CA2316023A1 - Modular fence frame - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fence frame and more particularly to modular interconnecting rails and posts to frame a fence. The invention disclosed allows for a simple means of building a fence frame comprising a rail, a post and a single piece coupling. The post includes opposing surfaces that define a channel or other interface profile such as a protrusion. The rail includes at least one surface that defines a channel or other interface profile such as a protrusion. Each of the channels or interface profiles run substantially parallel to the axis of the post and rail as the case may be.
The coupling then joins the post and rail. The coupling includes one end that comprises two arms for engaging the opposing channels or profiles on the post. The coupling also includes a second end that is shaped to positively engage the channel or profile on the rail. When coupled, the post and rail are then able to slidably adjust relative to one another. In one embodiment of the invention disclosed the post and rail have essentially the same cross-section and, therefore, are interchangeable.

Description

Modular Fence Frame Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fence frame and more particularly to modular interconnecting rails and posts to frame a fence.
Background of the Invention S A barrier or fence physically dividing two areas requires a framing system generally composed of posts secured to a base or the ground and rails secured to the posts to support barner material to physically separate areas.
The present invention relates to a fence frame and more particularly modular interconnecting rails and posts to frame a fence thus providing a system onto which to secure barner material to separate areas for a variety of purposes including but not limited to providing privacy, marking property boundaries and protecting or securing an area from outside access. Ideally, as the fence frame provides the foundation of the fence, it needs to be strong for most purposes, aesthetically pleasing in many cases and easy to assemble.
Mufti-component systems have been designed to allow rails and posts to interconnect. U.S. Patent 3,847,489 discloses a fence frame that includes a multi-component system that joins posts and rails. The connector used to join the posts to the rails, however, is somewhat awkward to use as it requires a component of the connector to be inserted into the hollow of the post where it must be manually positioned such that the outside joining portion of the connector can be fastened to the internal component to secure the connector to the post.
U.S. Patent 4,114,860 discloses a connector that joins a rail and a post to structure a fence frame by hooking an S-shaped arm over the top of the post thereby connecting a channel on the external part of the rail to the post. While this system is easier to assemble than the system discussed above in the '489 patent as no additional parts are required to allow the connector to join the post and rail beyond the S-shaped arm noted, it is a highly restrictive assembly. That is, the relative position of the rail along the post is determined by the middle length of the S-shaped arm. Further, adjustments of the rail along the post cannot be made practically either during construction and over the lifetime of the fence.
The relative position of the rail is for practical purposes set for the lifetime of the frame.
The prior art is restricted further as post and rail designs vary. As such, builders are required to carefully plan construction of such frames to ensure that there are no wasted sections of post or rail at the end of construction.
The, present invention overcomes the problems noted above. It allows for a simple one piece connector to adjustably join elongate channels or any other external interface profiles found on both the post and rail to create a fence frame. The simplicity of the one piece connector allows the fence frame to be constructed more quickly.
An embodiment of the present invention is also directed to allowing for posts and rails to be interchanged further simplifying the fence frame and reducing the number of parts required for the fence frame and the expense utilized planning and assembling more complicated multipart systems. Effectively, in this embodiment, the post and rail are the same dimension in cross section and, therefore, it does not matter whether a given section of support material is used as a post or a rail. That is, there are effectively only two parts to the fence frame, the coupling and the support sections which are divided into post and rail sections.
The fence frame disclosed herein provides for a system that connects a rail to a post such that a barner material like wood can be secured between an upper and lower rail across the length of the frame thereby fencing a given boundary.
The fence frame disclosed also allows for alternative rail designs to be implemented to while retaining the adjustability of the rail along the length of the post.

