Gutter Clip For Light Strings And The Like

Abstract

A removable clip adapted to be fastened to the front upper edge of a metal gutter, the gutter being of the type having an upstanding front side or lip which defines the gutter edge and an inwardly directed flange along the edge. The clip is particularly suitable for supporting light bulb strings or the like, and is in two pieces, both pieces being formed from strips of spring metal. One piece is in the form of a C-shaped clamp having upper and lower arms which embrace the gutter flange from the inside of the gutter, the second piece locking onto the clamp upper arm and having an overhanging portion on the outside of the gutter adapted to engage the light bulb string. The length of the clamp lower arm is such that it bears against the inside of the gutter lip pressing the overhanging portion against the outside or front of the lip.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to clips, and more particularly to a clip adapted to be fastened to the front upper edge of a metal gutter.

The invention is particularly useful for suspending a string of light bulbs, such as a string of Christmas light bulbs, from a house or building gutter, and will be described with particular reference thereto, although it will be appreciated that the invention has broader application.

Metal gutters of the type with which the present invention is used have an upstanding front side or lip, and an inwardly directed folded flange at the upper edge of the lip. The flange is substantially at right angles with the lip, and offers strength to the latter. The lip usually has a curved cross section, partly for strength, and partly for appearance.

If it is desired to suspend a string of light bulbs from the gutter, the overall shape of the gutter front lip and the existence of the flange makes it impossible to drape a simple S-shaped clip over the gutter upper edge. The flange of the gutter extends too deeply into the gutter trough and a loop dimensioned to slip over the flange would simply hang loosely and insecurely on the gutter, subject to displacement and loss.

In the case of Christmas light bulb strings, these are used for only a short period of time, so that it is undesirable to have clips for such strings permanently installed on the gutters. The expense of permanently installed clips also would be high.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved removable clip capable of being securely fastened to the front upper edge of a metal gutter. It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a clip suitable for suspending a light bulb string or the like from a gutter.

In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a clip which is easily applied to and removed from the front edge of a metal gutter.

These and other objects are accomplished in accordance with the present invention, wherein there is provided a clip which includes a C-clamp portion including an upper arm adapted to seat on the upper surface of a gutter flange, an overhanging downwardly extending receptacle portion depending from said upper arm; and a lower arm oriented in generally the same direction as the upper arm, the upper and lower arms being normally closely spaced and adapted to embrace and clamp onto the gutter flange; the lower arm comprising a free end portion which bears against the inside of the gutter lip pressing the overhanging portion against the outside or front of the lip.

Preferably, the clip is formed from at least one strip of spring metal.

Also in accordance with a preferred aspect of the invention, the clip is in two pieces, the first piece comprising a C-clamp portion and upper and lower spaced arms leading from the ends of said C-clamp portion, the arms embracing the gutter flange. The second piece includes a flattened horizontal part to which the downwardly extending portion is connected, the horizontal part being adapted to slip between the first piece upper arm and the upper surface of the gutter flange, including means to lock said upper arm and horizontal part together.

In a further aspect in accordance with the invention the locking means comprises at least one laterally extending slot in the first piece upper arm, and an upwardly extending tab supported by the horizontal part of the second piece adapted to engage said slot, the C-clamp functioning to hold said slot and tab in engagement.

In a still further aspect in accordance with the invention, the downwardly extending portion is bent to define a surface which is biased against the front of the gutter lip and a seat for the light bulb string below said surface spaced from the front of the gutter lip.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but some of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the annexed drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gutter illustrating a plurality of clips on the gutter, and their use, in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section elevation view taken along line 2- 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view taken along line 3- 3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a section elevation view illustrating an embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1, there is shown a typical metal gutter 12, made of a material such as aluminum. The gutter has a back side 14, a bottom 16, and an upstanding front side or lip 18. The front side or lip terminates in an upper edge 20. A flange 22 along the upper edge extends horizontally inwardly into the trough of the gutter, the flange being folded over at its end 24, FIG. 2, to define overlapping surfaces. Between the upper edge 20 and the bottom of the gutter, the front side or lip defines an S-curved surface 26 which flares forwardly and upwardly from the bottom 16, and a substantially flat, vertical surface 28 above the S-curved surface connected at edge 20 with the flange 22.

