EP4382699A1

EP4382699A1 - Post for a fence, fence comprising the post and method for constructing the fence

Info

Publication number: EP4382699A1
Application number: EP23214295.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Olivio Pivato
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2022-12-06
Filing date: 2023-12-05
Publication date: 2024-06-12

Abstract

A post configured to realize, together with other posts (20) and a plurality of panels (7), a fence (5). The panels comprise a plurality of horizontal (7a) and vertical (7b) elements in wire nets and the posts comprise a rod (24) of a certain length and are configured to be mounted, in use, in a vertical direction. The posts also comprise, along the length of the rod (24), at least two groups of holes (25). Each group of holes comprises holes (25) of predetermined diameter and position corresponding to the position of the horizontal elements (7a) of each panel (7). The invention also concerns a fence (5), obtained with the posts and panels, as described, and a method for making the fence.

Description

Technical Field

The present invention relates, in general, to a post configured to allow the construction of fences.
In particular, the present invention relates to a post for constructing fences made of wire nets, for example near a building site or a house.
The present invention also relates to a fence constructed by way of the posts of the invention and to a method for constructing the fence according to the invention.

Background Art

The fences of building sites or homes are known.
In particular, wire net fences are known.
For example, fences are known in which the posts are fixed to a formwork or to a concrete base by using appropriate post-holder devices as disclosed, for example, in the International Application WO2021/249672_A1 in the name of Applicant, to which reference is made here.
Applicant, while noting the effectiveness of the known post-holder devices, has however noted that the posts currently in use are configured, preferably, in such a way as to require the net to be fixed to each post by way of small items, also called hardware, such as bands, clamps, bolts etc., which in fact involve high costs in time and materials for making the fence.
For example, according to the known art, the net is expected to be fixed with appropriate small items in two or more points of each post following the installation and fixing of all the posts to the formwork or concrete base.
Applicant, in general, has noted that known art is not able to effectively solve the problem of how to fix the nets to the posts and how to make the construction of the fences faster and at lower costs.

Disclosure of the Invention

The invention is defined by the attached claims.
In particular, the object of present invention is to solve the above problems of the prior art.
The object is achieved by a post comprising the features taught in the following claims.
The present invention also relates to a fence comprising the post as claimed. Moreover, present invention also relates to a method for constructing the fence as claimed.
Claims as well as the description and drawings are an integral part of the teaching of the present invention.
The following summary of the invention is provided in order to give a basic understanding of some aspects and features of the invention.
This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention, and as such it is not intended to particularly identify key or critical elements of the invention, or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented below.
According to a feature of a preferred embodiment, the post comprises a rod of a certain length and is configured to be mounted, in use, in a vertical direction. The post comprises, along the length of the rod, at least two groups of holes in certain positions along the rod, each group of holes comprising holes of predetermined diameter and position and corresponding to the position of horizontal elements of a plurality of panels made of wire nets intended to realize a fence.
According to a further feature of present invention, the post preferably comprises a rectangular or circular shaped section.
According to another feature of present invention, a fence is claimed comprising one or more panels, made of wire nets, each panel comprising horizontal and vertical elements welded to size, wherein the horizontal elements comprise, in use, first and second horizontal protrusions of predetermined length, configured to be inserted into one group of holes provided in the posts of the invention.
According to yet another feature of present invention, a method for making a fence is also provided, comprising the steps of:

pouring concrete for making a fence;
inserting a first post comprising at least two groups of holes in the not yet solidified concrete, near a first post-holder device;
fixing the first post to the first post-holder device by way of one or more bands;
inserting first lateral protrusions of a first panel into one group of holes provided in the first post;
inserting a second post into the not yet solidified concrete, near a second post-holder device;
fixing the second post to the second post-holder device by way of one or more bands;
inserting second lateral protrusions of the first panel into one first group of holes provided in the second post;
inserting first lateral protrusions of a second panel into one second group of holes provided in the second pole;
inserting a third post, if provided, into the not yet solidified concrete, near a third post-holder device and proceed progressively by repeating the fixing, inserting and inserting steps provided in case of insertion of the second post for each further post starting from the third post.

Brief Description of Drawings

These and further features and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, provided by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the attached drawings, in which components designated by same or similar reference numerals indicate components having same or similar functionality and construction and wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a first example of a post made according to a first example of embodiment;
Fig. 2 shows an example of a fence realized by using the post of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 shows a second example of a post made according to a second embodiment;
Fig. 4 shows an example of a fence made by using the post of Fig. 3; and
Fig. 5 schematically shows an example of a fence made according to a further possible embodiment.

Within this description it is provided that figures are not necessarily to scale and that terms such as: upper, lower, longitudinal, orthogonal, lateral, above, below, etc. are used in their conventional meaning unless otherwise suggested.

