Patent Application
20220412120
The present invention relates to fence clip suitable for securing a fence wire to a fence post. More specifically, the fence clip of the present invention does not require manual deformation in order to secure the fence wire to the fence post.
The following discussion of the background art is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention only. The discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to is or was part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of the application.
Wires fences are constructed from a series of fence wires that are supported by fence posts at regular intervals. Fence posts typically comprise a post with a series of apertures provided through the post. Metal clips are employed to mount the fence wire to fence posts. In order to mount the fence wire, one end of the clip is coiled around the fence wire on one side of the post. The other end of the clip is then drawn through the aperture of the post and is then coiled around the fence wire. This process requires both ends of the clip to be coiled around the fence wire. This process must be completed multiple times along each post for each longitudinal wire of the fence.
A number of alternative clip systems have been developed in an attempt to speed up the installation process. Such systems typically comprise the use of resiliently deformable clips that the operator must compress or otherwise deform in order to install. Once in position, the compressive force is removed and the clip will lock into place. Whilst such clips are quicker to install, they are also more prone to dislodging from the fence post when forces are exerted on the wire fence. This is typically a result of the deformation of the clip.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. The invention includes all such variation and modifications. The invention also includes all of the steps, features, formulations and compounds referred to or indicated in the specification, individually or collectively and any and all combinations or any two or more of the steps or features.
Any manufacturer's instructions, descriptions, product specifications, and product sheets for any products mentioned herein or in any document incorporated by reference herein, are hereby incorporated herein by reference, and may be employed in the practice of the invention.
The present invention is not to be limited in scope by any of the specific embodiments described herein. These embodiments are intended for the purpose of exemplification only. Functionally equivalent products, formulations and methods are clearly within the scope of the invention as described herein.
The invention described herein may include one or more range of values (e.g. size). A range of values will be understood to include all values within the range, including the values defining the range, and values adjacent to the range which lead to the same or substantially the same outcome as the values immediately adjacent to that value which defines the boundary to the range.
Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a fence clip suitable for securing a fence wire to a fence post, the fence clip comprising:
In use, the fence clip of the present invention will engage with both a fence wire and a fence post. The wire engaging member will latch onto the fence wire, the central portion can then be passed through the post. The locking pin then resists removal of the central portion from the fence post.
The fence clip of the present invention is preferably adapted for use on a fence post that comprises at least one flange through which a number of apertures are provided. Preferably, the central portion is adapted to be positioned through one of the apertures. More preferably, the locking pin can be passed through one of the apertures.
In one form of the present invention, the central portion, the wire engaging member and the locking pin are all integrally formed.
In one form of the present invention, the fence clip is constructed from a single rod that has been shaped to form the central portion, the wire engaging member and the locking pin. Preferably, the rod is bent into the preferred shaped.
In one form of the present invention, the fence clip is constructed from a stiff material. Preferably, the fence clip is constructed from a material that resists deformation.
In one form of the present invention, the central portion is substantially straight.
In one form of the present invention, the central portion is adapted to pass through the fence post in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fence post.
In one form of the present invention, the length of the central portion is greater than the thickness of the fence post. When the fence clip is adapted to engage with a fence post that is provided with a flange, the length of the central portion is greater than the width of the flange.
In order for the central portion to be inserted into the aperture, the cross-sectional dimensions of the aperture must be greater than those of the central portion.
Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the term “operating position” will be understood to refer to the orientation of the fence clip when it is engaged with a fence wire and mounted on a fence post.
Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the term “mounting position” will be understood to refer to the orientation of the fence clip when it is engaged with a fence wire and has been rotated to allow for the mounting of the fence clip onto a fence post.
In one form of the present invention, the central portion defines a longitudinal axis of the fence clip. When the fence clip is an operating position, the longitudinal axis of the fence clip passes horizontally through the post and is substantially parallel to the ground. In the operating position, the longitudinal axis of the central portion is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of the fence post.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the wire engaging member projects laterally from the central portion. Preferably, the wire engaging member is substantially perpendicular to the central portion. When in an operating position, the wire engaging member extends forward of the central portion in a direction away from the central axis of the fence post.
In one form of the present invention, the fence clip has a single wire engaging member. In one form of the present invention, only the wire engaging member contacts the fence wire.
