US3484081A - Prefabricated fencing - Google Patents

Description

Dec.. 16, i969 E, B, RowAN 3,484,081

PREFABRI CATED FENG ING Filed Oct. l2, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l `Ziw 7 1 M/ f'i'f. Ma i2 /11 15 fi J 21B ii v i7 M? T MEE: l/gb F\Gy.@

12b] lr-? L 17 im@ im V F165 V j web 5 JUUARf E RUWAN AGENT Ecm@ M @0M/v Dec. 36, w69 E. B. RowAN PREFABRICATED FENCING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 12, 1957 AGEN-T wf B @away United States Patent O 3,484,081 PREFABRICATED FENCING Edward B. Rowan, 456 Broad St., Pittston, Pa. 18640 Filed Oct. 12, 1967, Ser. No. 682,704 Int. Cl. E041: 17/16 lU.S. Cl. 256-22 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A picket fence for easy assembly is provided in which a series of individual picket units are hingedly engaged with each other. Each unit consists of a picket, rails attached near the top and bottom of the picket, dowels to engage the rails, and pegs to support the rails on the dowels in vertical alignment with each other.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 'Ihis invention relates to Prefabricated picket-type fencing of a decorative kind that can be used for protecting shrubbery, flowers and bushes. It can also be used to enclose swimming pools. Since the fencing can be erected to follow any type curve or curvatures, it can be used to enclose all types of structures and, if manufactured small enough, it may be used, for'example, around platforms under Christmas trees. Also, since the fence has considerable strength, it is useful for erection around homes and gardens and to make pens for small animals.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide a fence which can be installed easily, quickly and economically at any site with the use of a hammer or a mallet for tapping dowels into ground.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fence that can form many designs since the elements of the fence can be turned at 45 angle either inward or outward and can also form a circle inward or outward.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fence that is novel in design, easy to erect, and capable of being erected to follow any line of angular or curved design just as easily and simply as erecting the fence in a straight line.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fence that can be erected without the necessity of digging post holes because the dowels are tapped into the ground and bending or shaping the prefabricated picket is not necessary.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fence that can be used where any ordinary boundary fence is required, that has sufficient strength to enclose a restricted area, that may be used in various sizes for ornamental and decorative landscaping, and can be manufactured for use on platforms, under Christmas trees, or wherever a decorative fence might be required.

These and other objects of this invention are obtained by providing a series of repeating units hingedly attached to each other. Each repeating unit consists of a picket, rails attached near the top and bottom of the picket, dowels to engage vertically aligned holes in the rails, and pegs to support the rails on the dowels in vertical alignment with each other.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of the fence of this invention which also illustrates a design of the fence after it is erected.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a dowel post.

3,484,081 Patented Dec. 16, 1969 FIG. 3 is a front elevation of a picket and a railing.

FIG. 4 shows pegs inserted in a dowel.

FIG. 5 shows one picket assembled.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a peg.

FIG. 7 shows a fence erected in staggered design.

FIG. 8 shows a fence erected in curved design.

This fence may be manufactured of wood, metal or plastic. Each picket, when assembled, consists of four parts: dowell 11, two pegs 12a and 12b, and picket 13, as shown in FIG. 5.

When manufactured, each picket 13 will be attached to railings top 40 and bottom 16 as shown in FIG. 3. Each rail will have holes 17 on both ends equally spaced for dowels 11 to be inserted. Railings 14 and 106 will also be rounded on both ends 18 and 19 so picket can be turned to any curve or angle asV shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8. Each dowel will have holes top and bottom 21a and 2lb as shown in FIG. 2 to insert pegs 12a and 12b when assembling picket 13. Each dowel 11 will act as a post and a guide as shown in FIG. 1.

Dowels 11 will enter into the ground approximately sixteen inches with a two inch space between the ground and the bottom of picket 13.

After the fence is erected, dowels 11 and pickets 13 will be equally spaced and uniform in height. This fence will consist of a plurality of pickets 13, dowels 11 and pegs 12 to complete the fence as shown in FIG. 1.

In use, this fence may be erected in a simple and easy manner by following the below listed steps:

(l) Tap one of the dowels 11 into the ground about eight inches as nearly perpendicular as possible.

(2) Slide the bottom and top rail holes 17 of the first picket down over the first dowel.

(3) Insert tongues of top 14a and bottom 16a rails of the second picket into the grooves 14b and 16b of the rails of the previous picket.

(4) Insert the second dowel down through top and bottom rail holes 17 of the prefabricated picket.

(5) Insert peg 12a into horizontal top peg hole 21a of the Second dowel and tap the dowel into the ground until the peg touches the top of the rail.

(6) Remove peg 12a from top peg hole 21a and insert it into bottom dowel peg hole 2lb and lift the pickets up from the ground until the bottom peg 12b touches the top of the lower rail, then insert another peg 12a into top peg hole 21a in the dowel, the purpose of which is to keep the pickets from dropping back down to the ground.

(7) The tirst dowel as used in step (1) may now be driven down until the top of the dowel is even or ush with the top rail hole.

(8) To install the third picket, insert the upper and lower rail tongues into the grooves of the upper and lower rail grooves of the previous picket and insert dowel down thruogh top and bottom rail holes, then insert peg into bottom peg hole in dowel and continue tapping dowel into ground until peg touches top of bottom rail. Now insert another peg in the top peg hole.

(9) An angular or curved design may be accomplished by turning pickets in the direction of line of design and then following the same procedure as from third picket on, as is explained in step (8) I claim:

1. A picket fence comprising a series of repeating units hingedly engaged with each other to form a fence of any desired length and design, each repeating unit comprised of:

a vertically elongated picket;

a pair of rails mounted on each picket, one rail mounted adjacent the upper portion of the picket and the other rail mounted adjacent the lower portion of the picket, each rail having a tongue horizontally extend- I.forming al groove adaptedtto receiveLY agtongue extending horizontally from the other side of the picket; holes provided in the upper and lower tongues in vertical alignment with each other and similar holes in the upper and lower anges in vertical alignment with each other; i a dowel adapted to passvertically through the holes in the tongues and anges; y horizontal passageways in an upper and lower portion of the dowel spaced closer together than the distance between the upper and lower flanges;

.Y pegs,- adapted to be received by the passageways and protrude therefrom; p whereby a pair of tongues on one picket can be inserted l in a pair of grooves on a second picket, the dowel can be insertedfthrough the vertically aligned holes to hingedly engage one picket with a secondY picket, and, the pegs maybe inserted in the passageways in vthe dowels to secure the pickets in vertical alignment with each other. ZA picket'fence according to claim 1, wherein the 3. A picket fence according to claim 1, wherein the outstanding edges of the flanges and the tongues are provided with a radius so that respective pickets may readily be rotated relative to each other.`

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTs. 466,654 1/1892 Clapp.; 256-22 X 712,259 10/1902 Carr. 1,488,199 3/1924 Falendysh 256-21 2,581,318 1/195; Barnetr t p 256-25 X 2,651,502 9/1953 Carvelo et al. 2,736,041 2/1956 Maloof 256-25 X 2,962,263 11/1960 Coeld 'v 256-22 Y 3,374,986 3/,1968 McElroy et al. f 256-65 X DENNIS L. TAYLOR, Primary Examiner f U.s. C1. Xn. 256-25

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