AU2006100292A4 - Fencing System - Google Patents

Description

Va 0 0 (c 0 0 0 0 c-i INNOVATION PATENT APPLICATION in the name of Peter Wayne Barrett entitled Fencing System Prepared by Cullen Co Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 26, 239 George Street Brisbane, Queensland, 4000 Australia Tel: 073011 5555 Email: mail(@)cullens.com.au Fax: 07 3229 3384 07 3229 6598 2 0 O 0 FENCING SYSTEM The present invention relates to the erection of an endpost, in particular to the bracing of an endpost.

Endposts in a fencing run are generally erected so as to resist movement.

Endposts are often located either side of a gate, at a corner or at the end a fence such as may be used as a trellis or the like. The movement of an endpost can result in a gate Ofailing to operate, the loss of tension in a wire fence. Generally the failure of an endpost will require a great deal of effort to restore the endpost to its original position and to rehang a gate, re-tension a wire fence, or replace or restore a run of fencing.

Endposts have been positioned to resist movement by employing heavy timber posts that are set deeply into the ground or set using large quantities of cement.

The use of such methods is labour intensive and expensive in that large, deep holes need to be excavated in order for the endpost to be securely set in the ground. Props or stays have been employed to assist in the bracing of an endpost so as to reduce the requirement that the endpost be securely set within the ground.

One simple bracing technique is to affix a stay to the endpost and to also set the remote end of the stay within the ground, typically along the line of the fence. In one bracing method, the stay is set within a concrete pad. In order for the concrete pad to be formed, it is necessary to firstly excavate a hole for the pad and then to mix and pour concrete to set about the positioned stay. Typically such a method would involve the use of 20 to 40 kilograms of cement and be labour intensive.

Methods have been proposed that employ a preformed pad to support a fencing stay. Australian Patent Number 707685 describes the use of such a pad with a tensioning member. Australian Patent Number 707685 describes a rigid tensioning member in the form of a rod or pipe that can be tensioned using nuts or bolts to draw the distal or remote end of the stay towards the endpost.

One of the disadvantages associated with such a combination is the need to maintain an extensive inventory of components in order to construct a fence as well as to maintain the tools necessary to position and tension the rigid rods.

We have now found a support for a fencing stay which provides for a method for erecting an endpost of a fence in a manner which permits the use of the tools and components already carried by a fencing contractor to strain the endpost and the stay.

I3 0 In a first embodiment of the present invention there is provided a support for a fencing stay comprising a base member, a land for locating a stay and a guide for a _flexible straining member.

The support of the first embodiment of the present invention may be used in the erection of an endpost of a fence and accordingly, in a second embodiment of the present invention there is provided A method for erecting an endpost of a fence ocomprising the steps of: ND setting the endpost; bracing the endpost with a stay by attaching a proximal end of the stay to an elevated section of the endpost and engaging a distal end of the stay on a support wherein the support comprises a base member, a land for locating the distal end of the stay and a guide for a flexible straining member; and straining the endpost by looping a flexible straining member from the endpost to the guide of the support, tensioning the flexible straining member and fastening the flexible straining member to retain it in tension.

The support for use in the present invention comprises a base member, a land for locating a stay and a guide for a flexible straining member.

The support may be preferable constructed in unitary form such as by casting, moulding or fabricating from a block or sheet. The support may be constructed from cement, plastic, metal or a composite. In one form of the present invention, the support may be formed from cement set in a mould that forms the base member, land and guide as a single member. Advantageously, producing the support within a mould from concrete enables a contractor to either purchase preformed supports or to manufacture supports in situ.

The support may also be injection moulded from a plastics material.

Advantageously, by injection moulding the support from a plastics material, the support may be light weight and resilient. Preferably plastics used to produce such a support will be filled with UV stabilisers and other components that will allow the support to withstand the weathering in an outdoor application.

The support may also be formed from a cast metal within a mould.

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o Advantageously, using a cast metal, a strong and weather resistant support may be provided with minimal fabrication requirements on the part of the manufacturer.

Alternatively, the support may be fabricated from a sheet of metal.

In an alternative construction the support may be fabricated from separate elements that may be assembled to provide a support for use in the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that whilst it may be convenient to produce a unitary support, in certain applications where specific performance requirements are o necessary a complex support may be preferred.

D The support of the present invention comprises a base member.

Generally the base member will have a generally flat foot print for engaging the ground.

The land for locating the stay may be of any convenient configuration whereby the support is held in abutment against the stay. For example, the land may be in the form of an end wall of a recess into which the stay is received. Alternatively, the land may be in the form of a projection extending from the base member and against which the stay may rest.

