TITLE OF THE INVENTION A Fence Wire Retainer

TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to a fence wire retainer. In particular, this invention relates to a retaining device for retaining a fence wire in position relative to a fence post.

BACKGROUND Wire fences are commonly used for farming livestock. A section of fence typically includes a plurality of upright fence posts of wood or metal on which a plurality of horizontal wires is operatively arranged. Such an arrangement can be in the form of wire guide formations arranged on the fence posts. The wire guide arrangements can be simple passages through the fence posts. Instead, they can be defined by wire guides mounted on or forming part of the fence posts.

Invariably, a horizontal wire can break and in doing so can become disengaged from several fence posts along the section of the fence. The detachment of wire can cause an expansive breach in the fence through which livestock can more readily escape. Furthermore, repairing the fence can be time-consuming with lengths of wire needing to be engaged with a number of posts, even though the break only occurred between two posts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a retainer for retaining a tensioned fence wire against movement with respect to a fence post in one direction, the fence wire passing through a wire guide formation for the fence post, the retainer including a clamping device for clamping to the wire on one side of said wire guide formation, the clamping device being dimensioned so that movement of the wire with respect to the post in said one direction is obstructed by the clamping device in the event that the fence wire is breached on said one side of said formation.

The clamping device may include a pair of clamping legs between which the fence wire can be retained. The legs may be interconnected with a biasing member that serves to bias the legs into a clamped condition.

The legs may have free end portions that are out-turned with respect to each other so that a user can slide the legs into clamping engagement with the fence wire against the bias of the biasing member.

The clamping device may be defined by a length of resiliently flexible material with the biasing member being in the form of a curved portion interposed between the legs.

The biasing member may be in the form of an arcuate portion.

Operatively inner surfaces of the legs may define at least one gripping formation configured to act against a force exerted by the wire on the clamping device when movement of the wire relative to the fence post is obstructed by the clamping device.

An operatively inner surface of the length of resiliently flexible material may define a number of parallel, longitudinally extending serrations, each serration having a transverse profile configured to act against a force exerted by the wire on the clamping device when movement of the wire relative to the fence post is obstructed by the clamping device.

The resiliently flexible material may be spring steel. The spring steel may be selected to have a hardness value greater than that of the fence wire such that the serrations can be at least partially embedded in the wire when movement of the wire relative to the fence post is obstructed by the clamping device.

The spring steel may be one of the following: high-carbon spring steel, alloy spring steel and stainless spring steel.

The spring steel may be of the type used for suspension assemblies in the automotive industry. The spring steel may be hardened steel with a hardness value of between 40 and 50 on the Rockwell C scale.

The retainer may include stop means located proximal the head for preventing movement of the wire beyond the serrated clamping surface.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a fence assembly which includes a fence post that has at least one wire guide formation; at least one length of wire passing through a respective wire guide formation; and at least one retainer as described above fast with a respective wire on one side of an associated wire guide formation so that movement of the wire with respect to the post is obstructed by the clamping device in the event that the fence wire is breached on said one side of said wire guide formation.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of fortifying a fence having a plurality of fence assemblies, each fence assembly having a fence post that has at least one wire guide formation and at least one length of wire passing through a respective wire guide formation, the method including the step of: fastening at least one retainer as claimed in claim 1 to a respective wire on one side of an associated wire guide formation so that movement of the wire with respect to the post is obstructed by the clamping device in the event that the fence wire is breached on said one side of said wire guide formation.

Preferred features, embodiments and variations of the invention may be discerned from the following Detailed Description which provides sufficient information for those skilled in the art to perform the invention. The Detailed Description is not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the preceding Summary of the Invention or the claims in any way. The Detailed Description makes reference to a number of drawings as set out below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a side view of a first embodiment, in accordance with the invention, of a retainer for retaining a tensioned fence wire against movement with respect to a fence post.

Figure 2 is a bottom sectional end view of a pair of retainers of Figure 1 positioned to inhibit movement of a fence wire with respect to a fence post.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a second embodiment, in accordance with the invention, of a retainer for retaining a tensioned fence wire against movement with respect to a fence post taken through A-A in Figure 4.

