Abstract:
A farm implement for guiding a barrier material into a layered material comprises a turntable for holding the barrier material, a guide apparatus for guiding the barrier material into the layered material, and a crossbar to which is attached the turntable and a hitch portion for attaching the crossbar to a vehicle. The guide apparatus comprises a vertical support post that attaches the guide apparatus to the crossbar, a guide slot hingedly attached to the vertical support post, a platform and at least one roller attached to the guide slot, and at least one cap hingedly attached to and positioned above the guide slot.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   None. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to farm implements and methods in general and in particular to a method and apparatus for installing fencing or other barrier or confinement materials below the surface of, for example a litter pile, for raising animals therein. 
   2. Background 
   Large scale poultry farming requires large enclosures for containing the hatchlings in order to keep them confined, which at early stages is important for keeping them near a source of heat and at all stages is important for the birds&#39; protection. Typically these enclosures are placed in a fresh bed of litter, which must be replaced after each batch of birds has been raised. 
   The litter can be comprised of a variety of materials and arranged in various ways. Often the bottom layer of litter is composed of a water-absorbent material, which is important for containing wastes and keeping the birds dry and clean. This absorbent material may be a natural material which is relatively inexpensive to obtain and relatively harmless to the birds. 
   Many growers use waste material from a variety of natural sources, for example hulls generated during the production of white rice, as a base for their litter. While rice hulls have many other beneficial properties such as water absorbency, they are nonetheless potentially dangerous to the health of the birds. If a chicken or turkey poult swallows a piece of hull the material can get stuck in the bird&#39;s crop and if not dislodged can lead to the bird&#39;s death. Therefore, the bottom layer of rice hulls (or other base material) is overlaid with layers of other, less harmful materials such as wood chips, wood shavings, or straw. 
   When barriers are installed in the barn or pen to create discrete brooding pens for the poults, care must be taken not to disturb the layers of material so as avoid turning up to the surface any materials (such as rice hulls) from lower layers that could be a danger to the birds. The extra care that must be taken during installation of temporary barriers for confining the birds (or other animals) while they are being raised makes manual installation of the barriers difficult and time-consuming. Even where no dangerous materials are used, manually installing a barrier in the litter pile is still a laborious process that can consume a great deal of time. 
   More generally, installing a barrier material into a layered material can be cumbersome and time-consuming, especially when care must be taken not to mix or disturb the various layers involved. One such example is the installation of lawn or garden edging materials, wherein one must avoid spilling dirt onto the adjoining grass or pavement. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a method and apparatus for installing a barrier in a litter pile or any other layered surface. 
   In one embodiment the invention is a guide apparatus for guiding a barrier material into a layered material, where the guide apparatus comprises a guide slot having solid walls; and at least one cap, positioned over the guide slot and arranged to generate downward force on the barrier material as the barrier material is guided through the guide slot. 
   In another embodiment the invention is a method of inserting a barrier material into a layered material, comprising the steps of providing a guide apparatus comprising a guide slot having solid walls and an open rear portion and at least one cap, the cap being positioned over the guide slot and arranged to generate downward force on the barrier material as the barrier material is guided through the guide slot; advancing the guide apparatus through the layered material; guiding the barrier material through the guide slot; and extruding the barrier material through the open rear portion of the guide apparatus into the layered material. 
   In yet another embodiment the invention is a farm implement for guiding a barrier material into a layered material, the farm implement comprising a turntable for holding the barrier material; a guide apparatus for guiding the barrier material into the layered material, the guide apparatus comprising a vertical support post, a guide slot hingedly attached to the vertical support post, a platform and at least one roller attached to the guide slot, and at least one cap hingedly attached to and positioned above the guide slot, and a crossbar to which is attached the turntable and the vertical support post of the guide apparatus, the crossbar further comprising a hitch portion for attaching the crossbar to a vehicle. 
   Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention while attached to a tractor and while being used to install barrier material; 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention, showing a crossbar to which is attached hardware for installing to a three-point hitch, a stand (right) for holding the device steady when not attached to a tractor, near the center a turntable that holds a roll of material, and in the background a guide apparatus attached to the far end of the crossbar; 
       FIG. 3  is an isolation view of the turntable, showing the turntable floating above the arm that holds the turntable as well as a clamp that permits the height of the turntable to be adjusted; 
       FIG. 4  shows a cross-section of the barrier material when installed into a layered material, with part of the layered material removed to permit viewing of the barrier material resting on the base surface; 
       FIG. 5  shows the barrier material being installed, depicting one method for stabilizing the barrier at the beginning of a roll by holding the material manually in place; 
       FIG. 6A  shows a view from the top of one embodiment of the guide apparatus and turntable attached to a tractor being used to install barrier material from a roll into a layered material; 
       FIG. 6B  shows the same general view as  FIG. 6A  but with the roll of material in the opposite orientation; 
       FIG. 7  shows another view of the installation of barrier material; 
       FIG. 8  shows the guide apparatus from the front without any barrier material present. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. 
     FIG. 1  shows a tractor  10  pulling one embodiment of a brooder guard plow  20  while installing barrier material  30 . This embodiment, and the device in general, is referred to as a “brooder guard plow” to reflect the fact that this particular embodiment of the invention has been developed for installation of cardboard barriers referred to as “brooder guards” into layers of litter  60 , wherein the device “plows” through the litter layers as it guides the barrier material into place. Nonetheless the general principles described herein may be used in a variety of settings to install fencing or other barriers into layered material which might also include earth. In still another embodiment the base surface is a layer of relatively loose material such as sand or silt. Brooder guard plow  20  collectively refers to a guide apparatus  40  for guiding barrier material  30  into layered litter  60 , a turntable  70  for holding and dispensing barrier material  30 , a crossbar  100  for supporting the various parts and attaching to tractor  10 , and an adjustable stand  120  for supporting brooder guard plow  20  when it is not attached to tractor  10  or other vehicle. 
   Brooder guard plow  20  is designed to create a narrow furrow as it moves along, into which the desired barrier material  30  is inserted from the back end of a guide apparatus  40 . Guide apparatus  40  consists of an elongated slot through which barrier material  30  is fed as barrier material  30  is gradually bent, so that it ends up parallel to a base surface  50  ( FIG. 4 ) on which it is laid. Base surface  50  in one embodiment is a concrete barn floor on which litter material  60  is layered, and in other embodiments base surface  50  is earth. Barrier material  30  is preferably carried along with guide apparatus  40 , preferably on a rotating turntable  70  that permits smooth feeding of barrier material  30  through guide apparatus  40 . 
   Arrows in  FIG. 1  suggest the forward movement (straight arrow) of tractor  10  and the concomitant rotational movement (curved arrow) of a roll  80  of barrier material  30  on turntable  70 . As barrier material  30  moves through guide apparatus  40 , barrier material  30  is bent slightly in a vertical direction as it makes a transition from being above litter  60  and tilted relative to the level of base surface  50  to being below litter  60  and parallel to base surface  50 . This transition generally induces ruffles  90  in barrier material  30 , with these ruffles  90  being greater near the upper edge of barrier material  30 . Guide apparatus  40  must be long enough for barrier material  30  to make a sufficiently gradual transition before coming to rest on base surface  50 . In one embodiment using eighteen inch wide corrugated cardboard, the guide slot portion (described below) of guide apparatus  40  is approximately five and a half feet long. 
   Guide apparatus  40  and turntable  70 , in one embodiment, are mounted on a crossbar  100  that is adapted to be attached to tractor  10 , e.g. using a standard three-point tractor hitch  110  ( FIG. 2 ). However, this is only one embodiment and other means of driving guide apparatus  40  and turntable  70  are encompassed within this invention, including mounting guide apparatus on the front or side of a vehicle. Furthermore, in the case where tractor  10  is the means by which guide apparatus  40  and turntable  70  are driven, other types of hitches and coupling mechanisms may be used without deviating from the invention. In a preferred embodiment, crossbar  100  has a non-circular cross-section such as a square to allow more secure attachment of the various components, without the clamps holding the components inadvertently rotating and thus misaligning the components. 
   In a preferred embodiment guide apparatus  40  and turntable  70  are attached to crossbar  100  as shown in  FIG. 1 . Crossbar  100 , in turn, can be moved up and down, e.g. by a hydraulic system that is part of tractor  10  or other vehicle to which brooder guard plow  20  is attached, to permit the height of guide apparatus  40  to be adjusted relative to base surface  50 . Other means of carrying barrier material  30  and feeding it into guide apparatus  40 , such as from an adjoining vehicle, are also encompassed within this invention. 
