FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to fencing, in particular a spacer for wire fencing.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

[0002] Wire fences are ubiquitous in farming properties, offering minimal cost per lineal metre of fencing. Typical fences comprise rigid posts or strainers with a series of vertically separated wires strung between them. To minimise the amount of relatively expensive posts, spacers are often placed at regular intervals between the posts to maintain the desired separation of the wires.

[0003] Most commercially available spacers include a series of vertically separated holes to facilitate threading of wires, or attachment of wires with the aid of a clip. The clips add to the cost of the fence and can be inconvenient as a fencer needs to carry both spacers and clips, and often a specialised tool to use the clips. Threading wires through the spacers is an economical solution but not suitable for placing a new or replacement spacer in an existing fence, or for use with barbed wire.

[0004] Alternatives to using clips with spacers have been long known, but their limitations make them even less popular than using clips.

[0005] A first alternative is to have a notch in the spacer to engage with the wire, such as that shown in US Patent 636,719 from 1899. Such notches are only effective with a narrow range of wire gauge and difficult to use with wire mesh. They are unsuitable for use with animals as an animal may dislodge the wire or cut itself on the edges of the notch.

[0006] A further alternative such as disclosed in US Patent 3,865,349 includes a series of tongues protruding from the spacer which are wrapped around a wire. The protruding tongues may present an injury hazard to both fencers and livestock.

[0007] The present invention provides a wire spacer to overcome the above problems, or at least provide the public with a useful alternative. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] In a first aspect the invention provides a fencing wire spacer comprising a web and two flanges forming a U-channel, wherein the web comprises a series of web tongues and web mouths adapted to retain wires.

[0009] Preferably the web tongues are longer than the depth of the flanges, thereby allowing the web tongues to reach from a first spacer to a web mouth of a second spacer nested within the first spacer to secure the two spacers together.

[0010] The flanges may include longitudinal ribs adapted to allow a first spacer to securely engage a second spacer. The ribs may be triangular or arcuate.

[0011] In preference the flanges comprise a flange tongue and a flange mouth, wherein the flange tongue of a first spacer is adapted to engage the flange mouth of a second spacer nested within the first spacer to secure the first and second spacers together.

[0012] The web tongue may be bent away from the web and then bent over a wire and into the web mouth to secure the wire to the spacer, or the web tongue may be bent away from the web and then wrapped around a wire to secure the wire to the spacer.

[0013] It should be noted that any one of the aspects mentioned above may include any of the features of any of the other aspects mentioned above and may include any of the features of any of the embodiments described below as appropriate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] 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 in any way. The Detailed Description will make reference to a number of drawings as follows.

[0015] Figure 1 shows a fencing wire spacer according to a first embodiment of the invention with 3 wires attached.

[0016] Figure 2 is a close-up of the top section of a spacer showing an unused tongue.

[0017] Figure 3 shows a cutaway side view of a spacer with a tongue extended and wire positioned ready to be secured.

[0018] Figure 4 shows a cutaway side view of a spacer with a tongue securing a wire.

[0019] Figure 5 shows the spacer with a tongue wrapped around a wire to secure it

[0020] Figure 6 is a perspective view of two spacers engaged with each other for added strength.

[0021] Figure 7 is a cutaway side view of the spacers of Figure 6 showing how a tongue holds the two spacers together.

[0022] Figure 8 shows fencing wire spacers according to a second embodiment of the invention engaged together with the aid of longitudinal ribs.

[0023] Figure 9 shows a third embodiment of the spacer, with two spacers engaged together with the aid of flange tongues.

DRAWING COMPONENTS

[0024] The drawings include the following integers.

10 fencing wire spacer - first embodiment

12 fencing wire

20 web

22 tongue

23 distal end (of tongue)

24 mouth

26 proximal end (of tongue)

30 flange

210 fencing wire spacer - second embodiment 222 tongue

230 flange

232 rib

310 fencing wire spacer - third embodiment 330 flange

334 mouth

336 flange tongue

338 proximal end (of tongue)

Primes , e.g. 10’ are used to indicate a second spacer or parts thereof interacting with a first spacer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts. Dimensions of certain parts shown in the drawings may have been modified and/or exaggerated for the purposes of clarity or illustration. The subject matter is embodied in thin metal sheet which in some drawings is shown by a single line instead of an outline.

[0026] The present provides an improved fencing wire spacer in the form of a U- channel with a series of tongues formed in the web of the channel. The tongues can be pushed out to accept a wire and then wrapped around the wire to hold it in place. Two spacers can be engaged back to back to for added strength with the aid of the wire holding tongues, dedicated tongues or ribs.

[0027] The fencing wire spacer of the present invention can take several different embodiments as described below. It will be first discussed in relation to a first and simplest embodiment. Further embodiments will then be discussed primarily from a point of view of their differences to the first embodiment.

