GB2624529A

GB2624529A - Improved palisade fence pales

Info

Publication number: GB2624529A
Application number: GB2315309.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anilkumar Kotecha Vinesh; Barry Mitchell Andrew
Original assignee: First Fence Ltd
Current assignee: First Fence Ltd
Priority date: 2022-03-04
Filing date: 2022-03-30
Publication date: 2024-05-22
Also published as: GB2611130B; DE102023105334A1; GB2624769A; GB2611128B; GB202203032D0; GB2621486A; DE102023105333A1; GB2611128A; GB2612865A; GB2612865B; GB2616417A; GB2616417B; GB2611130A; GB202204579D0; GB202205547D0; GB202204665D0

Abstract

The fence pale 40 for fastening to a rail 20 between fence posts is formed from a sheet steel. The pale has a cross section with outer wings 44, 44’ which abut the rail and a centre portion 42 with apertures for receiving a fastener such a s bolt. The central portion, in an undeformed state, is spaced from the rail when the wings contact the rail. Upon fastening the pale to the rail the pale can be resiliently deformed such that the centre portion contacts the rail, with the wings under compression and the centre portion under tension. The pale may be part of a fence section with bolts on which the thread is worn away under tension to prevent the bolts re-engaging the pale or rail. The bolt may have a frustroconical head 82. Also claimed is a method, kit and use of the pale.

Description

Improved Palisade Fence Pales The present invention relates to an improved pale design configured for a palisade fence for enabling improved manual placement and securing.

Background:

Palisade fences comprise a plurality of posts which are secured into the ground, rails and pales. Wherein the pales are coupled to the post by one or more rails, wherein the ends of the rails are each coupled to a respective post, and the plurality of pales are coupled to the length of the rails, via a plurality of bolts.

The pales of the palisade fence typically have one of three possible profiles: a V-section, D-section, or W-section.

The V-section comprises a pale with a single angle, hence a V-shaped profile, this angle may be any size but is typically 90 degrees or larger. The angled section pale is secured to the rail via a long bolt, which threads through holes in the pale, so that the bolt bisects the angle of the pale. With this profile the sloped sides to the pale helps to deflect force form impacts onto the front of the pale. Additionally, the simple design of these sections makes them easy to mass produce, which is why the angled section are the most commonly used design. However, it is noted that this design does not have any features to help deflect impacts cased from angles other than perpendicular to the fence, from the direction the pales angle is pointing, meaning that these sections are weaker and easier to damage compared to the other designs. As such pales are narrow, compared to W section and lack the rigidity of D section they are constructed a thicker steel, such as 4mm or thicker and so are quite rigid and do not flex, compared to 2mm-4mm used for the W and D-sections, as set out in the standards in BS1722-12:2006 table 6.

The D-section, such as the one depicted in Figure 3 of GB2307253A, provides an improved profile for the angled section. For the D-section comprises a broader angle, and also has a pair of curves along each side of the pale. These additional curves within the pales profile, allow the pale to further deflect the force of impacts, specifically when compared to the angled section, the D-section can deflect impacts from multiple angles. This is because the curves along the sides of the pale can deflect an impact to that side, whereas the angled section has no such features to protect from sidewards impacts. Additionally, the broader angle, or convex portion, at the center of the pale also allows the front of the pale to endure larger impact forces compared to the point of the V section, as the force is spread over a larger area. 1.

The W-section comprises a flat, planar pale with two raised portions, rising out of the plane of the pale, pointing towards the front of the pale. These portions are positioned between the middle and a respective end of the pale. In the typical designs these raised potions would begin the ends of the pale, and cover about a third of the pales surface each. The remaining third in the middle of the pale would be flat so as to be parallel to the rail, allowing the pale to be held in place with shorter bolts, compared to the other sections. Additionally, these bolts will be recessed between the raised portions making them harder to remove, as they are more difficult to reach, and grip, with traditional tools. It is noted that the raised portions of the pale, similar to the previous pales, are used to deflect impacts to the pale. It is also noted that the two raised portions also further distribute impacts to the front of the pale compared to other designs, as there are two points on the W-section, compared to the single point of the angled and 0-sections. It is also noted that the W-sections shape allows the pales to generally have more strength overall compared to the other profile. However, the shape of the pale means that these pales have less flexibility compared to the other profile, as the flat portion of the pale needs to be flush to the respective rail, and the flat portion means that the rail can nit deform, unlike the other section who can increase/decrease the angles of the curves to deform the pale slightly to add flexibility.

An example is disclosed in W09533113A1, which discloses a pale with a similar profile to the W-section, with the addition of curves, referred to as ribs, along the walls of the pale and folded over ends, at each end of the pale. As with the 0-section design the additional curved surfaces on the outward facing walls of the pale provide improved force deflection. The disclosed pale also includes folded over ends, or wings, so that the pale can be made from a pre-galvanized material, which may be easier to shape, wherein a coating on the folded over outer surface will help to protect the inner surface from the environment, to stop unwanted reaction, such as rusting caused by rain.

Palisade fencing is typically distributed as a kit of parts, posts, rails and pales, along with fasteners and assembled manually on site. This can be onerous depending upon the ground, which may be sloped and slippery, the conditions, such as rain and snow, and the light level, such as on overcast winter days. A particular issue is with aligning the apertures in the components so as to inset and secure the fasteners to construct the fence. Whilst this is relevant to post to rail fixing it is most significant in pale to rail as there are typically around 26 pales per 2.4m section of fence and any misalignment and difficulties are greatly magnified. This is particularly so as rail to post securing must be robust and hence rigid due to the cumulative weight of those pales and safety considerations.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved pale designed that can combine the benefits of the current V, D and W sections, such as to enable improved manual handling and adjustment on installation., recessed bolts and the ability to flex/deform in order to provide more flexibly when erecting a palisade fence.

