ANCHORS

Abstract

An anchor comprising a supporting framework (30), the supporting framework (30) being a rigid structure formed from a set of interconnected uprights (44) and cross-members (40, 48, 52) that together define a generally cuboidal hollow interior portion of the supporting framework; the supporting framework being collapsible, when not in use, to fit within a liner (34) that can optionally be suspended within the supporting framework.

Claims

1. An anchor comprising a supporting framework, the supporting framework being a rigid structure formed from a set of interconnected uprights and cross-members that together define a generally cuboidal hollow interior portion of the supporting framework; the supporting framework being collapsible, when not in use, to fit within a liner that can optionally be suspended within the supporting framework.

2. The anchor of claim 1, further comprising a liner having an open-topped, generally cuboidal form and being shaped and dimensioned to fit inside the assembled supporting framework, the liner further comprising connectors disposed on, or about, an upper peripheral edge of the open top of the liner, the connectors being adapted, in use, to connect an upper part of the liner to an upper part of the assembled supporting framework, and wherein the supporting framework is collapsible, when not in use, to fit within the liner.

3. The anchor of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the supporting framework comprises a set of feet, which rest, in use, on the ground or a support surface, a set of uprights defining the vertical edges of the supporting framework, a set of cross-braces interconnecting a first set of the uprights, a set of cross-members, at right angles to the cross-braces interconnecting a second set of the uprights, and a set of struts cross-bracing the feet.

4. The anchor of claim 3, further comprising a connector tube cross-bracing the cross-members.

5. The anchor of claim 3 or claim 4, wherein any one or more of the feet, upright tubes, cross-braces, cross-members and struts are formed from metal tubes.

6. The anchor of claim 5, wherein the tubes have square or rectangular cross-sections.

7. The anchor of any preceding claim, wherein the interconnected uprights and cross-members, or any one or more of the cross-braces, cross-members, struts and connector tube, are detachably interconnected using quick-release connectors.

8. The anchor of claim 7, wherein the quick-release connectors comprise anti-luce latches.

9. The anchor of any of claims 5 to 8, wherein the tubular feet are configured so as to form spaced-apart lifting points for receiving, in use, the forks of a fork-lift truck.

10. The anchor of any preceding claim, wherein the supporting framework comprises one or more hoisting eyes.

11. The anchor of claim 10, wherein the hoisting eye or eyes are connected to a lower part of the supporting framework.

12. The anchor of any preceding claim, wherein the liner is receivable within the supporting framework and its connectors comprise loops that hook over the uprights of the supporting framework such that the liner is suspended within the supporting framework by its connectors with its lower surface resting on the feet of the supporting framework.

13. The anchor of any preceding claim, wherein the liner is waterproof.

14. The anchor of any preceding claim, wherein the liner comprises a lid or closure flap.

15. The anchor of any of claims 2 to 14, wherein the connectors comprise any one or more of the group comprising: hook-and-loop tapes; twisted wire; karabiners; and adhesive tape.

16. The anchor of any preceding claim, wherein the supporting framework further comprising one or more connectors for connecting the supporting framework to a fence post.

17. The anchor of claim 16, wherein the fence post comprises a generally square- or rectangular-sectioned metal tube that is connected at, or towards, its lower end, to the supporting framework by way of a pivot joint and an abutment joint.

18. The anchor of claim 17, wherein the fence post is connectable to the anchor via the pivot joint in a first orientation and is pivotable, about the pivot joint, to a second position in which another part of the fence post engages with the abutment joint.

19. The anchor of claim 18, further comprising a brace strut, which is pivotally connected at its upper end to the fence post and when the fence post has been moved to the second position, the lower end of the brace strut is connectable to the anchor via the connector tube.

20. The anchor of an of claims 16 to 19, wherein the connection between the anchor and the fence post is by way of a clevis arrangement or by way of one or more D-ring members of the support frame into which a lower end of the fence post can be inserted.

21. The anchor of any of claims 16 to 20, wherein the fence post, or a supplementary support structure affixable to the anchor, is collapsible.

22. The anchor of claim 21, wherein the fence post or supplementary structure comprises a set of interconnectable tubes, which can be broken-down into relatively shorter parts, which fit inside the liner, when the anchor is not in use.

23. A fence comprising a plurality of anchors according to any of claims 16 to 22, and a fence panel connectable to one or more of the fence posts to form the fence.

