Palisade fence clamping assembly

Abstract

A system, method and or a kit of parts for forming a palisade fence comprising a rail 2 having at least two surfaces wherein the first surface 20 is a horizontal plane and the second surface 40 extend

Description

The present invention relates to palisade fence clamping assembly, in particular an improved method for retaining the pales to each rail of a palisade fence. Background A fence is an upright structure that acts as a semipermeable barrier. Palisade fencing is comprised of a series of vertical pales, typically pointed at the top. Contemporarily, steel palisade fences are a popular security solution, commonly seen enclosing industrial sites, schools, and railways, as the pointed pales deter intruders from attempting to scale over the fence. When constructed palisade fences are commonly comprised of pales, rails, and joists. Joists interface with the ground, holding the fencing in place, and reaching up vertically. Rails connect horizontally between joists and support and affix pales. Palisade fences are typically constructed using a plurality, typically two, rails extending horizontally between posts set in the ground. Between the rails, typically parallel to the posts are placed a plurality of pales. Typically, in a 2 m stretch of fence, there may be upwards of 20 pales. Since such fences are typically constructed on-site from the individual components for a given member fencing comprising many posts a very large number of components is present and the onsite construction task, particularly on a construction site, is time-consuming. In addition, because the components are typically constructed, as mentioned, to have a deterrent effect, they typically comprise shop services and this further complicates the assembly. There is therefore a need for an improved and simplified method for constructing palisade fencing. However, though these steel fences provide a strong barrier to protect a desired area, palisade fences still have weak points that may be exploited by intruders to gain entry into the protected area. In particular, there are small spaces between each pale which may be used to leverage the pale and try to bend, cut, or otherwise break the pale. Further, the pales and rails of the palisade fence tend to be attached using fasteners, such as bolts. These fasteners present another weak point as they may be broken by an intruder to remove pales from the fence, especially if the fasteners have been worn down over time by adverse weather conditions. Therefore, the present invention should provide not only a means for constructing the palisade panels more quickly but also provide features that may help protect the potential weak points within the constructed fence panels. The present invention The present invention in its various aspects is as set out in the appended claims. The present invention comprises a clamp system for forming a palisade fence. A palisade fence acts as a security barrier that goes beyond that of a solely symbolic fence, or simpler animal fence, due to the implementation of tall walls top with one or more spikes to deter intruders from climbing the fence. The palisade fence further comprises a series of pales, each pale comprising elongated non-permeable members, with one or more points at the top end of the pale. Wherein the plurality of pales is coupled to one or more horizontal rails via suitable fasteners, such as bolts, to form a fence panel. Said panels can then be positioned between suitable posts to form the palisade fence perimeter. Once the fence is constructed there is a danger that an intruder may attempt to enter the fence by damaging the pales, or the fasteners which secure the pales in place, to form a gap within the fence panel as the points prevent the intruder from climbing over the fence. More specifically, the fence panels of the palisade fence usually comprise gaps between the individual pales, an intruder may be able to use tools to deform and bend the palisade pales to widen these gaps, alternatively the intruder may use tools to attack exposed portions of the fasteners that pass through the pale so that the pales can be removed, thereby creating a means to enter the fence perimeter. Therefore, there is a need to provide an improved palisade fence design that can reduce the risk of an intruder deforming the palisade pales. To this end, the user may use a clamping system to secure the pales and prevent them from deforming. The claimed clamping system holds the composite pieces of the palisade fence panel together using compression. Wherein the system comprises one or more rails configured to retain the palisade panes that form the palisade fence panels. Wherein the rail comprises an angular piece of sheet metal with at least two sides or surfaces at a predetermined angle relative to one another, with the first surface comprising a horizontal plane, with the second surface extending vertically from one end of the first surface, at the predetermined angle, the first surface comprises a plurality of pale apertures configured to receive a palisade pale, and wherein each aperture comprises a retention feature configured to hold the pale within the aperture. The second surface comprises a plurality of fastener apertures configured to receive a fastener that is configured to fasten the pale to the rail. The pale aperture is shaped to interface with the pale, such that the aperture in whole or in part is abutting against the surface of the pale. The pale among other shapes may be a modified prism. Modifications may include the addition of apertures, the addition of material, removal of material, and deformation of material. The polygon base of the prism may or may not be one of the following shapes: line, circle, semicircle, rectangle, ‘v’ or ‘u’ shape, ‘w’ or ‘co’ shape, ‘z’ or ‘s’ shape or any combination thereof. Preferably the pale line, V or ‘u’ shape, ‘w’ or ‘co’ or shape, ‘z’ or ‘s’ shape in a combination thereof. Each of these