AU696594B2 - Fencing post - Google Patents

Description

-1- P/MXII1 Rcgulation 32

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

r o r Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for service RAYRET PTY LIMITED Raymond Stanley Kotzur in Australia: CARTER SMITH BEADLE 2 Railway Parade Camberwell Victoria 3124 Australia Invention Title: FENCING POST Details of Associated Provisional Application: PM5784 filed 20 May 1994 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us

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-2- This invention relates to posts and relates particularly to a type of fencing post used to form wire fences around farm paddocks, although it will be appreciated that the invention may be used for attaching items other than wire, such as signs, to posts.

It is desirable to provide a low cost, low maintenance fencing post which has the strength to support a fencing wire while at the same time having a suitable means for supporting and tensioning fencing wire or the like.

One known form of fencing post is the "star post" which has a plan cross section of three radiating arms that appear to fonn a star-like shape. This post is extremely strong and reasonably easy to manufacture but merely has holes therein for supporting the fencing wire. This form of fencing requires the wire to be fed through the holes which is a difficult and time consuming task and can destroy the protective surface on the post or on the wire resulting in the early rusting of either.

Further, if barbed wire is required it is usually too difficult to feed the barbed wire through the holes and it is only possible to rest the barbed wire on a top groove of the post. Another problem with this sort of fencing is that the wire is not held securely in position and therefore is allowed to move which can result in further i abrasion and rusting of the wire and post. It also means that the wire must be tied •around an end post to end-off a section or be connected to a separate different end ere 20 post. Usually a strainer must be used to provide tension to wire that extends through S* a number of star-posts.

It is desirable to provide a post which overcomes or alleviates one or more

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e.of the disadvantages of known posts.

It is also desirable to provide a fencing post that can support and hold fencing wire or the like.

S.It is also desirable to provide a post suitable for fencing or the like which is relatively cheap and easy to manufacture, install and use.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a post having at least one retaining member unitary with the post and connected at one end to a front or outer surface of the post and overlying a slot in the post, the retaining member JRG:JA15724,RSI 3 August 19911 I -3being adapted to extend around at least part of a wire or other article, wherein the retaining member has a locking portion which is wider than a portion of the slot and adapted to be inserted through the slot, the locking portion being engageable with a rear or inner surface of the post on at least one side of the slot to resist withdrawal of the locking portion through the slot.

The post preferably has a plurality of said retaining members, each overlying a respective slot in the post, so that wires or other articles can be attached at different heights to the post.

Conveniently, the retaining member comprises a tab cut out from the post so that when the tab is bent away from the post the resultant gap in the post forms the slot through which the locking portion can be inserted.

The retaining member or tab preferably has a body part which is adapted to extend around a wire or other article and a head part which is wider than the body part to form the locking portion of the retaining member. If such a tab is of a similar shape and size as the slot in the post it may be necessary for the wider head part or locking portion to be bent or twisted before it can be inserted through the slot, and subsequent bending or twisting may be required after the head part of the locking portion has been passed through the slot to enable the head part to be engageable with the rear or inner surface of the post.

20 According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of attaching or securing an article, such as a fencing wire, to a post comprising the steps of: providing a post with at least one unitary retaining member connected e thereto overlying a slot in the post, the retaining member having an enlarged locking portion which is wider than a portion of the slot; bending the retaining member around at least a part of said article, and subsequently bending, twisting or otherwise deforming the retaining member in such a manner that a locking portion of said retaining member is inserted :15724 RS1 3 August 1998 I L 4through said slot to be engageabl, with a rear or inner surface of the post, whereby further bending, twisting or other deformation of the retaining member is required to release the article from the post.

The retaining member and slot are preferably of such a form that the steps of bending the retaining member around said at least part of the article and subsequently bending, twisting or otherwise deforming the retaining member can be carried out in a single operation from the rear of the post, e.g. by using a tool, such as a pair of pliers or other gripping means. For this purpose the retaining member may comprise a tab having a body part and a locking head part of extended form with the slot being of complementary shape to assist in gripping the head part through the slot from the rear of the post.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only. with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a first embodiment of a fencing post in 15 accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a section along the line II-II of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front elevation of a tab of the fencing post of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a portion of the front of the fencing post of Figure 1; 20 Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a tab and slot arrangement of the fencing post of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a perspective view similar to Figure 5 of the tab being inserted through the slot; *Figure 7 is a perspective view similar to Figure 5 showing the tab in a locked S" 25 position; Figure 8 is a front elevation of a tab of a second embodiment of a post in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a fencing post 12 having a plurality retaining members 18 located along the longitudinal axis of the fencing post 12. The arrangement of a plurality of retaining members 18 allows for a plurality of fencing O"MABiSn57A.s 19 May 1995 L~ I II I wires to be attached to the post 12 with the height and spacing of the wires being selectable. The fencing post 12 is generally U-shaped in cross-section having a substantially planar front wall 14 and two side walls 15 with curved rear ends 16.

The cross-sectional shape of the fence post is substantially constant to allow for continuous manufacture thereof and the side walls are inclined out-wardly at a slight angle to the normal to the front wall in order to provide a suitable strength factor and to allow for the stacking of a plurality of fencing posts 12. The post is preferably formed of a metal material, such as a high tensile galvanized steel and provides a relatively light, long lasting fence post as compared with a wooden post.

The retaining members 18 are located on the central longitudinal axis of the front wall 14 of the fencing post and each comprises a tab 19 cut out of the front wall of the fencing post but remaining connected at one end to the planar fiont fence post body 13. Movement of the tab 19 generally in a direction normal to the planar front wall 14 of the fence post body 13 opens a slot 22 in the front wall which has o i 15 a complementary shape to the tab 19. Tab 19 comprises a tab body 20 with a tab head 21 having a width wider than that of the tab body 20. The slot 22 has a tabreceiving portion 23 corresponding to the shape and width of the tab body 20, and S"an upper portion 24 corresponding to the tab head 21.

