Chain link fence with retained slats

Abstract

A chain link fence with retained slats having slats inserted into the chain link fence and running between the top of the fence and the bottom of the fence. Between the top selvages and the top ends of the slats, between the bottom selvages and the bottom ends, of the slats, or between both the top selvages and the top ends of the slats and the bottom selvages and the bottom ends of the slats is inserted an elongate member having sufficient strength to retain the slats while also being sufficiently flexible to permit the chain link fence with the retained slats and the elongate member or members to be rolled in the traditional manner for a chain link fence, but not so flexible as to prevent the elongate member from being pushed into the desired position within the fence.

Claims

1. A chain link fence with retained slats comprising: a chain link fence having wire, a top, a bottom, top selvages, and bottom selvages; fence slats running from the top to the bottom in the chain link fence; an elongate member inserted between a class of selvages and the nearer end of said slats to the class of selvages, the elongate member having a closed shape and sufficient strength to retain said slats within the chain link fence while also being sufficiently flexible to permit the chain link fence to be rolled but not so flexible as to prevent the elongate member from being pushed into the desired position within said chain link fence.

2. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 1, wherein: the elongate member is inserted between the top selvages and top ends of the slats.

3. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 2, further comprising: one or more connectors attaching the elongate member to the wire.

4. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 1, wherein: the elongate member is inserted between the bottom selvages and bottom ends of the slats.

5. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 4, further comprising one or more connectors attaching the elongate member to the wire.

6. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 1, wherein: a first elongate member is inserted between top selvages and top ends of the slats; and a second elongate member is inserted between bottom selvages and bottom ends of the slats.

7. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 6, further comprising one or more connectors attaching the elongate members to the wire.

8. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 1, wherein the elongate member is constructed from one of the group of: low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, and polyvinyl chloride.

9. A chain link fence with retained slats comprising: a chain link fence having wire, a top, a bottom, top selvages, and bottom selvages; fence slats having a top end and a bottom end inserted into the chain link fence and running from the top to the bottom in the chain link fence; one or more elongate members constructed from one of low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, and polyvinyl chloride; a first of the elongate members inserted between the top selvages and the top ends of the slats; a second of the elongate members inserted between the bottom selvages and the bottom ends of the slats; each of the elongate members a closed shape and having sufficient strength to retain said slats while also being sufficiently flexible to permit the chain link fence to be rolled but not so flexible as to prevent the elongate member from being pushed into the desired position within said chain link fence; and one or more connectors attaching the elongate members to the wire.

10. A chain link fence with retained slats comprising: a chain link fence; a plurality of fence slats inside the chain link fence; one or more flexible elongate members of closed shape for retaining the fence slats inside the chain link fence, the one or more flexible elongate members disposed between selvages of the chain link fence and slat ends of the plurality of fence slats nearest to the selvages; the chain link fence with retained slats configured to be at least one of rolled or unrolled.

11. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 10, the one or more flexible elongate members of closed shape for retaining the fence slats inside the chain link fence located adjacent a top end of the chain link fence.

12. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 10, the one or more flexible elongate members of closed shape for retaining the fence slats inside the chain link fence located adjacent a bottom end of the chain link fence.

13. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 11, further comprising two or more elongate members of closed shape for retaining the fence slats inside the fence.

14. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 12, further comprising two or more elongate members of closed shape for retaining the fence slats inside the fence.

15. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 10, further comprising a first elongate member of closed shape for retaining the fence slats inside the fence located adjacent a top of the chain link fence, and a second elongate member of closed shape for retaining the fence slats inside the fence located adjacent a bottom of the chain link fence.

16. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 10, the one or more flexible elongate members made from one of the group of: low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, and polyvinyl chloride.

17. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 10, the one or more flexible members of closed shape for retaining the fence slats inside the chain link fence not so flexible as to prevent being pushed into selvages of the chain link fence.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) To further clarify the above and other aspects of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The drawings may not be drawn to scale. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a front view of the chain link fence with retained slats.

(3) FIG. 2 is a side cross section view of the chain link fence with retained slats.

(4) FIG. 3 is a front view of a portion of the chain link fence with retained slats.

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the chain link fence with retained slats in a rolled configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) The present invention in its various embodiments, some of which are depicted in the figures herein, is a fence with retained slats.

(7) As indicated above and illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 2, the chain link fence with retained slats 100 comprises a traditional chain link fence 101 with any fence slats 102 inserted and running from top A to bottom B in the chain link fence 101. Fence 101 with slats 102 has selvages 103, 105 at top and bottom. Top selvages 103 are collectively termed the top class of selvages, the bottom selvages 105 are collectively termed the bottom class of selvages, and the top class of selvages together with the bottom class of selvages are collectively termed the classes of selvages. Between top selvages 103 and top ends 104 of the slats 102, between bottom selvages 105 and bottom ends 106 of the slats 102, or between both top selvages 103 and top ends 104 of the slats 102 and bottom selvages 105 and bottom ends 106 of the slats 102 is one or more elongate members 107, 108. The one or more elongate members 107, 108 have sufficient strength to support and/or retain the slats 102 within the chain link fence and are also sufficiently flexible to permit the chain link fence with the retained slats and the elongate member or members 107, 108 to be rolled in the traditional manner for a chain link fence (see FIG. 4) but not so flexible as to prevent the one or more elongate members 107, 108 from being pushed into the desired position within the fence 101. The one or more elongate members 107, 108 are operable with fences of any selvage type, including knuckle (e.g., 105), twist (e.g., 103), or a combination thereof.

(8) The functional properties of the one or more elongate members 107, 108 described above may be attained, in part, through construction of the one or more elongate members 107, 108 from certain flexible materials. A nonexclusive list of acceptable materials from which to construct the one or more elongate members 107, 108 comprises: low-density polyethylene (LDPE); high-density polyethylene (HDPE); polyvinyl chloride (PVC); and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), with low-density polyethylene being preferred because of its flexibility and low cost. The functional properties of the one or more elongate members 107, 108 may also be attained, in part, through their shape. The one or more elongate members 107, 108 can have a closed shape, including of circular, oval, or polygonal cross section that can also be either hollow or solid. The described functional properties and characteristics of the one or more elongate members 107, 108 may be obtained by using any other suitable materials and/or shapes without departing from the purpose and scope of the invention.

(9) Referring now to FIG. 3., preferably, the one or more elongate members 107 is attached to the wire 109 of the fence 101 with one or more connectors 301 such as a hog ring to prevent the one or more elongate members 107 from sliding from and/or within the fence 101. If the fence 101 is longer than the one or more elongate members 109, adjacent ends 302, 303 of consecutive elongate members 107, 304 can, using any technology known to one of ordinary skill in the art (such as overlapping the adjacent ends 302, 303 of consecutive elongate members 107, 304 and connecting such ends 302, 303 together with one or more connectors 301 such as a hog ring.

(10) Thus configured a chain link fence with retained slats is provided that optimizes installation efficiency through a pre-installed retention-type configuration that allows the entire system to be rolled or unrolled.

(11) As used herein the term “preferable” or “preferably” means that a specified element or technique is more acceptable than another but not that such specified element or technique is a necessity. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.