shapes provides different benefits to the pale. In particular, the advantage of a line is that the surface can uniformly interface with most fasteners. The advantage of a ‘v’ ‘w’ or ‘z’ is that a bend can be easily manufactured uniformly with simpler equipment. The advantage of a ‘u’ or ‘co’ or ‘s’ is that avoiding a single sharp point under bending the stress will be more distributed and not create a weak point. The advantage of a V or ‘u’ is only a single bend is required. This therefore simplifies production. The advantage of a V or ‘w’ or ‘z’ or ‘u’ or ‘co’ or ‘s’ can flex in on itself, like a spring. This enables better conformance of a pale to the angular piece to more securely hold the pale in place on a rail. The advantage of a ‘w’ or ‘co’ is that the center returns inwards to increase the proximity of the center for the fastener. Specifically, ‘w’ or ‘co’ provides three points of inflection of the surface where bending can take place to enable the pale to readily deform to be inserted into an aperture of the angular piece of the rail. The advantage of a ‘z’ or ‘s’ is that it has the advantage of bending while being able to be substituted in place of a line. Based on this the most preferable shape for the pale would be in totality a ‘u-line-u’ permutation forming an ‘co’ in totality. The pale may include hemming, for example in the form of a Dutch brand for reinforcement. This is advantageous because it strengthens the edges of the pale and as such retention in the aperture of the angular piece of the rail may be made more secure. The shape of the pales dictates their strength, capacity as a barrier, and ability to secure fasteners to the pale. Once the desired pale shape and parameters have been chosen the rail can be formed to accompany the pales. In particular, the rail comprises a plurality of holes, or apertures configured to receive an abut the pales when the panel is constructed, more specifically, the rail comprises at least one horizontal surface and one vertical surface with a predetermined angle between the faces. The horizontal face comprises the apertures for receiving the pale. While the vertical surface comprises, apertures configured to receive the fasteners used to secure the pale and rails together. The pale and rail can then be secured together by passing a suitable fastener, such as a bolt through the aligned fastener apertures. In some cases, these apertures in the horizontal surface of the rail may be in the form of a slot, with the shape of the slot matching the profile of the pale. During construction the user would place the top of the pale through this slot, inserting the pale to a desired height to align the fastener aperture in the pale to the fastener aperture in the vertical surface of the rail. This method is preferable as the rail encloses each pale, thereby holding the pale more firmly. This prevents the pale from becoming misaligned and provides additional support to the pale making it more difficult for an intruder to tamper with, or remove the pale. However, the problem with this method is that each pale needs to be aligned with a respective slot which can be a tedious task. Additionally, if there are any small errors when producing the slots within the rail, or when manufacturing the pales, may result in the pales no longer fitting the slot within the rail. This can be especially problematic when the pales have a shaped profile like the shapes described earlier as each curve and angle would need to match those of the slot or else the pales will not fit. Therefore, it is preferable to change the apertures so that the pale can be positioned more easily and to ensure there is pale can still be coupled to the rail if there were a small error in the construction. To this end, the shaped slots in the above example can be replaced with open apertures. In these cases, the slots for the pale extend backward to the rear of the rail. This creates a shaped aperture configured to receive the pale by inserting the pale into the rear-facing side of the rail. As the rear side of the rail is now open the user more easily inserts the pale into the rail’s aperture, when compared to inserting the pale into a slot. Additionally, the wider opening in the rail means there is a margin of error where the rail and pale can still be coupled together even though the profile of the pale does not perfectly match the shape of the rail’s aperture, as the pale has room to bend within the aperture. Once the pale is in place it can be secured using a fastener as described above. The only problem with this method is that it can be more difficult to retail the pales position after it has been placed as it would not be held firmly in place until the fastener is inserted. This means the user may struggle to keep the pale and rail aligned as they try to insert the fastener. More importantly, after the fence is constructed, the rail does not grip the pale as firmly, due to the rail aperture being open meaning it may be easier for an intruder to bend the pale, and there may be a gap between the pale and the rail which can be used as leverage to damage the pale or the fastener. To overcome these issues the rail may include a retention feature that can be used to grip the pale and hold it in place after the fence is constructed, these retention features are configured to grip or otherwise interface with the rear side of the pale, pushing the pale into the rail thereby reducing the risk of the pale misaligning and providing additional support to the pale such that the pale may be more difficult for an intruder to bend. The simplest form for such a retention feature is a retention washer. These washers are essentially a plate with a fastener receiving aperture, that is positioned behind the pale and is fastened in place using the same fastener that coupled the pale to the rail. When the fastener is fastened it will push the washer towards the rail, thereby sandwiching the pale in between. With this washer in place the pale