Summary:

The present invention provides a pale for use in a palisade fence by fastening to rails between a plurality of posts. Wherein the pale is an elongate formed sheet steel member.

The pale having a cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, said cross section comprising: outer wings for abutting a rail to which the pale, when in use, is fastened, and an inner portion with apertures for receiving fasteners for said fastening. Additionally, the inner portion is configured to be raised from the wings, such that when the wings are in contact with a planar rail the inner portion is raised above said rail. Further the pale is configured to be resiliently deformable, such that, when securing the fasteners to the rail, the inner portion of the pale can be brought into contact with the rail under tension, and the wings under compression.

This design for the pale allows for easily positioning of the pale, when constructing the palisade fence. This is achieved, by first partially tightening the first fastener to section the pale to a first rail, note that as the fastener is only partially tightened the central portion of the pale should still be above the rail. This will allow the pale to grip the first rail under partial resilient compression, while still allowing the pale to be moveable relative to the first rail so as to locate the second fastener, for securing the pale to a second rail. Once each of the fasteners are in place, all of the fasteners can be tightened fully. Once tightened, the pale should deform, so as to bring the central portion of the pale in contact with the surface of the rails. This deformation allows for better grip between the rail and pales, via the respective fastener, it may also ensure that the pales are less easily removed, as any gaps between the rail and the fence pale may be a potential weak point for intruders trying to remove the pale, as they could use such gaps to pry away the pale.

Further, it is noted that when constructing the palisade fence around a secured area, the terrain of the site may affect the user's ability to align the pales to the respective rail. For example, the surface of the ground may not have a consistent height, meaning that the post and/or pales that make up the palisade fence may not be at a consistent hight to one another, thereby vertically displacing the regions of the pale that fasten to the rail. Alternatively, the condition of the ground at the site may result in the posts, connected to the ends of the rail, having to be at an angle relative to each other, that is to say the post may not be parallel, or may be mis aligned, meaning the plan of the rail is at an angle/slopped. This may result in the pales need to be skewed/ at an angle to align with said rails. It is noted that such misalignments between the pales and the rails, in either the vertical and/or horizontal direction, may result in the fasteners between the pale and rail needing to be loose in order to reach the apertures in both the rail and pale. Additionally, if the fasteners need to be place at an angle, due to a misalignment, is becomes more difficult to tighten, or loosen, the fastener as it will be under additional tension. However, with the above-mentioned pales, the pales can be moved relative the rails more easily, to help realign the apertures of the rail and pale, to help reduce the tension exerted on the fasten, making it easier to tighten the fastener into place to secure the pale.

It is also noted that in the preferred embodiment the central portion of the pale may be recessed relative to the highest point of the wings. As this may help restrict access to the fasteners from the outside of the fence, this will make it more difficult for an intruder to access/remove the fasteners from the pale, when attempting to remove one or more pales from the palisade fence. Additionally, when the fastener is tightened, the deformation of the pale may cause the central portions to become further recessed, again making it more difficult for an intruder to remove the pale once secured. This recession may also protect the fasteners from any impacts to the palisade fence, as the raised portion of the wings may help deflect the force away from the central portion, or at least help absorb most of the force exerted onto the pale.

The preferred embodiment of the pale would be shaped so that the inner portion is raised 1cm or more above the ends of the wings. This gap between the inner/central portion and the wings allows the formation of a gap between the central portion and the rail, when the wings are brought into contact with the rail. It is this gap that allows the pale to be moveable relative to the rail, to help align the pale. It is noted that when the fastener is tightened this pale deforms, so as to reduce this gap and bring the central potion into contact with the rail also, with the size of the gap determining the amount of deformation necessary. It is noted that it is preferable for the gap between the wings and the centre of the pale to be at least 1cm, for when the gap is any smaller the about of movement provided would be minimal.

Meaning if the gap was less than 1cm the user may not receive the beneficial effects of the pales design to any substantial degree. However, with a gap at, or above, 1cm the user will gain the freedom to more easily move/deform the pale in order to align the pale to the rail it is fastened to.

It is further noted that, it is preferable that the pale has an inner portion that is raised 1cm to 2cm above the wings. As noted above the gap needs to be at least 1cm to receive the technical benefit, however if the gap is more than 2cm there is no additional benefits as plastic deformation of the pale may occur. It is also noted that above this range, when plastic deformation begins to occur, any coating that may be applied to the pale, for example to protect the surface of the pale, may begin to crack due to the deformation thus allowing corrosion of the pale. Therefore, the spacing between the wing and the central portion of the pale should preferrable be within the range 1-3cm.

The pale may also comprise U or V shaped connecting portions, configured to connect the wings are connected to the central portion. These connecting portions are the region of the pale that provides deformation of the pale as described above, for when the central portion of the pale is brought closer to the rail, the wings are put under compression resulting in the deformation of the region between the wings and the central portion, though it is noted that the wings themselves may also deform in these conditions. Therefore, it is preferable to have connecting portions which provide a greater range of resilient deformation. As a result, the use of U and V shaped connecting portions is preferrable, as these shapes provide more steel over the same area, thereby allowing a greater range of deformation over the length of the connecting region.

Additionally, the connecting portions may further comprise undulations, or waves, along their surface. The inclusion of such undulations may further increase the amount on material within the length of the connecting portion, as previously stated, the increase in the amount of material present may help increase the range of resilient deformation the pale may undergo. Therefore, by including such undulations the pale may have more freedom of movement during construction of the palisade fence, making it easier for the fastener to align the pale and the rail, when being tightened, by deforming the pale's wings, due to the greater range for deformation provided by the extra material.

