Patent Application
20230043060
A silt fence, usually made of porous fabric, is often used as a material barrier for construction sites, landscaping operations, surface water ways (such as creeks and rivers), river banks or shores, etc. Silt, clay, sediment, and other ground material may be swept away by wind, water, and gravity. The fabric pools such ground material carried in the runoff and retain the material by the settling processes, e.g., in creeks, rivers, or still bodies of water. As such, traditional silt fences have been used to control the displacement of silt and its subsequent deposition in undesirable locations.
A traditional silt fence can be just a semi-permeable fabric installed vertically on the ground, e.g., by stapling the fabric on posts or stakes driven to the ground. These silt fences suffer several drawbacks. For example, the coupling between the fabric and the posts (or stakes) are not secure enough and can be easily undone or torn during use, resulting in weak or leaky areas which allow excessive silt to pass through. The fabric material and its construction in traditional silt fence is often of insufficient strength, resulting in excessive stretching and sagging of the fence, and failure to trap silt due to inadequate settling time. Also, installation of traditional silt fences often requires digging a trench to bury and anchor a bottom part of the fabric material to add stability for the fence, but such a procedure can be labor intensive.
In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a fence or fencing system. In some embodiments, the fence comprises a wall panel portion having an upper edge and a lower edge, an apron portion extending from the lower edge of the wall panel portion, the apron portion having a distal spaced from the lower edge, and a plurality of tubular pockets running across the wall panel between the upper edge and the lower edge, the tubular pockets each configured to receive a mounting post therein.
In other embodiments, the fence does not have a portion that is laterally positioned when installed. In the latter case, the fence can include a wall panel portion having an upper edge and a lower edge, wherein the wall panel comprises a first channel proximate the upper edge in which a first draw cord is threaded, and a second channel proximate the lower edge in which a second draw cord is threaded. The fence further includes a plurality of tubular pockets running across the wall panel between the upper edge and the lower edge, the tubular pockets each configured to receive a mounting post therein.
In some embodiments, the wall panel portion and/or the apron portion is formed of a flexible fabric material, such as a knitted polyethylene material. For example, for a fence system having an apron portion, the wall panel portion and the apron portion can be formed of a one-piece flexible fabric material.
The tubular pockets of the fence can be attached to the wall panel portion, or can be formed by a fold(s) of the wall panel portion. The fence can further comprise at least one grommet near the upper edge and proximate to at least one of the plurality of tubular pockets. The tubular pockets can each further include an inserted mounting posts, where the mounting posts can be coupled to the wall panel portion by a fastening mechanism, such as a zip tie, a knotted rope, etc.
The wall panel portion of the fence may include a channel proximate to the upper edge in which a first draw cord is threaded. For a fence with an apron portion, the apron portion may include a channel proximate its distal edge in which a second draw cord is threaded. For a fence without an apron portion, the wall panel portion can include a channel proximate the lower edge in which a second draw cord is threaded.
In another aspect, methods of installing a fence system is provided. For example, to install a fence having an apron portion, a plurality of mounting posts can be inserted each into one of the plurality of tubular pockets, axial positions of the mounting posts can be fixed relative to the tubular pockets, the plurality of the mounting posts are driven into the ground, and the apron portion is laid laterally on the ground. The distal edge of the apron portion can be further secured on the ground. To install a fence without an apron but has a channel near the lower edge of the wall panel with a drawing cord run therethrough, a similar method (except relating to the apron portion) can be used. The draw cord in the channel can be tensioned by using a plurality of securing stakes to secure it onto the ground, or wrapping around and/or tying the draw cord onto one or more of the mounting post(s).
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in, and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate exemplary implementations and embodiments of the invention and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings, where like reference numerals denote like elements:
In one aspect, the present invention relates to a fence system that can be used to control the movement of silt and filter out undesirable substances from a water ecosystem. The fence system can be installed in various sites that are susceptible to problems caused by the silt carried by storm water, such as in construction sites, lakes, creeks, rivers, and other waterways. The silt fence system is environment friendly and safe for wildlife, fish and other aquatic habitats. Therefore, some embodiments of the silt fence of the present invention are particularly useful for in-water work and/or perimeter control to safeguard water quality of the work location. In addition to silt fence application, the fence system disclosed herein can also be used to control the undesired migration of other solid material, such as snow.
As shown in
The vertical lengths (or height) L1 of subareas 110a and 110b of the wall panel portion 110 can be the same or different, and can be selected based on the specific applications of the fence and the location where the fence is to be installed. For example, the vertical length L1 of a subarea of the wall panel portion 110 can be from about 0.5 m to about 2 m. The vertical length of each of the tubular pockets 130 can be same or different, and can be greater or smaller than, or about the same as L1. The lateral length L2 of the apron portion can be selected based on specific applications. For example, L2 can be from 0.5 m to about 2 m.
