Patent Application
20140054404
This invention relates to a manually operable storage cartridge used to protect barrier fencing from damage and to provide a more compact method of handling and storing barrier fencing.
It is common practice that barrier fencing is manufactured and delivered to customers in rolls. Those rolls are delivered with or without a protective covering. The rolls are purchased in various longer lengths and are then cut to a length by the end user best suited for the required application. Once the barrier fencing is taken out of service it is difficult or at the least very time consuming to rewind the barrier material to a suitable sized roll. The result is generally an unwieldy bundled section of barrier fencing that is difficult to handle, transport and store and therefore can often become discarded and wasted.
The storage cartridge fitted with the hand cracked mechanism will allow users to rewind barrier fencing into a protective shell for transport and storage. The storage cartridges are available in a variety of sizes best suited for the type and length of the barrier material.
When the barrier fencing is not in use it is protected inside the cartridge and therefore will extend the life expectancy of the barrier fencing.
The ability to rewind the barrier fencing into the storage cartridge makes it easier and faster for users to quickly and neatly store the fencing. With the barrier fencing retracted into the cartridge it allows for a more orderly storage of barrier fencing. This capability not only extends the life of the barrier fencing but also reduces waste and saves money.
In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention Figure (100) is a cylindrical shaped cartridge with a removable screw fastened cap on the top (101) and a glued in place bottom end cap (102) used for the storage and protection of barrier fencing (103). The cartridge includes an interior pipe shaft (104) with two fixed in place rollers (105) to create a spool. The spool shaft extends through the top of the barrier storage cartridge cap and is fitted with a manually operated crank handle (106) used to retract the barrier fencing onto the spool. On the side of the cartridge and running vertically is a slotted opening (107) of varying widths up to 180 degrees dependent on the type of barrier material to allow unimpeded extraction and retraction of the barrier fencing. The bottom cap of the barrier storage cartridge has an opening (108) in the centre of the cap equal to that of the interior dimension of the spool shaft. The bottom opening allows access to the hollow shaft of the spool for the mounting of the storage cartridge to a ground spike (109) or can optionally be mounted to a pedestal (110). Where ground conditions permit the barrier storage cartridge may be fixed in place using only the ground spike. Where ground conditions do not permit the use of a ground spike the pedestal will maintain the cartridge in a fixed position when extracting and retracting the barrier fencing.
There are other products available that have a somewhat similar exterior appearance to my Barrier Storage Cartridge. Canadian Patent # 2691487 is an example. The intent of that barrier is to protect persons from falling through an exposed opening such as at a loading dock. My invention is not designed as a safety device but as a heavy duty storage device to protect and extend the life use of barrier fencing.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,807,999: 5,690,317: 6,536,502: 5,505,244: 6,056,038 are also devices using light gauge cylindrical shells. Those devices I have searched are not intended for the storage and protection of barrier fencing. They do not have the primary use for the device as being a storage container. My invention is not designed as a safety device but as a storage device to protect and extend the life use of barrier fencing using a heavy duty storage cartridge.
I believe my invention will be of value to those involved in the construction industry, public utilities, crowd and wildlife control, parks and recreation, sports venues and others who use barrier fencing and other barrier materials as part of doing business and/or providing services to the public.
