Fences – Wire – Picket
Reexamination Certificate
1997-11-07
2001-02-06
Kim, Harry C. (Department: 3629)
Fences
Wire
Picket
C256S032000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182947
ABSTRACT:
The present invention is directed to privacy inserts for chain link fences and, more particularly, to fence inserts which are foldable and stackable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Chain link fences have been widely used for many years to satisfy fencing requirements. While they provide acceptable strength and durability over many years, they do not provide privacy or serve as a windbreak due to their appertured construction. Various inserts, typically referred to as “slats”, have been suggested and manufactured for increasing the privacy of a chain link fence, as well as serving as a windbreak. Many early arrangements were designed to be directly connected to the wire of the fence and required clamping or bending of a metal slat onto a link of the fence.
The inventor of the present invention overcame a problem with slats migrating upwardly and downwardly due to wind or other environmental forces, which created an unfinished uneven appearance, by providing a slat retaining means which extend through a slot in the slats and is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,556 to Meglino which issued on Apr. 23, 1985.
In light of the trend to make fence inserts with substantially hollow inner portions, a shipment of fence inserts commonly requires a very large container volume. Since shipping charges are a relatively high portion of the consumer costs of fence inserts, it would be desirable to provide fence inserts which could be shipped in a manner which significantly reduces the wasted air space in the shipment. Furthermore, by reducing the overall volume of a plurality of inserts, a greater volume of the inserts could be delivered quicker since they would require only a single truckload.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of the present invention is directed to privacy inserts for a chain link fence comprising at least two portions which are movably connected such that one portion is movable from a first position where it does not overlap another portion to a second position where at least two portions overlap.
According to another aspect of the present invention, foldable fence inserts are manufactured in a form wherein they are easily stackable without a significant amount of wasted air space between or within the individual inserts. The inserts of this embodiment of the present invention are readily foldable prior to insertion in a fence so that at least two portions of an insert overlap.
According to another preferred aspect of the prevent invention, adjacent foldable fence inserts comprise portions which overlap each other in order to enhance the privacy provided by a plurality of these inserts. According to a still further preferred embodiment, a support member passes through openings in a plurality of fence inserts in order to maintain the fence inserts in their desired position even when the fence inserts are subject to wind conditions.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3355150 (1967-11-01), Taylor
patent: 3572640 (1971-03-01), Vecchiarelli
patent: 3774884 (1973-11-01), Singer
patent: 3958794 (1976-05-01), Suprunuk et al.
patent: 4723761 (1988-02-01), Cluff
patent: 4725044 (1988-02-01), Cluff
patent: 4907783 (1990-03-01), Fisk et al.
patent: 5177890 (1993-01-01), Hisatomi et al.
patent: 5184801 (1993-02-01), Finkelstein
patent: 5275380 (1994-01-01), Barsby
patent: 5328156 (1994-07-01), Hoke
patent: 2161307 (1973-06-01), None
Galgano & Burke
Kim Harry C.
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