The pale may further comprise folded wing portions, wherein the ends of the wings are folded over. Preferably the wings would be folded so that the ends of the wings are parallel to the planar of the rail. The reason for this is to provide a larger area of contact between the wings of the pale and the surface of the rail. During construction, these folded wings may help to hold the pale in place relative to the rail, while still allowing movement/deformation, by providing more friction between the wing and rail. More importantly, the folded wings help to spread out any force exerted from the wing to the rail, by applying the force over a larger area. This helps to prevent the pale's wing from digging into the surface of the rail, while under compression, as this may prevent the pale from deforming, due to the end of the fix becoming stuck within the rail, and may also damage any coatings, such as protective coatings on the surface of said rail, as the end of the wing may not scratch the surface of the rail as the pale deforms. These folded wings may also help protect the inner surface of the pale from the surrounding environment, as the inner surface will not be exposed around the edges of the pale.

These pale with folded wings; it is preferable that the folded wings are folded in the direction so that the ends of the wings point towards the centre of the pale. For, in the examples, wherein the pale wings fold outwards, the exposed edge of the pale may be a safety hazard to those walking near the fence. However, in the case wherein the wings are folded inwards, the edge of the pale will not be exposed and the rounded ends would cause no harm to those near the fence. Additionally, it is noted that the wings of the pale are likely to move outwards when the pale is deformed, therefore if the wings are pointing outwards there is a higher risk of the wing scratching, digging into or otherwise damaging the surface of the rails the pale is fastened to. Lastly the inward folded wings also help ensure that less of the inner surface of the pale is exposed to the surrounding environment, thereby helping to reduce the risk of wear, or corrosion to the pale's inner surface.

The pale may further comprise curves within the profile of the pale, in the planar of the rail.

Wherein the wings, central portion and/or connecting portions of the pale comprises one of more of these curves, which all of the curves being configured to help reduce the force of impacts onto the surface of the pale. For the palisade fence are normally used around the perimeter of a secured area, there is a risk of the fence being impacted, either by an intruder trying to damage/vandalise the fence, or due to an accident such as a vehicle impacting the fence, either way the fence pales should be designed to withstand such impacts, with minimal damage/deformation. Therefore, it is preferable for the profile of the pale to include the aforementioned curves, as the curve surface provides a larger surface area to spread the force of the impact over, and may also help to deflect the direction of the impact away from the pale, either way the amount of force being exerted onto the pale is reduced, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the fence. It is also noted that these curves may also help improve the overall strength of the palisade fence as each individual pale will be able to withstand larger impacts, and possibly hold more weight, due to the curved surfaces spreading out the force exerted onto the pale, thereby allowing the fence to provide improved security overall.

It is also noted that generally such pales are preferable made with a strong material, to again provide strength and resist impacts. However, it should be noted that in the case of the claimed pales, they also need to be made of a material that allow resilient deformation, in addition to providing strength. For this purpose, it is preferable for the claimed pales to be made from a material, such as mild steel. As mild steel, being made of steel is both strong and generally weather resistant, but provides the additional benefit of being flexible enough to resiliently deform when the fastener is tightened, as described earlier, to help align the pale during construction of the palisade fence.

One factor that can help with this need for flexibility is a relative angles between the different portions of the pales profile, specifically the angles between the connecting portions, and the wings, relative to the planar of the rail. It is noted that in order to improve the flexibility of the rail, we need a smaller angle, to reduce the steepness of the vertical portions of the pale. However, there is a need for a compromise as this angle can also affect the strength of the pale. A study in GB 2573388, which looked into the angles effect on the strength of a W-section pale, fond that angles between 70-90° where preferable as the higher angles improved the overall strength of the pale, however it was also noted that the improvement seemed to decrease as the angle approached 90°.it should be noted that increasing these angles towards 90° makes the vertical sides of the pale steeper, and as noted these steeper walls provide less flexibility and may be harder to deform when installing the pale. Therefore, for the present invention an angle between 50-70° is preferable, with values between 60-70° being more preferable. It is noted that such angles may result in the angle between the connecting portion and the wing being between 45-55°, again this lower angle makes it easier for the user to deform the pale when tightening the fastener, to bring the central portion closer to the rail. For these angles may not provide the maximum strength, but do provide sufficient strength for security purposes, while providing the desired flexibility when constructing the palisade panels, a factor that was not considered in GB2573388.

Additionally, it is noted that GB2573388 also included folded-over ends for the wings, however the prior art specifies that the wing should be folded over until it contacts the inner surface of the wing. Whereas the claimed invention folds the wings so that the outer surface of the folded portion touches the surface of the rail. To achieve this the folded portion of the wing would most likely need to be folded at an angle between 50-60° based on the steepness of the wing.

Another factor that can affect the flexibility, and strength of the pale is the relative hights of the wings and central portions of the pale. Specifically, the highest point of the wings needs to be above the central portions. This is so that when the fasteners are tightened to secure the pale, wherein the wings deform under compression to allow the central portion of the pale to lower into contact with the rail, there is still a space between the wings and the rail, for this space will allow the pale to absorb/deflect impacts to the pale, additionally if the space has a larger volume, it can help strengthen the pale, so that the panel can support more weight. For this reason, it is preferable that the height of the wing, and the height of the central portion, as measured from the surface of the rail, have a ratio of 3:2, or greater. For such a ratio will mean that when the fastener is tightened, and the wings spray out there will still be a sufficient hight difference between the wing and the central portion, to achieve the above-mentioned effect.

