New Zealand No 336809 International No PCT/AU98/00016
TO BE ENTERED AFTER ACCEPTANCE AND PUBLICATION
Priority dates 17 01 1997,05 02 1997,
Complete Specification Filed 16 01 1998
Classification (6) E04H12/22, E04H 17/08,22
Publication date 29 September 1999
Journal No 1444
NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Title of Invention Portable fencing
Name, address and nationality of applicant(s) as in international application form
DAVID THOMAS GRANT, an Australian citizen of 44 Gregory Street, Toowong 4066, Queensland, Australia
1
PORTABLE FENCING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to impr overrents m portable fencing and is particularly concerned with 5 improved support means to facilitate the erecfion and retention of such fencing
In order for portable fencing to be commercially practicable from a cost and installation perspective, it should not only form an effective barrier but it also must 10 be such that it can quickly be erected and quickly dismantled, it must be sufficiently robust to withstand repeated usage, and it must be readily transportable Also, the portablr fencing should preferably not cause any damage to the groi or surface on which it is erected 15 One fom fencing which goes some way to achieving these goals is the subject of Australian Patent No 640807 This patent discloses fencing comprising a plurality of panels having a pair of vertical stiles interconnected by top and bottom rails and closed by 20 infill material The panels are supported by weighted rectangular concrete blocks having paired holes into which the stiles of adjacent panels are inserted
There are a number of disadvantages with this type of fencing Firstly, because the paired holes are 25 arranged side-by-side transversely of the rectangular concrete block, the holes are relatively close to the edge of the block This, in practice results m the blocks chipping and splitting m the region between the holes and the edges due to the lateral forces exerted by the stiles 30 on the blocks, and the fencing is thereby destabilised and may collapse
A second problem with such fencing is that in order to support typical portable fence panels of 1 2m or 1 8m in height, the concrete blocks are required to be 35 from 20 to 30 kilograms m weight in order to provide the necessary ballast Such bulky and heavy blocks makes them difficult to transport and place
Printed from Mimosa 07/21/1999 10 57 33 page -3-
PCT7A.U98/00016
2
OBJECT OP THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved support means which obviates or at least minimises the aforementioned disadvantages of 5 portable fencing of the type described m Australian Patent No 640807
Accordingly, m its broadest aspect, the present invention provides a support pad for portable fencing panels having vertical stiles, said support pad comprising 10 an enclosed fluid (as herein defined) container formed from extruded or moulded plastics material and having two recesses m which the stiles of adjacent fencing panels can be inserted so as to vertically support the 3tiles when fluid is present in the container, said container 15 having an elongate configuration v^hen viewed m plan wherein the recesses are aligned on a short diagonal of the container, and a fluid inlet/outlet
The term "fluid" used throughout the specification and claims is intended to cover liquids and 20 materials such as particulates, e g sand, which can be poured like a liquid
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The container is preferably formed from high density polyethylene or polypropylene plastics material
2 5 It can be formed m a range of sizes and shapes depending upon the nature of the fencing to be erected For building construction sites where fencing panels are typically 1 8m in height, the container will usually be designed to contain up to about 30kg of water In its
3 0 empty state, the container will typically weigh about 3kg
It is thus apparent that its transportation and placement can be readily and effectively undertaken when it is empty
The container can be designed with a 3 5 substantially flat lower surface so that it can rest on a flat support surface, however prominences or the like may be formed m the lower surface to give a degree of purchase with the ground or other support surface if
Printed from Mimosa 07/21/1999 10 57 33 page -4-
3
required m particular circumstances
Preferably, however, the lower surface has a recess so that together with configured sloping walla formed by the container, jt can be stacked with a like 5 container to facilitate space saving when stored or during transportation
The inlet through which fluid, suitably and most usually water, can be admitted to the container is preferably located on the upper surface of the container A 10 flat upper surface is desirable as it facilitates the stacking of the containers for transportation and placement