   In one embodiment, shown in the foreground on the right of  FIG. 2 , crossbar  100  includes an adjustable stand  120 , which is useful for allowing brooder guard plow  20  to stand on its own in a relatively level orientation when it is not attached to tractor  10  or other vehicle. Adjustable stand  120  is preferably freed and locked back into place by a quick-release mechanism that does not require tools, such as a thumbscrew or a knob with a threaded shaft (not shown), to permit ease of operation. During operation adjustable stand  120  is moved upwards high enough to keep the bottom portion from contacting the layered material. Adjustable stand  120  preferably has a wide base  130  to distribute the weight of brooder guard plow  20  over a wider area, to avoid its sinking, e.g. into soft earth or sand, or damaging surfaces such as concrete or asphalt. 
   The lateral positions of turntable  70 , guide apparatus  40 , and adjustable stand  120  along the width of crossbar  100  can be adjusted by loosening the clamps  140  that hold these respective parts onto the crossbar. Alternatively, these parts can be permanently fixed into place, for example by welding, as shown for adjustable stand  120  in  FIG. 2 . 
   Shown in  FIG. 3  is a preferred embodiment of turntable  70 , which supports roll  80  of barrier material  30  to be installed. In this embodiment turntable  70  consists of a flat, circular table surface  150  with a spindle  160  projecting from an upper surface and a stem  170  protruding from the opposite surface and an optional plurality of gussets  180  on the underside to strengthen table surface  150 . Table surface  150  is preferably wide and strong enough to hold a complete roll  80  of barrier material  30  without having the outer portions of roll  80  slip off the sides. Thus the diameter of table surface  150  is preferably at least several inches larger than the diameter of a full roll  80  of barrier material  30 . In one embodiment table surface  150  is thirty inches in diameter, which is sufficiently wide to hold a full roll of corrugated cardboard which initially contains 250 feet of material and is at least twenty-seven inches in diameter. The top of table surface  150  of turntable  70  is preferably smooth with no lip at the edge, in order to permit smooth feeding of barrier material  30  off turntable  70  and into guide apparatus  40 . 
   Stem  170  fits into a hole  190  on a support arm  200 , which in turn is attached to crossbar  100 . To promote smoother turning of turntable  70  and hence smoother feeding of the material, the interface between stem  170  and hole  190  is greased. Smooth movement may also be obtained by installing ball bearings at this point of rotation. In other embodiments turntable  70  can also be stationary, provided that roll  80  of barrier material  30  is able to turn about the spindle smoothly enough to permit feeding of barrier material  30  into guide apparatus  40  as it is installed. Furthermore and as mentioned previously, barrier material  30  can be stored and fed into guide apparatus  40  by other means besides turntable  70  attached to the crossbar  100 . For example another vehicle that contains barrier material  30  might move alongside the vehicle, e.g. tractor  10 , that is driving guide apparatus  40 . 
   The height of turntable  70  can be adjusted at a collar  210 . Ideally the height of turntable  70  is high enough to ride above litter  60  while tractor  10  moves, without disturbing the layers of litter  60 . Preferably the height of turntable  70  is adjusted so that barrier material  30  moves from roll  80  to guide apparatus  40  while remaining relatively flat and unruffled. 
   In a preferred embodiment turntable  70  is tilted relative to base surface  50  to reduce or eliminate the angle of bending that barrier material  30  must make before entering guide apparatus  40 . In a preferred embodiment turntable  70  is tilted backwards (relative to tractor  10 ) as well as towards guide apparatus  40 . The angle of tilt in one embodiment is between approximately 15° and 20° (relative to horizontal—see  FIG. 3 ) and in a preferred embodiment is approximately 18°, both in the backwards direction (angle α in  FIG. 3 , which represents the 90° right angle of support arm  200  plus the 15°–20° of backwards tilt) as well as towards the side containing the guide apparatus (angle β in  FIG. 3  represents the 15°–20° tilt relative to a reference point that is approximately normal to base surface  50 ). In general the backward angle of tilt of turntable  70  should approximately match the angle of the downward slope of barrier material  30  as it moves through guide apparatus  40 . The angle and length of guide apparatus  40 , in turn, depend on the width and flexibility of the barrier material being installed, such that barrier material that is wider or less flexible will need a shallower, more gradual angle as it makes the transition from above to inside of or below the layered material. 