24. The fence of claim 23, wherein the fence panel comprises a set of interconnectable fence panel portions, which are shaped and dimensioned so as to fit inside the liner when not in use.

25. The fence of any of claims 16 to 24, further comprising an anti-climb-over system.

26. A support for a solar panel array comprising one or more anchors according to any preceding claim, and further comprising set of vertical extension tubes, which slide into the open ends of the uprights of the supporting framework.

27. The support of claim 26, wherein the upper ends of the extension tubes comprise flanges to which a supplementary supporting framework is affixable.

28. The support of claim 26 or claim 27, wherein the relative lengths of the extension tubes are adjustable, to adjust the orientation of the supplementary supporting framework.

29. The support of claim 27 or claim 28, wherein the supplementary supporting framework comprises a reticulated structure made from steel tubing adapted, in use, to support one or more photovoltaic panels.

30. The support of claim 29, further comprising a photovoltaic panel.

31. A watchtower assembly comprising a base formed from a plurality of anchors according to any preceding claim, the base being formed by interconnecting two or more of the said anchors, and further comprising one or more supporting frameworks placed on top of the base.

32. The watchtower of claim 31, further comprising a standing platform affixed, in use, to the base of one of the supporting frameworks.

33. The watchtower of claim 31 or 32, further comprising a roof supported by an upper supporting framework of the stack of supporting frameworks.

34. A modular storage system comprising one or more of the anchors of any preceding claim.

35. A gabion wall comprising a plurality of interconnected anchors according to any preceding claim.

36. The gabion wall of claim 35, comprising a stack of anchors.

37. The gabion wall of claim 36, wherein the anchors are stacked one on top of another.

38. The gabion wall of claim 36 or 37, wherein the anchors are stacked in a staggered fashion.

39. An anchor substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

40. An anchor substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings

41. A fence substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in, FIGS. 1, 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.

42. A solar PV array substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in, FIGS. 8 to 11 of the accompanying drawings.

43. A watchtower substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in, FIG. 12 of the accompanying drawings.

44. A storage system substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in FIG. 13 of the accompanying drawings.

45. A gabion wall system substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in FIG. 14 of the accompanying drawings.

Description

[0029] Embodiments of the invention shall now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0030] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an erected fence formed using a series of anchors in accordance with the invention;

[0031] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an anchor as shown in FIG. 1 in a collapsed state, ready for transport and/or storage;

[0032] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the anchor of FIG. 2 in a partially assembled state;

[0033] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the anchor of FIG. 3 in an assembled state;

[0034] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the anchor of FIG. 4 in an assembled and filled state;

[0035] FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing how the fence of FIG. 1 can be erected using anchors of FIGS. 2 to 5;

[0036] FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of the fence of FIG. 1;

[0037] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an anchor in accordance with the invention suitable for supporting a supplementary support structure;

[0038] FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 are perspective views of solar PV arrays supported on anchors as shown in FIG. 8;

[0039] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a watchtower constructed from a number of anchors in accordance with the invention;

[0040] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a storage facility constructed from a number of anchors in accordance with the invention; and

[0041] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a gabion wall constructed from a number of anchors in accordance with the invention.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a modular fence 10 is formed from a series of spaced apart anchors 30 that support a corresponding set of upright fence posts 12. Attached to, and supported by, the fence posts 12, and by a set of intermediate fence posts 14, are a series of wire mesh fence panels 16. The fence 10 is topped by an anti-climb-over system 18 affixed to, and supported by the fence posts. The anchors 30 are placed directly onto the ground 20 and are weighted down by ballast 22 placed into them. The fence 10 therefore overcomes many of the problems associated with existing fence systems (by removing the need to excavate and backfill holes in the ground for the lower ends of the fence posts) and existing gabion walls (by enabling a relatively high boundary to be formed without having to stack gabions on top of one another.

[0043] In detail, and with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5 of the drawings, each anchor 30 comprises a supporting framework 32 and a liner 34. As can be seen in FIG. 2, then the anchor 30 is not in use, the supporting framework 32 can be disassembled and stored inside the liner 34. The liner 34 has a strong loop 36 attached to each of its upper corners, which facilitates transportation of the anchor 30. The liner 34, as shown in FIG. 2, even with the collapsed supporting framework 32 inside it, has some spare space/capacity, which, in certain embodiments, can be used to store any one or more of: a broken-down fence post 12, a broken-down intermediate fence post 14; a broken-down fence panel 16; a broken-down anti-climb-over system 18; and a supplementary supporting framework, as shall be described below.

