Abstract:
A preformed fence clip and fence clip nut are provided that are designed to tie the fence fabric of a chain link fence to the fence posts that make up its frame. The fence clips used are generally circular in shape having an open end from which extend outward a pair of clip legs. The opening in the fence clip allows it to be slipped over the outer surface of a fence post resulting in the fence clip encircling the fence post and leaving the clip legs extending perpendicularly therefrom which are then engaged by the fence clip nut which is employed to twist the clip legs together and synch down the clip over the fence post and contained fabric strand. This configuration provides a situation in which the fence clip nut is left in place once the installation is complete which effectively and permanently covers the sharp ends of the fence clip legs which pose a potential danger to people and property.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to an improvement in the methods used to attach fencing fabric to the vertical and horizontal posts used to construct chain link and other similar types of fencing. More specifically, to a method of attaching the fencing fabric to these posts that utilizes a simplified clip and securement method and which also does not leave the sharp ends of the clip exposed which can result in injury to people or animals or damage to clothing or other related property.  
           [0002]    The most common and widely used method of attaching the fabric of chain link fence to the fence frame has been through the use of aluminum J-hooks that are attached and twisted by hand. Typically a user hooks one end of the J hook to the fabric bending the long arm around a post and then twistedly attaching the long end to the fencing fabric with a pliers or other hand tool.  
           [0003]    One recent method of attaching the fabric of a chain link fence to the plurality of horizontal and vertical posts, that make up its frame, has been by the use of steel wire clips that encircle the posts and a section of the fence fabric. These steel wire clips are generally circular in nature and contain an open end made up of two extending legs and are threaded around the relevant pole in a manner so that they capture a strand of the fence fabric between themselves and the outer surface of the fence post. The extending legs of the clip are then grasped by the use of a pair of pliers or other grasping implement and twisted together. This twisting motion wraps the ends of the legs around one another and serves to draw the body of the clip tight to the outer surface of the fence post which in turn securely holds the fencing fabric in the desired position in respect to the fence post.  
           [0004]    There are a number of problems associated with this method of attaching fencing fabric to the fence posts that make up the frame of a chain link fence. The most prominent of these is the time that is necessary to complete this operation even by the most skilled of laborers. There are examples in the prior art that have attempted to address this situation as illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,333 issued to Wick et al. which provides a tool that is specially designed to perform the clip leg wrapping operation with the aid of an electric or battery operated drill or other similar device. This tool utilizes a disc containing two holes through which the legs are fed and the disc is then rotated by the use of a centrally located drive shaft. The rotational force thus applied serves to twist the legs together to tie the clip to the fence post.  
           [0005]    While the above described tool performs the desired function, it suffers from design flaws that make it a less than desirable solution. The first of these is the requirement that the clip legs be fed through the holes in the disc which can be difficult and time consuming. Additionally, it leaves the twisted up legs of the clip exposed after the installation is complete. This creates an unsightly and potentially dangerous situation as the ends of the legs can be sharp which can lacerate or puncture anything that accidentally comes into contact with them; a very real possibility considering the general use of these types of fences in enclosing residential and commercial property and the resulting close proximity of these sharp ends to people and animals.  
           [0006]    A possible solution to the problem of the exposure of the twisted ends of the clip legs is the use of wire nuts which are threaded on to the ends of multiple wires to tie them together, many of which are detailed in the prior art. The most relevant of these in regard to the present invention is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,3333,609 issued to Fielding which joins a plurality of wires together by holding their ends stationary while the wire nut is rotated. This causes the wires to be twisted together forming the desired connection. The problem with this is that it is primarily designed for use with electrical wire connections and is therefore not heavy enough for use with fence clips. Additionally, these wire nuts do not attach permanently to the twisted wire ends and are easily removed by reversing the rotation of the wire nut, by placing an outward force on the body of the wire nut, or can even fall off on their own over time. Thus, the use of commonly available wire nuts for the purpose of tying the legs of a fence wire clip together in the installation of a typical chain link fence is an inadequate solution to this problem.  
