Abstract:
A fence spool core member has a slot having an open end to permit straddling of a flexible member. A niche adjacent the core open end receives a flange web to trap the flexible fence member in the slot. Torque couplings on the flanges permit rotational displacement of the core in relation to the flexible member. The end flanges include a plurality of peripheral openings that receive pins to retain any rotational displacement of the core in relation to the flexible fence member trapped in the core slot to remove slack from the flexible fence member.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to fencing having the general form of one or more elongated flexible members coupled to a plurality of posts situated in spaced relation to each other. The present invention relates more particularly to apparatus for tightening a flexible member of such a fence.  
           [0002]    Fences are the most commonly employed means for confining that which would otherwise escape and excluding that which would otherwise intrude. Fences may vary greatly in both structure and materials of composition. Fence structure and composition are selected on the basis of initial and upkeep costs, durability, strength, aesthetic characteristics, and safety desired or required. Common fence structures include a plurality of posts situated in spaced relation to each other with one or more members extending between the posts. The members extending between the posts can take the form of rigid structures such as split rails, boards, planks, slats, bars, etc. The members extending between the posts can also take the form of flexible structures such as wire, cable, chain, and chain link. Generally, such flexible form structures are sufficiently long to be coupled to a plurality of the posts. In some installations, some means is provided to remove or reduce the slack in the flexible members to enhance the appearance of the fence and to ensure its retention and exclusion functionality.  
           [0003]    Particularly desirable structures for the flexible members of a fence are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. RE 32,707; 4,881,721; 4,860,996 and 4,973,029 and are in the form of a composite metal and plastic fencing comprised of at least two metal wires having high tensile strength sheathed in a plastic casing. The wire may be of any diameter suitable to the strength required in service. Between the wires, the plastic casing assumes the form of a sheet or web. When strung on supporting posts, the metal wires and associated webbing can extend for the entire length of a fence. The plastic casing encloses the wires and keeps the wires at a fixed vertical separation. A fence so constructed has the advantages of high visibility, good strength, and relatively low cost of purchase, installation and upkeep.  
           [0004]    When properly installed, a fence constructed using such composite metal and plastic web fencing is very attractive. The composite metal and plastic web fencing is typically coupled to each supporting fence post using brackets of the type disclosed in the previously identified patents. The brackets are intended to permit the flexible elongated composite metal and plastic fencing to move laterally with respect to any particular post so that the brackets do not introduce high stress points in the flexible fencing. The eye-catching character of the fencing can be enhanced by substantially removing any slack from the flexible fencing so that the flexible fencing assumes a substantially linear form between each neighboring sets of posts. The brackets permit the slack to be removed by installing a fence tightening mechanism that places the flexible fencing under tension.  
           [0005]    Apparatus for tightening, and/or splicing-joining the elongated flexible members of fencing are known including those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,527,877 and 6,152,429. One apparatus of particular utility in conjunction with such composite metal and plastic web fencing installations takes the form of a spool having a slotted core. The flexible fencing is threaded through the core slot during construction of the fence. Once the ends of the flexible fencing have been secured, the spool is rotated so as to wind some portion of the flexible fencing around the core, thereby removing slack from the length of flexible fencing on which the spool was originally installed. Since the spools of the prior art require that the flexible fencing be threaded through the core slot, this threading operation must generally be done during initial construction of the fence. If through time, a fence installation becomes slack and no such spool was included in the initial installation, a terminal end of the flexible fencing must be opened to permit the threading operation necessary to install the prior art spool.  
           [0006]    What is needed is a spool constructed in such a manner to permit its installation at any point along the length of a flexible fencing member at any time without the need for a threading operation.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    A spool apparatus of the present invention for tightening a flexible member of a fence, includes a core member bifurcated by a slot having a closed end and an open end so as to form two legs. A first flange member is fixed to the core member adjacent the closed end of the slot. The slot open end permits the core member legs to straddle a flexible fence member at any point along the length of the flexible fence member. To straddle a flexible fence member, the slot open end is positioned at a lateral edge of the flexible fence member, and the core is then slipped over the flexible fence member so that the two legs are situated on opposite sides of the flexible fence member. The straddling operation can be done at any time during or subsequent to the fence construction without the need to thread the flexible fencing through the core slot. A second flange member is provided that is engagable with the core adjacent the core open end to trap the flexible fence member in the core slot between the first and second flange members. Once the second flange is secured to the core, a suitable driver can apply a torque to the spool to remove slack from the flexible fencing and one or more retainers can be employed to secure the spool in position with the excess length of the flexible fencing removed.  
