Patent Application
20140263898
Historically, fences were generally built to keep animals and people out of an area. Today, agricultural fences keep animals contained and some fences serve both purposes such as the fences that surround prisons. Most early fences were built of materials close at hand such as stones or trees and even dirt.
Wooden fences also allowed a user to attach things or rest things on top of the post. All kinds of things can be attached to the top of a wooden fence post such as a bird houses which could easily be attached to the top of the post using nails or screws. While this may be desirable, installing wooden fence post is quite labor intensive since it generally requires digging a hole and filling it with concrete to make it secure. Metal fence posts are much easier to install and are generally just pounded into the ground; however, it is very difficult to attach anything to the top of them. Often people attempt to attach things by using wire, but it is not easy to provide a secure platform for the attached items.
A common form of metal fence posts are known as T-posts. They are usually pounded into the ground with the fencing material pulled tightly between adjacent posts. While these fence posts work well and are relatively easy to install compared to wooden fence post, once installed they are not very useful to attach other objects to their top portion. There is a need for a method of attaching things to a T-post that preserves the ease of installation of a metal post while allowing secure attachment to its top portion.
A fence post platform attachment device fits on top of a T-post has a top platform portion that allows objects such as birdhouses, signs, sprinklers, lockboxes, etc. to be secured to the T-post. A cross-shaped body portion is formed by bending a sheet of steel into a hollow cross shape and welding it to the top platform portion. A series of holes are disposed along the corners of the top platform portion to allow a user to attach the desired object. Fasteners such as bolts securely hold the selected objet to the top platform portion thereby securing it to the T-post fence post.
Other features and advantages of the instant invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention which refers to the accompanying drawings.
In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is made to the drawings in which reference numerals refer to like elements, and which are intended to show by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
Referring to
Body portion 115 is formed from a sheet of steel and bent by folding in a series of ninety degree bends to form the cross shape longitudinally extending portion that fits over a T-post and keeps it from spinning or turning and providing a secure platform to attach items.
Top attachment plate portion 115 has a plurality of holes 110 used to attach various items. T-post platform attachment device 100 fits on top of a T-post 120. The shape of body portion 115 is cross-like but of sufficient width to accommodate a variety of different size T-posts. T-post 120 fits within the channels formed by the “T-shaped” body portion 115. Of course other shaped fence posts will also fit such as L-shaped posts or cross-shaped posts and others.
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Although the instant invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art.
