AU733736B2 - Garden edging - Google Patents

Description

P00011 Regulation 3.2 Revised 2/98

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act, 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT TO BE COMPLETED BY THE APPLICANT NAME OF APPLICANTS: Yi Joo Bae and Seung Taek Lim ACTUAL INVENTORS: YI JOO BAE and SEUNG TAEK LIM ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: Peter Maxwell Associates Level 6 Pitt Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 INVENTION TITLE: GARDEN EDGING DETAILS OF ASSOCIATED APPLICATION(S): Divisional of Australian Petty Patent No. 709,043 (21,252/99) filed on 17 March 1999 The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best S method of performing it known to me:- Australia I'^Bt 1- Lij*s n The present invention relates to garden edging and, in particular, to improvements in the way in which variously shaped log sections may be interconnected so as to provide a stable, strong, yet flexible garden edging.

This invention has particular application to round shaped, half round shaped, and partly round shaped (tombstone) log sections.

Many forms of log section based garden edging are known. A common form is of log sections, which are half round shaped and adapted to stand upright, interconnected by several cords or lines that are stapled to the flat vertical surface of each of the half round log sections that form the edging.

10 While this approach may suit half round log garden edging, it is inappropriate for interconnecting round log sections since they lack the flat vertical surfaces to which the cords may be stapled. Also, the staples and the lines that :interconnect such half round log sections are exposed to view and may become physically damaged as a result of gardening activity or weather 15 conditions.

It is an object of the present invention to provide garden edging that utilizes variously shaped log sections, the means for interconnection of which is concealed from view and allows a required level of flexibility in the positioning of the logs to follow a desired garden edge.

According to the invention there is provided garden edging comprising a plurality of round shaped log sections adapted so as to stand upright in tangentially abutting side by side relationship, each of said log sections having at least a first and a second rounded surface portion, the plurality of said log sections being so arranged that each adjacent pair of said log sections is interconnected by at least one keying member that has a central portion, from one end of which extends transversely a first key portion that engages slidably in a keyway of a first log section of the said pair and from the other end of which extends transversely a second key portion that engages slidably in a keyway of a second log section of the said pair, the engagement of the first and second key portions in their respective keyways being sufficiently tight that the or each keying member does not drop out of the said keyways, each of the said keyways being cut out and longitudinally extending at least partly along the length of a selected one of the first or second rounded surface portions of the log sections, the said keying member being formed of a flexible material that allows a predetermined degree of movement of one log section of the said pair relative to the other log section of the said pair, but prevents release of the i 10 keying member from either of the keyways in which it is engaged in response to forces tending to pull the adjacent log sections apart from each other, whereby the plurality of said interconnected log sections are able to define a curved garden edging by each said keying member flexing between its first and second key portions, the arrangement being such that the extent of the flexing of each said keying member is such as to retain the tangentially abutting side by side relationship of the so interconnected round shaped log sections so that each adjacent pair of the said log sections continue to abut each other along substantially the same tangential surfaces as was the case before flexing of the said keying member therebetween.

Preferably, each keyway has an opening for slidably receiving either the first or second portion of the keying member therein, the said opening being located in at least one end of the log section.

It is preferred that each keyway extends along the full length of the log section.

Preferably, there are two keyways in each log section and they are located in opposed relationship across the longitudinal axis of the log section.

4 There may be three keyways in any one or more log section so that such a log section can serve as a branching point from which the edging may extend in three directions.

In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig 1 is an isometric view of a small length of garden edging according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Fig 2 is a top view of a round log section used in the garden edging of 10 Fig 1, Fig 3 is an isometric view of another embodiment of a round log section that can be used in the garden edging of the invention, S:Fig 4 is an isometric view of a keying member used in the garden edging of Fig 1, and Fig 5 is a top view of a partly round shaped or "tombstone" log section which forms no part of the present invention.

The small length of garden edging 10 shown in Fig 1 consists of five round log sections 12 of substantially identical cylindrical shape and weight which stand upright in side by side relationship. The wood of which the log sections 12 are made may be treated so as to be resistant to parasitic attack and be weather proof. A preferred wood is any native Australian hard wood.

Each adjacent pair of log sections (say, 1 2a and 12b) is interconnected by a keying member 14, shown in Fig 4. There may be more than one keying member, if required, used to interconnect adjacent pairs of log sections.

