Abstract:
Mounting straps for a barrier are provided. The barriers comprise an intersecting mesh of barrier elements and an outer edge at the perimeter of the barrier. The mounting straps are attachable to the outer edge of the barrier. The mounting straps comprise at least one finished hole and are anchorable frame elements by fastening mounting hardware through one of the mounting strap&#39;s finished holes.

Description:
[0001]    This application takes priority from U.S. provisional application 60/969,009 filed Aug. 30, 2007. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Barriers are used in many industrial and commercial applications for a variety of purposes. They are often used as barricades to cordon off areas, as safety harnesses on storage racks, etc. The barriers are assembled from barrier elements formed into a mesh or net. The barrier elements are usually straps, ropes or chains, and are made of nylon, polypropylene, cotton, or other material. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    Mounting straps for a barrier are provided. The barriers comprise an intersecting mesh of barrier elements and an outer edge at the perimeter of the barrier. The mounting straps are attachable to the outer edge of the barrier. The mounting straps comprise at least one finished hole and are anchorable to frame elements by fastening mounting hardware through one of the mounting strap&#39;s finished holes. 
         [0004]    In embodiments in which the mounting straps have two finished holes, each mounting strap is anchorable by wrapping the mounting strap around frame elements, aligning the two finished holes to overlap, and fastening mounting hardware through both aligned finished holes. Alternatively the mounting straps could be fastened to anchoring hardware that is in turn anchored to the frame elements. 
         [0005]    Those skilled in the art will realize that this invention is capable of embodiments different from those shown and described herein and that details of the devices and methods can be changed in various manners without departing from the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions are to be regarded as including such equivalent embodiments as do not depart from the spirit and scope of this invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    For a more complete understanding and appreciation of this invention, and its many advantages, reference will be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a barrier having a plurality of mounting straps attached to all sides of the barrier; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a close up view of one mounting strap attached to the barrier shown in  FIG. 1  in which the mounting strap has three finished holes; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a close up view of the mounting strap shown in  FIG. 2  in which the mounting strap is anchored to a slotted frame element with mounting hardware fastened to the mounting strap through one finished hole; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a barrier having a plurality of mounting straps attached to two sides of the barrier in which the barrier is anchored between two vertical slotted frame elements; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a close up view of the mounting strap shown in  FIG. 2  in which the mounting strap is anchored to a frame element by wrapping the mounting strap around the frame element, aligning the two finished holes to overlap, and fastening mounting hardware through the two aligned finished holes; 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a barrier having a plurality of mounting straps attached to one side of the barrier in which the barrier is hanging from a horizontal frame element and the mounting straps are anchored to the frame element by fastening mounting hardware through two finished holes as shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a barrier having a plurality of mounting straps attached to three sides of the barrier in which the barrier is anchored to anchoring hardware by fastening mounting hardware through two finished holes, and the anchoring hardware in turn anchored to three sides of a passageway; 
           [0014]      FIG. 8A  is a close up view of a mounting strap anchored to anchoring hardware that is an eyebolt; 
           [0015]      FIG. 8B  is a close up view of a mounting strap anchored to anchoring hardware that is an O-ring; 
           [0016]      FIG. 8C  is a close up view of a mounting strap anchored to anchoring hardware that is a D-ring; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8D  is a close up view of a mounting strap anchored to anchoring hardware that is a hook; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8E  is a close up view of a mounting strap anchored to anchoring hardware that is a spring clip; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8F  is a close up view of a mounting strap anchored to anchoring hardware that is a clamp; 
           [0020]      FIG. 8G  is a close up view of a mounting strap anchored to anchoring hardware that is a carabineer; 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is a close up of a mounting strap that is stitched to the outer edge of a barrier; 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  is a close up of a mounting strap that is riveted to the outer edge of a barrier; 
           [0023]      FIG. 11  is a close up of a mounting strap that is bolted to openings in the outer edge of a barrier; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 12  is a close up of a mounting strap that is an extension of the barrier elements of a barrier. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0025]    Referring to the drawings, some of the reference numerals are used to designate the same or corresponding parts through several of the embodiments and figures shown and described. Corresponding parts are denoted in different embodiments with the addition of lowercase letters. Variations of corresponding parts in form or function that are depicted in the figures are described. It will be understood that variations in the embodiments can generally be interchanged without deviating from the invention. 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  shows a barrier  10  having a plurality of barrier elements  12  that are arranged into a mesh. The barrier elements  12  shown in  FIG. 1  are ropes, but they can be straps, chains, or any other appropriate elements. In any case the barrier elements  12  can be fixed at their overlapping intersections if called for by the particular application. An outer edge  14  is attached to the perimeter of the barrier  10  by stitches, rivets, or other fastening methods. (If the barrier  10  were made of straps, the outer edge  14  can be the outermost straps of the barrier elements  12  of the barrier  10 .) A plurality of mounting straps  16  are attached to the outer edge  14 . The barrier  10  in  FIG. 1  is shown with mounting straps  16  on the perimeter of the barrier  10 , but, as demonstrated herein, it will be understood that mounting straps  16  may be installed on any number of sides as required for the particular application. Each mounting strap  16  is attached to the outer edge  14  with fasteners  15 . In  FIG. 1 , the fasteners  15  are stitches, but as shown herein, other methods of attachment are also possible. 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , each mounting strap  16  has at least one finished hole  18  located along its length. The embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  has three finished holes  18  that are reinforced with metal grommets  20 . The length of the mounting straps  16  and the number of finished holes  18  can be varied depending on the application or the amount of adjustability required. The mounting strap  16  can be made of nylon, polypropylene, cotton, or other appropriate material. 
