EP3848539A1

EP3848539A1 - Fence post for a fence and fence equipped therewith

Info

Publication number: EP3848539A1
Application number: EP21150667.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Björn Marc E. Van Houtven
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2020-01-09
Filing date: 2021-01-08
Publication date: 2021-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 2041-01-08
Also published as: EP3848539B1; BE1027974B1; BE1027974A1

Abstract

Fence post for a fence constructed from fence posts with panels in between, whereby the fence post is executed with two opposite grooves on either side of the fence post in which a panel with a side edge can be enclosed, characterised in that the fence post is made of one single metal sheet or band which is folded into an H-profile with a tubular square central part and two parallel legs on either side to form said groove.

Description

The present invention relates to a fence post for a fence.
In particular, the invention relates to a fence post with an H-profile with grooves on either side of the fence post which are delimited by the legs of the H-profile.
Such fence posts in reinforced concrete are already known, but they are heavy and cumbersome, not rot-resistant and not very aesthetic, etc.
Aluminium drawn variants also exist but they are not so narrow due to the forces, for example wind load, exercised on them and they are not strong enough either to be mechanically pile driven into the ground and moreover they are limited in length.
Fence posts made from metal are also already known and they leave a more slender and elegant impression.
Such metal fence posts are for example made based on a tubular tube or profile against which a U-shaped profile is welded or screwed on either side to form said grooves.
Every application with a steel panel, garden screen, wooden or synthetic planks, aluminium plates or glass, always requires a different variant with other U-profiles or another tube in various dimensions as well as the associated mounting screws, attachments and tools.
Each of the existing posts can only be used for one single application, each having different accessories and tools, with always a different look for both sides of the fence.
Such metal fence posts have a more slender and modern look but the production is relatively labour-intensive.
Moreover, there is always a risk of paint damage and rust formation due to the welding together of the flat parts, such that pre-treatment and paint cannot get everywhere and warranty problems arise with regard to the treatment of the relevant posts. The U-profiles are only spot welded in a few places, such that every size of the post must be produced separately and cannot be shortened without the profiles coming loose.
Moreover, the wall thickness of the tubular profile and of the U-profiles must be sufficient to be able to absorb the forces which may occur during the use as well as the forces that occur when drive piling the fence posts into the ground.
This means that the location where the U-shaped profiles are welded on the tubular profile of said metal fence posts is relatively thick due to the joint wall thickness of both profiles welded against each other, resulting in such fence posts being quite heavy and requiring a relatively large amount of material.
Fence posts made from a tubular tube with hollow flanges which can buckle relatively easy in case of a lateral or vertical impact are known from EP0.935.038 .
A fence post folded from a sheet is known from FR 2.908.440 , whereby the contiguous edges are attached to each other by a force fit.
Outside the aforementioned drawbacks of the classic posts with welded U-profiles, the production of the fence posts is complex and expensive in both cases, particularly in the case of FR2.908.440 in view of the complex irregular form of the fence post and because of the force fit and in the case of EP0.935.038 for making the holes necessary for attaching de mesh panels by means of clips.
The required clips also have a complex form and are not easy to mount without an appropriate tool.
In both cases the fence posts are also unsuitable to be pile driven because of the hollow flanges and by the weaknesses as a result of the holes for the clips and as a result of the force fit.
Additionally, the length of the legs of the fence posts is very short in proportion to the width of the grooves, such that clips are necessary to avoid panels coming loose out of the grooves.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a solution to one or more of the aforementioned and other disadvantages.
To this end, the invention relates to a fence post for a fence constructed from fence posts with panels in between, whereby the fence post is executed with two opposite grooves on either side of the fence post which can accommodate a panel with a side edge, characterised in that the fence post is made from one single metal sheet or band which is folded into an H-profile with a tubular square central part and two parallel legs on either side to form said groove, said legs being formed by a part of the sheet which is folded double onto itself, such that the legs have a thickness which is essentially equal to the double thickness of the sheet or band from which the fence post is folded and preferably the fence post is sufficiently strong to be pile driven into the ground.
Because the fence post is folded from one sheet or band, it can be made much lighter and at the same time stronger than the known metal fence posts.
Despite the limited wall thickness and very narrow form, said fence post is much stronger than the existing posts because the sides folded or rolled opposite each other support each other at 90° and 180° angles and stabilise each other. Because the fence post is made from one piece it becomes a tubular profile and a tension is created between all sides, such that they maintain each other's shape and are less pliable, which improves the strength of the post.
This means the post can be pile driven, in spite of a limited thickness of the sheet material.
Additionally, folding can be done fully automatically on the conveyor belt, for example by rollers on a production line starting from a metal band from which the desired lengths can be cut after folding.
This implies that such fence posts can be made cheaper because less material and manual labour are required for welding. Less weight and surface also means less pre-treatment, less paintwork and less transport.
Because the legs of the grooves are formed by a part of the sheet which is folded double onto itself, such that the legs have a thickness which is essentially equal to the double thickness of the sheet or band from which the fence post is folded, the legs are very strong and at the same time very slender, and thus more aesthetic.
By folding from one sheet, the tubular square central part can be realised with a wall formed from one single thickness of the sheet or band from which the fence post is folded.
Consequently, less material is needed for the tubular square central part, on the level of the grooves, than in the case of the known welded fence posts where the U-shaped profiles are welded against the tubular profile. Preferably, the side edges of the folded H-profile are welded to each other, such that an even stronger fence post is obtained with a closed contour, such that no dirt and water can infiltrate along said contour and there is less risk of rust formation or paint damage, thus greatly increasing the durability of the fence post.
Preferably, the side edges welded to each other are located on the level of a transverse wall of the H-profile which at the same time forms a bottom of a groove of the fence post, thus in a location where a weld can easily be realised by means of a welding robot or the like and which furthermore is not or less visible once the edges of the panels are mounted in the grooves.
Preferably, the profile is made from steel, for example stainless steel, sendzimir galvanised steel or Corten steel with a thickness of maximum 1.5mm, for example with a thickness of 1.25mm or even 1.00mm. In this way, a great deal of material can be saved compared to known welded fence posts without detracting from the required strength in connection with mechanical drive piling and wind load.
The fence post made thus can still be further finished by galvanising, painting or the like without warranty or production problems because the fence post is made from one piece. The version in Corten steel does not even need any treating at all and thus offers even more advantages in terms of environment and transport.
The invention also relates to a fence constructed from vertical fence posts according to the invention with panels in between which are enclosed with their edges in the grooves of the posts.
With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, a preferred embodiment of a fence post for a fence and of a fence according to the invention is described hereinafter, by way of an example without any limiting nature, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

