GB2237589A

GB2237589A - Fence post

Info

Publication number: GB2237589A
Application number: GB8924899A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stanley Ovington
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-11-03
Filing date: 1989-11-03
Publication date: 1991-05-08
Anticipated expiration: 2009-11-03
Also published as: GB2237589B; GB8924899D0

Abstract

A fence post wholly made of flat steel bar, comprises two parallel side plates (12, 14) and joining pieces (20) welded to the side plates, and located in zig-zag arrangement. The plates may be joined at the top by an arch (16, fig 1 not shown), or have angled extensions 32, 34 to support barbed wire. <IMAGE>

Description

Title Improvements in Fence Posts Field of the invention This invention relates to a fence post.

Background to the invention Various typcs of pcst for 3U pport in ences are knewn, and these are generally subject to various disadvantages.

Timber posts, for example, are subject to rotting, especially below ground level. Concrete posts are heavy, expensive to transport and are obtrusive and often aesthetically unacceptable. Pre-rolled steel posts, which may be of box or circular crvus-section, are aiso costly and obtrusive, especially if manufactured with a large cross-section to provide sufficient rigidity in a post of substantial height. Other metal posts, for example posts fabricated of stcel rod, are not secure, as they can quickly and easily be cut through with bolt croppers or like tools.

It is an object of the invention to provide a fence post which at least to some extent avoids the disadvantages of known posts.

The invention According to the invention, there is provided a fnce post wholly made of flat steel bar, comprising two elongate side plates disposed in approximately parallel spaced apart planes, said side plates being rigidly interconnected by a zig-zag arrangement of joining pieces located in the space between the side plates and joined to the inside faces of said side plates at lines perpendicular to the length of the side plates.

The side plates preferably deviate from parallelism such that the post is slightly tapered in one dimension, so as to be slightly slimmer at the top.

Said side plates may be formed of a single length of steel bar which includes an arched portion extending between the top ends of said two side plates. At the bottom of the post, the side plates may have portions turned inwardly te provide the post with a flat base wall, thereby to avoid risk of the post sinking further into the ground than required when it is being installed.

The steel bar of which the post is made is preferably galvanized after production of the post. Convenient flat steel bar for the side plates may be 45 mm wide by 3 mm gauge, whilst the joining pieces may be made from 2G mm wide by 3 mm gauge flat steel bar. Preferably, therefore, the side plates are wider than the joining pieces, and the zig-zag arrangement of the joining pieces occupies the space between a central portion of the width of the side plates.

The joining pieces preferably comprise one or more lengths of flat steel bar each bent into a zig-zag formation, whereby the joining pieces can be joined to the side plates by spot weldin.. Alternatively, each joining piece may consist of a single joining element, but in this case seam welding is preferred to join such elements to the side plates.

The post may have an angled integral extension at the top, and if'desired a bolted-on extension of similar manufacture angled in the opposite sense to form a Yshape. In use, barbed wire may be fixed along the top or underside or both top and underside of said extensions.

At selected points in the height of the post, the side plates are provided with apertures to enable clamp plates to be fixed in position, as by means of bolts, for securing a chosen type of fencir.g in position, such as welded chain-link fencing, expanded metal fencing c,r solid fencing of timber, steel or plastics materials, for example in the form of rails. Certain types of fning are conventionally tensioned in position on site, by means of tensioning devices used at the end posts of a stretch of fencing to be tensioned. Stays of similar construction to the posts may be bolted or otherwise fixed to the posts where tensioning is to be effected, in order to brace these posts against tensioning forces.Angled cleats secured to the posts enable the stays or additional stays to be appropriately angled in direction relative to the posts, for example at corners where the fencing changes direction. The stays or angled cleats for stays may be fixed to the post utilising the same aforesaid apertures at selected heights in the post at which the clamp bars for the fencing are fixed. If desired, however, additional apertures may be formed in the side plates for the purpose.

The fore-desc ri bed fence post his the advantages of relative ease and cheapness of manufacture, relative lightness, inexpensive transport and acceptable appearance, in addition to being strong and durable and being incapable of ready cutting by bolt croppers or the like.

Description of embodiment A fence post in accordance with the invention is exemplified in the following description, making reference to the accompanyinr drawings, in which:- Figure 1 shows an embodiment of fence post in perspective, somewhat diagrammatically; and Figure 2 shows a modification in similar manner.

