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US 6,745,517 B2Granted
Leaf repellant gutter bracket
OwnerWayne Vahldieckinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A one-piece molded body includes a horizontal arm that extends into a concave longitudinal recess at the front of the roof of a leaf repellant rain gutter, a vertical arm that contacts the back wall of the gutter and contacts the bottom wall of the trough of the gutter, and by referencing on the contacts, orients a fastener in a fastener support guide portion of the body so that the axis of the fastener extends through the slot opening formed by the longitudinal front of the roof and the longitudinal top of the front of the trough.
Claims16
A rain gutter support system comprising:
- a rain gutter comprising:
- a roof, a back wall and an upwardly open trough having a bottom, wherein the roof of the gutter extends forward from the back wall of the gutter over the upwardly open trough, spaced above the trough so that the front of the roof forms a longitudinal slot horizontal opening into the gutter along a length of the gutter, between the front of the roof and the front of the trough, the front of the roof turning downward and backward forming a concave longitudinal recess,
- a bracket comprising:
- a horizontal bar having a back, and a front having a convex portion turning upward and backward and extending longitudinally along a width of the horizontal bar, said convex portion extending into the concave side of the recess in contact with the concave side of the recess,
- a vertical bar connected to the back of the horizontal bar, contacting the back wall of the gutter and extending to the bottom of the trough,
- longitudinal guide means for holding and guiding a fastener, said longitudinal guide means having a tubular member, extending from the vertical bar in a forward direction, configured along a first axis that extends normal to the back wall of the gutter and through the slot when the vertical bar contacts the bottom of the trough, so that said longitudinal guide means for holding and guiding restricts a fastener having a length to movement of the fastener along said first axis when the fastener is inserted into one end of said longitudinal guide means for holding and guiding.
3 more elements
A rain gutter support system comprising:
- a rain gutter comprising:
- a roof, a back wall and an upwardly open trough having a bottom, wherein the roof of the gutter extends forward from the back wall of the gutter over the upwardly open trough, spaced above the trough so that the front of the roof forms a longitudinal slot horizontal opening into the gutter along a length of the gutter, between the front of the roof and the front of the trough, the front of the roof turning downward and backward forming a concave longitudinal recess,
- a bracket comprising:
- a horizontal bar having a back, and a front having convex portion turning upward and backward and extending longitudinally along a width of the horizontal bar, said convex portion extending into the concave side of the recess, in contact with a downward facing portion of the roof and in contact with an upward facing portion of the recess for supporting the concave shape of the recess,
- a vertical bar connected to the back of the horizontal bar, contacting the back wall of the gutter and extending to the bottom of the trough,
- means for supporting and guiding a fastener having a length when the fastener is received in said means for supporting along a first axis that extends horizontally from the back wall of the gutter and through the slot and guiding when the vertical bar contacts the bottom of the trough, said means for supporting and guiding comprising a tube having a front opening, extending from the vertical bar in a forward direction a sufficient length so that the tube restricts the fastener to movement along the first axis to the vertical bar when the fastener is inserted into the front opening.
3 more elements
A rain gutter support system comprising:
- a rain gutter comprising:
- a roof, a back wall and an upwardly open trough having a bottom, wherein the roof of the gutter extends forward from the back wall of the gutter over the upwardly open trough, spaced above the trough so that the front of the roof forms a longitudinal slot horizontal opening into the gutter along a length of the gutter, between the front of the roof and the front of the trough, the front of the roof turning downward and backward forming a concave longitudinal recess,
- a bracket comprising:
- horizontal bar having a back, and a front extending along a first axis into the concave side of the recess, said front having a first convert portion in contact at a first location along the length of the gutter with a first downward facing portion of the roof and in contact with a first upward facing portion of the recess for supporting the concave shape of the recess, and a second convex portion in contact at a second location along the length of the gutter spaced from the first location by a width of said horizontal bar, with a second downward facing portion of the roof and in contact with a second upward facing portion of the recess for supporting the horizontal bar against twisting around said first axis,
- a vertical bar connected to the back of the horizontal bar, contacting the back wall of the gutter and extending to the bottom of the trough,
- means for supporting and guiding a fastener having a length when the fastener is received in said means for supporting and guiding, along a second axis that extends from the vertical bar and through the slot when the vertical bar contacts the bottom of the trough, said means for supporting and guiding comprising a tube having a front opening, extending sufficiently from the vertical bar in a forward direction so that the tube restricts the fastener to movement along the second axis to the vertical bar when the fastener is inserted into the front opening.