[0044] To erect the fence 10, as shown by the sequence of FIGS. 3 to 5, the supporting framework 32 is taken out of the liner 34 and assembled, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0045] The supporting framework 32 comprises a set of feet 40 formed by rectangular cross-section tubes, which rest on the ground 20, in use. The feet 40 have lifting eyes 42 connected thereto, to facilitate lifting the anchor 30 using lifting equipment, such as a crane.

[0046] Four upright, square cross-section tubes 44 are releasably connected, via anti-luce latches 46, one to each end of, the two feet 40, and these uprights 44 define the vertical edges of the supporting framework 32. The uprights 44 are detachably interconnected by cross-braces 48, which are secured to the uprights 44 by anti-luce latches 46 also. A further set of cross-members 50, at right angles to the cross-braces 48, are provided, which also connect to the uprights 44 using anti-luce latches 46. The feet 40 are also cross-braced by a further set of struts 52, and the cross-members are cross-braced centrally by a connector tube 54. The struts 52 and the connector tube 54 are releasably connected to the supporting framework by further anti-luce latches 46. The supporting framework 32 can thus be assembled from a set of components to form a rigid, generally cuboidal framework; or disassembled into its constituent parts to pack-down into the liner 34.

[0047] Anti-luce latches are particularly advantageous in certain environments where bolts and nuts are contraindicated. For example, in cold, icy environments, where gloved-finger dexterity may be restricted, the use of anti-luce connectors is vastly preferred over bolts and nuts, say, as they are more easily manipulated, and do not require the use of tools, compared with other connection methods. Further, in desert environments, a dropped nut can often be impossible to find if it sinks into the sand. By using anti-luce latches, as opposed to, say bolts and nuts, the risk of losing a critical part of the system is vastly reduced.

[0048] Referring now to FIG. 4 of the drawings, the liner 34 has been inserted into the supporting framework 32 and its connector loops 36 have been placed over the upper ends of the vertical tubes 44. Thus, the liner 34 is suspended within the supporting framework 32 by its connector loops 36, and at the same time, its lower surface 56 rests on the struts 52 previously described.

[0049] In FIG. 5 it can be seen how the liner 34 has been filled with ballast 58, in this example, by sand, and outward bulging of the liner 34, under the weight/pressure of the ballast 58 is resisted by the cross-members 48, 50.

[0050] Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, in particular, to FIG. 4, it can be seen that the supporting framework 32 has a pivot connector 60 and an abutment connector 62 affixed to upper 50 and lower 50 cross-members, respectively. The pivot connector 60 comprises a through hole 64 for receipt of a pintle bar (not shown) about which a fence post 12 can pivot. The abutment connector 62 comprises a protrusion 66, which engages a corresponding aperture in the fence post 12 to lock it in position, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings.

[0051] Referring to FIGS. 6 & 7 of the drawings, the anchor 30 is used to support a fence post 12 formed from tubular steel, which as a through hole 70 approximately 1 m above its lower end 72, which through hole receives a pintle bar 74 that passes through the through hole 64 in the pivot connector 60 of the anchor 30 previously described. As can be seen from FIG. 6, the fence post 12 is initially laid approximately level on top of the supporting framework 32 of the anchor 30 and is connected to the pivot connector 60 using the pintle bar 74. The fence post 12 can then be raised to a vertical position, as shown in FIG. 7, by pushing on a brace strut 78, which is pivotally connected at its upper end 80 to the fence post 12. When the fence post 12 has been moved to a vertical position, the lower end 81 of the brace strut 78 can be connected to the anchor 30 via the connector tube 54. Thus, the fence post 12, connector tube 54 and brace strut 78 form a rigid, triangulated structure, to hold the fence post 12 upright and affixed to the anchor 30. To stabilise the fence post 12 laterally relative to the anchor 30, an aperture 84 is provided in a lower part of the fence post, which engages with the protrusion 66 of the abutment connector 62 previously described. The aperture 84 is held in engagement with the protrusion 66 by the action of the brace strut 78, which urges top of the fence post 12 forward, thus urging the aperture 84 into engagement with the protrusion.

