AU2003100411A4

AU2003100411A4 - Improvements in temporary fences or hoardings

Info

Publication number: AU2003100411A4
Application number: AU2003100411A
Authority: AU
Inventors: David Wilkinson
Original assignee: AUSTRALIAN FENCING HIRE Pty Ltd
Current assignee: AUSTRALIAN FENCING HIRE Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2003-05-30
Filing date: 2003-05-30
Publication date: 2003-07-24
Anticipated expiration: 2011-05-30

Description

P/00/012 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: "IMPROVEMENTS IN TEMPORARY FENCES OR HOARDINGS" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2 TITLE: IMPROVEMENTS IN TEMPORARY FENCES OR

HOARDINGS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention THIS INVENTION relates to improvements in temporaryfences or hoardings.

The invention is particularly suitable for, but not limited to, temporary fences which may be erected around building sites, public utility repair sites, dangerous work places or equipment, or the like.

2. Prior Art Since the introduction of the temporary fencing system disclosed in AU-B-81709/91 (640807) (Rynenberg et al), there has been a rapid increase in the use of temporary fences on building construction sites, at public utility (eg. electricity/gas/water/sewerage) repair sites, around dangerous workplace machinery, for temporary parking areas and the like.

Such temporary fencing enables the person(s)/organisation(s) responsible for a site to easily and relatively inexpensively control the access of persons/equipment to or from the site.

Before the introduction of the temporary fencing, the site operator(s) usually had to erect a permanent-type fence around the area to be protected, and then demolish the fence when it was no longer required.

Not only was this expensive, the location of the fence could not be easily moved. In many cases, this meant the whole site had to be provided with a perimeter fence, rather than just the area where temporary protection was required.

The erection of the permanent type fences was not only expensive, but required at least semi-skilled workmen and often expensive equipment for the erection/demolition stages eg. post hole diggers, nailing guns and the like.

The temporary fencing disclosed in AU-B-81709/91 was based on the use of a series of fence sections, where the lower ends of the vertical end stiles were releasably engagable in sockets or holes in blocks or "feet" cast in concrete, which extended on an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sections, to provide stability and support for adjacent pairs of fence sections. Usually at least one connecting bracket or link interconnected the upper ends of the vertical end stiles of adjacent pairs of the fence sections. The vertical end stiles were interconnected by at least substantially horizontal top and bottom fence rails; and the rectangular space defined by the vertical end stiles and the horizontal top and bottom rails was infilled by sheet metal panels or wire mesh. The upper ends of the vertical end stiles could extend above the top rails and could be interconnected by barbwire or the like to discourage persons climbing over the fence sections.

By the use of the fence sections and the cast concrete feet, a temporary fence can easily be erected by two or more unskilled workers.

Usually the only external equipment employed is a lightweight crane mounted on the truck which delivers the fence sections and feet to the site and which transports them from the site.

Because the fence sections are subject to considerable 4 handling during erection/dismantling of the fences on site, and storage between use, the sheet metal panels are subject to damage, in particular being dented and ripped or torn. Not only do the damaged sheets look unsightly, but many potential customers will not accept them on site and so some fence sections can only be used once or twice.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a fencing panel, suitable for use with temporary fencing of the type hereinbefore described, suitable for replacing the existing sheet metal fencing panels.

It is a preferred object of the present invention to provide such a panel, moulded in plastics, which has a relatively high impact resistance, to resist dents or tears.

It is a further preferred object of the present invention to provide such a panel which is readily attachable to existing temporary fencing sections.

It is a further preferred object of the present invention to provide a temporary fencing system incorporating the panel.

Other preferred objects of the present invention shall become apparent from the following description.

In one aspect the present invention resides in a fencing panel for mounting on a temporary fence section of the type having at least a pair of substantially vertical stiles, optionally interconnected by a pair of substantially horizontal rails; the fencing panel including: a substantially planar panel body, optionally terminated by a pair of substantially vertical recesses operable to engage respective stiles; and means to secure the panel body, directly or indirectly, to the stiles and/or rails.

Preferably a plurality of substantially vertical reinforcing ribs are formed integrally with the panel body.

Preferably the panel is moulded in plastics material, optionally fibre reinforced; and a plurality of holes are provided in the panel body, adjacent the recesses, to operably receive fastening means to secure the panel body to the stiles and/or rails or to wire mesh infilling a rectangular space defined by the stiles and rails.

In the second aspect, the present invention resides in a temporary fence section including: a pair of substantially vertical stiles, optionally connected by at least a pair of substantially horizontal rails, lower ends of the stiles being operably receivable in sockets or recesses of supporting blocks or feet; a fencing panel including a substantially planar body, optionally terminated by a pair of substantially vertical recesses operably engaging respective stiles; and fastening means securing the panel body directly and/or indirectly to the stiles and/or rails.

Preferably wire mesh infills a rectangular space defined by the stiles and rails; and the fastening means are operably engaged with holes in 6 the panel body and with the wire mesh to secure the fencing panel to the wire mesh.