can be held in place more securely, and forces the pale into the rail aperture, thereby removing, or at least reducing any gap there may be between the pale and the rail. It is noted that in embodiments that use such retention features, the pale may be altered to include a complementary feature such as a tab or flattened surface within its profile configured such that the retention feature can more easily grip the pale via the complementary features. It is noted that the simplest retention washer may be a flat plate, however, the washer may have other shapes. In particular, the washer may have one or more angled sides. These angled sides can be used to abut the rear face of the pale, to ensure that the force of the washer is distributed over the entire pale. Additionally, these angled sides can be configured to grip and spread the sides of the pale, especially when the pale has a V or W-shaped profile, as the washer pushes the wings of the pale apart. This can ensure that the sides of the pale touch the rail again removing any gap between the pale and rail that can be used for leverage, making the pale more difficult to remove once the fence is constructed, these angled sides also grip the pale, this ensures the washer stays aligned with the other components as the fastener is being inserted. It also ensures that the washer cannot freely rotate once it is fastened, as the washer rotating may cause wear to the pale and the fastener. It also means there is no gap between the washer and pale which may be used to provide leverage when trying to damage the pale. Another possible retention feature includes a hook, tab, or similar feature attached to the edge of the rail aperture. In particular, this retention feature may be positioned at the comers of the aperture such that when the pale is inserted the feature sits behind the pale holding the rear face of the pale. As with the washer, these features hole the rear of the pale, allowing the rail to grip the pale more firmly compared to the open aperture. However, it is noted that these features would need to be small to not obstruct the pale from being inserted into the aperture. This means the features may be at risk of being bent or broken off by an intruder trying to taper with the fence. Therefore, it may be preferable to use these features in combination with the retention washer described above, thereby providing multiple features to secure the rear of the pale. As previously noted, the rail also includes a vertical face with apertures configured to receive the fasteners used to secure the pales in place. This face preferably extends downwards from the front edge of the horizontal surface. This way the horizontal surface of the rail may cover the body of the fastener, preventing precipitation and other debris or chemicals that may wear down the fastener from reaching the fastener once the fence is constructed. The fastener being covered would also make it more difficult for an intruder to reach the fastener with tools when trying to tamper with the fence. As previously noted, the sides of the rail are offset at a predetermined angle. In some cases, the sides of the rail will be perpendicular, as this provides the most amount of contact between the rail, pale and fastener, and ensures that an intruder would need to bend the rail by a larger angle to reach the components behind it. However, in some cases, the sides of the rail may not be perpendicular. In some of these cases, the vertical face of the rail may still be configured to be parallel to the pale, but the horizontal surface may be angled upwards creating a slope at the top of the rail. This slope helps to remove any rain or other debris that falls onto the rail, this ensures water does not pool on the rail and potentially erode the fence. Additionally, this slope makes it more difficult for an intruder to scale the fence as they would be unable to stand on top of the rail. In some cases, the vertical surface of the rail may be sloped such that the bottom of the rail is sloped towards the pale. The means that the sloped face of the rail covers 5 the bottom portion of the fastener, thereby making it more difficult for an intruder to reach the fastener with tools. Additionally, this sloped face may also help reinforce the rail against impacts, as the sloped vertical face may abut the pale creating a triable between the pale and the sides of the rail that may help the rail to absorb a greater amount offeree from an impact before deforming. 10 In some other cases, both the horizontal and vertical faces of the rail may be sloped relative to the pale. These rails combine the benefits described above. In addition, the two sloped sides may help to further protect the rail from impact as both faces are sloped, they can each absorb more force when impacted compared to the design where the faces are perpendicular, and the vertical face is parallel to the pale. It is 15 noted that adjusting the relative angles of these slopes can increase the amount of force the rail can absorb while reducing the angle between the faces making it more difficult to tamper with the rail and the fasteners. However, in general, it is preferable for the faces of the rails to have a relative angle between 35 degrees (0.610 radians) and 145 degrees (2.53 radians) between the surfaces, based on the user’s CM 20 preferences and the desired sloping angles of the rail faces relative to the pale. LO It is noted that in practice the sloped rails can protect the fasteners from the environment, however, the fasteners in such rails are vulnerable to being removed by an intruder. The sloped rail protects the shaft or body of the fastener, as the __ sloped faces cover the top and bottom of the fastener. However, it seems the head of 25 the fasteners are made more vulnerable. First, the sloped sides of the rail can leave a space between the head of the fastener and the rail, providing a potential weak point where an intruder may use tools to try and remove the