GB2452526A

GB2452526A - A temporary fence and support structure

Info

Publication number: GB2452526A
Application number: GB0717348A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Charles Matthew Carver
Original assignee: Wrr Pedley & Co Ltd
Current assignee: Wrr Pedley & Co Ltd
Priority date: 2007-09-07
Filing date: 2007-09-07
Publication date: 2009-03-11
Also published as: GB0717348D0

Abstract

A temporary fence (10, Fig. 1) comprises a number offence panels (12, Fig. 1) with a support structure 14 between each pair of adjacent pair of panels. The fence panels each have a hollow post 16 at either end and each support structure includes a support block (26, Fig. 1) having two holes 40 at one end into which the posts of the adjacent fence panels are inserted. Each support structure has stabilizing member 30 with a base (46, Figure 4) and a pair of spigots 48 projecting upwardly from one end of the base. The stabilizing member 30 is positioned underneath the block with the spigots projecting into the holes internally of the respective hollow fence panel posts 16. The base of the stabilizing member projects outwardly away from the support block. The base is thinner than the block and presents less of a tripping hazard to pedestrians.

Description

I 2452526 A Temporary Fence, a Support for a Temporary Fence, and a Stabilizing Member for use with a Temporary Fence or Temporary Fence Support The present invention relates to a temporary fence, a support for a temporary fence, and a stabilizing member for use with a temporary fence or temporary fence support.

It is known to provide temporary fencing around building sites or other areas from which it is desired to restrict entry without forming a permanent enclosure. Temporary fencing may also be used to form a crowd control barrier.

Temporary fencing typically consists of fence panels having tubular metal posts at either end. Heavy support blocks, which may be made of concrete, are positioned between each adjacent pair of fence panels. Each support block has at least two holes and one post from each of the adjacent fence panels is inserted into a respective one of the holes. The blocks thus serve to link the fence panels together and to support them in a generally upright position. Each pair of adjacent fence panels will also usually be connected to one another by means of connector which is fastened between the end posts.

The fence panels may be mesh panels in which a steel wire mesh is mounted to a tubular metal frame, which usually includes the end posts. Alternatively, the fence panels may be made of sheet metal or even a fabric rather than wire mesh. Some fence panels may incorporate a gate or other opening or may be adapted to form a gate.

The concrete blocks are typically rectangular in shape and the holes into which the fence posts are inserted are located centrally so that the support blocks project outwardly either side of the fence line. This is advantageous in providing stability for the fence but creates a tripping hazard, particularly where the fence is being used for crowd control or where the fence line extends alongside a pavement or other public area as is often the case with building sites. To overcome this problem it has been proposed to support the fence panel posts in holes located at one end of the support blocks so that the blocks only project a significant distance from the fence line on one side. With this arrangement, all the support blocks can be positioned on one side of the fence, usually an inner side, where they constitute the least hazard.

Positioning the support blocks to one side of the fence line may reduce the risk of tripping but can adversely affect the stability of the fence. For example, if the fence is subject to wind or other forces which act on the side of the fence panels on which the blocks project, there is a risk that the blocks will lift allowing the fence panels to be pushed over. This can be counteracted by securing the blocks to the ground in certain circumstances but this is not always possible, for example when the ground is soft and the anchors used to secure the blocks can be easily pulled out.

There is a need therefore, for an improved temporary fence which overcomes or at least mitigates the disadvantages of the known temporary fences.

There is also a need for a support structure for a temporary fence which overcomes or at least mitigates the disadvantages of the known temporary fence support structures.

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a temporary fence comprising at least two fence panels and at least one support structure, each of said at least two fence panels having a hollow post at either end and the support structure comprising a support block having at least two holes positioned towards or adjacent a first end, the support block being located between said at least two fence panels with a post of each panel being received in a respective one of the at least two holes, characterised in that, the support further comprises a stabilizing member having a base and a pair of spigots projecting from the base, each spigot being received within a respective one of the at least two holes in the support block internally of the respective hollow fence panel post, the base of the stabilizing member projecting outwardly away from the support block.

Preferably, the stabilizing member base is thin relative to the support block and may be substantially planar. The stabilizing member base may have downwardly projecting flanges along opposite sides and can be made of made of metal.