In one form of the present invention, the locking pin deviates away from the axis of the central portion. Preferably, the locking pin projects vertically from the central portion. Still preferably, the locking pin is substantially perpendicular to the central portion. In one embodiment, the locking pin is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fence post when the fence clip is in the operating position. Preferably, the locking pin extents downwardly of the central portion in a direction towards the base of the post when the fence clip is in the operating position.
In one form of the present invention, the wire engaging member is substantially U-shaped.
In one form of the present invention, the wire engaging member comprises a first leg and a second leg connected at their distal ends by a connector. Preferably, the first leg and the second leg define a central passage that terminates at the connector. The width of the passage is sized to permit the fence wire to pass between the first leg and the second leg to locate within the central passage.
In one form of the present invention, the first leg is connected to the central portion at a proximal end.
In one form of the present invention, the first leg and the second leg are separated in the vertical direction when the fence clip is in the operating position. Preferably, the second leg is underneath the first leg when the fence clip is in the operating position.
In one form of the present invention, the first leg and the second leg are substantially the same length.
In one form of the present invention, the second leg is provided at an angle to the first leg. Preferably, the second leg is provided at an angle to first leg in a direction away from the central portion. More preferably, the first leg is orientated substantiality perpendicular to the central portion.
In one form of the present invention, both the first leg and the second leg are substantially parallel to the ground when the fence clip is in the operating position.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fence assembly, the fence assembly comprising:
In one form of the present invention, the fence post comprises an elongate body member and at least one flange extending from the elongate body member. Preferably, the one or more apertures are provided through the flange.
Further features of the present invention are more fully described in the following description a non-limiting embodiment thereof. This description is included solely for the purposes of exemplifying the present invention. It should not be understood as a restriction on the broad summary, disclosure or description of the invention as set out above. The description will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
In
The fence clip 10 generally comprises a central portion 12, a wire engaging member 14 provided at a first end of the central portion 12 and a locking pin 18 provided at a second end of the central portion 12. The central portion 12 is adapted to pass through a portion of the fence post, with the wire engaging member 14 and the locking pin 18 being located on opposite sides of the fence post. The wire engaging member 14 will latch onto the fence wire and the locking pin 18 will resist the removal of the fence clip 10 from the fence post.
The fence clip 10 of the present invention is preferably adapted to engage with a fence post that comprises at least one flange 102. A suitable fence post 100 is shown in
The central portion 12 comprises an elongate rod that is adapted to pass through the fence post. The length of the central portion 12 along the longitudinal axis should be long enough to pass through the width of the fence post, or portion of a fence post, to which the fence clip 10 is associated with. For example, where the fence post comprises a flange 102, the length of the central portion 12 along the longitudinal axis should be at least as long as the thickness of the flange 102. It is preferred that the length of the central position is slightly longer than the width of the post to provide some tolerance. The central position should be long enough to allow it to be inserted through the fence post such that the locking pin 18 can engage with the other side of the fence post. In one embodiment, the central position is between 1 mm and 5 mm longer than the portion of the fence post to which the fence clip 10 is mounted.
The cross-sectional dimensions of the central portion 12 will need to be selected such that it may pass through an aperture 104 provided in the fence post.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the length of the central portion is at least 4 mm.
The wire engaging member 14 is adapted to latch onto a fence wire. The wire engaging member 14 extends laterally from the central portion 12. In a preferred embodiment, the wire engaging member 14 is orientated substantially perpendicular to the central portion 12. When the fence clip 10 is in the operating position, the wire engaging member 14 is substantially parallel to the ground. In the embodiment shown in
In one embodiment of the present invention, the first leg and the second leg are substantially the same length. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the second leg is short than the first leg. As discussed above, the length of the first leg is as least as long as the distance between the portion of the fence post that the fence clip passes through and the outer edge of the fence post, to which the fence wire is secured to. The main function of the second leg is to retain the fence wire within the central passage. The second leg should be appropriately sized to prevent the fence wire from being dislodged from the central passage.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the width of the central passage 28 is between 1.1 and 1.5 times the thickness of the fence wire.
In one embodiment, the width of the central passage 28 is between 1 mm and 5 mm wider than the thickness of the fence wire. In one embodiment, the width of the central passage 28 is between 3 mm and 4 mm wider than the thickness of the fence wire.
In one form of the present invention, the fence clip 10 has only one wire engaging member 14. In one form of the present invention, only the wire engaging member 14 contacts the fence wire.
