Abstract:
Embodiments for barrier assemblies and setup configuration of these barrier assemblies are disclosed. The barriers are used to block the entry of children or animal into areas in which their safety may be jeopardized. The barrier assemblies contain a sheet configured for outstretching and for retraction into a roll form, and for being maintained under tension in an outstretched form. A locking assembly prevents the sheet from accidentally retracting. The barrier assemblies are configured for indoor use by means of attaching to walls and stair posts as well as for outdoor use by anchoring the barrier assembly to the ground.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to embodiments of a barrier assembly for indoor and outdoor uses and embodiments for setting up and utilizing the barrier assembly. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Barriers have many uses. For example, a barrier may be used to restrict a child to an outdoor play area, to prevent a child from falling off the stairs or to restrict a dog from running out to the street. Barriers are also used to warn the public and limit access to crime scenes, to construction areas and in directing traffic. For many of these applications, it would be desirable to construct the barriers in a way that allows quick assembly, quick setup and quick disassembly rather than constructing more permanent barriers that tend to be pricey to erect and remove, such as fences. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide barriers configured for protecting children, animals, as well as grown-ups. It is further the object of the present invention to provide barriers that fit in both indoor and outdoor environments. It is also the object of the present invention to make the barriers easy to assemble, set up and disassemble. It is additionally the object of the present invention to provide barrier construction assemblies and setup assemblies for utilization in such a manner as to minimize object snag issues that may place children at risk. It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a barrier structure that is stable and would not come apart or collapse during use. 
     In one aspect of the present invention, a first barrier assembly comprises: a sheet wound into a sheet roll having a hollow center to form a retracted configuration, the sheet being configured for unwinding from the sheet roll to form an outstretched barrier, the sheet having a leading edge; a pullout frame having a handle tube and an attaching bar, the leading edge of the sheet being attached to the attaching bar; a base housing adapted for placement onto a ground surface, the base housing containing a rear vertical extension and a front vertical extension; a tie rod having a hollow center and having a top opening and a bottom opening, the bottom opening being adapted for placement onto the rear vertical extension of the base housing; a reel tube adapted to fit inside the sheet roll, the reel tube being adapted to slide over the front vertical extension of the base frame; a torsion spring adapted to tightly fit inside the reel tube; the torsion spring being adapted for applying tension onto the outstretched barrier; and a locking assembly attached to the top of the sheet roll and the top of the tie rod. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, a barrier assembly comprises: a sheet wound into a sheet roll having a hollow center to form a retracted configuration, the sheet being configured for unwinding from the sheet roll to form an outstretched barrier, the sheet having a leading edge; a pullout frame having a handle tube and an attaching bar, the leading edge of the sheet being attached to the attaching bar; a base frame having a base housing adapted for placement onto a ground surface, the base housing containing a rear vertical extension and a front vertical extension; a tie rod having a hollow center and having a top opening and a bottom opening, the bottom opening being adapted for placement onto the rear vertical extension of the base housing; a reel tube adapted to tightly fit inside the sheet roll, the reel tube being adapted to slip onto the front vertical extension of the base frame; a torsion spring adapted to tightly fit inside the reel tube; the torsion spring being adapted for applying tension onto the outstretched barrier; and a housing assembly attached to the top of the sheet roll and the top of the tie rod. 
