GB2307256A

GB2307256A - Fence with pivotal connections

Info

Publication number: GB2307256A
Application number: GB9523584A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Glyn Wilde
Original assignee: DARFEN Ltd
Current assignee: DARFEN Ltd
Priority date: 1995-11-17
Filing date: 1995-11-17
Publication date: 1997-05-21
Anticipated expiration: 2015-11-17
Also published as: GB9523584D0; GB2307256B

Abstract

A fencing system 21 comprising a series of support posts 22 and a series of panels 23 which are attached to the support posts 22, wherein the panels 23 each comprise at least two vertical elements 25 pivotally connected to at least two horizontal elements 26, to permit relative rotational movement in the vertical plane. The panels 23 are pivotally connected to the posts 22 to permit relative rotation movement between the posts 22 and the panels 23 in the horizontal plane by pivots having axes in the vertical plane.

Description

Fencing System The present invention relates to a fencing system.

A conventional fencing system comprises supporting poles which are erected in the ground in spaced relationship along the desired line of the fence and panels which are fixedly attached to the poles and which extend between the poles to form the fence. The panels typically comprise a series of horizontal and vertical elements connected together. Such panels can preferably be pre-fabricated in a factory to reduce production costs and also to ensure that horizontal and vertical elements are securely fixed to each other.

Frequently it is required to erect a fence of this conventional type on ground which is inclined and also in a line which changes in direction. When the ground is inclined it is necessary to measure the angle of inclination of the ground precisely for each panel section of the fence so that the required panel can be fabricated at the factory. The panel will be fabricated to match the angle of incline of the ground so that the horizontal elements are parallel to the ground and the vertical elements are maintained vertically. Thus the desired appearance of the fence is maintained along its entire length.

This conventional method is very time consuming and expensive. Firstly it is necessary to measure the precise incline along the entire line of the fence.

Secondly it is necessary to make up the required panels at the required different angles at the factory. This will inevitably be more expensive than the fabrication of a large number of standard panels. Thirdly each panel will have to be labelled according to its position in the fence and correctly positioned in the fence when it is transferred to the site of the fence. Errors can occur in this process which lead to re-working and re-specifying of additional panels which may lead to wasted panels and adds further to the time to complete the construction of the fence and to the overall cost of the fence.

In an alternative conventional fencing system on inclined ground the standard panels are maintained in the horizontal position and secured to the posts in a stepped arrangement to accommodate the incline. This avoids the expense of the fabrication of specific panels to suit the changes in the angle of inclination of the ground. However the resulting fence being stepped may not be aesthetically acceptable and is also of variable height.

Thus while the fence is required to be of a minimum height for functional reasons (such as a deterrent to scaling by intruders or animals) the lowest part of the fence will have to be at this minimum height which results in the higher parts of the fence being significantly above this minimum height.

This may cause planning problems and interfere with the surrounding environment and also adds significantly to the costs because of the material required for the additional panel heights and also for the post supports which will have to be of a higher specification to support the additional weight. Additionally this system of stepped arrangement of the panels requires channels to be dug in the ground to accommodate the lower part of the panels in the inclined section of the ground. This leads to additional time and expense during the erection of the fence.

Additionally conventional fencing systems are adapted for changes in direction of the line of the fence by fabrication of the fence posts and/or the panels to suit the particular requirements of each fence. This requires the similar procedure as for the changes in the inclination of the ground of specifying the precise line of the fence and from that the required angle of the fittings of the support posts to the panels. This requires a survey of the site where the fence is required followed by the fabrication of the specific panels and posts required and then the erection of the panels and posts in the correct order at the site. This can also result in errors which require additional panels or posts to be ordered. This results in much higher costs and time for construction for fences having a large number of changes in direction.

The invention therefore relates to a fencing system which is easy to install and which is of uniform height using standard prefabricated parts on uneven ground. The invention also relates to a fencing system which is easy to install and which uses standard prefabricated parts for a fence having changes in the direction of the line of the fence.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a fencing system comprising a series of support posts and a series of panels which are attached to the support posts and extend there between to form a fence wherein the panels each comprise at least two vertical elements and at least two horizontal elements to form the panels, characterised in that the said at least two vertical elements are pivotally connected to the said at least two horizontal elements.

According to a further aspect of the invention the said at least two horizontal elements are pivotally connectable to the posts to permit relative rotational movement in the vertical plane.

According to a further aspect of the invention at least one of the horizontal elements are comprised of two separate elongate parts arranged one on each side of the corresponding vertical elements in the region of the pivotal connection. Preferably the two separate elongate parts of the horizontal elements are elongate flats strips and the pivot passes through the two separate elongate parts and the vertical element there between.

Preferably the pivots are provided by rivets or other suitable fixing device which can to be fixed at the factory and which can not be easily removed by persons wishing to dismantle the fence. The rivets will preferably include a bearing surface for the relative rotation of the vertical and horizontal elements.

