GB2418368A - Modular fence system: jumps for horse-racing - Google Patents

Abstract

A modular fence system, such as for horse-racing jumps, comprises a body 10 which is substantially wedge - shaped in profile, and has co-operating connecting means 48 disposed on either side of the body, e.g. in the form of a lug 48 and complementary recess. The body may have impact absorbent layers 40, 42, 44 on its upper surface as shown, and this may be reinforced by integral ribs; a removable sleeve 18 may bear a fence panel 12, enabling easy replacement, and lugs 52 may receive ground-engaging spikes. In a modification, the wedge shaped portion may be adapted to be put against an existing fence. The body may be of plastics.

Description

A Fence System The present invention is concerned with a fence system, and

in particular a fence system for use in building horse racing/jumping fences or the like.

In horse racing events involving jumps or fences, most fences will be manufactured from wood, or partially from wood, for a number of reasons. Wood is both inexpensive as a building material, and is readily available in almost any location. Wood is also relatively easy to work with, in particular when compared with metal or plastic, and can therefore be used to produce fences in many shapes and/or sizes, in order to suit a particular course or event. Wood is also a somewhat more forgiving material than metal or the like, if an impact does occur.

However, wood as a building material does have a number of drawbacks, the main one being a susceptibility to environmental damage, in particular from adverse weather conditions such as rain, snow, etc., which will all tend to rot wood. Wooden fences therefore require careful maintenance to reduce such environmental A. . damage, and even so have a relatively short working A. . life. In addition, the practice of custom building fences from course to course, results in significant variations in what should be standard fences, which can: '...

obviously have a negative impact on a horses ability to....

negotiate such fences. . -. : In addition, although wooden fences are more forgiving than metal or similar equivalents, wooden fences are necessarily of solid construction, and are continually responsible for injuries to both horses and jockeys.

Given the calibre and cost of horses involved in horse racing today, and the skill level of jockeys, it is obviously desirable to eliminate or at least minimise such injuries.

The present invention has therefore been developed with a view to mitigating the above-mentioned problems of

the prior art.

The present invention therefore provides a fence system comprising a body which is substantially wedged shaped in profile; and co-operating connecting means disposed on either side of the body.

Preferably, the system further comprises a fencing portion locatable adjacent a rear of the body and defining a cavity for receiving, in use, a fencing panel.

Preferably, the fencing portion is formed integrally.. . with the body. A. . Preferably, the system further comprises a sleeve:.

shaped and dimensioned for location within the cavity, . ' within which sleeve, in use, the fencing panel may be....

partially located. . Preferably, the connecting means comprises an outwardly projecting lug on one side of the body, and a correspondingly shaped and dimensioned recess on an opposite side of the body.

Preferably, the system comprises padding located on an upper face of the body.

Preferably, the body is hollow.

Preferably, the upper face comprises at least one reinforcing rib formed therein.

Preferably, the system comprises a plurality of ribs extending laterally across the upper face in spaced relation to one another.

Preferably, the system comprises at least one mounting tab projecting from a base of the body.

Preferably, the system comprises an indicator element locatable at or adjacent a leading edge of the body.

Preferably, the indicator element is releasably..'. -

engagable with the body. ...

The present invention will now be described with I. - . reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; : . . I.- .- Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a fence system according to a first embodiment of the present invention, having a fencing panel secured thereto; Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of a sleeve forming part of the system illustrated in figure 1; Figure 3 illustrates a side elevation of the system of the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 illustrates a perspective view of a body of the system illustrated in figure 1; and Figure 5 illustrates a perspective view of a fence system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated a first embodiment of a fence system, generally indicated as 10, for receiving and retaining a fencing panel 12, for use as a horse jumping fence (not shown). In order to create such a horse jumping fence, a plurality of the systems 10, each having a fencing panel 12 secured thereto, are.. . situated in side by side relationship with one another A. . in order to achieve a desired width of fence. As will be described in detail hereinafter, each system 10 is adapted for interlocking engagement with an adjacent. .

system 10, in order to ensure the structural integrity....

of any fence (not shown) produced with a number of the; systems 10. .

The system 10 comprises a body 14 which defines a cavity 16 therein for receiving and retaining, in use, the fencing panel 12. The fencing panel 12 does not actually form part of the system 10 of the present invention, and is simply formed from any suitable material, to the requisite dimensions for use with the system 10. The fencing panel 12 is preferably formed from wood or plastic, for example a collection of tightly packed birch branches or artificial plastic branches, and can be quickly and easily replaced if damaged, while the system 10 may be reused indefinitely. The fencing panel 12 could of course be of any other suitable form.