The keying member 14 is, in this instance, generally in the shape of an and has a central portion 16, from one end of which extends transversely a first key portion 18 and from the other end of which extends transversely a second key portion 20. The first key portion 18 engages slidably in a keyway 22 of the log section 12a and the second key portion 20 engages slidably in a similar keyway of the adjacent log section 12b. To facilitate the interconnection of the round log sections 12 by means of keying members 14 in the manner as shown in Fig 1, each log section 12 must be formed such that it has at least two keyways which are located in opposed relationship across the longitudinal axis of the log section. Each of the keyways 22 is cut out and extends longitudinally the full length of the log section 12 as shown in Fig 3, although o the cut out keyway 22 may only extend partly along the length of the log section 12 if desired.

The keying member 14 is formed of a flexible material, such as a suitably hardened rubber, that allows a predetermined degree of movement of one log section 12a relative to its adjacent log section 12b, but prevents release of the keying member 14 from either of the keyways in which it is engaged in response to forces tending to pull the adjacent log sections 12a, 12b apart from each other. The preferred range of relative movement is within an angle of up to about 250 for the centre point of one log section about the keying member 14, serving as the pivotal axis for angular movement, that engages its adjacent log section.

Each keyway 22 has an opening 30 (for slidably receiving one of the key portions 18, 20 of the keying member 14 therein) located at each end 26, 28 of the log section, such as is shown for log section 12c in Fig 3. However, the keyways may have only one such opening located at one end of the log section, whereby such keyways 22 do not extend along the full length of the log section. Alternatively, the keyways may not have any openings at one or both ends of the log section, but rather may have an opening at a position located along the length of the keyway for inserting therethrough a key portion of the keying member 14 so that, by sliding the keying member 14 up or down from the opening, the keying member engages slidably through the keyway.

The fit of the keying members in the keyways should be sufficiently tight that the keying members do not drop out of the keyways but are nonetheless slidable within the keyways by force applied by the user.

The log section 12c shown in Fig 3 may be used as a junction log from which extend three linear lengths of garden edging.

The partly round shaped or "tombstone" log section 32 shown in Fig. which forms no part of the present invention, has a pair of keyways 22 formed 10 in the opposed straight edged sides of the log section 32, whereby a lesser degree of movement of one such log section 32 relative to an adjacent such log section 32 will be possible when the pair of sections are interconnected by a keying member 14.

l1 Various other modifications may be made in details of design and 15 construction without departing from the scope or ambit of the invention.

4:006:

Claims (4)

1. Garden edging comprising a plurality of round shaped log sections adapted so as to stand upright in tangentially abutting side by side relationship, each of said log sections having at least a first and a second rounded surface portion, the plurality of said log sections being so arranged that each adjacent pair of said log sections is interconnected by at least one keying member that has a central portion, from one end of which extends transversely a first key :portion that engages slidably in a keyway of a first log section of the said pair and from the other end of which extends transversely a second key portion that engages slidably in a keyway of a second log section of the said pair, the engagement of the first and second key portions in their respective keyways being sufficiently tight that the or each keying member does not drop out of the S"said keyways, each of the said keyways being cut out and longitudinally extending at least partly along the length of a selected one of the first or S•second rounded surface portions of the log sections, the said keying member being formed of a flexible material that allows a predetermined degree of movement of one log section of the said pair relative to the other log section of the said pair, but prevents release of the keying member from either of the keyways in which it is engaged in response to forces tending to pull the adjacent log sections apart from each other, whereby the plurality of said interconnected log sections are able to define a curved garden edging by each said keying member flexing between its first and second key portions, the arrangement being such that the extent of the flexing of each said keying member is such as to retain the tangentially abutting side by side relationship of the so interconnected round shaped log sections so that each adjacent pair of the said log sections continue to abut each other along substantially the 8 same tangential surfaces as was the case before flexing of the said keying member therebetween.

2. The garden edging of claim 1 wherein each keyway has an opening for slidably receiving either the first or second portion of the keying member therein, the said opening being located in at least one end of the log section.

3. The garden edging of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein each keyway extends along the full length of the log section.

4. The garden edging of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein there are two keyways in each log section and they are located in opposed relationship across the longitudinal axis of the log section. The garden edging of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein there are three keyways in any one or more log section so that such a log section can serve as a branching point from which the edging may extend in three directions. Dated this 16th day of March 2001. Yi Joo Bae and Seung Taek Lim *By their Patent Attorneys PETER MAXWELL ASSOCIATES