According to a further aspect of the invention the panels are pivotally connected to the posts to permit relative rotation movement between the post and the panel in the horizontal plane by pivots having axes in the vertical plane. Preferably the horizontal elements of the panel are connected at their ends to a hinge block. The hinge block comprises a hinge pivot pin passing through it said hinge pivot pin also passing through a hinge bracket.

The hinge bracket being fixedly connected to the post by suitable means such as welding or rivets.

Preferably the horizontal elements are pivotally connected to the hinge plates by horizontal pivots thus permitting movement of the post both in the vertical plane in a side to side direction and also in the horizontal plane in a up and down direction.

Preferably the hinge pivot pin is fixedly attached to the post at the factory such that the only components which have to be fitted on site are the end pivots pins connecting the horizontal elements to the hinge plate. These pivot pins will be provided by suitable bolts which can be fitted conveniently on site preferably with secure bolt heads and nuts which make it difficult for intruders to undo.

An example of a fencing system according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a fencing system of the prior art; Fig. 2is a further fencing system of the prior art; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a fencing system of the present invention; Fig. 4is a top view of the fencing system of fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the attaching means of the panels to the posts of the fencing system of fig. 3.

Referring to figure 1 a conventional fencing system is shown which comprises supporting poles 2 which are erected in the ground in spaced relationship along the desired line of the fence and panels 3 which are fixedly attached to the poles and which extend between the poles to form the fence. The panels typically comprise a series of horizontal and vertical elements 4, 5 connected together. Such panels can preferably be prefabricated in a factory to reduce production costs and also to ensure that horizontal and vertical elements are securely fixed to each other.

Frequently it is required to erect a fence on ground which is inclined and also in a line which changes in direction. When the ground is inclined it is necessary to measure the angle of inclination of the ground precisely for each panel section of the fence so that the required panel can be fabricated at the factory. The panel will be fabricated to match the angle of incline of the ground so that the horizontal elements are parallel to the ground and the vertical elements are maintained vertically. Thus the desired appearance of the fence is maintained along its entire length.

Figure 2 shows an alternative conventional fencing system 11 on inclined ground where the standard panels 13 are maintained in the horizontal position and secured to the posts 12 in a stepped arrangement to accommodate the incline. This avoids the expense of the fabrication of specific panels to suit the changes in the angle of inclination of the ground.

However the resulting fence being stepped may not be aesthetically acceptable and is also of variable height. Thus while the fence is required to be of a minimum height for functional reasons the lowest part of the fence will have to be at this minimum height which results in the higher parts of the fence being significantly above this minimum height.

Referring to figures 3 to 5 a fencing system 21 comprising a series of support posts 22 and a series of panels 23 which are attached to the support posts 22 and extend there between to form a fence. The panels 23 each comprise vertical elements 25 and horizontal elements 26 and the vertical elements 25 are pivotally connected to the horizontal elements 26.

The horizontal elements are comprised of two separate elongate parts 26a, 26b arranged one on each side of the corresponding vertical elements 25 in the region of the pivotal connection.

The pivotal between the horizontal elements and the vertical elements are provided by pivot pins 28 which pass through the two separate elongate parts 26a, 26b and the vertical element 25 arranged between them.

The pivots 28 are provided by rivets or other suitable fixing device which can to be fixed at the factory and which can not be easily removed on site by persons wishing to dismantle the fence. The rivets 28 will preferably include a bearing surface for the relative rotation of the vertical and horizontal elements 25, 26.

The panels 23 are pivotally connected to the posts 22 to permit relative rotation movement between the posts 22 and the panels 23 in the horizontal plane by pivots having axes in the vertical plane. This is achieved by means of a hinge block 30 to which the ends of the horizontal elements are pivotally connected.

The hinge block 30 comprises a hinge pivot pin 31 said hinge pivot pin 31 passes through a hinge plate 32 also passes through a hinge bracket 33 which is fixedly connected to the post 22 by suitable means such as welding or rivets. Preferably the post is rotatable with respect to the panel by as much as 45 degrees so that a resultant angle of up to 90 degrees between adjacent panels can be achieved.

The horizontal elements 26 are pivotally connectable to the hinge plates 32 by horizontal pivots thus permitting movement of the post both in the vertical plane in a side to side direction and also in the horizontal plane in a up and down direction.

The hinge pivot pin 31 is fixedly rotatably attached to the post 22 at the factory such that the only components which have to be fitted on site are the end pivots pins 27 connecting the horizontal elements 26 to the hinge plates 32.

Alternatively the end pivot pin 27 is fixedly rotatably attached to the post hinge plate 32 at the factory such that the only components which have to be fitted on site are the hinge pivots pins 31 connecting the hinge plates 32 to the hinge brackets 33.

Preferably the hinge pivot pins 31 are provided by security bolts 35 which can be fitted conveniently on site preferably with secure bolt heads or nuts which make it difficult for intruders to undo. The security bolts heads or nuts comprise a series of radially arranged flat surfaces and tapered surfaces such that by means of a suitable tightening tool acting against the flat surfaces in the tightening direction the bolts can be tightened whereas due to the tapered surfaces in the opposite direction untightening of the bolt is not possible.

