AU2005202186A1 - Edging improvements - Google Patents

Description

P/00/011 A Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

O

N COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT 00

\O

SORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: ROBERT HENRY HAYSOM AND DEIRDRE MARY HAYSOM Actual Inventor(s): ROBERT HENRY HAYSOM AND DEIRDRE MARY HAYSOM Address for Service: COLLISON CO.,117 King William Street, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 Invention Title: EDGING IMPROVEMENTS Details of Associated Provisional Application(s): Australian Application No 2004902699 Dated 21 May 2004 Australian Application No 2004906903 Dated 3 December 2004 eThis invention relates to a paving and gardening edging strip, and to both a combination of edgings, a kit of parts for edging, and an installation incorporating edging.

IIt is known to use edging to assist in defining borders between paved and 00 5 unpaved areas, such as a garden for instance.

N In this case, I propose to use an edging made from extruded aluminum, which has Sa base part and a back part which are integrally joined, and where the base part is 0intended to be set on a ground surface and support the back part, which then extends generally at right angles to the base part.

A problem with such a simple proposal however is that in many edging installations, a required alignment of the edging is such that it must define a curved path.

In order to facilitate the ability of an edging of the type described to be readily shaped to follow a curved path, and yet still provide stable support for the back part, there has been proposed a plurality of spaced apart slots cut through a portion of the base part, which at least assists in reducing the stiffness or resistance to bending that might otherwise be experienced.

This is complicated however by the fact that such edging is, for reasons of facilitating transport and storage, provided in finite lengths.

This means that each length in a practical installation will need to be joined and adapted in order to affect such a join. As such, there is provided a pair of integrated upwardly open and downwardly open slots extending along a length of the back part, within which a joining member can be slipped.

These adjoining slots have hitherto extended on what might be termed an inside of the back part, which is to say the side of the back part which faces or in the same direction as the base part.

There has been considered to be advantage in such an arrangement in that this then leaves an area of a back surface of the back part, which can be substantially planar, and this is potentially convenient for an installation.

However, I have discovered that there is a problem with the location of these projections providing the upwardly open and downwardly open slots on the inside surface, which is that in this location they cause limitations in a manufacturing IN 5 operation to the shape, and the way in which the previously described slots at 00 spaced apart locations along a length of the base part are cut.

SRecalling that the base part and back part are made using an aluminium extrusion manufacturing technique, the subsequent shaping of the base part so as to incorporate these spaced apart slots will most efficiently then be by simply using a punch die to cut them into the base part.

However, if the joining segments which provide the upwardly open and downwardly open slots are projecting over the base part, then the space available for a punch is restricted, and in practice this means that one would punch the slots so that they have an inner edge which is away from the inner bottom surface of the back part to an extent defined by the extent to which the upwardly open and downwardly open slot supporting portions extend from the surface of the back part.

The problem with this of course is that the slots then leave a portion of the base part, which in turn provides an additional stiffness, which then makes the edging more difficult to handle, and it is harder to cause this to bend in tighter radius bends.

An answer to this in accordance with this invention has been therefore to relocate the portions defining the upwardly open and downwardly open slots so that they project from the other face or side, which is to say the rearward face, or the side opposite to the one from which the base portion extends, of the back part.

This then can be further arranged so that the inside face of the back part provides a clear access for a vertical punch so that the spaced apart slots in the base part can then be efficiently punched right to the adjacent inside surface of the back part.

This immediately then allows for reduced resistance to bending and is a significant improvement in relation to the edging for practical purposes.

One of the problems with this now is that because it becomes more efficient to Scurve such edging in tighter curves, there can be a discontinuity in a curved shape where this is at a joined edge.

O

A joined edge is where two ends of edging material as described are located in an adjacent vicinity.

00 N In our case, it is our intention that these edges are at least partially abutting one N against the other, either directly in contact or so close that it is substantially in Stouching contact.

It is also a feature of our invention that in relation to the ends that are abutting, the base part in each case is not cut square to the back part but is either cut to have an inclined surface in the base part or is cut so as to have at least a portion of a slot cut there through so that in effect, the back part is proud of the base part in the location of an abutting joint.

The problem then however, is that this still leaves a join which will have characteristics defined by a joining plate.

My proposal according to this invention is to no longer have a plate as such which has its upper and lower edges nesting within respective upper and lower open slots, but instead that there is a joining member which has an upper and lower portion which is adapted to fit within the respective slots, further characterized in that there is a further middle portion that is shaped so as to be stiffer than a mere sheet of material which is of planar dimensions with the thickness and shape to respectively fit with its edges in the respective slots.