fastener heads. Further, testing has shown that the fasteners coupled to these sloped rails are more vulnerable to vibrations, for example, caused by a chisel hitting the fastener head, 30 again making it easier to remove the fastener head entirely. This may be caused due to the smaller contact area between the fastener head and the rail, resulting in the faster being unable to dissipate the force exerted onto it into the rail. Therefore, it seems a rail with only a single sloped face may be preferable. Alternatively, the rail may include a third face, specifically a second horizontal face 35 coupled to the bottom edge of the vertical face. This third face changes the profile of the rail from an L-shape to a U-shape. The third face provides a means to cover the bottom surface of the fasteners, without the need to slope the vertical surface of the rail. Further, this third surface helps to reinforce the rail, as the surface can extend until it is touching the surface of the pale, thereby forming a closed shape between 40 the rail and the pale which can assist in absorbing the force of an impact to the fence. Therefore, the third surface can provide the same benefits as the sloped vertical surface without the flaws. Namely, with the vertical surface remaining parallel to the pale, the fastener head can rest on the vertical surface of the rail. This means it is more difficult for an intruder to damage the fastener as there would be little to no space between the fastener head and the rail to insert a tool, and any vibrations applied to the fastener head can be dissipated through the rail more easily as there would be a wider area of contact between the fastener and the rail. In some cases, this third surface may comprise a small flat surface that extends long enough to touch the front-facing surface of the pale. In other cases, the second horizontal surface mirrors the first horizontal surface. In these cases, both horizontal surfaces comprise an aperture that is shaped to match the profile of the pale. This may be preferable as there would be more contact between the third surface of the rail and the pale. This increase in contact area increases the grip the rail will have on the pale and allows more force to be dissipated from the rail during an impact. It is noted that the fasteners referenced above can have different forms, such as a bolt, rivet, nail, screw, or pin. The advantage of a bolt is that the apertures can be threaded and held such that the constraining distance between the components can be adjusted and held. The advantage of a rivet the advantages of a rivet is that the deformation of the rivet The advantage of a nail or screw is that the aperture fabrication and fixture insertion are combined into a single process decreasing installation time if fixtures are unknown. The advantages of a pin are if the fencing is a temporary installation, then they allow for disassembly when required. The most preferable form for the fastener is a bolt as they can be installed and adjusted easily and are typically stronger than most of the other options like screws, nails, and pins. Further, the bolt can include additional features to make it harder for an intruder to remove. For example, the bolt may feature a conical, or frustum-conical bolt head, which makes it more difficult for the bolt to be griped by a conventional tool. The bolt may also have a wear thread wherein the thread on the shaft of the bolt is configured to wear down at the section where the bolt is griped such that the unthreaded bolt cannot be removed by turning the bolt. Lastly, the bolt may feature a sheer nut, wherein the nut used to secure the bolt comprises a hemispherical section that remains on the bolt and a hexagonal section that can be gripped with conventional tools and breaks off of the nut once it is fastened so that the nut cannot be gripped by conventional tools once the fence is constructed. Regardless of the specific design of rail chosen for the fence, each of the claimed fence rails are formed using a sheet of folded material, namely a sheet metal or alloy such as milled steel. As such a material can, be easily punched and folded to form the desired profile for the rail with the necessary apertures. Also, the size of such a rail can be easily adjusted by changing the dimensions of the sheet material used to form the rail, meaning the claimed rail can easily scale to a user’s requirements. It is also noted that before or after the sheet material is shaped it can be treated to help protect the rai’s surface from corrosion due to adverse weather conditions. This process may include galvanizing the rails' surface, alternatively, the surface of the rail may be coated, for example with paint, varnish, or powder to protect the rails surface. It is noted that the rail may be coated in an anti-climbing paint to further deter intruders from scaling the fence. However, it is noted that such a coating may increase the amount of maintenance the fence requires as the coating needs to be 5 reapplied, therefore it may be preferable to simply galvanize the rail material to protect the rail from corrosion. By using the rails described above the user can quickly and easily construct a palisade fence panel, even on site. The user simply inserts a palisade pale into each of the slots or apertures within the rail. Once a pale is in place the user slides the 10 pale up or down until they align the fastener aperture in the pale, with the fastener aperture in the rail. Once aligned the user simply inserts a suitable fastener through the aligned apertures to secure the pale in place. This process can then be repeated for each rail and pale that forms the panel. In embodiments wherein the rail and pale include a retention feature the user can 15 align said retention features to hold the pale in the correct position as they insert the fastener. In embodiments that include a retention waster, the user will place the washer behind the pale, on the side opposite the rail, and then align the aperture of the washer with the other fastener apertures before inserting the fastener through the rail, the pale, and the washer. These features help to further support the pale and CM 20 more firmly hold the pale in place. LO It should be noted that the claimed panels can be provided as a kit of parts with the kit comprising at least one rail, a plurality of pales configured to be coupled to the rail, and a plurality of fasteners configured to secure the pales to the rail. These kits __ may also include a plurality of retention washers, with one washer for each fastener. 