US2773674A - Picket fence - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 1l, 1956 A. FISCHER ET Al- PICKET FENCE 12,773,674 PICKET FENCE y AllenFscherzandfKarl 'A. BauridL-Jr.,

St. Louis 'CountypMm Application 'November 29, 1954,'sefi1No. 171,821

vs claims. 1 (ense-122) This invention pertains to af picket 'fence which"`rnay be constructed of metal, such as aluminum or Vthe like.

An object ffthis invention-istopvideance structure which may'be ki'ire'fabricafed.Finseparate fence elements and which can be assembled in a simple manner lwithut the 1use 'f 'special tools.

' Another 'object `i's to 'p'rvidefsuchja fence structure b'ywhich 'unskilled workmen may assemble the feic'feA easily Further objects will appear 'from the follwing'fdescription'taken'in connectiorwith the 'accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a front view, partly broken away, of a fence constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2--2 of Fig. l, enlarged;

Fig. 3 is a section of one of the pickets on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, enlarged;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged front view of a shoe for connect- -ling the picket to the fence rail; and

Fig. 5 is a right-hand end view of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, a fence constructed in accordance with this invention comprises one or more, iusually two, horizontal fence rails 1 supported on suit- :able upright posts 2. A series of pickets 3 is attached at Iegular intervals to the rail or rails 1 in upright position, :as shown in Fig. l.

Each of the pickets 3 is constructed of a wide strip of metal formed to the shape shown in cross-section in Fig. 3. In this form, the middle portion of the strip is formed to provide a rectangular bead 4 having side flanges 5 extending rearward from the front face of the picket. This structure forms the bead 4 as seen from the rear of the picket, or a channel as seen from the front. On both sides of this channel, side wing portions 6 extend outward from the front edges of the anges 5. These wing portions are positioned at an angle to a horizontal plane, as seen in Fig. 3, or to the plane of the fence when the picket is mounted in its place in the fence. The side edge portions of the strip are bent to the rear to form rounded side edges 7 on the picket and rear ange portions 8. The inner edges of these flange portions 8 are substantially in the same plane with or slightly in rear of the rear face of the bead 4 so as to make spring contact with the rail 1. The picket is formed to the cross-sectional shape shown in Fig. 3 throughout its length, excepting at the top, which may be nished off to any desired contour such as a curve 9, Fig. l. This upper portion may also be flattened, as shown at 10, Fig. 2.

The horizontal fence rails 1 may be formed to a general box shape in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 2, with the front edges turned in to form upper and lower anges 11, the rest of the front face being open. 'Ihese rails may be attached to the posts 2 in any suitable manner, as by means of U-bolts 12. These posts may be any desired cross-sectional shape, an ordinary square section being usual.

In order to attach the picket 3 to the rail 1, a shoe 20 United States Patent@l ice 2,773,67 4 ...Patented .flecf -1f 1, 16956 is:provided,1tasshoivntin Fgs.l`4fa`nd 5. is a-r'ecs tangulara`r strip ofmetalfarranged 1with its flong -:dimension horizontal and having its upper and lower edgeflportions -fbentrearvi'ard'ftoformiiangesr 13. 'Thesefanges are vfdimeh'sionedwto -tvvithin the rail 1 "and up againstthe `#inner*faces "'offthe flanges 11 thereof. Just within'fthe `flanges v13, the edgeportions ofthe shoeare 'formed-With a slight offset '14"towardlthe frear. The distance `of this g-.fo'iset prtionffrom therfront fface of the shoe 'is lslightly less than the thickness Fofthe metal ofl which the `A-rail P1 made. Foriexampleg'if thefthickness:ofithef'inetal is i040 of arr-inch, the offset-.would be `aboutf.030 of an-inch. i'The` ipurpose'of'this will be explained presently. 'The :shoe 20 is longer thanthe width of the -pick'etl as `shown `vin Fig. 1.

