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.

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36. 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.

37. 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 chain link fence with retained slats configured to be rolled or unrolled.

38. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 37, 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.

39. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 37, 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.

40. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 38, further comprising two or more elongate members of closed shape for retaining the fence slats inside the fence.

41. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 39, further comprising two or more elongate members of closed shape for retaining the fence slats inside the fence.

42. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 37, 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.

43. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 37, the one or more flexible elongate members of closed shape for retaining the fence slats inside the chain link fence disposed within selvages of the chain link fence.

44. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 37, 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.

45. The chain link fence with retained slats of claim 37, 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

[0014] FIG. 1 provides a plan view from the front of the chain link fence with retained slats.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the chain link fence with retained slats.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a plan view from the bottom of the chain link fence with retained slats.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a plan view from the top of the chain link fence with retained slats.

[0018] FIG. 5 is a plan view from a first side of the chain link fence with retained slats.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a plan view from a second side of the chain link fence with retained slats.

[0020] FIG. 7 is a plan view from the front of a chain link fence having a knuckle selvage at the top.

[0021] FIG. 7 is a perspective view from the front of a chain link fence having a twist selvage at the top.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] As indicated above and illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, the chain link fence with retained slats of the present invention comprises a traditional chain link fence 1 with any fence slats 2 inserted and running from top 3 to bottom 4 in the chain link fence 1. Between the top selvages 5 and the tops 6, also termed the top ends 6, of the slats 2, between the bottom selvages 7 and the bottoms 8, also termed the bottom ends 8, of the slats 2, or between both the top selvages 5 and the tops 6 of the slats 2 and the bottom selvages 7 and the bottoms 8 of the slats 2 is inserted an elongate member 9 having sufficient strength to support the slats 2 while also being sufficiently flexible to permit the chain link fence with the retained slats and the elongate member or members 9 to be rolled in the traditional manner for a chain link fence 1 but not so flexible as to prevent the elongate member 9 from being pushed into the desire position within the fence 1. A nonexclusive list of acceptable material from which to construct the elongate member 9 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 top selvages 5 are collectively termed the top class of selvages 10, the bottom selvages 7 are collectively termed the bottom class of selvages 11; and the top class of selvages 10 together with the bottom class of selvages 11 are collectively termed the classes of selvages 12.)

[0023] The elongate member can have a circular, oval, or polygonal cross section and can be either hollow or solid; all such preceding shapes being defined herein as a closed shape. And the present elongate member 9 can work with a fence 1 have any type of selvage 7, knuckle 13 (shown in FIG. 7) or twist 14 (shown in FIG. 8) or a combination thereof.

[0024] Preferably, the elongate member 9 is attached to the wire 15 of a the fence 1 with one or more connectors 16, e.g., a hog ring 17 to prevent the elongate member 9 from sliding from the fence 1. And if the fence 1 is longer that the elongate member 9 the adjacent ends 18 of consecutive elongate members 9 can, using any technology known to one of ordinary skill in the art (such as overlapping the adjacent ends 18 of the consecutive elongate members 9 and connecting such ends 18 together with one or more connectors 16, e.g., a hog rings 17.

[0025] As used herein, the term “substantially” indicates that one skilled in the art would consider the value modified by such terms to be within acceptable limits for the stated value. Also 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.