Lastly there is the thickness of the material used to form the pale. In regards to the present invention, the thickness needs to be thin enough to allow material to bend when forming the pale, and to allow the pale to resiliently deform when the fence is being constructed, while also providing sufficient strength. It is noted that if the material is too thick it would not be able to provide the necessary flexibility for resilient deformation, and may also be more difficult to shape, as more force would be required to bend the material. Based on the British standards set out in BS1722-12:2006 table 6, regarding the thickness of different pale designs, it is noted that for security use the standard for the deformable D-section is 3mm, while the W-section is 2mm. Therefore, for the present invention a thickness between 2mm and 3mm would be preferable. Of these thickness 2mm may be the most preferable as it is the easiest to shape and provides the highest flexibility, while still providing the pale with sufficient strength to endure impacts.

As can be seen the factors of angle, height and thickness of the pale can all affect the pales' ability to be flexible and deform as required to make assembly easier for the user. It is noted that these factors may be interconnected, for example if the angles between the wing and the rail increases, it is lightly the height of the wing relative to the central portion would also increase, and if the thickness of the material is increased the producer may have to limit the size of the above-mentioned angles due to equipment restraints. Therefore, when designing the profile of the present invention each of these factors must be considered in tandem as there may need to be compromises in order to provide the maximum flexibility, while still having enough strength for security uses. It is found that the preferred values for these factors when considered together are wings/central portion angles (relative to the rail) of 6065°, the centre portion having a hight of 1-3cm heigh, which is a 20% uplift from wings and 2mm thick steel.

Additionally, the use of mild steel may allow the pales to be manufactured using a cold rolling process. It is noted that generally, it is preferable for the palisade fence pales to be made from a cold rolling process, that a hot rolling process, and therefore must be made from a suitable material that can be shape via a cold rolling process. The reason for this preference is that, when forming the pale using a hot rolling process, internal stresses are formed within the pale as the heated metal/alloy undergoes the hot rolling process, due to the heated metal/alloy being more flexible than the same material when it is cold, resulting in the formation of weak points in the areas affected by these internal stresses. However, when using a cold rolling process such internal stresses do not form, and therefore the pale produce by the cold rolling process should not have the same weak points forming, and is therefore generally stronger. As a result, the cold rolling process provide a better standard of pales.

It is also preferable that the material used to form the pale has a thickness between 1 and 3mm thickness. The reason for this is that this range provide a pale with the optimal thickness, to be deformable, easy to fasten while still being relatively strong. For example, if the fence was made thinner than this, it would not have sufficient area to grip the fastener, additionally if said fastener is over tightened, there is a risk of the fastener damaging the pale, due to the thin surface bending, or breaking, under the additional tension. It is also noted that the thinner pales would also be easier to damage, within impacts to the pale surface, resulting in the pale bending and possibly breaking. Alternatively, if the pale is made too thick, the pale may be harder to deform, due to the additional force required to deform the extra material. Additionally, the user may require larger fastener to secure the pale, which due to the increase grip of the thicker pale, may be harder to secure/tighten manually. Thereby meaning that a thinner pale would be too weak to provide security, while a thicker pale may be harder to secure and/or deform making it more difficult for the user to construct the palisade fence. Therefore, as mentioned it is preferable to have a pale with a thickness between 1 and 3 mm as these thicknesses provide sufficient grip and strength, while still be resiliently deformable, and easy to fasten manually.

It is also noted that the pale may be powder coated, before assembling the fence. This coating will not only help to protect the pale's surfaces from the surrounding environment, but may also help to lubricate the wings of the pale. Specifically, the coating may lubricate the portions of the pale wings that contact the surface of the rail, because as the pale is fastened into place, the pale may splay outwards, causing them to rubbing against the surface of the rail, this may also happen when one end of the pale is moved/adjusted to align the pale with a second rail. Such motion may cause damage the surface of the rail, or may damage any coating on said surface of the rail. By lubricating the surface of the pale with the powdered coating the user may reduce the risk of such damages to the rail during construction. It is also noted that a powder coating would provide better protection when compared to a painted pale.

An alternative to the powder coating may be to galvanise the surface of the pale. As with the powder coating the galvanised surface provide lubrication, so as to not damage the surface of the rail during construction. Additionally, the galvanised surface may be preferred over a layer of paint or a powder coating, as the galvanised surface is flexible and therefore less likely to crack, or break, as the surface of the pale is deformed during construction. Thereby providing improved protect as such crack is the powder coating would leave portions of the pale surface exposed to the environment.

The invention may be in the form of a kit of parts. Wherein the kits comprise at least two rails, a plurality of pales as described above, and a means of fastening the pales to said rails. Thereby providing the user with all the necessary components for constructing the panels of the palisade fence.

Wherein the user may assemble a fence panel by first placing the rails in the desired location, this may simply be on the ground if the panel is assembled before being placed into a fence, or by coupling each end of the rails to a respective post, in order to form the panel within the fence. Then the user may align one of the pales with one of the rails, wherein the user will align an aperture within the central portion of the pale with a respective aperture within one of the pales, it is noted that the pale's central portion will have one aperture for each rail, while the length of the rail with have a plurality of evenly spaced apertures, one aperture for each pale in the panel. It is noted that when the apertures are aligned there will still be a spaced between the rail and the central portion of the pale, as the pale wings rest against the surface of the rail. Once the apertures are aligned the user may loosely fasten the pale to the first rail using one of the fasteners. After the fastener is in place the user may align the pales second aperture with an aperture of the second rail. It is noted that with the pales design the pale can be moved and/or deformed in order to align the second set of apertures. Once the second set of apertures are aligned another fastener may be used to fasten the pale to the second rail. Once both fasteners are in place, they can be tightened to secure the pale firmly into place, it is noted that during this tightening the central portion of the pale may be brought closer to the rail, this will spray out the wings of the pale as it deforms, which can remove the gap between the pale and the rail to help make the pale harder to remove. Afterwards the user may repeat the above-mentioned process for each of the pales to form the palisade fence panel.

