US2573239A - Picket fence - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 30, 1951 I w, BARRETT 2,573,239

PICKET FENCE Filed Oct. 20, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET l h I INVENTOR 1 M; if I WZM ATTORNEY R. W. BARRETT Oct. 30, 1951 P ICKET FENCE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Oct. 20, 1950 INVENT OR ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 30, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I 2,573,239 PIOKET FENCE,

Raymond W. Barrett, Freeport, N. Y.

Application October 20, 1950, Serial No. 191,185

Claims.

My invention relates to fences. An important object of the invention is to pro vide a noveland simplified sheet metal picket fence which is sturdy and durable in construction, neat and attractive in'appearance, easy to construct and economical to manufacture.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sheet metal picket fence embodying novel means for attaching the pickets to the horizontal rails or-stringers extending between the fence posts.

A further object is to provide a picket fence which requires no nails, screws or oher separate fasteners for attaching the pickets to the stringers, thereby enabling unskilled workmen to erect the fence rapidly and with certainty that the finished fence will be uniform and attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

- In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate likeparts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of corner section of a fence embodying my inven-- tion,

Figure 2 is a similar view of the corner section of fence viewed from the inner side of the fence,

Figure 3 is a plan view of a corner section of my fence,

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 44 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a similar section taken on line 55 of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a similar section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 3,

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken on line 1'| of Figure 5,

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary exploded perspective view of a picket and its associated stringer, and,

Figure 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of a picket removed.

In the drawings, where for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral l5 designates generally sections of the fence, arranged at right angles and connected with a corner post II, for forming a typical corner portion of the fence.

A corner post I! is provided at each corner or turning point in the fence, and the vertical cornerposts are firmly anchored in the ground, as shown. Each corner post I1 is formed of heavy gauge sheet metal, and -is substantially .ri'gid.

Each corner post comprises flat vertical webs l8,

arranged at right angles and joined by a rounded corner portion or web I9, integral therewith. The

webs l8 carry laterally inwardly offset flanges 20,

integral therewith and these flanges are flat, and extend for the entire length of the corner post.

The flanges 2|! are arranged at right angles, asshown.

Each fence section l5 comprises upper and low er horizontal rails or stringers 2| and 22, spaced apart vertically and extending for the entire length of the fence section l5 and parallel to each The stringers 2| and 22 extend between other. adjacent corner posts l1, and the upper stringer 2| is spaced below the tops of the corner posts while the lower stringer is spaced above the ground, as shown. Each stringer 2| and 22 is straight, and formed from a unitary section ofsheet metal which is substantially U-shaped in transverse cross section. Each stringer includes an inner and outer substantially vertical side or web 23 and 24, integrally connected at their tops by a flat horizontal web 25. The U-shaped stringers are inverted in use, so that they shed water readily. The ends of the stringers 2|. and 22 extend across and inwardly of the flanges 20,"

vided at desired intervals between adjacent con.

ner posts I1, and these auxiliary posts 28 are V- shaped in transverse cross-section and also firm.

ly anchored in the ground. The auxiliary posts,

28 are arranged at the inner sides of the fence.

sections l5, adjacent to the inner vertical webs. 23. The auxiliary posts 28 are provided with flat lateral flanges 29, arranged at their opposite sides,

and these flanges engage the inner webs 23 and are rigidly secured thereto by bolts 30 or the like.. The auxiliary posts 28 may be spaced apart any desired distance, such as every six feet along. the. fence. If the distance between adjacent corner.

posts I1 is small enough, the intermediate aux'- iliary posts may be omitted.

Vertical pickets 3| are provided, and these pickets are detachably mounted upon the stringers 2| and 22 in a novel manner to be de-' scribed The pickets are equidistantly spaced. apart laterally, and'the tops of the pickets terminate in alignment. above the upper stringer,

2|, and preferably inalignment with the; tops,.9f

the corner posts H. The lower ends of the pickets extend below the lower stringer 22 and terminate in alignment, slightly above the ground. As shown in Figure 3, the spacing of the auxiliary posts 28 is such that each auxiliary post is ar- 5 ranged adjacent to a picket 3| and substantially concealed thereby when viewed from the outer side of the fence.

The pickets 3| are formed from relatively stiff sheet metal, and are generally V-shaped in transverse cross-section, as shown. Each picket comprises integrally connected diverging flat sides or webs 32, to the free longitudinal edges of which flat longitudinal flanges or mounting strips 33 are rigidly secured, and preferably formed integral therewith. The flanges 33 project laterally inwardly of the longitudinal side edges of the picket, in opposed laterally spaced relation and the flanges extend throughout the entire length of the picket. The flanges 33 are adapted to lie flat against the o uter webs 2t. of the stringers, in assembly, with the apex of the L-shaped picket directed outwardly. The pickets 3| are vertically disposed in assembly and arran ed atright angles to the stringers. 2| and 22. Adjacent to the stringers 2i and 22, the flanges 33 are provided with upper and lower pairs of laterally spaced openings 34. These openings are adapted to receive pairsof outwardly projecting prongs or tongues 35, stamped from the outer webs 24, As shown clearly in Figure 7, the tongues 35 of each pair are curved and converge outwardly or forwardly of the stringer from which they are stamped. The free ends of the projections or tongues 35 of each pair terminate in alignment, as shown. Each pair of tongues 35 on the upper stringer 2| is arranged in vertical alignment with a pair of tongues. on thelower stringer 22, and the tongues in all of the pairs are equidistantly spaced apart. 40

When the pickets 31 are, disconnected from the stringers 2| and 22, and freely disposed, the pairs ofopenings 34 are spaced apart laterally a slightly greater distance than they dist mfi between the free extremities of the pairs oftongues 35. Since. the pickets 3| are formed of sheet metal, they possess some degree of resiliency, and are accordingly compressible laterally, or deformable.

