Bracket for covered rain gutters

Abstract

A bracket for mounting and supporting a rain gutter that includes an overlying, leaf- and debris-shedding cover. The bracket is an L-shaped element that includes a first leg that lies against a gutter rear wall and is suitably secured to a fascia board, such as with screws. A second leg extends outwardly from the first leg and terminates in a hook-shaped end to receive and support the inturned front edge of the gutter. The second leg includes an opening for attaching the front edge of the cover in spaced relationship to the gutter front edge. One or more openings are provided in the bracket for receiving connecting screws for connecting a gutter end cap to a bracket positioned adjacent the gutter end.

1 . A support bracket for positioning within a rain gutter that includes an overlying gutter cover, said bracket comprising: 
 a) a substantially L-shaped body including a first leg adapted to be oriented substantially vertically when the bracket is installed in a gutter, and a second leg adapted to be oriented substantially horizontally when the bracket is installed in a gutter, the first leg including a mounting surface adapted to contact a rear wall of a gutter;    b) at least one first bore extending through the first leg toward the mounting surface and generally aligned with the second leg for receiving a bracket fastener for securing the bracket to a substantially vertical building surface adjacent to a roof edge;    c) at least one second bore extending into the second leg for receiving a cover fastener for securing a front edge of the gutter cover to the bracket;    d) engagement means carried by the second leg for engaging and supporting a front wall portion of a gutter; and    e) support means carried by the first leg for engaging a rear portion of the gutter cover.    
   
   
       2 . A bracket in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the first leg includes at least two first bores.  
   
   
       3 . A bracket in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the second bore is a blind bore.  
   
   
       4 . A bracket in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the engagement means is a hook member that is adapted to engage a reentrant lip carried at an upper front edge of a gutter.  
   
   
       5 . A bracket in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the support means is a surface inclined in a downward direction from a plane defined by the mounting surface and extending toward the gutter front wall engagement means.  
   
   
       6 . A bracket in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the support means is inclined at an inclination angle of from about 85° to about 60° relative to the mounting surface.  
   
   
       7 . A bracket in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the support means is inclined relative to the mounting surface at an inclination angle of about 75°.  
   
   
       8 . A bracket in accordance with  claim 1 , including a stop surface carried by the second leg for abutment with and positioning relative to the bracket of a front edge of a gutter cover.  
   
   
       9 . A bracket in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the stop surface is positioned below an opening of the at least one second bore.  
   
   
       10 . A bracket in accordance with  claim 1 , including at least one aperture in the bracket body for receiving a fastener for fastening an end cap relative to the bracket.  
   
   
       11 . A bracket in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the at least one bracket body aperture is positioned in the first leg.  
   
   
       12 . A bracket in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the at least one bracket body aperture is positioned in the second leg.  
   
   
       13 . A bracket in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein at least one bracket body aperture is positioned in the first leg, and at least one bracket body aperture is positioned in the second leg.