Support stay

Abstract

A fence stay.

1 . A stay comprising:
 (a) an elongate member having a front surface; and   (b) a plurality of ridges extending from said front surface each capable of supporting a wire when said elongate member is in a vertical position.   
     
     
         2 . The stay of  claim 1  where said elongate member comprises metal having a substantially uniform thickness. 
     
     
         3 . The stay of  claim 2  where said metal is press-rolled to form said plurality of ridges. 
     
     
         4 . The stay of  claim 3  where said elongate member has a maximum depth transverse to a length of said stay, and where the ratio of said thickness to said depth is less than approximately 0.15. 
     
     
         5 . A stay comprising:
 (a) an elongate member having a cross section with a substantially uniform thickness over said cross section and a front face opposed to a rear face; where   (b) said front face defines at least one ridge extending from said front face and capable of supporting a wire when said elongate member is in a vertical position; and where   (c) said elongate member defines two supports, spaced apart from each other for supporting said stay when said rear face rests on a supporting surface.   
     
     
         6 . The stay of  claim 5  where said at least one ridge is approximately located at a longitudinal centerline of said stay and said supports are each positioned on a respectively opposed lateral side of said at least one ridge. 
     
     
         7 . The stay of  claim 5  where said supports each form a respective channel in said front surface. 
     
     
         8 . The stay of  claim 5  including opposed wing portions each positioned at the outer end of a respective one of said supports. 
     
     
         9 . The stay of  claim 6  where said front face has a substantially flat base surface from which said at least one ridge extends, and said opposed wing portions are oriented at an angle to said base surface. 
     
     
         10 . The stay of  claim 7  where a first said stay may be stacked with a second said stay such that the supports of said first stay nest in the channels of said second stay. 
     
     
         11 . The stay of  claim 5  including plural tabs at an end of said stay, said tabs capable of being, selectively manually bent to a position perpendicular to a longitudinal centerline of said stay. 
     
     
         12 . In combination with a fence stay having a front surface and a plurality of ridges extending from said front surface each capable of supporting a wire when said elongate member is in a vertical position, a fastener for securing said stay to said wire, said fastener comprising:
 (a) opposed first and second hooks each positioned at a respective end of an elongate connecting member, each said hook capable of engaging said wire; where said first hook is oriented at an approximate right angle to said second hook.   
     
     
         13 . The combination of  claim 12  where each of said first and second hooks are oriented at an approximate right angle to a length of said connecting member. 
     
     
         14 . The combination of  claim 12  where said stay comprises:
 (a) an elongate member having a cross section with a substantially uniform thickness over said cross section and a front face opposed to a rear face; where   (b) said front face defines at least one ridge extending from said front face and capable of supporting a wire when said elongate member is in a vertical position; and where   (c) said elongate member defines two supports, spaced apart from each other for supporting said stay when said rear face rests on a supporting surface.   
     
     
         15 . The stay of  claim 14  where said at least one ridge is approximately located at a longitudinal centerline of said stay and said supports are each positioned on a respectively opposed lateral side of said at least one ridge. 
     
     
         16 . The stay of  claim 15  where said supports each form a respective channel in said front surface. 
     
     
         17 . The stay of  claim 15  including opposed wing portions each positioned at the outer end of a respective one of said supports. 
     
     
         18 . The stay of  claim 17  where said front face has a substantially flat base surface from which said at least one ridge extends, and said opposed wing portions are oriented at an angle to said base surface. 
     
     
         19 . The stay of  claim 15  where a first said stay may be stacked with a second said stay such that the supports of said first stay nest in the channels of said second stay. 
     
     
         20 . The stay of  claim 12  including plural tabs at an end of said stay, said tabs capable of being, selectively manually bent to a position perpendicular to a longitudinal centerline of said stay.