When applying the pickets. 31 to the stringers 2| and 22, each picket is grasped with the hand adjacent to a pair of the openings 3.4 .and squeezed laterally. This shifts the. flanges 33. having the openings 34.together, andreduces the. distance. between the openings 34, until such distanceis. equal to the distance between the. extremitiesof the-projections 35. Theprojections or tongues, 35. are now introduced into the openings 34 and the pickets are shifted toward-the stringers, until the flanges 33 contact the webs 2,4. Thepicketis. now released, and the picket springs back to its. normal shape, thus. spreading theopenings 34,- further apart. When this occurs, the inner op.- posed edges of the openings 34. shift into lockingv engagement. beneath the. inner. portions ofthe U5 converging tongues 35, Figure '7, sothat. the, picket is firmly securedtto .the stringer. When a pair of the tongues 35 on both the upper and lower stringers has thus been introduced into. the pairs of openings 34 of the picket, and .the picket; is-released. it will remain rigidly; SGCIIIIGdztQ-thfi. stringers until it is again grasped and squeezed. orcompressedlaterally sothat the. tonguesv 35 may pass out of the openings-34.

It-is thus seen thatahighly simplified, strong. 75

and durable picket fence is provided, and the completed fence is very neat and attractive in appearance. The pickets, stringers and posts are prefabricated and preferably painted before assembly. No separate fasteners are employed for securing the pickets to the stringers, and the entire fence may be erected rapidly by an unskilled workman.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a picket fence, a stringer having pairs of spaced projections having their free ends extending forwardly beyond the front face of the stringer, and upstanding pickets mounted upon the front face of the. stringer adjacent to the pairs of projections, each picket being transversely resilient so that its width may be changed when placed under tension, each picket having a pair of openings near its longitudinal edges: which are spaced apart for a different distance than the. distance between thefree ends of the adjacent pair of projections when the picket is not under tension and before it isapplied tothe. stringer, the arrangement being -such that when. the picket is placedunder tension to vary its transverse width its openings will be in alignment with the free ends of the projection to receive them and when the picket is freed front some of its tension the, projections will engage. correspondi walls of the openings.

2. In a picket fence, a stringer having pairs of spaced projections having their free ends extending forwardly beyond the front face of the stringer, and upstanding pickets mounted upon the front face of the stringer adjacent; to the pairs of projections, each picket being generally V-shaped in cross section and transversely resilient so that its width may be reduced when placed under tension, each picket having a pair of openings near its longitudinal edges which are spaced apart for a greater distance than the distance between the free ends of the adjacent pair of projections when the picket is not under tension and before it is applied to the stringer, the arrangement being such that when the picket is; placed under tension to reduce its width the openings will be moved toward each otherin alignment with thefree ends of the projections to receive them and when the picket is freed. from some ofitstension the. projections will securely hold the picket upon the stringer.

3. In a. picket fence, a stringer having pairs of spaced projections having their free ends eX- tending forwardly beyond ,th e, front face of the stringer, the projections in each pair having their free ends offset inwardly with relationto therear ends of the. projectionswhich are secured to the stringer, and upstanding pickets mounted upon the front face of the stringer adjacent to the. pairs. of projections, each picketbeing enerally V,-shapedin cross section and. transversely resilient so that itswidth may be reduced when placed undeiktensipn, each picket having a -pair of openings near its. longitudinal edges for re-. ceiving. theadjacent-pair of projections with the freeends of. the projections extending laterally, inwardly beyond -the...inner walls of the openings, thear an ement e ng suc tbatiw enrth iqkstz is, placed under. tension to duce.. s.-.wi h. h

openings will be moved toward each other so that the picket may be removed from the projections.

4. In a picket fence, a stringer having pairs of spaced projections having their free ends extending forwardly beyond the front face of the stringer and converging forwardly in a substantially horizontal plane, and upstanding pickets mounted upon the front face of the stringer ad jacent to the pairs of projections, each picket being generally V-shapeol in cross section and transversely resilient so that its width may be reduced when placed under tension, each picket having a pair of openings near its longitudinal edges for receiving the adjacent pair of projections with the rear ends of the projections substantially contacting with the opposite inner walls of openings, the arrangement being such that when the picket is placed under tension to reduce its width the openings will receive the forward ends of the projections so that the picket may be removed from the stringer.

5. In a picket fence, a stringer having pairs of spaced projections having their free ends extending forwardly beyond the front face of the stringer, and upstanding pickets mounted upon the front face of the stringer adjacent to the pairs'of projections, each picket being generally V-shaped in cross section and transversely resilient to vary its width under tension, each picket having a pair of inwardly facing flanges disposed at the rear of the picket to be covered from front view by the picket, the flanges having openings formed therein which are spaced apart for a different distance than the distance between the free ends of the projections when the picket is free from tension and before it is applied to the stringer, the free ends of the projections being out of alignment with such openings when the openings receive the projections, and the picket is applied to the stringer.

RAYMOND W. BARRETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,668,651 McKinnon May 8, 1928 2,520,313 Harris Aug. 29, 1950 2,520,314 Harris Aug. 29, 1950

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