Chain Link Fence with Internally 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. At least one band (which band may, itself, be a single elongate element or a combination of elongate elements) runs transversely across the interior of each such slat through an internal passage. Each band and each slat is inserted into said chain link fence before installation of said chain link fence. Preferably, when viewed looking at the face of the band, each band is tapered, as also is each band when viewed looking at the side of such band. At least one external opening of each internal passage is beveled, and at least one external opening of each internal passage has a concave shape when seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat.

Claims

1. A chain link fence with retained slats, which comprises: a traditional chain link fence having a top and a bottom; two or more fence slats inserted into said chain link fence before installation of said chain link fence, each of said fence slats having a face; and at least one band having a first end, a face, and a back, said at least one band being inserted into said chain link fence before installation of said chain link fence wherein for each of said bands each of said fence slats has an internal passage located at substantially the same position, each of said internal passages having two external openings, and wherein the total of all said bands has sufficient strength to retain all of said slats within said chain link fence while also being sufficiently flexible to permit said chain link fence with said slats and said at least one band to be rolled in the traditional manner.

2. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 1, wherein: when observed in a plan view looking at the face of each said at least one band, the first end of each said at least one band is tapered.

3. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 3, wherein: when observed in an elevational view looking at a first side of each said at least one band, the first end of each said at least one band is tapered.

4. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 4, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage is beveled.

5. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 4, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage has a concave shape when seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat.

6. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 3, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage has a concave shape when seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat.

7. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 2, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage is beveled.

8. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 7, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage has a concave shape when seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat.

9. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 2, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage has a concave shape when seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat.

10. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 1, wherein: when observed in an elevational view looking at a first side of each said at least one band, the first end of each said at least one band is tapered.

11. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 10, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage is beveled.

12. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 11, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage has a concave shape when seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat.

13. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 10, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage has a concave shape when seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat.

14. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 1, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage is beveled.

15. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 14, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage has a concave shape when seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat.

16. The chain link fence with retained slats as recited in claim 1, wherein: at least one external opening of each internal passage has a concave shape when seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat.

17. A chain link fence with retained slats, which comprises: a traditional chain link fence having a top and a bottom; two or more fence slats inserted into said chain link fence before installation of said chain link fence, each of said fence slats having a face; and at least one band having a first end, a face, and a back, said at least one band being inserted into said chain link fence before installation of said chain link fence wherein for each of said bands each of said fence slats has an internal passage located at substantially the same position, each of said internal passages having two external openings with at least one external opening of each internal passage being beveled and with at least one external opening of each internal passage having a concave shape seen in a plan view looking at the face of each said slat, wherein the total of all said bands has sufficient strength to retain all of said slats within said chain link fence while also being sufficiently flexible to permit said chain link fence with said slats and said at least one band to be rolled in the traditional manner, wherein when observed in a plan view looking at the face of each said at least one band, the first end of each said at least one band is tapered, and when observed in an elevational view looking at a first side of each said at least one band, the first end of each said at least one band is tapered.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] As indicated above and illustrated in FIG. 1, the chain link fence with retained slats of the present invention comprises a traditional chain link fence 1 with fence slats 2 inserted into the chain link fence 1 and running from the top 3 to the bottom 4 of the chain link fence 1. Each fence slat 2 is constructed to accept at least one band 5 (which band 5 may, itself, be a single elongate element or a combination of elongate elements) into and running transversely across the interior 6 of such slat 2, and such slat 2 may have any cross-sectional shape which is known in the art. The slats 2 and the at least one band 5 are inserted into the chain link fence 1 before the chain link fence 1 is installed, i.e., the slats 2 and the at least one band 5 are pre-inserted into the chain link fence 1.

[0037] Again as observed above, if, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the slat 2 is solid, for each at least one band 5, such slat 2 contains an interior channel 7 running between a first side 8 and a second side 9 of the slat 2. If, as shown in FIG. 3, the slat 2 is hollow, for each at least one band 5, the first side (also termed an edge) 8 of the slat 2 contains a first, or entrance, aperture 10 to accept a first end 11 the band 5; and the second side (also termed a side) 9 of the slat 2 contains a second, or egress, aperture 12 to permit the first end 11 of the band 5 to leave the slat 2. The one or more internal passages 7 or 8 as well as 10 and 9 as well as 12 (a first side 8 of a slat 2 as well as a first or entry aperture 10 and a second side 9 of the slat 2 as well as a second or egress aperture 12) are preferably located at substantially the same position in each slat 2 so that a given band 5 can run through the corresponding internal passages 7 or 8 as well as 10 and 9 as well as 12 (a first side 8 of a slat 2 as well as a first or entry aperture 10 and a second side 9 of the slat 2 as well as a second or egress aperture 12) in each slat 2 of the chain link fence 1.