In the embodiment shown in
In one embodiment, the angle between the first leg 22 and the second leg 24 is at least 1°. In one embodiment, the angle between the first leg 22 and the second leg 24 is at least 5°. In one embodiment, the angle between the first leg 22 and the second leg 24 is at least 10°. In one embodiment, the angle between the first leg 22 and the second leg 24 is at least 15°. In one embodiment, the angle between the first leg 22 and the second leg 24 is at least 20°. In one embodiment, the angle between the first leg 22 and the second leg 24 is at least 25°. The angle between the first leg 22 and the second leg 24 should be understood to refer to the angle between the longitudinal axis of each the first leg 22 and the second leg 24.
In one embodiment, the angle between the first leg 22 and the second leg 24 is between 1° and 30°. In one embodiment, the angle between the first leg 22 and the second leg 24 is between 5° and 25°. In one embodiment, the angle between the first leg 22 and the second leg 24 is between 10° and 20°.
In one embodiment, the angle between the central portion 12 and the first leg 22 is at least 60°. In one embodiment, the angle between the central portion 12 and the first leg 22 is at least 65°. In one embodiment, the angle between the central portion 12 and the first leg 22 is at least 70°. In one embodiment, the angle between the central portion 12 and the first leg 22 is at least 75°. In one embodiment, the angle between the central portion 12 and the first leg 22 is at least 80°. In one embodiment, the angle between the central portion 12 and the first leg 22 is at least 85°. In one embodiment, the angle between the central portion 12 and the first leg 22 is at least 90°. The angle between the central portion 12 and the first leg 22 should be understood to refer to the angle between the longitudinal axis of each the central portion 12 and the first leg 22.
In one embodiment, the angle between the central portion 12 and the first leg 22 is between 60° and 90°. The inventors understand that providing the locking pin at an angle to the central portion allows the locking to hold tighter on the fence post and direct the maximum pressure point to be as close as possible to directly in line with the middle of the fence post.
In the embodiment shown in the figure, the second leg 24 is lower than the first leg 22 when the fence clip 10 is in an operating orientation.
The locking pin 18 is provided on a second end of the central portion 12 and is adapted to resist the removal of the fence clip 10 from the fence post. The locking pin 18 projects from the central portion 12 at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the central portion 12. When in an operating position, the locking pin 18 is provided on an opposite side of the fence post to the wire engaging member 14. In this orientation, the locking pin 18 will latch onto the opposing side of the fence post to secure the fence clip 10 to the fence post, resisting the removal of the fence clip 10 from the fence post. In embodiment shown in the figures, the locking pin 18 projects from the central portion 12 in a vertical direction. This vertical direction is substantially parallel to central longitudinal axis of the fence post when the fence clip 10 is in an operating position. Preferably, the locking pin 18 will sit substantially flush against the fence post when installed.
In one embodiment, the angle between the central portion 12 and locking pin 18 is at least 80°. In one embodiment, the angle between the central portion 12 and locking pin 18 is between 80° and 110°.
In one embodiment, the dimensions of the locking pin 18 allow it to pass through the aperture 104 of the fence post.
In one embodiment, the longitudinal length of the locking pin 18 is at least 5 mm. In one embodiment, the longitudinal length of the locking pin 18 is at least 10 mm. In one embodiment, the longitudinal length of the locking pin 18 is at least 15 mm. In one embodiment, the longitudinal length of the locking pin 18 is at least 20 mm. In one embodiment, the longitudinal length of the locking pin 18 is at least 25 mm.
In one embodiment, the longitudinal length of the locking pin 18 is between 5 mm and 30 mm.
The fence clip 10 is preferably formed from a single unitary piece that has been appropriately shaped. For example, the fence clip 10 may be formed from a rod or wire that has been bent or otherwise deformed into the appropriate shape to produce the fence clip 10 of the present invention.
In one embodiment, the fence clip 10 is constructed from a stiff and resilient material. In one embodiment, the fence clip 10 is constructed from a material that resists deformation. It is preferable that the fence clip 10 of the present invention is not deformable by hand. Suitable materials include steel or hard plastic materials known in the art. Preferably, the diameter of the rod is sufficient to resist deformation.
In one form of the present invention, the rod has a diameter of at least 3 mm. In one form of the present invention, the rod has a diameter of at least 4 mm. In one form of the present invention, the rod has a diameter of at least 5 mm. In one form of the present invention, the rod has a diameter of between 3 mm and 6 mm.
In one form of the present invention, each of the central portion 12, the wire engaging member 14 and the locking pin 18 are substantially mutually perpendicular.