Thus the fencing system described permits the markedly improved erection of a fence. There is no need for any detailed pre-erection surveys of the site. All that is required is to determine the length of the fence line so that the required number of panels and posts can be ordered and delivered to the site.

Any necessary post foundations need to be prepared and then the fence can be re-erected in a simple manner. The first post is secured in the ground at one end and a panel attached to it by a suitable bolt as described above. A second post is then attached to the opposite end of the panel in the same manner. The position of the second post can then be adjusted both vertically and horizontally to the desired position according to the slope of the ground and the desired line of the fence. The second post is then secured in the ground and a further panel attached to it, and so, on until the fence is complete. All the panels and posts will be the same so there is no need for any specially fabricated panels or posts which dramatically reduces the cost of fabrication and the erection time of the fence.

It will be appreciated that the principle of the invention as defined in the following may be carried out in a number of different ways available to the person skilled in the art and the inventor is not limited to the above embodiment alone.

Claims

1. A fencing system 21 comprising a series of support posts 22 and a series of panels 23 which are attached to the support posts 22 and extend there between to form a fence wherein the panels 23 each comprise at least two vertical elements 25 and at least two horizontal elements 26 to form the panels, characterised in that the said at least two vertical elements 25 are pivotally connected to the said at least two horizontal elements 26.

2. A fencing system according to claim 1, characterised in that the said at least two horizontal elements 26 are pivotally connectable to the posts 22 to permit relative rotational movement in the vertical plane.

3. A fencing system according to claim 2, characterised in that the horizontal elements are pivotally connected to the posts 22 by means of end pivot pins 27.

4. A fencing system according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one of the horizontal elements are comprised of two separate elongate parts 26a, 26b arranged one on each side of the corresponding vertical elements 25 in the region of the pivotal connection.

5. A fencing system according to claim 4, characterised in that the two separate elongate parts 26a, 26b of the horizontal elements 26 are elongate flat strips.

6. A fencing system according to claim 1, characterised in that the pivotal between the horizontal elements and the vertical elements are provided by pivot pins 28.

7. A fencing system according to claims 5 and 6 characterised in that the pivot pins pass through the two separate elongate parts 26a, 26b and the vertical element 25 there between.

8. A fencing system according to claim 1, characterised in that the pivots 28 are provided by rivets or other suitable fixing device which can to be fixed at the factory and which can not be easily removed on site by persons wishing to dismantle the fence.

9. A fencing system according to claim 8, characterised in that the rivets 28 will preferably include a bearing surface for the relative rotation of the vertical and horizontal elements 25, 26.

10. A fencing system according to claim 1, characterised in that the panels 23 are pivotally connected to the posts 22 to permit relative rotation movement between the posts 22 and the panels 23 in the horizontal plane by pivots having axes in the vertical plane.

11. A fencing system according to claim 10, characterised in that the horizontal elements 26 of the panel 23 are connected at their ends to a hinge block 30.

12. A fencing system according to claim 11, characterised in that the hinge block 30 comprises a hinge pivot pin 31 said hinge pivot pin 31 passes through a hinge plate 32 also passes through a hinge bracket 33.

13. A fencing system according to claim 12, characterised in that the hinge bracket 33 is fixedly connected to the post 22 by suitable means such as welding or rivets.

14. A fencing system according to claim 12 characterised in that the horizontal elements 26 are pivotally connectable to the hinge plates 32 by horizontal pivots thus permitting movement of the post both in the vertical plane in a side to side direction and also in the horizontal plane in a up and down direction.

15. A fencing system according to claim 12, characterised in that the hinge pivot pin 31 is fixedly rotatably attached to the post 22 at the factory such that the only components which have to be fitted on site are the end pivots pins 27 connecting the horizontal elements 26 to the hinge plates 32.

16. A fencing system according to claim 15, characterised in that the end pivot pins are comprised of security bolts 35 which can be fitted conveniently on site preferably with secure bolt heads or nuts which make it difficult for intruders to undo.

17. A fencing system according to claim 12, characterised in that the end pivot pin 27 is fixedly rotatably attached to the post hinge plate 32 at the factory such that the only components which have to be fitted on site are the hinge pivots pins 31 connecting the hinge plates 32 to the hinge brackets 33.

18. A fencing system according to claim 17 characterised in that the hinge pivot pins 31 will be provided by security bolts 35 which can be fitted conveniently on site preferably with secure bolt heads or nuts which make it difficult for intruders to undo.

19. A fencing system according to claims 16 and 18, characterised in that the security bolts heads or nuts comprise a series of radially arranged flat surfaces and tapered surfaces such that by means of a suitable tightening tool acting against the flat surfaces in the tightening direction the bolts can be tightened whereas due to the tapered surfaces in the opposite direction untightening of the bolt is not possible.