Best Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

With reference to Fig. 1, a fence 5 according to the present embodiment comprises a plurality of panels 7, each made for example by way of a wire net, and a plurality of posts 20 configured to construct, together with the panels 7, the fence 5.
The panels, of known type, are rectangularly formed, are preferably made of rigid wires and comprise, for example, a plurality of horizontal and vertical elements, 7a and 7b respectively, welded to size so as to form a plurality of rectangles of predetermined dimensions in height "h" and width "w".
Preferably, it is provided that, according to the present embodiment, the horizontal elements 7a of the panels 7 comprise, in use, respective first and second horizontal protrusions 8a with a length ranging, for example, between 3-7 cm along both vertical sides of each panel.
As can easily be understood by a person skilled in the art, the horizontal protrusions 8a can be obtained in the factory, before delivery of the panels, or directly on site, without thereby departing from the scope of the example of construction provided here.
Each post 20, preferably with a rectangular or circular section, comprises a rod 24, configured to be mounted, in use, in vertical direction, for example in a formwork 21, and two groups of circular holes 25, for instance on opposite sides or in diametrically opposite positions, depending on the section type of the post. For instance, the group of holes are positioned in a mirror-like manner along the rod and spaced from each other in the vertical direction at distances corresponding to the distances provided for the horizontal elements 7a of each panel 7.
In particular, the position of the holes 25 and the dimensions of the holes must be such as to allow the ends of the lateral protrusions 8a, provided along the rod 24, for instance on opposite vertical sides of each panel 7, to be easily inserted into the holes 25 of the posts 20.
For example, the holes can be between 6-10 per meter of height, with a diameter of between 5-8 mm, depending on the type of panels and the type of supplier, and with a tolerance of approximately 1 mm.
The number and dimensions of the circular holes, as suggested above, allow, as verified experimentally by the Applicant, to easily insert the lateral protrusions 8a of the panels 7 into the posts 20 and obtain excellent rigidity of the fence, once completed.
According to a possible variant schematically shown in Fig. 5, each group of holes 25, provided on each post 20 of the plurality of posts, can comprise respective bushings 27 of known type, for example bushings in rubber or plastic material configured to mechanically separate or insulate the lateral protrusions 8a of the panels 7 from the holes comprised in the posts 20.
The bushings 27, preferably comprise an internal diameter slightly smaller than or substantially equivalent to that of the groups of holes 25 and can be mounted in factory or even on site, depending on the requirements provided during the construction of the fence 5.
According to another possible variant, the posts 20 can be arranged to comprise holes corresponding to different types of panels. Indeed, because panels may comprise horizontal elements at different distances, according to this variant the posts can be used for different types of panels.
This variant is preferable if the holes of the panels are directly realized in factory.
Following a further possible variant, for example in the case of posts with a rectangular section, the posts, as can be easily understood by a person skilled in the art, can be provided with holes positioned on the four sides of the post so that the post itself can be mounted in the formwork with an orientation depending on the type of panels used. Also in this case it is preferable that the panels and the holes of the panels are directly realized in factory.
According to yet another possible variant, for example in case of posts with a circular section, the posts, as can be easily understood by a person skilled in the art, can be realized with groups of holes positioned at predefined angles with respect to a vertical plane. For example, in the case of 30° angles, the possible types of groups of holes are 6 (six) and all the holes can be different from each other so that the post itself can be mounted in the formwork, for example, with 6 (six) different orientations depending on up to 6 (six) types of panels used.
Also in this case it is preferable that the panels and the groups of holes of the panels are directly realized in factory.
The construction of the fence 5, by using the posts and the panels disclosed above, regardless of any different orientations of the posts, comprises the following steps:

a first step in which one or more formworks 21, for example made of wood, are prepared and a plurality of post-holder devices 10 are fixed to the one or more formworks, before the concrete casting, as disclosed, for example, in the International Application WO2021/249672_A1 . As can be easily understood by a person skilled in the art, the post-holder devices are fixed at predetermined distances from each other;
a second step in which the concrete is poured into one or more formworks and, before this has solidified, the following steps are carried out in sequence:
inserting the rod 24 of a first post 20 into the not yet solidified concrete near a first post-holder device 10;
fixing the rod 24 and therefore the post 20 to the post-holder device by way of one or more bands 23;
inserting the first lateral protrusions 8a of a first panel 7 into one group of holes 25 provided on the first post; and subsequently:
- inserting the rod 24 of a second post 20 into the not yet solidified concrete, near a second post-holder device 10;
- fixing the rod 24 and therefore the second post 20 to the second post-holder device 10 by way of one or more bands 23;
- inserting the second lateral protrusions 8a, provided on the second side of the first panel, into one first group of holes 25 provided on the second post 20;
- inserting the first lateral protrusions 8a of a second panel 7 into the second group of holes provided on the second post 20, for instance in the opposite position and mirrored of the post;
inserting the rod 24 of a third post 20 into the not yet solidified concrete, near a third post-holder device, if present, and proceed as disclosed for the installation of the second post, mutatis mutandis.