           [0007]    Therefore, it can be seen that it would be desirable to provide a method of fastening the fencing fabric used in the construction of chain link fences to the posts that make up its frame in a manner that can be accomplished by the use of an easy and effective process that can be accomplished in significantly less time than the processes that were previously available. Additionally, that it would be desirable to provide such a method of attaching fencing fabric which employs the use of a device that both facilitates the connection of the wire clip&#39;s legs but also, in the attachment process, becomes permanently fixed on the end of the twisted wires to form a protective barrier which eliminates the possibility of injury or property damage posed by the exposed connection.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a means by which fencing fabric, commonly used in the construction of chain link fences, can be attached to fence posts which will utilize a preformed fence clip and fence clip nut to tie a strand of the fencing fabric to the fence post and effectively twist the legs of the fence clip together to secure the connection.  
           [0009]    It is an additional objective of the present invention to provide such a fencing fabric connection means in which the fence clip nut is constructed in a manner which allows it to be employed to twist and tie the clip legs together quickly and easily to reduce the overall time that is generally required to construct such fences.  
           [0010]    It is a further objective of the present invention to provide such a fencing fabric connection means in which the fence clip wire remains permanently on the twisted ends of the clip legs after the installation is complete to protect people and property from possible injury or damage due to contact with the sharp points of the clip legs.  
           [0011]    It is a still further objective of the present invention to provide such a fencing fabric connection means that makes uniform and aesthetically pleasing connections which enhance the overall appearance of a chain link fence.  
           [0012]    These objectives are accomplished by the use of a preformed fence clip and fence clip nut that are designed to tie the fence fabric of a chain link fence to the fence posts that make up its frame. It is important to note that the present invention is suitable for use with other types of fences or situations were wire clips need to be twisted, as such the contained reference to chain link fences are for illustrative simplicity. The fence clips used are generally circular in shape having an open end from which extend outward a pair of clip legs. The opening in the fence clip allows it to be slipped over the outer surface of a fence post resulting in the fence clip encircling the fence post and leaving the clip legs extending perpendicularly therefrom. During the process of passing the fence clip over the fence post, a strand of the fencing fabric is placed between the inner surface of the fence clip and the outer surface of the fence post. Therefore, when the fence clip is tightened down, the strand of the fencing fabric is secured to the fence post.  
           [0013]    The extending clip legs are then engaged by the fence clip nut which is the component of the present invention employed to twist the clip legs together and synch down the clip over the fence post and fabric strand. The fence clip nut is a hexagonally shaped device that is primarily shaped like a common fastening nut but is elongated in its longitudinal axis. The fence clip nut is ideally fabricated out of high impact plastic such as ABS plastic, nylon or other material and is constructed with an opening on its lower surface and a closed upper surface. Additionally, the use of the high impact plastic in its construction allows the fence clip nut to be made in a wide variety of colors to match the color of the fence being installed resulting in a more ascetically pleasing construction as it will blend in with its surroundings.  
           [0014]    The opening in the lower surface of the fence clip nut provides a point of entrance to its hollow interior which is the portion of the fence clip nut which is used to grasp and twist the fence clip legs. This interior is composed of a large centrally located body hole which is flanked on opposite sides by half circle wire holes. Additionally, the central body hole extends into the body of the fence clip nut to a depth (relative to its longitudinal axis) that is generally greater than half of its overall length while the two wire holes extend slightly beyond the terminal point of the central hole.  
           [0015]    During the installation of the present invention, the two extending clip legs are inserted into the fence clip nut within the two wire holes and are extended to their ends beyond the end of the central body hole. The ends of the wire holes are separated from one another by the divider and provide a point of securement for each of the fence clip legs which will hold them stationary relative to the fence nut clip regardless of any motion imparted to its external surface. Once the fence clip nut is properly positioned, an external tool such as a socket and ratchet or drill is fitted on the nut rotation flats and rotational force is applied to the fence clip nut. This rotational force twists the central portion of the fence clip legs around each other because the position of the fence clip body on the fence post holds it stationary relative to the fence clip legs and the engagement of the ends of the fence clip legs in the wire holes which hold them stationary relative to the fence clip nut thereby imparting the rotational motion to the extending fence clip legs.  
