AU2016200797A1

AU2016200797A1 - Fence

Info

Publication number: AU2016200797A1
Application number: AU2016200797A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Andrew Dibley; Robert Fabien; Bradley Taylor
Original assignee: Infrabuild Wire Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Infrabuild Wire Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2015-02-09
Filing date: 2016-02-08
Publication date: 2016-08-25
Also published as: AU2016200797A2; AU2016102450A4

Abstract

- 10 A fence 10 comprising a plurality of primary wires 12 and a plurality of generally parallel secondary wires 14. The plurality of generally vertical primary wires are intertwined so as to form a geometric configuration formed of repeating geometric 5 shapes. The plurality of horizontal secondary wires 14 are intertwined with the primary wires 12 and divide the hexagons 16 formed by the primary wires 12. The secondary wires 14 extend across a portion of the fence 10 to form a reinforced portion 18. 7391815_1 (GHMatters) P97983.AU.1 WILSONC A ~A A ~N14

Description

Fence

Technical Field

This disclosure relates to fences and, in particular, mesh fences for restricting the passage of vermin.

Background Art

Mesh or wire fences are used in a variety of applications to define boundaries and restrict the passage of e.g. people and/or animals across such boundaries. These fences can be formed of wires interwoven so as to form repeating hexagonal, diamond, rectangular, triangular, etc. patterns.

For small animals or vermin (e.g. rabbits, foxes, etc.) the wire may be arranged so as to have small gaps formed therebetween. In some cases, a (e.g. hex) footer/skirt, having small apertures, may be clipped to the lower part of a fence having large gaps in order to prevent the passage of small animals. These footers can be time consuming and costly to assemble/install.

Another type of mesh fence is a combined mesh fence, which comprises an upper half having large hexagons woven to a lower half comprising smaller hexagons. The smaller hexagons are sized so as to prevent the passage of small animals. However, due to manufacturing limitations, the hexagons of the lower half are required to be half the size of the larger hexagons of the upper half of the mesh.

The above references to the background art do not constitute an admission that the art forms part of the common general knowledge of a person of ordinary skill in the art. The above references are also not intended to limit the application of the mesh fence as disclosed herein.

Summary

Disclosed herein is a mesh fence suitable for fencing off vermin. The mesh fence comprises a plurality of primary wires and a plurality of generally parallel secondary wires. The plurality of primary wires are intertwined so as to form a geometric configuration formed of repeating geometric shapes. The plurality of secondary wires are intertwined with the primary wires and divide at least some of the geometric shapes formed by the primary wires. The secondary wires extend across a portion of the fence so as to form a reinforced portion of the fence.

The reinforced portion may be stronger and stiffer (in at least one direction) than the remainder of the fence. The apertures defined between the wires in the reinforced portion are also smaller than in the remainder of the fence. Thus, vermin such as small animals (e.g. rabbits, foxes, etc.) may have difficulty passing through this section of the fence. Such a fence also does not require separate installation of the reinforced portion. That is, by intertwining the secondary wires with the primary wires, the reinforced portion becomes integral with the remainder of the fence.

In one embodiment the reinforced portion may form a lower section of the fence in use. The lower section may extend from the bottom of the fence to between 0.8 m and 1 m from the bottom of the fence when the fence is installed. This may prevent ground-based animals from passing through the fence.

In one embodiment the lower section of the fence may comprise an upper generally vertical portion and lower generally horizontal portion that extends laterally outwardly from the vertical portion in use. The horizontal portion may essentially form a skirt to prevent animals from digging under the fence. In use the horizontal portion may be positioned on top of the ground or buried a short distance under the ground.

In one embodiment the secondary wires in the horizontal portion may comprise a corrosion resistant coating. This may reduce or prevent corrosion of the secondary wires that are in contact with, or buried under, the ground.

In one embodiment the primary wires in the horizontal portion may comprise a corrosion resistant or preventative coating. Again, this may provide corrosion resistance to wires that are susceptible to corrosion due to their location at, on or under the ground.

