AU2009200989A1

AU2009200989A1 - Method and apparatus for fencing

Info

Publication number: AU2009200989A1
Application number: AU2009200989A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Vincent Mcrobb
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-03-12
Filing date: 2009-03-12
Publication date: 2009-10-01

Description

1 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FENCING This invention relates to a method and apparatus for fencing. This invention has particular but not exclusive application to a method and apparatus for temporary fencing for construction sites and the like, and for illustrative purposes reference will be made to such application. However, it is to be understood that this invention could be used in other applications, such as temporary fencing for sporting venues and fencing generally. PRIOR ART Fencing is provided on a temporary basis in many circumstances, including as temporary fencing for construction, for crowd control barriers and the like. The principles of construction include design features intended to prevent unauthorized persons entering a site and to prevent the barrier itself from causing injury. In many jurisdictions the provision of temporary fencing has become a mandatory condition of town planning and event approval. The common arrangements provide pre-tensioned chain wire panels comprising tubular, galvanized steel uprights spread by spaced, tubular, galvanized steel stringers. The uprights and stringers are joined by conventional fencing knuckles. In use the lower ends of the uprights are located into apertures provided in respective movable concrete blocks. Adjacent panels share and are collocated at their lower ends by the concrete blocks; the upper ends of the uprights of adjacent panels are collocated by a bolt-up clamp arrangement above their respective top stringers. There are many variations on the general theme. For example, WO 2005/090715 describes an arrangement whereby the disadvantage of the concrete blocks being heavy and in excess of recommended guidelines for manual handling 2 by a single person is provided. In this example, there is provided a temporary fence including a barrier assembly including one or more posts, one or more fence panels associated with and mounted on the respective posts; one or more anchors for anchoring the or each post; the or each anchor including a first anchor element and a second anchor element and a cleft disposed between each anchor element when assembled. In this case, the "anchor elements" are essentially a half concrete block adapted to support a respective upright, and the cleft between them may in use be used to entrap, for example, a silt trap membrane. Specialized interconnection means connect the two half base elements together. In all cases the apertures in the concrete bases are disposed about the mid point of the concrete base, whether this is a unitary base or base portions in assembly. The bases do not allow for installation on slopes; installation on slopes requires the bases be dug in to an approximated level. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In one aspect the present invention resides broadly in a method of forming a fence including the steps of providing a plurality of fencing panels each including a frame of upright members joined with spaced stringers, providing a mullion secured by its lower end to a mounting portion disposed toward one end of an elongate supporting base, securing said panel at a selectable height to said mullion, said elongate supporting base having a levelling member movable to support said mullion in an upright position on ground sloping down from said one end transverse said plane. The selectable height of installation of the panels to the mullions permits the fence in assembly to track over terrain sloping in the general plane of the fence.

