AU2012101724A4 - Pipe stay connector insert - Google Patents

Abstract

A stay connector insert which when inserted into the hollow end of a round steel pipe provides it with the means to connect to the upright face of a various post types for the purpose of providing support for the post increasing its ability to resist force in a horizontal direction. F>@6

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Application Date: 21 November 2012 Applicants: Ronald George & David Edward Ovenden 87 Seaton St Armidale NSW 2350 Address for Service: Ronald George Ovenden 87 Seaton St ARMIDALE NSW 2350 AUSTRALIA Complete Specification for the invention entitled: "PIPE STAY CONNECTOR INSERT" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 2 ONE PIECE PIPE STAY CONNECTOR INSERT FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a post and stay fence assembly. In particular, the present invention relates to the provision of a method for the attachment of a pipe stay to a post, and is suited to timber, concrete, round pipe or steel angle posts. These fence assemblies are widely utilized in rural and commercial applications for the purpose of providing support for the tensioning of wire fencing and will be described hereinafter with reference to these applications. BACKGROUND Fence posts used in the construction of tensioned wire fences consist of four main material types, Round steel pipe, Angle steel, Concrete and Timber. To provide support to these upright posts it is necessary to firmly attach stays to these posts. There are a number of widely utilized methods used to attach pipe stays of circular steel pipe construction to the side of upright posts, the most common consisting of the following: Method 1 is attachment by Welding, only suited to steel posts. Benefits of this method include, superior strength and the ability join any number of different combinations of shapes and sizes of post and stay material. In some cases a combination of welding and bolting is utilized. Method 2 is attachment by bolting the stay to the post by means of brackets and fittings. This method can be used on all types and sizes of post and stay material. Benefits of this method are greatly enhanced by the fact that this joining system does not require any welding. They include but are not limited to the following: Ability to change and adjust point of connection without visible damage, ability to fix stays to posts without damage to the surface finish of either stay or post, ability to fix stays to posts without site power, ability to attach stays without expensive equipment and specialized skills, ability to remove and reuse posts and stays without damage to the surface finish and the ability to fit stays to posts without producing heat, sparks or fumes. Method 3 is attachment by fixing a narrow round member to the end of the stay and inserting it into predrilled holes in the side of the upright post. This rod like member can be fitted to stay by welding. A variation of this method is achieved by inserting two interlocking members that fit internally into the pipe and are restrained by a shoulder that 3 fits against the rim of the pipe opening. One such product, currently available to the market, terminates in a tapered point that is inserted into a pre-drilled hole in the post in place of a welded rod as mentioned above. This form of attachment is suited to both round steel posts and timber posts but is not suited to steel angle posts. The bolt together attachment outlined in Method 2 is clearly the superior method. Various bolt-on brackets suitable for this application are presently available. Most, if not all currently marketed stay attachment brackets consist of two members that either interlock or are bolted together, and fit either internally or externally to the end of the stay. Their purpose is to provide a fixing point whereby the stay can be firmly affixed to the side of the post. The object of the present invention is to offer a combination of features heretofore unavailable to the market and overcome limitations of currently available products. A primary object of the current invention is to provide the user with a stay insert that effectively provides a fixing point that will function in the attachment of the stay to all common post types, round steel posts, timber posts, concrete and angle steel posts. Current designs do not offer the user the flexibility to attach stays to any one of these four major post types with the one insert resulting in limitations being placed on the user. A further objective of the current invention is to provide the user with an internally fitted stay connector that does not require the user to drill holes in the post in order to capture the stay. All currently available internally fitted stay connectors known to me require holes to be drilled in the post in order to capture the stay. Once holes are drilled into the post for the purpose of attaching the stay the user can not adjust the position of the stay without defacing the post. A further object of the current invention is to reduce the cost of manufacture by way of simplistic design while providing the user with a post and stay connection system of increased strength and rigidity. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a fixing point (in the form of a flat steel plate with a hole) that protrudes from the end of hollow steel pipe which can be utilized for the purpose of attaching the said pipe to the vertical face of a post. The present invention, hereafter 4 referred to as a "stay connector insert" consists of a flat steel member of consistent thickness, but has portions of varying widths along its length. The narrower of the portions is sufficiently narrow to allow it be inserted into the said pipe, and has a ninety degree longitudinal twist, that is inserted into a hollow steel pipe. The narrow portion is of a consistent width for much of its length; however the width does increase slightly as it approaches the shoulder where the wider portion meets the narrow section. This slight increase in width is sufficient to interfere with the inside faces of the pipe. The wider portion, on the opposite end to the narrow portion has sufficient width to prevent it being entirely inserted into the hollow steel section into which it is to be placed. The shoulder comes to rest on a steel disk that is slightly larger diameter than the outer diameter of the pipe. It has a narrow slot in its center to receive the narrow potion of the insert and that transfers the load to the face of the pipe when the narrow section is completely inserted. BREIF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of an example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1-2 show the stay connector inserts perspective view from the either end respectively according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the stay connector insert fully inserted into a pipe stay according to an embodiment of the present invention as shown in Figure 1-2 being used in the application of attaching a hollow pipe stay to a round steel post. Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the stay connector insert fully inserted into a pipe stay according to an embodiment of the present invention as shown in Figure 1-2 being used in the application of attaching a hollow pipe stay to an angle steel post. Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the stay connector insert fully inserted into a pipe stay according to an embodiment of the present invention as shown in Figure 1-2 being used in the application of attaching a hollow pipe stay to a timber post. Figure 6 shows an exploded view of the present invention as shown in Figure 3-5 and includes a view of the hollow pipe stay and slotted disk into which the present invention is inserted when in use.