In one embodiment the secondary wires may be high tensile wires. This may generally strengthen the fence and may allow it to withstand greater forces. This may be more cost effective than a fence completely formed of high tensile wire. When the high tensile wires extend horizontally, they may still allow bending of the fence to facilitate the formation of the lower horizontal portion (i.e. skirt). The tensile wires may also help to ensure consistent tension along the length of the fence. This may be beneficial when the distance between posts is very large.

The high tensile wires may be positioned at strategic positions on the fence depending on e.g. the type of animal that is to be contained by the fence. For example, the high tensile wires may extend along the fence at a height above ground level that is most susceptible to contact with the animal(s) being contained by the fence. This may be in the form of bands of high tensile wires close to ground level for small animals such as rabbits or foxes, or towards the upper portion of the fence for animals such as cows or horses. The high tensile wires may be positioned to strategically prevent the passage of several types of animal.

In one embodiment the secondary wires are heavy gauge wires. The secondary wires may each have a diameter of between 1.5 mm and 2.0 mm. Again, the heavy gauge wires may be strategically positioned (e.g. in bands) on the fence so as to be suitable for preventing the passage of certain types of animals.

In one embodiment the secondary wires may be spaced apart across the fence such that the location of each secondary wire corresponds to a clip point on a corresponding fence post. This may facilitate attachment of the fence to one or more fence posts. Such an arrangement may also provide a stronger, more durable, fence in use (i.e. when attached to a plurality of fence posts).

In one embodiment the primary wires may extend generally longitudinally along the fence in use. In one embodiment the secondary wires may extend in generally the same direction as the primary wires.

In one embodiment each geometric shape may be generally hexagonal.

In one embodiment the secondary wires may bisect at least some of the hexagonal geometric configurations. When the secondary wires are oriented longitudinally the apertures formed between the primary and secondary wires (in the reinforced section) may be generally wider than they are high. This may allow the passage of reptiles (e.g. snakes), due to their ability to flatten, while restricting the passage of e.g. small mammals.

In one embodiment the apothem of each hexagonal geometric configuration may be between 18mm and 23mm. The term apothem is used to describe the distance between the centre of the hexagon and the midpoint of one of the sides of the hexagon. In other words, the height or width of the hexagon, between two parallel (e.g. top and bottom) sides, may be between 36mm and 46mm. In other embodiments the height or width may be about 40mm.

In one embodiment the fence may be a rabbit proof fence.

Also disclosed is the use of the fence, as set forth above, to restrict the passage of vermin.

Also disclosed herein is a method of restricting the passage of vermin through a fence. The method comprises intertwining a plurality of generally parallel wires across a portion of a hexagonal mesh fence to reduce the gaps between the wires in the portion of the fence.

Also disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing a vermin-proof fence. The method comprises the step of intertwining a plurality of primary wires to produce a geometric configuration formed of repeating geometric shapes. The method further comprises intertwining a plurality of generally parallel secondary wires with the primary wires such that they divide at least some of the geometric shapes formed by the primary wires, and such that they extend across a portion of the fence so as to form a reinforced portion of the fence.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of ant embodiment of the mesh fence; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the mesh fence showing a single hexagonal geometric shape formed by the wire of the fence.

Detailed Description

In the following detailed description, reference is made to accompanying drawings which form a part of the detailed description. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, depicted in the drawings and defined in the claims, are not intended to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilised and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein and illustrated in the drawings can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are contemplated in this disclosure.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, the fence 10 comprises a plurality of primary wires 12 and a plurality of generally parallel secondary wires 14. The plurality of generally vertical primary wires are intertwined so as to form a geometric configuration formed of repeating geometric shapes. In the illustrated embodiment the repeating geometric shapes are hexagons 16. The plurality of horizontal secondary wires 14 are intertwined with the primary wires 12 and divide (in this case bisect) the hexagons 16 formed by the primary wires 12. In the illustrated embodiment both primary and secondary wires are formed of the same material.

