AU7143900A - Fence aligning bracket - Google Patents

Description

P00011 Regulation 3.2 Revised 2/98

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act, 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT TO BE COMPLETED BY THE APPLICANT NAME OF APPLICANT: ACTUAL INVENTOR: ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: INVENTION TITLE: DETAILS OF ASSOCIATED

APPLICATION(S):

Bryan Munckton Howell Bryan Munckton Howell 0* Peter Maxwell Associates Level 6 Pitt Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 FENCE ALIGNING BRACKET Divisional of Australian Petty Patent Application No. 722,496 (22,667/00) filed on 23 March 2000 The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me:- 2 The present invention relates to post and rail fencing and, in particular, to a fence aligning bracket that may be used to provide a fence line of substantially constant height over inclined or undulating terrain, say, in a paddock.

The construction of a post and rail fence over undulating terrain has often been accomplished using a stepped arrangement of rails. However, where the ground on which a length of such a fence is erected is significantly inclined, say, from about 70 to the horizontal, stepped arrangements of rails are not ideal.

10 Attempts have been made to provide post and rail fences that are specifically adapted to undulating terrain. Many of these have involved complex arrangements for connecting a rail to an upright post so that the rail is inclined generally parallel to the slope of the ground over which it is located.

Australian Patent Specification No. 44,669/93, for instance, discloses a coupling for connecting rail members to a post, wherein the coupling has a mounting portion having two parts pivotally movable relative to one another and capable of being locked against pivotal movement by a fastener. Railing connection members are pivotally coupled to these two parts about axes extending transversely of the members and to an axis about which the parts may pivot relative to one another.

Less complex arrangements have also been devised, but many of these suffer from permanency in the fixing of the rails to the posts, such that adjustment of the angle of inclination of the rails is not readily possible. For example, Australian Patent Specification No. 59,162/90, discloses the connection of a fence post to a rail member by the permanent deformation of two or more lobes located at the free end of a tube around a ball fixed to a base plate, whereby the deformation is such as to retain the ball within the lobes for the rail to assume a desired angle of inclination to the horizontal.

Australian patent Specification No. 45,126/97 discloses a tubular section that may be cut transversely thereacross at an angle to suit a desired angle for inclination of the rail to the horizontal. The tubular section is associated with a means for receiving a nail therethrough for permanently fixing the cut tubular section to the post at the desired angle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a fence aligning bracket that can easily be secured to a post and that can serve as a means for readily *,aligning a rail generally parallel to the slope of the ground over which it is 10 located without the use of complex, pivotally movable members between the post and rail.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a fence aligning bracket that can allow for adjustment of the angle of inclination of the rail relative to the post without the exertion of considerable effort.

According to the invention there is provided a fence aligning bracket for connecting a hollow rail to an upright post at a desired angle of inclination to the horizontal, comprising: *means for securing the bracket to the post, and flange means insertable within an open end of the hollow rail and including at least one radially curved edge and at least one reference edge, the reference edge providing a pivoting reference point for pivotal movement of the hollow rail about the bracket, the arrangement being such that, when the flange means is inserted into the open end of the hollow rail as far as the pivoting reference point, the or each radially curved edge abuts against an inside surface of the hollow rail so that, upon pivoting the hollow rail about the pivoting reference point, the inside surface of the hollow rail tracks abuttingly against the or each radially curved edge until the desired angle of inclination to the horizontal is reached.

Preferably, the flange means comprises a pair of spaced apart flange members extending from opposed ends of a base plate member adapted to be secured to the post.

It is preferred that each flange member has a radially curved edge of a circumferential length greater than the length of the reference edge.

The radially curved edge is preferably radiused about a point where the reference edge meets the base plate member.

:"10 Preferably, each flange member is formed from a respective plate portion of a plate member blank, each plate portion being folded so as to extend perpendicularly from the base plate member in a common direction to ~the other plate portion.

•oi* It is preferred that the base plate member includes fastening holes for 15 receiving therethrough means for securing the bracket to the post.

Preferably, the fence aligning bracket includes a tag cover member for connection to the bracket when the bracket is secured to the post and for covering the space from one radially curved edge to the other radially curved edge.

In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig 1 is a perspective view of the fence aligning bracket according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Fig 2 is a perspective view of a tag cover member for connection to the bracket of Fig 1, Fig 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a post and rail fence including the fence aligning bracket of Fig 1 and tag cover member of Fig 2 used to connect the rails to the upright post at desired angles of inclination to the horizontal, and Fig 4 is a side elevational view of the post and rail fence portion shown in Fig 3.

The fence aligning bracket 10, fabricated of galvanized or coated steel, comprises a base plate member 12 and a pair of spaced apart flange members 10 14, 16 extending from opposed long ends of the base plate member 12.

The base plate member 12 has fastening holes 18 for receiving therethrough means for securing the bracket 10 to a tetragonally sectional post (as shown in Figs 3 and such as by nut and bolt arrangements, wherein the post may have correspondingly positioned fastening holes, or may have holes drilled therein by self drilling fastener means.

The flange members 14, 16 are of identical shape and size and each has a radially curved edge 20 and a straight reference edge 22. The circumferential length of the radially curved edge 20 is greater then the length of the reference edge 22, and the radially curved edge 20 is radiused about a point 24 where the reference edge 22 meets the base plate member 12.

The flange members 14, 16 are integrally joined to the base plate member 12, and are formed by the folding of respective plate portions of a plate member blank so that the flange members 14, 16 extend perpendicularly from the base plate member 12 in common directions.