3 At the same time, the levelling member supports the mullion in a generally upright position against side slopes, that is, a slope generally out of the plane of the fence. In a further aspect this invention resides broadly in fencing apparatus including an elongate base having a mullion mounting portion disposed at one end thereof, a mullion supported by said mounting portion, a fencing panel including a frame of upright members joined with spaced stringers and securable to said mullion at a selected height, said elongate base including a levelling member movable to support said mullion in an upright position on ground sloping down from said one end transverse said plane. The panel to mullion selectable height permits the fence in assembly to track over terrain sloping in the general plane of the fence. At the same time, the levelling member supports the mullion in a generally upright position against side slopes, that is, a slope generally out of the plane of the fence. The elongate base may take any suitable form including the form of a concrete supporting base of the prior art, with the exception of the mounting portion being located toward one end of the base. The elongate base may include a generally flat metal bar having means for locating separable ballast weight thereon. The separable ballast weight may be selected from reinforced or un reinforced concrete, or cast or hot rolled metal. The mounting portion may comprise a socket formed in, fabricated with or assembled to the mounting base. Where a monolithic elongate mounting base, such as a concrete mounting base, is used, the mounting portion may include a cast-in aperture into which a mullion seats in use. In the case of the preferred flat bar mounting base, the mounting portion may comprise a spigot which inserts into the bottom of a tubular mullion, or may 4 comprise a socket adapted to receive the outer dimension of the mullion. In this case, the socket may pass through the mounting base to provide for the mullion to extend there through. By this means the apparatus may be used on reverse slopes. In either case, the mullion may be retained in the socket by a set screw, pin or the like. The mullion may take any suitable form consistent with the mounting portion including round or square tubular sections or solid sections. In order to provide for any selected angle between adjacent panels and to reduce weight it is preferred that the mullion be of galvanized round tubular steel. The upper end of the mullion may be provided with a pressed or welded on weather cap, or may be left plane, or may be collapsed. The upper end may be provided with means for stringing barbed wire or the like. The fencing panels may comprise a tubular metal frame in-filled with tensioned chain link wire. Alternatively the fencing panel may be in-filled with any wire- or line-laced or lug-mounted flat panel material. The fencing panels may comprise spaced vertical stanchions interconnected by knuckle clamps to two or more horizontal rails. Alternatively, the panels may include welded components and may be bent up from tubular stock. The fencing panels may be of the general form of conventional temporary fencing panels except that the lower ends of the uprights need not extend below the lower stringer in forming the frame. The securing means for securing the fencing panels at a height selected to accommodate slope along plane of said panel may for example comprise knuckles comprising two half-knuckles adapted to clamp opposed sides of both mullion and upright by the action of a nut and bolt clamping the two halves together and 5 passing between the mullion and upright. The securing means is preferably adapted to be installed at substantially any height on the mullion and upright, whereby the relative positioning and number of securing means may be arbitrarily selected, The levelling member may comprise an adjustable foot associated with the supporting base and adapted to support the end of the supporting base remote from the mounting portion. For example the levelling member may comprise a screw-adjustable foot. In one embodiment the screw adjustable foot is mounted on a booker rod section adapted to be threaded into an internally threaded tube fabricated to the mounting base and also functioning as the locating pin of the aforementioned ballast weight. In another embodiment there is provided a threaded aperture through the plate and wherein a threaded shank mounting the foot passes through the mounting base to form both the height adjustment and the locating spigot for the ballast weight. In a yet further embodiment the levelling member comprises a flat plate hinged to the mounting base at the mounting portion and extending substantially beneath the mounting portion to its distal end, the hinged foot plate being adjustable away from and toward the mounting base at the distal end by any suitable means, such as the threaded arrangement described above, or by a selectable-depth spacer. The supporting base is preferably disposed whereby the base resists pushing over of the fence from the other side The supporting base may include a low profile extension from the mounting portion beyond the plane of the panel in use, the low profile ensuring that the base does not become a trip hazard, while 6 providing pull-over resistance. The mounting base may also be provided with means for driven insertion of a ground stake or the like to provide enhanced pull over protection. One or more of the supporting base, mullion and fencing panel may be provided with means for securing a silt barrier or the like. In a yet further embodiment of the present invention there is provided a mounting base for temporary fencing panels of the type including a frame of upright tubular members joined with spaced tubular stringers, said mounting base including an elongate body having a mounting portion disposed at one end thereof, the mounting portion adapted to receive the lower ends of uprights of adjacent said fencing panels, said elongate base including a levelling member movable to support said uprights in an upright position on ground sloping down from said mounting portion transverse a plane formed by said adjacent panels. In a yet further aspect the present invention resides broadly in fencing apparatus including an elongate base having a mullion mounting portion disposed at one end thereof, a mullion supported by said mounting portion, and a fencing panel including a frame of upright tubular members joined with spaced tubular stringers and securable to said mullion at a height selected to accommodate any slope along plane of said panel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be further described with reference to non-limiting embodiments of the present invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings and wherein: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of apparatus in accordance with the present invention; 7 FIG. 2 is a side view of fencing apparatus in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 3 is a side view through the fencing apparatus of FIG. 1, when used on a reverse slope; FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the fencing apparatus in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 5 is a detail of a clamping arrangement for use in the present invention; FIG. 6 is a plan view of the clamping arrangement of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is an illustration of the use of long clamps for break over of fencing in accordance with the present invention. In the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 3, there is provided temporary fencing including a flat bar mild steel base 10 having a threaded aperture 11 toward one end and mounting a galvanized-tube mullion 12 toward the other end. A threaded rod 13 has a foot plate 14 pivoted at its lower end. The upper end of the threaded rod 13 serves as a locating pin for an aperture provided in a concrete ballast weight 15. In the embodiment of Fig. 2, the ballast weight 15, base 10, and mullion 12 are as per Fig. 1. However, in this case an adjustable threaded foot plate and stud arrangement 16 adjusts the attitude of the base 10 at the mullion end. The figure illustrates the use of knuckle clamps 17 to secure fence panel stanchions 20 to the mullion 12. In Fig. 4 there is illustrated installation of apparatus in accordance with the present invention down a slope, illustrating the capacity to locate a fence panel 21 8 by its stanchions 20 at differing heights on the respective mullions 12 using the knuckle clamps 17. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of the clamping arrangement provided by one type of claim 17, wherein stamped, galvanized. three-pipe clamp halves 22 are secured about the mullion 12 and respective stanchions 20 by means of nut and bolt assemblies 23. Fig 7 illustrates how a longer clamp assembly 17A may be used to provide some break-over of the temporary fencing in assembly. While It will of course be realised that while the above has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. Fencing apparatus including an elongate base having a mullion mounting portion disposed at one end thereof, a mullion supported by said mounting portion, a fencing pane! including a frame of upright members joined with spaced tubular stringers and securable to said mullion at a selected height , said elongate base including a levelling member movable to support said mullion in an upright position on ground sloping down from said one end transverse said plane.

