Horizontal fence and method of assembly

Abstract

A universal support rail for a horizontal fence assembly has main body with a cross-sectional profile having a rail tongue extending to be retained within a fence plank groove and a rail groove formed to retain a fence plank tongue. The universal support rail may be positioned on top of the fence plank, or under the fence plank or between two fence planks to retain a plurality of fence planks in a stacked configuration between a pair of adjacent U-shaped members. A horizontal fence assembly comprises a pair of U-shaped members attached to a pair of coaligned and spaced apart vertical posts or other flat vertical surfaces defining a vertical channel for receiving at least one universal support rail and a plurality of fence planks. A method is provided for assembling a horizontal fence.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A universal support rail for a horizontal fence assembly spanning a distance between a pair of adjacent U-shaped members attached to a pair of vertical posts or other flat vertical surfaces, said universal support rail comprising:
 a main body having a first end and a second end, each of said first and second ends being sized for retention within an opening of a vertical channel formed by one of the pair of U-shaped members;   said main body formed with a cross-sectional profile having a rail tongue extending from a first side thereof, and a rail groove formed in an opposite side thereof,   said rail groove being sized and positioned to retain a plank tongue of a fence plank therein;   said rail tongue being sized and positioned to be retained within a plank groove formed in a fence plank;   whereby said universal support rail may be positioned on top of the fence plank, or under the fence plank or between two fence planks to retain said fence planks in a stacked configuration between the pair of adjacent U-shaped members.   
     
     
         2 . Use of the universal support rail of  claim 1  as a base rail upon which a plurality of fence planks is received and retained in stacked configuration in a horizontal fence assembly. 
     
     
         3 . Use of the universal support rail of  claim 1  as a mid rail in a horizontal fence assembly wherein said universal support rail is positioned to receive, in the rail groove of the main body thereof, the plank tongue of a lower one of the plurality of fence planks, and to be received within the plank groove of a higher one of the plurality of fence planks, the rail tongue of the main body thereof. 
     
     
         4 . Use of the universal support rail of  claim 1  as an upper rail in a horizontal fence assembly wherein said universal support rail is positioned to receive, in the rail groove of the main body thereof, the plank tongue of a lower fence plank, in a stacked configuration. 
     
     
         5 . A horizontal fence assembly comprising:
 a pair of U-shaped members attached to a pair of coaligned and spaced apart vertical posts or other flat vertical surfaces, each of said U-shaped members defining a vertical channel having an opening for receiving at least one universal support rail and a plurality of fence planks;   the plurality of fence planks spanning the distance between the pair of vertical channels, each of which fence planks being constructed having a first longitudinal edge forming a plank tongue and an opposing longitudinal edge forming a plank groove;   the universal support rail spanning the distance between the pair of vertical channels, said universal support rail comprising a main body having a first end and a second end, each of said first and second ends being sized for retention within the openings of the vertical channels of each of the pair of U-shaped members;   said main body formed with a cross-sectional profile having a rail tongue extending from a first side thereof, and a rail groove formed in an opposite side thereof, said rail groove being sized and positioned to retain the plank tongue of a fence plank therein; and said rail tongue being sized and positioned to be retained within the plank groove of a fence plank; and,   
       fastening means to secure the universal support rail in the vertical channel of each of the U-shaped members; 
       whereby said universal support rail may be positioned on top of the fence plank, or under the fence plank or between two fence planks to retain said fence planks in a stacked configuration between the pair of adjacent U-shaped members. 
     
     
         6 . The horizontal fence assembly of  claim 5  wherein the at least one universal support rail comprises a bottom rail attached to a bottom end of each of the U-shaped members. 
     
     
         7 . The horizontal fence assembly of  claim 5  wherein the at least one universal support rail comprises a top rail attached to top end of each of the U-shaped members. 
     
     
         8 . The horizontal fence assembly of  claim 6  wherein the bottom rail attached to a bottom end of each of the U-shaped members and a top rail attached to a top end of each of the U-shaped members frame the plurality of fence planks. 
     
     
         9 . The horizontal fence assembly of  claim 8  wherein the a top rail is a universal support rail. 
     
     
         10 . The horizontal fence assembly of  claim 5  wherein the at least one universal support rail comprises a mid rail attached to each of the U-shaped members above at least one of the fence planks and below at least one of the fence planks. 
     
     
         11 . The horizontal fence assembly of  claim 5  wherein each U-shaped member provides a lower attachment area positioned adjacent a bottom end thereof and an upper attachment area adjacent a top end thereof for fastening universal support members between the pair of U-shaped members. 
     
     
         12 . The horizontal fence assembly of  claim 5  wherein the fastening means comprises at least one aperture in each U-shaped member for receiving a fastener for securing the universal support rail within the vertical channels. 
     
     
         13 . The horizontal fence assembly according to  claim 12  wherein the at least one aperture comprises a first pair of apertures each to receive a fastener, through one side of each U-shaped member along a 45 degree angle from a longitudinal edge of the first side of said U-shaped member, and a second pair of apertures, each to receive a fastener through an opposing side of each U-shaped member along a 45 degree angle from the longitudinal edge of the other side of said U-shaped member. 
     
     
         14 . The horizontal fence assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the two pairs of apertures are oriented at a 90 degree angle to one another on the opposing sides of the U-shaped member. 
     
     
         15 . The horizontal fence assembly of  claim 14 , wherein each said fastener is a self-drilling screw. 
     
     
         16 . The horizontal fence assembly of  claim 11  wherein each U-shaped member provides an mid attachment area at a selected distance from the lower attachment area for fastening one of the universal support members. 
     
     
         17 . The horizontal fence assembly of  claim 5  wherein one of the pair of U-shaped members is attached to a first face of a vertical post and one of an additional pair of U-shaped members is attached on another face of the vertical post, said one of the additional pair of U-shaped members having an opening for receiving another at least one universal support rail and another plurality of fence planks. 
     
     
         18 . A method of assembling a horizontal fence comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing first and a second vertical channels, respectively defined by first and second U-shaped members respectively attached to first and second anchored posts, the openings of said first and second vertical channels facing one another;   (b) fastening into the first and second vertical channels a first universal support rail comprising a main body having a cross-sectional profile having a rail tongue extending from a first side thereof, and a rail groove formed in an opposite side thereof, said universal support rail oriented with the rail tongue pointing upward;   (c) inserting into the first and second vertical channels a plurality of fence planks each having a first longitudinal edge forming a plank tongue and an opposing longitudinal edge forming a plank groove, said plurality of fence planks oriented with their plank grooves pointing downward in stacked configuration, receiving and resting upon the rail tongue of the first universal support rail; and,   (d) fastening into the first and second vertical channels a second universal support rail comprising a main body having a cross-sectional profile having a rail tongue extending from a first side thereof, and a rail groove formed in an opposite side thereof, said universal support rail oriented with the rail tongue pointing upward and the rail groove pointing downward and receiving therein a plank tongue of one of the plurality of fence planks.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the steps of
 (e) inserting into the first and second vertical channels a second plurality of fence planks each having a first longitudinal edge forming a plank tongue and an opposing longitudinal edge forming a plank groove, said second plurality of fence planks oriented with their plank grooves pointing downward in stacked configuration, receiving and resting upon the rail tongue of the second universal support rail; and,   (f) fastening into the first and second vertical channels a third universal support rail comprising a main body having a cross-sectional profile having a rail tongue extending from a first side thereof, and a rail groove formed in an opposite side thereof, said third universal support rail oriented with the rail tongue pointing upward and the rail groove pointing downward and receiving therein a plank tongue of one of the second plurality of fence planks.