Fence mounting device and associated hardware

Abstract

A fence mounting device suitable for mounting a fence element to a fence post is described. The fence mounting device includes: a fence post receiving body; a fence attachment means mounted on the fence post receiving body for attaching the fence element; wherein the fence post receiving body is adapted to mount the fence element in a barrier position on the fence post and an access position on the fence post. Other aspects of the invention described include a clamp and a cleat to facilitate attachment to the fence post in the barrier and access positions, and for facilitating attachment of the fence element. Preferably the clamp includes teeth disposed in a skirt.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to hardware for use with fence mounting devices, and improvements to fence mounting devices themselves. In one application, sediment control fences are mounted by the hardware and devices, however it is to be understood that this application is not a limitation of the scope of the present invention.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

It is often required to mount fences in a temporary manner, even fences which have base portions or elements mounted in the ground. A common type of fence includes a textile element or silt barrier which is used for sediment control from building sites, to contain soil and sediment erosion. The textile element is often partially dug into the ground while an upper region is supported on posts. The upper regions of the textile element are mounted by a fence mounting device and sometimes has a ribbon along a top edge for tying of a cleat on the fence mounting device. A wire is sometimes present in the textile element, also along its top edge, for reinforcement and tension of the top edge. The wire must be held taut in order to maintain a degree of erosion control. Present mounting devices are difficult to mount and tension fences.

Also, it is often required to remove or lower or dismantle the fences around building sites to allow for traffic to move across boundaries around the sites, which is not easy to do with known arrangements being as the fences are often simply stapled to the posts. Even with ribbon-and-wire mounted fences, the fence elements are not easy to remove from the posts.

The present invention seeks to ameliorate one or more of the abovementioned disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a fence mounting device suitable for mounting a fence element to a fence post, the fence mounting device including: a fence post receiving body; a fence attachment means mounted on the fence post receiving body for attaching the fence element; wherein the fence post receiving body is adapted to mount the fence element in a barrier position on the fence post and an access position on the fence post.

Preferably the barrier position is a mounting at an upper or intermediate region of the fence post and the access position is at a base position on the fence post.

Preferably the fence post receiving body is detachable from the fence post in order to move between the barrier position and the access position. Preferably the fence element is a silt fence.

Preferably fence post receiving body includes a cap and a skirt depending therefrom; and a clamp for clamping to a wall of the fence post.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a clamp for use with a fence mounting device, the clamp including: a skirt portion associated with the fence mounting device; a plurality of teeth spaced apart from one another around or on the skirt, the teeth for engaging a side portion of a post, the arrangement being such that squeezing or other deformation of the skirt distends the skirt and separates one or more teeth from one another, for receiving a post between the teeth, and releasing the skirt contracts the teeth towards one another to engage the post.

It is also contemplated that the skirt teeth may be pushed against a side wall or flange or flanges of the post, so as to jam or dig into the walls or flanges and thereby grip the post wall or Flange.

In one arrangement the teeth are adapted to engage walls of a square-section post, although the teeth may engage T-posts, or star pickets just as easily. Any kind of post material is accommodated, including wood, plastic, steel, and the like.

Preferably a bight is provided in the skirt wherein the teeth are disposed. The bight provides a clamping region, and a region for mounting of teeth.

Preferably the teeth are disposed in a peripheral or circumferential plane within which the skirt is in turn disposed. This provides teeth with additional strength and a simple manufacturing process.

In one embodiment the bight is disposed within the peripheral or circumferential plane. In one form the bight extends into a main peripheral skirt wall, away from a base edge of a skirt, to provide additional flexibility of the skirt.

Preferably the teeth are disposed around a perimeter of the bight.

Major and minor teeth may be provided in order to provide coarse and fine adjustment in relation to different sizes of post cross-section and profile.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a cleat for use with a fence mounting device, the cleat including: a boss extending from a skirt of the fence mounting device; the boss including a neck portion and a head portion, forming at least two recesses adapted for looping or connecting or locating a ribbon around the head or neck section; and a latch for closing a recess between the skirt and the head section.

Preferably the head is enlarged and elongate to provide deeper recesses for secure tying.