   The angle of tilt on turntable  70  can be set at a number of points, e.g. where the adjustable vertical portion of support arm  200  meets the horizontal part having hole  190  which holds stem  170  (angle α in  FIG. 3 ) or by adjusting the clamp that holds the turntable assembly onto crossbar  100 , if the cross-section of crossbar  100  permits such rotational movement. The backward tilt angle of turntable  70  can also be made to be adjustable by making the joint labeled with angle α in  FIG. 3  a pivoting joint that can be adjusted and locked down. In a preferred embodiment the backward tilt angle is permanently set at the position labeled as angle α ( FIG. 3 ) and the side tilt angle labeled β is set by twisting the material to which turntable support hole  190  is attached ( FIG. 3 ). 
   In one embodiment there is an optional tension bar  220  attached to the turntable which puts sufficient force on roll  80  of barrier material  30  to keep it from ‘freewheeling’, i.e. spinning faster than is warranted by the rate of material feeding and thus unwinding excess material ( FIG. 6B ). Tension bar  220  in one embodiment is pivotably attached to the vertically adjustable support bar of turntable  70  and consists of tension bar  220  with an optional flap  230  at the end that contacts the roll of barrier material. Flap  230  helps to more evenly distribute the force of tension bar  220  to avoid having the end of tension bar  220  tear barrier material  30 . Tension bar  220  is held against roll  80  in one embodiment by action of a simple spring  240  attached to crossbar  100  ( FIG. 6B ). Tension bar  220  can be set on the left or right side of roll  80 , depending on which direction roll  80  is mounted on turntable  70 , with the attachment of spring  240  to crossbar  100  being switched to the opposite side. 
     FIG. 4  shows a cross-section of barrier material  30  after installation. In this view part of layered material  60  has been omitted to permit clear viewing of the installed barrier material  30  along its full height. At the bottom is base surface  50  upon which barrier material  30  rests; in one embodiment this is a concrete floor of a barn while in other embodiments this is a hard-packed earth surface. Above this base surface  50  in one embodiment is a layer of water-absorbent material  62 , which in a preferred embodiment consists of a layer of rice hulls about two inches deep. This material is then overlaid with an upper layer of material  64  such as wood chips, wood shavings, straw, or some combination of materials in one or more layers. Upper layer  64  is generally deeper than lower layer  62  and in one embodiment upper layer  64  is six inches deep. 
   When barrier material  30  has been installed, the support generated by the surrounding layered material is usually sufficient to keep barrier material  30  upright. However, if necessary (and as appropriate given the nature of the base surface) stakes or posts may be added to keep the barrier material from falling or sagging. 
     FIG. 5  shows the installation of barrier material  30 . Before installing barrier material  30 , guide apparatus  40  is pulled by tractor  10  or other device as guide apparatus  40  is lowered, until guide apparatus  40  is at a desired height relative to base surface  50 . Usually guide apparatus  40  is lowed until its bottom portion is resting on base surface  50 . By driving guide apparatus  40  forward as it is lowered this minimizes disruption of layered material  60  as guide apparatus  40  is inserted therein. Also, in the case of denser layered materials it may be necessary to drive guide apparatus  40  forward while lowering in order to be able to penetrate layered material  60 . By running guide apparatus  40  through layered material  60  for a short distance this creates a furrow into which the beginning portion of barrier material  30  may be fed when starting a new row. 
   In one embodiment a skid plate  250  is attached to the underside of guide apparatus  40 , preferably at or near the front end, to keep guide apparatus  40  resting on base surface  50  (and to prevent guide apparatus  40  from digging deeper, in the case of a base surface consisting of a softer material such as earth) and to prevent damage to the underside of the remainder of guide apparatus  40  ( FIG. 7 ). 
   To install, barrier material  30  is manually fed through guide apparatus  40  until barrier material  30  protrudes from the back end of guide apparatus  40 . In one embodiment a furrow is made in layered material  60  by hand, or other means besides movement of guide apparatus  40 , to permit the beginning of barrier material  30  to be inserted. In another embodiment, as described above, guide apparatus  40  is run through layered material  60  for a short distance to create an initial furrow into which barrier material  30  may be manually inserted during initial setup. 
