GB2262112A - Fence construction - Google Patents

Abstract

A fence comprises a pair of posts (10, 11) each post having a receiving formation (10a, 11a) which in use receives a respective side edge (13, 14) of a fencing panel (12), and retaining means (25) intermediate the posts (10, 11) which engages a lower portion (16) of the fencing panel (12) to retain the lower portion (16) of the fencing panel (12) against bowing so that the side edges (13, 14) of the panel (12) are not able to become dislodged from their respective receiving formations (10b, 11a) of the posts (10, 11). <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Fence Construction Description of Invention This invention relates to a fence construction and more particularly to a fence construction comprising a pair of posts which each have a receiving formation which in use, receives a respective edge of a fencing panel.

Such constructions are known in which the posts are made of cast concrete and the fencing panel of timber. It has been found that in use, the timber fencing panel can warp or bow out of the original plane of the fencing panel and/or in high winds, the timber fencing panel can be bowed by the wind out of the original plane of the fencing panel, in each case possibly resulting in the edges of the panel becoming dislodged from the respective receiving formations of the posts.

According to one aspect of the invention I provide a fence construction comprising a pair of posts, each post having a receiving formation which in use receives a respective edge of a fencing panel, and retaining means intermediate the posts which engages a lower portion of the fencing panel.

Thus the retaining means may retain the lower portion of the fencing panel against bowing so that the edges of the panel are not able to become dislodged from the respective receiving formations of the posts.

According to a second aspect of the invention we provide a retaining means for a fence construction according to the first aspect of the invention.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is an illustrative perspective view of a fencing construction in accordance with the invention, and, FIGURE 2 is an enlarged end view of a retaining means of the fence construction of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a fence construction comprising a pair of fence posts 10,11, each of which is made of cast concrete in this example, and each of which presents a pair of mutually oppositely opening channel formations 10a,10k; 11a,11b.

The lower ends of the fence posts 10,11, are embedded in the ground in use as shown, with the channels lOb and lia facing one another.

The channels 10b and 11a comprise receiving formations to receive by downward sliding, respective side edges 13,14, of a fencing panel 12. The fencing panel 12 in this example is made of timber and comprises a peripheral frame 15 including the side edges 13,14, a lower edge portion 16, and a top capping 17, with a plurality of timber strips 18 overlapping one another and extending between the side edges 13,14, and being battened together by uprights 19,20, which are positioned intermediate the side edges 13,14.

The channels 1011b may each receive a side edge of a respective further fencing panel of the fence construction, but these are omitted for clarity.

Beneath the fencing panel 12 there is a footboard 20, opposite side edges 21,22, of which are also received by the receiving formations 1011a of the posts 10,11, (by downward sliding engagement prior to the fencing panel 12 being received by the posts 101,11), the footboard 20 in this example being made of cast concrete like the posts 10,11.

To prevent the timber fencing panel 12 bowing out of the plane shown in the drawings, due to warpage of the timber and/or in high winds, which could result in the side edges 13,14, becoming dislodged laterally from their respective receiving formations 10d , a retaining means 25 is provided which engages the lower edge portion 16 of the fencing panel 12 and retains the lower edge portion 16 relative to the footboard 20. The fencing panel 12 is sufficiently rigid otherwise to ensure that bowing of the fencing panel 12 is sufficiently prevented by the retaining means 25 for there to be virtually no possibility of the side edges 13 and 14 becoming dislodged laterally from their respective receiving formations lOb 11a.

The retaining means 25 in this example comprises an upwardly opening channel 26 which is of a width sufficient to receive the lower edge portion 16 of the fencing panel 12, and a downwardly opening channel 27 of a width sufficient to be receivable over upper edge 28 of the footboard 20. The channel 26 is provided by a pair of upright elements 29, one or both of which may have an opening 30 to receive a fastener such as a screw or nail whereby the retaining means 25 may be secured to the fencing panel 12.

The channel 27 is provided by a further pair of, depending, upright elements 31, the upright elements 29,31, each being connected to a common base 32 which in use is largely sandwiched between the fencing panel 12 and the footboard 20.

Preferably, the retaining means 25 is made as a single component, for example as a diecasting in aluminium, although the component could be moulded in a sufficiently rigid plastic material and/or fabricated as desired.

Although the posts 10 and 11 are commonly made of concrete, these posts may be made of other materials if desired.

Instead of the fencing panel 12 being of the overlapping type, with the strips 18 of timber overlapping one another, the fencing panel 12 may be of the type comprising strips of timber which are intertwined with uprights of the fencing panel positioned between the pair of posts 10,11, or any other type of fencing panel.

The footboard 20, (also known as a gravel board when made in concrete), may be made of another material if desired.

The invention may be applied to an arrangement which does not have such footboard 20, in which case the retaining means 25 may comprise means to receive the lower edge portion 16 of the fencing panel 12, and some means such as a stake receivable in the ground, to retain the lower edge portion 16 of the fencing panel 12 against bowing.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description the following claims or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (12)

1. A fence construction comprising a pair of posts, each post having a receiving formation which, in use, receives a respective side edge of a fencing panel, and retaining means intermediate the posts which engages a lower portion of the fencing panel.

2. A fence construction according to claim 1 wherein each of the posts comprises a channel which faces the channel of the other post, the channels providing the receiving formations each to receive a respective side edge of the fencing panel.

3. A fence construction according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the posts are each cast in concrete and in use, a lower end of each of the posts is received in the ground.

4. A fence construction according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the fencing panel is made of timber and comprises a peripheral frame with strips of timber overlapping each other or being intertwined with uprights intermediate the side edges of the panel.

5. A fence construction according to claim 4 wherein the retaining means comprises an upwardly opening channel formation which receives the lower portion of the fencing panel.

6. A fence construction according to claim 5 wherein one or both of the upright limbs of the channel formation has an opening to receive a fastener to secure the retaining means to the panel.

7. A fence construction according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein opposite side edges of a foot panel are also received by the respective receiving formations of the posts, the footboard lying close to the ground and extending between the posts below the fencing panel.

8. A fence construction according to claim 7 wherein the retaining means comprises a downwardly opening channel which is receivable over an upper edge of the footboard.

9. A fence construction according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the retaining means comprises an aluminium diecasting.

10. A fence construction substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

11. A retaining means for a fence construction according to any one of the preceding claims.

12. Any novel feature or novel combination of features herein defined and/or shown in the accompanying drawings.