           [0016]    During the twisting motion described above, the entanglement of the two fence clip legs shortens their overall length. As the fence clip legs shorten, they pull out of the ends of the wire holes which releases them from their tie with the fence clip nut. However, this release of the fence clip legs does not allow the fence clip nut to be removed from the twisted section of the clip legs because, as a result of the twisting motion, their central portion expands to a degree that also expands the interior diameter of the fence clip nut in its central and forward portions. These expansions create an interior diameter at the forward portion of the central body hole that is greater than the diameter at its opening. This configuration provides a situation which allows the fence clip nut to freely rotate once the fence clip legs have pulled free from the wire holes while at the same time not allowing the fence clip nut to be removed from the twisted fence clip legs. This design of the present invention effectively and permanently covers the sharp ends of the fence clip legs which pose the potential danger that is the partial focus of the invention. Finally, it should be understood that this process may be reversed at any time prior to the clip legs being pulled from the wire holes.  
           [0017]    For a better understanding of the present invention reference should be made to the drawings and the description in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 is a top elevation view of an example of the prior art illustrating a specialized tool which is used to engage the extending legs of a fence clip to fasten strands of a fencing fabric to a fence post.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 is a top elevation view of the prior art illustrated in FIG. 1 which details the twisting of the fence clip legs during the attachment process.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 is a top elevation view of the prior art illustrated in FIG. 1 which details the configuration of the fence clip legs and the remaining components of the invention once the attachment process has been completed.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a section of a typical chain link fence illustrating the manner in which the present invention is employed to attach the fencing fabric to the fence posts.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5 is a perspective elevation view of the fence clip nut component of the present invention illustrating the orientation of its major components.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the fence clip nut of FIG. 5 and illustrates the configuration of the rotation flats in relation to its remaining components.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 7 is a bottom elevation view of the fence clip nut of FIG. 5 and illustrates the configuration of the central body hole and wire holes and their orientation in relation to the nut body.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 8 is side elevation cut-away view of the fence clip nut taken along line  3  of FIG. 7 and illustrates the configuration of the central body hole and wire holes in relation to the nut body.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 9 is a top elevation view of the circular post clip component of the present invention illustrating the construction of its clip body and extending clip legs.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 10 is a top elevation view of a circular fence clip as engaged to the outer surface of a fence post and illustrates the manner in which the fence clip is used to attach a strand of the fencing fabric.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 11 is a top elevation view of the circular fence clip of FIG. 10 and further illustrates the manner in which the fence clip nut engages the extending fence clip legs to synch up the fence clip around the outer surface of the fence post and secure the fabric strand.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 12 is a top elevation view of the circular fence clip of FIG. 10 with a cut-away view of the fence clip nut and illustrates the manner in which the fence clip nut engages the ends of the fence clip legs prior to rotational force being applied to the outer surfaces of the fence clip nut.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 13 is a top elevation view of the circular fence clip and cut-away view of the fence clip nut of FIG. 12 and illustrates the configuration of the present invention when the attachment process has been completed. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0031]    Referring now to the drawings, and more specifically to FIGS. 1, 2, and  3  which illustrate an example of the prior art, a wire tie clip  10  is detailed which utilizes the use of a specialized tie implement  22  to attach a wire tie clip  10  and a fence fabric strand  18  to a fence post  20  during the construction of a chain link fence. This process is accomplished by placing the wire tie clip  10  around a fence post  20  in such a manner so that the fence fabric strands  18  are positioned between the outer surface of the fence post  20  and the clip body  16 . Further, the clip sides  12  extend forward from the clip body  16  along either side of the fence post  20  and terminate in two clip legs  14  which in turn extend outward from the fence post  20  in a perpendicular fashion that leaves an open gap in the wire tie clip  10 . This open gap between the extending clip legs  14  allows the wire tie clip  10  to be passed over the fence post  20  and thereby facilitates the tying of the fence fabric strands  18  to the fence post  20 .  