25 The kit may also include suitable tools for fastening the fasteners to the rail. Drawings The present invention is illustrated by means of the following drawings in which like features are designated with like numerals. 30 The features of the drawings are listed as follows: 2 Rail (L shaped profile) 3 Rail (with a short third surface) 4 Rail (with a third surface with pale apertures) 20 Upper horizontal surface 35 30 Corner 40 Vertical surface 50 Lower horizontal surface 13 05 24 60 Lower horizontal surface with pale apertures 120 Primary pale aperture 132 Primary indent first notch 134 Primary indent second notch 5 140 Primary fastener aperture 220 Secondary pale aperture 232 Secondary indent first notch 234 Secondary indent second notch 240 Secondary fastener aperture io 510 Primary pale 520 Primary engagement 540 Primary fastener 542 Primary fastener head 545 Primary fastener attachment 15 610 Secondary pale 620 Secondary engagement 640 Secondary fastener 642 Secondary fastener head 645 Secondary fastener attachment 20 710 Primary plate 810 Secondary plate Referring now to the figures: Figure 1 depicts a rail comprising an angular piece with two sides in isometric 25 projection. Figure 2 depicts the assembly of Figure 1 with attached pales in isometric projection Figure 3 depicts the assembly of Figure 2 in plan view. Figure 4 depicts the assembly of Figure 2 in side view. Figure 5 depicts an assembly with a rail comprising an angular piece with three sides 30 in isometric projection. Figure 6 depicts the assembly of Figure 5 in side view. Figure 7 depicts an assembly with a rail comprising an angular piece with three sides wherein the upper and lower surface comprises pale apertures. Figure 8 depicts the assembly of Figure 7 in side view. Detailed description Figure 1 shows an isometric projection of the present invention. The figure shows a section of the claimed rail that is configured for use in a palisade fence. It will be appreciated that a typical rail will comprise a large plurality of such repeat portions. More specifically Figure 1 depicts a rail 2 comprises an angular piece of folded metal, wherein the rail has an L-shaped profile that comprises a horizontal surface 20 and a vertical surface 40 coupled by a corner 30. Wherein the horizontal surface 20 comprises a plurality of pale apertures 120,220 configured to receive a pale 510,610 and the vertical surface 30 comprises a plurality of fastener apertures 140,240 configured to receive suitable fasteners 540,640 suitable for coupling the rail 2 to the received pales 510,610. It is noted that in the depicted example the surfaces of the rail 2 are perpendicular with the corner 30 being 90 degrees. However, it would be understood that the corner 30 may have a different angle such that the surfaces of the rail are nonperpendicular. More specifically, the corner 30 can be adjusted to slope one or both surfaces of the rail relative to the coupled pale 510,610. It is noted that the horizontal surface 20 may be sloped to allow precipitation and other debris to flow or slide off of the rail. This is particularly useful for fences that are positioned outside as it allows rainwater to flow off of the fence rather than pooling on the rail 2 where it may corrode the rail 2, pale 510,610, or the adjoining fasteners 540,640. It is also noted that having the sloped horizontal surface on the top of the rail also makes it harder for an intruder to stand atop the rail 2, helping to protect the desired area within the fence. In cases wherein the vertical surface 40 is sloped, the face may be angled towards the pale 540,640 such that the end of the surface that is remote from the corner 30 can abut the pale 510,610. This means that the pale 510,610 and the surfaces of the rail 2 form a triangle which will allow the fence rail to withstand more force without deforming, thereby making the fence sturdier. It is noted that both surfaces of the rail may be sloped as described above to provide all of the mentioned benefits with a single rail. As previously noted, the horizontal surface of the rail 2 comprises a plurality of pale apertures 120,220 configured to receive the pales used to form the palisade fence. These pale apertures 120,220 are shaped based on the profile of the pale being used, such that the pale apertures form an engagement 520,620 between the surface of the rail and the surface of the pale. These engagements help to ensure that the rail grips the pale tightly when the fence is constructed, this can help prevent an intruder’s ability to bend or otherwise deform the fence and / or rail to try and gain entry into the fence. In the depicted example the apertures comprise open apertures wherein the aperture extends to the edge of the horizontal surface 20 thereby leaving one side of the aperture open. This makes it easier to align and insert the pales into the apertures, as they can simply be pressed into the open side. However, it is noted that in some cases, the aperture may not be open and instead may comprise a slot with a shape that matches the profile of the pail to be coupled to the rail. These slots allow the rail 2 to engage the rail on all sides thereby gripping the pale more firmly. However, it is noted that these slots can make it more difficult to insert the pale compared to the open apertures, thereby making the process of constructing the pale more tedious and