Summary of the Invention A preferred embodiment of the present invention disclosed is a fence frame comprising an elongate post, and elongate rail and a coupling. The elongate post defines a post axis where the post includes two opposing elongate side surfaces each of which defines an elongate post interface profile oriented substantially parallel to the post axis and a front surface. The elongate rail defines a rail axis where the rail includes an abutting rail surface defining an elongate rail interface profile oriented towards the front surface such that the rail axis is transverse to the post axis. The coupling is used to attach the post and rail such that the post and rail are mutually adjustable to one another. The coupling includes a end that has a pair of arms for engaging the post interface profile and the another end for positively engaging the rail interface profile.
A further embodiment of the invention disclosed is a fence frame wherein the posts and rails are the same cross-section such that they are interchangeable.
A further embodiment of the invention disclosed is a fence frame wherein the profile found on the rail and post are dove tail channels and the end of the coupling for positively engaging the rail is a protrusion that is dove tail in cross section.
A further embodiment of the invention disclosed is a fence frame where the first end of the coupling comprising arms engages the rail and the other end of the coupling is designed to positively engage the elongate profile on the post running parallel to the post axis. In this embodiment, the arms may be used to engage the elongate profile defined on opposing surfaces of the rail or engage the rail through a opening in the rail at one of the rail ends or engage a wood rail where the wood rail is able to slide between and be secured by the arms of the coupling.
A further embodiment of the invention discloses a kit made up of sections of support material and several couplings. The sections of support material may be divided up into sections of posts and rails. The couplings are then used as described above to join the posts and rails. In this case the posts and rails are the same cross-section and, therefore, interchangeable.

In all embodiments described, the posts and rails are coupled to each other transversely.

-$-Detailed Description of the Drawings Figure 1 shows a side view of a fence utilizing an embodiment of the fence frame.
Figure 2 shows a top cross-sectional view of the fence frame at a rail / post connection point along the line A-A of figure 1.
Figure 3 shows a side view of a fence frame at a rail / post connection point along the line B-B of figure 2.
Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a support.
Figure S shows a cross-sectional view of a coupling.
Figure 6 shows a view of the coupling along the line C-C of figure S.
Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a further embodiment of the fence frame at a post / rail connection point along line D-D of figure 1.
Figure 8 shows a top view of an embodiment of a terminal coupling.
Figure 9 shows a top view of a further embodiment of a coupling.
Figure 10 shows a cross-sectional view of a further embodiment of the fence frame at a post / rail connection point along line D-D of figure 1.

