Improved fence post

Abstract

The claimed invention provides an improved post 10 for a perimeter fence. The post comprises a post body comprising a plurality of elongate walls which define the post, having two ends wherein one end

Description

17 09 25 Background 5 The claimed invention relates to the technical field of perimeter fences. In particular, the claimed invention provides an improved design for such fences. When constructing a perimeter fence the user will first determine the area that needs to be protected. Then the user will position a series of posts, typically equidistant around the desired perimeter. These posts are often embedded into the ground to hold them in place. 10 Once positioned the user can then construct fence sections between the arranged posts. These sections can include fence panels or other fence features such as a gate. These sections of the fence will be configured to be coupled to one of the posts at each end. The problem with such a system is that not every type of fence section is compatible with every fence post. As such the user may be limited on which types of fences and / or posts 15 they can use for their desired perimeter fence. Additionally, the type of material used for the fence section may cause further restrictions on the type of posts that can be used for the fence. Lastly, the surface the post is mounted to can also restrict the types of posts that may be used for certain sections of the desired perimeter fence. Relevant prior art disclosures include US 543 0984 which discloses a wall construction for 20 modular woven wire partitions and US 2010 / 123113 which discloses security partition systems employing wire panels secured to the vertical support posts. Therefore, it is desired able to be able to provide an improved fence post configured to be adaptable to a range of different fence sections, thereby allowing a wider range of fence types to be used with a common fence post. Further, such design should be configured to 25 allow fence sections to be attached to the post quickly and allow such fence sections to be replaced with ease. Summary The present invention in its various aspects is as set out in the appended claims. The Claimed invention is related to the technical field of perimeter fences. In particular the 5 claimed invention provides an improved design for the posts used to construct a perimeter fence. The present invention provides an improved fence post design that allows a user to more easily attach and detach sections of a perimeter fence to the post. It is noted that in the context of the invention, the term section may refer to a panel of the perimeter fence, a gate 10 for the perimeter fence, or a rail suitably configured for forming either a fence panel or fence gate. The improved design also removes the need for welding, as the component of the fence posts and the adjacent section can be assembled without the need to weld any of the components into place which reduce the amount of pollution formed when creating the perimeter fence. 15 The claimed fence post comprises a post body with one or more attachment panels. The £\j post body provides an elongated post, wherein one end of the post is configured to be attached to the ground, this may be achieved by embedding the end of the post into the ground, or using a suitable base plate on the end of the post configured to receive fasteners, such as bolt, to attach the plate to the surface of the ground, or a combination of embedding ■^—20 the end of the post and applying a suitable attachment plate. The post also comprises a plurality of elongated walls which form the post body and are arranged to have polygonal cross-section, in the depicted examples the post has a square cross-section, though other polygonal shapes may also be used. Preferred is a square. Hence the polygon may be triangle, rectangle, pentagon, hexagon etc. However, it is noted 25 that the post preferably comprises at least two flat sides onto which the attachment panels are coupled. These flat sides allow the surface of the post to rest flush with the surface of the attachment plate. In use this minimises the space between the surface of the post and the attachment plates, thereby minimising the risk of an intruder being able to separate the attachment plate from the post. It is noted that the user may desire the fence to comprise a 30 plurality of apertured sides so that the user can use different pairs of sides to allow the adjacent fence sections to have different angles relative to each other. In these cases, the number of faces in the post’s cross-section can increase the number of angles that can be made between the fence sections. 10 15 CXI 20 25 30 35 The flat sides of the post that are configured to receive the attachment plate comprise a plurality of apertures configured to receive a protrusion on the surface of the attachment panel. These apertures are preferably in the shape of slots that extend along the elongated axis of the post body. This shape can help ensure that the attachment plates are aligned correctly before they are coupled to the post, as a slot has one dimension, in this case, its height, which is significantly larger than the perpendicular dimension. A slot-shaped aperture may also allow for limited movement within the aperture, for example when using a hook shape protrusion, the slot aperture would allow the protrusion to move vertically to allow the protrusion to hook and unhook from the post, allowing the user to controllably lock the attachment plate to the post. As previously mentioned, when in use the user inserts protrusions on the surface of the attachment plate into the apertures to couple the post components together. It is noted that the post preferably comprises a plurality of apertures for each plate coupled to it. By using multiple pairs of apertures and protrusions for each attachment plate, each plate can be coupled to the post more securely, as an intruder would need to