In the preferred embodiment said kits may include fasteners that provide additional security features. Specifically, the kit may include a plurality of bolts with additional security features.

These features may comprise the bolts having a stripped thread, that is to say the bolts may be configured to have a thread on the shank of the bolt that can be stripped/worn away over time. This means that the bolt will no long engage the pales, or nut, holding the bolt thereby making the bolt harder to remove. This effect may be achieved by using bolts made of a softer steel than that of the pale and nut.

The bolts may also comprise a conical, or frustoconical, shaped bolt head. As such bolt heads are harder to grip with traditional tools, thereby again making it more difficult to remove the bolts from the constructed fence, while ensuring that the bolt head still has a sufficiently large bearing surface to grip the pale's surface. It is also noted that the bearing surface of the bolt may also include features, such as wedged shape protrusions, to help the bolt grip the pale surface while being tightened, to hold the bolt in place even when the bolt has a conical head. it is noted that kits with such bolts may also include specialised tools configured to fasten bolts with such conical bolt heads.

Description of the drawings:

The present invention is illustrated by means of the following drawings show: Figure 1-depicts an example profile for a D-section fence pale.

Figure 2-depicts an example pale profile as disclosed in the prior art.

Figure 3-example profile of a pale of the present invention.

Figure 4-depicts the example of Fig.3, with preferred hight and angle ratio.

Figure 5-depicts the example of Fig.3 fastened to a rail, via the addition of a fastener, in the form of a conical bolt.

Figure 6-an illustration of a stripped thread fastener that may be used with the claimed invention.

List of the features of the present invention 10-D-section pale 12, 12'-Wings of D-section pale 14-point of D-section pale 20-rail

30-prior art pale profile

32-central portion of the prior art pale

34-wing of the prior art pale

36-curves with the wing of the prior art pale

38-folded ends of the prior art pale

40-pale as per the prior art profile

42-central portion 44, 44'-wings of the pale 46-curves on the wing/connecting portion of the pale 48, 48'-folded portion of the wing of the pale 50, 50'-connecting portion 60-hight of the wing 62-height of the central portion 70-angle of the wing point 72-angle of the folded portion relative to the plan of the wing 80-conical bolt 82-conical bolt head 83-bearing surface 84-threaded shank 86-worn section of the shank 90-nut coupled to the bolt As stated, the claimed invention provides an improved design for a pale configured to be used in a palisade fence. It is noted that a palisade fence comprises a plurality of fence panels, wherein the ends of each panel is connected to a respective post. In a palisade fence each panel comprises two rails, the rails are spaced vertically from each other, with one rail above the other, the ends of the rails are then connected to a respective post. Then a plurality of pales, which comprise one or more points at one end, are coupled to the rails so that the points are pointing upwards to act as a deterrent to any intruders who attempt thee climb the fence. Each pale will comprise an aperture for each of the fence rails, likewise each of the rails will comprise a plurality of evenly spaced apertures along their length. The pales are coupled to the rail by aligning the apertures of the pale with an aperture of a respective rail and then passing a suitable fastener, such as a bolt, through the pair of apertures, before being secured into place.

Figure 1 depict the profiles of the commonly used D-pale 10 for palisade fence pales. Another common option currently is an angled section, not depicted, which comprises a pair of wings which meet at an angle creating a V-shaped profile. The D-section 10 improves upon the V section profile by having a broader angle at the point 14, and having curves along the sides of the wings 12,12'. These additional curves allow the D-section pale 10 to better deflect the force of any impacts to the wings 12,12' of the pale, as the force is spread over a larger area, within the same pale width. It is also noted that the additional material within the same pale width will also provide additional strength to the pale, for a given thickness. It is also noted that the D-section 10 is designed to deform as the pale is fastened to place as the sides of the pale begin to spray outwards, as the centre point 14 of the pale is compressed. It is noted that as the fastener would be positioned at the point 14 of the pale the fastener may not be fully fastened. As doing so may flatten, or collapse the point 14 of the pale, forming a weak point which may allow an intruder to bend, or even break, the pale more easily. For this reason, it is preferable for the wings 12,12' of the D-section pale 10 to be deformable as the sides of the pale spread further apart to allow the tension/force on the point 14 to be reduced to reduce the risk of the point 14 collapsing under the force exerted by the fastener.