   The end of barrier material  30  is then held firmly in place while guide apparatus  40  is moved forward through layered material  60  ( FIG. 5 ). Barrier material  30  may be held in place by hand ( FIG. 5 ), or it may be staked, clamped, or weighted in place to allow a single person to install barrier material  30  without assistance. Guide apparatus  40  is then driven forward, guide apparatus  40  digging a narrow furrow or channel through layered material  60  as it advances and inserting barrier material  30  with minimal disruption of layered material  60 . If barrier material  30  is fragile, as, for example, in one embodiment where it is corrugated cardboard, then guide apparatus  40  must be moved forward slowly so as to permit barrier material  30  to feed through guide apparatus  40  without tearing. After guide apparatus  40  passes a given point, layered material  60  generally falls back into place around the newly-inserted barrier material  30 . In regions where two separate pieces of barrier material  30  meet such as where barrier material  30  has torn or a roll of material has ended, tape, clips, clothespins, or other fastening techniques may be used to join the barrier material pieces together. 
   The roll  80  of barrier material  30  may be placed on turntable  70  in one of two orientations ( FIGS. 6A and 6B ). Changing the orientation may be desirable if barrier material  30  has two different faces, so that a particular face (smooth or ridged, for example, in the case of corrugated cardboard) faces to the left or right as it is installed. 
     FIGS. 7 and 8  show different views of a preferred embodiment of guide apparatus  40  either with ( FIG. 7 ) or without ( FIG. 8 ) barrier material  30  present. At the front end guide apparatus  40  includes a vertical post  260  for attaching guide apparatus  40  to crossbar  100 . In a preferred embodiment the bottom of vertical post  260  has attached to it skid plate  250 , to keep guide apparatus  40  resting on base surface  50  (and to prevent the guide apparatus from digging deeper, in the case of a base surface consisting of a soft material such as earth) and to prevent damage to the underside of the remainder of guide apparatus  40  ( FIG. 7 ). In one embodiment the front edge of vertical post  260  is rounded or has a triangular ‘knife’ edge to allow vertical post  260  to ‘cut’ through layered material  60  with a minimum of disruption of the layers. 
   Attached to vertical post  260  are one or more flat plates  270 , preferably at least several inches higher than the anticipated level of layered material  60 , which create a wall that prevents layered material  60  from falling into the path of the advancing guide apparatus  40  ( FIG. 7 ). The front portion of guide apparatus  40  consisting of vertical post  260  and flat plates  270  is preferably attached by a hinge  280  to the rearward portion of guide apparatus  40 , which rearward portion consists of a guide slot  290  and related components. This connection between the front and rear portions of guide apparatus  40  is preferably hinged so as to allow the rear portion to move up and down with the contours of base surface  50  on which barrier material  30  is being laid, even if tractor  10  or other vehicle moves up and down during installation. This allows the rear exit portion of guide slot  290  to remain in close contact with base surface  50  at all times, insuring that barrier material  30  is always inserted as close as is practical to base surface  50 . Flat plates  270  attached to vertical post  260  are arranged with enough clearance to permit pivoting movement of the rear portion of guide apparatus  40  relative to the front portion without binding or other interference ( FIGS. 7 and 8 ). 
   To limit the range of movement of the rear portion of guide apparatus  40 , especially when the entire brooder guard plow  20  is lifted off base surface  50 , one end of a chain  300  is attached to the vertical post and the other end of the chain is attached to part of the rear portion of the guide apparatus (see  FIGS. 2 ,  7 ). The length of chain  300  is adjusted so that it becomes taut when vertical post  260  is lifted, such that the rear portion of guide apparatus  40  is lifted off of base surface  50  and not allowed to drag. In an embodiment wherein the bottom edge of flat plates  270  are approximately parallel to base surface  50 , the rear portion of guide apparatus  40  angles downward slightly when the entire guide apparatus  40  has been lifted, chain  300  is taut, and no part of the rear portion is resting on base surface  50 . 