     In yet another aspect of the present invention, a barrier assembly comprises: a sheet wound into a sheet roll having a hollow center to form a retracted configuration, the sheet being configured for unwinding from the sheet roll to form an outstretched barrier, the sheet having a leading edge; a pullout frame having a handle tube and an attaching bar, the leading edge of the sheet being attached to the attaching bar; a base frame having a base housing adapted for placement onto a ground surface, the base housing containing a rear vertical extension and a front round opening; a tie rod having a hollow center and having a top opening and a bottom opening, the bottom opening being adapted for placement onto the rear vertical extension of the base housing; a reel tube adapted to tightly fit inside the sheet roll, and a bottom of the reel tube being adapted to slip through the front round opening in the base frame; and a locking assembly attached to the top of the sheet roll and the top of the tie rod. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the first embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a barrier locking assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the first embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier in a first use configuration; 
         FIG. 5  a perspective view of the first embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier in a second use configuration; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the first embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier in a third use configuration; 
         FIGS. 7 and 8  illustrate perspective views of the first embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier in a fourth use configuration; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the first embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier in a fifth use configuration; 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded view of a component of the setup assembly of  FIG. 9  according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the first embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier in a sixth use configuration; 
         FIG. 12  illustrates an exploded view of a component of the setup assembly of  FIG. 11  according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the first embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier in a seventh use configuration; 
         FIG. 14  is an exploded view of a second embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier; 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier; 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of the second embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier in a use configuration; 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier; 
         FIG. 18  is an exploded view of the third embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier; 
         FIG. 19  is another exploded view of a third embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier; 
         FIG. 20  is a perspective view of the third embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier in a first use configuration; 
         FIG. 21  is a perspective view of the third embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier in a second use configuration; 
         FIG. 22  is a perspective view of the third embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier in a third use configuration; 
         FIG. 23  is a perspective view of the third embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier in a fourth use configuration; 
         FIG. 24  is a perspective view of the third embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier in a fifth use configuration; 
         FIGS. 25 and 26  portray close-up views of a component of the first embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier; 
         FIG. 27  is a perspective view of the first embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier utilizing the component of  FIGS. 25 and 26  in an eight use configuration; and 
         FIG. 28  is a front magnified view of a component of the first embodiment of an assembly for outstretching and retracting a barrier. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention. 
     The barrier of the present invention is a sheet configured for being wound into a roll, for unwinding from the roll, to extend laterally from the roll to form a barrier, and for retracting back into a roll form. The sheet may be made from a fabric or fabric mesh; however, other materials, such as plastic or metal, also fall within the scope of the present invention. The retractable barrier assembly is configured for controlling the span, position and tension on the sheet. 
       FIGS. 1-28  illustrate embodiments of three barrier assemblies and in-use configurations using these assemblies. 
       FIGS. 1-3 and 28  show the construction of a first assembly for a barrier.  FIGS. 4-13  present setups of barriers using the first assembly between two walls. The span between the walls varies and is a determining factor in selecting the configuration most appropriate for erecting the barrier. The barriers shown in  FIGS. 4, 7-9, 11 and 27  cover relatively short spans between walls  14 A and  14 B. Generally, this configuration is suitable for spans ranging between about 8 to about 25 feet.  FIG. 6  portrays a setup of two barriers erected one over the other. This setup would be used if the height blocked by a single barrier is not sufficient, such as blocking a dog that might jump over a single barrier. In  FIGS. 5 and 13 , two barriers are combined to cover a large span between two walls. With these setups, two barriers are needed, as the wall to wall span is larger than what a single barrier using the first assembly construction is capable of covering. 
       FIGS. 14-15  show the construction of a second assembly for a single barrier.  FIG. 16  depicts the setup of a barrier using this assembly. The barrier is erected between a wall and a front edge of a door that opens and closes. 
       FIGS. 17-19  show the construction of a third assembly for a single barrier.  FIGS. 20-24  describe various setup embodiments of barriers using the third assembly to cordon off a defined span. The third barrier assembly is most suitable for covering long spans between two points, typically greater than about 25′. The third barrier assembly is typically useful, though not limited to, outdoor areas.  FIG. 21  illustrates a setup of two barriers that utilize the third barrier assembly which combine to fence off a relatively large span. 
     The first barrier assembly  10  comprises a sheet  12  wound into a roll  18 . The sheet material of construction is preferably a flexible yet strong fabric. The mesh of the fabric may be open or closed. However, other materials of construction, such as metal or plastic, also fall within the scope of the present invention. The leading edge of the sheet  12  is attached to a frame structure that contains a handle tube  13 A and an attaching bar  13 B. Torsion spring roll  2  fits inside reel tube  9 , which has an upper slot  51 , such that hook  3  disposed at the top of the torsion spring roll  2  is seated inside slot  51 . The back end of the sheet is attached to reel tube  9  and the sheet is wrapped around reel tube  9  such that it is disposed inside sheet roll  18 . An upper cap knob  4 A covers openings in the upper portion of handle tube  13 A and attaching bar  13 B. A lower cap knob  4 B covers openings in the lower portion of handle tube  13 A and attaching bar  13 B. The cap knobs  4 A and  4 B help stop the sheet  12  as it is pulled back to wind into the roll  18 . The cap knobs also help prevent snag issues. The handle tube  13 A and the reel tube  9  are hollow inside. 
