges, an elongated vertical cut extending between said pair of cuts, said member having spaced holes to receive nails therethrough, said member having a vertical fold line at each end of said pair of cuts whereby said member may be bent substantially 90 degrees along vertically aligned said vertical folds, said member being adapted to form a pair of spaced parallel plates connected to each other by a pair of substantially identical spaced parallel strips with the outer side edges of said blank forming the outer side edges of the strips and outer side edge portions of the plates.

A post cap blank comprising a rectangular planar member having spaced parallel end edges and spaced parallel side edges, a pair of elongated cuts extending respectively parallel to said side edges and terminating remotely from said end edges, an elongated diagonal cut extending between oppositely disposed ends of said pair of cuts, said member having spaced holes to receive nails therethrough, said member having a fold line at each end of said pair of cuts whereby said member may be bent substantially 90.degree. along aligned said fold lines, said member being adapted to form a pair of spaced parallel plates connected to each other by a pair of spaced parallel strips, said plates above said strips being substantially rectangular, and said plates below said strips being substantially triangular and having a length generally equal to a length of each of said strips.

A post cap blank comprising a rectangular planar member having spaced parallel end edges and spaced parallel side edges, a pair of elongated cuts extending respectively parallel to said side edges and terminating remotely from said end edges, an elongated medial cut extending parallel to and spaced equidistant from said pair of cuts, said member having spaced holes to receive nails therethrough, said member having a fold line at each end of said pair of cuts whereby said member may be bent substantially 90.degree. along aligned said vertical fold lines, a pair of spaced cuts respectively along respective said fold lines and each intersecting said medial cut and respective said pair of cuts, said member being adapted to form a pair of spaced parallel plates connected to each other by a pair of spaced parallel strips, said plates above said strips being substantially rectangular, and said plates below said strips being substantially rectangular and having a length substantially equal to a length of each of said strips.