GB2077318A

GB2077318A - Improvements in fences

Info

Publication number: GB2077318A
Application number: GB8016903A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: SPECIALMACHINEMAKERS Ltd
Current assignee: SPECIALMACHINEMAKERS Ltd
Priority date: 1980-05-22
Filing date: 1980-05-22
Publication date: 1981-12-16

Abstract

A panel (11) is secured to the fencing (10) by engagement elements (16) and (17) and nails (18, 19). The engagement element (16) has a base portion (20), tangs (22 & 23) for aligning the base portion at substantially 45 DEG to the surface (27) abutted by the panel (11), a tang (25) lying along a surface (26) of the fencing post and a tang (24) engaging the material of the panel (11). The engagement element (17) has four tangs lying normal to its base portion. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in fences The invention relates to fences of the type comprising a plurality of spaced apart posts and a panel extending between the or each pair of posts.

Hitherto, panels of this type of fence have commonly been secured to associated posts by nailing through the material of an edge portion of the panel and into the material of the post, the panel and post being in general made of wood.

This method of assembly suffers from the disadvantage that the material of the panel is often split by the nail.

According to the invention there is provided a fence comprising a post a panel and means for securing the panel to the post, the securing means comprising at least a pair of engagement elements secured to the post one on each side of the panel, each engagement element having tang means engaging into but not through the material of the panel. There is preferably a plurality of pairs of engagement elements.

Each engagement element preferably has a base portion, the tang means being angled to the plane of the base portion.

Each engagement may have means for positioning the element such that the base portion of the element lies at an angle, which may be 45" to the associated face of the post. The positioning means may comprise a pair of tangs lying in parallel planes normal to the plane of the base position, both said tangs being in the shape of a right-angled triangle.

The base position is preferably rectangular, said pairs of tangs extending from one of the pairs of parallel edges of the base position.

The tang means of each engagement element preferably further comprise a further pair of tangs extending from the other pair of parallel edges of the base portion. In one of the engagement elements of the or each pair, the further pair of tangs preferably lie in parallel planes normal to the plane of the base portion. In the other of the or each pair of engagement elements, the tangs of the further pair preferably each lie at substantially 450 to the plane of the base portion and substantially normal the one to the other.

Each engagement element is preferably secured to the post by a nail passing through a hole in the base portion.

The fence may further comprise a gravel board and means for locating the gravel board with respect to the post.

The gravel board locating means preferably comprises at least one locating element comprising a fixing portion having means engaged by one or more nails or the like to secure the locating element to the gravel board and a locating portion of channel section engaged by the post. There are preferably two locating elements, one above and one below the gravel board, associated with the post. The locating element may comprise a length of wire bent to provide the fixing portion and the locating portion.

The invention further provides a method of securing a panel to a fencing post comprising the steps of securing a first engagement element to the fencing post at or adjacent one vertical edge thereof, the first engagement elements comprising tang means extending across part of the face of the fencing post to be abutted by the panel, engaging the panel on the tang means such that the tang means engages into but not through the material of the panel, and securing a second engagement element to the post on the other side of the panel from the first engagement element, the second engagement element having tang means which engages into but not through the material of the panel.

Each engagement element preferably has a rectangular base portion which is located by positioning means at an angle, which may be 450 to the plane of the panel.

The first engagement element preferably has a pair of tangs extending from opposite edges of the base portion, the tangs of said pair lying at substantially 450 to the plane of the base portion and substantially normal the one to the other, one of said pair of tangs being positioned to lie against the side of the post normal to the side abutted by the panel and the other tang being positioned to lie parallel to the side of the post abutted by the panel.

The second engagement element preferably has a pair of tangs lying normal to the base portion, one of said tangs engaging the material of the panel and one of said tangs engaging the material of the post.

By way of example, one embodiment of a fence and a method of securing a panel to a fencing post according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a prospective view of a fencing post with a panel attached to it; Figure 2 is a sectional view showing a panel secured to a post; Figure 3 is a further sectional view showing a gravel board located in relation to a fencing post; Figure 4 is a view of a first engagement element; Figure 5 is a view of a second engagement element; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a locating element for a gravel board; and Figure 7 is an underneath perspective view of an alternative locating element for a gravel board.

