AU696519B2

AU696519B2 - Improved fence dropper

Info

Publication number: AU696519B2
Application number: AU45872/96A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Brian John Walker
Original assignee: WALKER IND Ltd
Current assignee: WALKER INDUSTRIES Ltd
Priority date: 1995-03-10
Filing date: 1996-03-01
Publication date: 1998-09-10
Anticipated expiration: 2016-03-01
Also published as: GB2298662B; GB9604488D0; AU4587296A; GB2298662A

Description

TITLE: IMPROVED FENCE DROPPER The present invention relates to a fence dropper that can be used on wire fences, but which does not need to be specifically designed for a fence with specific number of wires.

For the purpose of this specification a fence dropper is a rigid or semi-rigid vertical member in a fence, being one which is not set into the ground.

Wire fence droppers are known. For example lightning droppers are made of steel wire in one piece and are designed to be secured over the top wire of a wire fence. They are used to keep in place each successive wire from the top to the bottom of a fence. They are secured to the bottom of a fence by manual operation with a lever, such as a screw driver.

Once in place such droppers keep the wires evenly spaced and prevent them from being stretched to let small stock through the fence. examples of such droppers can be seen in New SZealand Patent No's 230402 (Rayner), 156747 (National Nail Pty Ltd) and 110236 (Warner).

However there are a variety of different disadvantages with each sort of fence dropper. For example lightning droppers after Rayner have to be made to work with a six wire, or a seven wire (or any other number of wire) fence. A lightning dropper designed for a six wire fence will not work on a seven wire fence.

lsl I~L IIP As an alternative, wooden battens can be nailed to the wires to prevent movement. However wooden battens take considerable time to secure in place and require small staples on each of the wires right down a fence, on every batten. The wooden dropper has advantages over the wire dropper in that one, two or more strands of such a permanent fence can be electrified. However if a fence is to be partially electrified, whilst containing lightning droppers, the section of wire through the lightning dropper on the relevant wire strands needs to be insulated.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an improved fence dropper which overcomes the difficulties of securement (time and cost) for a wooden batten and can be used on a fence with any number of wires, thus overcoming the difficulties of many wire fence droppers. A further object of the invention is the provision of a fence dropper than can be used with a wire fence in which one or more of the wires are electrified, but not all.

The present invention provides a fence dropper comprised 20 of a length of an extruded matp rial of constant crosssection, in which said length i. first bent to form a U shape with extended legs wherein the legs are twisted about each other in a manner akin to a i.uble helix and such that the twist remains permanent; wheriii uhe legs do not touch one 25 another down the length of the formerly extended U; and wherein said dropper includes a means to releasably secure said dropper to a wire fenc&, said means including: a length of wire or metal strapping of predetermined length, bent into a curve with a curved cut-out portion or slot portion at each curve with a curved cut-out portion or slot portion at each

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2A end, each said portion forming a hook means which hooks over a fence wire, said curve being long enough for the strapping to be positioned under or around a twist of the fence dropper and to hold said twist in tension against the fence wire, said length being attachable to any or each fence wire.

preferably the means to releasably secure the fence dropper to a fence is selected from; a hooked extra length of wire formed integrally with one

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leg of the fence dropper and designed to engage with the bottom wire of the fence; a length of wire or metal strapping of predetermined length, bent into a loop with a curved portion at each end forming a hook means which hooks over a fence wire, said loop being long enough to be positioned under a twist of the wire of the fence dropper and to hold said twist in tension against the fence wire, said length being attachable to any or each fence wire; and any combination thereof.

Preferably said constant cross-section is circular but may be of other shapes. Preferably the material of which the dropper is made is selected from the group consisting of high tension steel wire, steel rod, a rigid plastics material that 15: is capable of being bent, plastic coated rod or wire, or other metal alloy wire or a combination of any of these.

