GB2241721A

GB2241721A - Security fencing with concealed fastening means

Info

Publication number: GB2241721A
Application number: GB9101526A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen Bernard Murphy; Barry Shirley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-01-24
Filing date: 1991-01-24
Publication date: 1991-09-11
Anticipated expiration: 2011-01-24
Also published as: GB9101526D0; GB9001616D0; GB2241721B

Abstract

Fencing, for example, pallisade security fencing, is provided by the invention, the fencing comprising a plurality of fencing components and fastening means for connecting the components together, the fencing being such that when erected, at least some of the fastening means are concealed and protected, at least from the exterior of the fencing, An embodiment (10, figure 1) of the fencing comprises vertical pales 11, horizontal rails 12, and support posts (13, figure 1). The pales 11 may be arranged to conceal and protect clamping plates 15 which secure the pales to the rails. <IMAGE>

Description

SECURITY FENCING The present invention relates to security fencing and is concerned particularly, although not exclusively, with pallisade fencing.

In a known form of pallisade fencing, vertical pales are fixed, by either bolts and/or rivets, to horizontal support rails which are, in turn, supported by vertical posts at periodic intervals along the length of the fencing. The bolts and/or rivets are visible from the outside of the fencing and this enables a would-be intruder to locate the places where his efforts would best be employed in attempting to dismantle the fencing.

The invention provides fencing comprising a plurality of fencing components and fastening means for connecting the components together, the fencing being such that when erected at least some of the fastening means are concealed and protected, at least from the exterior of the fencing.

The fencing may comprise pallisade security fencing.

The components may comprise upwardly extending pales and transversely extending rails.

Rail fastening means may be provided for connecting the rails to the pales, such that the rails can be securely clamped to the pales at any desired height.

The rail fastening means may be slidably adjustable along the length of the pale and/or rail.

The rail fastening means may comprise a clamping plate slidable along but captive within a pale.

The plate may be operable to clamp inturned lips of the pale against a rail.

There may be a bolt or rivet to fasten the plate to a rail, the outer end of the bolt or rivet being concealed and protected by the pale.

The fencing preferably includes upwardly extending support posts positioned at intervals along the length of the fencing.

Post fastening means for connecting the posts to the rails may be provided at intervals along the length of the posts.

The post fastening means may comprise means to provide a rail fixing point at each side of a post.

There may for example be a fish plate insertable through a slot in the post.

The post fastening means may include a device to clamp the ends of the rails to the fish plate.

The clamping means may comprise a member clampable against inturned lips of the rail.

The member may comprise a collar arranged to be riveted to the fish plate.

When the fencing is erected, the fencing is preferably such that the outer end of the rivet is concealed and protected by the rail.

High tensile anti-tamper rivets may be used.

Because there is no visible sign of the fastenings from the outside perimeter of the fencing, and the fastenings are protected as well as concealed, the fencing is less vulnerable than security fencing systems currently in use. The invention greatly reduces the opportunity of dismantling the fencing with either tools, such as spanners or wrenches, or by force, using cold chisels for example.

The fact that rails may be attached to the pales at any point along the length of the pales means that any desired number of rails can be used, and they can be positioned at any desired location. This avoids problems associated with known systems, in which it is necessary to align holes in the rails with holes in the pales.

It is also, for example, possible to provide an optional centre rail, together with upper and lower rails, which enables the pales to be constructed from lighter gauge material than known pales, without loss of strength across the central section of the fencing, where potential damage by leverage is most critical during an attack by intruders. The use of lighter gauge material enables plastic coated pre-treated steels to be used for the first time in security pallisade fencing. This allows designers and specifiers to enhance the appearance of the fencing, both cosmetically and environmentally, without losing the security aspect associated with steel pallisade fencing.

The provision of a number of different slots down the post, for example provided in a projecting web, increases the options available to the designer and specifier when offering a given degree of security. For example, added strength can be provided by increasing the number of rails, and the rails can be positioned so as to reduce or eliminate the possible use of the top rail as a foot support.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described, with reference to the following drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a length of pallisade fencing according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a detailed view of a pale fixed to a rail with the pale shown in section; Figure 3 is a detailed view on the section line III - III of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a side view of one of the support posts of the fencing; Figure 5 is a detailed side view showing the fixing of a rail to a post; Figure 6 is a sectional plan view of a post showing one of the rail fixing components; and Figure 7 shows an alternative form of pale according to a second embodiment of the invention.

The fencing 10 shown in Figure 1 consists of a series of upright pales 11 fixed to three transverse rails 12 which rails are supported by upright posts 13 sunk at their lower end into buried concrete.

With particular reference to Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen that the pale 11 is of corrugated cross section, giving great strength and rigidity, with inwardly extending lips 14. The lips 14 engage behind a clamping plate 15 which clamps the lips securely against the rails 12. The normally flat clamping plate 15 deforms under tension to the shape shown and is held against the rail 12 by means of a bolt 16. The head 16a of the bolt 16 is thus concealed and protected by the combination of the pale 11 and the rail 12.