separate each of the protrusions to detach the plate from the post. Additionally, by having more attachment points there is a lower risk of the plate decoupling should the fence or post be damaged, for example, due to an impact hitting the perimeter fence. In these cases, the preferred shape for the apertures would comprise a line of parallel slot-shaped apertures, with one such line on two opposing sides of the post body for each plate that is coupled to the post. It is noted that in the simplest embodiments, there would only be a single attachment plate coupled to each side of the post body, as such there would only need to be one aperture, or line of apertures, on each of the opposing sides. However, it is noted that in such cases, only one side of the adjacent fence sections would be coupled to the fence post. This would make the coupling between the fence post and the adjacent section vulnerable to tampering, especially from the opposite side, relative to the attached side of the fence section. Therefore, it is preferable to have two coupling plates attached to each side of the fence post, wherein one plate attaches to the front of the adjacent fence sections, and the other plate attaches to the back of the same fence sections. Note that in this context the front side and back side of the fence refer to the surfaces facing out of the protected perimeter and into the protected perimeter respectively. In this arrangement the pair of plates can hold the fence sections more securely as the fence sections are sandwiched between the plates, allowing the plates to cover and protect the fasteners used to couple the fence sections to the plates. Additionally, by having two attachment plates the user may be able to align the fence section to the post more easily as the surface of the plates can provide guiding walls wherein the user simply inserts the fence section into the space between the guiding walls to align it with the post. The attachment plate comprises a planar piece of metal or metal plate, that is configured to be coupled to the fence post as described above, and to the adjacent section of the 5 perimeter fence, such as a panel, gate or rail, thereby coupling the fence to the post. Wherein each plate comprises an edge with one or more protrusions, wherein these protrusions are configured to be received by the apertures in the fence body. When in use the user inserts each protrusion into a respective aperture in the post body. It is noted that the protrusions may be shaped such that, once they are inserted a user can actuate the 10 plate, for example by lowering the plate or rotating the plate, to lock the plate into position relative to the fence post, thereby coupling the post and plate together. 15 CXI 20 The surface of the plate further comprises one or more apertures. The apertures are used when coupling the fence post to a section of the perimeter fence. More specifically, the apertures of the plate are aligned with a corresponding aperture in the fence sections, after which a suitable fastener, such as a bolt, may be passed through the aligned apertures and secured into place thereby coupling the attachment plate to the fence section. As with the protrusion, only one such aperture is necessary to couple the plate to the fence, however, a plurality of such apertures would be preferable as it allows the plate to be coupled more securely to the fence and would reduce the risk of tampering. In the preferred embodiment, each attachment plate would comprise at least two apertures one at each end of the plate's elongate axis, allowing the fence to be griped from each end, allowing for a more secure coupling with the minimal number of fasteners. It is noted that the attachment plate may have different designs with different aperture layouts depending on the fence section being coupled to the post. Difference fences may 25 have different sizes or require a different number of fasteners. Therefore, a range of attachment plates can be created with each one meeting the requirements of the different fence and gate types to be used. In doing so the user can easily adapt a common fence post to a range of different fences by simply swapping the attachment plates as necessary for the different fence types. It is noted that each of these different attachment plates would be 30 configured to couple to the fence post body using the same mechanism as described above. In some cases, the coupling plates may be attached to the fence sections first, such that the ends of each type of fence section comprise a suitable attachment plate. Then the chosen fence section can simply be attached to the fence post by inserting the protrusions at the end of the section. This way the claimed post can be used universally with a range of different fence sections and fence types with the attachment panels acting as the adaptor allowing each type of section to be coupled to the same post. It is noted that in the preferred embodiment of the claimed fence post, the protrusions of the attachment plate may comprise additional features designed to allow the plate to be coupled 5 more securely to the post body. The simplest example of this would be to use protrusions with a hook shape. In other terms, the protrusions of the attachment plate would comprise a slot or inlet along its bottom edge. Wherein the inlet is configured to receive the edge of the aperture within the post body. Once inserted into this inlet, the protrusion grips the side of the post helping to lock the plate to the fence post. Then the user can simply lift the 10 attachment plate to decouple the hooks allowing the plate to be removed. It is noted that the hook on the protrusion can come in a range of different designs and shapes so long as the inlet of the hook faces downwards, such that the plate slides down to lock the hook into position. This weight of the fence assist in holding the hooks in place. 