As the first leg 22 and the second leg 24 are separated in a vertical direction, the orientation of the fence clip 10 when engaged with the fence wire 106 will be such that the central portion 12 is generally aligned with the aperture 104 and is perpendicular to the central axis of the fence post 100. This orientation does not permit the insertion of the locking pin 18 through the aperture 104 and so the operator must rotate the fence clip 10 to the mounting position to align the locking pin 18 with the aperture 104. Assuming the fence wire 106 remains parallel to the ground, the rotation of the fence clip 10 is possible only up to the angle at which the first leg 22 and the second leg 24 both contact the fence wire 100. The freedom to rotate the fence clip 10 is therefore limited by the width of the central passage 28 compared to the thickness of the fence wire 106. A wider passage will allow for the fence clip 10 to rotate further relative to the fence wire 106. However, increasing the width of the central passage 28 will allow more movement of the fence wire 106 within the central passage 28 when the fence clip 10 is installed and will similarly allow for easier dislodgment of the fence clip 10 from the fence post 100. Furthermore, the length and angle of the locking pin 18 will determine the degree of rotation required to mount the fence clip 10 on the fence post 100. Whilst decreasing the locking pin 18 length or increasing the angle between the locking pin 18 and the central portion 12 will increase the ease of installation, this will also allow for easier dislodgment of the fence clip 10 from the fence post 100. Each of the dimensions of the central passage 28 and the length/orientation of the locking pin 18 should be sized such that the rotation of the fence clip 10 is limited to only just allow the locking pin 18 to be inserted into the aperture 104. In doing so, the fence clip 10 will ‘snap’ into position. This has been found to assist in the prevention of accidental dislodgment of the fence clip 10. The preferred dimensions will ultimately be determined by the thickness of the fence wire 106 and the dimensions of the aperture 104.
The inventors of the present invention have found that by providing an angle between the first leg 22 and the second leg 24 of the wire retaining member that the degree in which the fence clip 10 can rotate relative to the wire fence is increased. As such, a greater degree of rotation can be achieved without increasing the width of the central passage 28. This allows for the fence wire 106 to be more securely retained against the fence post 100.
As discussed above, the fence clip 10 is preferably constructed from a material that is resilient to deformation. The inventors have found that this will substantially prevent the deformation of the fence clip 10 during the installation process. The fence clip 10 will therefore keep the intended orientation, ensuring the best possible retention between the fence wire and the fence post. Constructing the fence clip 10 of the present invention from a material that is resilient to deformation will also assist will preventing the fence clip 10 from being deformed once installed. As would be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, forces on the fence wire, such as from livestock, are largely transferred to the means used to retain the fence wire to the fence post. Clip or wire ties commonly used in the prior art are required to be deformable to permit the installation. The inventors have found that this decreases the strength of the clip and leads to the clips failing more frequently.
Advantageously, the fence clip 10 of the present invention does not require any tools for installation, nor does it require the operator to manually deform the clip in order to engage it with the fence wire or fence post. This has been found to increase the installation speed over prior art clip which require the clip to be coiled around the fence wire.
In accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a fence post assembly. The fence post assembly comprises a fence post and one or more fence clips 10 that are mountable on the fence post.
In
The fence post assembly further comprises one or more fence clips 10. Each fence clip 10 comprising, a central portion 12 adapted to pass through one of the apertures 104 provided on the flange 102, a wire engaging member 14 provided at a first end of the central portion 12; and a locking pin 18 provided at a second end of the central portion 12. The fence clips 10 of the first embodiment of the present invention are suitable for use in the fence post assembly and the above discussion applies equally to the fence clips 10.
As each fence clip 10 is associated with an aperture 104 of the fence post, the number of fence clips 10 that can be mounted on the fence post is limited by the number of apertures 104.
As discussed above, the dimensions of the fence clip 10 need to be tailored to suit the particular fence post that they are mounted on. Whilst the fence clip 10 of the first embodiment of the present invention may be mounted on commercially available fence posts, variances between manufacturers may result in different fence clips 10 being required for different types of fence posts. The fence post assemble of the second embodiment of the present invention matches the dimensions of the fence clip 10 to the dimensions of the fence post.
Modifications and variations such as would be apparent to the skilled addressee are considered to fall within the scope of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021901911 | Jun 2021 | AU | national |
| 2021218235 | Aug 2021 | AU | national |