         [0032]    Once these components of the prior art have been properly positioned, the tie implement  22  is placed over the ends of the extending clip legs  14 . The tie implement  22  is a device designed to work with a power tool such as an electric or battery operated drill which connects to a centrally located drive shaft  26 . The drive shaft  26  extends forward from its rearward end to a point where it is attached to the central portion of a metallic disc  24  which itself contains two holes (not shown) that pass through its body from its front to rear surfaces. In the connection with the wire tie clip  10 , the ends of the clip legs  14  are fed through these holes from its forward surface to its rearward. Once this has been accomplished, rotational force is applied to the drive shaft  26  which in turn rotates the disc  24  and the attached clip legs  14 . This rotational force twists the clip legs  14  around one another which forms the tie twist  28  and synchs the clip body  16  around the outer surface of the fence post  20  which in turn secures the fence fabric strands  18  in the desired position relative to the fence post  20 .  
         [0033]    The configuration of a typical chain link fence  32  is illustrated in FIG. 4 which details the use of the present invention to tie the strands  34  of fencing fabric  33  to the horizontal and vertical fence posts,  36  and  38 , that make up the frame  35  of the chain link fence  32 . Typically, a chain link fence  32  is made up of a plurality of vertical fence posts  38  that are anchored into the ground and extend upward from that point. The upper ends of the vertical fence posts  38  are equipped with a post cap  40  which are in turn fitted with an upwardly extending post loop  42  which forms the point of attachment for the horizontal fence posts  36 . The frame  35  of the chain link fence  32  is completed by feeding the horizontal fence posts  36  through the post loops  42  of the vertical fence posts  38  to tie them together. When this is completed, fencing fabric  33  is stretched over the frame  35  and tied to its components in a plurality of positions.  
         [0034]    The tying of the fencing fabric  33  to the frame  35  of the chain link fence  32  is accomplished through the use of the present invention. The present invention is composed of the circular post clip  44  which physically ties the fencing fabric  33  to the frame  35  and the fence nut clip  30  which secures the circular post clip  44  in the desired location. The tying process is accomplished by employing the circular post clip  44  to secure individual strands  34  of the fencing fabric  33  to the vertical and horizontal fence posts,  36  and  38 , to the frame  35 . Once the circular post clips  44  are placed in the proper location, the fence clip nuts  30  are positioned on the extending clip legs  46  and synched up by the use of a ratchet  48  and socket  50 , or other rotationally drive tool, to stretch the fencing fabric  33  over the frame  35  and complete the chain link fence  32 .  
         [0035]    The manner of construction of the fence clip nut  30  is further detailed in FIGS. 5, 6, and  7 . The fence clip nut  30  is essentially a common hexagonal nut having a conically shaped upper nut body  52  which is closed off and which is constructed of high impact plastic such as ABS or nylon, although a wide variety of other materials may be used as needed. This design of the fence clip nut  30  creates a smooth surface which when coming into contact with people, animals, or property does not pose a threat of damage or injury. Additionally, the lower portion of the nut body  52  is equipped with a plurality of nut rotation flats  54  which provide surfaces upon which rotational force can be applied to the fence clip nut  30  as described above.  