Detailed Description The present invention relates to a fence frame and more particularly to modular interconnecting rails and posts to frame a fence.
Figure 1 shows a fence 10 framed by a series of rails 12 and posts 14. In the embodiment shown, two rails are provided, an upper rail 11 and lower rail 13.
The rails 12 are used to support a barrier material 16 across the length of the fence 10 thus partitioning two areas physically. The posts 14 are secured to a base or into the ground utilizing known techniques.
Refernng to figures 2 through 6, a fence frame is constructed utilizing the embodiment of the invention shown with an elongate rail 12 and an elongate post 14 joined by a coupling 18. In the embodiment shown, the coupling 18 engages the post 14 utilizing a pair of arms ZO extending from the base 22 of the coupling 18. The arms 20 may be slidably adjusted along the length of the post 14 while remaining engaged to the post 14. The arms 20 in the embodiment shown engage an elongate post interface profile 1 S found on opposing surfaces of the post 14. The post interface profiles in the embodiment shown are dove tail channels 24 running the length of the post 14 basically parallel to the post axis where each arm 20 includes a small ridge or hook 28 secured to the proximate lip 30 of each opposing channel 24. While the embodiment shown includes a post 14 with opposing elongate channels to allow the coupling arms 20 to engage the post 14, other elongate interface profiles will allow the arms 20 to engage the outside surface of the post 14. These would include but are not limited to other suitable opposing channels, rims running along opposing surfaces of the post, protrusions on opposing surfaces of the post or any other elongate feature on the post running parallel to the post axis that will allow the arms 20 to engage the post 14. It is also import that the arms be able to slidably adjust along the length of the post.
Referring to figure 3, the rail 12 is joined to the coupling 18 via the side of the base 22 of the coupling 18 opposing the side with the extending arms 20. The base engages the rail 12 through an elongate rail interface profile as shown. The rail interface profile in the embodiment shown is an elongate dove tailed channel 24 where the base 22 _ 'J _ of the coupling 18 is a dove tail in cross section sized to positively engage the channel 24.
Note that the rail 12 is allowed to slidably adjust through the interface between the rail 12 and coupling 18. Thus the coupling 18 between the rail 12 and post 14 allows the rail and post to enjoy mutual adjustability relative to each other.
Note that other suitable rail and coupling profiles may be utilized for engaging the base 22 of the coupling 18 to the rail 12. For example, the rail profile could be another suitable channel or a protrusion running parallel to the rail axis where the base of the coupling would be shaped to slidably and positively engage the profile used on the rail.
Figure 4 shows a support 15 that can be utilized as both a rail 12 and a post 14, where, refernng to figure 3, the base 22 of the coupling 18 engages the same elongate interface profile on the rail 12 as each arm 20 of the coupling 18 engages on the post 14.
That is, lengths of the support 15 can be divided up where some can be utilized as posts 14 and some utilized as rails 12. Rails 12 and posts 14 are, in the result, the same cross-section and, therefore, interchangeable.
Once the rail 12 is in place relative to the post 14 again noting that both the rail 12 and post 14 can be adjusted relative to each other once joined together with the coupling 18, the coupling 18 can then be secured to the post 14 with any suitable fastener including but not limited to set screws 32 as shown in the embodiment in figure 4 or a suitable adhesive.
The rail 12, post 14 and coupling 18 are made from any suitable material including but not limited to aluminum or high density plastic, however, aluminum is preferred.
Additionally, in the embodiment shown in figures 2 through 4, the rail 12 includes a barrier surface 33 with an opening 36 into a substantially hollow interior 34 within the rail 12 to allow for a barrier material 16 to fit through the opening 36 such that it is supported by the rail 12. The barner material 16 may be further supported by two interior elongate walls 38 extending into the interior 34 from the opening 36. An elongate ridge 40 may be run along the inside wall of the rail 12 opposite the opening 36 to support the barrier material 16. The ridge 40 is important where the barner material 16 is wood as it raises the burner material 16 off the base of the interior of the lower rail 13 thus avoiding _g_ contact between the barrier material and any moisture that may accumulate in the lower rail 13.
The barner material 16 may be selected from suitable material for the objective sought in regards to the fence to be built. That is, different material may depend on whether sound reduction, privacy, aesthetic, security or a combination of these or a variety of other reasons provide the objective of building the fence. However, some such suitable material would include but is not limited to wood planks, sheets or boards, composite plastic and corrugated metal.
In practice, the embodiment described above and shown in figures 2 through 6 is put into practice where a series of lengths of rail 12 and post 14 are cut to desired lengths.
This can be done from one or several lengths of support material 15 where there is a desire for the post 14 and rails 12 to be interchangeable. The posts 14 are then set into the ground or base using techniques know in the art. The rails 12 are then fitted with couplings 18 at intervals approximately equal to the spacing of the posts 14.
