AU641824B2 - Improved barrier - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 CO0MP LERT E S P ECITFITCA TTION FOR A STANDARD PATENT :0.

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Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: :Address for Service: PRATTfJEY ENGINEERING LIMITED Henry Edward Mitchell SHELSTON WATERS Clarence Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 0:a 0 *o.,.:Invention Title: "IMPROVED BARRIER" The following scatement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:- The present invention relates to improvements in barriers for areas where stock are to be enclosed. As used herein, the term 'barrier' is understood to include gates and units of fencing which may be connected together to form e.g. a stock yard or a stock race or holding pen.

The most common patterns of farm or race barriers are made with a peripheral frAme filled in with either a series of spaced horizontal rails or netting. Both these designs have the drawback that an animal jumping or climbing over the 10 barrier easily can get a hoof caught under one of the rails or in the netting, and fall with that leg trapped, often causing *severe injury. Also, such barriers are relatively easy for an animal to climb.

ee It therefore is an object of the present invention to provide a barrier which overcomes the above-described drawbacks.

The present invention provides a barrier comprising: a peripheral frame forming the top, bottom and side edges of the Sbarrier; a series of spaced horizontal rails secured between eeeee S 20 the side edges of the frame, closing in the lower part of said frame; and a series of spaced vertical bars secured between the uppermost horizontal rail and the top edge of the barrier, closing in the upper part of said frame.

Preferably, the peripheral frame provides a rounded corner at both of the lower corners of said frame.

By way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which show a front view of a barrier in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, a barrier 2 comprises a peripheral frame 3 made of pipe, in known manner, and provided with hinges and/or connection flanges 4 of known type, which allow adjacent barriers to pivot through nearly 360° relative to each other.

Both of the lower corners 4a of the barrier are rounded in a smooth curve. These rounded corners 4a mean that the 10 barrier can be dragged across the ground, or pushed across the ground by stock, without the corners catching oz: snagging, so that the barriers can be moved quickly and easily without the o0* need for mounting the barriers on wheels or castors.

Across the lower portion of the barrier, up to about 5/8 of the overall height of the barrier, the frame 3 is filled in with a series of spaced rails 5, which extend horizontally o. across the frame 3, and are secured at each end to sides of the frame.

The upper 3/8 of the frame is filled in with spaced 20 vertical bars 6 which are secured between the top 3a of the frame and the upper rail 5a of said horizontal rails. The spacing of the rails 5 and bars 6 is such that the type of animal to be contained cannot squeeze out between them, but the bars 6 are sufficiently far apart that an animal's hoof or leg cannot easily be trapped between them.

It will be appreciated that the proportions of the barrier filled in by horizontal rails or vertical bars may be varied as required for particular applications, but the area of vertical bars 6 must always lie adjacent the top of the frame, and the bars 6 must be sufficiently long that the legs of any animal struggling to get over the barrier will contact the bars 6 rather than the rails Depending upon the overall length of the barrier, it may be necessary to brace the barrier with one or more spaced bracing bars 7, as shown in the drawing.

It will be appreciated that the proportions and 10 dimensions of the above-described barrier may be varied as needed for different applications. The barrier may be used as a single unit as a gate, or a plurality of the barriers may be hinged together using the hinges 4 to form the sides of a holding pen or race or forcing pen.

The barrier may be made of any suitable material e.g.

metal rod or pipe, or wood.

Claims (6)

1. A barrier comprising: a peripheral frame forming the top, bottom and side edges of the barrier; a series of spaced horizontal rails secured between the side edges of the frame, closing in the lower part of said frame; and a series of spaced vertical bars secured between the uppermost horizontal rail and the top edge of the barrier, closing in the upper part of said frame.

2. The barrier as claimed in Claim 1 wherein both lower o* f 4 *o corners of said peripheral frame are rounded.

3. The barrier as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 further 6' comprising one or more spaced bracing bars each of which 0 extends between the top and the bottom of the frame.

4. The barrier as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising means for connecting each side edge of the barrier to the side edge of an adjacent barrier.

5. The barrier as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the topmost horizontal rail is positioned approximately 5/8 of the overall height of the barrier from the bottom of the barrier. 4

6. A barrier substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing. DATED this llth Day of November, 1991 PRATTLEY ENGINEERING LIMITED Attorney: LEON K. ALLEN Fellow Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia of SIIFLS'TON WATERS