figure 1 schematically shows a fence according to the invention;
figure 2 shows a cross-section according to line II-II in figure 1;
figure 3 shows the folding lines along which a metal sheet is folded to make a fence post with a cross-section according to figure 2;
figure 4 shows a perspective view according to arrow F4 in figure 1 of an upper section of the fence with partial omission;
figure 5 shows a cross-section according to line V-V in figure 4;
figure 6 shows a view according to arrow F6 in figure 5;
figure 7 shows a view of the die cut from which the part indicated by F7 in figure 6 is made;
figure 8 shows a component of a fence according to the invention;
figures 9 and 10 show alternative embodiments of a fence according to the invention;
figure 11 shows a cross-section according to line XI-XI in figure 4, but with a fence post provided with a cap.

The fence 1 shown in figure 1 is constructed from vertical fence posts 2 which are driven in the ground 3 for example and between which panels 4 are attached.
In the example shown the panels 4 are mesh panels which are composed of wires 5 or rods attached to each other, respectively straight rigid wires 5a which at different heights are always enclosed between two horizontal rigid straight wires 5 at a vertical distance A from each other.
In the technical jargon such panels 4 are called 2D panels which exist in different sizes and which are typified by the diameters of the wires 5. For example, 2D panels 8/6/8 exist, referring to two horizontal wires 5b of 8 mm, with a vertical wire 5a of 6mm in between. Analogously, 2D panels 6/5/6 also exist.
As shown in the cross-section of figure 2, the fence posts 2 are made in the form of an H-profile 6 with two opposite grooves 7 on either side of the fence post 2 where a panel 4 with a wire 5a fits and is attached in the side edge 8 of the panel 4, for example by means of a clip 9 as shown in figure 4.
According to the invention, the fence posts 2 are made of one single metal sheet or band 10 of which a strip with limited length A is shown in figure 3 and which breadthways B is folded between two side edges 11 along folding lines 12, respectively folding lines 12a and 12b, which extend parallel to the side edges 11 to form the H-profile 6 as shown in figure 2 with a tubular square central part 13 and straight legs 14 which delimit the grooves 7 and lie in each other's extension in pairs.
More specifically, the folding lines 12 delimit a number of vertical bands which correspond with folding sections of the H-profile 6, respectively bands and folding sections 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 with corresponding widths B15, B16, B17, B18 and B19.
On the level of the folding lines 12a, the sheet or band 10 is folded over in a straight angle to form the corners of the tubular square central part 13, whereas on the level of the folding lines 12b the sheet or band 10 is folded over double over 180° until the plate parts touch on either side of the folding line 12b to form the legs 14 with the folding lines 12b on the level of the free ends of the legs 14.
The sheet or band 10 is folded such that the side edges 11 touch or practically touch, such that said side edges 11 of the bands 15 can be connected with each other by a welded joint 20.
The bands 17 form flat parallel flanks 21 of the H-profile 6, whereas the welded together bands 15 and the band 19 form the transversal walls 22 between the flanks 17.
By folding a sheet or band 10 with thickness C of for example 1.25 mm in this way, a firm and slender tubular square central part 13 is obtained with a single thickness C of 1.25 mm and legs 14 with a double thickness D of approximately 2.50 mm.
The panels 4 are attached in the grooves 7 with their side edges 8.
Preferably, the dimensions of the fence post are chosen such that the length of the legs is approximately one third of the length B17 of the flanks 21 and approximately equal to the width B19 of the grooves.
The length of the legs is preferably around 33 mm. Because of said relatively long length, the fence post is suitable for all thicknesses of panels without clips being necessary which is the case for the fence posts described in EP0.935.038 and in FR 2.908.440 and thus without requiring holes or profilings for attaching the clips.
The legs can thus be completely straight and even without holes or protrusions.
To prevent unintentional removal of the panels along the top, the panels can optionally be held in the grooves as shown in figure 4, by means of clips 9, as shown in the figures 4 to 6.