As the couplings 18 are slidably adjustable along the length of the rails 12, approximate equal spacing to the posts 14 is all that is required as the couplings 18 can be later more precisely adjusted. The bottom rail 13 is coupled to one or a series of posts 14 using the couplings 18 and slidably adjusted to a desired position along the posts 14. The couplings 18 are secured to the posts 14 using a set screw 32 to fix the arms 20 to the posts 14. Barner material 16 is then placed into the opening 36 in the bottom rail 13. The top rail 11 is fitted over the barrier material 16 through the opening 36 in this rail 11 and, at the same time, engaged to the posts 14 utilizing the coupling 18. Once the top rail 11 is in its desired location along the post 14 and supporting the barrier material 16, the couplings 18 engaged to the top rail 11 are secured to the posts 14 with set screws 32 to prevent further movement of the arms 20 along the post 14. If desired, the rails 12 may also be slidably adjusted through the coupling 18 once joined to the post.
Over years of use of a fence vertical movement of the posts can take place causing misalignment of the rails. When this happens, the present invention allows the fasteners securing the arms 20 to the posts 14 to be removed thereby allowing the coupling 18 to slidably adjust along the posts 14 while remaining engaged to the posts 14 realigning the rails 12. Once the arms 20 are in re-positioned the fasteners can be reapplied securing the rails 12 to the posts 14.
While the embodiment discussed above contemplates the arms 20 of the coupling 18 engaging the post 14 while the base of the coupling 18 engages the rails 12, the opposite configuration may also be used. That is, referring to figures 4 through 6, where figure 4 shows a support 15 that may be utilized as a post 14 or a rail 12, the arms 20 of the coupling 18 may be used to engage each opposing elongate rail interface profile while the base of the coupling 18 would positively engage one elongate post interface profile. In figure 4 each opposing elongate rail interface profile and the elongate post interface profile are both dove tailed channels 24 as shown in this embodiment, however, as mentioned in the embodiment discussed above, both the post and rail interface profiles may be other suitable elongate channel designs, protrusions, rims or other elongate features that would allow the coupling 18 to slidably engage the rail 12 and post 14. In any event, once positioned the coupling 18 is secured to the post 14 using a fastener that would prohibit vertical movement of the coupling 18 along the post 14.
Where the coupling base 22 is engaged to the interface profile found on the posts 14 freeing the arms 20 to engage a rail member, alternative methods of utilizing the arms to engage the rail 12 can be practised. While, as discussed above, the coupling arms 20 may be used to engage opposing interface profiles on the rail 12, the arms 20 may also be 20 used to engage the rail 12 in other ways.
One such method considers a coupling that terminates the fence frame.
Referring to figures 7 and 8, the base 46 of the terminal coupling 42 is shaped to engage the elongate interface profile found on the post 14. In the embodiment shown, the interface profile is a dove tail channel 24 and, as such, the base of the terminal coupling 42 is a protrusion to positively engage the dove tail channel 24. However, as discussed above, the interface profile may be a different channel shape or a protrusion where the terminal coupling 42 would positively engage the profile. The coupling 42 may be adjusted parallel to the post axis through the dove tail charmel. Once positioned the coupling 42 is secured to the post 14. Preferably, this is done with a fastener that may be but is not limited to a set screw 47, adhesive or other suitable material, to prevent the coupling 42 from moving downwards through the channel 24 along the post 14. The set screw 47 or other suitable fastener may be placed just below the coupling 42 thereby restricting its movement down the post.
Two terminal arms 48 extend from the base 46 of the coupling 42. The terminal arms 48 are separated by a width that would allow the arms 48 to fit snugly into an opening at the ends of the rail 12. The rail 12 is secured to the arms 48 of the coupling 42 with a fastener that can be a set screw 49 or suitable adhesive. Where the fastener is a screw it is bored through the external portion of the rail 12 to secure the arms 48 of the coupling 42.
The coupling of an additional embodiment is shown in figure 9 and 10. Here, a wood rail coupling 50 is introduced that includes two flat arms 52 extended from the base 54. The coupling 50 joins a post 14 with a wood rail 56 such as a two by four or other rail suitable for framing a fence. The base 54 of the coupling 50 is a suitable shape to positively engage the elongate interface profile of the post 14. In the embodiment shown, the elongate interface profile is a dove tail channel 24 where the base of the wood rail coupling is an appropriate dove tail protrusion for positively engaging the channel, however, as with the other embodiments discussed above, the elongate interface profile may be but is not limited to other channel designs or protrusions where the base 54 would be shaped such that it could engage the post 14.
Once the coupling 50 is in position along the post 14, it is secured to the post 14.
This can be done with any suitable fastener including a suitable adhesive material or a tap screw 58 secured beneath the coupling 50 on the post 14 to prevent the coupling 50 from sliding down the post 14 due to gravity. The end of a wood rail 56 is then slid between the arms 52 of the coupling 50 and secured to the arms 52 when in position thus providing a fence frame or a series of more or less horizontal fence panels. The wood rail can be secured between the arms 52 of the coupling 50 with any suitable fasteners such as an appropriate adhesive material or, as is the case in the embodiment shown, set screws 60.
Numerous modifications, variations and adaptations may be made to the particular embodiments of the invention described above without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the claims.