Preferably the fencing panel is moulded from plastics material by a rotational moulding technique and the plastics material may incorporate dyes and/or reinforcing fibres eg. of glass, plastic filaments or carbon fibre.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To enable the invention to be fully understood, a preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a temporary fence having temporary fence sections provided with the fence panels of the present invention; Figures 2 and 3 are respective rear and front views of one of the temporary fence sections; Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the fence panel; Figure 5 is a side elevational view thereof; Figure 6 is an end sectional view taken on section A-A on Figure 4; and Figure 7 is a top sectional view taken on line B-B on Figure 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A section of temporary fence 100 has a plurality of interconnected fencing sections 10, shown in more detail in Figures 2 and 3, supported by cast concrete feet 20, which have a pair of recesses or holes (not shown) in their upper faces to receive the lower ends 11 of the vertical stiles 12 of adjacent pairs of fencing sections 10. The longitudinal axis of the feet 20 extends substantially transverse to the respective longitudinal axes of the adjacent fence sections 10 to provide support and stability for the temporary fence 100. Connecting brackets 30 interconnect the upper ends 13 of the stiles 12 of adjacent fencing sections 10 to provide a stable hinge connection there between.

As shown more clearly in Figure 2, the vertical stiles 12 are connected by substantially horizontal top and bottom rails 14, 15; and the stiles 12 and rails 14, 15 define a substantially rectangular space which is infilled by a wire mesh panel 16.

One or more lengths of barbwire 17 may interconnect the upper ends 13 of the stiles 12 to discourage persons climbing over the temporary fence 100.

The temporary fence 100, incorporating the fencing sections and feet 20 is erected substantially as hereinbefore described in AU-B- 81709/91.

Each fencing section 10 is provided with a fencing panel 40, in accordance with the present invention, illustrated in more detail in Figures 4 to 7.

Fencing panel 40 is rotationally moulded of suitable plastics material polyethylene, polyvinylchloride, polyurethane, ABS) and may incorporate coloured dyes and/or fibre reinforcing. (The reinforcing may be by glass fibres, polyethylene fibres, carbon fibres or the like).

8 The fencing panel 40 has a substantially planar panel body 41 which is preferably dimensioned to substantially match the rectangular space defined by the stiles 12 and rails 14, 15 of the temporary fence section 10 to which it is to be fitted.

Vertical recesses 42, 43 are provided at the ends of the panel 41 to engage a respective stile 12 of the fence section To increase the strength of the panel 41, a plurality of substantially vertical, horizontally spaced, ribs 44 are moulded integrally with the body panel 41.

Recesses 45, 46 are provided at the lower corners of the fencing panel 40 to provide clearance from the feet 20 when the temporary fence 100 is erected.

A plurality of holes (not shown) are provided in the body panel 41, preferably substantially vertical aligned adjacent the recesses 42, 43, to receive fastening means to operably secure the fencing panel 40 to the wire mesh 16, and thereby indirectly to the fence section 10 frame (defined by the stiles 12 and the rails 14, Due to the relatively "tough" nature of the plastics material from which the fencing panel 40 is moulded, the fence panel is resistant to dents, tears or rips; and the integral ribs 44 give a relatively high mechanical strength to resist mechanical impacts, wind forces and the like.

The fencing panel 40 can also support advertising material either applied directly or indirectly.

If the fencing panel 40 should become so damaged as to not 9 be acceptable to a potential hiring customer eg. as a result of a vehicle impact, then the panel 40 can be easily removed and replaced by a similar panel. Alternatively, if there is a high demand for fence sections 10 only requiring the wire mesh 16 and not solid panels, then the fencing panels can easily be removed and be refitted at a later time.

Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described and illustrated without departing from the present invention.

Claims

1. A fencing panel for mounting on a temporary fence section of the type having at least a pair of substantially vertical stiles, optionally interconnected by a pair of substantially horizontal rails; the fencing panel including: a substantially planar panel body, optionally terminated by a pair of substantially vertical recesses operable to engage respective stiles; and means to secure the panel body, directly or indirectly, to the stiles and/or rails.

2. A panel as claimed in Claim 1, wherein a plurality of substantially vertical reinforcing ribs are formed integrally with the panel body.

3. A panel as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the panel is moulded in plastics material, optionally fibre reinforced; and a plurality of holes are provided in the panel body, adjacent the recesses, to operably receive fastening means to secure the panel body to the stiles and/or rails orto wire mesh infilling a rectangular space defined by the stiles and rails.

4. A temporary fence section including: a pair of substantially vertical stiles, optionally connected by at least a pair of substantially horizontal rails, lower ends of the stiles being operably receivable in sockets or recesses of supporting blocks or feet; a fencing panel including a substantially planar body, optionally 11 terminated by a pair of substantially vertical recesses operably engaging respective stiles; and fastening, means securing the panel body directly and/or indirectly to the stiles and/or rails. A fence section as claimed in Claim 4, wherein wire mesh infills a rectangular space defined by the stiles and rails; and the fastening means are operably engaged with holes in the panel body and with the wire mesh to secure the fencing panel to the wire mesh; and the fencing panel is moulded from plastics material by a rotational moulding technique and the plastics material optionally incorporates colouring dyes and/or reinforcing fibres.