US20020000504A1

US20020000504A1 - Christmas lights holder

Info

Publication number: US20020000504A1
Application number: US09/006,059
Authority: US
Inventors: Roger A Bayne
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-01-12
Filing date: 1998-01-12
Publication date: 2002-01-03

Abstract

A bracket for supporting decorative lights from, for instance, a rain gutter of a building having a member that extends under a gutter support such as a gutter nail or gutter nail with a sleeve around it, the bracket member having extensions that extend away from the nail and then rise to the top of the gutter, extend over it and down a short distance where these extensions extend toward one another and then away from one another after approaching to a distance that approximates the diameter of the socket for the bulb. The extensions moving away from one another are in the form of spirals to hold the wires extending from the socket. The downward part of the extension may be angled inwardly to maintain contact with an inwardly sloping outer surface of the gutter. In a configuration for carrying the wires of the string around a corner, the member that normally extends under the gutter support is raised to a generally horizontal plane and configured to contact the inner surfaces of the walls defining the gutter on the two sides of the angle. Otherwise, the structures are similar except that no provision for the socket of the bulb may be required.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a holder for Christmas lights and more particularly to a Christmas light holder suspended from a rain gutter of a house or other building structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Christmas lights are typically hung on trees or houses and other types of buildings; office buildings, buildings at shopping centers, and the like. Quite often the lights are hung from the gutters of such buildings but the stringing process is often difficult particularly where it is desired to eliminate sagging between supports. This is not to infer that it cannot be done but considerable effort is involved in achieving such results.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a support for Christmas lights strung from rain gutters of buildings.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a bracket that can be secured to the rain gutter of a building and securely hold a Christmas light bulb and the wires connected to the bulb.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a bracket for supporting Christmas lights from a rain gutter or the like, the bracket having a partial loop that fits under and/or partly around a gutter nail to securely hold the bracket.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A bracket according to the present invention has in one form two halves that are mirror images of one another. The two halves are joined by a partial loop that is intended to pass under a gutter nail and come up under and, in one embodiment, partially surround it. Such arrangement provides strong support for the bracket preventing it from being accidentally pulled off of the gutter except by destroying it.

The bracket flares outwardly from the two ends of the partial loop above the gutter nail all in a plane parallel to the longitudinal dimension of the gutter. The ends of the flared members terminate in right angle members that pass over the top of the gutter and then extend downwardly by a sufficient distance to grasp the gutter. The ends of the downward extensions turn at right angles away from each other parallel to the longitudinal dimension of the gutters and are spiralled. The wires of the bulb are situated in the spirals supporting the bulb socket in the region between the spirals.

The downward extensions may be angled inwardly to grasp the gutter between the interior and exterior parts.

In a form of the bracket used for guiding the wire around a corner of the gutter, the members that flare out from the loop are located at right angles to one another so that the two members extend over the two sections of the gutter at right angles to one another.