Figure 2 shows an example pale 30 from the prior art which tries to improve the pale design in Fig.1, by combining the design of the above-mentioned 0-section pale 10, with that of a W-section pale. In this design we have the shapes of two 0-section wings 34 which are joined together via a central portion 32. It is noted that in this design, the 0-shaped sections are taller and narrower, to reduce the overall width of the pale. As this allows the pale 20 to provide improved strength, due to the increased amount of material within a specific length, this is achieved by increasing the angles between the wing 34 of the D-section portions and the central portion 32, to be within the range 70-90°, as described in GB2573388. It is also noted that in these pales 30 the fastener is coupled to the central portion 32 which rests on the surface of the rail 20 the pale is fastened to. It can also be seen from figure 2 that the curves 36 on the wings 34 and the portions connecting the wings 34 to the central portions 32 appear to cover most of the surface of their respective portions of the pale 30, the purpose of these curves 36 is to provide more strength to the pale 30 as they maximise the surface area of their respective portions allowing force on the pale 30 to be spread over a larger area. It is also noted that in the depicted pale 30 the ends 38 of the wings 34 have been folded over so that the folded portion of the wing 34 is in contact, or at least proximate to the inner surface of the pale's wing. The reason for this is so that the folded portion 38 can help to protect the inner surface of the pale from the external environment, additionally, the folded portion 38 creates a rounded corner, which helps to reduce the amount of force the pale's wing 34 would exert onto the rail 20, when the wing 34 is under compression. This helps to reduce the risk of the rail's surface being damaged as the pales are secured into place Figure 3 shows the profile of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Similar to the pale 30 depicted in Figure 2, the preferred embodiment invention comprises a pale 40 with a central portion 42 connected to a pair of wings 44,44', wherein the surface of the wings 44,44' comprises at least one curve 46 to help strengthen the pale 40, by reducing the force exerted onto the pale 40 by spreading the force over the larger area, and increasing the amount of material within a given length of the pale 40. However, when comparing the profiles in Fig.2 and Fig.3, there are several key differences: first it can be seen that the curves 46 on the surface of the wings 44,44' in Fig. 3 are noticeably smaller than those in Fig.2, this is because even though the larger curves provide improved strength, they also make the pale less flexible, as it would require more force to compress, or stretch, the curved surface. Therefore, to provide the desired flexibility, enough to allow the pale 40 to be adjustable when constructing the fence, thereby allowing the pale 40 to be more easily aligned with the rail 20, the present invention would preferably have smaller curves 46 over the surface of the pale's wings 44,44'. This is also true for the curves on the connection portions 50, that couple the central portion 42 to the wings 44,44'. For example, in the preferred embodiment, the curves 46 should cover no more than a third of their respective face of the pale 40, this way the curve 46 still provides some additional strength to the pale 40, but the wings 44,44' can be more easily deformed when compared to those in the Fig.2.

It is also clear from Fig.3 that the ends of wings 44,44' in the present invention are not folded as far as the wings 34 in Fig.2. More specifically, while the ends 38 of the wings 34 in Fig.2 are folded until they touch the inner surface of the pale, the ends of the wings 44,44' in the preferred embodiment are folded until the folded portion 48,48' is parallel to the rail 20, and central portion 42. By doing this the folded portions 48,48' can act as 'feet' for the pale 40, supporting the pale 40 and gripping the surface of the rail 20 while the pale 40 is aligned ready for fastening. Additionally, these folded portions 48,48' further increase the area of contact between the wings 44,44' of the pale 40 and the rail 20, helping to further dissipate the force exerted onto the rail 20, by spreading the force over a larger area, compared to Fig.2. As previously noted by reducing the force exerted on the rail 20, the user can prevent damage to the surface of the rail 20, specifically preventing damage to any protective coating on the rail's surface, as the pale 40 deforms, and the wings 44,44' are put under compression. It is noted that in the present invention it is preferable that the wings 44,44' to be folded inwards, so that the ends of the wings point towards the centre of the pale, as depicted, even though the above-mentioned effect could also be achieved by folding the wings outwards. The reason for this is that the wings 44,44' being folded inwards provides some protection to the pales internal surface from outside environment. Additionally, it is noted that the exposed ends of the wings, when folded outwards, could leave the sharp edges of the pale exposed, thereby possible causing harm to the person constructing the fence or even people passing the fence once constructed, therefore the inward folding portions 48,48' are preferable.

Another difference between Fig.2 and Fig.3, is that in the present invention the central portion 42 is raised relative to the rail 20, and the ends of the wings 44,44' of the pale 40. This space means that when the fastener is inserted into the pale 40 and the rail 20, it may be placed loosely, meaning that the faster is holding the pale 40 and rail 20, but not tight enough to deform the pale 40 to move the central portion 42 to the rail 20, while in this state the pale 40 may pivot around the fastener to help adjust the pale 40 to align the pales second aperture with a second rail. It is also noted that the space may allow a fastener to be inserted at an angle, in order to reach the aperture of one of the rails 20, in cases when said rails 20 are not parallel, in these cases the deformation of the pale may help straighten the pale. And in turn the fastener, when the fastener is tightened. Once all the fasteners are in place then can then be tightened to holed the pale more securely. It is noted that to achieve a stronger grip the fastener would preferably deform the pale to bring the central portion 42 into contact with the rail 20. This is one reason why, for the present invention, the smaller curves on the face of the pale were preferable, as this deformation would be easier to achieve manually. This is also why the ends of the wings 44,44' are folded as described above, to improve grip on the rail 20, before the fastener is tightened, and to help reduce the force exerted on the rail 20 when the pale is deformed, as the fastener is tightened. As previously mentioned, it is preferable that the space between the central portion 42 and the rail 20 be between 1-3cm, as this distance is large enough for the user to be able to adjust the pale as described above. For if the space was smaller, there would not be sufficient flexibility in the pale 40 to allow the user to manually realign the pale 40 during construction. However, if the space was larger, the wings 44,44' of the pale 40 would need to be made steeper, and as noted in the prior art, the steeper wings are stronger, but also harder to deform, meaning the user may not be able to manually deform the pale 40 to the point wherein the central portion 42 rests on the rail 20, additionally if the user did manage to deform the pale 40, there may be increase tension on the fastener which may cause the fastener to crack, or even break. Therefore, a space within the range 1-3cm is preferable to provide some strength, while also allowing the pale 40 to be flexible and easy to deform.