         [0028]    The mounting straps  16  give users the option of setting up barriers quickly and easily in a variety of ways. For example,  FIG. 3  shows a mounting strap  16   a  anchored directly to a frame element  22   a  that has openings  24   a  formed in it. Each mounting strap  16   a  is anchorable to the frame element  22   a  by fastening mounting hardware  26   a  through a finished hole  18   a  that is aligned with an opening  24   a  in the frame element  22   a . In  FIG. 3 , the mounting hardware  26   a  comprises a nut  28   a , a bolt  30   a  and a washer  32   a , but other types of hardware can be used as required by the particular application.  FIG. 4  shows a barrier  10   a  having a plurality of mounting straps  16   a  attached to two sides of the barrier  10   a  in which the mounting straps  16   a  are anchored to two vertical frame elements  22   a  of storage rack  34   a . The vertical frame elements  22   a  have openings  24   a  to which the finished holes  18   a  of the mounting straps  16   a  are aligned and through which mounting hardware  26   a  is fastened. 
         [0029]    The mounting straps can be used to anchor barriers in other ways and for other applications. In  FIG. 5  a mounting strap  16   b  is anchored to a frame element  22   b , such as a pole, the support beam of a storage rack, the I-beam of building, etc. The mounting strap  16   b  is wrapped around the frame element  22   b  and two finished holes (hidden behind the mounting hardware  26   b ) are aligned to overlap. Mounting hardware  26   b  is fastened through the aligned finished holes  18   b . In  FIG. 5 , the mounting hardware  26   b  comprises a nut  28   b , a bolt  30   b  and a washer  32   b , but other types of hardware can be used as required by the particular application.  FIG. 6  shows a barrier  10   b  having a plurality of mounting straps  16   b  attached to one side of a barrier  10   b  in which the mounting straps  16   b  are anchored to a horizontal frame element  22   b  as described in  FIG. 5 , above. 
         [0030]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , where mounting straps  16   c  cannot be wrapped around or anchored directly to support components, the mounting straps  16   c  of a barrier  10   c can be fastened to anchoring hardware  36   c  that are in turn anchored to frame elements  22   c . In  FIG. 7  the barrier  10   c  has a plurality of mounting straps  16   c  attached to three sides of the barrier  10   c . Each mounting strap  16   c  has a pair of finished holes (hidden behind the mounting hardware  26   c ). Each mounting strap is wrapped around anchoring hardware  36   c  and the finished holes are aligned and fastened to the anchoring hardware  36   c  with mounting hardware  26   c . The anchoring hardware  36   c  can in turn be anchored to frame elements  22   a , in this case the frame of a doorway. 
         [0031]      FIGS. 8A-8G  show close ups of examples of different kinds of anchoring hardware  36   c - i  that can be used. The anchoring hardware  36   c - i  can variously be anchored directly to a surface or be anchored to various other hardware devices (not shown) such as clips, quick clamps, spring clamps, eye-bolts, hooks, etc.  FIG. 8A-8G  shows a mounting strap  16   c - i  fastened to anchoring hardware  36   c - 1  that are an eyebolt, an O-ring, a D-ring, a hook, a spring clip, a clamp, and a carabineer, respectively. Other combinations of mounting hardware are readily apparent. 
         [0032]    Mounting straps can be attached to barriers in different ways.  FIG. 9  shows a close up of a barrier  10   j  showing a pair of mounting straps  16   j  that are attached to the outer edge  14   j  of the barrier  10   j  with fasteners  15   j  that are stitches.  FIG. 10  shows a pair of mounting straps  16   k  attached to the outer edge  14   k  of a barrier  10   k  with fasteners  15   k  that are rivets.  FIG. 11  shows a pair of mounting straps  16   l  attached to a barrier  10   l  with fasteners  15   l  that are bolts through openings  38   l  in the outer edge  14   l . The mounting straps can also be extensions of the barrier elements  12   m  that are secured to the outer edge  14   m  with fasteners  15   m  that are stitches as shown in  FIG. 12 . 
         [0033]    This invention has been described with reference to several preferred embodiments. Many modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding specification. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such alterations and modifications in so far as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents of these claims.