'f-A 'rivetfhole 15- ist/formed vin tthe shoe L'at fabout `its noemer, as l'shown infFigs`I4. On each sideofthe rivet-hole 15, a bead 16 is "struck `inward orrtoward thev rear of '---thershoe-,. as. shown vin Figs.v 4 and 5. These'beads ex- -fftetidrtransverselyofthe shoe or vertically in 'thefiinished "dence,` I"IAlieir spacing from each other is such that when *the shoe vis `attached tothe picket, `they will befsubsta'ntia'lly aligned with'thefilangesl ofthe bead 4. i'A similar rivet'hole is formed in the .picket on the center line of 'the' bea'd1'4 andtheshoe is attached to the picket'. by means of a rivet 17 engagingfthesef holes whenaligned and securing the shoe rigidly to the picket in a position extending transversely thereof, as shown in Fig. 1.

When the fence is erected, the rails 1 are mounted on the posts 2. The pickets are then assembled to the rail 1 by inserting the shoe into the rail 1 with the oiset portions 14 of the shoe behind the anges 11 of the rail. The picket is then slid along the rail until the end of the shoe contacts the end of the shoe on the preceding picket. Thus the length of the shoe fixes the spacing of the pickets as the pickets are moved along the rails until their shoes are all in contact. Since the offset of the portion 14 of the shoe is less than the thickness of the flange 11, the rear ange portion 8 of the picket which contacts the outer face of the ange 11 opposite the portion 14 of the shoe will bear against the front face of the ange 11 with a spring pressure produced by the resilient yielding of the wing portions 6 of the picket. Thus, each picket will be scurely held in place on the rail 1 by the friction produced by this spring pressure. It will be seen that this invention provides a structure very easily assembled on the job. The rails may be mounted on the posts 2 lirst, and then the pickets assembled, or a proper number of pickets may be assembled on a pair of rails to form a finished section and then successive sections may be put in place by mounting the rails 1 on the posts 2.

Since the shoes may swivel on the rivets 17, the rails may be set at an angle to the pickets, as when the fence is on a slope.

Various changes may be made in the details of con-` struction, Within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention. Parts of the invention may be used without the whole and improvements may be added while retaining some or all of the advantages of the invention.

We claim:

1. A picket fence, comprising a strip of sheet metal formed to provide a picket having a central bead extending therealong and inturned side edge portions, a horizontally extending shoe secured to said picket at said bead with its upper and lower edge portions engaging the side edge portions of said picket, and a supporting rail having in-turned anges, said picket being attachable to said rail by inserting said anges between said edge portions of said picket and said shoe whereby said anges are gripped by spring pressure of said edge portions.

-2. A picket fence, comprising, a sheet metal picket, a shoe longer than the width of said picket attached thereto to extend transversely thereof, and a supporting rail having means engageable by said shoes of a plurality of pickets to support the picket, said shoes being'in end-toend engagement, their length iixing the spacing of the pickets.

3. A picket for a picket fence, comprising, a strip of sheet metal formed with a longitudinal channel along its middle providing a bead projecting rearward therefrom,

and at side flanges along said strip having their edges bent rearward into U-forrn providing rounded side edges for the picket and rear ange portions positioned for spring contact with a rail engaging said bead. t 4. A picket for a picket fence, comprising, a strip of v sheet metal formed with a longitudinal channel along its middle providing a bead projecting rearward therefrom,

, and side anges along said strip bent rearward into U- form providing rounded side edges for the picket, and@ extending rearward to alignment with the same face of l said bead to make spring contact with a rigid supporting fence rail also engaged by said bead.

5. A fence picket, comprising, a strip of sheet metal formed with a rectangular middle channel therealong,

Aiiat side wing portions extending laterally from said chanqnel and angularly to the plane of the fence, and side zedge portions bent rearward and inward providing rounded edges for the picket and spring-contact members for #engaging the same face of a supporting rail also engaged .by Athe web portion of said channel.

6. In combination with a fence-picket formed with a bead projectingrrearward therefrom, a mounting shoe, and means for clamping said shoe to said picket, said shoe being formed with a stiiening bead in alignment with the bead on said picket when said shoe is clamped by said clamping means.

7. A picket fence, comprising, horizontal rails of box form having in-turned upper and lower front anges, a

series of pickets each formed of a strip of sheet metal References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 43,644 Miller `luly 26, 1864 338,818 Baird Mar. 30, 1886 353,328 Scarbes Nov. 30, 1886 1,164,643 Hale Dec. 21, 1915 2,327,311 Lundy Aug. 17, 1943 2,607,563 Rochester Aug. 19, 1952

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