GB2347695A

GB2347695A - Fencing panel ties

Info

Publication number: GB2347695A
Application number: GB9905772A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Ross Hughes
Original assignee: BUCHANAN CONSULTANTS Ltd
Current assignee: BUCHANAN CONSULTANTS Ltd
Priority date: 1999-03-12
Filing date: 1999-03-12
Publication date: 2000-09-13
Also published as: EP1035274A1; GB9905772D0

Abstract

A fencing panel tie comprises a ratchet strap to embrace an end standard of a fencing panel and an integral spacer element 13 to regulate the spacing between said standard and an adjacent one. There are preferably two ratchet straps, as in figures 1-3, for embracing two standards and locating the spacer element therebetween, but a single strap may be used. The ties are moulded in plastics and may contain a metal strip for reinforcement.

Description

2347695 FENCING PANEL TIES Fencing panels are known, particularly for

erecting temporary fencing or barriers, which comprise end standw,d, intended to be upright in use, to which am secured sheets of wire mesh or boards. Sometimes the standards are joined together at or near their top and/or bottom ends by transverse bracers, producing a support frame for a wire mesh sheet or board, but if the mesh or board has sufficient rigidity the transverse bracers may be omitted. The standards are usually of tubular steel, circular in cross section, similar to scaffolding poles, but could be of any material providing adequate rigidity and strength.

In erecting a fence or barrier from such panels, the panels are placed more or less in line with the standards at their adjamnt ends side by side and connected together by couplers. The bottom ends of the standards are usually located in sockets in a base or foot. The usual coupler comprises two rigid metal plates fastened together by a bolt passing through central holes in the two plates and a nut to clamp the plates together. The end parts of each plate are shaped to fit partially round a standard. The plates are fined to the adjacent standards, on each side of the panels, and the bolt is passed through the plates and between the standards. The nut is fitted and tightened to cause the plates to clamp the standards between them, so securing the adjacent panels together. Usually two couplers are used, positioned near the top and bottom of the standards, but if the standards are sbort only one coupler may be necessary.

It will be understood that in order to be able to fit the couplers with the end parts of the rigid plates property engaged with adjacent standards the spacing between the shaped end parts of the plates must be the same as that between the sockets in the base or foot and the standards must be approximately parallel. Parallelism can readily be achieved on level ground and two people can easily erect a fence, but if the ground is uneven or undulating adjacent standards may be skewed so that the nuts of the couplers cannot be tightened fully. With large panels, typically some seven square metres, two or three people may be needed to hold the panels in position for effective coupler clamping, whereupon wedges or bolsters can be placed under some bases or feet, all taking an inappropriately long time. The present invention provides new means for connecting fencing panel standards together which can be fitted more quickly to the standards and can overcome excessive manpower requirements.

Straps are known for fastening a bundle of elongated elements, such as cables, which are moulded in plastic with transverse ratchet teeth on one surface at least near one end and at or near the other end a housing through which the toothed end may be passed so as to form a noose around the bundle. Incorporated in the housing is a resilient latch member arranged to ride over the ratchet teeth as the toothed end is passed through the housing in the direction which forms and tightens the noose. The arrangement is such that engagement of the latch member with a tooth will prevent withdrawal of the toothed end from the housing if tension is applied to the strap in the opposite direction. Such straps will hereinafter and in the fol1lowing Claims be called "Ratchet

Straps". Ratchet straps are manufactured in various sizes and an appropriately-sized ratchet strap could be used for connecting adjacent end standards of two fencing panels together, as could any other kind of strap with a buckle or other fastening for forming a noose. Indeed a simple piece of rope or string could be tied round the standards. However, none of those would be satisfactory because the standards would not be held firmly and could swing under wind pressure or if people leaned on the fencing.

According to the invention a fencing panel tie comprises a ratchet strap to embrace an end standard of a fencing panel or a part of such a strap having formed integrally therewith at least a part of a spacer element to regulate the spacing between an embraced end standard and an adjacent one.

Preferably the fencing panel tie comprises two ratchet straps, each for embracing one of two adjacent end standards to locate the spacer element between the standards. The spacer element may be in two parts, each formed integrally with a ratchet strap, the parts having means for joining them together which may be adjustable when joined for varying the length of the spacer element. Most conveniently, however, the two ratchet straps are moulded integrally with a unitary spacer element.

A fencing panel tie may alternatively comprise a tingle ratchet strap capable of embracing two adjacent standards formed integrally with a spacer element having seatings to fit and locate the standards.

The ratchet strap or straps and/or the spacer element may include a reinforcing element, preferably of metal, to resist cutting for unauthorised removal of the fencing panel tie from embraced standard or standards. The reinforcing element is preferably incorporated in the relevant part or parts of the tie as an insert in a moulding operation.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure I is a perspective view of a fencing panel tie comprising two ratchet straps with an integral spacer element between them, Figure 2 is an underneath perspective view of the middle part of the tie shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a perspective view of a fencing panel tie simila to dig shown in Figures I and 2 in which a metal reinforcing element is Incorporated in the straps and the spacer element, Figure 4 is a fencing panel tie comprising a ratchet strap capable of embracing two adjacent standards, the strap having integW seatings to fit and locate two standards to be embraced with an integral spacer element between the seatings.