   The rear portion of guide apparatus  40  consists of guide slot  290 , one or more top caps  310 , and optional rollers  320  and other guides to ensure smooth feeding of barrier material  30  ( FIGS. 7 and 8 ). Guide slot  290  is preferably tapered with a solid bottom and solid walls ( FIG. 8 ). The solid bottom and walls prevent layered material  60  from entering into and potentially clogging guide slot  290 . The width and degree of taper of guide slot  290  depends on, among other factors, the width and flexibility of barrier material  30  and thus the degree of bending or ruffling needed to transition barrier material  30  to base surface  50 , as well as relative density of layered material  60  (such as litter) through which guide apparatus  40  is driven. If the litter or other layered material  60  is relatively dense, then a narrower profile may be desired for the entire guide apparatus  40 , in order to reduce the amount of force required to drive guide apparatus  40  through layered material  60 . If guide slot  290  is made narrower, however, guide slot  290  may be made longer to give a greater transition length, so as to permit barrier material  30  to make the transition with smaller ruffles  90  and thus be able to fit in the narrower guide slot  290 . 
   The inside portion of guide slot  290  is preferably relatively smooth and free of rough edges to prevent barrier material  30  from catching and possibly tearing as it is fed through. The walls are preferably at least several inches higher than the highest anticipated level of layered material  60 , to prevent layered material  60  from falling into guide slot  290 . In one embodiment at least some part of the upper portion above guide slot  290  is left open to permit manual feeding and unjamming of barrier material  30  in guide slot  290  ( FIGS. 7 &amp; 8 ). 
   The base of guide slot  290  in one embodiment is approximately two inches wide, and the walls are tapered outward towards the top so that the distance between the walls at the top is several inches wider ( FIGS. 7 and 8 ). Guide slot  290  is tapered so that the bottom portion has a smaller profile, to reduce disruption of layered material  60 , while still allowing the upper portion of barrier material  30  to bend or ruffle as it is fed through guide slot  290 . In one embodiment the front edge of the outer wall of guide slot  290  has an inward curve  330 , preferably just near the top, to help guide barrier material  30  into guide slot  290  ( FIG. 8 ). 
   Near the front end of guide slot  290  is preferably a platform  340  and one or more rollers  320  that help smoothly guide barrier material  30  into guide slot  290  ( FIG. 1 ). Rollers  320  may be simply smooth and rounded but stationary surfaces, or rollers  320  may rotate with bearings to permit ease of rotation. To help push and guide barrier material  30  downward there are preferably one or more hinged and weighted caps  310  above guide slot  290 . Caps  310  are preferably hinged at the front end (dashed line images of caps  310 A in  FIG. 7  indicate direction of motion and point of pivot), to allow a steady pushing force to be applied to barrier material  30  as it undergoes the bending that is necessary during the transition into layered material  60 . In one embodiment caps  310  are made of steel, such that the weight of the material itself provides sufficient downward force on barrier material  30 . In other embodiments caps  310  are spring-loaded, using methods that are well known in the art, to generate downward force. Caps  310  are preferably elongated channels with a lip on either side, so that cap  310  helps to guide and stabilize the upper edge of barrier material  30  as it passes through guide slot  290  inducing ruffles  90  ( FIG. 7 ). 
   The hinged ends of caps  310  are supported at heights sufficiently high above guide slot  290  to permit barrier material  30  to make a gradual transition from where barrier material  30  enters guide apparatus  40 , roughly at the level of turntable  70 , until barrier material  30  reaches the rear end of guide slot  290  and is deposited with its lower surface at approximately the level of base surface  50 . The posts  312  that support caps  310 , as well as any other portion of guide apparatus  40 , are designed to have a relatively flat profile so as to prevent disruption of layered material  60  that might occur if any parts of guide apparatus  40  protruded from the sides. 
   As barrier material  30  leaves roll  80  the bottom edge contacts platform  340  of guide apparatus  40  and the entire width of barrier material  30  contacts rollers  320  ( FIG. 1 ). As barrier material  30  moves through guide apparatus  40 , barrier material  30  is only supported on its bottom edge by the small platform  340  near the front of guide apparatus  40  ( FIG. 1 ). After moving past platform  340 , barrier material  30  is no longer supported on its bottom edge until barrier material  30  nears the rear end of guide slot  290 . In the intervening space the lower edge of barrier material  30  is unsupported. The lack of support on the lower edge, plus the downward-pushing force of the cap(s), forces barrier material  30  downward, generating ruffles  90 , and thus aids in forcing barrier material  30  to be parallel to and at the level of base surface  50  ( FIGS. 1 ,  5 , and  7 ). 
   As various modifications could be made to the exemplary embodiments, as described above with reference to the corresponding illustrations, without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.