The above and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention, together with the best means contemplated by the inventor thereof for carrying out the invention will become more apparent from reading the following description of a preferred embodiment and perusing the associated drawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment useful with small bulbs in regions of relatively mild weather; [0011]
FIG. 2 is a side view of the bracket of FIG. 1 installed on a gutter; [0012]
FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the bracket of FIG. 1 installed on a gutter with a bulb in place; [0013]
FIG. 4 is a top view of a modification of the bracket of FIG. 1 useful in regions of strong winds; [0014]
FIG. 5 is a side view of the bracket of FIG. 4 installed on a gutter; [0015]
FIG. 6 illustrates a bracket for going around corners; and [0016]
FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the bracket of FIGS. 4 and 5 installed on a gutters[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring specifically to FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, a [0018] partial loop 2 of a holder generally designated by the reference numeral 1 is normally retained in a generally vertical position about a gutter nail and sleeve 3 as seen in FIG. 2. The loop 2 terminates at its upper ends in extensions 6 and 8 that extend in opposite directions from one another at generally right angles to the nail and sleeve 3. The loop 2 at the junction with members 6 and 8 is less open at its upper end than its lower end to assist in retaining the holder on sleeve 3.
The [0019] extensions 6 and 8 terminate in members 14 and 16, respectively, that extend at right angles from members 6 and 8, respectively, and come across a front lip 15 of a gutter 17. The members 14 and 16 terminate in downwardly extending members 20 and 22, respectively, in front of gutter 17.
As a result of the relatively wide separation between the [0020] members 14 and 16, provided to maintain stability of the bracket, bulb and wire supports 30 and 32 extending at right angles from members 14 and 16, must initially be directed toward one another to close this gap to support a bulb socket. The space left between these members should preferably be no more than the width of a socket 19 of a bulb 21 to be supported by the bracket. Specifically the members 20 and 22 terminate in inwardly extending members 24 and 26, respectively, leaving a gap 28 therebetween to accept the socket for a bulb. The members are then turned at 1800 to provide for the helical members 30 and 32 in which wires 23 and 25 leading from socket 19 are wound and supported.
The bracket shown in FIGS. [0021] 1 to 3 is intended for use with small bulbs and sockets in relatively mild environments. This bracket is subject to a number of modifications.
Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5 and [0022] 7 of the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated a bracket for use with large bulbs.
The bracket again has a [0023] loop 37 for engaging a sleeve 35 around the gutter nail (not illustrated) of a gutter 49. The upper ends of loop terminate in members 42 and 44 extending outwardly parallel to the gutter. Members 46 and 48 extend across the top of the gutter from members 42 and 46, respectively.
As viewed in FIGS. 5 and 7, the [0024] gutter 49 has a vertical downwardly depending surface 51 followed by an inwardly slanted section 53. The bracket has downwardly extending legs 41 and 43 seated against surface 51 and continuing into inwardly extending legs 50 and 51 being illustrated in FIG. 7. These legs follow the contour of the gutter and thus engage surfaces 51 and 53 of the gutter holding the bracket tightly against the nail-sleeve arrangement and the surface 53 of the gutter making for a strong connection between the two.
The [0025] members 50 and 55 and its counterpart have outwardly extending legs, 52 and 56 being illustrated. The legs 52 and 56 terminate in spiral wire holders 58 and 60, respectively. Thus the lights are held out from the gutter for great visibility both from the front and the side.
Referring now to FIG. 6 of the drawings, there is illustrated a corner bracket useful for taking the string of lights around a corner. A [0026] gutter 63 is illustrated with sections 65 and 67 at right angles to one another. Turns of more or less than 90° can be accommodated.
Specifically, the loop of the bracket is raised into a horizontal plane and is conformed to the angle between [0027] sections 65 and 67 of the gutter 63, in this instance, 90°. Thus a bracket having right angled legs 64 and 66 seats against the interior surfaces of sections 65 and 67, respectively. The legs 64 and 66 terminate in inwardly directed right angled members 68 and 70, respectively. The gap of FIG. 1 is now seen as gap 72 in FIG. 6. Angled members 74 and 76 extend away from members 68 and 70 and turn and extend as members 78 and 80 over the top of the gutter sections 65 and 67, respectively. The members 78 and 80 then turn down and carry wire support spirals 82 and 84 extending toward the corner of the gutter to carry the wires away from the sharp edge of the corner of the gutter.
Thus the brackets securely support Christmas lights from either of two of the more common types of gutters and can readily accommodate other styles of gutters. The corner bracket securely holds the wires of a string of lights even around bends in the gutters. [0028]
Once given the above disclosure, many other features, modifications and improvements will become apparent to the skilled artisan. Such features, modifications and improvements are, therefore, considered to be a part of this invention, the scope of which is to be determined by the following claims. [0029]

Claims

1. A bracket for supporting decorative lights on a rain gutter secured to a building or similar structure by a support usually including nail and/or a nail covered by a sleeve, the bracket comprising

a member extending under, partially around and adapted to contact the support,

arms extending outwardly in opposite directions from said member longitudinally of the gutter for a predetermined distance,

said arms terminating in generally horizontal members that extend over the top of the gutter,

said horizontal members having downwardly extending members,

said downwardly extending members terminate in right angle members directed toward one another for a distance such as to leave a gap slightly larger than the socket for a bulb to be supported by the bracket,

said right angle members terminate in generally spiral shaped members directed away from one another.

2. A bracket according to claim 1 further comprising

an open loop defining said member extending under the support.

3. A bracket according to claim 2 wherein

said loop terminates with said arms spaced apart by less than the width of said support.

4. A bracket according to claim 1 wherein

said downwardly extending members are angled inwardly to contact an inwardly angled surface of the gutter.

5. A bracket for supporting wires extending from the socket for a light bulb or other source of illumination, wherein the socket and light bulb are to be supported on a gutter of a building or other structure having rain gutters or other front facing channeled member including means for supporting said member and extending a distance along a surface of the structure, said bracket comprising,

means for securely supporting said bracket in said channel member,

said means having first members extending over a front top surface of the channeled member,

said first members having downwardly extending members for a relatively short distance,

said downwardly extending members terminating in right angle members directed toward one another for a distance such as to leave a gap slightly larger than the socket for a bulb to be supported by the bracket,

said right angle members terminating in generally spiral shaped members directed away from one another.

6. A bracket according to claim 5 wherein

said means for supporting said bracket includes a loop firmly contacting said channeled member.

7. A bracket according to claim 5 wherein

said means for supporting said channeled members includes a loop pressed firmly against the channel member.

8. A bracket according to claim 7 wherein

said loop passes under and contacts a channel member.

9. A bracket according to claim 5 wherein

said loop contacts inner surfaces of said channel member.

10. A bracket according to claim 9 wherein the channel member has an angle,

said bracket having angled members having an angle between them at the same angle as that between the channel members disposed at an angle to one another.

11. A bracket for hanging decorative lights on a rain gutter secured to a building or similar structure by a support usually including nail and/or a nail covered by a sleeve, the bracket comprising

a member extending under, partially around and adapted to contact the support,

arms extending from said member and having extensions directed over the top of the gutter,

said horizontal members having downwardly extending members,

said downwardly extending members terminating in generally spiral shaped members directed away from one another.

12. A bracket according to claim 11 wherein

said extensions extend at right angles to one another.

13. A bracket according to claim 12 further comprising generally horizontal members lying at right angles to one another, lying between said extensions and contacting inner surfaces of said gutter lying at an angle to one another.