Figure 4 is a front view of the second embodiment of the retainer.

Figure 5 is a side view of the second embodiment of the retainer.

Figure 6 is a three-dimensional view of the second embodiment of the retainer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

According to a first embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a retainer 2 for retaining a wire 12 against movement with respect to a fence post 14 if the wire 12 breaks. A detailed description of the retainer 2 is provided below.

Turning to Figure 1 , the retainer 2 is integrally formed from high tensile steel, and includes an enlarged head 4 from which a pair of clamping legs 6 extends. The legs 6 are elongate and substantially parallel when wire 12 is not clamped between them. Each leg 6 has a serrated clamping surface 16 for engaging with the wire 12. Each serrated surface 16 extends along the inside of a corresponding leg 6 and defines a plurality of teeth which grip the wire 12 to impede movement of the wire 12 with respect to the post 14 in a direction from the retainer 2, through the post 14. The teeth are oriented so that slippage of the wire 12 in one direction as opposed to another is inhibited.

The legs 6 terminate in a pair of out-turned feet 8 which, in turn, collectively form a guide for guiding the wire 12 between the legs 6 during engagement of the retainer 2 with the wire 12. Thus, the feet 8 allow the retainer 2 to be urged into engagement with the wire 12. The retainer 2 includes pair of triplets of stops 10 which are located close to the head 4 of the retainer 2. Each stop is effectively a cantilever which extends from the inside of a leg 6. The triplets of stops 10 collectively serve to stop the sliding of the wire 12 along the legs 6 and into a cavity defined by the head 4. Thus, the stops 10 maintain the wire 12 in engagement with the teeth when the retainer 2 is urged onto the wire 12.

Turning to Figure 2, there is provided a fence including a fence post 14 defining a wire guide formation in the form of a passage 13 through which the wire 12 passes. A pair of retainers 2 is engaged with the wire 12 on either side of the fence post 14. The pair of clamping legs 6 of each retainer 2 clamps the wire 12 so that the wire 12 is retained from movement with respect to the fence post 14 if the wire 12 breaks outside the retainers 2. In the event of a wire breakage, the serrated surfaces 16 of the retainers 2 impede the slippage of the wire 12 between the clamping legs 6 and from the post 14.

A method for erecting a fence using the retainers 2 is now described.

Firstly, the wire 12 is operatively engaged with a plurality of fence posts 14 by threading the wire 12 through a plurality of corresponding passages 13 in each post 14.

The wire 12 is subsequently tightened, and then secured to remain taught.

One or a pair of retainers 2 are then each clamped to the wire 12 immediately adjacent each post 14 to fortify the fence. The retainer 2 is pushed onto the wire 12 so that the wire 12 passes between the feet 8 of each retainer 2 and along the legs 6 toward the head 4. In this manner, the resilient legs 6 are forced apart about the head 4 and clamp against the wire 12. The serrated

surfaces 16 facilitate longitudinal sliding of the retainer 2 over the wire 12 and impede lateral sliding of the retainer 2 along the wire 12.

If the wire 12 breaks between an adjacent pair of fence posts 4, the wire 12 is retained in attachment with the pair of fence posts 4 thereby localizing the breach in the fence to between the pair of fence posts 4. The retainers 2 prevent the wire 12 from slipping through the passage in each post 14.

The retainer 2 can be removed from the wire 12 by longitudinally pulling it from the wire 12. The resilient legs 6 move back toward each other after removal from the wire 12.

In Figures 3 to 6, reference numeral 20 generally indicates a second embodiment, in accordance with the invention, of a retainer for retaining a tensioned fence wire against movement with respect to a fence post.

The retainer 20 is used in the same manner as the retainer 2. Thus, reference will be made to the wire 12 and the fence post 14.

The retainer 20 includes a clamping device 22 for clamping to the wire 12 on one side of a wire guide formation in the form of a passage, defined by the fence post 14. The clamping device 22 is dimensioned so that movement of the wire 12 relative to the post 14 is obstructed by the clamping device 22 in the event that the fence wire breaks on said one side of the fence post 14. As with the retainer 2, a retainer 22 can be positioned on each side of the post 14.

The clamping device 22 includes a pair of clamping legs 24 between which the fence wire 12 can be clamped.

The clamping device 22 is formed from a single length 26 of resiliently flexible material in the form of spring steel, bent into the shape shown in the drawings during fabrication.

The length 26 is formed to define a biasing member 28 interposed between and interconnecting the legs 24 to bias the legs 24 into a clamped condition as shown in the drawings. The length 26 is formed so that the biasing member 28 is defined by an arcuate portion of the length 26.

The legs 24 have free end portions 30 that are out-turned with respect to each other so that a user can slide the legs into clamping engagement with the fence wire 12 against the bias of the biasing member 28.

An operatively inner surface 32 of the length 26 defines a number of parallel, longitudinally extending serrations 34 as can be seen in detail in Figure 3. Each serration 34 has a transverse profile configured so that, when appropriately oriented with respect to the fence post 14 as shown in Figure 2, the serrations 34 can act against a force exerted by the wire 12 on the clamping device 22 when movement of the wire 12 relative to the post 14 is obstructed by the clamping device 22.

The spring steel of the length 26 is selected to have a hardness value greater than that of the wire 12 so that the serrations 34 can be at least partially embedded in the wire 12 when movement of the wire relative to the post 14 is obstructed by the clamping device 22. It will be appreciated that this secures the clamping device 22 relative to the wire 12.

The spring steel can be any one of the following: high-carbon spring steel, alloy spring steel and stainless spring steel. Applicant has found that spring steel used for suspension assemblies in the automotive industry is particularly suitable. An example of spring steel that would be suitable is AISI 9255, containing 1.5% to 1.8% silicon, 0.7% to 1.0% manganese and 0.5% to 0.6% carbon. Another example is that categorized as SAE 9254. Common with these preferred examples is that they are hardened and then tempered to achieve a suitable martensitic component. Thus, any steel with suitable hardness properties achieved through such a process would be suitable. Most of these steels are tempered to between a value of 40 and 50, for example 45

on the Rockwell C-scale. That facilitates the partial embedding of the serrations 34 in the wire 12 as described above.

The profile of the serrations 34 can be seen in Figure 3. As can be seen, each serration 34 has a profile that defines a peak 36 with a sloped portion 40 depending into a trough 38 on one side of the peak 36 and an orthogonal portion 42 on the other side of the peak 36, both with respect to a longitudinal axis of the length 26.

In use, the clamping device 22 is oriented so that the sloped portions 40 face the post 14. Thus, when a force in set up in the wire 12 across the troughs 38 from each sloped portion 40 to each orthogonal portion 42, as a result of a break in the wire 12, the clamping device 22 bears against the post 14, the peaks 36 dig into the wire 12 and the wire 12 is inhibited from being drawn through the passage. As a result, the break does not result in the wire 12 becoming disengaged with a large number of posts. Furthermore the presence of a number of the retainers 20 ensures that just a space between two posts can provide an opening for the escape of livestock. As a result loss of livestock is reduced and the time and expense of repairs is reduced.

A person skilled in the art will appreciate that many embodiments and variations can be made without departing from the ambit of the present invention.

In the preferred embodiment, the wire 12 was a single strand wire although a multi-stranded wire could alternatively be used.

In the preferred embodiment, the wire 12 was engaged with the post 14 by passing through a respective passage 13. In an alternative embodiment, the wire 12 can be engaged with the post 14 by passing through a wire guide attached to the post 14.

In general, a pair of retainers can be attached to the wire on either side of a given post. However, some posts such as corner posts of the fence for

example, may only require a single retainer. In other embodiments, the retainers may only be fitted to the fence in locations which are prone to wire breakage, whereby the retainer is located between a post and a location where the break is likely to occur.

In the preferred embodiment, a single retainer 2, 20 was located on either side of the post 14. For improved retention of the wire 12 in the post 14 in the event of a wire breakage, two or more abutting retainers 2, 20 may be located on either side of the post 2.

The invention has been described in language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific features shown or described since the means herein described comprises preferred forms of putting the invention into effect.