Size-adjustable gutter reinforcement device

Abstract

A size-adjustable gutter reinforcement device includes a face bar, spikes and sleeves, the face bar being hollow and generally rectangular in cross section and including a first wall with holes through which the spikes can extend, a second wall generally perpendicular to the first wall and including holes in register with the holes in the first wall and having a diameters that allow the sleeves to pass therethrough, a third wall which is generally parallel to the first wall and which includes holes through which the spikes can extend, and a fourth wall which is generally parallel to the second wall and which includes holes through which the spikes can extend, the holes in the first, second, third and fourth walls being equally spaced along a length of the face bar and register with one another. Depending on the orientation of the face bar relative to a front wall of a gutter and whether the sleeves extend up to the first wall or through the holes in the second wall, the device can be used in either a five inch gutter or a six inch gutter.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A size-adjustable gutter reinforcement device which comprises: 
 a plurality of spikes which include heads and shanks, said shanks having diameters D1;    a plurality of sleeves which have inner diameters D2 and outer diameters D3, said inner diameters D2 being larger than D1; and    a face bar which is generally rectangular in cross section, and which defines first, second, third and fourth walls, said first and third walls being opposite one another and said second and fourth walls being opposite one another, said first wall including holes of a first diameter D4 equally spaced along a length of the face bar, said second wall including holes of a second diameter D5 spaced along the length of the face bar and in register with the first holes, said third wall including holes of the first diameter spaced along the length of the face bar and in register with the first holes, and said fourth wall including holes of the first diameter spaced along the length of the face bar and in register with the first holes, and said first diameter D4 being larger than D1 but smaller than D3 and said second diameter D5 being larger than D3,    said spikes respectively passing through the holes in the third and first walls and then through respective sleeves when mounting the face bar in a six inch gutter, and respectively passing through the holes in the fourth wall and through a respective sleeve that respectively extends through said second holes when mounting the face bar in a five inch gutter.    
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said face bar is hollow.  
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein a distance between said first and third walls is about 1 inch.  
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , including a fifth wall which extends between said third and fourth walls to better fit within a contour of a front wall of the gutter.  
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein said fifth wall is concave.  
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said face bar is made of metal.  
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said face bar is made of plastic.  
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , including a bridge element which can be inserted in ends of two adjacent said face bars to connect said adjacent face bars together and extend a length of said device.  
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein said bridge element is made of a rigid material.  
     
     
         10 . A face bar for use in a size-adjustable gutter reinforcement device, said face bar being generally rectangular is cross section and defining first, second, third and fourth walls, said first and third walls being opposite one another and said second and fourth walls being opposite one another, said first wall including holes of a first diameter D4 equally spaced along a length of the face bar, said second wall including holes of a second diameter D5 spaced along the length of the face bar and in register with the first holes, said third wall including holes of the first diameter spaced along the length of the face bar and in register with the first holes, and said fourth wall including holes of the first diameter spaced along the length of the face bar and in register with the first holes, and said first diameter D4 being larger than D1 but smaller than D3 and said second diameter D5 being larger than D3.  
     
     
         11 . The face bar according to  claim 10 , wherein said face bar is hollow.  
     
     
         12 . A combination of a gutter defining a back wall, a bottom wall and a front face, and a size-adjustable gutter reinforcement device which fits within said gutter, said size-adjustable gutter reinforcement device comprising: 
 a plurality of spikes which include heads and shanks, said shanks having diameters D1;    a plurality of sleeves which have inner diameters D2 and outer diameters D3, said inner diameters D2 being larger than D1; and    a face bar which is generally rectangular in cross section, and which defines first, second, third and fourth walls, said first and third walls being opposite one another and said second and fourth walls being opposite one another, said first wall including holes of a first diameter D4 equally spaced along a length of the face bar, said second wall including holes of a second diameter D5 spaced along the length of the face bar and in register with the first holes, said third wall including holes of the first diameter spaced along the length of the face bar and in register with the first holes, and said fourth wall including holes of the first diameter spaced along the length of the face bar and in register with the first holes, and said first diameter D4 being larger than D1 but smaller than D3 and said second diameter D5 being larger than D3,    said spikes respectively passing through the holes in the third and first walls and then through respective sleeves when mounting the face bar in a six inch gutter, and respectively passing through the holes in the fourth wall and through a respective sleeve that respectively extends through said second holes when mounting the face bar in a five inch gutter.    
     
     
         13 . The combination according to  claim 12 , wherein said face bar is hollow.