     The attachment of the sheet  12  to the attaching bar  13 B is accomplished through loop  6 A and spline  6 B inserted into attaching bar  13 B. The leading edge of the sheet  12  is folded over loop  6 A and sewn onto it. Spline  6 B is attached onto the loop  6 A to further reinforce the attachment. It is noted that other attachment means of the sheet  12  onto the attaching bar also fall within the scope of the present invention. These include but are not limited to: fusing the ends of the sheet  12  to the attaching bar  13 B, wedging the sheet  12  in a slot in the attaching bar  13 B and clipping the sheet to the attaching bar  13 B. A reinforcement rod  5  made of a rigid plastic material is inserted inside the handle tube  13 A for further reinforcement. A handle grip  11  is snapped onto handle tube  13 A. It allows the user a good grip to pull out the handle tube  13 A and the sheet  12  along with it. The handle grip  11  is configured to swivel about 30 degrees to each side of handle tube  13 A. 
     The first barrier assembly  10  is placed vertically onto an indoor floor or outdoor ground. The barrier assembly  10  is subjected to forces exerted by the pulling out and retracting of the sheet. It is therefore important to construct the assembly  10  such that it is stable, that it would not come apart in use or collapse. A number of provisions are made to reinforce the structure. A tie rod  7  placed at the rear of the assembly with the bottom opening placed over rear vertical extension  53  of base housing  24  while the reel tube  9  is placed over front vertical extension  52  of base housing  24 . Protective sleeve  8  slips over tie rod  7  to provide rigidity. 
     The first barrier assembly  10  contains a locking assembly configured for preventing the sheet from inadvertently retracting when outstretched under tension. Sheet locking assembly  20  contains an upper housing member  15  and middle housing member  19  which are combined to form a housing enclosure. Middle housing member  19  contains a plurality of fixed internal gear teeth  75  and is open at the bottom center. Compression spring  23  is open in the center and is placed inside the middle housing member  19 . Gear member  22  containing a plurality of teeth  76  and center opening  77  is placed over the compression spring  23 . Knob  21  is placed into slot  48  of upper housing member  15  and is configured to turn inside the slot  48  to position “A” and a lower position “B”. The knob  21  is configured to lock in place in both positions “A” and “B”. In position “B”, the knob  21  applies a downward pressure onto the compression spring  23  and onto gear member  22 , pushing gear member  22  into slot  51  of reel tube  9  and also placing it in position for its teeth  76  to engage with the internal gear teeth  75  of middle housing member  19 . This prevents gear member  22  from rotating, and, in turn, prevents the reel tube  9  from turning. Moving the knob  21  to the higher position “A” releases the pressure on the compression spring which pushes the gear member  22  out of its engagement with the internal gear teeth  75  of middle housing  19  and out of engagement with the reel tube  9  making it free to turn. The upper housing member  15  having knob  21  attached to it and the lower housing member  19  containing the gear member  22  and compression spring  23  are configured to combine and form the locking assembly. 
     The bottom back end of the middle housing  19  of locking assembly  20  attaches to the top of tie rod  7 , while the bottom front end of the middle housing  19  attaches to the top of sheet roll  18  and engages with the top of the reel tube  9 . The attachment of the bottom back end of the middle housing  19  to the top of tie rod  7  may be done by screws or any other suitable attaching means. 
     The barrier assembly  10  is installed between two walls in setup configuration  30  wherein the sheet  12  is extended between first wall  14 A and second wall  14 B. Two u-shaped brackets  16 A and  16 B, each having a curved arm  55  as shown in  FIG. 10 , are attached to the first wall  14 A using screws. U-shaped bracket  16 A is installed near the locking assembly at the top of barrier assembly  10 , while u-shaped bracket  16 B is installed near the base housing  24  at the bottom of barrier assembly  10 . The bent arm  55  of the u-shaped brackets  16 A and  16 B are clipped onto sleeve  8  of tie rod  7  and hold the tie rod sleeve  8  close to the first wall  14 A. Similarly, two u-shaped brackets  16 C and  16 D, each having a curved arm  55 , are attached to the second wall  14 B by screws. The curved arms  55  of u-shaped brackets  16 C and  16 D each clips onto handle tube  13 A. The benefit of the u-shaped brackets  16  is the ease of installation and disassembly of the barrier. The handle tube  13 A and tie rod sleeve  8  need to be only clipped onto and unclipped from the respective u-shaped brackets  16  for setup and disassembly to be accomplished. 
