Interlocking Fence System and Method

An interlocking fence system comprising:

• first and second spaced-apart upright posts attached to a grade;
• upper and lower rails extending between the first and second posts, wherein at least one of the upper and lower rails is tubular;
• a picket with a transverse profile and a locking slot extending inwardly from a side surface thereof, wherein the picket passes through the rails at a locking aperture and is then pivoted into alignment with an axis of a plurality of spaced apart, coaxial alignment apertures;
• the plurality of alignment apertures in the rails comprising-at least one alignment aperture in each of the upper and lower rails, wherein the alignment aperture in the at least one tubular rail is in one of an upper or a lower surface thereof and the locking aperture is in the other one of the upper or lower surfaces, wherein the alignment apertures have a profile matching the transverse profile of the picket and are in upright alignment with respect to an axis of the picket to restrict lateral movement of the picket;
• and
• the locking aperture formed has a profile matching the transverse profile of the picket to receive the picket at an angle offset from an axis of the alignment apertures for assembly, wherein the locking aperture is offset laterally with respect to the axis of the picket, wherein the lateral offset of the locking aperture defines a tab inserted into the locking slot with the picket aligned by the alignment apertures.

A method of assembling an interlocking fence system comprising the following steps:

• (a) providing an interlocking fence system comprising:
• a plurality of vertically spaced tubular rails including at least an upper rail and a lower rail, each rail including a like plurality of spaced apart alignment apertures formed in an upper surface of the rails, and a like plurality of locking apertures formed in a lower surface of the rails, wherein each of the alignment apertures is laterally offset from a respective locking aperture to define a locking tab at an edge of the locking aperture, wherein a picket retention corridor is defined by each set of corresponding alignment and locking apertures among the plurality of rails, and
• a plurality of pickets having locking slots extending inwardly from a side surface thereof for receiving the tabs from the locking apertures in a profile for retention in the picket retention corridor;
• (b) inserting one of the plurality of the pickets through each of the corresponding locking and alignment apertures of the upper rail in a respective picket retention corridor at a first offset angle to position the corresponding locking slot adjacent the tab;
• (c) pivoting the pickets inserted in step (b) from the first offset angle toward an alignment angle to engage the tab into the corresponding locking slot and lock the picket s in the upper rail, and
• (d) inserting one of the locked pickets from step (c) through each of the corresponding locking and alignment apertures of the lower rail in a respective picket retention corridor at a second offset angle to position the corresponding locking slot adjacent the tab in the lower rail;
• and
• (e) pivoting the pickets inserted in step (d) from the second offset angle toward an alignment angle to engage the tab into the corresponding locking slot and lock the pickets in the lower rail and to coaxially align the alignment apertures in each picket retention corridor.