The support block may be elongate and the at least two holes may be provide at or towards a first longitudinal end.

The support structure may also include a strut connected at one end to the block and at the other end to the posts of the at least two fence panels.

The support block may be made of concrete or it may have a plastic outer casing filled with another material.

The fence may comprise three or more fence panels with a support structure arranged between each adjacent pair of panels.

The majority of the support block may extend out from the line of the fence on one side of the fence panels with the stabilizing member base extending out from the line of the fence on the other side of the fence panels.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a support structure for a temporary fence, the support structure comprising a support block having at least two holes positioned towards or adjacent a first end, each for receiving a post of an associated fence panel, characterised in that, the support further comprises a stabilizing member having a base and a pair of spigots projecting from the base, each spigot being received within a respective one of the at least two holes in the support block with the base of the stabilizing member projecting outwardly away from the support block.

Each spigot may be dimensioned so as to fit within a respective one of the at least two holes with clearance sufficient that a hollow post of an associated fence panel is receivable within the hole about the spigot.

The stabilizing member base may be thin relative to the support block and may be substantially planar. The stabilizing member base may have downwardly projecting flanges along opposite sides. The stabilizing member may be made of metal.

The support structure may further comprise a strut connectable in use between the block and the posts of a pair of associated fence panels.

The support block may be made of concrete or it may have a plastics outer casing filled with another material.

In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a stabilizing member for use in a temporary fence in accordance with the first aspect of the invention or a support structure in accordance with the second aspect of the invention.

The stabilizing member may have a substantially planar base and a pair of spigots projecting away form the base at or towards one end. The base may have a pair of flanges which project away from the base on the opposite side from the spigots for engagement with the ground.

The spigots may be circular and may be tubular.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of part of a temporary fence constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged view of part of the temporary fence of Figure 1 showing a support structure; Figure 3 is an cross sectional view through temporary fence taken on line X-X of Figure 2 with part of a fence post removed to show details of the support structure; Figure 4 is a plan view of a stabilizing member forming part of the support structure of the temporary fence of Figure 1; Figure 5 is an end elevation of the stabilizing member of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a view similar to that of Figure 5 but showing a modified stabilizing member for use on hard surfaces; and, Figure 7 is a perspective view of a support block forming part of the temporary fence of Figure 1.

Figures 1 to 3 show part of a temporary fence 10 including two fence panels 12 with a support structure, indicated generally at 14, positioned between them.

Each of the fence panels 12 has a hollow fence post 16 at either end which projects beyond the bottom edge 18 of the panel for mounting to the support structure, as will be described below.

In the embodiment illustrated, the fence panels 12 are constructed from sheet metal 20 mounted to a generally rectangular frame 22. The vertical (as shown) edges of the frame 22 at either end of the panels 12 is formed by means of metallic tubes which form the fence posts 16 and which extend below the bottom edges 18 of the panels. However the fence panels can be of any suitable construction. For example, rather than sheet metal, the fence panels 12 could have a wire mesh mounted to a frame. Furthermore, whilst it is convenient for the fence posts 16 to be formed as part of a framework this is not essential and the fence posts could be mounted to the panels in any convenient manner.

The support structure 14 includes a support block 26, a bracing strut 28, and in accordance with the invention, a stabilizing member 30.

As can be seen best from Figure 7, the support block 26 is elongate having a generally rectangular shape. The support block 26 in the present embodiment has two end regions 32, 34 connected by two side wall regions 36, 38 to define an elongate central opening. The block 28 has a pair of holes 40 located in one of the end regions 32, which holes are dimensioned to receive the fence panel posts 16 with a snug fit. Spanning the elongate central opening at a position partway along the length of the block is a cross-member 42.

The support block 26 is made of or contains a relatively heavy material so as to provide stability to the fence. In the present embodiment, the support block 26 has an outer casing 44 made of plastic which is filled with a relatively dense material such as concrete, sand or the like to provide ballast. In a particularly advantageous but non-essential arrangement, the plastic casing 44 is brightly coloured in order that the visibility of the block 26 is increased. It will be appreciated, however, that the support block can be made of any suitable material and may simply be made of concrete or the like.