     Barrier assembly setup  40  is situated between a first wall  14 A and a second wall  14 B that are further apart than the distance that one barrier assembly  10  can cover. With this setup, two barrier assemblies  10  are combined front to front in order to form a long barrier. The back end of one barrier assembly  10  containing sheet  12 A is attached to the first wall  14 A, while the back end of the other barrier assembly  10  containing sheet  12 B is attached to the second wall  14 B. The handle tubes  13 A 1  and  13 A 2  of the two barrier assemblies  10  are attached to one another using s-hooks  17 A and  17 B. Tying together handle tubes  13 A 1  and  13 A 2  using hooks  17 A and  17 B prevents the two barrier assemblies  10  from retracting while they are under tension and prevents the barrier sheets  12 A and  12 B from folding from the weight of the respective pullout frames if the locking assemblies  20  of the two barrier assemblies  10  are engaged and are thus not under tension. 
     In setup  50 , two barrier assemblies  10  are combined to cover a higher gap between wall  14 A and wall  14 B that face each other. With this setup, the assembly containing the first barrier sheet  12 A is attached to the surfaces of walls  14 A and  14 B that face each other close to the floor as with setup  30 . However, the assembly with the second barrier sheet  12 B is attached to the surfaces of walls  14 A and  14 B that corner and are perpendicular to the parallel surfaces of walls  14 A and  14 B situated mostly above the first barrier sheet  12  with some overlap. The u-shaped brackets  16 A (not shown) and  16 B are used for attaching tie rod  8 A of the first barrier assembly to the surface of the first wall  14 A. Similarly, u-shaped brackets  16 C and  16 D (not shown) are used for attaching the handle tube  13 A of the first barrier assembly to the surface of wall  14 B facing  14 A. U-shaped brackets  16 E and  16 F are also used for attaching the handle tube  13 A of the second barrier assembly to wall  14 A. However, the tie rod cover  8 B and sheet roll  18  end of the second barrier is attached to the corner surface of the second wall  14 B using clips  74 A and  74 B. The clip attachment is more stable for a raised barrier than u-shaped brackets that only function to hold the sheet under tension. 
     With setup  30 , a gap between the top of the handle tube frame and the wall  14 B is formed. This gap may present a snagging hazard for children&#39;s articles of clothing such as shirt collars and necklaces that may get caught in the gap thus creating a choking hazard. This problem is mitigated by closing this gap. 
     Setup  60  is similar to setup  30 , but it additionally comprises a first embodiment of a snag shield  25 . Snag shield  25  is a thin bent strip disposed between the top of the handle tube  13 A and wall  14 B. The front of the snag shield  25  is snapped onto the top of the handle tube  13 A while the back of the snag shield  25  is screwed to the second wall  14 B. The attachment of the snag shield  25  to second wall  14 B is configured for repositioning the back strip of the snag shield  25  up or down the wall  14 B which in turn moves the handle tube  13 A closer or further away from the wall  14 B. Setup  60  is presented in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the handle tube  13 A contains a protrusion  92  extending from the bottom side of the handle tube  13 A. This is shown in  FIGS. 1, 6, 8 and 28 . The protrusion is positioned below the level of the sheet  12  and functions to stop the handle and fabric roll at the proper point of retraction. 
     A second embodiment  190  of a snag shield  81  is shown in  FIGS. 25 and 26 . A cylindrical tongue  81  is encased inside a hollow upper housing  84  of the pullout frame that also includes handle tube  13 A and attaching bar  13 B. The cylindrical tongue  81  is spring loaded using spring  83 . It may be held in a retracted position inside the upper housing  84  of the pullout frame or in a released position. Retracting the cylindrical tongue  81  is accomplished through pulling back on tab  82  and locking it in place. Releasing the tab  82  allows the spring  83  to push the cylindrical tongue  81  out of the upper housing  84  to cover the gap between upper housing  84  and wall  14 B and acting as a snag shield. Setup  200  in  FIG. 27  incorporates the second embodiment of the snag shield  190 . 
     When a post  26  replaces one of the walls at the top of stairs  43 , a stair post adaptor  27  may be used as an attaching medium in order to avoid drilling holes into the post  26  for the u-shaped brackets  16 A and  16 B. The mechanism  80  in  FIG. 10  for attaching the handle tube  13 A to the stair post adaptor  27  uses four straps  28  for fastening the stair post adaptor  27  to the side of the post  26  onto which the handle tube  13 A is placed and uses two u-shaped brackets  16 A and  16 B for attaching the handle tube  13 A to the stair post adaptor  27  by screws. The u-shaped brackets  16 A and  16 B then clamp onto handle tube  13 A holding it under tension in setup configuration  70 . Cap  29  covers the top of post adaptor  27 . 