The guide for the flexible straining member may be positioned in a variety of positions on the support so as to enable the flexible straining member to be looped from the endpost to the guide of the support. In a preferred configuration, the position of the guide is behind the land for engaging the stay such that the looped straining member is looped around both the endpost and the land. The guide may be in the form of a projection from the base and can be formed integrally with the land. The guide may be in the form of a flat arcuate surface or an arcuate channel that is configured to enable the flexible straining member to slide around the guide during tensioning.

Whilst it is preferred that the guide be integrally formed with the base member, it is conceivable that the guide be in the form of a pulley or other suitable mechanism.

In the second embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method for erecting an endpost of a fence which comprises setting the endpost.

Preferably the endpost may be set by locating the endpost within a hole bored or excavated into the ground. The setting of the endpost is not narrowly critical to the present invention, but it is desirable that the endpost be set with sufficient rigidity to prevent lateral movement of the endpost relative to the ground. The method of the present invention permits the endpost to be set in a manner which permits a degree of rocking movement of the endpost although it is preferred that this is eliminated. The 0 0endpost may be set into the ground by packing the hole into which it is set with earth or by filling the hole with concrete.

<The method also includes bracing the endpost with a stay. A stay has a proximal end which is engaged to the endpost at an elevated section or position and extends to engage the support. The stay can be attached to the endpost by any convenient Cmeans as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The stay has a distal end which engages the support and rests against the o land. The endpost and stay are strained by looping a flexible straining member from the Iendpost to the guide of the support. In a preferred configuration, the flexible straining member may be looped around the endpost and around the guide of the support positioned on the remote side of the land.

The flexible straining member may preferably be fencing wire which the fencing contractor will carry for the construction of the fence. By using fencing wire to strain the endpost and the stay, a reduced inventory of equipment is required. In a preferred configuration, the fencing wire may be looped a number of times around the endpost and the guide and tensioned using the straining tool employed by the fencing contractor in the construction of the fence. The fencing wire can then be fastened to retain it in tension in the usual manner.

It will be apparent that other flexible straining members such as wire rope, cord, strapping tape or the like may also be used dependent upon the application.

Advantageously, the present invention enables a fencing contractor to construct a fence having a braced endpost using the inventory of materials used for forming the run of the fence. In addition, the labour involved in the erection of the fence may also be reduced.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings that are provided for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a support according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of an endpost assembly constructed using a support block as shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows the support block of Figure 1 in use in the endpost assembly shown in Figure 2; and I6 0Figure 4 shows a support according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figures 1 to 3 employ a support 1 that is cast from concrete. The support C1 is cast in a mould (not shown) and may be manufactured on site or at a dedicated plant.

The support I includes a base 2 adapted to engage the ground. The support includes a cprotrusion 20 that extends upwardly from the base 2. The Protrusion 20 has a land 3 against which a stay 7 can rest. The protrusion 20 also includes a pair of locating Osupports 5 that assist in positioning and retaining the stay 7 during construction. Guides I4 on the protrusion 20 are provided to assist in the location of the fencing wire 8.

An endpost 6 is set in the ground and a stay 7 is attached to the end post 6 at an elevated position. The remote or distal end of the stay 7 is positioned on to the support and rests on the supporting surfaces 5 and against the land 3. Fencing wire is looped around the endpost 6 and the guide 4 and then strained so as to tension the fencing wire and maintain the stay 7 in tension. In this way the endpost is braced against movement towards the support when the fence is constructed. The dotted lines shown in figure 2 represent the fencing wire used to form the run of the fence.

Figure 4 shows a support that could be manufactured from an injection moulded plastics or fabricated from metal. The support 11 includes a base plate 12 and a projection 30. The base plate 12 includes a rim 31 provided to strengthen the base plate 12 and resist twisting or deforming. Projection 30 extends from the base plate 12 and includes land 13 against which a stay may rest. A support 15 extends into the base plate 12 in order to support and position the stay. A guide 14 extends around the rear of the projection 30. Ribs 19 are provided in the base plate 12 so as to provide additional strengthening.

Claims (4)

1. A support for a fencing stay comprising a base member, a land for locating a stay _and a guide for a flexible straining member. N,

2. A support according to claim I wherein the support is cast from concrete. O

3. A support according to claim 1 wherein the support is formed from plastics or 0 metal. O

4. A method for erecting an endpost of a fence comprising the steps of: setting the endpost; bracing the endpost with a stay by attaching a proximal end of the stay to an elevated section of the endpost and engaging a distal end of the stay on a support wherein the support comprises a base member, a land for locating the distal end of the stay and a guide for a flexible straining member; and straining the endpost by looping a flexible straining member from the endpost to the guide of the support, tensioning the flexible straining 2 0 member and fastening the flexible straining member to retain it in tension. A method according to claim 4 wherein the flexible straining member is fencing wire.