US20080217596A1

US20080217596A1 - Secure wall fencing structure

Info

Publication number: US20080217596A1
Application number: US12/044,452
Authority: US
Inventors: John C. Dolan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-03-09
Filing date: 2008-03-07
Publication date: 2008-09-11

Abstract

A modular fencing structure which comprises a plurality of spaced-apart, vertical support posts, which are secured in the ground by burying them a predetermined depth, optionally in concrete or the like. A plurality of horizontal support rails are fastened to the posts, interconnecting them and providing an attachment point for mounting the security panels. The security panels are manufactured from galvanized steel, are ribbed to provide maximum integrity, and are fastened to the horizontal support rails by means of one-way, tech-screw security fasteners or welding. Additional security measures, such as barbed wire or razor ribbon, are easily attachable to the top of the posts for applications where ultimate security is desired.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/906,243, filed on Mar. 9, 2007. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to structural fences. More particularly, this invention relates to a structural fence which is resistant to tampering and is simple to manufacture, assemble, and install.

BACKGROUND

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
High-security fences are used extensively around confinement areas, prisons, storage yards, and the like. Such fences also are frequently provided to exclude persons from areas for both the protection of the person, as at construction sites, and for protection of the site itself, as at industrial sites, secret installations, and even homes or residential areas.
Typically, high-security fence consists of multiple vertical posts projecting upward from a stable support base, such as the ground. The posts support paneling or partitions, which in the most common form consist of a continuous length of wire mesh. Such basic fences, while providing a barrier against any casual desire to move from one side of the fence to the other, often are time-consuming to manufacture and install. More so, they are often easily tampered with, allowing practically any determined person with ordinary tools to be able to gain access to the restricted area contained within the fence.
In attempts to enhance the effectiveness of such fences, angled extensions of barbed wire are mounted to the upper ends of the posts to extend upwardly and inwardly toward one side of the fence. Such extensions are normally relatively short and permit access by a person having both a handhold and a foothold on the vertical fence itself. As such, the portion of the barrier which provides the maximum effectiveness, when considering a person of reasonable agility, is at the extreme top of the fence.
An improved high-security fence is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,166. The fence disclosed therein includes fence posts that angle inwardly toward the side of the fence to which a person is to be confined. The inward angling of the fence posts and retained wire mesh are affected by utilizing fence posts anchored to project vertically upwardly from the ground to a predetermined height from which they arcuately arch upwardly and laterally from the vertically positioned and anchored lower end portion. Because of the simple nature of the mesh wire, this type of fence does not provide the necessary security and/or privacy as would a paneled fence.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved high-security fence which entails simplified, relatively low-cost assembly, which is neither easily penetrable nor easy to disassemble or dismantle.

SUMMARY

A further object of the present invention is to provide a secure wall fencing structure which is easily manufactured and cannot be disassembled easily to gain unauthorized entry.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a secure wall fencing structure which can easily incorporate further security measures such as barbed wire or razor ribbon.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a secure wall fencing structure which can be built constructed in a variety of heights, depending on the individual application.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a secure wall fencing structure which can be retrofitted to existing fencing structures and gates.
These and other objects will become apparent in the following description and drawings disclosing a modular fencing structure which comprises a plurality of spaced apart, vertical support posts which are secured in the ground by burying them a predetermined depth, optionally in concrete or the like. A plurality of horizontal support rails are fastened to the posts, interconnecting them and providing an attachment point for mounting the security panels. The security panels are manufactured from galvanized steel and are ribbed to provide maximum integrity and are fastened to the horizontal support rails by means of one-way, tech-screw security fasteners or welding. Additional security measures, such as barbed wire or razor ribbon, are easily attachable to the top of the posts for applications where ultimate security is desired.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

FIG. 1 is a perspective inner-side view of the preferred embodiment of the secure wall fencing structure;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the various elements comprising the secure wall fence structure prior to assembly;

FIG. 3 is a partial, cross-sectional view taken along line 3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a detailed, partial-perspective view of the circled area labeled 4 of FIG. 1, showing the interface between the support posts, horizontal rails, and security panels;

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of a further embodiment of the support posts, implementing additional security means such as barbed wire; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective inner-side view of a further embodiment of the secure wall fencing structure further implementing an electrical box mounted in the inner side, providing electricity for lighting, alarms systems, etc.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that, throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.
Referring now to the figures, in particular FIGS. 1 and 2, the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, disclosing a secure wall fencing structure 10, comprising a plurality of vertical support posts 17, which are manufactured from square or rounded galvanized steel to a given length. Any size post is intended to be within the scope of the invention, but preferably they are manufactured of 3″, 3½″, 4″, or 6⅝″ diameter steel. The top of the post is sealed off from dirt, debris, and moisture which may jeopardize the integrity of the structure by an end cap 18.
A series of horizontal support rails 14, 15, and 16 are attached perpendicular to the vertical posts 17 interconnecting them. These support rails 14, 15, and 16 again are manufactured from square or rounded galvanized steel to a given length, spanning the vertical support posts. Any diameter rail is also intended to be within the scope of the invention, but preferably they are manufactured of 1¼″, 1½″, 1¾″, or 2″ square tubing or, alternatively, 1⅜″ 1⅝″, or 1⅞″ diameter round steel tubing. These horizontal support rails 14, 15, 16 are attached to the vertical support posts either by one-way, tech-screw security fasteners or by welding, depending on the application.
Attaching to the horizontal support rails 14, 15, and 16 are the galvanized steel panels 12. These panels are ribbed in 2″, 4″, or 6″ intervals to increase the integrity and rigidity of the panels and span a length of 38-96″ wide, depending on the application and spacing of the vertical support posts 17. The seams between adjacent panels 12 can be attached through either the fasteners mentioned above or by welded beads.
Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, a more detailed illustration of the individual elements that comprise the fence and how they are interconnected is shown. In this particular embodiment, the panels 12 are affixed to the horizontal support rail 14 by a weld 20, providing the maximum strength to the assembled fence.
Additional security can easily be retrofitted to the fence assembly 10, as shown in FIG. 5, by replacing the top cap 18, which sits atop the posts 17, with optional cap 22, which comprises a barbed wire support means atop the post, spanning along the length of the fence assembly 10. The cap 22 comprises a pair of opposing, inclined bars 26 which cradle coiled barbed wire 24 therebetween and/or linear barbed wire strands 28 which run parallel to the fence assembly. Any other type of deterrent may be implemented, as well, including razor ribbon or Constantine wire.
Additional features are easily attachable to the security fence, such as electrical systems as seen in FIG. 6. Electrical boxes 30 and conduit can easily be attached to the support rails 14 or posts 17 by simple means and can provide the power for security lighting, alarm systems, motion sensors, and the like.
The secure wall fencing structure 10 can be assembled as either a stand-alone application or can be retrofitted to a previously existing fence structure. This provides solutions to existing fence structures which may have gaps, holes, or passageways, as well as preventing intrusion by climbing over the fence. Additionally, the secure wall can be retrofitted and sized to fit any size gate within an existing fence.
In a further embodiment, the secure wall fencing structure 10 may be manufactured to include an outwardly angled portion of the fence along the top of the vertical fence integrated therein. The angled portion may be integrated into the vertical support posts at the time of manufacture or designed to be integrated into an already existing vertical secure wall fencing structure. This angled portion may be of any desired height and may run the entire length of the fence. The degree of incline of this top portion may vary, but preferably is approximately 45 degrees, thereby adding a further measure of security by preventing the wall from being scaled.
The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A system for installing a fence structure, said system comprising:

installing a plurality of vertical support posts to a predetermined height, said vertical support posts manufactured from galvanized steel and comprise a sealed top end cap;

attaching at least two parallel, horizontal support rails between and perpendicular to at least two of said plurality of vertical support posts, said support rails manufactured from galvanized steel, spanning the vertical support posts, wherein attachment means comprises utilizing one-way, tech screw security fasteners;

attaching a plurality of one galvanized steel panel to said at least two parallel, horizontal support rails, said panels being ribbed and being interconnected and attached to said horizontal support rails by means of one-way, tech screw security fasteners.

2. The system for installing a fence structure of claim 1, wherein said vertical support posts are manufactured from square tubing.

3. The system for installing a fence structure of claim 1, wherein said vertical support posts are manufactured from round tubing.

4. The system for installing a fence structure of claim 1, wherein said horizontal support rails are manufactured from square tubing.

5. The system for installing a fence structure of claim 1, wherein said horizontal support rails are manufactured from round tubing.

6. The system for installing a fence structure of claim 1, wherein said horizontal support rails are manufactured from round tubing.

7. The system for installing a fence structure of claim 1, wherein said sealed top end cap comprises a barbed wire support means, supporting barbed wire between said plurality of vertical support posts.

8. The system for installing a fence structure of claim 1, wherein said sealed top end cap comprises a razor ribbon support means, supporting razor ribbon between said plurality of vertical support posts.

9. The system for installing a fence structure of claim 1, wherein said sealed top end cap comprises a Constantine wire support means, supporting Constantine wire between said plurality of vertical supports posts.

10. The system for installing a fence structure of claim 1, further comprising an integrated electrical system for providing at least one of the following: security lighting, alarm systems, and motion sensors.

11. A system for installing a fence structure, said system comprising:

attaching at least two parallel, horizontal support rails between and perpendicular to at least two of said plurality of vertical support posts, said support rails manufactured from galvanized steel, spanning the vertical support posts, wherein attachment means comprises welding:

attaching a plurality of one galvanized steel panel to said at least two parallel, horizontal support rails, said panels being ribbed and being interconnected and attached to said horizontal support rails by means of welding.

12. The system for installing a fence structure of claim 11, wherein said vertical support posts are manufactured from square tubing.

13. The system for installing a fence structure of claim 11, wherein said vertical support posts are manufactured from round tubing.

14. The system for installing a fence structure of claim 11, wherein said horizontal support rails are manufactured from square tubing.

15. The system for installing a fence structure of claim 11; wherein said horizontal support rails are manufactured from round tubing.

16. The system for installing a fence structure of claim 11, wherein said horizontal support rails are manufactured from round tubing.

17. The system for installing a fence structure of claim 11, wherein said sealed top end cap comprises a barbed wire support means, supporting barbed wire between said plurality of vertical support posts.

18. The system for installing a fence structure of claim 11, wherein said sealed top end cap comprises a razor ribbon support means, supporting razor ribbon between said plurality of vertical support posts.

19. The system for installing a fence structure of claim 11, wherein said sealed top end cap comprises a Constantine wire support means, supporting Constantine wire between said plurality of vertical support posts.

20. The system for installing a fence structure of claim 11, further comprising an integrated electrical system for providing at least one of the following: security lighting, alarm systems, and motion sensors.