US2161450A - Snow fence - Google Patents

Description

fulffJune 6, '1.939. c. P. BOHLAND sNow FENCE Filed Dec. 8, 1957 Patented June 6, 1939 rATjENT- OFFICE I2,161,450 ,Tfr/,SNOW FENCE Y `ear1P.-oh1and, Watertown, s. Dak. Application necembef, issz'vseriial No..17s,7s6 ffl n f Claims.VV- (Cl. E56- 24) Y My invention'relates Vto snowffencesandgate. :construction of a newzand vunique type involvingvr ,permanent 1 installationV andw easy manipulationofothe fence` tovariousfheights andin series of sections extending a considerabledistance.Y

' Among featuresofgthe device are,y permanent construction and mounting-,vertical adjustment y accordingto snow condition and elevatedposirtioning unobstructive toocultivation, etc., during snowless seasons, unique sectional and connected vfencev sections andmeans for raising one sec,-A

'tion, as a gatejor a number of sections of fence simultaneously.v Other objects and advantages are k,l'iereinafter fullyl setforth reference being had` to the accompanying drawing,A vin which: Fig. 1 is an elevation ofasnow fence `embodying my improved construction. Fig 2 is an enguiding standard.

, struction.

Referring to the drawing by reference letters and numerals, like characters designating cor;

respondingrparts in thejvariousviews, my snow fence comprisesaccording to'length of fence a number of fence sections A connected end to end pivotally as at B in the upper bar Yof the rrfence.

Each section A comprises preferably an4 upper railnbar 'I of sheet rmetal of inverted U-shape in cross section, a lower bar. 8 also sheet-metal and of U-shape, a number of spaced parallel and vertical slatsY 9 iixeduinr said channel parts'or bars, vall of. relativelylight but sturdy construction. Bars 14-8 may be-'of other suitable con- For each fence ,section I provide avertical Each standard comprises. a pair of parallel upright posts Ill, preferably pipe,

and connected at their top endsA as at Il (see Figs. 2 and 3) their lower 'ends suitably irn-l bedded .and xed as in aconcrete base I2. The

. openingof said.. standard'v is inaA planer'. at right anglesV to'the direction'of the fencet'o permit free', vertical movement of the fence therein by *means presently to be described.

I3 is aV preferably concrete basein spacedalined relation tofone end of thefence andy on which is securedan elongated frame I4 with a" pivot I5 for a fence raising main boom I6 the outer movable jendjy ofkwhich; Vis pivotally connected at 6 -tc the upper corner part of the nearest fence section A. I6Aare a number of auxiliary booms,

`each pivotally mounted at I'I (with its lower end) in'a bracket I8' fixed on a post base I2 adjacent the post. The outer end of each such boomis pivotallyconnected at 6 to a pair of 5 fence sections, said auxiliary booms adapted to be raised in unison with the main boom I6 and thus raise all the fence sections A simultaneously, boom] 6 being provided with raising means which will presently be described. 10

The main boom raising means may comprise any suitable manipulating mechanism preferably azturnbuckle I9 engaging a threaded eye-bar 20 the eye of whichis pivotally retained on a pin ZIinan upright frame or plate 22 on the boom 15 I 6.: '3| is the other threaded eye-bar for the turnbuckle and pivotally connected at 23 to the rear endpart of the frame HIr (see Fig. l) Manipulation -of. the turnbuckle will of course raise or lower the. boom to simultaneously and thereby set the entire.v fence in: any desired elevation, the'respectiv fence sections being guided vertically in the openingsy of the standards I0, and

the' maximum raising movement Will be such that the boomsv are positioned vertically all of 25 thebooms brought to vertical position parallel to the standards I0 and the entire fence at this time being raised to maximum height (see dotted line position of booms and fence in Fig. 1).

"Snow fences hitherto used can only build up a snowdrift equalto the height of the fence, which inall cases is a fixed height. With the use of iny'idevice theY fence can be raised as soon as the top: of the snowdrift is at the same level as the t'opfofV thefence. Byl raising the fence the 35 snow. will build up or accumulate to a new level, namely to the top of the snow fence in its` raised position,` andv by repeating this procedure, as conditions demand, ag'driftlof snow can be built up equal to the height of the top of the fence 4o in its highest position. Vice-versa, in case of sudden' thaws the snowdrift shrinks, the fence can be lowered to desired elevation so same will be ready for the next snow storm.