The clips 9 are formed from die cut platelets 23 for example as shown in figure 7 with a narrowed lip-shaped part 24 which is folded over along a folding zone 25 to form a U-shaped hook-shaped folded over part 25 with which the clip 9 can be fittingly hooked over a transverse wall 22 of the fence post 2 as shown in the figures 4 to 6 and if necessary can be attached to it by means of a screw, rivet or the like.
Furthermore, at a distance from the folding zone 25, the platelet 23 is folded over at right angles along a folding line 27 to form a rectangular support platelet 28 extending toward the groove 7 with a width E which fits between the legs 14 of the H-profile (6) with a minimum clearance S relative to the width F of the groove 7.
About three grooves 29 are provided in the support platelet 28 which extend essentially perpendicular to the direction of the folding line 27 at a distance from each other, respectively two outer grooves 29a and 29b and a central groove 29c.
The outer grooves 29a and 29b leave from a transverse groove 30 which is essentially parallel to the folding line 27 and which at one end is connected with a die cut entry 31 in a corner of the support platelet 28 for a vertical wire 5a on the side edge 8 of a panel 4, said entry 31 tapering off conically into the transverse groove 30.
The outer grooves 29a and 29b slightly taper from the transverse groove 30 in the direction of the folding line 27 toward each other.
The central groove 29c extends perpendicularly to and on both sides of the transverse groove 30.
The grooves 29 and 30 have a width of approximately 6mm, such that they can contain all most common wire diameters of vertical wires 5a.
Figure 4 shows that a 2D panel 4 is attached in a clip by hooking the panel with a vertical wire 5b via the entry 31 in the central groove 29c, as shown in figure 4, and lowering the panel 4 until two horizontal wires 5b rest on the support platelet 28.
However, the clip 9 is designed such that hooking is not possible with an installed clip 9 without first lifting the panel with the upper wires 5b above the top of the fence post 2 and slightly tilting it.
For this purpose, the support platelet 28 is executed such that in a mounted condition of the support platelet 28, the smallest width G of the entry 31 measured relative to a side edge of the support platelet 28 and increased with the clearance S is smaller than the sum of the diameters of a wire 5a and a wire 5b, such that a panel 4 which rests with its upper wires 5b on the support platelet 28 cannot go through said narrowest width of the entry 13, neither for inserting a vertical wire 5a, nor for retracting it from a groove 29 of the support platelet 28.
In this way it is prevented that once the panel 4 is positioned between two fence posts 2, the panel is removed without breaking and the fence 1 is protected against theft as it were.
The panel 4 is held in place between the fence posts by the spacers 32, as shown in figure 8, in the form of blocks which fit in the grooves 7 of the fence posts 2 and which are provided with a groove 33 in which an outer vertical wire 5a fits.
For extra security, a cap 34 can be clamped at the top of the fence post 2 as shown in figure 11, which for example is provided with a clamping part that is clamped in the tubular square central part 13 of the fence post 2.
Assuming that the clips 9 are secured, a mounted panel 4, even in the absence of a cap 34, can only be lifted up over a limited height corresponding with the distance A between the wires 5b in the clips 9, which prevents the panel 4 from being sufficiently tilted to remove the panel from the clip.
According to a practical embodiment of a support platelet 28 which is suitable for mounting all commonly used types of panels 4, both 2D panels and 3D panels, the support platelet 28 is executed with a width G of the narrowest opening of the entry 31 of approximately 9mm.
It is noted that for mounting the panels 4 not a single tool is needed apart from possibly a tool to screw the clips 9 on the fence posts 2 or the like.
The figures 9 and 10 show the mounting of a 3D panel 4 whereby the vertical wires 5a are not straight as with the 2D panels, but contain triangular curved parts which protrude from the plane of the panel, either forward as shown in figure 9 or backward as shown in figure 10.
In the case of such 3D panels 4, the groove 29a or the groove 29b is used for attaching a vertical wire 5a and this depending on the situation of figure 9 or figure 10.