     In order to help prevent an animal or child from slipping under barrier sheet  12 , a threshold barrier  32  is attached to the bottom of the sheet. For a relatively short barrier, a single threshold barrier  32  may be used, or multiple threshold barriers  32  attached to one another would be used as needed for longer sheets. In the configuration shown in  FIG. 12 , two threshold barriers  32 A and  32 B are attached to each other using couplers  31  attached to the ends of the threshold barriers  32 A and  32 B by screws. The bottom side of the sheet  12  is disposed inside a slot in the threshold barrier  32  that is placed on the ground as illustrated by configuration  90 . The sheet is configured to slide freely inside the slot. It is noted that the strips  47  of the threshold barriers  32 A and  32 B into which the screws are inserted for attaching the couplers  31  are thicker than the opposing strip which does not contain a screw. 
     In setup  100 , two barrier assemblies are attached front to back to form a two sheet barrier  12 A and  12 B. This configuration allows attaching multiple barrier assemblies to fence off larger spans than a single barrier assembly configuration  30  would be capable of. The first assembly, shown with tie rod sleeve  8 A, locking assembly upper housing member  15 A, lower housing member  19 A, sheet  12 A, base housing  24 A, handle tube  13 A 1 , sheet attaching bar  13 B 1  and handle grip  11 A, is attached to wall  14 A using u-shaped brackets  16 A 1  and  16 B 1 . 
     The tie rod sleeve  8 B of the second barrier assembly is attached to handle tube  13 A 1  of the first assembly using straps  33 A and  33 B. The second barrier assembly in setup  100 , shown with locking assembly upper housing member  15 B, lower housing member  19 B, sheet  12 B, base housing  24 B, handle tube  13 A 2 , sheet attaching bar  13 B 2  and handle grip  11 A, is attached to wall  14 B using u-shaped brackets  16 A 2  and  16 B 2 . With this configuration, the handle tube  13 A 2  of the second barrier assembly is held by u-shaped brackets  16 A 2  and  16 B 2  attached to wall  14 B by screws. It is noted that additional barrier assemblies may be added between the second barrier and wall  14 B in the same manner as the second barrier assembly is strung onto the first barrier assembly. 
     Barrier assembly  110  shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15  is similar to barrier assembly  10  except for the locking assembly being absent. The upper housing member  34  does not have the lock and unlock settings or the knob placement groove. Also not included are the compression spring and the gear wheel. 
     In setup  120 , barrier assembly  110  is attached to a wall  14 A at the sheet  12  unwinding end and to a side of the door  36  at the leading front. The attachments are accomplished by means of two u-shaped brackets  16 A 1  and  16 B 1  for attaching to the wall  14 A, and  16 A 2  and  16 B 2  for attaching to the door  36  attachment. Setup  120  is used to create a barrier  12  when opening a door, a front door of a house, for example; the barrier would then prevent a dog or a cat from running out the house. Opening the door  36  would pull out sheet  12  to block the opening to prevent a dog from running out. This places the barrier sheet  12  under tension as a result of the pull force exerted by the torsion spring roll  2 . Having a locking assembly is undesirable for this setup, as opening the door  36  when the setting is left inadvertently in the lock position pries against the locking assembly and can damage the assembly. 
     A barrier assembly  130  used primarily for, though not limited to, the outdoors is shown in the retracted configuration in  FIG. 17  and in the exploded configurations shown in  FIGS. 18 and 19 . The setup configurations for barrier assembly  130  are presented in  FIGS. 20-24 . In general, the sheets used in these setups cover much longer spans than barrier assembly  10 . 
     As with the barrier assembly  10 , barrier assembly  130  is structured using a handle tube frame having a handle tube  46 B and fabric attaching bar  46 A, a handle grip  11  configured to snap onto the handle tube  46 B, loop  35 A and spline  35 B inserted into attaching bar  46 A for attaching sheet  12  to the attaching bar  46 A and an upper cap knob  45 A for covering openings in the upper portion of handle tube  46 B and attaching bar  46 A while a lower cap knob  45 B covers openings in the lower portion of handle tube  46 B and attaching bar  46 A. As with barrier assembly  10 , reel tube  9  is placed inside sheet roll  18 . Barrier assembly  130  includes the locking assembly  20  of barrier assembly  10 . The locking assembly  20  when used in conjunction with barrier assembly  130  is configured to prevent the sheet  12  from inadvertently snapping back while under tension. 