By way of example only preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference 9**9 to the accompanying drawings in which:- Fig 1 is a side view of a fence with fence droppers in accordance with the present invention shown; o Fig 2 is a side view of the wire used to make the dropper of the present invention prior to being twisted; Fig 3 is a partial view, expanded, of part a fence dropper of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a partial side view of a fence with a dropper in position, in which a first preferred embodiment of the securement means of the present invention is shown; Fig. 5 is a partial side view of a fence dropper of the present invention showing a second preferred embodiment of the securement means of the present invention; and Fig. 6 is a partial side view of a fence dropper of the present invention showing a third preferred embodiment of the securement means of the present invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 3 of the drawings, a wire rod 3 is shown in Fig 2 after the first bend has been inserted therein. The rod 3 is formed with a head 4 and two extended legs 5 either side of the head 4 to form a U with extended legs. The fence dropper 2 (shown in Figs 1 and 3) comprises a plurality of twists 6 in the extended legs 5. Said twists 15. 6 are such that the fence dropper 2 has the appearance of a 99 double helix along its length, in that the two legs of the wire 5 do not touch at the cross-over points 7 (Fig. The plurality of twists 6 can be obtained by clamping the head 4 and twisting the legs 5 one about the other (in known manner).

Alternatively the very ends of the legs 5 can be fixed in 0 9 position and the head 4 twisted to form the twists 6.

In order to place the fence dropper 2 in position on a 6. 0 0.#*fence the dropper 2 is positioned over the top wire 8 of the fence and wriggled and positioned so that it drops down over each subsequent wire 9 until the head 4 is positioned on the top wire 8. Because the legs 5 do not touch each other such manoeuvring and working of the dropper 2 down the wires 8 and -I 9 is possible but at the same time once the dropper 2 is in position there is sufficient tension between the legs 5 of the droppers 2 and the wires (8 or 9) that the dropper 2 acts to keep the wires 8 and 9 in position relative to one another.

If the dropper 2 is too long for the height of the fence the excess length may be clipped off the bottom ends 5 before they are secured together. Alternatively the ends 5 may be left unsecured, if so desired (for example, if the third preferred embodiment of the releasable securement means described below is used).

Once each dropper 2 is in position on the fence and the required length is known, the bottom ends of the dropper 2 can be secured together by any known securing means. Such means could include, for example, metal clips, metal wire, plastic 5 wire and any other tying method. The ends could be welded S 55 4i" together if so desired.

The wire 3 has been described as circular in crosssection but it will be appreciated that any other crosssection which is capable of being extruded can be used, for example square or U-shaped. The wire 3 used can be any material that is capable of being extruded and which has a certain amount of resilience. For example, materials that would be suitable for use in the fence dropper 2 would be certain plastics materials (those with an in built resilience, and a resistance to ultra-violet light), high tensile steel wire, steel rod, very fine roll formed material. Also, any such wire may be plastic coated prior to being twisted to the form shown in Fig 3. Thus fencing droppers 2 that have such a plastic coating may be used on fences where one or more strands of the fence are electrified, but the rest of the strands are not.

The number of twists 6 inserted in the wire 3 can be varied. However, it will be appreciated that two or more will be required along a width that is the minimum known width between wires of a fence. If fewer twists than this are placed on the wire 3 then the fence wires 9) will move too easily up and down the twists 6 and between the cross-over points 7. Thus stock will be able to rub against such a fence and move the wires of the fence 9) up and down through the twists 6 of the fence dropper 2, too easily. If more than two twists are placed between the resting points of the wires 8, 15. 9 then this reduces the ability of stock to move the fence

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wires 8, 9 and thus increases the effectiveness of the fence dropper 2.

Whilst the twisted helix shown in Fig 3 is shown as left-handed, it will be appreciated that a right-handed helical twist can also be used, for manufacturing the fence droppers 2, with equal effectiveness.

Referring to Fig. 4, a first preferred embodiment of the ee releasable securing means of releasably securing a fence dropper 2 to a wire 9) is thereshown. This is a shaped length of wire 10. The wire 10 is shaped with a central loop 11 and two hook-shaped ends 12. The loop 11 is of sufficient size that it is positioned underneath a twist 6 of the dropper

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2. The wire 10 can be in various configurations; for example, it could be tied to the wire or looped by each of the hooks 12 being hooked over the wire 9 in opposite directions (as shown in Fig. or from the same direction (not shown).