Advantageously, the fence thus created does not require small parts or additional hardware.
Advantageously, the construction of the fence can be carried out quickly, without any additional intervention to fix the wire net panels to the posts.
According to the possible variant shown in Fig. 5, it is provided that the step:

"- inserting the first lateral protrusions 8a of a first panel 7 into one group of holes 25 provided on the first post;",
is preceded by the following step, if this step has not been carried out in factory:
- inserting into the group of holes 25, provided on the first post 20 and into the group of holes provided in any further post of the fence 5, respective bushings 27 of known type, for example bushings in rubber or plastic material configured to separate or mechanically isolate the lateral protrusions 8a from the holes 25 comprised in the posts 20.

The bushings preferably comprise an internal diameter slightly smaller than or substantially equivalent to that of the holes 25.
Advantageously, the bushings 27 allow to avoid, according to this possible variant, a direct "metal to metal" contact between the lateral protrusions 8a and the holes 25 and, consequently, allow to avoid rapid oxidation and rapid deterioration of the lateral protrusions 8a and/or of the holes 25.
In any case, the construction of the fence, by using posts configured according to these embodiments, provides for lower costs in terms of materials and labor. Furthermore, it should not be overlooked that, on the whole, the fence, constructed in accordance with this disclosure, is safer because the junction between the post and the panels is integrated (hidden) inside the post.
Of course, obvious changes and/or variations to the above disclosure are possible, as regards dimensions, shapes, materials, components, and elements, as well as details of the described construction and operation method without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims that follow.

Claims

A post configured to realize together with other posts (20) and a plurality of panels (7) a fence (5), each of said panels comprising a plurality of horizontal (7a) and vertical (7b) elements of a wire net, wherein
- each of said posts comprises a rod (24) of a certain length configured to be mounted, in use, vertically,

- said horizontal elements (7a) comprise respective lateral protrusions (8a), and

- the post comprises at least two groups of circular holes (25) located along the rod, each group of holes comprising holes (25) of predetermined diameter and position corresponding to the position of the lateral protrusions (8a) of each of said panels (7).
The post according to claim 1, wherein the holes (25) comprise respective bushings (27) configured to insulate the lateral protrusions (8a) of the panels (7) from the holes comprised in the posts (20).
The fencing post according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rod (24) comprises a rectangular section and wherein the at least two groups of holes, located along the rod, are specularly identical.
The fencing post according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rod (24) comprises a circular section and wherein the at least two groups of holes, located along the rod, are specularly identical.
The post according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rod is configured to be fixed to a formwork (21) or to a concrete base.
A fence comprising one or more wire net panels (7) each comprising horizontal (7a) and vertical (7b) elements welded to size, wherein the horizontal elements (7a) comprise, in use, first and second horizontal protrusions (8a) of predetermined length, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of posts (20) as claimed in claims 1 to 5 and in that said first or second horizontal protrusions (8a) are configured to be inserted into one group of holes (25) comprised in each post of said plurality of posts.
A method for realizing a fence (5), comprising the steps of:
- constructing a concrete casting for the installation of a fence;

- inserting a first post (20) comprising at least two groups of holes (25) in the not yet solidified concrete casting, near a first post-holder device (10);

- fixing the first post (20) to the first post-holder device by way of one or more bands (23);

- inserting first side protrusions (8a) of a first panel (7) in one group of holes (25) provided in the first post;

- inserting a second post (20) in the not yet solidified concrete casting, near a second post-holder device (10);

- fixing the second post (20) to the second post-holder device (10) by way of one or more bands (23);

- inserting second side protrusions (8a) of the first panel (7) in one first group of holes (25) provided in the second post (20);

- inserting first side protrusions (8a) of a second panel (7) in one second group of holes (25) provided in the second post (20);

- inserting a third post (20), if provided, in the not yet solidified concrete casting, near a third post-holder device (10) and progressively proceed by repeating the steps of fixing the post to the post-holder device, inserting second side protrusions and inserting first side protrusions as provided for the second post for any further post starting from the third post.
The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of making the concrete casting is preceded by the step of:
- preparing one or more formworks (21) in which to make the concrete casting and fix a plurality of post-holder devices (10) at predetermined distances from each other to the one or more formworks (21).
The method according to any one of claims 7 or 8, wherein it is provided that each post (20) comprises, before the steps of inserting the lateral protrusions (8a) into the group of holes (25), provided in each post, a step of
- inserting respective insulating bushings (27) into the group of holes (25) provided in each post (20).