Figure 4, depicts some of the preferred size ratios for the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, Fig.4 depicts the difference in height between the height 62 of the central portion 42 and the height 60 of the pale wings 44,44', relative to the surface of the rail 20. From the example depicted in Fig.4 it is clear that the wings 44,44' should be significantly taller than the central portion 42, in particular the depicted example has a hight ratio of about 5:1, which means the central portion 42 is lifted to around 20% the hight of the wings 44,44'. Though as previously noted this ration may be smaller, as again a larger ration would require the sides of the wings 44,44' to be steeper, making it more difficult to deform the wings 44,44' of the pale 40. Therefore, we need to keep the hight ratio with a region where the angles of the connecting portions 50, between the central portion 42 and the tip of the wings is within the range 50-70°, as this range provides a good balance between strength and flexibility. As doing so will mean that the pale 40 can be deformed manually and will have some flexibility to make each pale easier to align, while also providing enough strength to allow the pale 40 to endure impacts when used for security.

The other measurement present in Fig.4 is the angles 70,72 for the point of the wing and the folded portions 48,48' of the wings 44,44'. It is noted that these angles, and the above-mentioned angle between the central portion 42 and the tip of the wing, are connected, meaning that changing one of these angles will likely change the remaining angles. Especially, as changing the indicated angles 70,72 would affect the steepness of the sides of the wings 44,44', as mentioned this can affect the flexibility and strength of the pale, though for the present invention it is the pale's flexibility that is a priority. Due to this, the angle 72 indicated at the folded end of the pale wing 44, measuring the angle between the folded portion 48 and the plan of the wing 44, has a preferred range between 130-120°, as this angle means that the angle between the inside of the wing and the rail 20 /folded portion 48, is in the range 50-60°, about half the exterior angle 72 and about the same as the angle between the central portion 42 and the tip of the wing. This range is preferable, just like the angle for the central portion 42, as a compromise between strength and flexibility, for the smaller the external angle 72, the steeper the wall of the wing will be. For as the wall of the wing reached 90°, perpendicular to the rai 201, it provides more strength for a given pale size, however at these steeper angles the pale 40 becomes less flexibly. But if the angle between the folded portion 48 and the wing 44 is below 50° it greatly reduces the strength of the pale 40, therefore the preferred range is 50-70°, but more preferably would be between 50-60°. As for the angle 70 at the tip of the wing, it is preferable for the angle to be large to again allow the wings 44,44' to have a shallow gradient to be more flexible, but is limited by the angles at the central portion 42 and folded portion 48, it is noted that keeping these angles within their preferred ranges will likely result in the angle 70 at the tip of the wing being within the range 60-80°, but it may be preferable to try and make this angle more narrow, for example between 40-60° a size similar to the other angles, but preferably a little smaller. As we know that the pale 40 will deform when the fastener is tightened, in particular the wings 44,44' will spray outwards causing the angle 70 at the tip of the wing to increase, and as with the other angles, this angle may provide maximum strength to the pale at, or proximate to 900, therefore it may be preferable to initially have a smaller angle so that the angle is closer to 90° after the deformation to improve the strength of the secured pale, thus the smaller range of 40-60° is preferable. It is noted that once the angles are chosen the manufacturer may need to change the height 60 of the wing 44,44', or width of the pale to make all the angles possible, though as the pale 40 is designed to be made by a roller process such changes can be easily implemented. It is also noted that for this reason it is preferable for the curves 46, or bumps, on the surface of the wings 44,44', and connecting portions 50, to have an arch angle between 40-60°, as again when the pale deforms and the wings spray out the angles on the curves may increase, and the user wants the increased angle to be within the range 70-90° so as to provide maximum strength and force deflection.

Figure 5 depicts an example of how the pale 40 of the present invention can be secured to a rail 20. As noted, the pales of the present invention are configured to be coupled to at least two rails. Specifically, along the length of the central portion 42 of the pale 40, there will be one aperture for each rail 20 the pale will couple too, for example if there are two rails in the fence panel the pale 40 will have two apertures, one proximate each end of the pale 40. Likewise, each rail 20 will comprise a plurality of equally spaced apertures along its length, one for each pale within a fence panel. To affix the pale 40 to the rail 20 of a panel, the user places the pale 40 over one or both rails, it is noted that with the present invention the pale 40 will rest on the folded portions 48,48' of the wings 44,44', wherein the user can align one of the apertures of the pale 40 with a respective rail 20, once align the user may place a fastener through the aligned apertures, this fastener may take different forms such as nails, rivets or as depicted in Fig.5 a bolt 80. Some fasteners may require additional elements, such a nut 90, to secured into place. The user will only loosely fasten the first fastener, so that the central portion 42 is still above the surface of the rail 20, as this will allow the pale 40 to move relative to rail 20 to allow the user to align the second aperture of the pale with the aperture of the second rail, while the fastener holds the pale 40 in place. Once all the fastener are inserted the user may then tighten all of the fasteners. As depicted by the arrows in Fig.4, as the user tightens the fasteners the pale 40 should deform, bring the central portion 42 closer to the rail 20, until the central portion 42 rests on the surface of the rail 20. For when the central portion 42 rests of the rail 20 the fastener will have a stronger grip on the pale 40, meaning the pale 40 will be held more securely and will not move in the same manner as it did during the construction/alignment process, making the pale 40 harder to remove, when compared to a 0-section pale, as an intruder cannot use the gap between the rail 20 and the central portion 42 to access the fastener and provide leverage to remove said fastener. It is also noted that the pales surface may be under less tension when resting against the rail 20, meaning that there is a lower risk of the pale surface cracking or warping under the tension caused by the fastener. It is also noted that the raised wings 44,44', on either side of the central portion 42, not only provides more strength to the pale 40 as described above, also means that the fastener will be recessed between the wings 44.44', again making it harder for an intruder to access, and remove, the fasteners once tightened.

