GB2026126A - Connection element for fencing - Google Patents

Abstract

A connection element (1 or 2) comprises a base portion (3) having a recess or aperture for receiving an end of a post 4 or rail 10 and a portion (8) moulded on to the base portion (3), the portion 8 including either a spigot 14 or aperture for receiving a rail 10. Arms for barbed wire may be mounted on limbs 12,13. Cut-outs 3b allow wire netting to be fixed to the portion of the rail or post contained in the connection element. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Connection element The invention relates to a connection element designed to be placed on to a profiled rod, more particularly a post of a fence, which is triangular in cross-section and has a T-shaped flange at one corner, the connection element having a base portion with a recess or aperture matched in crosssection to the rod or post.

Connection elements of the type stated above are already known and in fact are known in the form of retaining elements for barbed wire for connection of the post to over-hanging arms which can be attached to the connection element, the barbed wire being secured to the over-hanging arms (German Offenlegungsschrift No. 25 51 658).

When erecting fences in many cases it is desired to connect the upper ends of the fence posts together by means of profiled rods in order to increase the stability. In fact reinforcing and connecting profiles have already been provided in the form of tensioning bridges between the corner or end posts respectively and the fence post adjacent thereto, in order to relieve the corner or end posts respectively of the fence of the particularly high tension forces acting on them. However, this reinforcement is restricted in each case to the stated end or corner areas of the fence. Thus special retaining elements and connection elements have been provided for securing the tensioning bridges to the posts.These known reinforcements cannot, however because of their cost, be arranged in practice over the entire length of a fence in the individual areas of fencing, since securing these tensioning elements to the fence posts would involve quite considerable material and assembly costs.

According to the invention there is provided a connection element designed to be located on a profiled rod, comprising a base portion having a recess or aperture adapted to match in cross-section the cross-section of the rod, wherein a guiding and retaining portion is moulded on to the base portion for attachment to a further profiled rod. corresponding to the first profiled rod.

Preferably either the guiding and retaining portion has an retaining portion has an aperture extending at right angles to the aperture in the base portion for receiving the further profiled rod or has an extension adapted to be received within the further profiled rod.

The new connection element serves as a connection between the fence post and the profiled connection rods bridging the areas of fencing between the posts in the embodiment of the guiding and retaining portion with a recess at right angles to the aperture or recess in the portion, or it forms a connection between the portions of the connection rods since these are very much larger in their longitudinal dimensions for manufacturing reasons than would correspond to the spacing of adjacent fence posts. Apart from this the dimensions of the areas of fencing vary in many cases in various fence systems.

By using the new connection element it is possible to arrange profiled connection rods between the fence posts these rods corresponding to the fence posts themselves, so that rational manufacture of the profiled connection rods is possible as well as very simple assembly and safe fixing of these rods as upper terminal profiles of a fence. Thus the same fence connection elements may be used, for example, for connecting the fencing area elements, for example wire netting etc., to the profiled connection rods, as are used already for connection to the fence posts.

If the connection element has a profiled extension lengthening it in the direction or attachment, this extension being designed for insertion of attachment of a connection rod corresponding to the profiled rod or post, it is thus not only suitable for forming a continuous stable upper termination of the fence in simple manner but can also be used as a lengthening element for posts, for example when existing fence arrangements are to be raised in height. The base portion may be secured in known manner with the aid of a tensioning screw to the profile which can be inserted into the insertion opening.Similarly, it is possible to secure the profiled element engaging this recess by means of a tensioning screw in the case of an insertion recess running transverse to the base portion recess or aperture, the tensioning screw being housed in a threaded bore in the walls of the connection element. On the other hand, when constructing the connection element with a profiled extension lengthening the profiled element in the direction of attachment, the extension being designed for insertion or attachment of a profiled rod it is possible to dispense with positive connection of the rod to the extension. This is even advisable because relative movement between the rod would thus be possible longitudinally and this relative movement takes place due to expansion of materials.

Since in many cases in fences having an upper terminating profile, it is desired to fix barbed wire retaining elements to the posts provision may be made in the case of a special embodiment of the profiled connection element with an insertion recess running transverse to the base element portion recess or aperture for inclined limbs, for fixing overhanging arms in the form of retaining elements for barbed wire, to be moulded onto the side remote from the base portion.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows the perspective view of an embodiment of the new connection element; Figure 2 shows the connection element according to Figure 1 having a profiled rod retained in the recess above a fence post; Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of the connection element with horizontal connection profiles in a detached position; and Figure 4 shows the connection element according to Figure 3 arranged for use with a vertical post and extension profile, also in an exploded view.

