Patent Application
20140312290
The present disclosure relates to fences, in particular fences adapted to form functional or decorative barriers that may include longitudinal rails and upright members; fences that may be made of panels; and, fences that may include longitudinal strands of woven materials.
Fences contribute to the overall appeal of a property. Various types of fences are presently in use, including concrete, picket fences made of wood or vinyl materials, bricks, wires, and the like. Fences made of natural or indigenous materials are also presently in use, such as fences made of bamboos. These fences that are made of natural or indigenous materials may be appealing, as they may bring about a message of being environmentally-conscious, earthy, or green. Because the natural or indigenous materials may not be as durable as metal or concrete fences, it is desirable to have fence apparatus and methods that utilize natural or indigenous materials in a manner where their ability to withstand the test of time and damaging elements or weather is improved.
The present disclosure discloses a barrier material that includes a plurality of frame members adapted to form a frame; a plurality of support rods positioned in between the frame members; a plurality of vineyard canes intertwined around the plurality of support rods; and at least one rail positioned in between the frame members, the rail being adapted to support the frame members.
The present disclosure also discloses a barrier apparatus that includes a plurality of frames, each of the plurality of frames comprising: a plurality of frame members; a plurality of support rods positioned in between the plurality of frame members; and a plurality of vineyard canes twisted around each of the plurality of support rods, the plurality of vineyard canes adapted to form a wall; at least one support pole corresponding to each of the plurality of frames; and an in-ground pole mount comprising a recess formed from a ground and a sleeve positioned within the recess, the sleeve being configured to contain a portion of the support pole.
The present disclosure further discloses a method of creating a barrier, the method comprising: processing a plurality of vineyard canes; providing a plurality of frame members; forming a frame using the plurality of frame members; providing a plurality of support rods and positioning each of the plurality of support rods within the frame; and weaving the plurality of vineyard canes around the plurality of support rods, wherein the plurality of vineyard canes form a wall that serves as a barrier.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
The present disclosure comprises a fence apparatus adapted to form a functional barrier, such as to prevent intrusions, provide privacy, or to provide a wall, such as for growing vines. The fence apparatus may also provide a decorative wall or panel. In an exemplary embodiment shown in
Referring now to
Frame members 34a, 34b, 36a, and 36b may be arranged to form a rectangular frame and may be secured to each other by fasteners known in the art. For instance, the upright frame members 34a and 34b may include threaded opposing ends (not shown) to where the longitudinal frame members 36a and 36b may be fastened. The longitudinal frame members 36a and 36b may include corresponding recesses for receiving the threaded ends, which may then be secured with fastening nuts (not shown). The fastening nuts may optionally be covered with a hemisphere cap (not shown). It is noted that the disclosure is not limited to a certain number of frame members or to a certain shape. In the exemplary embodiment shown, frame member 36b preferably defines a plurality of drainage holes 39a and 39b adapted to allow water to be drained off the frame. It can be appreciated that when water is introduced to the fence apparatus, either through rain, gardening, or sprinklers, water may weaken the integrity of the frames or may affect the looks of the fence. For instance, the fence may rust, or the vineyard canes that form the wall of the fence, as further described below, may deteriorate. The availability of the drainage holes is a feature that may provide longevity to the fence apparatus both in terms of durability and appearance.
A plurality of support rods 38a-d is preferably positioned in between the vertically disposed and opposing frame members 34a and 34b. The support rods 38a-d may be vertically oriented relative to the frame members 34a and 34b, and some of them may be equally spaced next to each other. Each of the end of the plurality of the support rods 38a-d are preferably fastened by fasteners known in the art to the horizontally disposed and opposing frame members 36a and 36b. A plurality of plant materials 40 preferably derived from natural plants are preferably weaved around the support rods 38a-d. The plant materials are preferably in a form of vineyard canes, including Cabernet, Grenache, and other vigorous vines. As used herein, the term “vineyard canes” may sometimes be known as grape canes. The vineyard canes are preferably processed. For instance, they may be cut at a uniform length; their spurs, buds, or other projecting pieces may be trimmed or cut; they may be treated with waterproofing materials or preservatives; or, they may be stained, varnished or painted with a desired paint color. The wood stains and preservatives may include ammonia, copper, or Alkaline Copper Quaternary types A, B, C, or D (commonly known as ACQ), and their combinations.
The term “weaved” may interchangeably be used with the terms “interlaced,” “intertwined,” or “twisted” to refer to a configuration wherein a strand of vineyard cane contacts varying sides of the support rods 38a-d. For the sake of clarity, the support rods 38a-d may include a front side and a back side. Strand 42 may contact the front side of support rod 38d then the back side of support rod 38c then the front side of support rod 38b and then the back side of support rod 38a. Strand 40 may contact the back side of support rod 38d then the front side of support rod 38c then the back side of support rod 38b and then the back side of support rod 38a. It is noted that the disclosure is not limited to a certain weaving pattern of any of the plant materials. It can be appreciated that the weaving of the plant materials around the support rods 38a-d aids in holding them in place within the frame.
Referring now to
The fence apparatus shown in
With reference now to
Each panel 22a-d is preferably made to stand on the ground using a combination of a pole 50 and an in-ground stake mount 52. The pole 50 is preferably attached by fasteners known in the art or by welding to the vertical frame members 34a and 34b (either on the side or on the portion of the frame member configured to be on the same plane as the rear side of the barrier). The pole preferably descends up to 36 inches below the bottom of the frame member and can be cut to a desired length. The in-ground stake mount 52 is preferably in a form of a recess formed on a ground and a sleeve 54 positioned within the recess. The in-ground stake mount 52 may be created by digging a hole on the ground, pouring concrete, and positioning a sleeve in the hole before the concrete dries. The pole 50 is preferably configured to be inserted into the sleeve, which consequently would hold the panel in an upright position.
It can be realized that certain embodiments provide fence apparatus that use the combination of durable materials, such as steel, with indigenous materials to withstand the test of time and natural elements, such as wind, rain, and sun. Certain embodiments provide fence apparatus that are made of replaceable parts so that when the replaceable parts show some signs of wear, they can be replaced for maintenance, or when the replaceable parts break, they can be replaced, which avoids having to discard the entire fence apparatus. The durable materials typically have a much longer lifespan than the indigenous materials. The present disclosure allows for the indigenous materials to be easily replaced to match the longevity of the durable materials. The present disclosure also provides indigenous materials that are fast growing, regenerative, and available all year long. The indigenous materials can be grouped independently and then slid over and tucked in the frame members of an empty frame to swap in a new woven barrier.
While the exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.