     Barrier assembly  130  includes a first ground receiver  38 A and a second ground receiver  38 B that are configured for ground anchoring to provide balance and stability to the barrier structure in an outdoor environment. The first ground receiver  38 A is attached to the bottom of the handle tube  46 B via adaptor rod  39 A while the second ground receiver  38 B is attached to the bottom of the reel tube  9  via adaptor rod  39 B. It is noted that the attachment of adaptor rod  39 B to reel tube  9  requires adaptor rod  39 B to be threaded through opening  54  in the base housing  44 . Adaptor rod  39 B fits into reel tube  9  as a tight sleeve. It is also noted that the attaching bar  46 A of barrier assembly  130  has a larger diameter than the attaching bar  13 B component of barrier assembly  10  in order to accommodate adaptor rod  39 A. 
     There are other major differences between barrier assembly  130  and barrier assembly  10 . The torsion spring roll is absent from barrier assembly  130  as a torsion spring roll would be ineffective for applying tension onto sheets that are significantly longer than 25 feet. The sheet roll  18  has a significantly longer sheet  12  wound onto it and thus the center opening is smaller. The base housing  44  of the assembly structure  130  has an opening  54  at the front side instead of vertical extension  52 . The reel tube  9  is placed inside the sheet roll  18  and is lodged inside opening  54  in the base housing  44  to hold it in place. The attachment of adaptor rod  39 B for ground receiver  38 B goes through opening  54  in the base housing  44 . As with barrier assembly  10 , the tie rod  7  and protective sleeve  8  are placed at the rear of the assembly to slip onto rear vertical extension  53 . 
     In lieu of a torsion spring roll, applying tension onto barrier sheet  12  with barrier assembly  130  is accomplished using hand crank  37 . Drive member  58  is adapted to fit snugly into slot  51  of reel tube  9 . The bottom end of the vertical arm of the crank  37  traverses through the openings in locking assembly  20  and is inserted inside an opening in the drive member  58 . Turning the crank  37  clockwise engages drive member  58  which in turn engages reel tube  9  causing it to turn clockwise to wind sheet  12  into roll  18 . 
     Turning the hand crank  37  clockwise while the sheet  12  is pulled out and the handle tube  46 A is anchored by the first ground receiver  38 A applies a tension force onto the sheet  12 . The tension on sheet  12  may then be set by engaging locking assembly  20  which keeps the sheet taut. Unlocking the sheet enables the hand crank  37  to wind the sheet  12  as needed. 
     Barrier assembly  130  may be used indoors as illustrated by setup  140  in which the sheet  12  is spread between walls  14 A and  14 B. 
     In setup  150 , two barrier assembles having sheets  12 A and  12 B respectively are attached front to front, with the first assembly being supported by ground receiver  38 A 1  and  38 B 1 , while the second assembly is supported by ground receiver  38 A 2  and  38 B 2 . Since sheets  12 A and  12 B are placed under tension in normal use, they must be attached to each other to prevent them from retracting. This attachment is accomplished by clips  41 A and  41 B that tie the two handle tubes  46 B 1  and  46 B 2  together. In this manner setup  150  is configured to fence off large spans in an outdoor environment. 
     In setup  160 , stakes  42  adapted for ground anchoring are used to supplement the support for this outdoor barrier  12 . Two stakes  42  are used to support the base housing  44  and the locking assembly housing end  15 , and two stakes  42  are used to support the attaching bar  46 A and handle tube  46 B end. The stakes  42  supporting the end containing base housing  44  and locking assembly housing  15  are attached using cord  71  that threads through a junction between middle housing  19  and tie rod sleeve  8 . The stakes  42  supporting the end containing the attaching bar  46 A and handle tube  46 B are wrapped through an opening in the frame formed by attaching bar  46 A and handle tube  46 B using cord  73 . 
     Setup  170  covers a relatively short outdoor span using only ground receivers  38 A and  38 B that are pounded into the ground so stake supports  42  are not needed. To use setup  170  indoors without ground receivers  38 A and  38 B, a mandrel  59  having vertical extension  52  is placed under base housing  44  as shown in setup  180 . Vertical extension  52  fits into opening  54  in base housing  44 . The mandrel  59  keeps the bottom of the sheet roll  18  from coming off base housing  44 . In setup  170 , ground receiver  38 B performed this function, but ground receivers are not used indoors. Though not shown, each end of the barrier in this setup is configured for attaching to a corresponding wall as in setup  140 . 
     It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.