The reference edge 22 extends at right angles from the plane of the base plate member 12 and terminates at a location where it meets one end of a straight insertion edge 26, with the other end of the insertion edge 26 terminating at a location where is meets the radially curved edge 20. As a result, the length of the straight insertion edge 26 is less than the maximum vertical length of the flange member 14, 16 where it is integrally joined to the base plate member 12, with the consequence that the open end of a hollow rectangular section rail, having internal height and width dimensions sufficient to enable it to tightly, but removably, fit over the flange members 14, 16 and against the base plate member 12, may be readily infiltrated by the insertion edges 26 with significant height or upright clearance as the rail is being fitted over the flange members 14, 16. However, although the internal height 10 dimension of the open end of the hollow rectangular section rail is significantly greater than the initial height dimension of the bracket as defined by the length of the insertion edge 26, the internal width dimension of the open end of hollow rectangular section rail is only just greater than the distance between the outermost surfaces of the flange members 14, 16, so that there is very little width or sideways clearance as the rail is being fitted over the flange members 12, 14. In essence, therefore, the size and shape of each flange member 12, 14, and their distance apart, provides for easy fitting of the open end of the hollow rail over the flange members 12, 14 and for a tight, but removable, fit of the hollow rail once so fitted over the flange members 12, 14.

A tag cover member 30, also fabricated of galvanised or coated steel, is adapted for connection to the bracket 10 to provide a covered fence aligning bracket as shown in Figs 3 and 4. The tag cover member 30 has an upright attachment portion 32 and an integrally joined, arcuately shaped cover portion 34 folded outwardly from the attachment portion 32 and having a curvature corresponding to that of the radially curved edges 20 of the flange members 12, 14 and having a width equal to the distance between the outermost surfaces of the flange members 12, 14. The attachment portion 32 includes a fastening hole 36. The tag cover member 30 is connected to the bracket 10 by placing the attachment portion 32 flush against the upper end portion of the base plate member 12 so that the fastening holes 18 and 36 and superimposed and then securing the bracket 10 and tag cover member 30 to the post by passing a securing means through the holes 18 and 36 and through either a correspondingly positioned fastening hole in the post or a hole drilled in the post by self drilling fastener means. In this way, the cover portion 34 of the tag cover member 30 covers the space from one radially curved edge to the other radially curved edge, and co-operates in the functioning of the 10 radially curved edges 20 of the flange members 12, 14. The cover portion 34 need not be arcuately shaped prior to connection of the tag cover member to the bracket 10, but will assume such a shape in use.

In use, the covered fence aligning bracket 40 (consisting of the bracket oooo and tag cover member 30) is able to connect a hollow rectangularly sectioned rail 42 (preferably, fabricated of galvanized steel) to an upright post 44 (also preferably fabricated of galvanized steel) at a desired angle of inclination to the horizontal as shown in Figs 3 and 4. The flange members 12, 14 are inserted into an open end of the rail 42 by firstly fitting the rail open end over the insertion edges 26 and then pushing the rail towards the post 44 so that it passes across both the radially curved edges 20 and the reference edges 22 until the rail 42 reaches the point 24 along the reference edges 22 where it meets the base plate member 12 and where any further pushing results only in the pivoting of the rail 42 about the point 24. From the point 24, the rail 42 may be pivoted to the desired angle of inclination, although some easily manageable degree of force is required in the pivoting to overcome the tightness of fit of the rail over the flange members 12, 14 when it has reached point 24, based on the fact that the inside surface of the rail tracks abuttingly, or movably bears, against the radially curved edges The bracket 10, or the covered bracket 40 shown in Figs 3 and 4, may be secured to the post upside down to the orientation shown in Figs 3 and 4 so as to enable the rails to be upwardly inclined (rather than downwardly inclined as shown in Fig 3) from the post.

Various modifications may be made in details of design and construction without departing from the scope and ambit of the invention.

9e e Oe

Claims (8)

1. A fence aligning bracket for connecting a hollow rail to an upright post at a desired angle of inclination to the horizontal, comprising: means for securing the bracket to the post, and flange means insertable within an open end of the hollow rail and including at least one radially curved edge and at least one reference edge, the reference edge providing a pivoting reference point for pivotal movement of the hollow rail about the bracket, the arrangement being such that, when the flange means is inserted into the open end of the hollow rail ooo.o. *as far as the pivoting reference point, the or each radially curved edge abuts against an inside surface of the hollow rail so that, upon pivoting the hollow rail about the pivoting reference point, the inside surface of the hollow rail tracks abuttingly against the or each radially curved edge until the desired angle of inclination to the horizontal is reached. S

2. The fence aligning bracket of claim 1 wherein the flange means comprises a pair of spaced apart flange members extending from opposed ends of a base plate member adapted to be secured to the post.

3. The fence aligning bracket of claim 2 wherein each flange member has a radially curved edge of a circumferential length greater than the length of the reference edge.

4. The fence aligning bracket of claim 3 wherein the radially curved edge is radiused about a point where the reference edge meets the base plate member.

The fence aligning bracket of claim 2 wherein each flange member is formed from a respective plate portion of a plate member blank, each plate portion being folded so as to extend perpendicularly from the base plate member in a common direction to the other plate portion.

6. The fence aligning bracket of claim 2 wherein the base plate member includes fastening holes for receiving therethrough means for securing the bracket to the post. .o

7. The fence aligning bracket of any one of claims 2 to 6 and including a tag cover member for connection to the bracket when the bracket is secured to the post and for covering the space from one radially curved 00 edge to the other radially curved edge.

8. A fence aligning bracket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. *l Dated this 2nd day of November 2000 BRYAN MUNCKTON HOWELL Patent Attorneys for the Applicant PETER MAXWELL ASSOCIATES