Patent Publication Number: US-11384562-B2

Title: Shaped fence

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the construction of a fence. 
     One type of fence is made from a plurality of rectangular mesh panels. Each panel is positioned between and fixed to a pair of adjacent, and spaced apart, fence posts which lie on a fence line which defines a perimeter. The fence line follows the contours of the ground in which the posts are planted. If the ground surface between an adjacent pair of posts is fairly level (horizontal) then, when a fence panel is fixed to the pair of posts, a lower edge of the panel is more or less in ground contact and an upper edge of the panel has an effective height above ground which is equal to the height of the panel. If the ground traversed by the fence line slopes, then between an adjacent pair of posts, the ground surface will be inclined from one post to the other. It is then necessary to “step” the associated panel so that its lowest edge which normally is adjacent one of the posts, is at a highest point on the ground between the adjacent posts. 
     A fence erected in the aforementioned manner, over uneven ground, consequently has an upper profile which is stepped to follow the contours of the ground below even though the ground below may have a surface which varies gradually in its inclination. 
     The stepped upper edges of the panels may have an appearance which is aesthetically unappealing. Of more consequence is that, if the fence is designed as a security barrier, the variation in the effective height of the fence may make it easier for an intruder to climb over the fence. For example, with a steep ground gradient it then becomes necessary to plant the posts closer together, and to use panels of a reduced width. This calls for the use of additional posts and the demand for concrete to anchor the posts in the ground is increased. 
     An object of the present invention is to address, at least to some extent, the aforementioned situation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides an infill fence panel which includes a body made from a mesh material, and from one side has a wedge shape. 
     The body may have a first edge and a second edge which opposes the first edge, and which forms an included acute angle with the first edge. 
     The size of the included acute angle may vary according to requirement. 
     The infill fence panel may be provided in a plurality of standard sizes so that, within reason, a selected panel will have an included acute angle which is more or less the same as the slope of the ground at which the infill panel is to be used. 
     The body of the infill panel may have a third edge which is at a right angle to the first edge and a fourth edge which is shorter in length than the third edge. 
     If the length of the first edge is A and the length of the third edge is B then B/A≤⅛. 
     By way of example only the infill panel may have a length (i.e. the length of the first edge) of the order of 3 meters. The length of the third edge which effectively is the maximum height of the infill panel when it is used may be selected from 50 mm, 100 mm, 200 mm, 300 mm and 400 mm. The aforementioned dimensions mean that, by way of example, B/A= 1/60 or 1/30 or 1/15 or 1/10 or approximately. It is desirable to provide the infill panels in sets, with the panels in each set having different B/A ratios, so that a technician in the field, erecting a fence can, on site, choose an infill panel to suit the ground contour at the site. 
     The first edge may be formed with a flange which extends generally transversely to a plane in which a substantial part of the body lies. The flange may be more or less at a right angle to this plane. The purpose of the flange is to provide a means whereby the body of the infill panel can be attached, with relative ease, to an upper edge of a lower or underlying rectangular fence panel. 
     The second edge of the body may also be formed with a flange or other stiffening structure. 
     The invention also extends to a fence which includes a plurality of primary panels each of which is of rectangular form and is made from a mesh material, and a plurality of fence posts which are planted in the ground spaced apart from each other along a fence line, wherein each primary panel is located between and secured to a respective pair of adjacent fence posts, and at least one infill panel, of the aforementioned kind, and wherein the first edge of the infill panel is located on, and fixed to, an upper edge of a primary panel. 
     The use of the infill panel thus enables a fence to be erected wherein an upper edge of the fence more or less follows the underlying ground contour. It is also possible to use an infill panel, generally of the kind referred to, at a lower edge of a primary panel so that the infill panel can effectively close a gap between a lower edge of the primary panel and an opposing ground surface which is inclined relative to the lower edge i.e. to the horizontal. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of an infill panel according to one form of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of the infill panel taken long line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of a section of a fence which includes a primary panel and an infill panel; and 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  of the accompanying drawings is a side view of an infill panel  10  according to one form of the invention. 
     The infill panel  10  has a body  12  which is made from a mesh material formed from a plurality of closely packed, horizontally extending, parallel and spaced apart wires  14  welded to a plurality of transversely extending, parallel and spaced apart vertical wires  16  which are less densely packed than the wires  14 . 
     The infill panel  10 , viewed from the side, has a wedge shape. The body  12  of the infill panel includes a first edge  20 , a second edge  22 , a third edge  24  and a fourth edge  26 . 
     The second edge  22  opposes the first edge  20  and is inclined relative thereto in that the two edges  20  and  22  define an included angle  30  between them. The first edge  20  has a length A. Due to the inclination of the second edge  22  relative to the first edge, the second edge is longer than the dimension A. The third edge  24  has a length B and is more or less at a right angle to the first edge  20 . The fourth edge  26  has a length C, in a direction which is transverse to the first edge  20 , which is of minimal value. 