[0038] The total of the one or more bands 5 has, as earlier observed, sufficient strength to retain the slats within the chain link fence 1 while also being sufficiently flexible to permit the chain link fence 1 with the pre-inserted slats 2 and band or bands 5 to be rolled in the traditional manner for a chain link fence, as depicted in FIG. 4.

[0039] The band or bands 5 can be constructed of any material to create the preceding characteristics but are preferably composed of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). One non-exclusive alternative material is low-density polyethylene (LDPE).

[0040] The band or bands 5 can be of any desired length but are preferably one of the standard lengths for a chain link fence 1, such as twenty-five feet or fifty feet.

[0041] To facilitate insertion of a band 5 into a first aperture 10 (or, optionally, a second aperture 12) or into an interior channel 7 of a slat 2, the first end 11 of a band 5 is preferably tapered when observed in a plan view looking at either a either the face (also called the front) or the back (also called the rear) of the band 5, i.e., such first end 11 is pointed, as portrayed in FIG. 5; curved, as illustrated in FIG. 6; or truncated, as shown in FIG. 7.

[0042] Also, to facilitate insertion of a band 5 into a first aperture 10 (or, optionally, a second aperture 12) or into an interior channel 7 of a slat 2, the first end 11 of a band 5 is preferably tapered when observed in an elevational view looking at either a either a first edge 13 (also called a first side 13) or a second edge 14 (also called a second side 14) of the band 5, i.e., such first end 11 is pointed, as portrayed in FIG. 8; curved, as illustrated in FIG. 9; or truncated, as shown in FIG. 10.

[0043] Further to facilitate insertion of a band 5 into a first aperture 10 (or, optionally, a second aperture 12) or into an interior channel 7 of a slat 2, the first aperture 10, as illustrated in FIG. 11, or the entry 15 into the interior channel 7, as shown in FIG. 12, is beveled, i.e., the outer perimeter 16 of the entrance (Herein the term “entrance” is defined to include both an entry aperture 10 and an entry 15 into an interior channel 7.) is farther from the middle 17 of the interior 6 of the slat 2 than is the inner perimeter 18 of the entrance 10, 15.

[0044] And even more preferred, the second aperture 12, as illustrated in FIG. 13, or the egress 19 from such interior channel 7, as shown in FIG. 14, is also beveled, i.e., the outer perimeter 20 of the exit (Herein the term “exit” is defined to include both an egress aperture 12 and an egress 19 from an interior channel 7.) is farther from the middle 17 of the interior 6 of the slat 2 than is the inner perimeter 21 of the exit 12, 19.

[0045] The term “external opening” is herein defined to include both an entrance 10, 15 and an exit 12, 19. And although it is most preferable to have both external openings 10, 15 and 12, 19 of an internal passage 7 or 8 as well as 10 and 9 as well as 12 (a first side 8 of a slat 2 as well as a first or entry aperture 10 and a second side 9 of the slat 2 as well as a second or egress aperture 12) beveled, it is still preferable to have at least one external opening 10, 15 or 12, 19 (The entrance being either an entry aperture 10 in a first side 8 of a slat 2 or an entry 15 of an interior channel 7 within a slat 2, and the exit being either an egress aperture 12 in a second side 9 of a slat 2 or an egress 19 from an interior channel 7.) beveled. The reason that it is most preferable to have both external openings 10, 15 and 12, 19 beveled it that this facilitates installation because it is then not necessary to assure that a particular side 8, 9 of the slat 2 is oriented toward the direction from which the band 5 will be inserted.

[0046] A third preferred construction for facilitating the insertion of a band 5 into an entrance 10, 15 or an exit 12, 19 is to have a concave shape (when seen in a plan view looking at either the front—also called a face—22 or the rear—also termed a back—23 of a slat 2) for such entrance 10, 15 or exit 12, 19. And, again to facilitate installation by avoiding the requirement for a specific orientation of the slat, with respect to the front 22 and the rear 23, it is even more preferable to have, as depicted in FIG. 1, such a concave shape for both external openings 10, 15 and 12, 19 of a slat 2, it is still preferable to have a concave shape for at least one external opening 10, 15 or 12, 19.

[0047] 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.