         [0036]    Additionally, the interior of the fence clip nut  30  is equipped with a central cavity  57  which extends longitudinally from the lower nut surface  60  to approximately two thirds of the overall length of the nut body  52 . The central cavity  57  of the nut body  52  is made up of a relatively large central body hole  56  which extends into the nut body  52  to a point that is at or slightly beyond its midpoint and a pair of wire holes  58  that extend past the terminal end of the central body hole  56  to the full depth of the central cavity  57 . Additionally, the configuration of the central cavity  57  is illustrated detailing the location of the central body hole  56  in relation to the wire holes  58  which extend outward on a lateral line from opposite outer edges of the central body hole  56 . The central cavity  57  is the component of the fence clip nut  30  which is used to engage the clip legs  46  of the circular post clip  44  and its operational characteristics will be described in further detail in the text below.  
         [0037]    The interior construction of the fence clip nut  30  and the configuration of the circular post clip  44  are further detailed in FIGS. 8 and 9. The circular post clip  44  is made up of a performed piece of relatively heavy gauge wire having a clip body  64  that is formed in a circular fashion to match the general shape of the outer surface of the horizontal post  36  (used for illustrative purposes). Additionally, the circular post clip  44  is also fashioned with a pair of laterally extending clip legs  46  which break the circle formed by the clip body  64  leaving a clip gap  47  which allows the circular post clip  44  to be passed over the horizontal fence post  36 .  
         [0038]    As described above, the central cavity  57  of the fence clip nut  30  is made up of a central body hole  56  and a pair of laterally oriented wire holes  58  which are further detailed in FIG. 8. The purpose of the wire holes  58  and the reason that they extend further into the fence clip nut  30  than the central body hole  56  is to provide a point of anchorage for the outer ends of the clip legs  46  when the fence clip nut  30  is initially attached to the clip legs  46 . Additionally, the upper ends of the wire holes  58  are separated by the divider  68  which isolates the upper ends of the two wire holes  58  from one another and adds further stability to the securement of the clip legs  46  during the installation process. Finally, the lower edges of the central cavity  57  are equipped with a opening taper  62  at their junction with the lower nut surface  60  which aid in the insertion of the clip legs  46  into the central cavity  57  as they limit any tendency of the clip legs  46  to snag or catch on the lower nut surface  60 .  
         [0039]    The manner in which the present invention is employed to attach a fabric strand  34  to a horizontal post  36  is further detailed in FIGS. 10, 11,  12 , and  13  which illustrate the relative positions of the fabric strand  34  in relation to the circular post clip  44  and the manner in which the fence clip nut  30  is employed to secure the circular post clip  44  to the horizontal post  36 . Initially, the clip body  64  is slipped over the horizontal post  36  through the use of the clip gap  47  in a manner that engages a fabric strand  34  in the desired fashion. With this accomplished, the circular post clip  44  is rotated so that the fabric strand  34  or chain link is contained within a space between the inner surface of the circular post clip  44  and the outer surface of the circular post clip  44 . Then the clip gap  47  is closed by pinching the clip legs  46  together which in turn allows the fence clip nut  30  to be fitted over the extending clip legs  46  in a manner so that they engage the wire holes as previously described.  
         [0040]    With the fence nut clip  30  properly positioned in relation to the clip legs  46 , rotational force is applied to the exterior of the fence clip nut  30  which imparts a twisting motion to the clip legs  46 . This twisting motion results in the two clip legs  46  being twisted around one another forming the clip twist  66  within the cental cavity  57  of the fence clip nut  30 . As the clip legs  46  become twisted together their overall length shortens which results in their ends being released from their forward portions of the wire holes  58 . This results in the fence clip nut  30  being released from its ties with the clip legs  46  and it is therefore capable of freely rotating without imparting any motion to the clip twist  66 . Additionally, the twisting action of the clip legs  46  tends to expand the outer diameter of the clip twist  66  which in turn slightly expands the inner diameter of the central cavity  57  at its middle and forward portions while leaving the diameter at its opening in the lower nut surface  60  substantially the same. The result of this process is that, while the fence clip nut  30  may be able to rotate on the clip twist  66 , it cannot be removed from the completed attachment. This feature of the present invention is pivotal to its operation as it provides a permanent means of protection for the sharp edges left after the joining of the clip legs  46 .  
         [0041]    Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.