[0028] A fencing wire spacer according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown as 10 in Figure 1. The spacer 10 is in the form of an elongate U-channel with a series of tongues 22 disposed at regular intervals. The spacer can be made in various sizes and operate in the same matter. Figure 1 and other figures show a much stylised version of a spacer as the relative sizes of the features make a true scale drawing unsuitable for explaining the features. An example spacer is 1.0 m long with a 10 mm wide web, 14 mm deep flanges, and 27 mm long tongues spaced 50 mm apart. The spacer can be made from a variety of types and gauges of material. An example of a good working material is 0.5 mm thick zinc plated mild steel with the spacer formed from flat coil which is stamped to form the tongues and rolled to form the channel. The example material renders the tongue readily pliable, enabling it to be easily manipulated by simple tools such as a screwdriver, or even a stick, allowing the tongue to be easily bent to secure a wire. The spacer is shown fitted with three strands of fencing wire 12 secured by three tongues 22. More or less tongues may be present and any number of them used or not. Being in the form of a U-channel the spacers can be easily nested within each other to minimise space which helps to reduce both packaging and transportation costs. This is also particularly beneficial to the end user, such as a farmer, who can keep a store of spacers on their vehicle at all times with minimal impact on vehicle space. This also allows multiple spacers to be cut to length at the same time.

[0029] Figure 2 shows the top section of a spacer 10 so that the form of a tongue 22 can be appreciated. The tongue 22 is formed by cutting its outline in the web 20 of the spacer, leaving its proximal end 26 attached. This also forms a mouth 24 from the resultant void. A 27 mm long tongue provides plenty of length to wrap around a wire to hold it in place. The tongue 22 in Figure 2 is shown in its unused configuration and sits co-planar with the rest of the web, 20, thus minimising the chances of it presenting dangerous edges to animals or fencers. The tongue can be easily manipulated with a finger or simple tool such as a screwdriver to pull or push its distal end 23 away from the web.

[0030] Figures 3 and 4 show a cutaway side view of a spacer 10. In Figure 3 the tongue 22 has been pushed outwards to accept a wire 12. In Figure 4 the tongue 22 has been pushed back through the mouth 24 and bent downwards to secure the wire.

As the tongue 22 is positioned between the flanges 30 there is minimal chance of unwanted contact from either a fencer or an animal, thus minimising the chance of a cut from the tongue or the tongue disengaging from the wire.

[0031] Figure 5 shows an alternative way of securing a wire 12 with a tongue 22 of the spacer 10 in which the tongue is wrapped around the wire multiple times.

[0032] A spacer 10 by itself is reasonably strong. Flowever, if extra strength is required two spacers may be engaged with each other back to back. Such an arrangement could be used as a fence post. Depending on the soil conditions it may be driven directly into the ground or fitted with a pointed end to help ground penetration. Figure 6 shows two engaged spacers 10 and 10’ from a top perspective view whilst Figure 7 shows a cutaway side view. The flanges 30’ of the rear (and inner) spacer 10’ are squeezed together slightly to allow the flanges 30’ to nest within the flanges 30 of the front (and outer) spacer 10. The tongue 22’ from the rear spacer 10’ is folded down and out of the way, and the tongue 22 from the front spacer 10 is bent over to reach through the mouth 24’ of the rear spacer and then bent downwards to secure the two spacers together. The tongue 22 is sufficiently long so that it may simultaneously engage a wire as well as a second spacer if desired.

[0033] Whilst the tongue can be used to secure a wire to a post, or to secure two posts together, the mouth left when the tongue is pushed in or out may also be used for attaching other items such insulated points for electric wires, platforms for tracking and monitoring devices, or attachment points for solar panels etcetera. Such items can be attached with the aid of a spring loaded plastic or metal clip placed in the mouth.

[0034] A second embodiment of the fencing wire spacer is shown as 210 in Figure 8. The flanges 230 include ribs 232 which provide extra rigidity and also allow back to back spacers to interlock together. This may be in addition to or instead of having tongues extending from one spacer to the other as discussed above in relation to Figures 6 and 7. The ribs 232 of the front spacer 210 nest with the ribs 232’ of the rear spacer 210’. The ribs shown are triangular corrugations, however many other forms may be used with similar results, e.g. arcuate corrugations. Preferably the ribs are symmetrical to maximise the engagement of the two spacers.

[0035] Figure 9 shows two spacers 310 and 310’ according to a third embodiment engaged back to back. The spacers 310, 310’ include tongues 336, 336’ (obscured) formed in their flanges 330, 330’ in a similar manner to the tongues 22 of the first embodiment fencing wire spacer 10. Pushing the tongue 336 of the front (and outer) spacer 310 pushes the tongue 336’ (obscured) of the rear (and inner) spacer 310’ inwards, allowing the tongue 336 of the front spacer to enter the mouth 334’ of the rear spacer thus securing the two spacers together. This method of engagement is more secure than using the tongue 22 as the rear spacer 310’ acts laterally on the proximal end 338 of the tongue 336 of the front spacer, compared with the first embodiment in which the rear spacer 10’ acts longitudinally on the distal end 23 of the tongue 22 of the front spacer 10.

[0036] The reader will now appreciate the present invention which provides a fencing wire spacer that can be made simply from a strip of steel, with tongues for securing wire that are out of the way when unused, and when used minimise the chance of accidental disengagement and potential injury to fencers or animals. Two spacers maybe easily joined together without any further parts to produce a stronger spacer if needed which may even be used as a post.

[0037] Further advantages and improvements may very well be made to the present invention without deviating from its scope. Although the invention has been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in this field.

[0038] In the present specification and claims (if any), the word "comprising" and its derivatives including "comprises" and "comprise" include each of the stated integers but does not exclude the inclusion of one or more further integers.