In other embodiments, the properties of the primary 12 and secondary wires 14 may differ so as to alter the properties of the fence 10 or a portion of the fence (e.g. the portion comprising secondary wires). For example, the primary 12 or secondary 14 wires may be high tensile wires. In this case, the high tensile wires may be positioned strategically, so as to be suitable for resisting the passage of a certain type of animal. The secondary wires 14 may be larger or smaller in diameter than the primary wires 12. For example, the secondary wires 14 may be heavy gauge wires (e.g. having a diameter between 1.5 mm and 2.0 mm.

In the illustrated form, the secondary wires 14 extend across a lower section of the fence 10 in the longitudinal direction of the fence, so as to form a reinforced portion 18 of the fence 10. This reinforced portion 18 extends, in use, from the bottom of the fence 10 to about 900 mm above ground level. Because the horizontal secondary wires 14 are intertwined with the primary wires 12 the resultant reinforced portion 18 forms an integral part of the fence.

The extra (i.e. secondary) wires 14 of the reinforced portion 18 provide further strength to the fence in this portion 18. This strength is at least partially provided by the intertwining (e.g. during manufacturing) of the secondary wires 14 with the primary wires 12. This intertwining of the primary 12 and secondary wires 14 e.g. during manufacture also means that a user does not have to transport, handle, etc. separate sections of mesh and clip them together to form a vermin-proof fence. This provides time and cost savings.

The secondary wires 14 also reduce the size of the gaps (i.e. hexagonal shapes 16) formed in the fence 10, such that small animals are unable to pass through the gaps formed between the primary 12 and secondary 14 wires in order to get from one side of the fence to the other.

The lower (reinforced) section 18 of the fence comprises an upper generally vertical portion 20 and a lower generally horizontal portion 22 that extends laterally outwardly from the vertical portion 20, in use. Although the lower section of the fence has increased stiffness, the longitudinal orientation of the secondary wires 14 means that the lower portion 22 can be folded with minimal difficulty. In use, this horizontal portion 22 can extend along the ground, or alternatively, can be buried. In either position, the horizontal portion 22 can help to prevent small animals (e.g. rabbits) from burrowing under the fence 10. Although not shown in the figure, the primary 12 and/or secondary 14 wires of the lower horizontal portion 22 of the fence 10 may be coated (e.g. galvanised, dipped, polymer coating, etc) so as to be resistant to, or so as to prevent, corrosion.

Figure 2 provides an enlarged view of a portion of the fence 10. In particular, a single hexagonal shape 16, formed by intertwined primary 12 and secondary 14 wires, is shown.

Starting from the leftmost comer of the hexagon 16, first and second primary wires 12a and 12b are intertwined. Moving towards the right of the hexagon 16 these wires 12a, 12b split so as to form the top and the bottom sides, respectively, of the hexagon 16. At the top and bottom sides, the first and second primary wires 12a, 12b intertwine with third and fourth primary wires 12c, 12d. At the right side of the hexagon 16, the first and second primary wires 12a, 12b are again intertwined so as to complete the hexagon shape 16. Each of the primary wires 12 extend generally longitudinally (in a wave-like form) along the fence 10.

First second and third secondary wires 14a, 14b, 14c are shown extending longitudinally along the fence 10 and generally parallel to one another. Each of these wires 14 is intertwined with the primary wires 12. The first secondary wire 14a is intertwined with and between the first 12a and third 12c primary wires. The second secondary wire 14b is intertwined with and between the first 12a and second 12b primary wires. The third secondary wire 14c is intertwined with and between the second 12b and fourth 12d primary wires.