By proper manipulation, the snow which generally piles up on the road can be kept in the adjacent eld and thereby keep the highway or roadopen for trac. And, when the snow thaws in the spring the Water from such drifts will be absorbed'by the ground in the field, thus conserving moisture for agricultural purposes, and also keep :water away from the road where it may do considerable damage.r v t This fence can also'beused for cattle enclosure, or so-called corrals. By disconnecting the rst where sudden climatic changes may occur two tiers of fences may be used, a lower tier clgsetow the ground all winter and an upper tier movable v up and down as may be requiredu` Such lower tier may be bolted to upper one and both raised Y for proper clearance for farm equipment.v

Obviously this fence can also be used vfor aV transverse fence in a field for conservation of moisture only; and it may be used for protection of groves of young fruit trees. with several tiers of fence on the. prevailing windwar-d side of an orchard.

Another use for this fence is as in stock-yards, Where swinging .gates are objectionable. Sections of the fence can be installed which will serve as vertical lift gates. The main boom I6 may be raised quickly by any other suitable mechanical means or even an electric motor (not shown) subject to remote control. f

The vertical lift type of gate above described is desirable further for the reason that no large area is required as when swinging gates are used and no snow clearance is rst required as is the case in the use of horizontal swinging gates after a snowstorm.

To ease the lifting operation in my improved fence some or all of the auxiliary booms may be provided with an inclined booster device comprising simply an eyebolt 24 slidably insertible and retained in a pivot block 25 iixed at 26 to theV boom and its eye end near-est the adjacent standard ID. 21 is a tension coil spring connecting said eye of bolt 24 and the post the other end of said spring connected as at 28'to the standard. 29 is a thumb screw on bolt 24 to regulate the tension of the booster spring. Initially, when the fence is to be raised from its lowest position the tension or booster brace 24V-21 is of course greatest, and when the fence is raised from said initial position said means assist materially to raise the entire fence and continue to be thus useful until the spring loses its pull, at which time ther booms have raised the fence considerably and the latter is easily manipulated toward its uppermost position.

Where a fence of this type is set up a considerable length of it is adjustable from one master boom, it 'being possible and practical to manipulate several hundred feet of fence.` The alll metal light construction eliminates loss by grass or brush res.

In Fig. 4 a row of standards I0 are shown set up as required on uneven ground, it being un-derstood that the standards must be perpendicular to the surface of the ground in which they are set. In Fig. the end of the fence (opposite from the manipulated end) is shown and in which the last fence section A is guided vertically between a pair of diagonal braces (preferably pipe) 30 extending from the top of the last standard l0 to anchor blocks I2A or equivalent means.

It will now be clearly understood that my improved fence, of considerable length may be' easily raised or lowered by one man equipped with ordinary means for turning the turnbuckle, and

the entire fence is held in any desired elevation by the simple manipulation described.

Modifications within the scope of the invention as herein disclosed, may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A snow fence comprising a series of alined fence sections each section comprising an upper horizontal rail and a corresponding lower rail and a number of suitably spaced upright slats Vretained in said rails, means for detachably connecting said rail sections end to end, a number ofv fence posts corresponding to the number oi Yfence sections, said posts slotted to permit reciprocating vertical movement of the fence sections therein and means for actuating said fence in vertical plane and holding the entire fence in any desired elevation. V Y

2. 'I'he structure specified in claim 1 in which said rasing means comprises a lever oscillatable in vertical plane and connected with the upper rail of the rst fence section, secondary levers oscillatable in unison with and by the lever, said secondary levers pivoted each near the base of a post and its outer end pivotally connected to the top rail of the fence in spaced relation to the post.

3. The structure specified in claim 1, in which said raising means comprises a lever oscillatable in vertical plane and connected with'the upper rail of the rst fence section, secondary levers oscillatable in unison with and by the said lever, said secondary levers pivoted each near the base of a post and its outer end pivotally connected to the top rail of the fence, and a flexible connection between each post and its adjacent secondary lever, said connection comprising means under spring tension and exerting an upward pull on the fence.

4. In fence construction of the class described, a number of alined fence sections pivotally connected end to end, a series of fence posts comprising each a standard of two parallel fixed bars, a lever device mounted in common plane with the fence and adjacent one end thereof and the lever thereof comprising a fence raising boom connected at its end with the end part of the rst fence section, auxiliary booms pivotally mounted and connected to thefence sections, each said` latter boom corresponding in size to the said lever, means for raising and lowering said lever and the fence sections and the auxiliary booms simultaneously, said fence sections each said standard is mounted, a pivot block on said base adjacent the foot of the standard, each said auxiliary boom fulcrumed in a pivot block and extending in a plane parallel to the side of the fence and its free end pivotally connected to the upper rail of the fence, said raising lever and the auxiliary booms co-ordinated to oscillate in unison.

CARL P. BOI-ILAND.

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