It is also noted that the choice of fastener may also help provide additional safety features, to make it harder for an intruder to remove the pale 40 once secured by said fasteners. For example, the depicted fastener in Fig. 5 is a bolt 80 with a conical bolt head 82. the point of this bolt head, like the points at the top of the palisade pales, may act as a deterrent to any intruders attempting to climb the fence. Additionally, the bolt 80 may have a conical, or frustoconical head, to make the bolt 80 harder to remove with conventional tools, such as spanners, as such tools will struggle to grip the curved surface of the bolt head 82. these bolts 80 may also have a larger bearing surface 83, so that the conical heads 82 can be made shallower, giving the sides a shallower gradient, thereby further reducing the area that can be gripped to remove the bolt 80, while still being able to provide sufficient force to hold the pale 40 under tension.

Another possible safety feature for the fastening bolt 80 is depicted in Figure 6, specifically the figure shows a bolt 80 that has had a portion 86 of its thread worn away, or stripped. This may be achieved by using a steel for the bolt 80 that is softer than the material used to make the nut 90 and pale 40 the bolt 80 is inserted into. This way when the bolt 80 is tightened and the surface of the bolts shank 84 directly under the pale 40, and nut 90, is under tension, the force exerted by the pale 40 or nut 90 will eventually wear down the thread. For once the thread is worn the bolt 80 may not engage the surface of the pale or the thread of the nut making it harder to remove the bolt 80. It should be noted that the material for the bolt 80 should not be so soft that the thread of the nut 90 can dig into the surface of the bolt's shank 84 to the point where it forms a new thread, thereby re-threading the worn portion 86. Other possible safety features include rounded, or break away nuts, this being a rounded nut with a hexagonal potion that is broken off once the nut is fastened into place, as much like the conical bolt head 82, the curved bolts are harder to grip, and therefore more difficult to remove.

It is noted that the present invention may come in a kit of parts comprising the above-mentioned rails, pales, and fasteners. If the fasteners in said kits include the rounded nuts, for conical headed bolts 80 described above, the kit may further comprise specialised tools to allow the user to tighten the fasteners with ease.

By using some or all of the above mentioned features the present invention seeks to provide an improved fence pale 40 for use in a palisade fence. Wherein the profile of the pale allows the pale 40 to be flexible during construction to make the pale 40 easier to align when the rails 20 or posts of the fence are misaligned, or the rails 20 are not parallel, due to adverse environmental conditions. After the fence panel is constructed, said pales 40 are configured to be easily deformed, this is done manually by tightening the fasteners that couple the pale 40 to a respective rail 20. Once deformed, the central portion 42 of the pale 40 is brought into contact with the rail 20 to allow the pale to reduce the tension acting upon it, and to more securely grip the rail 20, thereby providing improved security, while also making the palisade fence easier to construct.

Claims

Claims: 1. A pale (40) for use in a palisade fence by fastening to rails (20) between posts; the pale (40) being an elongate formed sheet steel member; the pale (40) thereby having a cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, that cross section comprising: outer wings (44, 44') for abutting a rail (20) to which the pale (40), in use, is fastened and a central inner portion (42) with apertures for receiving fasteners for said fastening, the central portion (42) being configured to be raised from the wings (44, 44') such that, on contacting the wings (44, 44') with a planar rail (20), the central portion (42) is raised above the rail (20), the pale (40) being configured to be resiliently deformable, such as by securing the fasteners so that the central portion (42) can be brought into contact with the rail (20) under tension and the wings (44,44') under compression.
2. The pale (40) of any preceding claim in which the wings (44, 44') are connected to the central portion (42) by U or V shaped connecting portions (50).
3. The pale (40) of claim 4 in which the connecting portions have undulations.
4. The pale (40) of any preceding claim wherein the ends of the wings (44, 44') are folded over, so that the ends of the wings are parallel to the plane of the rail (20).
5. The pale (40) of claim 6, wherein the folded wing ends (48, 48') are folded in a direction so that the ends of the wings point towards the centre of the pale.
6. The pale (40) of any preceding claim wherein the wings (44, 44'), central portion (42) and/or connecting portions (50) of the pale comprises one of more curves (46) within the plane of the pale surface.
7. The pale (40) of any preceding claim wherein the angle between the central portion (42) and the connecting portion (50) is in the range 50-60°.
8. The pale (40) of any preceding claim constructed of mild steel.
9. The pale (40) is formed by cold rolling.
10. The pale (40) of any of claims 8 or 9 wherein the steel is of 1 to 3mm thickness.
11. The pale (40) of any preceding claim wherein pale is powder coated.
12. The pale (40) of any preceding claim wherein pale is galvanised.
13. The pale (40) of any preceding claim wherein the height of the wing (44, 44'), and of the central portion (42), relative to the rail (20) have a ratio of 3:2 or greater.
14. A palisade fence section comprising a plurality of pales (40) of any preceding claim fastened to two parallel rails.
15. The palisade fence section of claim 14, wherein the pales (40) are fastened to the rails via, a plurality of bolts (80); wherein, when in use, the thread on the shank (84) of the plurality bolts (80) is configured to wear away under tension, to prevent the bolts re-engaging the pale (40), and/or rail (20).
16. The palisade fence section of claim 14 or 15, wherein the pales (40) are fastened to the rails (20) via, a plurality of bolts (80) with conical, or frustoconical, shaped bolt heads (82).
17. The use of a pale of any preceding claim to construct a palisade fence section comprising pales (40) of any of claims 1 to 13 and rails.
18. A method of constructing a palisade fence section comprising pales (40) and rails (20) using the pale of any of claims 1 to 13.
19. A kit of parts for constructing the palisade fence sections of claims 14 to 16 comprising pales (40) of any of claims 1 to 13 and a plurality of rails and fasteners.