The system 10 also preferably comprises a sleeve 18 which is shaped and dimensioned for a complimentary fit within the cavity 16, and which is pressed onto the fencing panel 12 prior to insertion into the cavity 16.

In this way insertion and removal of the fencing panel 12 into the system 10 is greatly simplified. This is due to the fact that in order to ensure that the fencing panel 12 is held stable by the system 10, in particular during use where an impact may be.. . experienced as horses jump the combined system 10 and '..

fencing panel 12, a tight fit between the fencing panel 12 and the cavity 16 is essential. If the fencing panel 12 were located directly into the cavity 16, in .

Obtaining a suitably tight fit between the fencing....

panel 12 and the cavity 16, subsequent removal of the.

. : fencing panel 12 from the cavity 16 would be difficult and time consuming. In addition, while introducing such a close fitting fencing panel 12 directly into the cavity 16, damage to the body 14 surrounding the cavity 16 would be likely due to the excessive force required to press the fencing panel 12 into the cavity 16. The severity of these problems is greatly reduced by the use of the sleeve 18. This is particularly relevant when the fencing panel 12 is formed from a close packed array of branches (not shown), for example birch branches, to create a fencing panel 12 of substantially conventional form. This type of configuration if both traditional and functional, as the array of branches provide the fencing panel 12 with a degree of deformability, which enables a horse to safely clear such a fencing panel 12 in the event of contact with an upper portion thereof, due to deflection of the branches. However, due to the irregular nature of the branches in such a close packed or dense fencing panel 12, the process of filling the cavity 16 would be a time consuming task. The use of the sleeve 18 allows the fencing panel 12 to be formed within the sleeve 18 offside, and simply dropped into place within the cavity 16 when required. The sleeve 18 could of course be omitted, particularly if the fencing panel 12 is. ..

formed from an artificial material such as plastic or.. . the like.

-

If the sleeve 18 is damaged during insertion of the fencing panel 12 into same, the sleeve 18 can simply be.... A.

replaced, without resulting in damage to the body 14 of. .; - . the system 10. When it is desired to remove the fencing panel 12 from the cavity 16, the sleeve 18 allows the quick and easy removal of same. The sleeve 18 can then be left on the fencing panel 12 until it is desired to re-use same. If the fencing panel 12 is to be discarded, the sleeve 18 may also be discarded, rather than undertaking the task of removing same from the fencing panel 12. The fencing panel 12 is also preferably fitted into the sleeve 18 off site, rather than having to wait until the system 10 is deployed, for example on a racing track or the like, to fit the fencing panel 12. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the cavity 16 is located within a fencing portion in the form of a stepped portion 20 of the body 14, at the rear thereof. This stepped portion 20 could be formed separately to the body 14, and suitably secured thereto during use. The sleeve 18 includes a lip 22 which sits onto the stepped portion 20 in order to ensure a snug fit between the sleeve 18 and the cavity 16, in addition to improving the strength of the sleeve 18.

Use of a removable fencing panel 12 with the system 10 also allows the height of any fence (not shown) created with the system 10 to be quickly and easily varied, by A. . replacing the fencing panel 12 held within each system A. . by a taller fencing panel (not shown).

Forwardly of the stepped portion 20, the body 14 includes a curved upper face 24 which extends.... -

rearwardly and upwardly from a leading edge 26 of the. . - . body 14, to a trailing edge 28. The system 10 is negotiated in a direction approaching the upper face 24. The curved nature of the upper face 24 will have a cushioning effect on any horse or rider which falls before or during negotiation of any fence (not shown) composed of a plurality of the systems 10. Due to the sloping nature of the upper face 24, the system 10 is provided with an indicator element 30 mounted in front of the leading edge 26, which provides a visual indication to both horse and rider of the upcoming system 10. The indicator element 30 is thus preferably brightly coloured, or at least coloured to contrast with the body 14. The indicator element 30 is also curved in profile, again to minimise the damage to a horse or rider in the event of an impact with same.

