Fence support

• US 5,356,101 A
• Filed: 04/01/1992
• Issued: 10/18/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Quik S'Port Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: James T. Malloy
• Inventors: Malloy, James T.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN SHUE, ALVIN C
• Application Number:
  US07/861,914
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 248/156, 248/170, 248/165, 248/171, 256/63, 256/36, 256/64, 52/158, 52/156
• US Class Current: 248/156
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/2215 driven into the ground ground anchors E02D5/80
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 17/006 Caps or covers for posts

Abstract

Disclosed is a fence support including a generally vertically oriented main support post in the form of a T shaped iron bar and a single brace. The brace includes an elongated bearing element that is received in the bite of the T and a collar member fits over the top of the main support post and bearing elements to hold them together. The brace has at its bottom end a stake holder which receive a stakes that are driven into the ground. Two different gate adapters are shown for mounting in a hinge like manner a gate to a T-post or the like.

Claims

1. A fence support comprising

a main support post having a top end and a bottom end adapted to be forced into the ground to orient the main support post generally vertically, said. main support post having a predetermined cross-sectional configuration to provide a corner,

a brace having a top end including an elongated bearing element and a bottom end including stake holder means, said elongated bearing element being mounted by hinge means to the top end of the brace,

said main support post and brace being adapted to be assembled into said fence support wherein the top end of the brace engages the top end of the main support post, with said elongated bearing element received in said corner, and

a collar member force fitted over the top of the main support post and the elongated bearing element, attaching said main support post and elongated bearing element rigidly and fixedly together.

2. The fence support of claim 1 wherein the stake holder means comprises a tubular member oriented generally vertically upon assembly of the main support post and the brace, and a stake extends through the tubular member having a first end forced into the ground and second end extending beyond the tubular member, said second end being at an acute angle with respect to the vertical.

3. The fence support of claim 1 where the elongated bearing element is a tubular member with a side wall that is deformed upon the collar member being force fitted over the top of the main support post and the elongated bearing element.

4. The fence support of claim 1 where the elongated bearing element has a pair of mounting members extending outwardly from a lower section, said mounting members being substantially at 90 degrees relative to each other, and the hinge means being attached to the mounting members.

5. The fence post of claim 1 where the main support post comprises a pair of T-posts, each T-post having a cross bar and a leg at substantially a right angle to the cross bar, said T-posts being aligned longitudinally, with one T-post being displaced laterally and the legs of the pair of T-posts bearing against each other and being bonded together.