Picket fence rail

FIG. 1 is a side view of a section of a picket fence rail incorporating the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the picket fence rail of FIG. 1 supporting a different arrangement of pickets.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the picket fence rail supporting pickets and decorative inserts between the pickets.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of the left side of the picket fence rail of FIG. 1, with the picket fence rail being broken to indicate an indefinite length, the right side of the picket fence rail being a mirror image of the left side.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a section of the top wall of the picket fence rail illustrating a series of spaced holes for receiving fence pickets.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view on line 6—6 of FIG. 1 illustrating the cross section of the picket fence rail which is continuous throughout the length of the picket fence rail, and illustrating that the bottom wall of the picket fence rail includes an open channel that extends throughout the length of the picket fence rail.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the picket fence rail similar to FIG. 6, but illustrating a decorative finial mounted on the upper end of the picket that extends above the picket fence rail.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the picket fence rail inverted from that illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 to illustrate that the open channel in the bottom wall of the picket fence rail can face upwardly substantially flush with the upper end of a picket extending through the picket fence rail, and with the open channel in the wall of the picket fence rail covered by a cap; and,

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the picket fence rail partially cut away to illustrate the manner in which the picket fence rail cooperates with a picket, and to illustrate a locking rod that secures the picket to the picket fence rail, and further illustrating the cross section of the picket fence rail and the open channel in the bottom wall.

The broken lines are for illustrative purposes only and form no part of the claimed design.