Gate building kit

Abstract

A hardware kit for constructing a gate frame from standard board lumber includes a triple-junction bracket for joining three board members including a first horizontal board member and first and second equal length non-horizontal board members, and two mirror-image double-junction brackets each joining one of the non-horizontal members to a lower horizontal member of the frame. The triple-junction bracket has two attachment surfaces offset by 90 degrees, one of the surfaces having two attachment lengths diverging at an acute angle. Each double-junction bracket has a first attachment surface orthogonal to second and third attachment surfaces, the second attachment surface extending at an obtuse angle with respect to the third attachment surface, the obtuse angle exceeding 90 degrees by a number of degrees equal to half of the acute angle.

1 . A hardware kit for facilitating construction of a wooden frame for a gate using standard board lumber, the kit comprising:
 a triple-junction bracket for joining three board members, including a first horizontal board member and first and second non-horizontal board members; and   two double-junction brackets, each for joining a second horizontal board member to one of the non-horizontal board members.   
   
   
       2 . The hardware kit of  claim 1  wherein the triple-junction bracket comprises a first planar attachment surface angularly offset from a second planar attachment surface by about 90 degrees. 
   
   
       3 . The hardware kit of  claim 2  wherein the first planar attachment surface includes two frame member attachment lengths extending from the second planar attachment surface and defining an acute angle between the two frame member attachment lengths. 
   
   
       4 . The hardware kit of  claim 1  wherein the triple-junction bracket defines a sight hole for locating the triple-junction bracket on one of the frame members. 
   
   
       5 . The hardware kit of  claim 1  wherein the double-junction brackets are mirror-image brackets. 
   
   
       6 . The hardware kit of  claim 1  wherein each double-junction bracket further comprises first, second, and third planar attachment surfaces, the first planar attachment surface orthogonal to both the second and third planar attachment surfaces. 
   
   
       7 . The hardware kit of  claim 6  wherein for each double-junction bracket the first planar attachment surface is hexagonal. 
   
   
       8 . The hardware kit of  claim 7  wherein the first planar attachment surface and the second planar attachment surface share a common edge. 
   
   
       9 . The hardware kit of  claim 8  wherein the second planar attachment surface and the third planar attachment surface share a common edge from which the second planar attachment surface extends at an obtuse angle with respect to the third planar attachment surface. 
   
   
       10 . The hardware kit of  claim 9   wherein the triple-junction bracket comprises a first planar attachment surface angularly offset from a second planar attachment surface by about 90 degrees, the second planar attachment surface of the triple-junction bracket having two frame member attachment lengths extending from the first planar attachment surface of the triple-junction bracket and forming an acute angle between the two frame member attachment lengths; and   wherein the obtuse angle between the second and third planar attachment surfaces of each double-junction bracket exceeds ninety degrees by a number of degrees approximately equal to half of the acute angle formed between the two frame member attachment lengths.   
   
   
       11 . The hardware kit of  claim 1  wherein the non-horizontal board members are of equal length. 
   
   
       12 . A triple-junction bracket for joining three members of a gate frame, comprising:
 a first planar attachment surface angularly offset from a second planar attachment surface by about 90 degrees and including two frame member attachment lengths extending from the second planar attachment surface and defining an acute angle between the two frame member attachment lengths.   
   
   
       13 . The triple-junction bracket of  claim 12  defining a sight hole for locating the triple-junction bracket on a frame member supported by the second planar attachment surface. 
   
   
       14 . The triple-junction bracket of  claim 12  formed from a heptagonal plate. 
   
   
       15 . The triple-junction bracket of  claim 12  wherein the two frame member attachment lengths form a notch having an apex displaced from the second planar attachment surface by a distance less than a width of either of the frame member attachment lengths. 
   
   
       16 . A double-junction bracket for joining two members of a gate frame, comprising:
 first, second, and third planar attachment surfaces;   wherein the first planar attachment surface is orthogonal to both the second and third planar attachment surfaces.   
   
   
       17 . The double-junction bracket of  claim 16  wherein the first planar attachment surface is hexagonal. 
   
   
       18 . The double-junction bracket of  claim 17  the first planar attachment surface and the second planar attachment surface share a common edge. 
   
   
       19 . The double-junction bracket of  claim 18  wherein the second planar attachment surface and the third planar attachment surface share a common edge from which the second planar attachment surface extends at an obtuse angle with respect to the third planar attachment surface. 
   
   
       20 . The double-junction bracket of  claim 18  wherein the first planar attachment surface forms an irregular hexagon having two edges parallel to the second planar attachment surface.