Patent Publication Number: US-2007114506-A1

Title: Fence mounting device and associated hardware

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.