The apothem of the hexagon 16, which is the distance between the centre of the hexagon and the midpoint of a side of the hexagon, is approximately 20 mm. In other words, the distance between each secondary wire 12 is 20 mm. Thus, the gap between the wires 12, 14 may be small enough to prevent the passage of, for example, rabbits. The horizontal orientation of the secondary wires 12 results in gaps that are generally wider than they are tall. This shape and sizing may allow reptiles, due to their ability to flatten, through the fence (i.e. while still limiting the passage of other animals), which may be desirable for ecological reasons.

Whilst one embodiment of the fence has been shown and described above, the invention may be embodied in various other forms.

For example, the repeated shapes formed by the primary wires may alternatively be diamonds, squares, rectangles, triangles, circles etc. The size of these shapes may also be different and/or may vary across the length or height of the fence. Similarly, the primary and/or secondary wires may be oriented in different directions to those shown and described above without departing from the scope of the invention.

Further, the reinforced portion may form an upper portion of the fence, when more strength is required by the upper portion of the fence (e.g. when the fence is used to contain cattle). Further, the reinforced portion may not extend for the entire length of the fence as is the case of the embodiment described above.

The fence may be clipped to, and supported by a series of fence posts. Further, the secondary wires may be spaced on the fence so that each of the wires corresponds to a clipping point on the posts. That is, the secondary wires may intersect the posts at points where the posts have some feature that facilitates clipping of the wires to the posts.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding summary except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprising” is used in the sense of “including”, that is, the features as above may be associated with further features in various embodiments.

Claims

Claims

1. A mesh fence suitable for restricting the passage of vermin, the mesh fence comprising: a plurality of primary wires that are intertwined to form a geometric configuration made up of repeating geometric shapes, and a plurality of generally parallel secondary wires intertwined with the primary wires and dividing at least some of the geometric shapes formed by the primary wires, the secondary wires extending across a portion of the fence so as to form a reinforced portion of the fence.
2. A fence as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reinforced portion forms a lower section of the fence in use.
3. A fence as claimed in claim 2 wherein the lower section extends from the bottom of the fence to between 0.8 m and 1 m from the bottom of the fence when the fence is installed.
4. A fence as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein the lower section of the fence comprises an upper generally vertical portion and lower generally horizontal portion that extends laterally outwardly from the vertical portion in use.
5. A fence as claimed in claim 4 wherein the secondary wires in the horizontal portion comprise a corrosion resistant coating.
6. A fence as claimed in claim 4 or 5 wherein the primary wires in the horizontal portion comprise a corrosion resistant or preventative coating.
7. A fence as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the secondary wires are high tensile wires.
8. A fence as claimed any one of the preceding claims wherein the secondary wires are heavy gauge wires.
9. A fence as claimed in claim 8 wherein the secondary wires each have a diameter of between 1.5 mm and 2.0 mm.
10. A fence as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the secondary wires are spaced apart across the fence such that the location of each secondary wire corresponds to a clip point on a corresponding fence post.
11. A fence as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the primary wires extend generally longitudinally along the fence in use.
12. A fence as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the secondary wires extend in generally the same direction as the primary wires.
13. A fence as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein each geometric shape is generally hexagonal.
14. A fence as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the secondary wires bisect at least some of the hexagonal geometric configurations.
15. A fence as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the apothem of each hexagonal geometric configuration is between 18mm and 23 mm.
16. A fence as claimed in any one of the preceding claims that is a rabbit proof fence.
17. Use of a fence as claimed in any one of the preceding claims to restrict the passage of vermin.
18. A method of restricting the passage of vermin through a fence, the method comprising intertwining a plurality of generally parallel wires across a portion of a hexagonal mesh fence to reduce the gaps between the wires in the portion of the fence.
19. A method of manufacturing a vermin-proof fence, the method comprising the steps of: intertwining a plurality of primary wires to produce a geometric configuration formed of repeating geometric shapes; and intertwining a plurality of generally parallel secondary wires with the primary wires such that they divide at least some of the geometric shapes formed by the primary wires, and such that they extend across a portion of the fence so as to form a reinforced portion of the fence.