[0052] A fence 10 can be assembled by placing a series of anchors 30 as described above on the ground 20 and by installing the fence posts 12 as previously described. Fence panels 16 and/or intermediate fence posts 14 can be added, as well as an anti-climb-over device 18, as required (either with the fence posts 12 in the flat or vertical position).

[0053] Other uses of the anchor 30 are manifold, but further applications are described hereinbelow with reference to FIGS. 8 to 14 of the drawings.

[0054] Referring to FIGS. 8 to 11 of the drawings, the anchor 30 is used as a support for a solar panel array. In FIG. 8 it can be seen that the anchor 30 is a slightly simplified version of that described previously insofar as the central connector tube 54, pivot connector 60 and the abutment connector 62 have been omitted. In this example, the anchor 30 is fitted with a set of vertical extension tubes 90, which slide into the open ends of the vertical support tubes 44 of the supporting framework. The upper ends of the extension tubes 90 are fitted with flanges 92, to which a supplementary supporting framework 94, as shown in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 can be fitted.

[0055] The relative lengths of the extension tubes 90 can be varied to adjust the orientation of the supplementary supporting framework 94, and this can be facilitated by checking the level of the anchor 30 using a built-in spirit level 95, as shown in FIG. 8.

[0056] Referring now to FIG. 9 of the drawings, the supplementary supporting framework 94 comprises a reticulated structure made from steel tubing, which is adapted to receive solar PV panels 96 of a convention type. In FIG. 9, three of the six solar panels 96 have been omitted for clarity, but it will be appreciated that the inclination of the supplementary supporting framework 94 and the solar PC panels 96 can be adjusted to suit by adjustment of the extension tubes 90 relative to the uprights 44 of the anchor's supporting framework 32 (as can be seen by comparing FIGS. 9 and 10).

[0057] FIG. 11 shows how a large solar PV array 960 can be formed by placing several anchors 30 on the ground 20 in a desired pattern, affixing their respective supplementary supporting frameworks 94 and also a set of solar PV panels 96.

[0058] In FIG. 12 of the drawings, four anchors 30, as described above, are used to form the base of a watchtower assembly 1000. A first two of the anchors 30 are interconnected using anti-luce latches 46, which connect the uprights 44 of adjacent anchors 30 to one another. As second pair of anchors 30 are similarly connected, but are spaced apart slightly from the first pair to create a generally rectangular base 1002 for the watchtower 1000.

[0059] A first anchor frame 1032 (i.e. an anchor 30, but without its liner 34) is placed one on top of the base 1002. It will be noted that the spacing between the cross-bracing connector tubes 54 of each pair of interconnected anchors 30 is roughly the same as the spacing of the feet 40 of the first anchor frame 1032, and so the latter can be stably placed, and connected to, the former: again using anti-luce latches, or other suitable releasable or permanent connectors.

[0060] Further anchor frames 1034 (i.e. anchors 30, but without their liners 34) are placed one on top of each other, on top of the first anchor frame 1032, and suitably interconnected, to form the tower structure 1000. A standing platform 1004 can be placed in the base of the second-to-top anchor frame 1036, for a person 1006 to stand upon, and a roof 1008 can be supported on atop the upper support frame 1038 to provide shelter for that person, in use, if required.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 13 of the drawings, the anchors 30 previously described, can be used with, or without their liners 34 to form a modular storage system, either as racking (without liners 34) or as frames 32 alone to form storage bins. In certain cases, the support frames 32 can be stripped down to form pallets 1100, the feet 40 of which conveniently providing fork-lift hoist points.

[0062] Finally, as shown in FIG. 14 of the drawings, the anchors 30 can be stacked one on top of another, or in a staggered fashion (as described previously) to form a gabion wall 1200. However, the invention has the advantage over a traditional gabion wall insofar as, because each support frame 32 has tubular feet 40 and crane-hoisting points 42, it is possible, if necessary, to relocate the filled gabions, for example, suing a fork-lift truck or crane. A traditional gabion by contrast, which only has a wire cage support structure, cannot be (so easily, if at all) moved once filled.

[0063] The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments, which are merely exemplary of the invention. For example, the anchor could be used in other applications besides fencing and/or solar PV arrays; any materials or dimensions (whether express or implied) could be varied etc., without departing from the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the appended claims.