AU2008100785A4 - A Wall Support Upright - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT A WALL SUPPORT UPRIGHT The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me: 00

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bA WALL SUPPORT UPRIGHT TECHNICAL FIELD o The present invention relates to a wall support upright for supporting and 00 retaining horizontal wall uprights such as sleepers. The present invention is Oparticularly applicable for the construction of garden walls and the like.

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SBACKGROUND

Garden walls may be constructed in accordance with a number of methods.

One particular method involves installing a series of timber posts into spaced holes along a desired line. The timber posts are kept vertical, or in some circumstances inclined at a small angle towards the load bearing side in order to allow for deflection under load. The holes are filled with concrete to anchor the posts and retain them in position.

Once the concrete has set a lowermost row of horizontal wall uprights, usually in the form of timber sleepers, is placed against the base of the posts. It is important that the lowermost row is accurately positioned horizontally as additional rows of sleepers will be stacked upon it and any deviation from the horizontal will propagate through the stack.

In order to secure the sleepers to the posts, slightly undersized holes are then pre-drilled through the sleeper and galvanized spikes or nails are driven through the undersized holes into the upright posts. It is often difficult to hold the heavy sleeper horizontal while driving the spike into the upright posts, consequently a problem that may arise at this point is that the lowermost sleeper is secured off the horizontal.

Further rows of sleepers are then stacked upon the lowermost row and fastened to the posts as before in order to complete the wall. It will be realized that if the lowermost sleeper was not secured horizontally to the 00 posts, then the off-horizontal orientation will propagate through each of the

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Ssleepers that are stacked above.

Figure 1 is a diagram of a partially constructed garden wall according to the 5 above described method showing timber posts 3, inserted into concrete filled holes 5. Horizontal sleepers 7 are secured to posts 3 by means of spikes (not I visible) as previously mentioned.

00 oO OThe inventor's research has indicated that many garden walls, particularly 00 10 where conditions are moist, fail due to the post support either being eaten

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C away by termites or decaying.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a means for facilitating the construction of a garden wall or the like that is a useful and more convenient alternative to those hitherto known in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wall support upright for securing horizontal wall members, including: a post; and a plurality of attachment members extending from the post for attachment of the horizontal wall members thereto.

Preferably the upright includes a positioning indicator that is visible on the post at a predetermined location to indicate a suitable footing depth for the wall support upright in use.

In a preferred embodiment the positioning indicator extends from the post for support of a horizontal member during attachment to one of said attachment members.

The wall support upright may be supplied as part of a garden wall kit including: 00 a number of wall support uprights according to any one of the Spreceding claims; a corresponding number of garden wall sleepers each being pre-drilled with holes for fastening to the attachment members of the wall support uprights; and a plurality of fasteners for attaching the garden wall sleepers to the attachment members by means of said predrilled holes.

o00 SPreferably the attachment members are tags that extend from either side of o00 10 the post. The tags are preferably pre-drilled to accept a bolt or other type of Ssuitable fastener. Alternatively, the tags might be formed with pins, nails or spike or the like protruding from them to engage horizontal wall members such as sleepers.

In a preferred embodiment the post is formed of square hollow steel section, which is preferably capped by, for example, a plastic cap to prevent ingress of moisture and debris.

It is highly preferable that the tags are preferably welded to the post although they might also be bolted, riveted or otherwise attached.

Preferably the post is protected from corrosion by virtue of it being galvanized dipped.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 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: 00 Figure 1 depicts a prior art garden wall.

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bFigure 2 shows front and side views of an in-line wall support upright according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 depicts the wall support of Figure 2 in use.

00 Figure 4 shows front, side and top views of a corner wall support according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

00 Figure 5 shows front, side and rear views of an in-line wall support upright according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 shows front and side views of a corner wall support upright according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 7 is an isometric view of the upper portion of an in-line wall support according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a wall support upright 8, shown in front and side views in Figure 2.

The wall support upright 8 comprises a post 9 made of square hollow steel section, which, in the presently described embodiment, has 40mm wide sides and a 1.6mm wall thickness. The top of the post is preferably crowned with a plastic cap (not shown) to prevent ingress of water. A positioning indicator in the form of positioning tag 13, made of flat milled steel (FMS), is welded to, and extends from, the post at a distance a little over a third of the way along the post from its base. The positioning tag serves at least two purposes.

Firstly, it indicates the level to which the post should be surrounded by concrete during installation. That is, the post is to be surrounded by concrete to a depth where tag 13 is flush with the surface of the concrete and so indicates a suitable footing depth. The inclusion of the positioning tag is highly 00 advantageous because it provides a guide as to the depth of the hole that 0 must be dug to accommodate the support upright. The positioning tag can b also be used as a guide while digging the hole to help ensure that the hole is

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deep enough to provide sufficient footing for the support upright to retain the S 5 finished wall in place.

o The second purpose of the positioning tag is to assist in correctly positioning a 00 horizontal wall member, namely the lowermost sleeper. This will be explained Oin more detail shortly. A number of attachment members in the form of 00 10 mounting tags 15a,..,15d (generally referred to by item number 15) are welded Sto the post above base positioning tag 13.