As shown in Figure 1, a fence comprises a fencing post 10 of wood and a panel 11 also of wood. The fence post is shown having a cap 12 on the post 10 and a panel ridge 13 on top of the panel 11. The cap 12 and ridge 13 are optional but typical elements of a fence.

The post 10 is supported by a post support 14 sunk into the ground and providing a tubular post engaging portion engaged by the post. The post engaging portion may be sunk partially into the ground as shown in Figure 1 or alternatively raised clear of the ground to assist in draining water from the post. Alternatively, the post could be driven straight into the ground.

Beneath the panel 11 is located a gravel board 1 5, also of wood although other materials could be used.

The panel 11 is secured to the post 10 by means of engagement elements 16, 17 and nails 18, 19. The engagement elements 16, 17 are arranged in pairs, one on each side of the panel 11, at two or more different vertical positions on the panel. The higher the fence, the more pairs of engagement elements required.

The engagement elements 1 6 and 1 7 are different. The first engagement element 1 6 is shown in Figure 4 and comprises a square base portion 20 having a hole 21 to allow the nail 18 to pass through it and four tangs 22, 23, 24 and 25 extending from the rectangular base portion 20.

Each of the tangs 22 to 25 is in the shape of a right angled triangle. The pair of tangs 22 and 23 lie in planes normal to the plane of the base portion 20, where as the tangs 24 and 25 lie in planes at 450 to the plane of the base portion 20 and at right angles one to the other. As shown in Figure 2, the tang 25 is arranged to lie along surface 26 of the facing post and tangs 22 and 23 positioned the engagement element such that the tang 24 lies parallel to surface 27 of the fencing post.

The second engagement element 17 of each pair has a square base portion 28 with a hole 29 formed therein for engagement by the nail 19 and fourtangs 30,31 32 and 33 each lying in a plane normal to the post portion 28. As shown in Figure 2 two of the tangs of the second engagement element 1 7 locate the engagement element such that the base portion 28 lies at substantially 450 to the surface 27 of the post, one of the other two tangs engaging in the material of the post 1 0 and the other tang engaging the material of the panel 11.

It will be appreciated that the tangs which engage the material of the panel 11 do not pass through the panel and therefore reduce the likelihood of the material of the panel splitting compared with the hitherto used method of nailing through the panel into the material of the post. Furthermore, the elements 1 6 and 1 7 could have a rectangular base portion.

The panel is secured to the post as follows.

Firstly, the required number of first engagement element 16 are secured to the post 10. The elements 1 6 are located with tangs lying against the surface 26 of the post and nailed in position with nails 1 8. This provides a set of tangs 24 lying parallel to the surface 27 of the post. The panel 11 is then pushed onto the tangs 24 and to complete the assembly, the set of second engagement elements 1 7 is nailed in position by means of the nails 19.

The engagement elements 1 6 and 1 7 are conveniently of steel, although other suitable materials could be used.

Beneath the panel 11 is located a gravel board 1 5. The gravel board 1 5 is located by means of locating elements 34 shown in Figure 6. Each locating element comprises a fixing portion 35 through which shafts of nails 36 may pass, and a locating portion 37 of substantially channel section. The particular embodiment shown in Figure 6 is a piece of steel wire bent to provide to portions 35 and 37.

One locating element 34 is nailed to the top and one to the bottom of the gravel board 1 5 at each end thereof and the locating portions 37 are fitted around the post 10 to locate the gravel board 1 5 in position.

It will be appreciated that the fence comprises a set of spaced apart posts 10 with panels 11 and gravel boards 1 5 extending between the posts.

As shown in Figure 3, one locating element 34 is larger than the other; this is to allow for fitting of the lower locating element 34 around the post engaging portion 14 of the post support.

In the case where the post support is one of the type described in our published application Serial No. 2030613, and the post engaging portion is arranged to be spaced above the ground, a modified lower locating element 40 for the gravel board is used (Figure 7). The modified locations element 40 is of wire bent to provide a fixing portion 41 secured to the base of the gravel board 1 5 by nails 42 and a locating portion 43 arranged to be engaged by a flange 44 of the ground engaging portion of the post support.