In the moulded plastics fencing panel tie shown in Figures I and 2, each of two identical ratchet straps I has a narrow end pordon or tongue 2 formed with backwardly-facing transverse ratchet teeth 3 on its surface which is appemost in Figure 1. At its other end is an integral housing 4, shaped so that the tongue 2 can be passed through it and formed with an inwardly and forwardly-facing resilient latch S. The end of the strap I adjacent to the housing 4 is formed into a quadrant-shaped seating 6 of radius corresponding to a tubular end standard of a fencing panel to be secured. When the seating 6 is fitted to a standard and the strap is wrapped round it so that the tongue 2 can be inserted through the housing 4 to form 3 noose embracing the standard, the latch 5 will ride over the ratchet teeth 3 of the tongue. The length of the broader part of the strap I is somewhat less than the circumference of the standard to be secured so that when the tongue is pulled tight the strap I will firmly grip the standard and the engagement of the latch 5 with one of the teeth 3 will prevent the grip being loosened. This action is jw as usual in a ratchet strap.

The housing 4 of each strap is formed at the end of the seating 6 and the two housings, both facing the same way, we joined together by an integral spacer element 7 of T-section. The length of the spacer element 7 is chosen to provide the required spacing between end standards of adjacent fence panels. If the end standards we to be fitted into the usual kind of base or foot, the spacing provided by the spacer element 7 will correspond to the spacing between the sockets in the base or foot.

In fitting this tie to two adjacent end standards, the spacer element 7 will be entered between the standards from one side of the adjacent panels and the straps I will be passed through the panels, round the standards to the other side. The tongues 2 will then be threaded back through the housings 4 and pulled dot from the original side. Fitting the tie to adjacent standards can be achieved quickly, without the use of tools except perhaps some kind of gripper for pulling the tongues 2 dght through the housings 4. Being formed of the same flexible plastic as the straps 1, the spacer element 7 can bend or twist to adapt to a small degree of nonparallelism between the adjacent suumlards. When it is desired to remove the fence, the straps can easily be cut through, the ties being sufficiently cheap to be discarded for recycling the plastic instead of having to be saved as in the case of the usual couplers. Dismantling a fence is thus a much simpler and quicker operation than when nuts and bolts have to be released in the usual couplers.

The fencing panel tie shown in Figure 3 is generally simila in design to that shown in Figures I and 2, but has a reinforcing strip 8 of steel embedded in the straps I and the spacer element 9 which joins their adjacent ends. In manufacture the strip 8 is positioned as an insert in the mould in which the integral tftW I and spacer element 9 are produced. This reinforcing strip 8 strengthens the straps I and will resist unauthorised cutting of the straps or the spacer element 9 in order to provide additional security of the fencing.

Figure 4 shows a tie comprising only one ratchet strap comprising a main part 10 having a tongue 2 with teeth and a housing 4 with a latch 5 as in the previous embodiments. The end of the main part 10 remote from the tongue 2 is formed into a first part-circular seating I I for one end standard. A second part-circular seating 12 for a second end standard is joined to the first seating by a spacer element 13 of T-section. The housing 4 is formed on the second seating 12. In we, the two seatings are fined to two adjacent standards and the main part 10 of the strap is drawn round to embrwe them both. The tongue 2 is threaded through the housing 4 and pulled tight so that the strap grips both standards, the length of the main part 10 being appropriate to provide a rum gn-"p on both standards. This tie is quicker to fit than those illustrated by the other figures.

In any of the illustrated embodiments the spacer element may have an aperture or abutment enabling it to be connected to a support stay to make the joined panels more stable and/or to a link for connection to a base or foot for resisting unauthorised withdrawal of the standards from the base or foot.

In modifications of the embodiments shown in Figures I and 2 or Figure 3 the unitary spacer element 5 or 9 may be replaced by a two-part spacer element, each part being moulded integrally with one ratchet strap I and the two parts having means for connecting them together. Preferably the connecting means are adjustable for varying the spacing between adjaicent end standards of two panels. For example the two parts of a spacer element may have complementary screw threads. In a corresponding modification of the embodiment shown in Figure 4 the spacer element 13 is formed in two parts, respectively integral with the main part 10 and the housing 4 of the ratchet strap.

Claims

1. A fencing panel tic comprising a ratchet strap to embrace an end standard of a fencing panel or a pan of such a strap having formed integrally therewith at least a part of a spacer element to regulate the spacing between an embraced end standard and an adjacent one.

2. A fencing panel tie as claimed in Claim I comprising two ratchet straps, each for embracing one of two adjacent end standards to locate the spacer element between the standards.

3. A fencing pawl tie as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the spacer element comprises two pails each formed integrally with a ratchet strap, the parts having means for joining them together.

4. A fencing panel tie as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the means for joining the parts of the spacer element together we adjustable to vary the length of the spacer element.

5. A fencing panel tie as claimed in Claim I wherein the ratchet strap is designed to embrace two adjacent end standards with the spacer element between them.

6. A fencing panel tie as claimed in Claim 5 in which seatings for two end standards are formed at the ends of the spacer element.

7. A fencing panel tie as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the or each ratchet strap and/or the spacer element includes a reinforcing element.

8. A fencing panel tie as claimed in Claim 7 wherein the reinforcing element is of metal-

9. A fencing panel tie as claimed in Claim 7 or Claim 8 wherein the reinforcing element is incorporated in relevant part or pails of the tie as an insert in a moulding operation.

10. A fencing panel tie substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by any figure of the accompanying drawings.