The connection element which is designated 1 overall in the embodiment according to Figures 1 and 2 and is designated 2 as a whole in the embodiment according to Figures 3 and 4 has a base portion 3 which is identical in all of the embodiments. The base attachment portion is provided with an aperture or recess in the case of Figures 1 and 2 and Figure 4 for the purpose of being pushed on to a fence post 4, which has a triangular cross-section and is provided at one corner with a flange 5. In this embodiment, the flange 5 has projecting burls 6 which serve to fix retaining elements to the flange more securely.

The cross-section of recess or aperture ofthe base portion matches the cross-section of the post 4 whereby, in the example shown the base portion element comprises an annular enclosed portion 3a to which are attached side walls 3b matched to the triangular profile of the post 4, these side walls forming an opening window towards the flange side of the post so that the flange becomes visible and accessible in the window of the base portion 3 when the post has been inserted. This is important in order to be able to arrange fixing elements on the flange in this region of the flange 5 for example in order to be able to fix the wire meshing or netting which spans an area of fencing.

The portion 3a of the base portion 3 is equipped moreover with a fixing screw 7 retained in a threaded bore so that the base portion 3 can be fixed safely and simply to the post 4.

In the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 a retaining and guide portion 8 is moulded on in one piece to the base portion 3, the retaining and guiding element 8 having a recess 9 which corresponds to the cross-section of the post 4 so that a profiled rod 10 connecting adjacent posts can be inserted into or pushed through this recess in accordance with Figure 2. The connection rod 10 may be secured by a further fixing screw 11 in the guiding and retaining portion 8 but this type of fixing screw is not absolutely necessary since the profiled rod 10 forms a continuous upper termi ntion of the fence due to appropriate arrangement ot ,ofiled protions in a row.This upper termination of the fence leads to a reinforcement of the entire fence solely as a result of guiding the profiled connection element in the portion 8 so that it is only necessary to fix the profiled rod 10 at its ends or at the corners of the fence.

In the example shown in Figures 1 and 2, the guide and retaining portion 8 is provided with inclined limbs 12 and 13 on its side remote from the base portion 3, these limbs being moulded on in one piece and serving to house and fix overhanging arms (not shown in the drawings) in the form of retaining elements for barbed wire.

In the embodiment according to Figures 3 and 4, a profiled extension 14 lengthening the base portion in the direction of attachment can be seen on the base attachment element 3 and is matched in its external dimensions to the inner cross-section of the profiled rod 10 so that this rod may be pushed on to the extension 14while, atthe other end, the second profiled rod 10 to be connected to the firstmentioned profiled rod maybe inserted into the base portions recess or aperture. Thus the profile rod 10 inserted into the base portion 3 is fixed with the aid of the fixing screw 7 while the other profiled rod 10 remains unfixed after being placed on to the attachment 14 so that, with a fairly long row of profiled rods 10, for example, as an upper termination of the fence, expansion of the material of the profiled rods 10 is possible. Despite this, the positive engagement of the profiled rods into the connection element ensures reinforcement of the entire construction of the fence.

In the arrangement according to Figure 4, the profiled connection element 2 which is shaped so as to correspond with the embodiment in Figure 3 serves to lengthen a post 4 which is retained vertically in the earth in fixed manner, for example, this lengthening may make use of a corresponding extension rod 4a which can be attached over to the extension 14 of the profiled connection element 2.

The profiled connection element 2 is placed in turn by the base portion 3 on to the post 4 which is fixed in the earth as has already been described in conjunction with the other Figures.

Claims (5)

1. A connection element designed to be located on a profiled rod, comprising a base portion having a recess or aperture adapted to match in cross-section the cross-section of the rod, wherein a guiding and retaining portion is moulded on to the base portion for attachment to a further profiled rod corresponding to the first profiled rod.

2. A connection element according to Claim 1, wherein the guiding and retaining portion has an aperture extending at right angles to the aperture in the base portion for receiving the further profiled rod.

3. A connection element according to Claim 1, wherein the guiding and retaining portion has an extension adapted to be received within the further profiled rod.

4. A connection element according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein inclined limbs for securing overhanging arms in the form of retaining elements for barbed wire are moulded on to the side of the connection element remote from the base portion.

5. A connection element substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.