As shown particularly in Figures 5, 6 and 7, a tab 19 comprising the tab body 20 20 and tab head 21 can be bent away from the slot 22 but remains connected to the front surface 14 of the fence post 12. A fencing wire 41 can be inserted between the tab body 20 and the front wall 14 of the fencing post 12. The tab head 21 is then twisted and inserted through the slot 22 and then untwisted whereby shoulders of the wider tab head 21 engage the rear or inner surface of the front wall 14 of 25 the post 12 on either side of the tab receiving portion 23. In this way the fencing wire 41 is supported at a particular height depending on the height of the tabs 19 and the fencing wire 41 is thus held securely to the front surface of the front wall 14 of the fence post 13.

In a modified embodiment, as shown in Figure 8 the tab 19 may have a tab head extension 29 which may be used to assist gripping of the tab 19 through the JR.NB:#IS719 M 9 19 May 1995 I as -6slot 22 from the rear of the post, e.g. by pliers or the like so that the tab can be twisted, pulled through the slot 22 and re-twisted in a single operation.

It should be evident from the description hereinabove that the invention provides an improved fencing post which avoids most, if not all, the disadvantages of the prior art. Of course many modifications to the above described embodiments may be readily envisaged by persons skilled in the art. For example, the apparatus may be used for signposts whereby a sign has a rear connection bar or a set of holes in the sign such that the tab can be bent to engage the sign and held in position by being inserted through the slot and engaging with the rear of the planar surface 14.

Further the shape of the tab can be varied as long as the tab has a head or locking portion which is adapted to engage the rear or inner surface of a wall of the post.

RO:NB:n5724 .pc 19 M 1995 r-Il I I

Claims (13)

1. A post having at least one retaining member unitary with the post and connected at one end to a front or outer surface of the post and overlying a slot in the post, the retaining member being adapted to extend around at least part of a wire or other article, wherein the retaining member has a locking portion which is wider than a portion of the slot and adapted to be inserted through the slot, the locking portion being engageable with a rear or inner surface of the post on at least one side of the slot to resist withdrawal of the locking portion through said slot.

2. A post according to claim 1 wherein the post has a plurality of said retaining members.

3. A post according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the or each retaining member comprises a tab cut out from the post so that when the tab is bent away from the post the resultant gap in the post forms the slot through which the locking portion can be inserted.

4. A post according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the or each retaining member comprises a body part which is adaptel to extend around a wire or other article and a head part which is wider than the body part and which forms the locking portion.

5. A post according to claim 4 wherein the body part is connected to the 20 post by an integral hinge remote from the head part which enables the retaining member to be bent or twisted relative to the post.

6. A post according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the head part is of extended form so as to assist in gripping the retaining member through the slot from the rear of the post.

7. A post according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the post is generally U-shaped in cross-section having a front wall and a pair of side walls, and the or each retaining member is provided in said front wall of the post.

8. A post according to claim 7 wherein the side walls are inclined outwardly at slight angle to the normal to the front wall.

9. A method of attaching or securing an article, such as a fencing wire, JRGJA 15724 RSI 3 August 199B 11,- 11311-~~11 -8- to a post comprising the steps of: providing a post with at least one unitary retaining member connected thereto and overlying a slot in the post, the retaining member having an enlarged locking portion which is wider than a portion of the slot- bending the retaining member around at least a part of said article, and subsequently bending, twisting or otherwise deforming the retaining member in such a manner that the locking portion of said retaining member is inserted through said slot to be engageable with a rear or inner surface of the post on at least one side of the slot; whereby further bending, twisting or other deformation of the retaining member is required to release the article from the post. A method according to claim 9 wherein at least the step of subsequently bending, twisting or otherwise deforming the retaining member is carried out by means of a gripping tool, such as a pair of pliers.

11. A method according to claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the retaining member comprises a tab having a body part connected to the post and a locking head part which is wider than the body part to form said locking portion, and the slot is of complementary shape. :V0"i 12. A method according to any one of claims 9 to 11 wherein the retaining 20 member extends forwardly from a front surface of the post and the retaining member and slot are formed in such a manner that the step of bending, twisting or otherwise deforming the retaining member can be carried out from the rear of the post by gripping the retaining member through the slot.

13. A method according to any one of claims 9 to 12 wherein the steps of bending the retaining member around said at least part of the article and subsequently bending, twisting or otherwise deforming the retaining member are carried out in a single operation from the rear of the post.

14. A method according to claim 12 or claim 13 as appended to claim 11 wherein the head part of the retaining member is of extended form to assist in gripping the head part from the rear of the post. 3 August 1998 ~iL I 9 accompanying drawings.

16. A method of attaching or securing an article to a plt substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED: 3 August 1998 CARTER SMITH BEADLE Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: a.. 6 o S** JRG:JA 15724 RS I 3 August 1998 r- II I I ABSTRA C A fencing post (12) is provided which has a plurality of retaining members (18) connected to the front surface of a wall (14) of the post The retaining members conveniently consist of tabs (18) cut out partly from the front wall (14) so as to form complementary slots (22) in the wall The tabs (18) have a body part (20) and a wider head part In use, the head part (21) can be gripped by a tool, such as a pair of pliers, through the slot (22) from the rear of the post and the tab can then be bent around a fencing wire twisted and pulled through the slot (22) and untwisted so that shoulders (25) of the head (21) engage the rear or inner surface of the wall (14) to secure the wire (41) to the post (12). *C. E* JRG ANBS j124m 19 May 1995 I e, I