Fences – Rail – Connection
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-13
2001-02-06
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Fences
Rail
Connection
C256S019000, C256S070000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182948
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates generally to garden border fences that define a garden border for separating the garden from other landscaping, and for protecting the garden from damage. More particularly, the present invention relates to a garden border that utilizes a modular system to provide a variation in heights, aesthetics, strength and weed control.
Garden fences are known and used to divide a garden from surrounding landscape areas such as lawn, sidewalk, or driveway. The known, picket-type fences are usually short, about one foot high for example, and typically include vertical studs fastened to horizontal braces made of wood slats. Some of the studs have a pointed or sharpened lower end for being driven into the ground to support the fence in an upright position. Molded plastic fencing of this type is also known. The conventional garden fence is provided for aesthetics, and for providing a clear sign of the border of the garden so that people will not accidentally step into the garden.
The conventional garden fence, however, has many disadvantages. First, when the gardener wishes to change the length, height or style of the garden fence, the gardener must either completely replace the old structure with a new fence or custom made fence, or modify the conventional wood fence. This can be cumbersome and time consuming to the average residential gardener, especially those who do not have the wood cutting skills required.
Second, exposed edges of the wood or nails, as well as peeling paint, may be dangerous to children or others who come in contact with the garden fence. In addition, painting is also time consuming and adds additional costs.
Third, during installation of the fence, whether made of wood or plastic, the studs used as stakes are often split or broken when a hammer is used to pound the stakes into the ground. Furthermore, in the typical garden fence, the stakes are relatively easily pulled out of the ground when the fence is bumped or stepped on.
Rather than a garden fence, a garden border may be constructed of a solid edging material. The conventional edging is brick, wood or plastic and usually extends only a few inches above the garden floor and surrounding landscape. In addition to the purposes mentioned above for using the garden fence, the solid edging, which includes a subsurface barrier portion, is also used to prevent the propagation of weeds. This is accomplished by preventing the roots of plants in the ground outside of the garden from growing inside of the garden. The edging also retains garden plants from growing beyond the garden border. Furthermore, edging is used to retain soil or mulch material, such as wood chips or stones, within the garden boundaries.
Conventional edging, however, also has its disadvantages. The typical edging is meant to be used instead of, rather than integrated with, a garden fence. Thus, the combination of the two is not aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, the plastic and brick type of edging is time consuming to install because it first requires the digging of a ditch along the border of the garden so that a portion of the plastic or brick can be buried. Moreover, bricks are heavy and cumbersome and also may move when bumped by lawn mowers for example. Finally, wooden and plastic edging can split or break when it is pounded into the ground, and only lasts for a few years.
Thus, a main object of the present invention is to provide an improved modular garden border system that provides a number of different configurations including length, height and style adjustability while requiring relatively little time and skill to assemble.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved modular garden system that has an edging integrated with fence modules to combine the advantages of fence and edging, as well as to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance when the edging and fence are combined.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved modular garden border system that eliminates the need for paint, requires very little maintenance and eliminates sharp edges.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide an improved modular garden border system that will not break during assembly and will not fall or be uprooted easily once the border system is assembled and placed in the ground.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved modular garden system having an edging that prevents propagation of weeds and retains garden soils without the need to dig ditches for inserting the edging into the ground.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above-listed objects are met or exceeded by the present modular garden border system which presents an aesthetically pleasing and easily installed combination of edging and fence. Only a support module (either stakes or edging) need be driven into the ground. At least one vertically stackable fence module is easily and matingly engaged upon the support module. This prevents damage to the fence or stackable modules.
In order to provide variations in appearance, a top module is provided that has a top different than the top of the first module. Either module can be attached directly to the support module. In the alternative, the top module can be attached to the top of the stackable module which in turn is attached to the top of the support module.
More specifically, the present modular garden border system includes at least one stackable module with a wall that has a bottom and a top. A support module has a bottom configured and disposed to engage a substrate and a top configured and disposed to engage the bottom of at least one stackable module so that the support module and the stackable module form a first fence.
As another alternative, the stackable modules can be attached to each other so that a number of stackable modules can be stacked above the support module, with or without the top module on the very top of the stack. Many more combinations can be created by the gardener.
The support module can either be an edging module or stakes. For edging modules, a solid wall is provided to prevent propagation of weeds. The tops of the edging and stakes are thickened and the bottoms of the edging and stakes have inclined edges that converge to downward shaping points for driving the edging and stakes into the ground or substrate. The top of the edging and stakes also have connectors so that the stackable module or the top module can simply be snapped into place on top of the support module for easy assembly. Stakes and edging modules also have vertical ribs for added support and upwardly pointing barbs to prevent uprooting.
Stackable and top modules also have connectors at free stud ends and free ends of horizontal braces. A buckle type connection is used that includes corresponding tongues that lock into receptacles for vertical stacking and horizontal attachment between laterally adjacent first and top modules. Thus, the tops of the support modules and stackable modules lock into the receptacles on the bottoms of the stackable modules and top modules. This provides vertical continuity by stacking the modules.
Similarly, edging modules have pins on one longitudinal end and grooves on another longitudinal end so that modules can be connected end-to-end to create horizontal continuity in the border system.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4022436 (1977-05-01), Thomas
patent: 4167079 (1979-09-01), Reiter
patent: 4415292 (1983-11-01), Alperson
patent: 5161784 (1992-11-01), Sader
patent: 5445362 (1995-08-01), Reppert
patent: 1545498 (1979-05-01), None
Browne Lynne H.
Cottingham John R.
Greer Burns & Crain Ltd.
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