15 CXI 20 In some cases, the protrusion may be configured to be curved, angled or bent in a direction that is perpendicular to the plan of the attachment plate. Such that after the plate has been inserted into the fence post the protrusion curves or bend such that the surface of the protrusion contact the inner surface of the post body, thereby gripping the inside of the post to lock the plate into position. By using these protrusions, the size of the surface area that is in contact between the post and the protrusion is increased thereby increasing the grip the plate has on the post, thereby increasing the force that is needed to break the hook. Additionally, the part of the protrusion contacting the post is preferably housed fully within the post body, thereby making it harder to reach and reducing the risk of the hook being damaged or tampered with. It is noted that these curved protrusions can be inserted into the fence post in the same 25 manner as the straight protrusion, with the user twisting the plate as the protrusion is inserted so that the sides of the protrusion align with the aperture as it is being inserted. Though this process would take longer when compared to inserting a plate with a straight protrusion, the process can still be performed quickly and with little effort. Additionally, these curved or bent protrusions provide additional security as described above. Further, the 30 curved or bent protrusions may also make it easier to remove and replace the fence sections coupled to the fence post. In particular, as previously described the fence post may comprise two attachment plates on each side, such that the plates form a channel that can be used to guide the fence section into position. With the curved or bent protrusion, a user is able to widen this channel, this 35 would be achieved by twisting the attachment plate to partially remove the protrusion from the post. This way the body of the plate may be angled away from the centre of the channel, thereby making the open end of the channel wider. This allows the user to more easily insert the fence sections into the channel between the attachment plates. This may also make it easier to remove a fence section, for example, when disassembling the fence or removing a section of the fence to perform maintenance and / or repairs. In these cases, the user may widen the channel to allow easier access to the ends of the fence section allowing them to be removed more easily. Therefore, the use of these protrusions can help improve the ease when constructing the fence and improve the security of the perimeter fence. 10 15 CXI 20 25 30 35 In some of these cases, the curved, angled or bent protrusions may be configured to be fastened to the fence post after being inserted. Such a fastener may help secure the attachment plate to the post more firmly thereby reducing the risk of the post and plate decoupling even when the fence is impacted. In these embodiments the fence body would also comprise a corresponding fastener aperture proximate the aperture slot, such that when the attachment plate is inserted the aperture in the protrusion aligns with the aperture within the post body such that a suitable fastener, such as a bolt, can be passed through the align apertures so as to couple the protrusion to the post. As noted, this fastened can ensure that the attachment plate is secured more firmly as the fastener prevents the plate from being removed unless the fastener is removed. This reduces the risk of accidental decoupling, for example when the fence is impacted, and make it more difficult for an intruder to tamper with the connection between the fence post and fence sections. It is noted that the use of such protrusions does increase the risk of the protrusions becoming stuck within the post, should the protrusion become warped or deformed after being inserted, for example after the fence has been impacted. To this end, there is a need to allow the user to be able to access the protrusions inside the fence post. To this end, it is noted that the post body is hollow, in some cases formed by folded sheet metal, in any case, the fence post is preferably hollow with open ends. The user can thereby access the protrusions inside the fence post via one of the open ends. It is also noted that having the lower end of the fence open may allow it to grip the ground more firmly when embedded as dirt, sand or cement may fill the hollow space inside the post thereby allowing the ground to grip the inside and outside of the post. However, it is noted that using such a hollow post may be more vulnerable to wear due to precipitation, as water that enters the open end of the post may not be able to drain away. To this end, the claimed post may include a removable cap. Wherein the removable cap is configured to controllably seal the open end of the post body. This way the user, can use the cap to seal the post body to help prevent water and other materials from entering the post body. Then when the user needs to access the inside of the post body, for example, to reach the protrusions as described above. It is noted that the cap may have different means for attaching to the post body such as a set of hinges, a rubber seal configured to grip the edge and / or outer surface of the post, or a stopper, or filled stopper configured to fit inside the post 5 and grip the inner surface of the post body. It is also noted that some embodiment of the claimed post may comprise one or more apertures proximate to the embedding end of the post. These apertures are configured to allow the embedding material to enter the post body. For example, when the post is embedded in cement or dirt, the material can pass through the apertures to form a bridge 10 between the material inside and outside of the post. These bridges can assist in supporting the post. Therefore, by including such apertures the post is held more firmly in the ground and is thus harder for an intruder to remove. 