Preferably the latch includes an elongate latch arm and a catch, at one end thereof, for facilitating spinning the recess.

Preferably the elongate latch arm is hinged to facilitate easy access to the recess. In one form the hinge is a fine flexible bridge of plastic.

Preferably the catch is releasable by flexing the head section, or operating by a quick thumb-flick by an operator, to facilitate access to the recess.

Preferably the hinge is disposed higher than the catch when in a locked position, so as to reduce the likelihood of catching on clothing or being injured in a fall against the latch. The arrangement provides the elongate arm with a downward disposition when in the locked position.

In one embodiment the boss is an anvil-shape, and it will be appreciated that that arrangement falls within the scope of the abovementioned neck and head sections.

According to still another aspect of the present invention there is provided a fence mounting device including a cap having a base wall and a skirt depending therefrom, the cap including a mounting means for mounting a fence clip, the mounting means in the form of one or more apertures for receiving the fence clip and mounting it on or in the cap.

Preferably a plurality of apertures are provided, spaced around the skirt. Preferably the apertures are evenly spaced to allow adjustment of the clip relative to the fence mounting device.

Preferably a cleat is provided to attach the fence to the fence mounting device.

Preferably the clip is provided associated with the device, the clip being is distended to release or open the clip, and released so that edges of the clip grip the reinforcing element or wire.

Preferably the fence mounting device is provided, which includes features described above, such as for example: clamp; teeth; bight; latch; hinge and catch, in various combinations.

Spaced-apart flanges or headstones may be provided, spaced on a selected PCD (pitch circle diameter) wherein broad faces face a longitudinal axis so as to provide a socket. This allows the fence mounting device to resist rotation when placed atop a post. Square posts, for example, engage the flat faces of the flanges. T-posts or star pickets have flanges which engage the headstones by being placed in the spaces between adjacent headstones on the same PCD. Each headstone is tapered so as to grip varying star pitch flange thicknesses. The tiered arrangement of the headstones accommodates varying diameters of square post on the flat faces.

It will be convenient to hereinafter describe separate aspects of preferred embodiments of the invention in combination with other aspects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the aspects of the invention are not to be limited by the combination described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to enable a clearer understanding of the present invention, a preferred embodiment will hereinafter be described with reference to the attached drawings, and in those drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a fence mounting device;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view generally from above;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view;

FIG. 5 is a plan view from underneath;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view generally from underneath;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are typical side elevation views of the fence mounting device shown in FIGS. 1-6, in latched and opened positions, respectively;

FIG. 9 is an isometric view generally from in front of the fence mounting device in situ, assembled to a temporary fence; and

FIG. 10 is an isometric view from generally behind, of the fence mounting device supporting a sediment control fence and a reinforcing wire element.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings there is shown a fence mounting device generally indicated at 10 including a cap 11, mounting means 12, cleat 14, and clamp 16.

The mounting means 12 is adapted to mount a clip 18 which is in the form of a pressed-metal clip, formed so as to flex and open when pressed by an operator to a release position, and so as to release to a locked position. In the locked position, edges of the clip 18 dig into reinforcing wire 20 so that the wire 20 stays taut when mounted on the fence mounting device 10.

Ties 22 are provided to mount sediment control fence 24 to the reinforcing wire 20.

The mounting means 12 is in the form of apertures 26 in cap 11. The apertures 26 are spaced around skirt 13 and spaced from a base edge or region 65 of the skirt 13. Grip means 28 are provided to provide grip when tensioning the sediment control fence 24. In the embodiment shown the grip means 28 are in the form of alternating ridges and valleys 29 extending axially and spaced apart around the skirt exterior.

The clip 18 inserts into apertures 26 to mount wire 20.

To assemble the sediment control fence of FIG. 10, posts 30 are driven into the ground. A ribbon may be disposed within an upper hem of the sediment control fence 24, and apertures may allow it to be withdrawn therefrom. The ribbon, or alternatively, ties 22, are tied to cleat 14. The cap 11 is driven onto stake or post 30. Socket 33 provides a positive abutment and engagement or locking between cap 11 and post 30. The socket allows initial tensioning of the sediment fence 24 by allowing quick lifting and turning of the cap to a new angular position, which is also useful if the fabric sags, or posts 30 fall or lean to one side or other, or are dislodged.

