Patent Application
20230175287
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The disclosure relates to fence devices and more particularly pertains to a new fence device for anchoring a stretched fence. The device includes a pair of posts which are sunk into the ground, a pair of upper sleeves which are positionable around the posts and a pair of lower sleeves which are positionable around the posts. A pair of support rods is attachable between respective upper and lower sleeves to extend diagonally between the posts. Additionally, a central member is attachable to the upper sleeves to extend horizontally between the posts. In this way the posts are inhibited from tipping toward or away from each other for anchoring a stretched fence.
The prior art relates to fence devices including a fence anchor that includes a pair of posts, a pair of diagonal support and a horizontal support. Each of the diagonal supports and the horizontal support includes loops that extend around a respective post for securing the posts. The prior art discloses a variety of fence anchors that include a vertical member and an angled member that extends diagonally between the vertical member and the ground for inhibiting the vertical member from tipping. The prior art discloses a variety of fence anchors that include a pair of posts, a single diagonal support and a pair of horizontal supports that are each attached between the posts. The prior art discloses a fence post device that includes a plurality of angled members that are pivotally coupled to the fence post for extending diagonally between the fence post and the ground.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a pair of posts that can each be driven into ground. A pair of lower sleeves is each slidable over a respective one of the posts and a pair of tubes is each coupled to a respective one of the lower sleeves. A pair of upper sleeves is each slidable over a respective one of the posts. A pair of support rods is each insertable through a respective one of the tubes such that each of the support rods is oriented to extend diagonally between the posts. A connection point on each of the support rods is attachable to a mounting tab on a respective one of the upper sleeves thereby inhibiting the pair of posts from tipping toward or away from each other. In this way the pair of posts can serve as an anchor point for a stretched fence.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
Each of the lower sleeves 22 has an outside surface 24, an inside surface 26, a first end 27 and a second end 28. Additionally, each of the lower sleeves 22 has a hole 30 extending through the outside surface 24 and the inside surface 26. Each of the lower sleeves 22 has a nut 32 that is bonded to the outside surface 24 and the nut 32 is aligned with the hole 30. The nut 32 may be a threaded fastener commonly used with threaded bolts.
A pair of tubes 34 is provided and each of the tubes 34 is coupled to a respective one of the lower sleeves 22. Each of the tubes 34 is oriented at an angle on the respective lower sleeve 22. In this way each of the tubes 34 is directed toward the upper end 18 of an opposite one of the posts 12 with respect to the post 12 on which the respective lower sleeve 22 is positioned. Each of the tubes 34 has a front wall 36 and a back wall 38, and the back wall 38 is bonded to the outside surface 24 of the respective lower sleeve 22. Each of the tubes 34 is oriented to extend diagonally between the first end 27 and the second end 28 of the respective lower sleeve 22. Furthermore, the front wall 36 of each of the tubes 34 has a hole 40 extending through the front wall 36. Each of the tubes 34 has a nut 41 that is bonded to an outer surface 42 of the front wall 36 and the nut 41 on the front wall 36 is aligned with the hole 40 in the front wall 36. Additionally, each of the tubes 34 may have a rectangular cross section.
A pair of upper sleeves 44 is provided and each of the upper sleeves 44 is slidable over a respective one of the posts 12 having each of the upper sleeves 44 being positioned adjacent to the upper end 18 of the respective post 12. Each of the upper sleeves 44 has a mounting tab 46 extending away from a respective upper sleeve 44, and each of the upper sleeves 44 has an outer surface 48 and an inner surface 50. Each of the upper sleeves 44 has a hole 52 extending through the outer surface 48 and the inner surface 50 of the upper sleeve 44. Additionally, each of the upper sleeves 44 has a nut 54 that is bonded to the outer surface 48 of the upper sleeve 44. The nut 54 on each of the upper sleeves 44 is aligned with the hole 52 in the upper sleeves 44. Furthermore, the mounting tab 46 on each of the upper sleeves 44 extends away from the outer surface 48 of the upper sleeves 44, and the mounting tab 46 has an opening 56 extending through the mounting tab 46.