The fluid inlet will normally have an associated plug to prevent evaporation of the fluid from the 15 container Alternatively it can be fatted with a hose connection or the like to enable filling by a hose To this end a small air hole may also be provided in the upper surface of the container to enable the contained air to be displaced as the container is filled 20 The fluid outlet can be by way of the fluid inlet However if the fluid outlet is separate from the fluid inlet, it will preferably be located in the bottom of a side wall of the container This will include a removable plug
The recesses in the container may extend only part-way therein or, most preferably, extend right through the container from the upper surface to the lower surface
The recesses will generally be dimensioned to suit the size and configuration of the stiles to be inserted 3 0 therein Typically the stiles will be of cylindrical tube construction and the recesses will likewise be cylindrical and be closely spaced from one another
The location of the recesses m the container is such as to minimise the tendency of the container to tip 3 5 upwardly on edge when the fence panel stiles are inserted The recesses are arranged so that their centre points (when viewed from above) are aligned with the smallest diagonal of the upper surface of the container
Printed from Mimosa 07/21/1999 10 57 33 page -5-
4
Handle indents can be formed in opposing end walls of the support pad to facilitate handling Such handle indents can also incorporate a sheethed cavity through to the base of the support pad to enable a 5 securing pin to be inserted therein m such a manner that it does not protrude beyond the handle indents
A particularly preferred support pad comprises a container having an elongated hexagonal plan configuration with two closely spaced cylindrical recesses extending 10 right through the container and aligned with the short axis of the hexagonal upper surface.
Such a support pad meets the aforementioned object of the invention
The fencing panel for use with the support pad 15 will generally comprise stiles formed from a single continuous member having an inverted U-shaped configuration and including a single rail extending between its ends, with an infill of chain wire or sheet material
Preferably, the single continuous member is formed from galvanised pipe which is bent into the U-snaped configuration and has a straight rail welded thereto
The fencing panel can be connected to an 25 adjacent panel by means of a top bracket comprising a pair of configured plates which clamp together around the upper regions of the stiles
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a top cross-sectional view of a 30 support pad according to one aspect of the present invention,
Figure 2 is a top isometric view of the support pad illustrated m Figure 1,
Figure 3 is a side view of the support pad of
Figure 1,
Figure 4 is an end view of the support pad of
Figure 1,
Figure 5 is a plan view of a fence panel for use
Printed from Mimosa 07/21/1999 10.57 33 page -6-
with a support pad according to the invention,
Figure 6 is an isometric view of a fencing incorporating the pad and panel of the invention, and
Figure 7 is a side-on view of two stackable 5 support pads according to another aspect of the invention
In all of the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts
Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 4, the support pad comprises an elongated hexagonal container 10 10 fabricated from high density polyethylene and weighing approximately 3Kg The container is about 600mm in length, 300mm in width at its widest point, and 150mm m depth
The container 10 has inwardly converging side 15 walls 11, a flat lower wall 12 and a flat upper wall 13
Two recesses 14, 15 extend through the container from the upper wall 13 to the lower wall 12
Water is admitted into, and drained from, the container by way of a screwed security seal 16 When 20 filled, the weight of the pad increases to some 30Kg An outlet 17 for the water is provided m an end wall of the container to enable the water to drain when the fence is dismantled and made ready for transportation
Handle indents 24, 25 are formed m opposing end 25 walls of the support pad to facilitate handling Such handle indents incorporate sheethed cavities 26, 27, which extend right through the base of the support pad and provide means by which securing pins (not illustrated) can be inserted to anchor the support pad to the ground 30 Referring to Figure 5, the fence panel 20
comprises a single inverted U-shaped stile 21 having a rail 22 extending between its ends, and an infill panel of wire mesh 23
Figure 6 illustrates the fence panels 20 35 supported by the container pads 10
Figure 7 illustrates a further embodiment of a support pad 28 m which the lower surface incorporates a recess 29 to enable stacking with a like configured
Printed from Mimosa 07/21/1999 10 57 33 page -7-
6
support pad 30 by nesting in the direction indicated by the arrow
Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention, many modifications 5 and variation may be made thereto by persons skilled in the art without departing from the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth
Printed from Mimosa 07/21/1999 10 57 33 page -8-
PCT'AU98/00016 Received 01 Dcccmbcr 1998
7.