In accordance with the present invention, the clip which engages the gutter is generally indicated as item 30. Preferably the clip is in the form of two pieces comprising a first piece 32 and a second piece 34. The first piece is that piece which engages the flange of the gutter, and is bent to form a deformable spring clamp 36 in the shape of letter C and upper and lower arms 38 and 40 extending from the ends of the clamp. The arms 38, 40 are oriented in generally the same direction or in slightly diverging planes, and are normally slightly spaced from each other. The lower arm 40 terminates in a U-shaped bent end 42 which has a flattened surface 44 oriented to bear against the inside of the gutter vertical surface 28. An enlarged radius 46 between the bent end 42 and main portion of the lower arm provides a means for permitting deflection of the bent end relative the arm, in turn permitting the flattened surface 44 to be seated firmly against the gutter vertical surface 28.

The second piece 34 is bent so as to have a flattened horizontal part 50 from which an overhanging receptacle or recess portion 52 depends. As shown in FIG. 2, the flattened horizontal part 50 is provided with a downturned free edge 54. This edge cooperates with an upturned free edge 56 on the first piece upper arm 38, so that the flattened part can be slipped between the upper arm and the gutter flange 22.

The upper arm of the first piece is provided with a pair of laterally extending slots 58, 60 between the upturned edge 56 and the C-clamp 36. To lock the first and second pieces together, flattened horizontal part 50 of the second piece is provided with an upstanding tab 62, punched from the part, which engages one or the other of the slots. With reference to FIG. 2, it is apparent that which slot is engaged by the tab depends upon the horizontal width of the flange.

A shoulder 64 of the overhanging portion 52 of the second piece is pressed against the front side of the gutter lip vertical surface 28 when the tab 62 of the second piece slips into one or the other of the slots of the first piece. Below this shoulder, the overhanging portion is bent at 66 so that the remainder of the portion stands away from the front face of the lip, additional bends of the overhanging portion being such that the latter describes a deep recess 68 including upper and lower rounded compartments 70, 72. A narrowed slot or neck 74 of the recess exists between the compartments, and a longer neck area 76 is formed above the compartments. A further necked-in area 78 at the top of the recess opens into a mouth 80 defined primarily by a flared free edge 82 of the overhanging portion and shoulder 64.

Preferably both pieces of the clip are formed from a narrow metal strip of a material such as spring steel.

In operation, the first piece 32 is snapped onto the flange of the gutter by pressing this piece against the inner overlapped end 24 of the flange so that the upper and lower arms of the piece embrace the flange. The downturned bent end 42 of the lower arm and upturned edge 56 of the upper arm permit the flange to ride into the normal space between the arms, deforming the C-clamp 36 in the process. Following application of the first piece of the gutter flange, the flattened horizontal part 50 of the second piece is introduced between the flange upper surface and the first piece upper arm, being pressed inwardly as far as possible until the tab 62 engages one or the other of the slots 58, 60 in the upper arm. Normally the two pieces have to be pressed together for this engagement. The lower arm 40 of the first piece is shaped, in the bent end 42, and particularly in the radius 46 so that there is a deformation of the arm which holds the shoulder 64 of the second piece firmly against the outside of the vertical surface 28 of the gutter. This in turn holds the recess portion of the clip firmly away from the gutter. This is important since, in a high wind, it would otherwise be possible for the bulbs of a light bulb string to be flung against the front of the gutter.

To dismantle the clip and remove it from the gutter, it is sufficient simply to reverse the above steps.