Since the corresponding nut 1 6b is at the back of the fencing, and within the rail 12, it is also concealed and protected.

The rail to post fixing will now be described with particular reference to Figures 4 to 6. One of the posts 13 is shown in Figure 4, and it can be seen that there is a number of vertical slots 17 in the post 13.

As can be seen from Figure 6, a fish plate 18 is passed through each slot 17 where it is desired to fix a rail. This provides two fixing holes 18a and 18b, one on each side of the post, where a rail clamping unit 19 (see Figure 5) can be secured.

Each clamping unit 19 comprises a high tensile anti-tamper security rivet 20 and a collar 21. A rivet 20 is first passed through each hole 18a, 18b, from the front of the associated fish plate 18. Ends of rails 12 are then slid onto the fish plate ends, collars 21 are fitted onto the rivets, the ends of which are then riveted over to securely lock the rivets to the collars and clamp the lips 12b of the rail ends between the fish plates 18 and the collars 21.

The posts 13 depicted in this embodiment are rolled steel joints of section 102 mm wide and 44 mm deep and weigh 7.44 kilos per metre of length.

The rails are of cold rolled section for example 40 mm by 40 mm and of 3 mm thickness. The pales are also cold rolled and are of any desired length, e.g. from 2.4 to 5.00 metres. The posts and pale heads can be of various designs, and may for example have 45" points. The post centres are 2.750 metres apart. There are seventeen pales per 2.75 metres length of fence.

Other embodiments are of course possible, and the invention is particularly versatile in that rail and pale locations can be adjusted to suit different circumstances. The fixing shown in Figure 2 enables rails to be fixed at any desired points along the length of a pale. The different location of the slots in the posts 13 give similar versatility. For example, the centre rail may be omitted, the upper and lower rails being moved closer together.

At the same time the fixings are concealed and protected, making the fencing very secure.

In the alternative arrangement shown in Figure 7, the pale 11 and plate 15 have more rounded profiles. This makes the pale easier to form by rolling, particularly when coated steel is used. Furthermore, a degree of mechanical interlocking is introduced between the lips 14 and the curved ends 15a of the plate 15. This reduces the amount of slip between pale and clamp plate, in the event of a levered attack.

The fencing according to the invention can accommodate a mesh infill located between the pales and the rails, in order further to reduce the extent to which the fencing can be climbed and also to hinder attack by sawing etc.

Instead of using the T cross-section posts 13, for example as shown in Figure 4, a square post may be used, and the post may have a continuous slot extending along part of its length, or along the majority of its length, to give even greater choice of positioning of fastening means.

The collar 21 shown in Figure 5, may be provided with lips which extend around the upper and lower face of the rail 12, to protect the rail and the rivet 20.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. Fencing comprising a plurality of fencing components and fastening means for connecting the components together, the fencing being such that when erected at least some of the fastening means are concealed and protected, at least from the exterior of the fencing.

2. Fencing as claimed in Claim 1, comprising pallisade security fencing.

3. Fencing as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the components comprise upwardly extending pales and transversely extending rails.

4. Fencing as claimed in Claim 3, in which rail fastening means is provided for connecting the rails to the pales, such that the rails can be securely clamped to the pales at any desired height.

5. Fencing as claimed in Claim 4, in which the rail fastening means are slidably adjustable along the length of the pale and/or rail.

6. Fencing as claimed in Claim 5, in which the rail fastening means comprises a clamping plate slidable along but captive within a pale.

7. Fencing as claimed in Claim 6, in which the plate is operable to clamp inturned lips of the pale against a rail.

8. Fencing as claimed in Claim 6 or Claim 7, in which there is a bolt or rivet to fasten the plate to a rail, the outer end of the bolt or rivet being concealed and protected by the pale.

9. Fencing as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, including upwardly extending support posts positioned at intervals along the length of the fencing.

10. Fencing as claimed in Claim 9, in which post fastening means for connecting the posts to rails are provided at intervals along the length of the posts.

11. Fencing as claimed in Claim 10, in which the post fastening means comprise means to provide a rail fixing point at each side of a post.

12. Fencing as claimed in Claim 11, in which there is a fish plate insertable through a slot in the post.

13. Fencing as claimed in Claim 12, including a device to clamp the ends of the rails to the fish plate.

14. Fencing as claimed in Claim 13, in which the clamping means comprises a member clampable against inturned lips of the rail.

15. Fencing as claimed in Claim 14, in which the member comprises a collar arranged to be riveted to the fish plate.

16. Fencing as claimed in Claim 15, such that when the fencing is erected, the fencing is such that the outer end of the rivet is concealed and protected by the rail.

17. Fencing as claimed in Claim 15 or 16, in which high tensile antitamper rivets are used.

18. Fencing constructed and arranged substantially as herein described, with reference to Figures 1 to 6, or Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.