time-consuming. To allow the open apertures to grip the pale more firmly the apertures may further comprise a retention feature configured to grip the back of the pale, in this case, the back refers to the side of the pale opposite the side facing the pale engagement 520,620. In the depicted example the retention features are in the form of the hooks 132,134,232,234, wherein the hooks are configured to grip the back of the pale wings when the pale is inserted into the rail apertures. It should be noted that there may be other forms for the retention features, such as a retractable arm, a rotating member designed to retract or rotate to open the rear side of the pale aperture, and then can be actuated again to extend across the width of the pale once inserted to hold the pale in place, or any other suitable feature that can be used to hold the back of the pale in place once it is inserted into the rail. It is also noted that the pales may include a complementary retention feature configured to be coupled to the retention feature of the rail 2 to allow the retention features to more easily grip the surface of the pale. In the depicted example the pales include a flattened region on the back of the pale wings that the hooks of the rail can engage and grip onto. This pale retention feature may take other forms such as hooks, arms, or plates, regardless of the form the feature is always configured to be coupled to the rail retention feature to improve the grip of said retention feature of the rail. Figure 2 depicts an example of the rail 2 from Figure 1 with pales 510,610 attached to the rail. In this example two pales 510,610 have been inserted into respective pale apertures in the rail 2, as the depicted rails have open-ended apertures the pales are inserted simply by pressing them into the open end of the aperture. Note that once the pales are inserted the hooks 132,134,232,234 now contact the rear face of the pale to help hold them in place within the apertures. Also, visible in this example are the heads of the fasteners 540,640 used to hold the rail 2 and pales 510,610 together. In this case, the fasteners are bolts that are inserted into the fastener apertures in the vertical surface 40 of the rail 2 and a corresponding fastener aperture within the surface of the pale. These fasteners 540,640 are used to secure the pale 510,610 in place within the rail apertures 120,220, thereby securing the rail 2 to the pales 510,610 to form the desired fence panel. It is also noted that these fasteners 540,640 may be used to help the user insert the pales 510,610 into the pale apertures 120,220. More specifically, once a user has aligned the pale 510,610 with the aperture 120,220 in the rail, the user may insert the fastener 540,640 through both the pale 510,610 and rail 2 and then tighten the fastener to pull the pale 510,610 into the aperture 120,220 in the rail 2. It is also noted that even though the depicted fasteners are bolts, other types of fasteners may also be used, while still providing the same benefits. Though as previously noted the bolt is the preferable fastener for the claimed fence panel for the reasons described earlier. It is also noted that the depicted bolts have flat heads which abut the vertical surface 40 of the rail 2, in cases where the surface 40 is sloped the fastener head 542,642 may similarly be sloped to abut the rail's surface. This ensures there is no space between the fastener head 542,642 and the rail 2, which may be used by an intruder for leverage when attempting to damage or otherwise remove the fastener from the fence, as they will not be able to insert any tools behind the fastener head. Figure 3 provides a different angle of the rail 2 shown in Figure 2, in this angle, we can see the other key features of the fastener used to secure the pale into place, namely the shear nut 545, 645, and the retention washer 710,810. The shear nut is a type of bolt nut wherein the hexagonal portion is designed to shear off once the bolt is fastened, leaving behind a hemispherical nut, which would be difficult to grip with conventional tools making it harder for an intruder to remove the fasteners 540,640. It is noted that the fastener may include other, similar security features such as a rounded bolt head to again make the fastener more difficult to grip with conventional tools. The retention washers 710,810 may also be considered as a security feature, but also help to reinforce the fence panels’ structure. More specifically, these washers 710,810 comprise a flat plate with one or more sides that are raised at an angle relative to the plate. These raised portions are configured to engage the surface of the pale 510,610, in particular the wings of the pale which a flat washer plate would not reach. In doing so the retention washer 710,810 can push the pale further into the rail aperture 210,220, ensuring the pale engages the edge of the aperture. Further, the angled sides of the washer help to spread the wings of the pale into the sides of the aperture, again ensuring the pale 510,610 engages all sides of the aperture but also ensuring that the wings of the pale engage the retention features along the edges of the aperture. Once the pale 510.610 is fully inserted it will be sandwiched between the edge of the pale aperture and the retention washer ensuring that the pale is firmly griped on all sides making it more difficult for the pale to be removed and making it more difficult for an intruder to bend the wings of the pale. It is also noted that this retention washer ensures that there is little to no spacing between the surface of the pale and the surface of the rail thereby ensuring an intruder can not insert tools between the rail and pale to use as leverage to potentially damage the pale 510,610, rail 2 or the fastener 540,640 coupling the two together. 