15 CXI In some embodiments, wherein the post is coupled to a game, the post body may require coupling features configured to attach to the hinges of the gate. These components can include protrusions or hinges which attach to a corresponding component coupled to the fence gate. In some cases, these coupling components may be mounted to the fence-posed body, or formed as part of the post during production. In these cases, the fence post body would only have apertures on one side, as there would be no need for apertures on the side comprising the coupling features. 20 In other cases, the coupling feature may be moulded onto a separate component that comprises protrusions that are configured to be coupled to the apertures of the post body, or the apertures in the attachment plates. In cases wherein the component couples to the attachment plate, the attachment plate comprises additional apertures as the required height for the gate hinge, and the component comprises a suitable aperture that is aligned with the 25 appropriate aperture in the coupling plate, after which the component can be fixed into place by passing a suitable fastener through the aligned apertures. In the case wherein the component couples to the fence body, the component may comprise one or more protrusions that couple to the apertures in the post body in the same manner as the attachment plate, it is noted that in some cases, the protrusions may be elongated such 30 that the user can bend the protrusion after it has been inserted. This may be necessary as the component will be under more force compared to the attachment plate due to the movement of the fence gate. As such the bent protrusions increases the surface area of the protrusion gripping the surface of the post thereby allowing the component to be gripped more firmly. In some cases, the fence post may also include an aperture at the top end of the post, the purpose of this aperture is to receive a deterrent feature. Wherein the deterrent feature is configured to prevent an intruder from climbing over the fence sections coupled to the post. In some cases, the deterrent feature may comprise a roller, a cylinder that passes between 5 the fence posts. The roller is configured to rotate such that when an intruder tries to climb the fence, the roller rotates, thereby preventing the intruder from gripping the top of the fence, as the intruder’s hand will therefore roll off the smooth surface of the rotating roller. In some cases, the deterrent feature may take the form of a spiked or barbed feature, which uses sharp points to prevent the intruder from gripping the top of the fence. In some cases, 10 these sharp features may be mounted to a roller or an axis that allows the sharp features to rotate thereby combining the effects of the roller and barbed features. 17 09 25 Detailed Description 17 09 25 The claimed invention is depicted in the following figures: Figure 1 - depicts a fence post as per the claimed invention 5 Figure 2 - depicts a mounting plate configured to be used with the post of Figure 1 Figure 3 - depicts the features used to couple the post and mounting plate together Figure 4 - depicts the same post and mounting plate as Figure 3 after they have been coupled together Figure 5 - depicts the cross-section of the coupled post and mounting plates 10 Figure 6 - depicts how a fence section is coupled to the post via the mounting plates Figure 7 - depicts different variations of the claimed fence post Figure 8 - depicts an example fence panel coupled to the claimed fence post Figure 9 - depicts an example fence gate coupled to the claimed fence post Figure 10 - depicts an example base plate and sealing cap to be used with the claimed post 15 The figures displaying the invention comprise the following features, please note that like features are indicated by the use of the same reference numeral: 10 - post 11 - post body 20 12 - coupling slots 13 - large aperture 20 - mounting plate 21 - coupling protrusion 22 - fence section apertures 25 30 - fence section 40 - fence post (with two mounting plate) 41 - fence post (with gate hinges) 42 - Fence post (with gate latch aperture) 43 - Gate hinges 50 - Example fence panel 52 - Example climb prevention feature 5 60 - Example fence gate 70 - Base plate 71 - Fastener apertures 80 - Sealing cap 81 - Cap lid / head 10 82 - Flexible ribs Figure 1 depicts an example fence post 10 as per the claimed invention. The fence post 10 comprises a hollow post body 11, this post body may be formed from a folded sheet of metal, such as a sheet of steel. In the depicted example the fence body 11 has a square cross-section, but it is noted that the fence body 11 may comprise different shapes, so long as the shape comprises at least two flat sides on opposite sides of the body for incorporating the other features of the post. The fence body 11 may include a plurality of flat sides in addition to the two flat sides described above. This plurality of flat sides may be used to incorporate mounting features. 20 More specifically, rather than using a pair of opposing sides for such features, the user may place the mounting features onto different sides to allow the fence section mounted to the post to have a relative angle other than 180 degrees. For example, a fence post that is used at the corner of a perimeter fence may have mounting features positioned on a pair of perpendicular sides of the fence body 11 so that the fence sections mounted to the fence 25 post are perpendicular to one another. By increasing the number of sides of the polygon, preferably a straight sided polygon, most preferably a regular polygon, used to form the fence body 11, the more angles the user is be able to create between the fence section. However, it is noted that by increasing the number of sides the user may inadvertently decreased the size of each face of the fence post, which in turn makes it more difficult to 30 mount the necessary mounting plates to the fence post. Therefore, there needs to be a compromise between the number of sides and the size of each side used in the fence body 11. It is noted that the fence body may include curved faces coupled to the sides of the flat faces to form the fence body 11. A fence body with such curved faces may have improved impact absorption as the curved faces provide a larger surface to dissipate the force of the impact. It is noted that in embodiments where there is a plurality of flat sides the user may still utilise curved faces between these sides to help increase the post’s impact absorption. In some cases, the user may give the post curved or rounded corners between the flat sides to increase the impact absorption of the fence. It is also noted that if the post had sharp or pointed corners, such corners may create a weak point in the fence body 11 that may be exploited to damage the fence post, to aid an intruder in infiltrating the perimeter fence. 