Abstract:
An under-fence barrier for installation along the fence line for the purpose of preventing or retarding the growth of grass, weeds, and other vegetation under and along a fence.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to fences, including both residential and commercial fences, and to highway guardrails. More particularly, it involves a covering to be laid under fences, trees, or buildings, or other outdoor structures so as to deter the growth of vegetation under the fence or vertical structure.  
         [0003]     2. Problems in the Art  
         [0004]     An age-old landscaping problem results from the difficulty in trimming vegetation immediately adjacent to either side of a fence, or underneath the fence. Despite the development of string trimming devices and herbicides for such application, the problem remains an inconvenience, environmental issue, time-consuming chore, and an unsightly eyesore.  
         [0005]     Despite the fact that there currently do not appear to be any products readily available on the market to address this issue, there are, nonetheless, numerous patents addressing the problem. Perhaps the unnecessary complexity of these patents explains the absence of the subject inventions from the market. Of course, many of these patents address more than the issue of providing a barrier to vegetation along a fence bottom. A number effectively create mini-walls and curbs that attempt to integrate the fence, fence posts and ground. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,819B1 to Damon, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,859 to Damon, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,156 to Hoke; U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,989 to Snider, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,753 to Michiaels; U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,472 to Johnson; U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,369 to Syx; U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,783 to Fisk, et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,619 to Glidden, Jr.  
         [0006]     Many of the prior art devices that are complex are accordingly expensive to make and both difficult and expensive to install. Some of the more simple prior art devices, while improving mightily on the complicated solutions previously offered, nonetheless have deficiencies that could allow improvement, such as the waste inherent in overlapping materials, the slowness of piecemeal installation, and unsightly appearance resulting from dirt accumulating in the design. In addition, some of the prior art devices have more intricate designs such as turned-under edges that complicate the manufacture of the device.  
         [0007]     Accordingly, there is a real need in the art for an easy, economical, and readily manufactured and marketed device to prevent unwanted and unattractive vegetation growth underneath various outdoor structures. It is therefore a principle object of the present invention to overcome the problems and deficiencies in the art.  
         [0008]     Still further objects of the present invention are to provide an improved vegetation barrier that, even when stepped on by persons or animals and run over by mowers, can be adapted to a wide variety of ground contours and surfaces; and is adaptable to any type of fence or guardrail or other vertical outdoor area, as well as any length of fencing, corners or intersections of fencing, and both existing fences and new installations. These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent with reference to the accompanying specification and claims.  
         [0009]     Another object of the invention is to provide an under-fence barrier that is designed to reduce fence line lawn maintenance and produce an attractive fence area.  
         [0010]     A still further object of the invention is to provide an under-fence barrier that is capable of being installed in cooperation with existing fences of substantially any design, and which can be quickly and easily installed with the minimum amount of time and required tools.  
         [0011]     Yet another object of this invention is to provide an under-fence guard for eliminating grass, weeds, and the growth of other vegetation along fence lines by providing a flexible barrier underneath the bottom of the fence and in cooperation with the fence posts to seal an area of ground along the fence row at a selected distance transverse to the fence row.  
         [0012]     Another object of this invention is to provide a weed and grass under-fence barrier that includes a generally elongated barrier capable of being installed in cooperation with existing fences of substantially any design, and which is adapted to compensate for directional changes in the fence, whether the directional changes are at a conventional 90 degrees or otherwise, and which also compensate for intersecting fence lines.  
         [0013]     A still further object of the invention is to provide an under-fence barrier that is adapted to facilitate the opening and closing of fence gates. Yet another object of this invention is to provide an under-fence barrier for preventing the growth of weeds, grass, woody growth, and other vegetation along the fence line or other vertical outdoor surface, which barrier is attractive, easily maintained, and which, by various alternate designs, is adapted to drain water away from the slope of its sides, or alternately, to act as a gutter or water conduit with a concave structure.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     The present invention is a vegetation barrier for the space beneath and immediately adjacent to a fence, guardrail, or other vertical outdoor structure. The objectives of the invention are provided in an improved under-fence barrier for preventing the growth of grass, weeds, objectionable woody growth, and vegetation along a fence line.  
         [0015]     It comprises an elongated member having opposite ends and a width terminating in opposite edges. The opposite edges are substantially perpendicular to the upper and lower portions of the elongated member. The elongated member is provided in rolled portions of varying length, to cover the length of a fence run or some substantial portion thereof, rather than merely addressing the area between fence posts. The elongated member is made of a somewhat rigid but somewhat flexible material and is capable of being slit and fitted with apertures at repetitive intervals to accommodate fence posts and points of directional change of the fence line, or points where other fences intersect. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  is the perspective view of an under-fence barrier according to the present invention prior to being installed under a chain link fence;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a portion of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  installed beneath a chain link fence;  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is an end elevation view of a convex alternative embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is an end elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention having substantially perpendicular edges;  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is an end elevation view of a substantially flat alternative embodiment of the present invention having tapered sides.;  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is an end elevation view of another concave embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the apparatus depicted in  FIG. 6 , as installed underneath a guardrail;  
         [0023]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing the apparatus cut and overlapped to form a corner portion of the under-fence barrier of the present invention.  