3 more elements
A rain gutter support system comprising:
- a rain gutter comprising:
- a roof, a back wall and an upwardly open trough having a bottom, wherein the roof of the gutter extends forward from the back wall of the gutter over the upwardly open trough, spaced above the trough so that the front of the roof forms a longitudinal slot horizontal opening into the gutter along a length of the gutter, between the front of the roof and the front of the trough, the front of the roof turning downward and backward forming a concave longitudinal recess,
- a bracket comprising:
- a horizontal bar having a back, and a front extending along a first axis into the concave side of the recess, in contact at a first location along the length of the gutter with a first downward facing portion of the roof and said front having a first convex portion in contact with a first upward facing portion of the recess for supporting the concave shape of the recess, and a second convex portion in contact at a second location along the length of the gutter spaced from the first location by a width of said horizontal bar, with a second downward facing portion of the roof and in contact with a second upward facing portion of the recess, and in continuous contact with a third downward facing portion of the roof from the first location to the second location for supporting the horizontal bar against twisting around said first axis,
- a vertical bar connected to the back of the horizontal bar, contacting the back wall of the gutter and extending to the bottom of the trough,
- tubular means for supporting and guiding a fastener having a length when the fastener is received in said means for supporting and guiding, extending from the vertical bar in a forward direction along a second axis that extends from the back wall of the gutter and through the slot when the vertical bar contacts the bottom of the trough, configured along the second axis so that said tubular means restricts the fastener to movement along the second axis when the fastener is inserted into one end of said tubular means.
3 more elements
A rain gutter support system comprising:
- a rain gutter comprising:
- a roof, a back wall and an upwardly open trough having a bottom, wherein the roof of the gutter extends forward from the back wall of the gutter over the upwardly open trough, spaced above the trough so that the front of the roof forms a longitudinal slot horizontal opening into the gutter along a length of the gutter, between the front of the roof and the front of the trough, the front of the roof turning downward and backward forming a concave longitudinal recess,
- a bracket comprising:
- a horizontal bar having a back, and a front extending along a first axis into the concave side of the recess, said front having a first convex portion in contact at a first location along the length of the gutter with a first downward facing portion of the roof and in contact with a first upward facing portion of the recess for supporting the concave shape of the recess, and a second convex portion in contact at a second location along the length of the gutter spaced from the first location by a width of said horizontal bar, with a second downward facing portion of the roof and in contact with a second upward facing portion of the recess for supporting the horizontal bar against twisting around said first axis, and a horizontal portion spaced from the roof in contact at a third location along the length of the gutter between the first and second location,
- a vertical bar connected to the back of the horizontal bar, contacting the back wall of the gutter and extending to the bottom of the trough,
- means for supporting and guiding a fastener having a length when the fastener is received in said means for supporting and guiding, along a second axis that extends from the vertical bar and through the slot when the vertical bar contacts the bottom of the trough, said means for supporting and guiding comprising a tube having a front opening, extending sufficiently from the vertical bar in a forward direction so that the tube restricts the fastener to movement along the second axis to the vertical bar when the fastener is inserted into the front opening.
3 more elements
A rain gutter support system comprising:
- a rain gutter comprising:
- a roof, and an upwardly open trough having a bottom and a vertical back wall, wherein the roof of the gutter extends forward from above the back wall of the trough and over the upwardly open trough, spaced above the trough so that the front of the roof forms a longitudinal slot horizontal opening into the gutter along a length of the gutter, between the front of the roof and the front of the trough, the front of the roof turning downward and backward forming a concave longitudinal recess,
- a unitary molded element comprising:
- a horizontal bar having a back, and a front extending along a first axis into the concave side of the recess, said front having a first convex portion in contact at a first location along the length of the gutter, with a first downward facing portion of the roof and in contact with a first upward facing portion of the recess for supporting the concave shape of the recess, and a second convex portion in contact at a second location along the length of the gutter spaced from the first location by a width of said horizontal bar, with a second downward facing portion of the roof and in contact with a second upward facing portion of the recess, for supporting the horizontal bar against twisting around said first axis,
- a vertical bar connected to the back of the horizontal bar, contacting the back wall of the trough and extending to the bottom of the trough,
- a boss extending forward from said vertical bar below and spaced from said horizontal bar, a tubular opening through said boss extending forward along a second horizontal axis that extends from said vertical bar and through said slot when the vertical bar contacts the bottom of the trough, said tubular opening extending sufficiently along said second horizontal axis so that said tubular opening supports and restricts a fastener having a length, to movement along the second horizontal axis when the fastener is inserted in a front end of said tubular opening.
3 more elements
A one piece bracket for a rain gutter having a roof, a back wall and a trough, wherein the roof extends sloping forward from the back wall of the gutter over the trough of the gutter to the front of the trough spaced above the trough so that the front of the roof forms a longitudinal slot horizontal opening into the gutter along the length of the gutter between the front of the roof and the front of the trough, the front of the roof turning downward and backward forming a concave longitudinal recess, the bracket comprising:
- a horizontal bar having a back, and a front having a convex portion turning upward and backward and extending longitudinally along a width of the horizontal bar,
- a vertical bar connected to the back of the horizontal bar, configured so that when the vertical bar contacts the back wall of the gutter and the bottom of the trough, the longitudinal convex portion of the front of the horizontal bar extends into the concave side of the recess in contact with the concave side of the recess,
- means for guiding a fastener, said means for guiding having a tubular member extending a length from the vertical bar in a forward direction, configured so that said means for guiding holds and restricts a fastener having a length, to movement along a first axis that extends from the vertical bar through the slot when the vertical bar contacts the bottom of the trough and the back wall of the gutter, when the fastener is inserted into one end of said means for guiding.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.