It is understood that the fence posts, instead of mesh panels 4, can also be used for solid plates or beams which are slid in the grooves 7 with their ends.
In the same way the clips 9 can also be applied on other fence posts than described here, for example clips without a hook-shaped section but with a lip instead with which the clip is attached in a groove 7 of a fence post.
It is understood that the attachment of the panels in the grooves of the fence post does not require any clips or at most one clip at the top.
The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiments described as an example and shown in the figures, but a fence post for a fence and a fence according to the invention can be realised in all kinds of forms and dimensions without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Fence post for a fence constructed from fence posts with panels in between, whereby the fence post (2) is executed with two opposite grooves (7) on either side of the fence post in which a panel (4) with a side edge (8) can be enclosed, characterised in that the fence post (2) is made of one single metal sheet or band (10) which is folded into an H-profile with a tubular square central part (13) and two parallel legs (14) on either side to form said groove (7), said legs (14) being formed by a part of the sheet or band (10) which is folded double onto itself, such that the legs (14) have a thickness (D) which is essentially equal to the double thickness (C) of the sheet or band (10) from which the fence post (2) is folded.
Fence post according to claim 1, characterised in that the legs (14) of the grooves (7) are straight and without holes or protrusions.
Fence post according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the legs (14) of the grooves (7) are formed by a fold on the level of the free ends of the legs (14) and that the walls of the tubular square central part (13) are formed from one single thickness (C) of the sheet or band (10) from which the fence post (2) is folded.
Fence post according to claim 3, characterised in that the H-profile (6) possesses two parallel flat flanks (21) which are each delimited by two legs (14) located in each other's extension and a wall of the tubular profile connecting said two legs (4) with each other.
Fence post according to claim 4, characterised in that the flanks (21) are connected with each other by transverse walls (22) which on the level of the connection with the flanks (21) are formed by a perpendicular fold of the sheet or band (10) from which the H-profile (6) is folded.
Fence post according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that the sheet or band is folded (10) such that the longitudinal edges of the sheet which run parallel with the folding lines touch or practically touch, whereby such longitudinal edges are connected to each other by welding seam (20) in order to obtain a circumferentially closed H-profile (6) and in that the welded together longitudinal edges are located on the level of said transverse wall (22) of the H-profile (6).
Fence post according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that the H-profile (6) is made from steel such as stainless steel or Corten steel.
Fence post according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that the H-profile (6) is made from steel with a thickness (C) of maximum 1,50 mm, more preferably a thickness of maximum 1,25 mm.
Fence post according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that, viewed in cross-section, the length of the legs (14) is approximately a third of the length of the flanks (21) and approximately equal to the width (F) of the grooves (7).
Fence post according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that, viewed in cross-section, the length of the legs (14) equals approximately 33 mm.
Fence post according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that the H-profile (6) is finished by galvanising, painting or the like.
Fence post according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that the fence post (2) is sufficiently strong to be pile driven into the ground.
Fence, characterised in that it is constructed from vertical fence posts (2) according to any one of the previous claims with panels (4) in between which with their side edges (8) are enclosed in the grooves (7) of the fence posts (2).
Fence according to claim 13, characterised in that the panels (4) are each attached with one clamp (9) at most to a fence post (2).
Fence according to claim 13 or 14, characterised in that the fence posts (2) are pile driven into the ground (3).