         [0024]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing the apparatus cut and laid end-to-side to form a corner portion of the under-fence barrier of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0025]     Referring now to  FIG. 1  of the drawing, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the under-fence barrier of this invention is designed to be installed in cooperation with the fence such as the chain link fence  12 , and is generally illustrated by reference  10 . Fence  12  includes fence posts  14  secured into the ground at spaced apart positions, top rails  16  secured between posts  14 , and the chain link portion  18  strung between poles  14 . Under-fence barrier  10  is positioned under the bottom of chain link  18  of fence  12  along its entire length. It is to be understood that although under-fence barrier  10  is herein discussed in the context of use with a chain link fence, such as are in common use and well known, it is also meant to be used with other types of fences, such as wood, guardrails, bricks, or even in conjunction with vertical structures such as the side of the building. Some examples will be discussed later.  
         [0026]     Barrier  10  is produced in lengthy rolled amounts  20 . Accordingly, the treatment of long stretches of fence  12  with barrier  10  is easily and quickly accomplished. Roll  20  is rolled alongside fence  12  to a convenient length or end of the fence, or to a fence corner. However, obviously, rolls  20  could be made any length and could have variable length.  
         [0027]     Each roll of  20  of barrier  10  is ready for installment. A preferred embodiment is shown in  FIG. 1 , where barrier  10  has preformed slits  22  and apertures  24  along its length. The slits and apertures are preformed to correspond with standard distance between posts  14  in fence  12 . Alternatively, the preformed slits at  22  and apertures  24  could be customized to any particular post distances.  
         [0028]      FIG. 2  shows barrier  10  as installed under-fence  12 . As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , barrier  10  covers and deters vegetation growth under-fence  12  and for a distance of the sides of fence  12 . It also gives the appearance of a foundation or base which is visually appealing. It is to be understood that barrier  10  could be made of different colors, including to match the color of the fence or to match the color of vegetation, such as a green for grass, to assist in the improved appearance.  
         [0029]     More detail of the structure and installment of barrier  10  can be seen in  FIG. 2 . Fasteners  26  are placed through barrier  10  to secure it to the ground. Fasteners  26  could be landscaped, staples, spikes, roofing nails, or any suitable device. While it is not necessary to secure barrier  10  with fasteners  26 , doing so will enhance the stability of the device such that it is resistant to transfers or lateral movement.  
         [0030]     Barrier  20  may be made from any durable material. Preferably, barrier  20  is made from polyvinal chloride or polyethelene with ultraviolet (UV) resistance. Barrier  10  can be made of recycled materials, and preferably has a thickness between 1/32nd″ to 2″. Its width may be of any useful dimension, but is preferably between 2″ in width. As such, barrier  10  preferably is made of a high quality, flexible, molded plastic with U-block, and as such will not rust, rot, or lose its shape. Moreover, barrier  10  is formed of a material capable of being easily manipulated and cut. Cuts for slits  22 , apertures  24  may be provided on-site during application, as when customizing to a pre-existing fence, or during manufacture, particularly to aid in the rapid installation of a new fence over non-rocky terrain, so as to aid in the uniformly spaced positioning of fence posts  14 .  
         [0031]     Under-fence barrier  20  may be convex, as shown in  FIG. 3 , flat with perpendicular sides, as shown in  FIG. 4 , flat with tapered sides, as shown in  FIG. 5 , or concave, as shown in  FIG. 6 . The convex embodiment invention can function as a sloped drain for directing water down a slope atop which the fence  12  sits. As shown in  FIG. 7 , however, it may be preferable when installing under-fence barrier  10  beneath fence or guardrail  12 , to employ a concave configuration in order to keep water directed away from a road surface.  
         [0032]     Any of these configurations should provide effective vegetation growth control when properly matched to the desired or existing underlying terrain. The flat embodiment provides advantages in cost control in manufacturing, by simplifying the manufacture of barrier  10 ; the convex embodiment of barrier  10  facilitates installation by reducing its contact with the ground to two points; the concave embodiment can aid in road safety by directing water accumulation and flow away from the road surface. All three embodiments effectively deter vegetation growth by securely covering the ground and reaching the ground.  
         [0033]     Unlike the prior art, there is no need for any sort of tie down or fastener to affix the barrier  10  to particular guardrail  12 . Rather, the method of installation utilized with under-fence barrier  10  greatly reduces the movability of barrier  10 . Because there is no need for securing the barrier to the bottom of fence  12 , or for connection to the chain link  18  strung between the posts  14 , installation time is also greatly reduced.  