     The size of the included angle  30  is dependent on the ratio B/A. If A is of the order of 3 meters, i.e. if the infill panel  10  has a standard width of 3 meters then B may, according to the requirement, be selected from a range of standard lengths namely 50 mm, 100 mm, 200 mm, 300 mm, and 400 mm. These dimensions give corresponding ratios of B/A= 1/60 or 1/30 or 1/15 or 1/10 or approximately ⅛. All these values are exemplary only and are non-limiting. Nonetheless, these values are preferred values which have been identified through use and experimentation to be suitable in most instances for addressing the problems referred to in the preamble of this specification. In this regard it is preferable to manufacture sets of infill panels, complying with these ratios so that during erection of a fence suitable infill panels can be selected according to the terrain. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the infill panel  10  in cross-section taken on a line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 . An inspection of  FIG. 2  shows that the first edge  20  is formed with a flange  32  which extends transversely to a plane  34  in which most of the body  12  of the infill panel  10  lies. A flange or a stiffening formation  36 , of any appropriate kind, is formed at the second edge  22 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates from one side a section of a fence  40  which incorporates an infill panel  10  of the kind shown in  FIG. 1 . The fence  40  includes a plurality of fence posts  42 A,  42 B etc which are positioned spaced apart from one another along a fence line and which have lower ends embedded in underlying ground  44 . The ground surface  46  between the posts  42 A and  42 B is uneven and, in this example, the surface  46  rises from the post  42 A towards the post  42 B. 
     A primary fence panel  50  is located between and secured to the fence posts  42 A and  42 B. The primary fence panel  50  is made from a mesh material  52  which is similar to that used in the infill panel  10 . The primary fence panel  50  has a body  54  which is of rectangular outline and which has a lower edge  56  (shown by a dotted line), an upper edge  58  (shown by a dotted line) and opposed vertically extending edges  60  and  62  respectively. 
     The body  54  may be strengthened or stiffened in any appropriate way through the use of rigidifying members (not shown), or by ridges in the form of V-shaped channels (shown as darkened zoned  64 ) or the like in the mesh material  52 . The invention is not limited in this way. 
     The post  42 B extends higher than the post  42 A due to the rise in elevation of the ground surface  46  moving from the left to the right in  FIG. 3 . A second primary fence panel  50 X is attached to the post  42 B. Normally, an upper edge  58 A of the panel  50 X is aligned with an upper end of the post  42 B. A third primary panel  50 Y is attached to the post  42 A. Depending on the slope of the ground surface  46  an upper edge  58 B of the panel  50 Y is displaced from an upper end of the post  42 A. The primary panels  50 Y,  50  and  50 X are thus “stepped” to follow the contour of the ground surface  46 . 
     To overcome the “stepping” appearance, an infill panel  10  is positioned on top of the upper edge  58  of the primary panel  50 . The included angle  30  of the infill panel is such that, within reason, the third edge  24  of the infill panel is more or less equal in length to the spacing between the upper edge  58  of the primary panel  50  and an upper end of the post  42 B. At the left side, the fourth edge  26  of the infill panel is of minimal height. The second edge  22  of the infill panel thus provides a smooth transition from the upper end of the post  42 A to the upper end of the post  42 B, more or less parallel to the contour of the ground surface  46  between the posts  42 A and  42 B. According to the slope of the ground, on the left of the post  42 A, another infill panel  10 Y can be employed in a similar manner to the infill panel  10 . If the ground on the right of the post  42 B is more or less level then an infill panel would not be called for. At the right side in  FIG. 3  the infill panel  10  is secured to the fence post  42 B and, at the left side, the fourth edge  26  is secured using any suitable fastener, not shown, to the post  42 A. 
       FIG. 4  shows in cross-section taken on a line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 3  the infill panel  10  and an upper portion of the primary panel  50 . 
     The primary panel along the upper edge  58  carries a stiffening member or is formed with a stiffening flange  70  which is more or less at a right angle to a plane in which the body  54  lies. The infill panel  10  is positioned so that the flange  32  at its first edge  20  lies squarely on the flange  70 . Fasteners  72  of any appropriate kind are then used to secure the flange  32  to the flange  70 . 
     The second edge  22  of the infill panel  10  is stiffened by means of the formation  36 . 
     According to the slope of the ground surface an appropriate infill panel is selected and then used so that the fence  40  has an upper edge which closely follows the contour of the underlying ground surface  46 . The upper edge of the erected fence  40  has a more aesthetically satisfying appearance and, additionally, due to the elimination of the steps, the security value of the erected fence is not reduced in that the fence does not have one or more regions of reduced height which would allow an intruder to scale the fence more readily. 
     The aforementioned principles can also be applied, if necessary, to the lower edge  56  of a primary fence panel  50  as is shown in  FIG. 3 . A wedge-shaped infill panel  10 X which is selected taking into account the ground contour, can be fixed to the lower edge  56  to facilitate the closure of a gap at the lower edge.