A fence insert is an object designed to fit or clip into standard
chain link fencing
A chain-link fence (also referred to as wire netting, wire-mesh fence, chain-wire fence, cyclone fence, hurricane fence, or diamond-mesh fence) is a type of woven fence usually made from galvanized or linear low-density polyethylene-coated ...
. There are three main objectives typically fulfilled by fence inserts. One is to provide
privacy
Privacy (, ) is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively.
The domain of privacy partially overlaps with security, which can include the concepts of a ...
by converting chain link fencing into an opaque surface.
Another is to exploit the fence as a site for signage, often providing low-resolution displays of corporate logos, sports mascots or verbal messages. A third objective of fence inserts is to decorate otherwise plain fencing.
Encyclopaedia Britannica - Wire
1957. Vol 23.
The origin of fence inserts can be traced back to U.S. patent
A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an sufficiency of disclosure, enabling disclo ...
#507,952, filed by Clarence White of Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with list of lakes in Minneapolis, thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. ...
, Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...
in 1893. The invention consists of "marbles or other loose independent filling pieces" sized to allow placement within the cells of a wire mesh. The purpose of the invention is described as providing "a convenient and economical means of lettering, ornamenting, or filling" the wire mesh.
Current products on the market include privacy slats that weave through the fence
A fence is a structure that encloses an area, typically outdoors, and is usually constructed from posts that are connected by boards, wire, rails or netting. A fence differs from a wall in not having a solid foundation along its whole length.
...
, plastic-shaped cups designed to clip into open cells, and two-part interlocking units which attach together at the crossover of fence wires.[Fences and Retaining Walls](_blank)
McElroy, W. 1990.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fence Insert
Communication
Fences