U.S. patent application number 16/525325 was filed with the patent office on 2020-02-20 for engineered fence pickets with ship lapped edges.
The applicant listed for this patent is LOUISIANA-PACIFIC CORPORATION. Invention is credited to JARROD KEVIN LINE.
Application Number | 20200056398 16/525325 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 69523764 |
Filed Date | 2020-02-20 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200056398 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
LINE; JARROD KEVIN |
February 20, 2020 |
ENGINEERED FENCE PICKETS WITH SHIP LAPPED EDGES
Abstract
An engineered wood fence picket and system for manufacturing
fence pickets using engineered wood products, including, but not
limited to, oriented-strand board (OSB), laminated veneer lumber
(LVL), fiber strand, and/or laminated strand lumber (LSL). The
opposing right and left edges of each picket has corresponding
elements of a joint, such as, but not limited to, a shiplap joint
or tongue-and-groove joint. A fence or fence segment may be
constructed by aligning a plurality of said fence pickets
vertically or horizontally so that the edges of adjacent pickets
mate or meet to form a joint. The fence can be assembled more
quickly and cheaply than with any prior art materials, and the
fence will be higher quality, with longer life, thinner and
lighter, and minimal maintenance.
Inventors: |
LINE; JARROD KEVIN;
(BRENTWOOD, TN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
LOUISIANA-PACIFIC CORPORATION |
NASHVILLE |
TN |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
69523764 |
Appl. No.: |
16/525325 |
Filed: |
July 29, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62711496 |
Jul 28, 2018 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 2017/1456 20130101;
E04H 17/1434 20130101; E04H 17/1426 20130101 |
International
Class: |
E04H 17/14 20060101
E04H017/14 |
Claims
1. A fencing system, comprising: a plurality of fence pickets,
wherein at least some of said plurality of fence pickets comprise
an elongated picket with a top, a bottom, a first face, a second
face, a first edge, and a second edge; wherein the first edge
comprises a first joint element and the second edge comprises a
second joint element; and further wherein said fence pickets are
arranged adjacent to each other edge-to-edge to form a fence
section such that the corresponding first joint elements and second
joint elements mate to form the corresponding joint between
adjacent fence pickets.
2. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the corresponding joint
is a shiplap joint.
3. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the corresponding joint
is a tongue-and-groove joint.
4. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the fence section
comprises only a single layer of fence pickets.
5. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the fence section is made
of no more than one layer of fence pickets.
6. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the fence section
comprises a first face and a section face.
7. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the first face of the
fence section is formed from the first faces of the arranged fence
pickets, and the second face of the fence section is formed from
the second faces of said arranged fence pickets.
8. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the first faces of the
arranged fence pickets are co-planar.
9. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the second faces of the
arranged fence pickets are co-planar.
10. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the fence pickets are
arranged vertically.
11. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the fence pickets are
arranged horizontally.
12. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the fence pickets
comprise engineered wood in whole or in part.
13. The fencing system of claim 12, wherein said engineered wood
comprises one or more of oriented-strand board (OSB), laminated
veneer lumber (LVL), fiber strand, or laminated strand lumber
(LSL).
14. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein said tops of said
plurality of fence pickets comprise a top feature.
15. The fencing system of claim, said fence pickets further
comprising a paper overlay.
Description
[0001] This application claims benefit of and priority to U.S.
Provisional App. No. 62/711,496, filed Jul. 28, 2018, which is
incorporated herein by specific reference for all purposes.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to a system for an engineered fence
picket comprising engineered wood components. More particularly,
this invention related to an engineered fence picket with ship
lapped edges.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0003] In various exemplary embodiments, the present invention
comprises an engineered wood fence picket and system for
manufacturing fence pickets using engineered wood products,
including, but not limited to, oriented-strand board (OSB),
laminated veneer lumber (LVL), fiber strand, and/or laminated
strand lumber (LSL). The opposing right and left edges of each
picket comprise corresponding elements of a joint, such as, but not
limited to, a shiplap joint or tongue-and-groove joint. A fence or
fence segment may be constructed by aligning a plurality of said
fence pickets vertically or horizontally so that the edges of
adjacent pickets mate or meet to form a joint. Engineered wood
products provide the authentic look and appeal of real wood, but
with the durability and workability of treated engineered wood,
free of knots, voids and other defects found in natural wood.