10 15 CXI 20 25 30 As previously note, regardless of the shape of the post body 11, the flat surface of the post 10 comprises other features. Specifically, these sides comprise a plurality of coupling slots 12. These slots are used as a means of coupling different objects to the post 10. In use these objects comprise one or more coupling features that can be inserted into a corresponding coupling slot to couple the object to the post. In the depicted example the post comprises a plurality of parallel slot pairs which extend along on of the flat sides of the post. It is noted that depending on the object the user wishes to couple to the post the specific number and shape of the slots 12 may change. However, the depict example of the coupling slots 12 are preferable as they are simple to incorporate into the post body 11 and can be used for a wide range of different objects due to their simple design. Further to the coupling slots 12, the depicted example comprises large aperture 13 proximate the top of the post body. This aperture is configured to receive an anti-climbing feature, this refers to a feature that is configured to prevent or at least hinder any intruders attempts to climb over the fence. The anti-climb feature may include items like barbed wire, that are configured act as a deterrent to prevent an intruder climbing a fence. The problem with these types of a deterrent is that they may provide a hazard to personnel other than an intruder, especially to the user when constructing or deconstructing the fence. Therefore, it is preferable to incorporate a feature that is not hazardous to the user. To this end a more preferable anti-climbing feature may comprise a roller, a segmented roller or a plurality of rollers. Wherein these rollers are configured to rotate along an axis that extends through the large aperture 13, rotating in a direction perpendicular to elongated length of the fence section coupled to the post 10. This way, if an intruder attempts to climb the fence, the roller rotates towards the intruder causing their hand to slide off of the fence, and cause the intrude to fall back onto the side of the fence they were originally standing. These rollers providing a deterrent without creating a hazard to other personnel. 10 Though it is not depicted in the example, it is also noted that the fence post may comprise one or more apertures proximate the bottom of the post, these base apertures may be similar in shape to the large aperture 13 or the slots 12. These base apertures are used when the fence post 10 is configured to be embedded into the ground. In these cases, the bottom of the post is usually embedded in a suitable material such as dirt or cement, when the post 10 includes a base aperture, these materials are able to form bridges through the base apertures. These bridges help to reenforce the fence post, meaning the post can absorb a larger impact without falling over or being up ended. However, it is noted that such a aperture is not always necessary, instead the base of the post may be configured to be coupled to a suitable base plate or base foot, especially when the fence is only being used to form a temporary perimeter, for example when being used for an event. In these cases, the base of the fence post 10 may comprise slots or apertures similar to the coupling slots 12, configured to receive apertures or coupling features configure to couple the post body 11 to the base. 15 CXI 20 25 30 Figure 2 depicts an example of the mounting plates 20 configured to be used with the fence post 10. These mounting plates are used as a means to couple a fence section, such as a fence panel to the post 10. Each mounting plate 20 comprises a plate body preferably made from a piece of sheet metal similar to the post body 11. One edge of the plate body comprises one or more coupling features 21. These coupling features correspond to one or more of the coupling slots 12 found on the fence body 11, such that the user can couple the mounting plate 20 to the fence post 10 by inserting the coupling features 21 into the corresponding coupling slot 12. It is noted that the coupling features 21 can have a variety of shapes, especially as the feature needs to correspond to the shape of the receiving coupling slot 12, additionally, the size and length of these coupling features 21 may need to be adjusted to better match the dimension of the post body 11. Regardless of the specific shape of the receiving slot 12, it is preferable for the coupling feature 21 to comprise a hook shape. This hook shape may be achieved by bending the surface of the coupling feature 21 like the ones depicted in the examples in the figure, or by cutting an aperture or slot into the edge of the coupling feature 21 such that the edge of the coupling slot 12 can be inserted into the aperture. In either case the hooked shaped coupling feature 21 is able to grip onto the surface of the post body 11 thereby securing the coupling plate into position, and prevents the plate and the post from decoupling. 35 The coupling plate further comprises one or more fastener apertures 22 which extend through the body of the plate. These apertures are configured to receive fasteners and / or coupling features that are configured to couple the plate to a fence section. It is noted that a fence section refers to any part of the fence that extends between a pair of posts 10, such as a fence panel or a gate. It is noted that these apertures are preferable positioned at the ends of the mounting plate, thereby allowing the fence section to be anchored at both ends to ensure that it is firmly secured to the mounting plate. It is also noted that the fastener apertures 22 may have a variety of shapes depending on the type of fasteners and or type of 5 fence section the plate is configured to be mounted to. It is noted that these mounting plates can provide more flexibility when constructing the perimeter fence, as the user will therefore be able to adapt the same fence post to a wide range of different fence section simply by exchanging the mounting plate 20, for a suitable plate configured for the desired fence section. 10 Figures 3 to 5 depict how the fence post 10 and mounting plates 20 can be coupled together. In Figure 3, it can be seen that the mounting features 21 comprise a plurality of hooks that are spaced along the elongated edge of the mounting plate 20. The fence body 11 comprises a plurality of parallel mounting slots which are spaced along the elongate axis of the fence post, on one of the flat sides of the fence body, thereby forming a pair of slot 15 columns. When coupling the post 10 and mounting plate 20, the user simply aligns the LO hooks 21 to a respective slot in one of the columns of coupling slots 12. Once the end of the CM hook is inserted into the respective slot 12, the user can rotate the plate 20 so as to fully insert the hook 21 into the slot 12, until the edge of the plate body rests against the post C*^ body 11 as shown in Figure 4. 20 Figure 5 depicts the cross section of the fence post 10 after a pair of mounting plates 20 have been coupled to the post 10. This figure shows how the hooked shaped coupling features 21 are able to secure the mounting plate 20 to the post 10. As previously noted, when the mounting features 21 are correctly inserted the hook shaped features grip the surface of the fence post body 11. In this case the hooks are griping the inner surface of the 25 fence post body 11. This way when the fence section is attached to the mounting plates, the weight of the fence pulls the mounting plates 20 in a direction away from the post 10. This weight forces the hooks into the surface of the post body 11 thereby holding both the mounting plates 20 and fence section firmly in place. Figure 6 depicts an example of how the fence post 10 appears after a fence section 30 has 30 been coupled to it. Note that in the depicted example the fence section 30 is inserted into the space between the mounting plates 20. Once inserted the fence section may be secured to the mounting plates by inserting a suitable fastener, such as a bolt, through the fence section and the aligned fastener apertures 22 with the mounting plates 20. it is noted that the fence section 30 may be coupled to the post 10 using a single mounting plate 20, however it 35 is preferable to use a pair of mounting plates 20, with one on either side of the fence section 30, as shown in the example. By using two mounting plates the post will be able to grip both sides of the fence section 30, meaning it will be secured more firmly to the post, thereby allowing the connection between the fence section 30 and fence post 10 to absorb a higher amount of force without the risk of breaking or decoupling. And with the fence section sandwich between the plates 20 it will be more difficult for an intruder to reach the edge of the fence section 30, and therefore more difficult for them to tamper with the fence section 30 to attempt to decouple it from the fence post. 10 15 CXI 20 25 30 35 It is noted that in some cases, the mounting plate 20 may be coupled to a fence section before it is coupled to the fence post, especially in cases wherein the mounting plate 20 is configured especially for a specific type of fence section. In these cases, the fence section may be couple to one mounting plate, with the second mounting plate being coupled to the section after the first mounting plate 20 has been coupled to the post 10. Otherwise, the fence section may have a pair of mounting plates 20 coupled to each end, as shown in the figure, with the coupling features 21 being shaped so that both mounting plates can be inserted into the post body simulations, for example by using features that comprise vertical hooks instead of the horizontal hooks that are depicted. However, it is noted that such horizontal hooks may have a smaller surface area in contact with the fence body 11, and therefore would not hold the fence section as securely as the depicted hooks 21. However, one problem the post 10 as depicted in the figures is that the user cannot exchange the fence section 30 without first detaching one or more of the mounting plates 20. It is noted that decoupling the plates in this manner may be considered tedious, however a user may decide that this is worth the extra structural strength. Another problem when changing the fence section 30 is that with two mounting plates 20 as shown in the figures is that the user may not be able to reach the edge of the fence section 30 when it is between the plates. However, it is noted that when using the hooks as shown in the figure, with a sufficient length the user will be able to rotate the plates 20 in order to widen the gap between the plates 20 such that the user can remove and insert a fence section without decoupling the mounting plates 20 from the fence post 10. More specifically, the user can rotate one or both of the mounting plates in the direction away from the opposing mounting plate, such that the hooks are partially removed from the post body thereby widening the gap between the plates 20 without completely decoupling the mounting plates 20. It is noted that the fence post 10 may require different features when used with fence sections other than a fence panel. Figure 7 depicts different variations of the claimed fence post. The first example post 40 is an example of a post that to be used between two fence panels. This post 40 has mounting plates 20 as describe above couple to both sides of the post. In this case the post body features the coupling slots 12 as shown in figure 1 on both of its sides. However, it is noted that in the depicted example mounting plates 20 are positioned on opposite sides of the fence body. If the post was configured to be used in a corner, then the same post may have a mounting plate couple to two adjacent sides of the fence body 11 rather than two opposing sides. 