AU679306B2 - Post bracket - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention Title: BARRY EDWIN SCOTT BARRY EDWIN SCOTT CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

POST BRACKET 000 Details of Associated Provisional Application: No. PM4656 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us POST BRACKET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a multi-purpose bracket for fitting to a post to enable the post to function as a strainer post in a fence, a building profile component, or an element of a building construction such as a shed or animal pen. The bracket has enumerable uses as will become apparent to the skilled addressee upon reading the following description.

However, for the sake of simplicity, and in or to facilitate a ready understanding of the invention, it will primarily be described with reference to its use as a post strainer bracket.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART "In order to enable a timber fence post to be *used as a strainer post in the construction of, for instance, rural fencing, it is necessary to place another S. post nearby and connect the two posts with braces. This 20 is a time consuming and labour intensive process.

"Star pickets", that is steel pickets having a trihedral cross-sectional profile, are commonly used in S"rural fencing but not as strainer posts as it has not hitherto been possible to brace them adequately. The use S 25 of star pickets as strainer posts would be particularly advantageous as there would not only be no need to erect a bracing post, but there would also be no need to erect S"the main strainer post in the first place.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a more efficient and less time consuming means for converting a fence post in a strainer post.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means for converting a star picket to a strainer post and/or profile former and/or building member.

3 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a post bracket comprising a collar adapted to circumscribe, and to be retained on, a post, said collar including three members projecting outwardly therefrom, two of said members projecting in relative opposed parallel directions and the other projecting in a relative non-parallel direction, said members providing anchor points for braces or building elements to be fitted thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The collar is preferably of integral construction and is configured to suit the crosssectional shape of the post for which it is intended for use. However, two-piece or multi-piece collars whose segments are connected by hinges, links or the like, can also be used.

The preferred shape of collar for circular S• 20 section posts is circular and for rectangular section posts is rectangular. However, it is possible to employ *..circular collars for rectangular section posts and vice versa without significantly diminishing the usefulness of the strainer bracket.

S 25 Generally, the bracket will be designed for use with a star picket and will preferably have a substantially box-shape square configuration to enable it S"to snugly fit over the star picket.

The three projecting members can project by equal or relatively varying distances from the collar.

Preferably, they all extend about the same distance which is commensurate with the diameter of the post. The projecting members can comprise flats which are welded, or hingedly connected to the collar or formed integrally therewith. Other design variations include finger projections, loops, hooks and so forth. Most suitably, the projecting members are in the form of flats, that is, plane slabs of material, whose widths conform substantially with the width of the collar.

Preferably, the two parallel projecting members project in parallel planes which are offset from one another. In the case where the collar is rectangular or square, the projections are suitably co-planar with opposite sides of the collar.

The third non-parallel projecting member preferably projects at right angles to the other two projecting members. Most preferably, the point of projection of the third projecting member is at the intersection of the collar with one or other of the parallel projecting members.

The anchor points on the projecting members can comprise flanges, projections or the like but are preferably openings through which fencing wire can be threaded or nails, screws or the like inserted into a timber backing (such as when the bracket is used as a profile component).

The bracket can be secured to the post by one 20 or more pins, such as bolts, screws or nails, which pass through an appropriate opening or openings in the collar, into the post. Preferably a threaded housing is fixed about an opening on the collar and a bolt extends Stherethrough to the post for frictional retention.

The design of the bracket is such that it can be used to convert a post to a strainer post at, for instance, a gateway, an internal or external corner, or in an in-line situation. Thus, in the in-line situation, the relatively opposed projecting members on the collar will be utilised for providing the necessary connections to achieve this purpose. In the case where a corner strain is required, one of the relatively opposed parallel projecting members and the third non-parallel projecting member will be utilised in unison. Thus, for instance, fencing is threaded around or through the anchor points and used to brace the post to adjacent pegs or star pickets.