         [0034]     Further, unlike the prior art, there is no need for post covers or spacers to cover the area around fence posts. Rather than having to manipulate and interlock or attach multiple portions of an under-fence barrier  10 , all that is required in the present invention is unrolling the essentially continuous barrier  10 . New fence posts  14  may be installed directly over barrier  10  when it is provided with holes during manufacture; T-shaped fence posts may be driven directly through the fabric into the ground; and existing fence posts  14  are accommodated by use of slits  22  and apertures  24 .  
         [0035]      FIG. 1  shows a preferred embodiment of under-fence barrier  10 . Barrier  10  is provided with slits  22  at appropriate intervals, leading to one or more cutout apertures  24 . The installer would knock out the center of aperture  24  to the diameter needed. Increasing diameters could be provided to accommodate different sized posts  14 . Barrier  10  could then be pulled around the post  14  via the slit  22 . The included preferred embodiment is given by way of example only and not by way of limitation to the invention, which is solely described by the claims herein. Variations obvious to one skilled in the art will be included within the invention defined by the claim.  
         [0036]     For example, barrier  10  can be made out of a number of materials. Plastics are generally preferred. Examples are polyvinal chloride, polyprolene, and polyetheline. The characteristics needed are set forth above including being able to flex, being able to survive all types of environmental conditions out of doors, and being able to take mowers and people and animals stepping on it. Plastic could be molded to the shapes indicated herein.  
         [0037]     As previously mentioned, the size and shape can vary. It can be manufactured by a number of methods widely known in the art. An example is injection molding.  
         [0038]     It is to be understood that under-fence barrier  10  can easily be customized to produce slits  22  and apertures  24  using conventional tools such as scissors, utility knives, tin snips, and the like.  
         [0039]     As shown in  FIG. 8 , overlapping ends  28  and  30  of barrier  10  cooperate to hold barrier  10  in alignment with the fence. In  FIG. 9 , abutting end  28  and side  30  of barrier  10  cooperate to hold barrier  10  in alignment.  
         [0040]     Many times fence posts  14  are not precisely spaced apart in  10 ′ intervals. Therefore, as indicated in  FIG. 9 , squared off end  28  can simply be cut to length on the spot with conventional tools such as scissors so that barrier  10  can be made to follow the run, or even the angle, of the fence. A slit  22  can be made in end  28 , and an aperture  24  formed as well, so that the succeeding portion of under-fence barrier  10  may be slipped around fencepost  14 .  
         [0041]     Aperture  24  can be on the order of 2″ in diameter, or larger or smaller, of square, rectangular, or circular shape, as needed to conform with the dimensions of fence post  14 . Slit  22  can be approximately 0.25″ in width, or of negligible size. The smaller the width of the slit  22 , the closer the cut edges  32  meet together to prevent sunlight from reaching the ground underneath barrier  12 . The slit  22  and aperture  24  may be sealed with caulking, tape, or other suitable material, if desired. Similar to what is discussed relative to  FIG. 1  previously, slit  22  can be pre-formed. Scoring or other methodology can be used to create concentric lines, for example, to provide the ability to easily expand aperture  24  to fit different sized fence posts as needed.  
         [0042]     As previously discussed and as illustrated in the drawings, barrier  10  is molded (for example, through a die) with a pre-formed radius of curvature for the general barrier  10 . The material for barrier  10  is HTPE plastic. In one embodiment its weight per foot is 0.12 pounds. A further description of material that can be used with barrier  100  is set forth below.  
         [0043]     As is well known, the following are the specifications of the EXXON wide—spec HTPE:  
                                                           Meltflow:   .25 g/10 min.   (average)           Density:   .951   (average)                      
 
         [0044]     The following are the properties of the EXXON HTPE AA55-003 when prime:  
                                                       Flexural Modulus:   151,000 psi           Tensile @ Yield:     4030 psi           Elongation @ break:   602.0%           Durometer:   69 Shore HORE D           Vicat Softening:   258 F                      
 
         [0045]     It can therefore be seen that the embodiments shown provide a convenient and easy way of installing a barrier under these fences. Improvements over the prior art both in speed of installation, attractiveness, and versatility are achieved. A completely uniform appearance can be achieved by the conventional plastic production of lengths of barrier  100 . Pre-punched apertures  24  coordinate with slits  22  to allow positioning of the barrier  10  around fence posts to assist in keeping them in place. This completely one-piece system is user friendly, does not involve the use of specialized or numerous tools, does not require additional and hard to handle equipment or components such as ties or fasteners to secure barrier  10  to fence  12 , does not require nailing or gluing or caulking (although it does not prevent such), and does not require the use of specialized templates or customization procedures. In fact, a simple roll of barrier  10  can be used, whole, underneath any new fence installation, or transported to any existing fence and easily adapted with a simple snip to fit various size postholes and distances between posts.