A pair of support rods 58 is provided and each of the support rods 58 is insertable through a respective one of the tubes 34 when the lower sleeves 22 are positioned around the posts 12. In this way each of the support rods 58 is oriented to extend diagonally between the posts 12. Each of the support rods 58 has a connection point 60 that is integrated into the support rods 58. The connection point 60 on each of the support rods 58 is attachable to the mounting tab 46 on a respective one of the upper sleeves 44 when the respective upper sleeve 44 is positioned on the respective post 12. In this way the pair of posts 12 is inhibited from tipping toward or away from each other thereby facilitating the pair of posts 12 to be an anchor point for a stretched fence. The stretched fence may be a barbed wire fence, a wire fence or any other type of stretched fence.
Each of the support rods 58 has a primary end 62, a secondary end 64 and an exterior surface 66 extending between the primary end 62 and the secondary end 64. The secondary end 64 of each of the support rods 58 is insertable through a respective one of the tubes 34. Each of the support rods 58 has a first coupling tab 68 that extends away from the exterior surface 66 to define the connection point 60 on the support rods 58. The first coupling tab 68 is positioned adjacent to the primary end 62.
Each of the support rods 58 is oriented in the respective tube 34 such that the first coupling tab 68 on each of the support rods 58 is directed upwardly on the support rod 58. The first coupling tab 68 on each of the support rods 58 has an opening 70 extending through the first coupling tab 68. The opening 70 in the first coupling tab 68 is aligned with the opening 56 in the mounting tab 46 when the support rods 58 are inserted into the tubes 34. Additionally, each of the support rods 58 may have a rectangular cross section that corresponds to the rectangular cross section of the tubes 34. In this way the support rods 58 may be inhibited from rotating in the tubes 34.
A central member 72 is provided that has a pair of connection points 74 each being disposed on opposite ends of the central member 72. Each of the connection points 74 on the central member 72 engages the mounting tab 46 on a respective one of the upper sleeves 44 when the upper sleeves 44 are positioned around the posts 12. In this way the central member 72 inhibits the posts 12 from tipping toward or away from each other. The central member 72 has a first end 76 and a second end 78, and the central member 72 has a pair of second coupling tabs 80 that is each coupled to and extends away from a respective one of the first end 76 and the second end 78 of the central member 72. Each of the second coupling tabs 80 has an opening 82 extending through the second coupling tabs 80. The opening 82 in each of the second coupling tabs 80 is aligned with the opening 56 in the mounting tab 46 on the respective upper sleeve 44.
A plurality of bolts 84 is provided and each of the bolts 84 is threadable into the nut 32 on a respective one of the lower sleeves 22, the nut 54 on a respective one of the upper sleeves 44 and the nut 41 on a respective one of the tubes 34. Each of the bolts 84 is tightenable to engage a respective one of the posts 12 or a respective one of the support rods 58. In this way the upper sleeves 44 and the lower sleeves 22 can be retained at a selected point along the respective post 12. Additionally, each of the support rods 58 can be retained to extend a selected distance outwardly from the respective tube 34. Each of the bolts 84 may comprise a threaded hex bolt or other similar type of bolt.
In use, each of the posts 12 is driven into the ground 14 such that the posts 12 are spaced a pre-determined distance apart from each other. The posts 12 may be located on level ground or the posts 12 may be located on an incline. Each of the lower sleeves 22 is positioned around a respective post 12 and each of the upper sleeves 44 is positioned around a respective post 12. Additionally, each of the upper sleeves 44 and each of the lower sleeves 22 are secured at a selected height on the respective post 12. Each of the support rods 58 is inserted into the respective tube 34 and the first coupling tab 68 on each of the support rods 58 is engaged to the mounting tab 46 on the respective upper sleeve 44. Additionally, each of the second coupling tabs 80 on the central member 72 is engaged to the mounting tab 46 on the respective upper sleeve 44. In this way the posts 12 are inhibited from tipping toward or away from each other thereby facilitating the posts 12 to serve as an anchor point for the stretched fence.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