Claims (19)

1. A fence frame comprising:
a. an elongate post defining a post axis, the post comprising, i. two opposing elongate side surfaces each defining an elongate post interface profile oriented substantially parallel to the post axis, and ii. a front surface;
b. an elongate rail defining a rail axis, the rail comprising an abutting rail surface defining an elongate rail interface profile oriented towards the front surface such that the rail axis is transverse to the post axis;
c. a coupling for attaching the post and the rail such that the post and the rail are mutually adjustable relative to each other, the coupling comprising first and second opposing ends, i. the first end including a pair of substantially parallel arms for engaging the post interface profile, and ii. the second end for positively engaging the rail interface profile.

2. A fence frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rail and the post are substantially the same dimension in cross-section such that the rail and the post can be interchanged.

3. A fence frame as claimed in claims 1 or 2, where each post and rail interface profile defines a channel.

4. A fence frame as claimed in claim 3, wherein each channel is a dove tail channel.

5. A fence frame comprising:
a. an elongate post defining a post axis, the post comprising:

i. two opposing elongate side surfaces each defining an elongate post channel oriented substantially parallel to the post axis, and ii. a front surface;
b. an elongate rail defining a rail axis, the rail comprising a abutting rail surface defining an elongate rail channel oriented facing the front surface such that the rail axis is transverse to the post axis;
c. a coupling for attaching the post and the rail such that the post and the rail are mutually adjustable relative to each other, the coupling comprising first and second opposing ends, i. the first end comprising a pair of substantially parallel arms for engaging each post channel, ii. the second end comprising a protrusion for positively engaging the rail channel.

6. A fence frame as claimed in claim 5, wherein the rail and the post are substantially the same dimensions in cross-section such that the rail and the post can be interchanged.

7. A fence frame as claimed in claims 1 through 6, wherein the post, rail and coupling are all made from aluminum.

8. A fence frame as claimed in claims 1 through 7, wherein the coupling is secured to the post utilizing a fastener.

9. A fence frame as claimed in claims 1 through 8, wherein the rail further comprises a barrier surface defining an elongate opening running substantially parallel to the rail axis for supporting a burner material.

10. A fence comprising a fence frame as claimed in any of claims 1 through 9 and a burner material.

11. A fence as claimed in claim 10 where the burner material is wood.

12. A fence frame comprising:
a. an elongate post defining a post axis, the post comprising an abutting post surface defining an elongate interface profile;
b. an elongate rail defining a rail axis;
c. a coupling for attaching the post and the rail such that the rail axis is transverse to the post axis and the rail is adjustable in the direction of the post axis, the coupling comprising first and second opposing ends, i. the first end for positively engaging the interface profile, ii. the second end including a pair of substantially parallel arms for engaging the rail.

13. A fence frame as claimed in claim 12, wherein the interface profile is a channel.

14. A fence frame as claimed in claim 13, wherein the channel is a dove tail channel.

15. A fence frame as claimed in any one of claims 12 through 14, wherein the rail is a wooden rail.

16. A fence frame as claimed in any one of claims 12 through 14, where the rail includes an end that defines a hollow cavity such that the arms engage the rail through the cavity.

17. A kit for a fence frame comprising:
a. a support defining a support axis, the support comprising two opposing elongate side surfaces each defining an elongate interface profile oriented substantially parallel to the support axis;
b. a coupling comprising first and second opposing ends, i. the first end comprising a pair of substantially parallel arms, and ii. the second end comprising a coupling interface profile, such that the support can be divided into a rail and a post where the arms of the coupling engage each elongate interface profile on the post and the coupling interface profile positively engages one elongate interface profile on the rail thus traversely joining the post and the rail such that the rail and the post have mutually adjustability and creating a fence frame.

18. A kit as claimed in claim 17 where the elongate interface profile is a channel.

19. A kit as claimed in claim 18 where the channel is a dove tail channel.