This embodiment of the invention offers significant advantages over fencing systems hitherto available. The fact that the tangs of the engagement element do not pass completely through the material of the panels means that the likelihood of the material of the panels splitting is lessened. Furthermore, a fence can be erected where access is limited to one side of the fence only; the first engagement elements can be positioned on the post first of all, the panel located on the tangs of the first engagement elements and the second engagement elements nailed in position all from one side of the fence. This possibility has in the past only been achieved by fixing channel members directly to the posts and sliding the panels vertically in position, which method necessarily entails lifting the panel to above the height of the highest channel member.

Claims

1. A fence comprising a post, a panel and means for securing the panel to the post, the securing means comprising at least a pair of engagement elements secured to the post one on each side of the panel, each engagement element having tang means engaging into but not through the material of the panel.

2. A fence as claimed in Claim 1 comprising a plurality of pairs of engagement elements.

3. A fence as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein each engagement element has a base portion, the tang means being angled to the plane of the base portion.

4. A fence as claimed in Claim 3 wherein each engagement element has means for positioning the element such that the base portion of the element lies at an angle to the associated face of the post.

5. A fence as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the angle is 450.

6. A fence as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the positioning means comprise a pair of tangs lying in parallel planes normal to the plane of the base portion, both said tang being in the shape of a right angled triangle.

7. A fence as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the base portion is rectangular, said pair of tangs extending from one of the pairs of parallel edges of the base portion.

8. A fence as claimed in Claim 7 wherein the tang means of each engagement element further comprise a further pair of tangs extending from the other pair of parallel edges of the base portion.

9. A fence as claimed in Claim 8 wherein in one of the engagement element of the or each pair, the further pair of tangs lie in parallel planes normal to the plane of the base portion.

10. A fence as claimed in Claim 8 wherein in the other of the or each pair of engagement elements, the tangs of the further pair each lie at substantially 450 to the plane of the base portion and substantially normal the one to the other.

11. A fence as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each engagement element is secured to the post by a nail passing through a hole in the base portion.

12. A fence as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising a gravel board and means for locating the gravel board with respect to the post.

13. A fence as claimed in Claim 12 wherein the gravel board locating means comprises at least one locating element comprising a fixing portion having means engaged by one or more nails or the like to secure the locating element to the gravel board and a locating portion of channel section engaged by the post.

14. A fence as claimed in Claim 13 wherein the or each locating element comprises a length of wire bent to provide the fixing portion and locating portion.

1 5. A fence as claimed in any one of 12 to 14 wherein there are two locating elements, one above and one below the gravel board associated with the post.

1 6. A method of securing a panel to a fencing post comprising a steps of securing a further engagement element to the fencing post at or adjacent one vertical edge thereof, the first engagement element comprising tang means extending across part of the fence of the fencing post to be abutted by the panel, engaging the panel on the tang means such that the tang means engages into but not through the material of the panel, and securing a second engagement element to the post on the other side of the panel from the first engagement element, the second engagement element having tang means which engages into but not through the material of the panel,

17. A method as claimed in Claim 1 5 wherein each engagement element has a rectangular base portion which is located by positioning means at an angle to the plane of the panel.

1 8. A method as claimed in Claim 17 wherein the angle is 450.

1 9. A method as claimed in Claim 1 6 wherein the first engaging element has a pair of tangs extending from opposite edges of the base portion, the tangs of said pair lying at substantially 450 to the plane of the base portion and substantially normal the one to the other, one of said pair of tangs being positioned to lie against the side of the post normal to the side abutted by the panel and the other tang being positioned to lie parallel to side of the post abutted by the panel.

20. A method as claimed in Claim 17 or Claim 17 wherein the second engagement element has a pair of tangs lying normal to the base portion, one of said tangs engaged in the material of the panel and one of said tangs engaging the material of the post.

21. A fence substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and shown in Figure 1 to 6 or modified as shown in Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.

22. A method of securing a panel to a fencing post substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 6, or as modified as shown in Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.

23. A fence erected by a method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 6 to 20 or Claims 22.