Unitary rail clip assembly for connecting a fence rail to a fence post

Abstract

A rail clip assembly for connecting a fence rail to a fence post. The assembly comprises a housing slidably engaged with a L-shaped connector bracket that is securable to the post. The bracket has a first leg with a second leg extending outwardly therefrom, and a detent integral with the first leg and extending outwardly therefrom in the opposite direction to the second leg. The first leg is received through a slot in a perimeter wall of the housing and the detent engages in a recessed area in the housing's rear wall. The second leg abuts an exterior surface of the perimeter wall and a fastener secures the second leg to both the perimeter wall and the rail retained within the housing.

1 . A rail clip assembly for securing a fence rail to a fence post; said assembly comprising:
 a housing having a rear wall with a perimeter wall extending outwardly and forwardly away therefrom; wherein the rear and perimeter walls together define an interior chamber adapted to receive an end of the fence rail therein; and wherein the rear wall has a front surface and a rear surface and defines a recessed area in the front surface and an opening to the recessed area in the rear surface, and wherein the perimeter wall defines a slot therein;   a connector bracket having:
 a first leg receivable through the slot in the perimeter wall 
 a second leg integral with the first leg and extending outwardly away therefrom such that the second leg cannot pass through the slot when the first leg is received therethrough; 
 a detent integrally formed with the first leg and extending outwardly away therefrom in a direction opposite to said second leg; said detent engaging in the recessed area in the rear wall of the housing when the first leg is received through the slot; and 
   a fastener adapted to secure the fence rail to both of the second leg and perimeter wall of the housing.   
   
   
       2 . The rail clip assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first leg of the connector bracket has a top end, a bottom end, a front surface and a rear surface; and wherein the detent is integrally formed with and extends outwardly away from the rear surface of the first leg. 
   
   
       3 . The rail clip assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the detent is smaller in size than the first leg of the connector bracket. 
   
   
       4 . The rail clip assembly as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the first leg has first and second sides that extend between the top and bottom ends thereof, and the detent is disposed intermediate the first and second sides and a portion of rear surface of the first leg extends outwardly beyond the detent in at least one direction. 
   
   
       5 . The rail clip assembly as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the detent is disposed substantially equidistant between the first and second sides and portions of the rear surface of the first leg extend outwardly beyond the detent in at least two directions. 
   
   
       6 . The rail clip assembly as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the portion of the rear surface of the first leg that extends outwardly beyond the detent abuts a front surface of the rear wall of the housing when the detent is engaged in the recessed area in the rear wall. 
   
   
       7 . The rail clip assembly as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the detent has a back surface that is disposed substantially parallel to the rear surface of the first leg, and the detent further has a side wall that extends between the back surface and the rear surface of the first leg. 
   
   
       8 . The rail clip assembly as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the side wall of the detent is disposed at an acute angle relative to the rear surface of the first leg. 
   
   
       9 . The rail clip assembly as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the angle of the side wall of the detent is such that the detent tapers in width from the rear surface of the first leg outwardly toward the back surface of the detent. 
   
   
       10 . The rail clip assembly as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the side wall of the detent includes a shoulder and the rear wall of the housing includes a complementary shoulder in the recessed area thereof, and wherein the shoulder on the detent interlockingly engages with the shoulder on the rear wall. 
   
   
       11 . The rail clip assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the detent is frictionally retained in the recessed area. 
   
   
       12 . The rail clip assembly as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a second detent integral with the first leg and spaced a distance from the detent, and wherein said second detent extends outwardly away from the first leg, and wherein both of the detent and second detent are received within the recessed area of the rear wall of the housing when the first leg is received through the slot. 
   
   
       13 . The rail clip assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the connector bracket is substantially L-shaped and the first leg is disposed substantially at right angles to the second leg. 
   
   
       14 . The rail clip assembly as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the second leg extends outwardly and forwardly away from the bottom end of the first leg and abuts an exterior surface of the perimeter wall when the first leg is received through the slot. 
   
   
       15 . The rail clip assembly as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one aperture that extends through both of the first leg and the detent. 
   
   
       16 . The rail clip assembly as defined in  claim 15 , further comprising at least one second fastener that extends through the at least one aperture in the first leg and the detent and is adapted to secure the first leg and the detent to the fence post. 
   
   
       17 . The rail clip as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising an aperture that extends through the second leg from an interior surface thereof to an exterior surface thereof; and wherein the fastener extends through the aperture. 
   
   
       18 . The rail clip as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the detent has a back surface that is substantially coplanar with a rear surface of the rear wall when the detent is received in the recessed area. 
   
   
       19 . The rail clip assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the slot in the perimeter wall of the housing is adjacent the rear wall thereof and the slot is substantially continuous with the opening in the rear wall. 
   
   
       20 . In combination:
 a fence rail;   a fence post; and   a rail clip assembly for connecting the fence post and fence rail together; said assembly comprising:
 a housing having a rear wall with a front surface and a rear surface, where the rear surface is disposed in abutting contact with a sidewall of the fence post; said housing further including a perimeter wall that extends outwardly and forwardly away from the rear wall; and wherein the rear and perimeter walls together define an interior chamber that receives an end of the fence rail therein; and wherein the rear wall defines a recessed area in the front surface thereof and an opening to the recessed area in the rear surface thereof, and wherein the perimeter wall defines a slot therein; 
 a connector bracket having:
 a first leg receivable through the slot in the perimeter wall; 
 a detent integrally formed with the first leg and extending outwardly away therefrom; said detent engaging in the recessed area in the rear wall of the housing when the first leg is received through the slot; and 
 a second leg integrally formed with the first leg and extending outwardly away therefrom such that the second leg cannot pass through the slot when the first leg is received therethrough; 
 
 a fastener that secures the second leg of the connector bracket to both of the fence rail and the perimeter wall of the housing.