The indicator element 30 includes a skirt 32 projecting therefrom, which in use is seated beneath the leading edge 26 of the body 14, in order to secure the indicator element 30 to the body 14. A tab (not shown) is also provided, projecting upwardly from the skirt 32, which tab 34 sits into a correspondingly shaped and dimensioned recess (not shown) in the base of the body 14. The indicator element 30 is then releasably engageable with the body 14, to allow for ease of storage and transport. It will of course be:. . - appreciated that the indicator element 30 could be Age.'. ë

omitted from the system 10, without unduly affecting the performance of the system 10. ë In order to further reduce the incidence or severity of.... .

injuries sustained as a result of impact with the.

system 10, the body 14 is provided with an upper channel 36 extending along the trailing edge 28, and a lower channel 38 extending along the leading edge 26, for receiving and retaining padding in the form of a first layer 40, a second layer 42 and a third layer 44 of suitable padding material. It will of course be appreciated that the upper channel 36 and the lower channel 38 could be omitted, and the layers 40, 42, 44 secured to the upper face 24 by any other suitable means, for example using an adhesive or mechanical fixing means such as screws or the like.

The first, second and third layers 40, 42, 44 of padding are rectangular in shape, and are dimensioned to cover the upper face 24 such as to cushion any impact therewith. The first, second and third layers 40, 42, 44 could of course be replaced with a single layer (not shown), although in practice such a single layer (not shown) would be cumbersome and difficult to secure to the body 14. It will also be appreciated that any other functional equivalent to the upper channel 36 and the lower channel 38 could be utilised in order to secure the first, second and third layers 40, 42, 44 to the body 14. ë

Despite the provision of the first, second and third.'.

layers 40, 42, 44 of padding, the upper face 24 will nevertheless be subject to substantial forces in the event of an impact by a horse or rider, and is .

consequently preferably provided with at least one, and.

in the embodiment illustrated a pair of reinforcing..

ribs 46 extending substantially along the length thereof. It will be appreciated that the ribs 46 could extend laterally across the upper face 24, or be provided in any other suitable configuration. Any other suitably means could of course be employed to reinforce the upper face 24.

In order to allow a plurality of the systems 10 to be secured side by side, such as to create a suitable horse jumping fence (not shown), the body 14 is provided with an outstanding lug 48 on one side thereof, and a correspondingly shaped and dimensioned recess (not shown) on the opposed side thereof, which lug 48 and recess are inter-engageable with one another. Thus adjacent systems 10 may be secured together by seating the lug 48 of one into the recess (not shown) of another, separation of any such connected systems 10 only then being possible by physically lifting one system 10 off the other. Again any other suitable locking means (not shown) could be provided in place of the lug 48 and recess.

Once secured together, it is then preferable to secure each system 10 to the ground. To this end, a pair of feet 52 project rearwardly from the body 14, through Id.

each of which a suitable securing pin (not shown) or I' the like is passed in order to pin same to the ground.

The feet 52 would however provide an impediment to ë horses if located in front of the indicator element 30, , and a well 54 is therefore sunk downwardly from the.* upper face 24, adjacent the leading edge 26, and having. e-

an aperture 56 through which a suitable pin or the like (not shown) may again be passed in order to secure the front of the system 10 to the ground. The skirt 32 of the indicator element 30 is also preferably provided with a corresponding aperture (not shown) through which the securing pin (not shown) also passes, in order to ensure retention of the indicator element against the leading edge 26. The indicator element is only a preferred feature, which could be omitted without affecting the overall functioning of the system 10.

It will therefore be appreciated that the system 10 of the present invention provides a simple yet robust and relatively safe means of producing standardized horse jumping fences (not shown). The system 10, and in particular the body 14, is preferably moulded from a plastics material, which is both inexpensive to produce, and will not be affected by adverse weather conditions. In addition, as the production of a horse jumping fence (not shown) using a plurality of the systems 10 is a modular process, both in connecting systems 10 adjacent one another, and in insertion of a suitably dimensioned fencing panel 12 into each system 10, the size and shape of any horse jumping fence (not shown) may be quickly and easily varied to suit a particular track or event. A., . Referring now to Figure 5, there is illustrated an alternative embodiment of the system according to the present invention, generally indicated as 110, and.

which is adapted for use in both creating a horse.

jumping fence (not shown) substantially as described above with reference to the system 10 of the first embodiment, or to work in combination with an existing horse jumping fence (not shown), as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. In this alternative embodiment, like components have been accorded like reference numerals, and unless otherwise stated, perform a like function.

