Apparatus and method for reliable attachment to chain-link fences and the like
| Title: | Apparatus and method for reliable attachment to chain-link fences and the like |
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| Patent Number: | 10662,670 |
| Publication Date: | May 26, 2020 |
| Appl. No: | 15/672134 |
| Application Filed: | August 08, 2017 |
| Abstract: | An apparatus that has a shape and uses a method to securely interweave with chain-link fences and the like without additional fasteners or mechanisms of similar nature. The shape is comprised of an orifice and a gap merging into each other. The interweaving method is a set of orientation-dependent operations established with the relative locations of three elements: apparatus, entanglement and 2 bent wires forming the entanglement. |
| Inventors: | Chen, Huan Ling (New York, NY, US); Duc, Thomas Renaud Marie (New York, NY, US) |
| Claim: | 1. An apparatus shaped to weave with a chain-link fence with an interweaving method, the chain link fence being defined by wire entanglements of adjacent wires, the apparatus comprising: (a) a body having an outer edge, an orifice, and a gap, a diameter of the body configured to be no more than the sum of a length of one wire entanglement and twice the longest distance between two neighboring and non-contiguous entanglements; (b) the orifice extending through and being located within the body and having a diameter configured to accept a wire entanglement of a chain-link fence; and (c) the gap connecting the orifice to the outer edge of the body; wherein the gap and orifice having a width less than the diameter of the orifice at least at the juncture of the orifice and the gap to create a necked portion which is configured to maintain engagement between the body and a wire entanglement. |
| Claim: | 2. The apparatus of claim 1 where the apparatus is comprised of a semi-flexible material. |
| Claim: | 3. The apparatus of claim 1 where the apparatus is comprised of a rigid material. |
| Claim: | 4. The apparatus of claim 1 configured such that other material may be attached to the apparatus. |
| Claim: | 5. The apparatus of claim 1 where the apparatus is comprised of a flexible material. |
| Claim: | 6. The apparatus of claim 1 where the apparatus is comprised of a foldable material. |
| Claim: | 7. A method to secure an apparatus within a chain-link fence, comprising the steps of: (a) orienting and inserting the apparatus onto a first wire segment of a chain-link fence, the apparatus comprising a body having an outer edge, an orifice, and a gap, a diameter of the body configured to be no more than the sum of a length of one wire entanglement and twice the longest distance between two neighboring and non-contiguous entanglements; the orifice extending through and being located within the body and having a diameter configured to accept a wire entanglement of a chain-link fence; and the gap connecting the orifice to the outer edge of the body; wherein the gap and orifice having a width less than the diameter of the orifice at least at the juncture of the orifice and the gap to create a necked portion which is configured to maintain engagement between the body and a wire entanglement; (b) at the point where the first wire segment of the chain-link fence twists around a second wire segment of the chain-link fence, pivoting the apparatus towards a plane defined by the chain-link fence until the gap of the apparatus passes around the second wire segment that is substantially aligned with an inserted wire segment; and (c) turning the apparatus in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction until said gap is no longer aligned with said second wire segment of the chain-link fence, thus confining the apparatus on the chain-link fence. |
| Claim: | 8. The method of claim 7 , where an insertion of the apparatus in the chain-link fence as the gap points to the first wire segment located such that the first wire segment falls under other segments when forming an entanglement selected for insertion when viewing from the side of the insertion with an orientation where from a center of the orifice to a portion of borders of the orifice shaped such that the portion intends to accommodate the wire entanglement near a bend made by the first and second wire segments, is configured relatively opposite to a direction from the wire entanglement to a wire segment prolonging and perpendicular to the inserted wire segment after the wire entanglement. |
| Claim: | 9. The method of claim 7 , where an insertion of the apparatus in the chain-link fence as the gap points to the first wire segment located such that the first wire segment extends over other segments when forming an entanglement selected for insertion when viewing from the side of the insertion with an orientation where from a center of the orifice to a portion of borders of the orifice shaped such that the portion intends to accommodate the wire entanglement near a bend made by the first and second wire segments, is configured relatively the same as a direction from the wire entanglement to a wire segment prolonging and perpendicular to the inserted wire segment after the wire entanglement; after insertion, the apparatus must be rotated 180 degrees around an axis created by the inserted wire segment. |
| Claim: | 10. A method to secure an apparatus within a chain-link fence, comprising the steps of: (a) orienting and inserting an apparatus onto a first wire segment of a chain-link fence, the apparatus comprising a body having an outer edge, an orifice, and a gap, a diameter of the body configured to be no more than the sum of a length of one wire entanglement and twice the longest distance between two neighboring and non-contiguous entanglements; the orifice extending through and being located within the body and having a diameter configured to accept a wire entanglement of a chain-link fence; and the gap connecting the orifice to the outer edge of the body; wherein the gap and orifice having a width less than the diameter of the orifice at least at the juncture of the orifice and the gap to create a necked portion which is configured to maintain engagement between the body and a wire entanglement; (b) at the point where the first wire segment of the chain-link fence twists around a second wire segment of the chain-link fence, pivoting the apparatus towards a plane defined by the chain-link fence until the gap of the apparatus passes around the second wire segment that is substantially aligned with the inserted wire segment; and (c) inserting a securing mechanism into said gap of the apparatus, thus securing the apparatus on the chain-link fence. |
| Claim: | 11. The method of claim 10 , where an insertion of the apparatus in the chain-link fence as the gap points to the first wire segment located such that the first wire segment falls under other segments when forming an entanglement selected for insertion when viewing from the side of the insertion with an orientation where from a center of the orifice to a portion of borders of the orifice shaped such that the portion intends to accommodate the wire entanglement near a bend made by the first and second wire segments, is configured relatively opposite to a direction from the wire entanglement to a wire segment prolonging and perpendicular to the inserted wire segment after the wire entanglement. |
| Claim: | 12. The method of claim 10 , where an insertion of the apparatus in the chain-link fence as the gap points to the first wire segment located such that the first wire segment extends over other segments when forming an entanglement selected for insertion when viewing from the side of the insertion with an orientation where from a center of the orifice to a portion of borders of the orifice shaped such that the portion intends to accommodate the wire entanglement near a bend made by the first and second wire segments, is configured relatively the same as a direction from the wire entanglement to a wire segment prolonging and perpendicular to the inserted wire segment after the wire entanglement; after insertion, the apparatus must be rotated 180 degrees around an axis created by the inserted wire segment. |
| Patent References Cited: | 297487 April 1884 Bacon 3774884 November 1973 Singer 3964197 June 1976 Tucker 5177890 January 1993 Hisatomi 5441239 August 1995 Watson D417807 December 1999 McBarnette 6669175 December 2003 Snow 7076898 July 2006 Hunt 7887027 February 2011 Garceau 8322667 December 2012 Zannoni 2004/0261304 December 2004 Edwards 2005/0274937 December 2005 Moore 2013/0082155 April 2013 McCormack |
| Primary Examiner: | Kennedy, Joshua T |
| Accession Number: | edspgr.10662670 |
| Database: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| Language: | English |
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