US2696974A - Picket fence - Google Patents

Description

H. J. GIBBS PICKET FENCE Dec. 14, 1954 Filed Feb. 10, 1953 [FREE] 35 HIE]. 11

INVENTOR. HAROLD J. GIBBS ATTORNEYS United States Patent PICKET FENCE Harold J. Gibbs, Columbus, Ohio Application February 10, 1953, Serial No. 336,140

1 Claim. 01. 256-22) My invention relates to a picket fence. It has to do, more particularly, with a fence of the picket or slat type.

The fence of this invention is of such a type that the parts thereof can be manufactured by mass-production methods economically so that it can be sold at a low cost. It can be shipped knockdown but can be set up easily and quickly with simple tools by mechanically unskilled persons. It can be made of corrosion-resisting materials or can be made of materials which can be painted readily for protection. The fence can be built-up to form sections of any desired length. Furthermore, if desired, the fence can be taken down readily and can be disassembled readily for storage or for use elsewhere, where it can be reassembled readily.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an assembled and set-up fence according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a modified form of slat or picket of my fence.

Figure 3 illustrates the roll form in which the fence rails may be supplied.

Figure 4 is a broken enlarged detail in side elevation shfiwing the cooperating structures of the slats and the ra s.

Figure 5 is a broken vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4 and showing how my fence is attached to a supporting post.

Figure 6 is a further enlarged plan view of the structure of Figure 4 showing how two rails may be overlapped and connected and how a slat is attached to the overlapping ends of the rails.

With reference to the drawing, in Figure 1 I have shown a fence made, assembled, and set-up according to my invention. It is formed of a series of flexible slats 10, one of which is indicated in Figure 2, and rails 11 which may be supplied in roll form of considerable length, as shown in Figure 3, or in the form of shorter flat strips.

The slats 10 may be formed of metal or other flexible material, for example, a plastic. They will be similar to the slats of a Venetian blind. Each will be bowed slightly transversely, as indicated at 10a in Figure 2, when supplied with the other parts of the fence for assembly and erection.

The rails 11 may be formed of strips of metal or other material which may be subjected to a stamping or punching operation. Such a stamping operation is adapted to produce the outwardly extending tabs 12 at regularly spaced longitudinal intervals. The alternate tabs 12 extend in opposite directions so that they are arranged in pairs of opposed tabs which extend towards each other and are adapted to receive one of the slats 10 therebetween.

In assembling the fence, a pair of the rail strips 11 are disposed in parallel flat relationship. Then each of the slats 10 is taken successively and is bowed transversely, to a greater extent than originally bowed, and is positioned between a corresponding pair of opposed tabs 12 on each strip 11, so that when the slat is released, it will spring back to its original width and its edges will thereby spring under the opposed tabs 12. The original width of the transversely bowed slat 11 will be slightly greater than the distance between the extremities of opposed tabs 12. When being inserted between the tabs 12, the slat 10 is sprung to a width less than such distance and when properly positioned, is allowed to spring beneath the tabs 12 which Will retain the slat in position. If desired, three or more of the rails 11 may be used. These rails 11 may be used in a curved fence, as in Figure 1, or in a straight fence, either of which may be of any desired length.

If it is desired to connect the ends of adjacent rails 11, it is merely necessary to overlap them, as shown in Figure 6, with the tabs of the underneath strip extending outwardly through the tab holes of the overlying strip. Then when the slat 10 is positioned as indicated, the edges of the slat will extend beneath the tabs of the underneath strip and will thereby hold the two overlapping strips together.

When the fence is erected, suitable supporting posts 13 will be used at proper intervals. The fence can be fastened to these posts 13 by the use of simple clips 14 (Figure 5) which are fastened to the post in upright position by means of screws or nails 15. Each clip 14 is formed of flat spring material and has a portion which contacts the post and an outwardly extending spring end which allows the strip 11 to be slipped downwardly behind it. Thus, the fence will be suspended from the posts.

My fence can be manufactured efiiciently by massproduction methods and can, therefore, be sold at a low cost. It can be shipped knockdown. It can be assembled and erected easily by unskilled persons. It can be removed from the posts and rolled into a roll for storage or for use in another location. Or it can be taken down and disassembled easily by unskilled persons for storage or for use in another location where it can be reassembled readily.

Various other advantages will be apparent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A fence comprising a rail having integral tabs extending from the plane thereof so as to provide tab openings with the tabs arranged in pairs of oppositely-extending tabs, a slat positioned between a pair of the tabs, said slat being free of any fastening means and being normally of a width greater than the distance between the extremities of said tabs, said slat being in transverselybowed form originally and being flexible so that it can be bowed transversely to decrease its width to permit insertion between the tabs and expansion beneath such tabs so as to be retained thereby on said rail, a pair of said rails being disposed in overlapping relationship in the fence with a pair of the tabs of the underneath rail extending outwardly through an aligning pair of the tab openings in the overlying rail, and a slat positioned between said pair of tabs of the underlying rail to hold the assembly together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,668,651 McKinnon May 8, 1928 2,573,239 Barrett Oct. 30, 1951

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