5 Figure 4 shows yet another angle of the rail 2 depicted in Figures 2 and 3, in this case, a side view which helps to illustrate how the horizontal surface 20 of the rail is perpendicular to the elongated axis of the pale, while the vertical face 40 is parallel to the pale. It is noted that having the walls in this arrangement allows the surface of the rail 2 to absorb more force during an impact. This is due in part to the corner 30 io being positioned in a manner where it is likely not to be impacted, as this corner 30 could be a weak point during such an impact. Further, in this arrangement, the vertical surface 40 endures the majority of impacts to the rail 2, wherein the surface can dissipate some of the force to the pales 510,610 via the horizontal surface 20, and the off end of the surface can vibrate or bend to dissipate any additional force, 15 though this sort of deformation may allow an intruder to damage the rail 2 or fasteners 540,640 close to the point of deformation. It is also noted that this arrangement does leave the bottom of the fastener exposed, such that an intruder may be able to reach it to damage and remove the fastener 540,640. This is why, in some cases, the vertical surface 40, or both surfaces of the rail may CM 20 be angled relative to the pale 510,610. In these cases, the vertical face 40 may be । angled such that the end of the surface remote from the corner 30 abuts the surface of the pale. In doing so the rail can now cover the bottom of the fastener making it more difficult for an intruder to reach the fastener 540,640 with tools. Additionally, the CO contact between the vertical surface 40 and the pale 510,610 may allow the rail to 25 dissipate more force through the pales 510,610 during an impact, as a result, the rail in this state may be able to absorb more forceful impacts before deforming. However, it is noted that after testing such configurations it appears that the fastener head 542,642 is more easily damaged and removed when the rail is angled this way. This may be because the angled rail may leave space around the fastener head 30 which may be used for leverage. It may also be because the corner 30 is closer to the fastener 510,610, as a result, there would be less contact between the rail surface and the surface of the bolt head. This means that during an impact the force dissipated from the rail into the bolt head is concentrated over a smaller area resulting in the bolt head being damaged more easily. Therefore, it is preferable to 35 keep the vertical surface 40 parallel with the pale. Figures 5 and 6 present an alternative rail 3 to the rail 2 depicted in figures 1 to 4. The alternative rail 3 still comprises a vertical surface 40 with fastener apertures 140,240 and a horizontal surface 20 with pale apertures 120,220 as described above, however, this rail 3 further comprises a lower horizontal surface 50 which 40 extends from the end of the vertical surface 40 remote from the corner 30, towards the surface of the pale. This lower horizontal surface 50 helps to protect the fastener 540,640 by covering the bottom side of each fastener. Further, due to this new surface contacting the pale 510,610, it may allow the rail 3 to dissipate more force through the pales during an impact, additionally, this new surface helps to reinforce the vertical surface 40 allowing the rail 3 to absorb more force without deforming. It is also noted that because the vertical surface 40 is still parallel with the pale 510,610 5 and bolt head 542,642, the bolt head is at a lower risk of being damaged from an impact compared to the sloped rail. Therefore, this profile for the rail is preferable as it better protects the fastener from impacts and intruders. It is also noted that there is little risk of water pooling on this lower surface 50 as it is covered by the upper horizontal surface 20. However, in some cases, the lower io surface 50 may be angled such that water can run off the lower horizontal surface, while the surface is still sufficiently long to touch the surface of the pale. Angling this surface 50 does not present the same problems as angling the vertical surface 40 as the lower horizontal surface 50 does not contact the fastener 510,610 or the head of the fastener 542,642. 15 Figures 7 and 8 present a further alternative to the rails in Figures 1 to 6. In this rail design 4, the lower horizontal surface 50 has been replaced with a surface 60 that is identical to the upper horizontal surface 20, including a plurality of pale apertures 120,220 shaped to compliment the surface of the pale 510,610. By using this shape for the lower surface 60, the rail 4 is able to grip the pale more firmly, reducing the CM 20 risk of the pale being damaged by an intruder or an impact. Additionally, as the lower । surface 60 contacts the entire width of the pale, it can dissipate force to the pale 510,610 over a larger area, further reducing the risk of the pale 510,610 being damaged during an impact on the fence. Therefore, this shape for the rail 4 is the CO most preferable as it provides all the same benefits as the previous rail designs while 25 also providing more support to the coupled pales. It is also noted that lower surface 60 may also comprise retention features to further reinforce the rail’s grip on the surface of the pale. These additional retention features would further reduce an intruder’s ability to bend, deform, or otherwise break the pale to remove it from the fence panel. The pales 510,610 will be able to dissipate 30 any force exerted onto it into the horizontal surfaces 40,60 of the rail 4, with the retention features and retention washer 710,810 holding the pale wings firm further reducing the intruders' ability to damage the pale. By using a fence rail as described above the user can quickly build palisade fence panels on-site by simply inserting or hammering each pale into a respective pale 35 aperture in the rail. Further, the rails design helps to protect the pales and the fasteners fastened to them from potential intruders by providing a physical barrier, or by allowing force exerted onto the fence to be dissipated over a larger area.