The cross-member 42 is adapted to enable a lower end of the bracing strut 28 to be mounted to it using suitable bracket 45 and fastening means. The upper end of the strut 28 is adapted to be connected to the adjacent ends of the two fence panels 12 using a connector clamp 46. The strut 28 helps to provided additional stability for the fence panels and prevents the panels from being lifted out of the support block 26. However, the strut 28 is not essential to the present invention and can be omitted.

The stabilizing member 30 is made from a metal, such as galvanised or stainless steel for example, and has an elongate base 46 which is arranged to be placed in contact with the ground or other surface on which the temporary fence is to be placed. In the present embodiment, the base 46 is generally rectangular in shape have a width which is slightly smaller than that of the supporting block 26.

A pair of spigots 48 project upwardly from the base 46 adjacent one end. The spigots are arranged to be received in the holes 40 in the end region 32 of the support block 26, internally of the tubular fence posts 16. Thus the spigots 48 have an outer diameter which is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the fence posts 16. The spigots are slightly longer than the height/thickness of the block so that they project beyond the upper surface of the block 26 when in position as shown in Figure 3.

It should be noted that whilst a lower region of the fence posts 16 must be hollow to receive spigots 48, the fence posts 16 need not be hollow over their entire length.

The fence 10 is constructed by positioning the support block 26 and the stabilizing member 30 on the ground in the desired position with the spigots 48 of the stabilising member projecting upwardly through the holes 40 in the end region of the block 26. As can be seen best from Figure 2, the lower surface of the block 26 has a channel or recess 50 into which the base 46 of the stabilizing member locates so that both the block 26 and the base 46 can be positioned stably on the ground or other surface.

The two fence panels 12 are then positioned either side of the block 26, and a fence post 16 from each panel is inserted into a respective one of the holes 40 in the block over the spigot 48. If required, the support strut 28 can then be connected between the block 26 and the fence panels.

A temporary fence 10 can be construed to any desired length and shape by simply connecting further fence panels 12 and support structures 14 as required.

It will be appreciated that more than one type of fence panel 12 can be incorporated in the temporary fence 10 if desired. In particular, it will often be desirable to incorporate in a fence 10 at least one fence panel 12 which either has an opening such as a door or gate or which is itself adapted to function as a door or gate to allow access across the line of the fence. The term "fence panel" as used herein should be understood as encompassing panels which function as or which incorporate a gate or other opening.

When constructing the fence 10, the support structures 14 are arranged so that the support blocks 26 project away from the fence line on the side of the fence where they present the least tripping hazard. Often this will be the inside of the fence if there is one. For example, if the fence line runs alongside a pavement, the support blocks 30 will be arranged so that support blocks project away from the fence line on the opposite side of the fence from the pavement. The base of the stabilizing members 30 will project away from the fence line on the other side of the fence panels and will help to prevent the fence panels from being pushed over in the event that the panels are subject to a wind or other force acting on the side of the fence on which the support blocks project. Thus as can be seen from Figure 3, if the panels 12 are subject to a wind from the direction of arrow A, the stabilizing members 30 will be pushed into the ground and so will resist pivotal movement of the panels in the clockwise direction, as shown in the drawing. However, because the base 46 of the stabilizing member 30 is relatively thin in comparison to the support block 26, it presents a significantly reduced tripping hazard. Indeed, when used on relatively soft ground, such as grass or soil, the base 40 the stabilizing member 30 can be at least partially embedded in the ground so as to reduce its profile above the ground to a minimum.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 5, the base 46 of the stabilizing member has a pair of downwardly projecting flanges 52 which extend along either longitudinal edge on the opposite side of the base form the spigots 48.

This arrangement is particularly advantageous where the fence is to be positioned on soft ground, as the flanges 52 can be embedded in the ground to ensure the stabilizing member 30 is securely positioned. The flanges also 52 help to stiffen the base, so that the thickness of the sheet material from which the base is formed can be reduced, further helping to reduce the profile of the base and so minimise the tripping hazard. However, where the fence 10 is to be positioned on a relatively hard surface, such as tarmacadam or concrete, a modified stabilizing member 30' can be used in which the base 46 has a planar lower surface with no downwardly projecting flanges as shown in Figure 6.

