Patent Publication Number: US-8113559-B2

Title: Sheet attachment device and method of use

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a nonprovisional application claiming the benefit under 35 USC 119(e) of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/945,966 filed on Jun. 25, 2007, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to devices for attachment to sheet material such as devices for tying down a tarpaulin (hereinafter “tarp or tarp material”) and other flexible or fabric sheet materials without using conventional grommets or piercing the material in any way. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     My U.S. Pat. No. 6,292,987 is directed to a tie down device for sheet material such as tarps and includes an elongated bar and a sleeve having a slit extending from end to end thereof. The sleeve&#39;s ends are open for receiving the bar and a sheet of material positioned around the bar. The sleeve&#39;s slit enables sheet material positioned around the bar to project outwardly through the slit on opposite sides of the bar. The bar&#39;s cross section is sized and configured so that both the bar and the sheet material can be received in the sleeve. In addition, rope means such as rope, cord or cable is secured to the bar. The rope means extends through the slit when the bar is received in the sleeve and enables the device to be placed under tension so that the bar binds the sheet material positioned around the bar against the sleeve. This binding action firmly secures the sheet material to the device and thereby prevents the sheet material from slipping out of the device between the bar and the sleeve. 
     While the aforementioned tie down device works very well, it is somewhat limited in the sense that, as described above, the device generally cannot be placed under tension unless it is attached to a rope, cord or cable. Accordingly, it would be desirable if the aforementioned device could be improved so that it is more amenable to being placed under tension without using a rope, cord or cable. 
     With this and other objects in mind, this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a device that can be mounted directly to a building, vehicle or other object and used to secure a tarp or other flexible material to the building, vehicle or other object. The other object may include a handle which allows the device to be used for carrying a bag or pulling on an object such as a swimming pool cover. 
     The device includes an elongated bar having at least one raised mounting surface and defining at least one fastener receiving hole extending through the bar and raised mounting surface. In addition, an open ended elongated sleeve is provided for receiving the bar and a sheet of material positioned around the bar. The elongated sleeve has a slit which extends from one open end of the sleeve to its other open end and which enables sheet material positioned around the bar and received in the sleeve to extend outwardly through the slit on opposite sides of the bar. The raised mounting surface is sized and configured to project outwardly through the slit of the sleeve when the bar is received in the sleeve so that (1) the raised mounting surface can be placed against the surface of an external object to enable the bar to be rigidly affixed to the object with a fastener inserted through said fastener receiving hole and so that (2) there is enough clearance between the bar and the object to which the bar is rigidly affixed to enable the bar to be slidably received in the sleeve. 
     In a preferred embodiment the bar has two raised mounting surfaces with the first mounting surface being located proximate the first end of the bar and the second raised mounting surface being located proximate the second end of the bar. The bar also has a cross section which is sized and configured so that both the bar and the material positioned around the bar are capable of being received in the sleeve. 
     As indicated above, the device of the present invention can also be mounted directly (i.e. rigidly affixed) to a handle which allows the device to be used for carrying a bag or pulling on an object such as a swimming pool cover. This device referred to herein as a carrying device for attachment to sheet material includes the previously described device and a handle having first and second attachment arms located at opposite ends of the handle. The handle is attached to the previously described device preferably with screws which fasten the elongated bar via its raised mounting surfaces to the attachment arms of the handle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate like elements, and wherein reference numerals sharing the same last two digits identify similar corresponding elements throughout the various disclosed embodiments, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing four devices of the present invention mounted to the eave of a building and attaching and end of a tarp to the eave. 
         FIG. 2  is a partially broken away, close up, perspective view showing a device of  FIG. 1  attached to the tarp of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the components of the device of  FIG. 1  in isolation. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing a device of the present invention having a handle which is attached to a bag and used to carry the bag. 
         FIG. 6  a partially broken away, close up, perspective view showing the device of  FIG. 5  attached to the bag of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing the components of the device of  FIG. 5  in isolation. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  8 - 8  of  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIGS. 1 through 4  illustrate a device  10  of the present invention for mounting to a building, vehicle or other object and securing a tarp or other flexible material to the building, vehicle or other object. As shown in  FIG. 1 , four (4) devices  10  are mounted to the eave  11  of a building and secured to an end  30  of a conventional tarpaulin or tarp  12 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2-4 , device  10  includes an inner elongated generally U-shaped bar  14  having rounded ends  15  and a raised portion  16  which extends along the length of the bar on the top of the bar. As shown, the raised portion  16  of bar  14  is provided with aligned and outwardly projecting and generally planar raised mounting surfaces  17  with one raised mounting surface being located proximate one end  15  of the bar and the other raised mounting surface being located proximate the other end  15  of bar  14 . Bar  14  and first and second raised mounting surfaces  17  define holes  18  extending through the bar and raised mounting surface for receiving screws  19  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 . As those skilled in the art will appreciate, screws  19  are threaded into eave  11  to rigidly affix bar  14  to eave  11  as shown in  FIG. 1  or, as indicated, to any object. 
