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(11) | EP 1 398 433 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Intrusion-preventing fence |
| (57) An intrusion-preventing fence, comprising: a plurality of self-supporting panels
(2), provided with two lateral posts (7,8) that have a substantially square cross-section
and are open at the top and at the bottom; a plurality of flat pedestals (3) for resting
on the ground, which have pairs of parallel and slightly spaced legs (11, 12) rigidly
coupled thereto in an upward region, the two lateral posts of two adjoining panels
(2a,2b) being insertable telescopically on the legs; a plurality of U-shaped elements
(4), constituted by pairs of mutually joined and slightly spaced parallel sleeves
(13,14) that have a substantially square cross-section and can be inserted telescopically
from above into the two lateral posts of two adjoining panels; and elements (16) for
adjusting the heights at which the panels are fixed to the pedestals. |
[0002] In this particular field, the need is known to prevent uncontrolled access of people, animals, vehicles or others to certain areas. This need usually arises from two basic reasons: preventing uncontrolled access to sites where dangerous or awkward conditions for assigned personnel occur (industrial ovens, presses, more or less rapidly rotating functional parts, machines with daze-inducing inhalable, visual, acoustic emissions), or preventing intruders from removing or damaging products, devices or equipment for sale or in operation (theft, vandalism, unauthorized or dangerous uses).
[0003] Fences are known which are constituted by vertical supporting posts, usually made of metal, along which it is possible to position and couple, at predefined heights, lower and upper collars to which pairs of articulation fingers are coupled in a cantilevered arrangement, said fingers being folded upward or downward in order to block the opposite lower and upper ends of the sides of the panels; EPA-01113665.2 by the same Applicant discloses such a fence.
[0004] Known systems have shortcomings owing to the fact that they are usually constituted by a plurality of components whose characteristics must be adapted upon assembly, sometimes after having to take specific measurements in order to assemble the various components correctly: this entails high storage costs due to the presence of a large number of components, rather onerous assembly and adjustment costs, again due to the presence of many components, some of which can be fitted only after taking measurements (for example in the case of a sloping floor or of a floor on various levels linked by steps).
[0005] The aim of the present invention is to obviate the cited shortcomings and meet the mentioned needs, by providing an intrusion-preventing fence that is constituted by a reduced number of different components and does not require extended construction times or the taking of particular measurements during assembly.
[0006] Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a structure that is simple, relatively easy to provide in practice, safe in use, effective in operation, and relatively low in cost.
[0007] This aim and these and other objects are achieved by the intrusion-preventing fence according to the invention, characterized in that it comprises: a plurality of self-supporting panels, provided with two lateral posts that have a substantially square cross-section and are open at the top and at the bottom; a plurality of flat pedestals for resting on the ground, which have pairs of parallel and slightly spaced legs rigidly coupled thereto in an upward region, the two adjacent lateral posts of two adjoining panels being insertable telescopically on said legs; a plurality of U-shaped elements, constituted by pairs of joined and slightly spaced parallel sleeves that have a substantially square cross-section and can be inserted telescopically from above into the two lateral posts of two adjoining panels; and means for adjusting the heights at which the panels are fixed to the pedestals.
[0008] Further features will become better apparent from the detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of an intrusion-preventing fence according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of intrusion-preventing fence according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a self-supporting panel of a very small fence;
Figures 3a, 3b and 3c are respectively a front view, a side view and a plan view from above of a pedestal of the intrusion-preventing fence according to the invention;
Figure 4 is a plan view of an end pedestal of the fence according to the invention;
Figures 5a and 5b are respectively a front view and a side view of a U-shaped element of the intrusion-preventing fence according to the invention;
Figure 5c is a sectional view of the U-shaped element, taken along the line VC-VC of Figure 4a;
Figure 6 is a partially broken perspective view of a U-shaped element 5 of the fence in the operating configuration;
Figure 7 is a partially broken perspective view of a detail of the coupling of two adjoining panels to a pedestal and to a U-shaped element.
[0009] With reference to the figures, the reference numeral 1 generally designates an intrusion-preventing fence that comprises a plurality of self-supporting panels 2, a plurality of flat pedestals 3, and a plurality of U-shaped elements 4.
[0010] The self-supporting panels 2 have a preferably rectangular opening L made of a material such as for example metal wire mesh with wires that are electrically welded at the nodes and along the perimeter, which is delimited by metallic profiled elements that have a tubular cross-section and comprise an upper cross-member 5 and a lower cross-member 6 whose ends are butt-welded against the sides of the right and left lateral posts 7 and 8 so that the two lateral posts of the panel are open at the top and at the bottom: the panels can reach even considerable dimensions, on the order of 200 cm of height and up to approximately 300 cm of width, and in one planned embodiment their horizontal wires are more widely spaced than their vertical wires.