After a number of clips are positioned on the gutter, then one or more light strings are suspended in the recess 68, one string being disposed in the lowermost compartment 72, and a second string if desired being positioned above it in the upper compartment 74. The neck portions 74, 76 of the piece hold the cords of the strings securely in place.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the piece 34 which supports the light bulb strings is similar to that of FIG. 1, including an overhanging portion 52 which defines recess 68, and a flattened horizontal part 50 adapted to seat on the top of the gutter flange. The difference between the two embodiments lies in the shape of the first piece 84. This piece, as with the first piece of the FIG. 2 embodiment, has an upper arm 38 which is slotted at 58, 60 to engage the tab 62 of the second piece. A C-clamp 36 extends between the upper and lower arms 38, 40. However, in the embodiment of FIG. 4, the lower arm 40 is generally flattened for most of its length, turning downwardly and then upwardly into a V-shaped end 86. The free edge of this end engages the inside of the gutter vertical surface 28, the end 86 being deformable to provide a means for resiliently drawing the shoulder 64 of the second piece against the outside of the surface 28.

Installing the clip of the embodiment on the gutter and removing it from the gutter follows the same steps as with the embodiment of FIG. 2.

It should be apparent that the present invention provides a removable clip capable of securely engaging the upper edge of a gutter, one which at the same time is capable of securely holding a light bulb string away from the gutter front face.

In addition, there is provided a clip, preferably in two pieces, which can be snapped easily onto or removed from an upper edge of a gutter.

Claims

I, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A removable clip for attachment to a support having angularly disposed lip and flange portions comprising

first and second pieces;

said first piece comprising upper and lower arms which are spaced apart but similarly oriented; means joining said arms to bias the same together into a clamping relationship on said support flange portion; the lower arm comprising a free end;

said second piece including an arm and a receptacle portion angularly disposed with respect to the second piece arm and integral therewith;

means on the first piece upper arm and second piece arm to engage and lock the same together;

the dimensions of the respective arms being such that the receptacle portion is biased against one face of the support lip by the lower arm free end which engages the opposite side of the support lip when said first piece upper and lower arms are in clamping relationship on the lip flange.

2. A clip for supporting a light bulb string or the like adapted to engage the front edge of a gutter, the gutter being of the type including a front lip defining an upper front edge, and a horizontal inwardly directed flange along the edge, comprising

first and second pieces;

said first piece comprising upper and lower arms which are spaced apart but similarly oriented; means joining said arms to bias the same together into a clamping relationship on the gutter flange,

the lower arm comprising a free end which engages the inside of the gutter lip;

said second piece including a horizontal part which engages and locks onto the upper arm of said first piece, and a downwardly extending overhanging portion;

the dimensions of the respective arms and said horizontal part being such that the overhanging portion is pressed against the outside of the gutter lip by the lower arm free end.

3. The clip of claim 2 wherein said second piece horizontal part is adapted to slip between the first piece upper arm and the gutter flange, the clamping relationship of the arms embracing the flange holding the upper arm and horizontal part together.

4. The clip of claim 3 wherein said upper arm defines at least one slot, the horizontal part comprising an upstanding tab which engages said slot.

5. The clip of claim 2 wherein said means biasing the first piece arms together is a C-shaped clamp.

6. The clip of claim 5 wherein said first and second pieces are made of spring steel.

7. The clip of claim 2 wherein the lower arm free end is bent in the shape of an inverted U having a flattened surface which presses against the inside of the gutter lip, a radius between the arm free end and the rest of the arm permitting deformation of the arm.

8. The clip of claim 2 wherein the lower arm free end is V-shaped to resiliently press against the inside surface of the gutter lip.

9. A clip for supporting a light bulb string or the like adapted to engage the front edge of a gutter, the gutter being of the type including a front lip defining an upper front edge, and an inwardly directed flange along the edge, comprising:

first and second pieces of a resilient material;

said first piece being bent to describe C-clamp including upper and lower arms extending from the ends of the clamps; the arms being similarly oriented to embrace the flange of the gutter, the lower arm comprising a free end bent to resiliently press against the inside of the gutter lip;

said second piece including a horizontal part and a downwardly extending recess portion depending from said horizontal part;

slot means in said first piece upper arm;

an upstanding tab on said second piece horizontal part, the horizontal part being adapted to slip between the gutter flange and said upper arm for engagement of said tab and slot;

the recess portion defining a shoulder which is pressed against the outside of the gutter lip when the tab and slot are so engaged;

the recess portion further being bent to define a recess spaced from said gutter lip when the shoulder is so pressed.