     As also shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , bar  14  is received in a split sleeve  20  having a main slit  22  which extends the length of the sleeve from its open end  24  to its opposite open end  26 . As will be appreciated, bar  14  is actually loosely received in sleeve  20  to accommodate the tarp which is positioned between these members. As such, bar  14  has a cross section which is sized and configured, i.e. its outside diameter is sized, so that both the bar and the tarp are capable of being received in the sleeve. In addition, raised mounting surfaces  17  are sized and configured to project outwardly through slit  22  when bar  14  is received in sleeve  20  so that (1) the raised mounting surfaces can be placed against the surface of an external object to enable the bar to be rigidly affixed to the object with screws  19  or any other suitable fastener having been inserted through the fastener receiving holes  18  of the raised mounting surfaces and so that (2) there is enough clearance between the bar and the object to which the bar is rigidly affixed (i.e. the surface of eave  11 ) to enable the bar to be slidably received in the sleeve. 
     As also shown in  FIGS. 2-4 , split sleeve  20  defines a hole  28  for receiving a rope (not shown) which can be used to secure the bar to a stake or other object as discussed in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,292,987 when the bar is not rigidly affixed to an object using screws  19  via first and second raised mounting surfaces  17  in accordance with the present invention. 
     To secure device  10  to the tarp in accordance with the present invention, bar  14  is first rigidly affixed to an object such as eave  11  (or the side of a building) by placing the first and second raised mounting surfaces  17  of the bar against the surface of the eave or other object and then threading screws  19  into eave  11  through holes  18  until bar  14  is rigidly affixed to the eave&#39;s or other object&#39;s surface. Tarp  12  is then preferably placed, covered or partially wrapped about the bar  14 . Sleeve  20  via one of its open ends  24 ,  26  is then slid over the attached or rigidly affixed bar covered with tarp  12  so that both the bar and the tarp are received in the sleeve and so that the tarp extends outwardly through the sleeve&#39;s slit on opposite sides of the bar, as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4 . In this position, the tarp also extends beyond both open ends  24 ,  26  of bar  14  as shown in  FIG. 1  which, as mentioned, shows four (4) devices  10  of the present invention being used to attach end  30  of tarp  12  to the building&#39;s eave  11 . 
     After securing end  30  of the tarp to eave  11  with the attached device(s), the other end  32  of the tarp may supported and tied down with pole tie down devices  210  including ropes  219   a  and b which are shown and described in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,292,987. As discussed therein, ropes  219   a  and  b  are preferably attached to stakes (not shown) which are driven into the ground. Ropes  219  are tied so that tension is placed on the ropes which, in turn, places tension on tarp  12  which causes inner bar  14  to bind the tarp against sleeve  20  of each device  10 , thereby firmly securing the devices  10  as well as devices  210  to the tarp, i.e. so that the tarp cannot slip or slide out of any of the devices between each device&#39;s bar  14  and sleeve  20 . 
     While pole tie down devices  210  are shown in  FIG. 1 , it will be appreciated that tarp  12  can be placed under tension in many ways, e.g. by directly tying off the other end  32  of the tarp with either a rope, cable or elastic cord sold under the trademark Bungee or by the other tie down devices shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,292,987 which is hereby incorporated by reference. The description of the embodiment of  FIGS. 9 and 10  in this patent is specifically incorporated by reference and to be referred to for an understanding of the means for preventing bar  14  from sliding out of sleeve  20 . 
       FIGS. 5 through 8  illustrate a carrying device  110  of the present invention which is similar to device  10  except that instead of being attached to eave  11  of a building, raised mounting surfaces  17  of bar  14  of this device are attached directly to the attachment arms  140  of a handle  111 . With handle  111 , device  110  can be secured to a bag  112  as shown or used to pull on an object such as a swimming pool cover. As shown, device  110  is secured to the material of the bag (which could be cloth or plastic) preferably on both sides  113   a  and  113   b  of the bag by placing or partially wrapping the bag material about bar  14  and then inserting the wrapped bar into sleeve  20  in the manner described for the previous embodiment. The bag and device are then placed under tension (thereby binding the material between the bar  14  and the sleeve  20  so that the material is prevented from slipping out between the bar and the sleeve) by simply grabbing and lifting up on the handle as shown in  FIG. 5  (or by pulling on the handle). 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the weight of the objects held in the bag will typically be sufficient to provide the tension needed to bind the material between the bar  14  and the sleeve  20  and prevent the material slipping out between the bar and the sleeve. 
     Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that carrying device  110  provides a convenient device for carrying around bags of potting soil, cement and other materials, particularly after these bags have been opened. It will also be appreciated that as the contents of the bag are consumed, the position of the device on the bag can be adjusted so that the device can be placed on the bag in a position which makes it easier to carry the bag. It will further be appreciated that if device  110  is secured to both sides  113   a  and  113   b  of an opened bag as shown, it also helps close the bag, i.e. since the device in effect is clamping both sides  113   a  and  113   b  of the bag together. 
     The invention has been described in detail with reference to particular embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that various other modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of this invention. For example, while handle  111  and bar  14  are shown as two pieces which are rigidly affixed to each other they could be of unitary construction such that bar  14  simply includes a handle projecting outwardly therefrom. Handle  111  could also be attached directly to sleeve  20  or of unitary construction therewith. In fact, sleeve  20  could include attachment means similar to raised mounting surfaces  17  or just a pair of aligned holes for receiving fasteners such as screws that would allow sleeve  20  instead of bar  14  to be the component of the device which is rigidly attached to an object such as eave  11  or the side of a building or vehicle. Finally, while raised mounting surfaces  17  are preferably integral with bar  14 , i.e. of unitary construction, they could include washers, spacers or bushings or any other washer-like component defining a hole that could align with holes such as holes  18  extending through bar  14 .