The bracket can include appropriate height adjustment and fixing means to enable it to be used for profiles in job set outs in the Building Industry. In this connection, additional holes can be provided in the projecting members to enable timber ledges to be attached thereto.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is an oblique view of a post bracket according to the present invention; Figure 2 is an isometric view of the bracket of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the bracket of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an elevational view A of the bracket of Figure 3; Figure 5 is an elevational view B of the 20 bracket of Figure 3; Figure 6 is an elevational view C of the bracket of Figure 3; S Figure 7 is an elevational view D of the bracket of Figure 3; Figure 8 is a side perspective view of the bracket of Figure 1 fitted to a star picket; and 'Figure 9 is a plan view of the arrangement of Figure 8.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In all the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts.

The post bracket depicted in Figures 1-7 can be utilised with posts having a variety of cross-sectional configurations. It is particularly suitable for use with star pickets.

The bracket comprises a square section boxshaped collar 10 fabricated from high density,

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ultraviolet light- stabilised plastics material such as polyethylene, or plate metal such as plate steel, which is optionally anodised, galvanised or painted. Three flats 11, 12, 13 extend co-linearly with three sides of the collar and are fabricated from the same material as the collar. Two of the flats, viz 11 and 13, extend in relative opposed parallel directions from opposite walls of the collar. The third flat, viz 12, extends at right angles to the other two flats.

Aligned elongate openings 14, 15 are provided in opposed walls of the collar to enable a bolt to be inserted therethrough and through one of the holes already present in the star picket, or through a predrilled hole in a solid post if that is what is being strained. The bolt hole will typically be of 16 x 8 mm diameter and the purpose of the bolt is to give extra strength during straining.

.:One side of the collar has a threaded housing 16 welded to it about an opening. The housing is S 20 suitably a 12 mm nut for retaining a bolt 17. This bolt screws through the collar against the post to provide :frictional engagement between the post and the bracket.

This arrangement also enables exact adjustments to height so that the bracket can be used for profiles in the set S 25 out of buildings.

Holes 18, 19, 20 in the central region of the respective flats, are suitably 10 mm in diameter and are S"for the purpose of receiving 10 mm bolts to the diagonal braces. Perpendicularly aligned holes 21 are 6 mm in diameter and are used in a profile set out situation and for attaching timber ledges by means of self tapping wood screws.

Referring now to Figures 8 and 9, the strainer bracket is shown connected to a star picket 30 by means of bolt 31 extending through the aligned openings in the collar and a hole in the star picket. Flats 11 and 13 are utilised to form an in-line strain by connecting fencing wire thereto and flats 11 and 12 are utilised to 1 form a corner strain.

Bracing may be another star picket or a metal or timber brace butted or driven into a bed log or short peg or post in the ground.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention, many modifications and variations may be made thereto by persons skilled in the art without departing from the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth.

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Claims (5)

1. 2. A post bracket as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two parallel projecting members project in planes offset from one another.
2. 3. A post bracket as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the collar has a substantially box-shape .*square configuration. S 20 4. A post bracket as claimed in claim 3, wherein the two parallel projecting members are coplanar with o *o :opposite sides of the square box collar. A post bracket as claimed in claim 4, wherein S" 25 the other projecting member projects at right angles to the two parallel projecting members. *ee* S6. A post bracket as claimed in claim 5, wherein the other projecting member projects at the locus where one of two parallel projecting members meets the square box collar.
3. 7. A post bracket as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the projecting members comprise rectangular flats formed integrally with, or welded to, the collar. A post bracket as claimed in claim 7, wherein -1 the anchor points comprise openings formed through the rectangular flats.
4. 9. A post bracket as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bracket is adapted to be secured to the post by means of a bolt which extends through a threaded housing fixed around an opening in the collar, said bolt being adapted to be tightened against said post. A post bracket as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bracket is designed to accommodate a star picket.
5. 11. A post strainer bracket substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this day of 1995 BARRY EDWIN SCOTT 0 20 By his Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO. .04. o •55 o* S ABSTRACT ^A bracket for use with fence and other posts, particularly star pickets, to enable the posts to accept S 5 braces or act as components of buildings or profiles. The bracket comprises a collar which is fitted over the post and has three outwardly projecting members. Two of the members project in relative opposed parailel o •directions and the other projects in a non-parallel 0 10 direction. The members have anchor points to enable braces to be connected thereto. 04 oo .0 *0