At its base the post 9 terminates in a square washer tag 11. The tag provides an obstruction to prevent the post from inadvertently being pulled out of the concrete subsequent to it having set.

Mounting tags 15 are sufficiently wide to extend on either side of post 40 with adequate width to accommodate mounting holes 17 well clear of the post.

Referring now to Figure 3, a rear view of two installed garden wall support uprights 8A and 8B is shown. The garden support uprights are installed in respective holes 18A, 18B, that are filled with concrete to the level of positioning tags 13A and 13B respectively in order that they be provided with sufficient footing to bear the load applied to them in use.

Sleepers 19 are fastened to corresponding mounting tags 15 at either end by fasteners, for example dome headed bolts 21, which traverse holes 17 in the mounting tags and corresponding holes formed through either end of sleepers 19. It will be seen that the lowermost sleeper 19A rests upon the upper surface of positioning tags 13. Consequently, so long as the positioning tags are installed at a common horizontal level, installing the lowest sleeper at a correct orientation is simple. Once sleeper 19A has been located on positioning tags 13, and secured in place with the dome headed bolts, it becomes straightforward to locate the next sleeper 19B by simply resting it on 00 sleeper 19A and fastening it in place. The previous two steps are then 0repeated until a column of sleepers 19A,...,19D has been installed.

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b A corner support upright according to a preferred embodiment of the invention

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is illustrated in Figure 4. The corner support upright incorporates right-angled 5 sleeper mounting tags 21, welded to the post 9. It will be realized that the corner support upright is intended for use in the construction of rectangular rn walls for example.

00 SWhile four tags are shown in the embodiments that have so far been 00 10 described, it will be realized that a greater or lesser number of tags might be included depending on factors such as the length of post 9, which in turn will correspond to the desired wall height, and the dimensions of the sleepers that are used to construct the wall. In this regard, Figures 5 and 6 respectively depict in-line and corner support uprights having just two mounting tags each.

If desired, a number of garden wall support uprights, including corner support uprights, along with predrilled sleepers and appropriate fasteners, can be delivered to site in order to readily construct a wall of predetermined dimensions. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention encompass a kit for building a garden wall or the like.

It will be realized that embodiments of the invention offer a very easy to use wall support mounting for retaining sleepers in order to create a garden bed wall. Preferred embodiments of the invention simultaneously address the prior art problems of installing mounting posts to the correct level, and ensuring that sleepers are secured horizontally. Furthermore, the presence of the mounting tags, with predrilled fastening holes, facilitates the ready attachment of the sleepers.

It is preferable that the mounting supports of the present invention be implemented in galvanized dipped steel so that they will not readily fail thereby increasing the durability and life expectancy of any wall that they are used to construct.

00 While the primary application for the invention is considered to be garden

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walls, other applications are also certainly possible.

b For example, the invention may be used to support sleepers in order to create a barrier under and at the lower part of a non-continuous fence, such as a 5 wire fence. An example where need for such an arrangement arises is where wire fencing is used that enclosed animals might be able to crawl under.

00oo In the previously described embodiments a square hollow section tube has 0 been used for the posts with rectangular mounting tags welded thereto. It will 00 10 be realized that this is only one possible embodiment however. For example, with reference to Figure 7, a rectangular section post might be used with separate tags extending from opposing sides of the post. Furthermore, while possibly less convenient during fabrication, circular tubes might also be employed.

As previously explained preferably the attachment tags are pre-drilled to accept a bolt, pin or other type of suitable fastener. Alternatively, the tags might be formed with pins, nails or spikes or the like protruding from them to engage the sleepers.

In compliance with the statute, 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. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims appropriately interpreted by those skilled in the art.

Claims (4)

1. A wall support upright for securing horizontal wall members, including: a post; and a plurality of attachment members extending from the post for attachment of the horizontal wall members thereto. 00

2. A wall support upright according to claim 1, including a positioning indicator visible on the post at a predetermined location to indicate a suitable 00footing depth for the wall support upright in use.

3. A wall support upright according to claim 2, wherein the positioning indicator extends from the post for support of a horizontal member during attachment to one of said attachment members.

4. A garden wall kit including: a number of wall support uprights according to any one of the preceding claims; a corresponding number of garden wall sleepers each being pre-drilled with holes for fastening to the attachment members of the wall support uprights; and a plurality of fasteners for attaching the garden wall sleepers to the attachment members by means of said predrilled holes. A wall support upright substantially as described herein with reference to any one of Figures 2 to 7. Dated this 19'th day of August 2008 ROBERT RITCHIE by my attorneys Cullen Co. Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys