AU608461B2

AU608461B2 - Fencing

Info

Publication number: AU608461B2
Application number: AU41537/89A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Kevin Power
Original assignee: ECLIPSE ALUMINIUM Pty Ltd
Current assignee: ECLIPSE ALUMINIUM PTY Ltd
Priority date: 1988-10-10
Filing date: 1989-09-20
Publication date: 1991-03-28
Anticipated expiration: 2009-09-20
Also published as: AU4153789A

Description

4

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Form

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. Cl: Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: Priority: Related Art: This document contains the amendments made under Section 4 9,and is correct for printing. 0 OO a one *n 0 0 00

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000 0*0000 0 0 i TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: ECLIPSE ALUMINIUM PTY. LTD.

0"00 Address of Applicant: 18 Longview Court Thomastown, Victoria 3074 Australia Actual Inventor: Kevin POWER 90OV S S 00 0 *c t' C

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cc C C CC C* CC Address for Service: GRIFFITH HACK CO., 601 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.

Complete Specification for the invention entitled:

FENCING

The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me:- '19 PATENT AN D TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS

MELBOURNE

SYDNEY P E R TH

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FENCING

5 This invention relates to fencing and, in particular, to an improvement to the invention disclosed in Australian Patent No. 562,443. The subject matter of that patent is incorporated into this specification by this reference.

10 The earlier patent discloses fencing which generally has horizontal transverse members and vertical upright members. In some instances it is desired to provide transverse members which are not horizontal but which are inclined. Examples of such instances are use of fencing as a balustrade on stairways of possibly on sloping land.

nra~ ~ULIL-f.~.U L~ed~~ 3 The object of this invention is to provide fencing which can be used on stairways, on flat ground or on inclined ground.

The invention may be said to reside in a fence having at least one transverse member and a plurality of upright members, said transverse member having an end wall and a pair of side walls, at least one of said side walls having an inwardly extending flange section at least in the vicinity of each upright member, each upright member having a slot for receiving said flange oleo section to secure said upright members to said transverse 0 0O member, wherein said slot is so dimensioned to enable the 9 transverse member to be accommodated at any one of a 0 00 o o 0 o range of angles of inclination with respect to the coo 0 oa9 15 horizontal so that the transverse member can be arranged o 0 at a predetermined inclined angle with respect to said o upright members.

0490 The invention also provides a method of making a fence comprising the steps of forming a transverse oOo 20 member and a plurality of upright members, said 0000 0 0 atransverse member having an end wall and a pair of side 00 walls, at least one of said side walls having an inwardly 0 oo o extending flange section, said upright members having a 61 slot formed therein which can enable the transverse member to be arranged at any one of a range of angles of Scc inclination with respect to the horizontal, and connecting the upright member to the transverse member 9 cc by locating said flange section in the slot formed in the upright members to secure said upright members to the transverse member at a predetermined angle in said range of angles.

Preferably said slot is generally of double V-shaped configuration having an upper V-shaped wall and a lower V-shaped wall with the apexes of the V-shaped walls facing one another.

3a- Thus, the flange which is received in the slot can engage one of the legs of the upper V-shaped wall and the other of the legs of the other V-shaped wall to thereby arrange the transverse member at an inclined angle with respect to the upright. By arranging the o* 0 O00 0 0 a 0O 6 0 Opa 0 0 o a S 0 e *o a a 00 a 0 0 o o 00 00 a a0 *1' 1-a, Nr -4flange along the axis of the slot, the transverse member may be arranged horizontally if desired. The configuration of the slot enables the upright member to be arranged at a predetermined inclined angle between two limits defined by the angle between the legs which make up V-shaped wall.

A preferred embodiment of the inventin will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view of a fence embodyin the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of an upright used in the preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view of an 9.

15 upright to which a transverse member is coupled; and o Figures 4 and 5 are front views showing the o transverse member arranged at different angles with respect to the upright.

O.Figure 1 shows a fence embodying the invention 0 20 used as a balustrade or stairs. The fence includes uprights 20 and transverse members With reference to Figure 2, the upright 20 used o in the fence of this embodiment has a slot 30 which is formed in one of its surfaces. Preferably the upright b 25 is rectangular in configuration. However, other shapes Scould be used if desired. The slot 30 is formed by cutting the upright 20. However, the slot could be formed by moulding or other means when the upright 20 is a manufactured.

S 30 The slot 30 is of double V-shaped configuration and comprises two V-shaped walls 32 and 34 formed in one face 20a of the upright. Both of the walls 32 and 34 have inclined leg portions 32a, 32b, 34a and 34b which define the double V-shape. Side walls 20b of the upright 20 are recessed at 20c to complete the slot Each upright 20 may be provided with a number of slots 30 depending on the number of transverse members which are required.

Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view in which the transverse member 50 is coupled to the upright The transverse member 50 is of identica.l configuration to the transverse member disclosed in our earlier Patent No.

562,443 and therefore will not be further disclosed other than to indicate that it has a top portion 52 with an opening 54 for receiving the upright 20, a pair of sides 56 which carry flanges 58 and 60. The transverse member 0 50 is joined to the upright 20 in the same manner as in a oo0 the earlier patent with the flange 58 being received in 4 o the slot 30 and the other flange 60 abutting the opposite .go 15 face 20d of the upright 20. As best shown in Figures 4 0 oo. and 5, because of the configuration of the slot 30, the •.o0 transverse member 50 may be arranged at an inclined angle with respect to the upright The angle at which the transverse member 50 can be arranged may vary between two limits. One limit is 00o0 shown in Figure P wherein the flange 58 engages leg 00 0 0oo0 member 32a of wall 32 and also leg member 34b of wall 34.

o The other limit is when the transverse member 50 is inclined in the other direction so that the flange 58 0o 0 engages leg 34a of wall 34 and leg 32b of wall 32 as is shown in dotted lines in Figure 5 and referenced by the number 50'. Thus, the transverse member 50 may be **ag 0 arranged at any inclined angle between the angles of S6 inclination shown in Figures 4 and 5 which depend on the angle formed by the leg members 32a and 32b and the leg members 34a and 34b which make up the walls 32 and 34 of the double V-shaped slot.

It is not necessary to arrange the flange 58 so that it contacts any of the leg members of the walls 32 or 34 and it would be possible to incline the transverse member 50 at any angle between the two limits shown in 6 Figures 4 and 5 or to arrange it horizontally. Indeed, in Figure 5 the -4r4.ght member is shown in solid lines arranged generally horizontally. The abutment of the flange 58 in the slot 30 and the abutment of the flange 60 against the rear 20d of the upright is sufficient to securely retain the transverse member 50 against the upright.

The preferred embodiment of this invention therefore provides a fencing system which can be used on flat land or in sloping environments such as in staircases or sloping land.

Since modification within the spirit and scope 00 ,00 e of the invention may readily be effected by persons skilled within the art, it is to be understood that this S 00 *o 0o 15 invention is not limited to the particular embodiment 0 0*0 described by way of example hereinabove.

o 0 009 0* 0

SO

Claims

2. The fence of Claim 1 wherein said slot is *oooeo 0 a generally of double V-shaped configuration having an a upper V-shaped wall and a lower V-shaped wall with the aOs8 apexes of the V-shaped walls facing one another.
3. The method of making a fence comprising the 00 ~steps of forming a transverse member and a plurality of ooo upright members, said transverse member having an end o o °o wall and a pair of side walls, at least one of said side 0 walls having an inwardly extending flange section, said a upright members having a slot formed therein which can Senable the transverse member to be arranged at any one of 4 a range of angles of inclination with respect to the a C horizontal, and connecting the upright member to the S c( c CC transverse member by locating said flange section in the slot formed in the upright members to secure said upright members to the transverse member at a predetermined angle in said range of angles.
4. A fence substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. L I R -8 A method of making a fence substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS 28TH DAY OF December, 1990 ECLIPSE ALUMINIUM PTY. LTD. By Its Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK CO. 0 Fellows Institute of Patent o oa o SAttorneys of Australia 0 00 O a 0 0 9 009 0 000009 0 0000 *000 Ct t 6 C C C tS C c