Claims

13 05 241. A system for forming a palisade fence, the system comprising:a rail, the rail comprising at least two surfaces; the first surface comprises a horizontal plane, and the second surface extends vertically from one end of the first surface;the first surface comprises a plurality of pale apertures, wherein each aperture is an open aperture, open on the side facing the rear of the fence panel, and wherein each pale aperture is configured to receive a palisade pale, and has a shape that matches the profile of the pale to be inserted;the second surface comprises a plurality of fastener apertures configured to receive a fastener that is configured to fasten the pale to the rail;a plurality of palisade fence pales with suitable profiles to be inserted into the rail, wherein the rail comprises retention features;Wherein the retention features are located on the upper surface of the rail to retain the pale within the rail aperture.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the retention feature comprises a hook attached to the ends of the pale apertures.

3. The system of claims 1 and 2, wherein each pale comprises a complementary retention feature configured to be coupled to one of the retention features of the rail.

4. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the pale apertures are the same shape as the cross-section of the received pale at which it interfaces.

5. The system of any preceding claim wherein the angle between the horizontal surface and vertical surface of the rail is between 35 degrees and 145 degrees.

6. The system of any preceding claim wherein the vertical surface, horizontal surface, or both are angled relative to the elongated axis of the pale.

7. The system of any preceding claim wherein the rail comprises a second horizontal surface that extends from the bottom edge of the vertical surface of the rail, as is configured to abut the surface of the pale.13 05 248. The system of claim 7 wherein the second horizontal surface is identical to the first horizontal surface, comprising a plurality of pale apertures.

9. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the fasteners comprise a bolt and a shear nut.

10. A method of constructing a palisade fence panel using the system of claims 1 to 9, the method comprising:Inserting a plurality of pales into a respective pale aperture of one of the rails;Aligning a fastener aperture of each pale with a respective fastener aperture in the rail;Passing a fastener through the aligned apertures, before tightening the fastener to secure the pale to the rail;Repeating the steps above for each pale and rail needed to form the fence panel.

11. The method of claims 9 and 10 further comprises the step of coupling the retention feature of the rail to a corresponding retention feature of the pale.

12. A kit of parts for the system of claims 1 to 9, the kit comprising one or more rails with pale apertures, a plurality of pales with one for each pale aperture in the rail, and a plurality of apertures suitable for coupling the pales to each rail.

13. The kit of claim 12, wherein the kit further comprises a retention washer for each fastener in the kit.

14. The kit of claims 12 and 13, further comprises tools configured to fasten the fasteners to the pale and rail.

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