2. Fencing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elongate base includes a generally flat metal bar having means for locating separable ballast weight thereon.

3. Fencing apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mounting portion comprises a socket formed in, fabricated with or assembled to the mounting base.

4. Fencing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the mounting base is a fiat bar mounting base, and the mounting portion includes a solid or tubular spigot adapted to engage the end of a tubular mullion.

5. Fencing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the mullion is retained to the mounting portion by a set screw, pin or the like.

6. Fencing apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mullion is selected from round or square tubular sections. 10

7. Fencing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the mullion is of galvanized round tubular steel.

8. Fencing apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said upright members and spaced tubular stringers form a tubular metal frame which is in-filled with tensioned chain link wire.

9. Fencing apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the securing means for securing the fencing panels at a height selected to accommodate slope along plane of said panel includes knuckles comprising two half-knuckles adapted to clamp opposed sides of both mullion and upright by the action of a nut and bolt clamping the two halves together and passing between the mullion and upright.

10. Fencing apparatus according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the levelling member comprises an adjustable foot associated with the supporting base and adapted to support the end of the supporting base remote from the mounting portion.

11. Fencing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the levelling member comprises a screw-adjustable foot.

12. Fencing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the levelling member comprises a screw-adjustable foot mounted on a booker rod section adapted to be 11 threaded into an internally threaded tube fabricated to the mounting base and also functioning as a locating pin for the ballast weight.

13. Fencing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the levelling member comprises a threaded shank mounting a foot and engaged with a threaded aperture through the fiat plate and wherein the threaded shank passes through the mounting base to form both the height adjustment and the locating spigot for the ballast weight.

14. Fencing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the levelling member comprises a flat plate hinged to the mounting base at the mounting portion and extending substantially beneath the mounting portion to its distal end, the hinged foot plate being adjustable away from and toward the mounting base at the distal end.

15. Fencing apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the elongate base includes a low profile extension from the mounting portion beyond the plane of the panel in use.

16. Fencing apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the elongate base is provided with means for driven insertion of a ground stake or the like to provide enhanced pull-over protection. 12

17. Fencing apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more of the elongate base, mullion and fencing panel are provided with means for securing a silt barrier or the like.

18. A method of forming a fence including the steps of providing a plurality of fencing panels each including a frame of upright tubular members joined with spaced tubular stringers, providing a mullion secured by its lower end to a mounting portion disposed toward one end of an elongate supporting base, , securing said panel at a selectable height to said mullion, said elongate supporting base having a levelling member movable to support said mullion in an upright position on ground sloping down from said one end transverse said plane.

19. A temporary fence substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

20. A fencing method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the described example as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.