Each of the wall portion 110, apron portion 120, and tubular pockets 130 can be formed from a same material or from different materials. The materials may be selected based upon the desired strength, longevity, overall cost of the fence, the location of the installation of the fence (e.g., flowing speed and silt content of the water in a water system), etc. In some embodiments, the material used to construct the wall portion, the apron portion, and/or the tubular pockets can be a flexible fabric material. In some embodiments, the flexible fabric material can be a mesh, woven, braided, or knitted form, although other forms can also be employed herein. In particular embodiments, the flexible fabric material can be a knitted fabric. The flexible fabric may have a single layer or more than one layer. For example, the fabric can have a two-layer forming a pocket structure therebetween, with one or more filter media inserted into the pocket structure. The filter media can be in the forms of powders, fibers, particulates and other forms, and can be made of porous silica, glass, polymeric materials, and other materials with suitable packing density to filter solid matters exceeding certain size thresholds, and/or those materials having appropriate chemical compositions suitable to absorb certain pollutants or contaminants such as heavy metals or toxic chemicals. In some embodiments, the fabric may have a basis weight of about 4-5 oz per square yard. Preferably, the fabric material does not leach any undesirable substance into a water system where it is installed. In some embodiments, the flexible fabric is made of knitted polyethylene fibers. Such material will not unravel if torn, unlike traditional silt fence products, and therefore provide better reliability in preventing contamination by undesired silt migration to sensitive areas.
In some embodiments, the wall panel portion 110 and the apron portion 120 are formed from a one-piece flexible material. In some embodiments, the apron portion 120 and the wall panel portion are made separately by the same or different material, and are then joined together. For example, the apron portion may be formed by a heavier and tightly woven geotextile material, and is then sewn to the wall panel portion. Additionally, the apron portion may be attached with additional weights to ensure good contact with the installation ground.
As illustrated in
In some embodiments, the fabric material along the upper edge 112 of the wall panel portion 110 can be folded onto itself, and the two layer of the fabric material can be sewn, riveted, buttoned up, or otherwise joined to create a channel 115 in which a draw cord 116 may run through, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, the fabric material along the distal edge 124 of the apron portion 120 can be similarly folded and closed to form a channel 125 in which a draw cord 126 may be threaded, as shown in
The draw cords as used with the fabric of the present disclosure can be made from synthetic engineering plastics, such as Nylon 6 or Nylon 66, and can have a gauge of 5 mm or greater and a strength sufficient to hold the fabric in an uptight position when tensioned properly. While not shown, it is understood that sections of the draw cord 116 can also be used to wrap around or tie the top of the mounting posts.
In some embodiments, and as illustrated in
The mounting posts can be inserted into the tubular pockets before installation of the fence. When a desired insertion position is obtained, it is necessary to prevent further axial movement between the mounting posts and the tubular pockets. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways. For example, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, the wall panel portion, the apron portion, and the tubular pockets are all formed from a one-piece flexible fabric material as described herein.
The fence 100 can be installed by inserting the mounting posts 140 into the respective pockets 130, and then driving the mounting posts 140 generally vertically into the ground 300 (see
The securement by the draw cords are especially important at the foot of the wall panel which is primarily responsible for blocking the migrating silt and other ground material. Tensioning the bottom part of the wall panel, e.g., by securing the draw cord in the bottom channel of the wall panel to the mounting posts and/or to the securing stakes as shown in
The fence systems described herein can be installed on the ground in a way where all the installation locations of the mounting posts form a straight line, as shown in
In some embodiments, to improve the ability of the fence systems of the present invention (e.g., 100 or 200) to withstand the impact of high flow of silt, such as a water system 500 having a bank 510, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, reflective tags or indicators can be included in the fence system described herein to increase visibility of the fence system, especially at low light condition. The reflective tags or indicators can be in the form of tapes, ribbons, a reflective coating, etc., which can be installed, attached, applied, or otherwise secured on the fabric, the anchoring stakes, the securing ropes, and/or other parts of the fence system.
The description provided herein is not to be limited in scope by the specific embodiments described which are intended as single illustrations of individual aspects of certain embodiments. The methods, compositions and devices described herein can comprise any feature described herein either alone or in combination with any other feature(s) described herein. Indeed, various modifications, in addition to those shown and described herein, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description and accompanying drawings using no more than routine experimentation. Such modifications and equivalents are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. Nonprovisional application Ser. No. 16/411,786, filed May 14, 2019, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional application No. 62/671,223, filed May 14, 2018, the disclosure of each which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62671223 | May 2018 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16411786 | May 2019 | US |
| Child | 17838086 | US |
