Households have long used fences to demarcate property lines, to exclude others and to maintain privacy. Fences can add value to a residential home based on appearance and function. It is known in the art to put posts into the ground as the main structural support for a fence. It is also known to put a rail from post to post to further support the fence. Pickets can be hung from this structure or it can be covered in wire mesh.
In the case of privacy fences, cedar planks are attached to rails and are spaced closely to limit the view through the fence. These fences have the planks overlap the posts or butt up right next to the post. For years the only solution was to have a joist hanger that would wrap under the rail and attach to the post. This is unsightly and limits how close the planks or pickets can be to the post. It is therefore desirable to hide the means for attaching the rail to the post. It is also desirable to have the attachment means be below the attachment surface of the rail.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds