US2218954A

US2218954A - Adjustable grade iron fence

Info

Publication number: US2218954A
Application number: US288856A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gustaf A Gustafson
Original assignee: CYCLONE FENCE Co
Current assignee: CYCLONE FENCE Co
Priority date: 1939-08-07
Filing date: 1939-08-07
Publication date: 1940-10-22
Anticipated expiration: 1957-10-22

Description

Oct. 22, 1940.

G. A. GUSTAFSON ADJUSTABLE GRADE IRON FENCE Filed Aug. 7, 1939 Patented Oct. 22, 1940 UNITED sTArEs ADJUSTABLE GRADE IRON FENCE Gustaf A. Gustafson, Waukegan, Ill., assignor to v Cyclone Fence Company, a corporation of Illi- Application August 7, 1939, Serial No 288,856

" 2 Claims.

' The'invention 'relate s to improvements in fence structure and has more particular reference to an improved iron fence of the ornamental picket- Still another object is to provide an iron picket fence wherein the horizontal rails are fabricated from a plurality of parts stamped from sheet metal which are capable of holding the fence in assembled relation although permitting limited articulated movement so that the fence can be adjusted to conform to the slope and contour of the ground at the place of erection.

Another object is to provide an ornamental iron fence of the character described wherein the horizontal rails and pickets will be held in assembled relation without the use of welding or fastening means of any kind..

The invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and as particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail the certain illustrative embodiment of the invention, this being indicative of but one of the number of ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

In the drawing which illustrates an embodiment of the invention and wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts:

Figure l is a front elevation of a sectionof fence construction in accordance with the present invention;'

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the part of the fence of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a sectional end elevation.

The present fence is similar in appearance to the ornamental iron fence of the type having vertical pickets, although the horizontal rails of the present fence are fabricated from sections stamped from sheet metal. The pickets thereof may also be stamped from sheet metal, although solid iron pickets may be used if desired, and are, therefore, to be considered as coming within the invention.

Referring to Figurezl, the-fence of the invention may .be described-as comprising. vertical pickets indicatedj'by the numeral Iii held in vertical position and in proper spaced relation by horizontal upper and lower rails indicated generally by numerals II and-I2, respectively. As previously described, the pickets may be stamped from sheet metal, in which case they will be channel-shaped in cross sections, or said pickets may be of solid iron (not shown). The upper ends of the pickets are preferably pointed, as at [3, in any desired decorative manner.

The upper and lower rails It and i2, respectively, are identical in construction, each including a substantially U-shaped member I6 which is shown in inverted position in Figure 3. The side walls of the substantially U-shaped member it are identical and provide intermediate straight portions H, the outer and lower extremities being inwardly curved .toprovide clamping surfaces IS, the function of which will be later described.

At spaced points along the length ofthe inverted substantially U-shaped members It the web or base portions l9 thereof are provided with apertures 2| which, although larger, are shaped to conform to accommodate the vertical pickets l0.

Referring again to Figure 3, it will be noted that each of the vertical pickets I0 is provided with two horizontal slots, as at 23 and 24, across the rearward faces thereof andadjacent the posi-, tions of the upper and lower rails II and I2, respectively. One of the horizontal slots 23 is considerably wider than the other slot 24 which is for a purpose to be later described.

The inverted substantially U-shaped members I6 receive, through their apertures 2|, the vertical pickets l0 and clamp the same in position by means of the clamping surfaces [8 on the outer and lower extremities of the fiat portions I! of the side walls'. It willbe noted that the clamping surface l8, which is on the side of the picket Ill having the

horizontal slots

23 and 24, seats in the slot 23, thereby providing increased strength.

The upper and lower rails II and [2, respectively, are first put in position after which the vertical pickets are inserted. Because of the clamping effect of the surfaces l8, the vertical pickets H) are prevented from endwise movement, but the upper and lower rails H and I2, respectively, can be put on a grade because of the hinge pickets I 0.

The smaller of the horizontal slots 24 provides a definite lock with the adjacent clamping surface l8 of the U-shaped member, but the larger of the horizontal slots 23 provides sufiicient clearance to enable the swinging in either direction of the upper and lower rails H and I2, respectively.

It is not necessary to weld any parts of the present fence nor are fastening means of any kind required. The parts are retained in associated relation simply by the cooperation of the inverted substantially U-shaped members l6 and the vertical pickets l0.

While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of the invention, 1 do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, since various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. Fence structure of the ornamental iron type consisting of vertically disposed pickets supported by spaced upper and lower rails, each rail including a U-shaped member having apertures in its web to receive the vertically disposed pickets while permitting limited pivotal movement of the pickets, the ends of the legs of said U-shaped members having clamping contact with said pickets, said pickets having a groove to receive the end of one of the legs of each of said U-shaped members whereby the latter are held against displacement.

2. Fence structure of the ornamental iron type consisting of vertically disposed pickets supported by spaced upper and lower rails, each rail including a U-shaped member having apertures in its web to receive the vertically disposed pickets while permitting limited pivotal movement of the pickets, the ends of the legs of said U-shaped members having clamping contact with said pickets, said pickets having a groove to receive the end of one of the legs of each of said U-shaped members whereby the latter are held against displacement, and means carried by the pickets for permitting thelimited pivotal movement of said last namedlegs. V v

GUSTAF A. GUSTAFSON.