           [0008]    A preferred embodiment of the spool apparatus of the present invention includes a core that has a generally cylindrical outer surface, with the slot aligned with a diameter of the cylindrical outer surface. More than one slot could be provided to accommodate flexible fencing of different widths. In the preferred embodiment, the core member includes a flange-engaging niche adjacent the open end, with the niche being aligned perpendicularly to the slot. The niche permits the second flange to be securely coupled to the core at a pre-selected spacing from the first flange. The spacing between the first and second flanges can be selected in relation to the width of the flexible fencing with which the spool is intended to be used. Where the spool might be employed with flexible fencing of differing widths, the core could be provided with niches positioned at differing locations along the core.  
           [0009]    In the preferred embodiment, the slot includes an enlarged portion adjacent to the open end leading to the flange-engaging niche. The core portions defining the ends of the legs between the enlarged slot portions are seen to be arcuate in shape when viewed from the core open end. The second flange member includes arcuate openings adapted to receive the arcuate end portions of the core member legs adjacent the open end. The ends of the arcuate openings in the second flange member are separated by web portions. The web portions of the second flange member are sized to be received in the enlarged portion of the slot, but not the narrower flexible fencing-receiving portion of the slot. Each web portion of the second flange member is also sized to be received in the flange-engaging niche of the core to secure the second flange to the core.  
           [0010]    In the preferred embodiment, each of the first and second flange members include a torque coupling so that the torque applied to the spool can be balanced to ensure a desirable alignment for the spool in relation to the flexible fencing member on which the core is engaged. In the preferred embodiment, the torque coupling of the second flange member is situated inside the arcuate openings, while the torque coupling on the first flange is centrally located in relation to the perimeter of the first flange.  
           [0011]    In use, the second flange is removed from a spool of the present invention to expose the core slot open end. The core legs are then caused to straddle a flexible fencing member so that the legs are positioned on opposite sides of the flexible fence member. The slot open end is then closed by securing the second flange member to the spool core to trap the flexible fence member within the slot. A torque is then applied to the spool to rotationally displace the core in relation to the flexible fence member. Both flanges are provided with a plurality of peripheral openings. At least one retainer pin is provided that is engagable in at least one of the plurality of peripheral openings of both flange members to retain any rotational displacement of the core in relation to the flexible fence member trapped in the core slot.  
           [0012]    The features of a spool constructed in accordance with the present invention permit its installation at any point along the length of a flexible fencing member at any time without the need for a threading operation. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following description of a preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art fence spool.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a fence spool of the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the fence spool shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the spool shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 showing the flexible fence member receiving slot.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is an end elevation view of the fence spool shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 showing an end of the spool partially engaged with the spool core.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 4 but with the spool rotated by 90°.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 7 is an end elevation view similar to FIG. 5, but showing the opposite end of the spool.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a fence spool of the present invention being placed on a fence for use to tighten the flexible members forming the fence. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]    A fence spool  10  of the prior art is shown in FIG. 1 that is suitable for use on composite metal and plastic web fencing installations. The spool  10  includes a core  12  that has a slot  14 . Flanges  16  and  18  are welded adjacent each end of the core  12 . An end portion  22  of the core  12  projects outward through the flanges  16  and  18  at each end so that a tool (not shown), such as a ½ inch driver, can engage the end portion  22  of the core  12 . Each of the flanges  16  and  18  include a plurality of peripheral openings  24 . One or more retainer pins  26  are provided that can be inserted though aligned pairs of the peripheral openings  24 . In use, the flexible fencing, that is to be tightened with the spool  10 , is required to be threaded through the core slot  14  during construction of the fence. Once the ends of the flexible fencing have been secured, the spool  10  can be rotated with the aid of one or more tools (not shown) engaging the core end portions  22  so as to wind some portion of the flexible fencing around the core  12 . This winding operation removes any slack from the length of flexible fencing on which the spool  10  was originally installed. Upon achieving a desired tension in the flexible fencing through the winding operation, one or more retainer pins  26  are inserted though aligned pairs of the peripheral openings  24  to preserve the desired tension. Since these prior art spools  10  require that the flexible fencing be threaded through the core slot  14 , this threading operation must generally be done during initial construction of the fence. If through time, a fence installation becomes slack and no such spool  10  was included in the initial installation, a terminal end of the flexible fencing must be opened to permit the threading operation necessary to install the prior art spool  10 .  