10 15 CXI 20 25 30 35 The examples posts 41 and 42 depict how the claimed post may be adapted to be coupled to a gate. Post 41, comprises a mounting plate 20 on one side of the fence body 11, so as to couple a fence panel. On the opposite side of the fence body there is a pair of hinges 43 that are configured to be rotatably coupled to a fence gate. It is noted that this fence post 41 may comprise coupling apertures configured to receive fasteners or other members suitable for attaching the hinges 43 to the post body 11. Note that in this example the hinges comprise a protruding member that is received by the corresponding hinge on the fence gate to couple the gate to the post 11. In some cases, the hinge 43 may be mounted to a plate that comprises coupling features or protrusions. These coupling protrusions would be configured to be inserted into the coupling slots 12, just like the coupling features 21 of the mounting plate 20. This is preferable as the user will not require unique apertures for coupling the hinge 43 and allows the same post body to be used for both the fence panel and a gate. Post 42 provide the corresponding post to be used with post 41 when installing a single fence gate. Post 42 comprises mounting plates 20 mount to one side of the fence body 11, the opposing side of the fence body comprises a latch aperture configured to receive the latch of the fence gate so as to lock the fence gate. It is noted that the fence post may include the latch aperture in addition to the coupling slots 12, however having unused slot and apertures may create structural weak points that may make it easier to damage and / or tamper with the fence post 10. It is noted that if the user installs a double gate, one with two adjacent gate doors where the doors are configured to latch to each other. In this case, the user will require a second post 41, instead of a post 42. It is noted that when using two post 41 the user will require the hinges to be on different sides of the post therefore it is preferable to use hinges that are configured to be coupled to the coupling slot 12, so that the same posts can be used throughout the perimeter fence and there will be no direction dependent fence posts when installing the gate, reducing the risk of the posts being misplaced during construction. Figures 8 and 9 depicts example of different fence sections coupled to the fence posts 10 as described above. Figure 9 shows an example fence panel 50 and anti-climbing roller coupled to a fence post as shown in examples 10 and 40. Figure 9 depicts an example fence gate coupled between the fence posts 41 and 42 as described above. 17 09 25 Note that in the depicted examples the fence posts 10 are hollow to receive the different coupling feature. They are also open at each end. These open ends may be exploited by intruders to access the coupling features to potentially tamper with the mounting plate and decouple the fence section 30 from the post. Additionally, the open end of the post increases 5 the risk of fluids and debris becoming trapped within the fence body 11 and possibly damaging or eroding the fence post. In come cases the user may fill the hollow body to try and avoid these problems. However, if the user fills the fence post they may become unable to decouple the mounting plates 20. Therefore, a more preferable option will be to use features like the ones shown in figure 10 to controllably seal the end of the fence posts. 10 These features include a base plate 70. This plate can be coupled to the base of the fence post 10 using suitable fasteners. This base plate 70 will act as a base foot helping to secure the post 10 upright, reducing the risk of the plate falling over. The plate 71 further comprises fastener apertures configured to receive fasteners that may be used to secure the base plate 70 to the surface below the plate. 15 To seal the top end of the post body 11, the user may use a sealing cap. Such a cap will be controllably removable allowing the user to reopen the fence body if they need to, for example, access the coupling features when a mounting plate has been damaged so as to remove the damage mounting feature. This cap is preferably made from a lightweight flexible material to make installing and removing the cap easier for the user. Such caps 20 would also need to be weather resistant as the fence will likely be used outside. Therefore, the cap will likely be made from materials like rubber or plastic that meet these criteria. The figure shows the preferred version of the sealing cap. This cap 80 comprises a cap head 81 which is wider than the body of the cap, so that the cap body can be inserted into the open end of the fence body 11, up to the cap head 81, at which point the wider cap head 25 can grip the edges of the fence body to hold the cap in place. Further, the cap body comprises a plurality of flexible ribs 82 configured to abase the surface of the fence body, using friction to grip the inner surface of the fence body 11 so as to hold the cap more firmly to the post to reduce the risk of the cap decoupling from the post.