Whereas the invention has been described in relation to what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed arrangements but rather is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent constructions included within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims 1. A temporary fence comprising at least two fence panels and at least one support structure, each of said at least two fence panels having a hollow post at either end and the support structure comprising a support block having at least two holes positioned towards or adjacent a first end, the support block being located between said at least two fence panels with a post of each panel being received in a respective one of the at least two holes, characterised in that, the support further comprises a stabilizing member having a base and a pair of spigots projecting from the base, each spigot being received within a respective one of the at least two holes in the support block internally of the respective hollow fence panel post, the base of the stabilizing member projecting outwardly away from the support block.
2. A temporary fence as claimed in claim 1, in which the stabilizing member base is thin relative to the support block.
3. A temporary fence as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the stabilizing member base is substantially planar.
4. A temporary fence as claimed in claim I or claim 2, in which the stabilizing member base has downwardly projecting flanges along opposite sides
5. A temporary fence as claimed in any one of the previous claims in which the stabilizing member is made of metal.
6. A temporary fence as claimed in any one of the previous claims, in which the support block is elongate and the at least two holes are provide at or towards a first longitudinal end.
7. A temporary fence as claimed in any one of the previous claims, in which the support structure further comprises a strut connected at one end to the block and at the other end to the posts of the at least two fence panels.
8. A temporary fence as claimed in any one of the previous claims in which the support block is made of concrete.
9. A temporary fence as claimed in any one of claims I to 7, in which the support block comprises a plastics outer casing filled with another material.
10. A temporary fence as claimed in any one of the previous claims, the fence comprising three or more fence panels with a support structure arranged between each adjacent pair of panels.
11. A temporary fence as claimed in any one of the previous claims, in which the majority of the support block extends out from the line of the fence on one side of the two fence panels and the stabilizing member base extends out from the line of the fence on the other side of the at least two fence panels.
12. A support structure for a temporary fence, the support structure comprising a support block having at least two holes positioned towards or adjacent a first end, each for receiving a post of an associated fence panel, characterised in that, the support further comprises a stabilizing member having a base and a pair of spigots projecting from the base, each spigot being received within a respective one of the at least two holes in the support block with the base of the stabilizing member projecting outwardly away from the support block.
13. A support structure for a temporary fence as claimed in claim 12, in which each spigot is dimensioned so as to fit within a respective one of the at least two holes with clearance sufficient that a hollow post of an associated fence panel is receivable within the hole about the spigot.
14. A support structure for a temporary fence as claimed in claim 12 or claim 13, in which the stabilizing member base is thin relative to the support block.
15. A support structure for a temporary fence as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14, in which the stabilizing member base is substantially planar.
16. A support structure for a temporary fence as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14, in which the stabilizing member base has downwardly projecting flanges along opposite sides
17. A support structure for temporary fence as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 16, in which the stabilizing member is made of metal.
18. A support structure for a temporary fence as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 17, in which the support block is elongate and the at least two holes are provide at or towards a first longitudinal end.
19. A support structure for a temporary fence as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 18, in which the support structure further comprises a strut connectable in use between the block and the posts of a pair of associated fence panels.
20. A support structure for a temporary fence as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 19, in which the support block is made of concrete.
21. A support structure for a temporary fence as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 19, in which the support block comprises a plastics outer casing filled with another material.
22. A stabilizing member for use in a temporary fence as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 or a support structure as claimed in any one of claims 12to21.
23. A stabilizing member as claimed in claim 22, the member comprising a substantially planar base and a pair of spigots projecting away form the base at or towards one end.
24. A stabilizing member as claimed in claim 23, in which the base has a pair of flanges which project away from the base on the opposite side from the spigots for engagement with the ground.
25. A stabilizing member as claimed in any one of claims 22 to 24, in which the spigots are circular.
26. A stabilizing member as claimed in claim 25, in which the spigots are tubular.
27. A temporary fence substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
28. A support structure for a temporary fence substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
29. A stabilising member for a temporary fence or a temporary fence support structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.