5 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The stay connector insert differs substantially from other like designs in that it is formed from one continuous member that is twisted longitudinally on one end, and when this end is inserted into a hollow pipe stay it provides the protruding section of the member with vertical and horizontal support . Figure 1 shows the stay connector insert and makes note of three main sections, 101, 103 and 104. Each of these sections performs a vital role and shall be explained in detail. Section 104 as embodied on Figure 1 is a flat straight sided portion of the member that has a longitudinal twist of ninety degrees, but this may be less or more than ninety degrees. This portion of the stay connector insert contacts the sides of the tube into which it is inserted and provides multi-directional lateral support to the protruding portion of the bracket allowing it resist force in both horizontal and vertical planes. Its overall width is such that it can move through the pipe opening for the purpose of insertion but lateral movement is eliminated due to the minimal clearance between the insert and the internal pipe wall. Section 103 as embodied on Figure 1 is a section in which the overall width increases in the form of a taper which when forced into the hollow pipe opening ensures the insert is held firmly in position. The remaining portion of section 103 has parallel sides of a similar width to the press fit portion of the taper. This ensures that the contact area between the internal face of the pipe and outer edge of the stay connector insert is maintained even if the insert becomes partly extracted from the pipe due to handling or transit. These parallel sides terminate in a shoulder that prevents the member from being completely inserted and when in use it seats against a circular disk that has a radius sufficient to extend beyond the outer edge of the pipe. This disk as embodied on Figure 6 shows how the stay connector insert passes through the slotted hole in the disk before inserting into the pipe, thus capturing the disk between the shoulder and the outer face of the pipe. This disk serves the dual purpose of enclosing the end of the pipe and transferring the point load exerted by the two shoulders across the entire face of the pipe end. Section 101 is the section of the member that is left protruding from the pipe when the member is inserted into the pipe and contains a hole as shown in Figure 1,Section 100, to allow a bolt to pass through it for the purpose of attachment to posts. It is a continuation of the flat steel member that makes up the entire stay connector insert, and is of sufficient Ii length to allow it to be fixed to or inserted into brackets in the case of attachment to steel posts, see Figure 3-4, or as shown in the embodiment on Figure 5, inserted into a slot in the case of attachment to timber posts. The single piece insert when in position holds the disk in place over the end of the pipe as referred to in line 25, Page 5, as well as providing a flat lug with a centrally located hole that acts as a versatile attachment point for the purpose of fixing the stay securely to posts.

Claims (4)

1. An internally fitted pipe stay connector formed from a flat rectangular shaped member that has a longitudinal twist in the insertable portion, the width of the insertable portion conforming to the internal dimensions of the pipe, for the purpose of providing multi directional support and rigidity to the protruding portion of the member.

2. An internally fitted pipe stay connector according to claim 1, further characterized in that the shoulder of the insertable member passes through and captures a rectangular holed disk, that disk extending to the outer extremity of the end face of the pipe against which it is captured.

3. An internally fitted pipe stay connector according to claim 1, further characterized in that the protruding portion of the member consists of a flat lug with a centrally located hole that acts as an attachment point for the purpose of fixing the stay to the vertical face of a post.

4. An internally fitted pipe stay connector substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings figures 1-6.