The main difference in the system 110 is the lack of the stepped portion 20 into which the fence panel 12 is located, which may however be provided as a separate part (not shown) to be suitably secured or located against the system 110. Thus the system 110 comprises a body 114 which is substantially wedge shaped in profile, having an upper face 124 which, in use, extends upwardly and rearwardly from a leading edge 126 to a trailing edge 128. The system 110 is preferably provided with an indicator element 130 adjacent the leading edge 126 which may be of a highly visible colour in order to provide a visual indication, in particular from a distance, of the presence of the system 110. This is particularly advantageous when the system 110 is formed from colours which are sympathetic . to the surrounding race course or the like. For ,

example, the body 114 is preferably formed in green or. .

brown, or similar natural colours, to have a low ..

aesthetic impact on a racecourse or the like.

-

The upper face 124 is provided with a plurality of. . reinforcing ribs 146 extending laterally across the. . upper face 124. The ribs 146 are preferably formed integrally with the upper face 124 during the moulding of the body 114, although they could be formed subsequently. In use, the upper face 124 is provided with a covering (not shown) which can serve a dual purpose. The covering may be a simple sheet of padding similar to the sheets 40, 42, 44 of the first embodiment. However, it is preferable that the upper face 124 be covered with a layer of synthetic grass or turf, for example Astroturf_. This type of covering provides a degree of padding to prevent or reduce injuries to a horse or rider contacting the upper face 124, whilst also giving a more natural appearance to the system 110, which will blend in, to a substantial extent, with the natural grass of the racecourse on which the system 110 is located. The layer of artificial grass may be secured to the body 114 in any suitable manner, and is preferably quickly and easily removed/replaced.

The system 110 is also provided with a lug 148 on one side of the body 114, and a correspondingly shaped and dimensioned recess (not shown) on the opposed side of the body 114 for receiving, in interlocking engagement, the lug 148 of an adjacent system 110. As with the ' . first embodiment, this arrangement enables a plurality. .

of the systems 110 to be locked in side by side alignment to a length suitable to be used as a fence or jump spanning a relevant stretch of a racecourse. The.

system 110 is also preferably provided with at least..

- ..

one foot 152 in order to enable each system 110, when..

in the correct position on the racecourse, to be pinned to the ground such as to prevent any unwanted movement of the system 110 in the event of contact with same.

Turning then to the operation of the system 110, and as highlighted above, the body 114 does not include any facility for the insertion/retention of a fencing panel as in the first embodiment. This however lends greater flexibility to the system 110, which may therefore comprise a separate fencing portion (not shown) roughly equivalent in shape and dimension to the stepped portion 20 of the system 10, and which may be positioned to the rear of the body 114, and preferably releasably secured thereto. In this way the system 110 can be used in essentially the same fashion as the system 10 of the first embodiment, to create a fence of desired dimensions at any position on a racecourse.

However, the system 110 can also be used in a different capacity by omitting this fencing portion (not shown), in order to form an apron along the leading edge side of an existing horse jumping fence (not shown) . A plurality of the systems 110 are again locked together to a length roughly equivalent to the length of the existing fence (not shown), and in a position directly: ... ë

in front of the fence. The use of the system 110 in . combination with an existing fence will improve the. . e.

safety of the existing fence for the reasons set out above with reference to the system 10 of the first .

embodiment. .. 30.:: .

Claims (1)

1. Claims 1. A fence system comprising a body which is substantially wedged

   shaped in profile; and co operating connecting means disposed on either side of the body.

   2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a fencing portion locatable adjacent a rear of the body and defining a cavity for receiving, in use, a fencing panel.

   3. The system of claim 2 in which the fencing portion is formed integrally with the body.

   4. The system of claim 2 or 3 further comprising a sleeve shaped and dimensioned for location within the cavity, within which sleeve, in use, the fencing panel may be partially located.

   5. The system of any preceding claim in which the connecting means comprises an outwardly projecting lug on one side of the body, and a correspondingly shaped and dimensioned recess on an opposite side of the body. .. . :.-- 6. The system of any preceding claim comprising .

   padding located on an upper face of the body. . 7. The system of any preceding claim in which the.2 body is hollow. .

   8. The system of claim 6 or 7 in which the upper face comprises at least one reinforcing rib formed therein.

   9. The system of claim 8 comprising a plurality of ribs extending laterally across the upper face in spaced relation to one another.

   10. The system of any preceding claim comprising at least one mounting tab projecting from a base of the body.

   11. The system of any preceding claim comprising an indicator element locatable at or adjacent a leading edge of the body.

   12. The system of claim 11 in which the indicator element is releasably engagable with the body.

   13. A fence system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

   14. A fence system substantially as hereinbefore: . described with reference to Figure 5 of the . accompanying drawings. . -. ë .

   30.. ::