[0004] Currently, the fencing industry uses solid lumber pickets
for most residential applications. Solid wood pickets expand and
contract over time with weather changes, and warp and distort with
age. To overcome these problems, prior art systems typically
"stack" solid wood pickets by installing a first line of pickets on
the fence rails, then nailing another set of fence pickets over the
gaps left between adjacent pickets in the first line. With the
present invention, an improved fence can be assembled more quickly
and cheaply than with any prior art materials, and the fence will
be higher quality, with longer life, thinner and lighter, and
minimal maintenance.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 shows a view of an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention with shiplap joint elements.
[0006] FIG. 2 shows a view of a series of vertical overlapping
shiplapped fence pickets of FIG. 1.
[0007] FIG. 3 shows a view of an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention with tongue-and-groove joint elements.
[0008] FIG. 4 shows a view of a series of vertical overlapping
tongue-and-groove fence pickets of FIG. 1.
[0009] FIG. 5 shows a view of a series of horizontally overlapping
fence pickets with fence posts and a cap.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0010] In various exemplary embodiments, the present invention
comprises an engineered wood fence picket and system for
manufacturing fence pickets using engineered wood products,
including, but not limited to, oriented-strand board (OSB),
laminated veneer lumber (LVL), fiber strand, and/or laminated
strand lumber (LSL). The opposing right and left edges of each
picket comprise corresponding elements of a joint, such as, but not
limited to, a shiplap joint or tongue-and-groove joint. A fence or
fence segment may be constructed by aligning a plurality of said
fence pickets vertically or horizontally so that the edges of
adjacent pickets mate or meet to form a joint. Engineered wood
products provide the authentic look and appeal of real wood, but
with the durability and workability of treated engineered wood,
free of knots, voids and other defects found in natural wood.
[0011] Currently, the fencing industry uses solid lumber pickets
for most residential applications. Solid wood pickets expand and
contract over time with weather changes, and warp and distort with
age. To overcome these problems, prior art systems typically
"stack" solid wood pickets by installing a first line of pickets on
the fence rails, then nailing another set of fence pickets over the
gaps left between adjacent pickets in the first line. With the
present invention, an improved fence can be assembled more quickly
and cheaply than with any prior art materials, and the fence will
be higher quality, with longer life, thinner and lighter, and
minimal maintenance.
[0012] The manufacturing process begins with an entire piece of
exterior grade engineered wood panel or siding, which comes out of
a line press with wood texture. The siding also may or may not have
a paper overlay. In the embodiment shown, the siding is
approximately 8 feet by 24 feet in dimension, although the siding
may be other sizes as well. An example of such a manufacturing
process is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No.
16/189,995, which is incorporated herein by specific reference for
all purposes.
[0013] The piece of siding then is sawn into three equal sections
or "blanks." Where the siding is approximately 8 feet by 24 feet in
dimension, the blanks are approximately 6 feet by 8 feet in
dimension. The blank is then sent to a slitting machine or multiple
sawline where the blank is cut into a number of raw pickets. In one
embodiment, the pickets are 6 inches to 12 inches wide, and 6 feet
in length. The raw pickets are then directed to a milling machine,
where one end of each picket may be milled to create a top feature
(e.g., a series of notches, indentations, grooves, dog-ears, curved
ends, flat ends, and the like. Additional priming, finishing or
texture may be added to the face(s) and edge(s) of the pickets (or
to the fence blank, pre-cutting) as well. The resulting product is
a number of finished fence pickets ready for installation.
[0014] During the manufacturing process described herein, the edges
of each picket are milled in-line with corresponding parts of a
desired joint, including, but not limited, a shiplap joint or
tongue-and-groove joint. FIG. 1 shows an example where the left 12
and right 14 edges of the picket 10 have been milled with
corresponding, complementary or matching halves, parts, elements or
components of a shiplap joint (i.e., shiplap edges). A shiplap
joint is a flat, edge-to-edge joint formed by overlapping rabbets
or recesses cut into opposite faces of adjoining boards or picket.