Socket 33 includes tiered spaced flanges or headstones 36, wherein gradually smaller flanges 37 are disposed at a smaller radius than larger flanges 39 (35 being the smallest). This arrangement allows support and engagement of different sizes and cross sectional shapes of post 30. That is, a cap 11 mounted on a small cross-section post 30 would be able to descend onto the post 30 until the post was abutting base wall 41. The flanges 35 would, if the cross section of the post is sufficiently large, inhibit rotation of the cap 11, as long as the post 30 had non-circular cross-section. Square cross-section is most convenient. Larger diameter posts would abut a top edge 34 of flanges 35 or 37, but the socket 33 would still be able to inhibit the rotation of the cap 11, due to front faces 38 of flanges 39. It can be seen that a quick tensioning of fence 24 can be effected by removal, twist and replacement of a cap which is tied to an upper edge of the fence element 24.

Multiple apertures 26 also facilitate this twisting and tensioning, because the clip 18 may be removed and replaced in a convenient aperture 26 when tensioning has been effected.

It can be seen that tensioning the open fence element in FIG. 9 can be achieved in a similar way as above described, since an upper portion of the fence element is gripped in cleat 14.

Post 30 in FIG. 9 is shown as a star picket 31 which includes flanges 40 radiating from a hub (not shown). The flanges 40 are received in recesses 42 when the cap 11 is assembled on the picket 31. A socket 33 for tightening is thus effected. A T-post would be similarly engaged between tiered flanges. Each row of tiered headstones or flanges are tapered to accommodate varying thicknesses of star-picket flanges. That is, the smallest flanges 35 are narrow in width and have side regions which are flexible which may allow a star picket flange 40 to flex the flanges 35 when applying the cap 11 to the star picket.

Snug or loose fit may be appropriate for socket 33.

Cleat 14 includes neck 15 and head 17, the latter of which is elongated to show flanges 19 and 21. Flanges 19 and 21 define recesses 45 and 47 for tying ties 22. Latch 50 is provided, including latch arm 52 and catch 54. Hinge 56 is disposed above latch 54 when closed, so that catching or graze injury is avoided, and impacts such as from knuckles and shins are deflected gently. Clamp 16 is provided so that traffic across the fence boundary may be accommodated, without permanently losing tension in the fence element 20. In use, to effect a gate, or access to another side of the fence barrier, the cap 11 may be lifted off the post 30 or 31, and the cap mounted at a lower or base point on the side wall of post 30 or 31, so that people or cars, diggers, and the like may travel easily over the fence.

To mount the cap 11 on the post wall at the intermediate or base region, the cap 11 is rotated, about roll axis 75 and bight 60 is presented to the walls of the post, skirt 13 is posted, squeezed and released, and teeth 62 engage walls of the post 30, or the skirt is simply jammed on the post wall to ensure that teeth 62 or 64 bite into post 30.

Squeezing skirt 13 at front 77 and back 79 opens spaces between teeth 62 and also varies the spaces between opposed rows of minor teeth 64. There are two mechanisms by which the teeth may grip walls of post 30 or 31. Firstly, teeth 62 may grip opposed walls when the skirt is released. Secondly, teeth 64 (minor teeth) may dig into opposed walls when released into a lock position. That is, when squeezed at front 77 and back 79, parts of the sides of the base edge of skirt 13, particularly in the region of the bight 60 in which certain of the teeth 64 are disposed, tend to retract or withdraw towards the cap top wall 41 as well as away from cylindrical axis. Then, when the front and back of the skirt 13 are released, the teeth 64 extend towards one another and also slightly extend so as to actually bite into a wall like a pair of jaws. Resilience of the skirt facilitates these two mechanisms.

Teeth 62 are cut back at a sharp angle so as to snugly receive outer ends of flanges 40 when the cap 11 is in the rotated position, mounted at a base portion of the star picket 31 wall. Minor teeth 64, when the cap 11 is squeezed into an open position, are splayed outwards because of their disposition on the base edge of the skirt 13. When the cap 11 is released into the locking position, the minor teeth 64 may dig into post 30 walls which assists frictional engagement.