Referring to Figure 1, a fence post 10 is wholly made of flat steel bar, galvanized after manufacture. A single length of steel bar, say 45 mm wide by 3 mm gauge, is formed into a very elongate U-shape comprising two side plates 12, 14 joined by an arched section 16 at the top.

The bottom ends of the side plates are turned inwardly to form a flat base wall 18. The same plates deviate slightly from a parallel relationship, se that in one dimension the post is slimmer at the top than the bottom.

The two side plates are interconnected by a zig-zag arrangement of joining pieces 20 formed by folding a length of flat steel bar 20 mm wide by 3 mm gauge. The folds of the zig-zag arrangement are spot welded to the inside faces of the side plates at lines 22 normal to the length of the sie plates. The narrower joining bar 1 thereby fixed centrally in the space between the .de plates.

The drawing also shows the post installed in the ground, in a hole back-filled with concrete or earth 24.

Reference 26 indicates ground level. At selected points in the height of the post, including a point adjacent the top and a point just above ground level, the side plates are provided with apertures 28 enabling clamp plates 30 to be bolted in position, thereby to secure a chosen type of fencing (not shown) to the installed post. The same apertures 28 can be used for the fixing of stays acting to brace the post, when such bracing is necessary, for example to enable fencing to be tensioned. Angled cleats fixed in position to the post can be used to enable the stay to be appropriately angled relative to the fl03t, at a corner of the fencing.

Figure 2 shows a modification in respect of which the same references as in Figure 1 are employed for similar parts.

In the modification of Figure 2, the post is provided with an integral angled extension 32 and a bolted-on extension 34, of similar construction to the main post, thereby forming a composite Y-shaped post which enables barbed wire (not shown) to be installed at the angled extensions, above any type of fencing selected for fixing to the upright part of the post below the extensions.

Various modifications of the above-described and illustrated embodiment are possible within the scope of the invention hereinbefore defined.

Claims

1. A fence post wholly made of flat steel bar, comprising two elongate side plates disposed in approximately parallel spaced apart planes, said side plates being rigidly interconnected by a zig-zag arrangement of joining pieces located in the space between the side plates and joined to the inside faces of said side plates at lines perpendicular to the length of the side plates.

2. A -fence post according to claim 1, wherein the side plates deviate from parallelism such that the post is slightly tapered in one dimension, thereby to be slightly slimmer at the top.

3. A fence post according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said side plates are formed of a single length of steel bar which includes an arched portion extending between the top ends of said two side plates.

4. A fence post according to claim 3, wherein, at the bottom of the post, the side plates have portions turned inwardly to provide the post with a flat base wall.

5. A fence post according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the steel bar of which the post is made is galvanized after production of the post.

6. A fence post according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the side plates are wider than the joining pieces, and the zig-zag arrangement of the joining pieces occupies the space between a centrel portion of the width of the side plates.

7. A fence post according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the joining pieces comprise one or more lengths of flat steel bar each bent into a zig-zag formation, whereby the joining pieces can be joined to the side plates by spot welding.

8. A fence post according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein each joining piece consists of a single joining element, and seam welding is employed to join such elements to the side plates.

9. A fence post according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the post has an angled integral extension at the top, and a bolted-on extension of similar manufacture angled in the OppOsite sense to form a Y-shape.

10. A fence post according to claim 9, wherein, in use, barbed wire is fixed along the top or underside or both top and underside of said extensions.

11. A fence post according to any of claims 1 to 10, wherein, at selected points in the height of the post, the side plates are provided with apertures to enable clamp plates to be fixed in position for securing fencing in position.

12. A fence post according to claim ll, wherein stays of similar construction to the posts are fixed to the posts where tensioning of fencing is to be effected, in order to brace these posts against tensioning forces.

13. A-fence post according to claim 12, wherein angled cleats secured to the posts enable the stays or additional stays to be apppropriately angled in direction relative to the posts, for example at corners where the fencing changes direction.

14. A fence post according to claim 13, wherein the stays or angled cleats for stays are fixed to the post, utilising the samme aforesaid apertures at selected heights in the post at which the clamp bars for the fencing are fixed.

15. A fence post substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.