         [0022]    A fence spool  30  of the present invention is shown in FIGS.  2 - 8 . The fence spool  30  includes a core member  32  bifurcated into two semi-cylindrical legs  34  and  36  that are separated from each other by a core slot  38 . The core slot  38  is generally aligned with a diameter of the generally cylindrical outer surface  31  of the core member  32  and includes a closed end  40  and an open end  42 . A first flange member  44  is fixed to the core member  32  adjacent to the closed end  40  of the core slot  38 . A second flange member  46  is releasably coupled to the core member  32  adjacent to the open end  42  of the core slot  38 , particularly as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8. The releasable coupling between the second flange member  46  and the core member  32  enables the legs  34  and  36  of the core member  32  to straddle a flexible fence member  60  supported on posts  61  as shown in FIG. 8. The second flange member  46  can then be coupled to the core member  32  to trap the flexible fence member  60  in the core slot  38 . Further, this straddling operation can be achieved at anytime during or subsequent to the construction of the fence without the need to open an end of the fencing to permit a threading operation as is required by the prior art spool of FIG. 1.  
         [0023]    The coupling arrangement between the second flange member  46  and the core member  32  can be achieved by a variety of means such as a threaded coupling, a bendable tab received in a slot, or a key and keyway arrangement. The preferred embodiment is shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and  5  where it can be seen that the second flange member  46  includes arcuate openings  48  that are designed to receive the distal ends  50  and  52  of the core legs  34  and  36 . Web portions  54  of the second flange member  46  separate the arcuate openings  48  from each other. The web portions  54  are dimensioned to be received in enlarged end portion  56  of core slot  38 . Flange-engaging niches  56  are arranged perpendicularly to core slot  38  at the proximal end of the enlarged end portions  58  of the core slot  38 . Rotation of the second flange member  46  with respect to the core member  32  causes the web portions  54  to become engaged in the flange-engaging niches  56 . Of course, rotation in the opposite sense permits release of the second flange member  46  from the core member  32 .  
         [0024]    With the second flange member  46  released from the core member  32 , the fence spool  30  of the present invention can be positioned so that the legs  34  and  36  straddle a flexible fence member  60  as shown in FIG. 8. It will be appreciated that the spool can be applied, with substantially equal function, with the first flange member  44  on the bottom of the flexible fence member  60  as shown in FIG. 8 or on the top of the flexible fence member. Once the flexible fence member  60  is fully received in the core slot  38 , the second flange member  46  can be coupled to the core member  32  as previously discussed, thus trapping the flexible fence member  60  within the core slot  38 . Of course, the spool  30  of the present invention can be installed at any point along the length of a flexible fencing member  60  at any time and without the need for a threading operation that was required by the prior art spool shown in FIG. 1. Both the first flange member  44  and the second flange member  46  include torque coupling elements  68 , that are intended to be driven by a suitable drive tool (not shown) such as a ½ inch driver typically employed with the prior art device of FIG. 1. The torque coupling element  68  on the second flange member  46  is located radially inside the arcuate openings  48 . The first and second flange members  44  and  46  also include a plurality of peripheral openings  62  that are intended to receive retainer pins  64  that can be inserted though aligned pairs of the peripheral openings  62 .  
         [0025]    Once the second flange member  46  has been secured to the core member  32  entrapping the flexible fencing member  60 , the spool  30  can be rotated with the aid of one or more tools (not shown) engaging the torque coupling elements  68  so as to wind some portion of the flexible fencing around the core member  32 . This winding operation removes any slack from the flexible fencing  60  which the spool  30  straddles. Upon achieving a desired tension in the flexible fencing  60  through the winding operation, one or more retainer pins  64  are inserted though aligned pairs of the peripheral openings  62  to preserve the desired tension.  
         [0026]    Although the present invention as been described in detail in relation to the illustrated preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications not described in detail above are possible without departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined by the following claims.