Finally, it is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be incorporated into the various constructions and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention.

Claims

1. A fence mounting device suitable for mounting a fence element to a fence post, the fence mounting device including: a fence post receiving body; a fence attachment means mounted on the fence post receiving body for attaching the fence element; wherein the fence post receiving body is adapted to mount the fence element in a barrier position on the fence post and an access position on the fence post.

2. A fence mounting device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the barrier position is a mounting at an upper or intermediate region of the fence post and the access position is at a base position on the fence post.

3. A fence mounting device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the fence post receiving body is detachable from the fence post in order to move between the barrier position and the access position.

4. A fence mounting device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the fence element is a silt fence.

5. A fence mounting device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the fence post receiving body includes: a cap and a skirt depending therefrom; and a clamp for clamping to a wall of the fence post.

6. A clamp suitable for use with a fence mounting device which includes a cap having a resilient skirt, the clamp including: a plurality of teeth spaced apart from one another around or on the resilient skirt, the teeth for engaging a side portion of a post, wherein squeezing or other forced deformation of the skirt distends the skirt and separates one or more teeth from one another for receiving a post between the teeth, and releasing the skirt contracts the teeth towards one another to engage the post.

7. A clamp in accordance with claim 6 wherein a bight is provided which is disposed within the skirt, the teeth being disposed on a perimeter of the bight.

8. A clamp in accordance with claim 6 wherein the teeth are disposed in a circumferential or peripheral or skirt plane, in order to facilitate teeth strength and a simple manufacturing process.

9. A clamp in accordance with claim 7 wherein the bight extends into a main peripheral skirt wall, away from a base edge of the skirt, to provide additional flexibility of the skirt.

10. A clamp in accordance with claim 6 wherein major and minor teeth may be provided in order to facilitate coarse and fine adjustment, different clamping mechanisms and engagement with different sizes of post cross-section and profile.

11. A cleat suitable for use with a fence mounting device, the cleat including: a boss extending from a skirt of the fence mounting device, the boss including a neck portion connected to the skirt and a head portion mounted on the neck so that in use a ribbon attached to a fence may be looped or tied around the head and/or neck section; and a latch for connection between the skirt and the head section to facilitate retention of the ribbon on the cleat.

12. A cleat in accordance with claim 11 wherein the latch includes a latch arm and a hinge to facilitate access to the neck.

13. A cleat in accordance with claim 12 wherein the hinge is a fine flexible bridge of plastic.

14. A cleat in accordance with claim 11 wherein the latch is releasable by flexing the head portion of the boss, or by a quick thumb-flick by an operator, to facilitate access to the neck or span.

15. A cleat in accordance with claim 12 wherein the hinge or skirt end of the latch is disposed higher than the boss or outer or catch end portion when in a locked upright position, so as to reduce the latch's likelihood of catching on clothing or injuring a person involved in a fall against the cleat.

16. A fence mounting device including a cap having a base wall and a skirt depending therefrom, the cap including a mounting means for mounting a fence clip, the mounting means in the form of one or more apertures for receiving the fence clip and mounting it on or in the cap.

17. A fence mounting device in accordance with claim 16 wherein a plurality of apertures are provided, evenly spaced around the skirt to allow adjustment of the clip relative to the fence mounting device.

18. A fence mounting device in accordance with claim 16 wherein the clip is provided associated with the device, the clip in use being distended to release or open the clip, and released so that edges of the clip grip a reinforcing element or wire.

19. A fence mounting device in accordance with claim 1 wherein spaced-apart flanges or headstones may be provided inside the post mounting body, each flange or headstone being spaced on a selected pitch circle diameter wherein broad faces face a longitudinal axis so as to provide a socket, so as to facilitate the inhibit rotation of the fence mounting device when placed in a barrier position atop a fence post.

20. A fence mounting device in accordance with claim 19 wherein flanges disposed on a smaller pitch circle diameter are smaller in height to accommodate mounting to varying diameters of square post.