Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Earth-supported coping or edging
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-14
2001-03-20
Stephan, Beth A. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Earth-supported coping or edging
C047S030000, C047S033000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202367
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the home gardening and landscape industry, and, in particular, a support device for constructing raised borders or beds suitable for use as landscape edging.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Timber is used for building borders or walls on the ground to form edging for lawns and gardens. Generally, such edging systems comprise wooden members and means for anchoring the wooden members on the ground. However, current devices in the market do not provide a versatile raised border system which may be used in one instance as a simple raised garden border, or in another instance to form a raised terrace bed or retaining wall of varying height.
One difficulty found with many of the current devices in the market is that they may only provide single level edging. That is, only a single beam of various width may be used to form a raised bed or edge. As a result, separate and more costly support means must be employed for the construction of multilevel stepped beds, terrace beds or support walls.
Frequently, consumers in the home gardening industry will use railroad ties to form landscape edges. However, the general problem with railroad ties is that they are costly, burdensome and once in place become difficult to remove. Further, due to the large weight and size of railroad ties, stacking them to create retaining walls may require excessive labor, involving one or more parties and, as a result, be impractical. In addition, a separate means must be applied to anchor the railroad ties both to the ground and to one another.
Some edging devices do not provide the versatility often needed in landscaping due to the fact that they are limited to forming edging only at right angles or of limited shape and size. For example, a user may desire to encircle a large area or create a variety of shapes such as a semi-circle, octagon, triangle, trapezoid or parallelogram. As a result, these devices limit the user's creativity.
In addition, some edging devices, once in use, do not create an aesthetically pleasing appearance. When these devices are used to create borders, they may look awkward or incompatible with their natural surroundings, thereby taking away from the pleasing appearance of the garden bed. Therefore, there is a need in the home gardening industry for an aesthetically pleasing, yet versatile, landscape border system for anchoring lengths of timber to the ground.
One such edging device is Reimann (U.S. Pat. No.
5
,
230
,
187
). Reimann discloses a stake which may be used for edging gardens and lawns or for the formation of forms for concrete foundations and slabs. The stake is made from a rigid plastic material and contains a tapered end
12
for penetrating the ground and a trailing end
14
for receiving a beam of lumber.
In contrast, the present invention has at least one support bracket which may be mounted upon a stake of various shape and size. The support bracket and stake are separate elements of the invention, thereby increasing versatility. In this regard, the bracket comprises a beam receiving portion for receiving and fastening to any standard size strip of lumber and means to secure the bracket to the stake. Further, the current invention provides the ability to rotate the brackets, such that they may form an angle from 60° to 300°, while remaining upon an equal horizontal plane and perpendicular to the vertical axis of the stake. In addition, Reimann does not disclose securing more than one bracket to a single stake or vertically engaging a plurality of stakes to allow a plurality of freely movable support brackets to be vertically aligned and secured to said stakes.
Another known device for the building of landscape edging is the E-Z BORDER™ system. E-Z BORDER™ discloses stakes to be used in conjunction with brackets to form raised garden beds. The brackets, which receive various lengths and sizes of lumber, are fastened to the stake using a dowel and socket means. However, E-Z BORDER™ does not disclose stakes which may be vertically engaged one on top and inside of the other, so as to form raised bed gardens of various heights, while remaining upon an equal horizontal plane and perpendicular to the vertical axis of the stake. Further, E-Z BORDER™ uses a different method of securing the brackets upon the stakes distinct from the method utilized by the current invention. Whereas in E-Z BORDER™, the user must specifically use the unique stakes provided together with the bracket, in the current invention, many types and styles of stakes may be used due to the versatile securing means of the support brackets.
Therefore, there is a need in the industry for a durable, yet adjustable raised border system that enables the user to use timber to form edging in a simple, easy to use fashion, while still providing the versatility to incorporate such device in numerous outdoor projects. Further, there is a need for a raised border system which may be used in one instance as a simple raised garden border, or in the alternative to form a raised terrace bed or retaining wall of varying height.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of this invention to provide a raised border system which allows the user to create landscape edging of various heights, while at the same time being durable, lightweight and weather resistant. Furthermore, it is the object of this invention to create a simple, versatile raised border system which is aesthetically pleasing and easy to use. In addition, the present invention provides a raised border system which may be used to construct walls of various height along with stepped and/or terraced garden beds.
The invention comprises at least two support brackets used in conjunction with stakes and ordinary lumber to provide a support framework.
One unit of the raised border system comprises one stake and two support brackets. The stakes are designed such that two or more stakes may be vertically engaged by inserting one stake above and inside an identical stake to form a continuous top support member of various height to secure one or more support brackets. In turn, such support brackets may be vertically aligned one on top of the other, on the vertically engaged stakes. Any number of units may be used to create a variety of landscape edging formations of various sizes and shapes depending on the desired needs of the user. Further, units employed in a vertical fashion may be used to create edging or retaining walls of various heights.
The support brackets comprise a beam receiving portion connected to a mounting column. The beam receiving portion forms a channel so as to receive a beam of lumber therebetween. A spacer is located between the beam receiving portion and the mounting column, thereby connecting the beam receiving portion to the mounting column. The stake comprises a top support member resting above the body and tapered tip for penetrating the ground. The user drives the stakes into the ground at the desired position. Once the stakes are anchored to the ground, the support brackets are fastened to the stakes by placing the mounting column of the support bracket on and over the tip support member. The mounting column is of such size and shape so as to tightly slide over the top support member of the stake, thereby fastening the support bracket to the stake. Furthermore, the height of the mounting column is equal to one half the height of the support bracket so that, when two brackets are secured to one stake, the two mounting columns of both brackets are equal in height to the top support member of the stake and together are equal to the height of the support brackets.
The top support member of the stakes have a hollow interior such that the bottom portion of one stake may be inserted into the hollow interior of the top portion of another identical stake so as to vertically engage the stakes one on top of and inside the other to form a continuous top support member. In turn, more than one bracket may be secured to the stakes such that one support bracket is in vertical alignment with the other so as t
Marino Jeffrey R.
Topping Anthony G.
Glessner Brian E.
Lilling & Lilling P.C.
Stephan Beth A.
Vegherb, LLC
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