Thus the wire 10 can secure the dropper 2 to the fence wire 9 by the quick motion of securement of the wire 10 to the fence wire It will be appreciated that the wire 10 can be of any appropriate material for example a spring steel, a high tensile wire, a plastic coated wire, a metal or plastic strap etc. If a strap is used (as shown in Fig. 6 in a third preferred embodiment), slotted holes or slots at either end releasably secure the strap 10 to the fence wire 9, pushing the dropper 10 against the fence wire. The wires (or straps) 10 can be pre-shaped for ready use, if so desired. It will also be appreciated that the wire 10 can be used on each or 4 any of the wires 8,9 of a fence, as is desired.

Referring to Fig. 5 a second preferred embodiment of the securing means of the present invention is thereshown. This S2,Q embodiment incorporates a hook 18 formed integrally with the 4.6o bottom of one leg 5 of the dropper 2. This can be done, for example, by a non-central placement of the first U-bend 4 6 4 0000 (Fig. 2 in the twisting process described above. The hook 13 includes two bends 19, 20 over or through which the bottom fence wire 9 can be placed. The securement of the hook 18 over the bottom fence wire can be done manually or with the aid of a lever (not shown).The hook 18 acts as an anchor for the dropper 2, aiding in reducing or stopping the movement of -R~l~a r- bll~Y 8 the dropper 2 along the fence.

Whilst each embodiment of the securing means of the present invention has been shown separately, it will be appreciated that each embodiment can be used in combination with each of the other embodiments, or all together. Some wires 9 may include one embo e-nt, some wires 9 another.

Some wires 9 may include nona of the embodiments, as is desired.

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Claims

1. A fence dropper comprised of a length of an extruded material of constant cross-section, in which said length is first bent to form a U shape with extended legs wherein the legs are twisted about each other in a manner akin to a double helix and such that the twist remains permanent; wherein the legs do not touch one another down the length of the formerly extended U; and wherein said dropper includes a means to releasably secure said dropper to a wire fence, said means including: a length of wire or metal strapping of predetermined length, bent into a curve with a curved cut-out portion or slot portion at each end, each said portion forming a hook means which hooks over a fence wire, said curve being long enough for the strapping to be positioned under or around a twist of the fence dropper and to hold said twist in tension against the fence wire, said length Ling attachable to any or each fence wire.

2. A fence dropper as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means 9 i 20 to releasably secure said dropper to said wire fence further includes the option of a hooked extra length of wire formed integrally with one leg of the fence dropper and designed to engage with the bottom wire of the fence. a. 25

3. A fence dropper as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the material from which the dropper is made is selected from the group consisting of high tension steel wire, steel rod, a rigid plastics material that is capable cf PIM being bent, plastic coated rod or wire id other metal alloy wire, or a combination of any of these.

4. A fence dropper as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said constant cross-section is circular.

A fence dropper as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the number of twists in the dropper between adjacent fence wires, when the dropper is in position, is at least two.

6. A fence dropper as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said length of wire or metal strapping is made from a material selected from the following: a spring steel, a high tensile wire, plastic coated wire, a metal strap, and a plastic strap.

7. A fence dropper substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS Ninth DAY OF April 1998. WALKER INDUSTRIES LIMITED BY PIZZEYS PATENT TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS 'Ill~s3~ Rn~3RICA~I~r TITLE: IMPROVED FENCE DROPPER ABSTRACT An improved fence dropper is disclosed which can be inserted onto a wire fence (principally for use in agricultural situations) with any number of horizontal wires with a releasable means of securing the dropper to one, some or all of the fence wires The said means (10, 18) may include a shaped length of wire (10) with loops (12) holding the dropper in tension against the fence wire a hooked extra length of wire (18) on the bottom of one foot of the dropper or a metal strap Any or all of these means can be used alone or in combination, to retain the dropper in position on a fence. The dropper (and securing means may be of metal or of plastic (thus making it possible to use the dropper on a fence where some but not all of the wires are electrified. «e 000*