Claims

17 09 251. A post for a perimeter fence, the post comprising:A post body comprising a plurality of elongate walls which define the post, the post having two ends wherein one end, defined as the bottom end, of the post body is configured to be embedded in the ground, and wherein at least one of the walls comprises two or more apertures positioned in parallel pairs along the body of the post; and two or more attachment plates, wherein each plate comprises a planar plate with one or more protrusions extending from one edge of the plate, and one or more apertures through the surface of the planar plate:wherein the protrusions are configured to be received by the apertures in the post body;wherein the protrusions are configured to be curved, bent or angled in a direction outside the plane of the attachment plate; andwherein the apertures in the attachment plate are configured to receive suitable fasteners, such that the two attachment plates are positioned in a parallel pair; andwherein the bend in the protrusions will allow the attachment plates coupled to the post to twist relative to the post body, such that the distance between the parallel attachment plates increases.

2. The post of claim 1, wherein the post body comprises one or more apertures on multiple sides of a polygonal post cross-section.

3. The post of claims 1 and 2 wherein one or more walls of the post body comprise a plurality of parallel slots configured to receive two or more attachment plates.

4. The post of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more protrusions of the attachment plates are hooks configured to grip the side of the post body when inserted into a respective aperture of the plurality of apertures.

5. The post of any preceding claim, wherein the protrusions comprise a fastener aperture, with the post body comprising a corresponding fastener aperture for each protrusion aperture, wherein the fastener apertures are configured to be aligned when the17 09 25attachment plate is inserted into the fence body, such that a suitable fastener can be passed through both the protrusion and the fence body.

6. The post of any preceding claim, wherein the bottom end of the post body comprising one or more apertures.

7. The post of any preceding claim, wherein the post body is configured to be coupled to a base plate proximate the bottom end, wherein the base plate comprises a plate with a first aperture configured to receive the end of the post, a plurality of fastener apertures, wherein at least one fastener aperture receives a suitable fastener to couple the ground plate to the post body, and the remaining fastener apertures are configured to receive suitable fasteners or members configured to couple the base plate to the surface of the ground beneath the fence post.

8. The post of any preceding claim wherein the post body is hollow, and the post further comprises one or more sealing caps to seal one or both ends of the post body.

9. The post of any proceeding claim, wherein one side of the post body comprises one or more attachment features configured to receive a complementary attachment feature on a fence gate.

10. The post of claim 9, wherein the attachment feature is mounted to a component, the component comprising one or more protrusions configured to be received by the apertures in the post body.

11. The post of claim 10, wherein the protrusions of the component are hooked, bent, curved or angled.

12. A kit of parts for constructing the posts of claims 1 to 11, wherein the kit comprises at least one post body, and at least one attachment plate for each post body.

13. The kit of claim 12, further comprising a base plate for each post body.

14. The kit of claims 12 and 13 further comprising a plurality of attachment featurecomponents.17 09 2515. The kit of claims 12 to 14, further comprises suitable fasteners for coupling the different parts of the kit together.

16. A method of using the post of claims 1 to 11, the method comprising the steps of: embedding the first end of the post body into the ground at a desired location; inserting the one or more protrusions of an attachment plate into the corresponding aperture within the fence body;attaching a fence section to the attachment plate via the apertures in the plate using a suitable fastener.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprises the step of coupling a base plate to the first end of the fence post, and fastening the base plate to the ground with a suitable fastener.

18. The method of claims 16 and 17, further comprising a method to replace the fence section attached to the post, the method comprising the steps of:removing the fasteners from the attachment plates;partially removing the protrusions of the attachment plate from the fence post, such that the attachment plates can be twisted to widen the space between the attachment plates;remove and replace the fence section from between the attachment plates, reinserting and attaching the attachment plates to the new fence section.

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