[0011] The pedestals 3 are constituted by a rectangular metallic plate 9 that has, at its comers, four lower drawn portions 10 that have a square shape with rounded comers and are crossed by respective holes 10a for optional fixing to the ground by means of nails, screws or the like.
[0012] In an upward region, each pedestal has two legs 11 and 12 welded thereto; such legs have a substantially square cross-section, are parallel and are slightly spaced, and the two lateral posts 7 and 8, a right one and a left one, of two adjoining panels 2a and 2b can be inserted telescopically on said legs.
[0013] Each U-shaped element 4 is constituted by two parallel sleeves 13 and 14 that have a substantially square cross-section and are butt-welded, in an upward region, against an upper plate 15 and are therefore joined together so that they are slightly spaced: the sleeves 13 and 14 can be inserted telescopically downward from above into the two lateral posts 7 and 8 of two adjoining panels in order to prevent their relative spacing and keep them at a constant and reduced mutual distance.
[0014] Means 16 are provided for adjusting the heights at which two panels are fixed to a pedestal; such means are constituted by a bolt 17, which passes through aligned holes 18 and 19 which are provided in the two legs 11 and 12 of the pedestal: a nut 20 is screwed onto the bolt 17 and, when screwed in, is designed to clamp together the contiguous faces of the pair of legs 11 and 12 on which, above the bolt, the posts 7 and 8 of the two panels are fitted, each panel being arranged at any height with respect to the pedestal and the other panel.
[0015] A pedestal with a single leg 21, see Figure 4, to be fitted at the lateral ends of the fence, is provided.
[0016] The sleeves 13 and 14 of the U-shaped element 4 also are crossed by pairs of through holes 22 and 23, at which, in the upper region of the posts 7 and 8 of two adjoining panels, it is possible to screw one or two self-threading coupling screws, whose tips enter the through holes of the U-shaped elements, preventing their extraction.
[0017] Operation of the invention is as follows: once the legs 11,12 and the sleeves 13,14 of the pedestals 3 and of the U-shaped elements 4 have been inserted at the base and at the top of the right and left posts 7,8 of two contiguous panels 2a, 2b arranged so that they are co-planar or lie at 90° to each other according to the requirements, the posts are made to slide with respect to the legs until the two panels are horizontal; at this point, the nut-and-bolt assembly 17,20 is tightened in order to rigidly couple the two panels to the pedestal at the selected relative heights.
[0018] It has thus been shown that the invention achieves the intended aim and object, and in particular that it is constituted by a small number of components, namely three, which can be assembled rapidly without requiring prior measurement taking.
[0019] The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.
[0021] In the illustrated examples of embodiment, individual characteristics, given in relation to specific examples, may actually be interchanged with other different characteristics that exist in other examples of embodiment.
[0022] In practice, the materials used, as well as the shapes and the dimensions, may be any according to requirements without thereby abandoning the scope of the protection of the appended claims.
[0023] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. BO2002A000581 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
[0024] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.
1. An intrusion-preventing fence, comprising: a plurality of self-supporting panels (2),
provided with two lateral posts (7,8) that have a substantially square cross-section
and are open at the top and at the bottom; a plurality of flat pedestals (3) for resting
on the ground, which have pairs of parallel and slightly spaced legs (11, 12) rigidly
coupled thereto in an upward region, the two adjacent lateral posts of two adjoining
panels (2a,2b) being insertable telescopically on said legs; a plurality of U-shaped
elements (4), constituted by pairs of mutually joined and slightly spaced parallel
sleeves (13,14) that have a substantially square cross-section and can be inserted
telescopically from above into the two lateral posts (7,8) of said two adjoining panels
(2a,2b); and means (16) for adjusting the heights at which the panels are fixed to
the pedestals.
2. The fence according to claim 1, characterized in that said panels (2) have a rectangular opening with a perimeter that is delimited by
metallic profiled elements that have a tubular cross-section and comprise an upper
cross-member and a lower cross-member whose ends are butt-welded against the sides
of said lateral posts.
3. The fence according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said means (16) for adjusting the heights at which the panels are fixed to the pedestals
are constituted by a bolt (17), which passes through aligned holes (18, 19) formed
in the two legs of the pedestal and on which a nut (20) is screwed, said nut being
adapted to fasten one another the contiguous faces of the two posts in order to clamp
the panels at any relative height of the pedestal.