As seen in FIG. 1, the first joint element 32 is cut into the first
(or front) face 22 of the picket, while the second joint element 34
is cut into the second (or back) face 24 of the same picket. As
described below, this allows complementary first and second joint
elements of adjacent pickets to be mated or joined to form the
complete joint. The joint allows the individual pickets to expand
and contract without opening gaps between the pickets.
[0015] The dimensions of the picket and joint elements may vary as
needed for the particular fence installation. In one exemplary
embodiment, the picket is 23/32'' thick, and the ship lap joint
elements are 3/4'' in width, with 3/8'' thickness of wood remaining
in the joint.
[0016] During installation of a fence using the pickets of the
present invention, the corresponding joint elements on the edges of
adjacent pickets can be overlapped in sequence as pickets are
installed (typically by fastening the picket vertically on rails or
cross-supports extending between fence posts installed in the
ground), thereby forming a shiplap joint therebetween, as seen in
FIG. 2. This allows a single layer of pickets to be installed, as
opposed to a double layer, forming first and second faces of the
fence segment from the corresponding substantially flush faces of
the respective fence pickets. As seen in FIG. 2, the first (or
front) face 22 of each picket is substantially parallel to and in a
plane with the first face of each other picket in that fence
segment (e.g., between two posts), and the second (or back) face 24
of each picket is substantially parallel to and in a plane with the
second face of each other picket in that fence segment. The first
faces of pickets thus form the first or front face 122 of the fence
segment, and the second faces of the same pickets form the second
or back face 124 of the fence segment. Even with some deformation
of the picket, the overlapping in the shiplap joints will be
maintained, thereby preventing visible gaps between pickets and
maintaining privacy. Installation of the shiplapped pickets as a
single layer is faster, requires less material, and results in a
cost savings for the consumer.
[0017] FIGS. 3 and 4 show an alternative embodiment where the edges
of the pickets comprise corresponding elements of a
tongue-and-groove joint (e.g., a tongue element 42 and a groove
element 42 that receives the tongue element to form the joint).
Pickets are joined by inserting the tongue element on one picket
into the groove element on an adjacent picket, in sequence. This
forms a fence segment with a single layer of pickets with similar
benefits and characteristics to the shiplapped pickets described
above.
[0018] In a further embodiment, as seen in FIG. 5, the fence
pickets 10 may be manufactured to extend horizontally, with the
jointed edges on the respective top and bottom edges of each
picket. In this embodiment, the ends of the picket may not be
manufactured with dog-ears or similar features, but may be
fashioned to be inserted into slots or openings 84 in the sides of
the fence posts 80, said slots or openings configured with
corresponding joint elements, or portions thereof, to receive the
picket end joint element, or may be otherwise fastened to the fence
posts. The topmost picket may have its top edge inserted into a
corresponding joint element in the underside of a cap rail 82. The
joints may be oriented to resist the introduction of water into the
joint (e.g., for a tongue-and-groove joint arrangement, the bottom
edge of each horizontal picket would be the groove element and the
top edge would be the tongue element). In further embodiments,
other forms or variations of edge-to-edge joints known in the art
may be used instead, including, but not limited to, other
variations of rabbet or tongue-and-groove joints, with the
complementary joint elements along the opposite edges of each
picket.
[0019] Accordingly, the present invention provides an exterior or
outdoor fence with enhanced durability, weather-resistance, fade
resistance, and aesthetics at a lower cost and faster installation
as compared to prior art fences and materials.
[0020] Thus, it should be understood that the embodiments and
examples described herein have been chosen and described in order
to best illustrate the principles of the invention and its
practical applications to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in
the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and
with various modifications as are suited for particular uses
contemplated. Even though specific embodiments of this invention
have been described, they are not to be taken as exhaustive. There
are several variations that will be apparent to those skilled in
the art.
* * * * *