Security fence system

• US 4,318,088 A
• Filed: 11/23/1979
• Issued: 03/02/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hunter Brothers Security Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hunter Brothers Security Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Hunter, Kent
• Primary Examiner(s): Kundrat, Andrew V.
• Application Number:
  US06/097,006
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 256/10, 256/48, 256/50, 174/158 F, 174/161 F, 174/163 F, 174/159, 174/154, 174/155, 340/564, 340/541
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/122 for a perimeter fence features peculiar to electrified fences A01K3/00

Abstract

A security fence system in which single-strand wires are arranged in pairs and stretched between conventional fence posts. Electrical current is passed through the pair of wires which are arranged such that upon disturbing the wires by attempting entry into the fenced area the current path will be altered, the condition sensed by a detection device, and an alarm is set off.

Claims

1. A security fence comprising:

a plurality of posts vertically arranged in the earth in a spaced-apart relationship and defining the area to be fenced;

two wires arranged in a spaced-apart pair consecutively affixed to each of said plurality of posts and being directionally reversed in a predetermined manner at the last of said plurality of posts and continuing in such fashion until the top of the last post is reached, said two wires being electrically continuous and said predetermined manner being such that unlike wires are adjacent one another, the wires being arranged on the post such that the vertical distance between the wires in relation to the distance between the posts is such that upon exerting mechanical force on the wires unlike wires will be brought into contact with one another;

said plurality of posts being arranged such that there are intermediate posts located between end posts which define said area to be fenced, and wherein said wires are firmly affixed to said end posts such that no relative motion between the wires and the end posts is possible and the wires are affixed to said intermediate posts such that said wires are permitted to slip horizontally in relation to said intermediate posts;

said wires being affixed to said intermediate posts by affixing means comprising a staple enclosing a nonconducting insert having an aperture therein of diameter substantially larger than the diameter of said wires;

power supply means connected to said two wires for supplying a voltage across the wires;

detection means connected to the opposite ends of said two wires for detecting when the current flowing through said two wires deviates from a preselected value; and

alarm means connected to said detection means for providing an alarm when said deviation from said preselected value is detected by said detection means.

2. The security fence of claim 1, wherein, said staple means have barbed ends thereon to prevent removal from the posts upon installation therein.

3. The security fence of claim 1, wherein said wires comprise 14 gauge wire and said posts are arranged such that they are separated by at least 20 feet, wherein said wires are arranged on said post at a spacing of three inches.

4. The security fence of claim 1 further comprising tensioning means arranged in at least one of said wires for causing said wires to be approximately equally spaced one from another.

5. The security fence of claim 1, wherein at least one of said wires is provided with a notch formed by the removal of a portion of the metal forming the wire.

6. The security fence of claim 1, wherein said wires are directionally reversed by means of insulators placed over the wires at the location thereof contacting said last post, the thus insulated wires being firmly affixed to said last post and said insulated wires being crossed such that the wire of the pair which was originally bottom-most is arranged above and adjacent to the wire which was originally top-most.

7. The security fence of claim 1, wherein said detection means comprises a voltage comparator having a variable reference voltage means for producing an output when the current flowing in said two wires deviates from said preselected value as determined by said reference voltage means.

8. A fence comprising:

a plurality of posts arranged in the earth and defining an area to be fenced;

a pair of wires affixed to each of said posts in succession in a first direction forming a first fence pair and then being reversed and arranged in spaced-apart relationship to said first fence pair and affixed to each of said posts in succession in a direction opposite to said first direction and forming a second fence pair;

said plurality of posts being arranged having end posts and intermediate posts located therebetween, said wires being firmly affixed to said end posts by means of a deformable insulator and a staple means such that no relative motion is possible between said wires and said end posts and said wires being slidingly affixed to said intermediate posts by staple means having an insulating insert with an aperture therein and having the wire passing therethrough, said aperture being substantially larger than the diameter of the wire such that relative motion between said wires and said intermediate posts is possible;

a power supply means connected to first ends of said pair of wires for impressing a voltage thereacross;

detection means connected across the other ends of said pair of wires for detecting the current flowing therein and for producing an output signal upon detecting a current deviation from a preselected value; and

alarm means receiving said output signal and producing an alarm.

9. The fence of claim 8, wherein said staple means is formed having barbed ends for inhibiting the removal thereof from said posts after installation.

10. The fence of claim 8, further comprising tubular insulating means arranged over said wires at the location where said wires are reversed, said wires and said tubular insulating means being firmly affixed to said posts by staple means.

11. The fence of claim 8, wherein at the location said wires are reversed, they are arrranged such that the top and bottom relationship of said two wires forming said first fence pair remains the same in said second fence pair.

12. The fence of claim 8, wherein at least one of said wires is formed having at least one notch whereat metal is removed from the outer diameter of the wire, whereby the tensile strength of the wire is decreased.