In preference, there is provided a joining member that is proud within a middle portion, to an extent that it will match approximately the width of an outer edge defining respectively the upper and lower slots.

In such a case, this then has two advantages, a first being that such a joining member will be somewhat stiffer than the conventional plate, the advantage of this is that this then significantly strengthens a join between edging members both with respect to the shape of a curve so that this will then in a sense stay less curved than would have been the case otherwise, but it has also been found that this significantly improves the overall strength of the edging to the extent that an Sarrangement using this now improved technique can be used in installations which had previously not been considered to be suitable.

O

For instance, in one case, where edging would have been used above both a gravel and sand layer, it is now considered to be sufficiently strong to be located 0_ directly on an underlying gravel layer with sand on top, and this is considered to be 1 of significant advantage.

0 The type of edging being discussed is extruded from aluminum as a strip and 0further includes, in a preferred instance, spaced apart apertures in the base part, which are used in conjunction with pins or tie downs of some sort to anchor the edging at spaced apart locations along its length.

Further, in order to provide additional strength, in preferred examples, there are additional stiffening ribs extending lengthwise along the base part, and in one case these include an outermost rim and a medial rim, and respective apertures are cut or punched as round holes at spaced apart intervals along the length of the edging.

In a preferred instance, the base part is anchored by a pin that is a member of uniform cross-sectional shape that has an overturned or mushroom head and a lowermost sharpened point, which is embedded into the ground through a respective aperture until the overturned head intersects with an upper surface of the base part.

In the alternative, in relation to the base part, the referred to slots, which are located at spaced apart intervals, can vary in shape and in one case are a slot with parallel sides and an orthogonal end which is coincident or closely coincident with an inner surface alignment of the back part.

In a further instance, the slot is of v-shape in which the apex of the v is located coincident with an alignment of the inner surface of the back part and the two legs of the v then project symmetrically out from this to exit fully from the base part.

Accordingly, in one form of this invention, there is proposed a paving and gardening edging strip of extruded aluminum, including a back part and a base part that are substantially orthogonally aligned one with respect to the other such that the base part projects from a first side of the back part, a plurality of apertures passing through the base part, each at a location which is spaced apart from adjacent respective apertures along the length of elongation of the base part, a plurality of slots passing through the base part, each at a location which is spaced apart from adjacent respective slots along the length of elongation of the base part, each slot Iextending fully through the base part to an edge of the back part, a portion of the 00 back part extending from the opposite side of the back part to the base part and N defining a joining slot with an upper most open mouth, a further portion of the back c part extending from the opposite side of the back part to the base part and defining a joining slot with a lowermost open mouth, the respective joining slots defining between them a joining member holding shape.

In preference, the slot in the base part is in at least one case of v-shape with an apex of the shape being innermost against the inner edge of the back part or at least in alignment with this.

In a further form, the invention could be said to reside in a combination of a paving and gardening edging strip as described further characterized in that there at least two separate strips which are joined together in an end to end abutting alignment in which the ends are in an adjoining association and there is a joining member extending into each respective joining slot and extending across the abutting join and holding the respective ends of the strips in alignment thereby.

In a further form, the invention could reside in an assembly which incorporates edgings as described when joined in the manner described.

In a further instance, the invention could reside in an installation incorporating edging strips in which the combination or assembly is held to the ground and includes anchor means engaging through respective holes in a base part.

In a further instance, the installation includes an arrangement in which the base part is positioned directly above a layer of compacted aggregate material and where there is a sand layer above the base part in the installation.

In a further instance, the invention includes an arrangement in which the base part of an edging as described is positioned directly above a solid concrete path or driveway layer and is secured to this by masonry fixings.

In yet a further form of the invention, at least a portion of the back part of the paving Sand gardening edging strip extends downwardly past the underside of the base part, the portion extending below this level serving as a ground-engaging portion.

O

In preference, the ground-engaging portion is substantially collinear with the back part of the paving edging strip.

00 In preference, the ground-engaging portion is integrally formed with the remainder Sof the edging strip.

0 In preference, the ground-engaging portion extends along the full length of the edging strip.

In preference, the ground-engaging portion has a maximum thickness no greater than that of the remainder of the back part of the edging strip.

Further, there is this arrangement with the base part of the edging inwardly directed so that it will lie beneath any paving.

In preference the edging strip includes longitudinally extending ribs with the means securing the edging to the concrete being no higher than adjacent ribs.

In preference there is also a layer of sand which extends above the base portion and extends over a remainder of a relevant part of a concrete surface providing a base therefore for paving slabs thereafter.

In a further form of the invention, it may be said to lie in a kit of parts for a paving and gardening edging installation including at least a pair of edgings strips, at least one joining member, and at least one anchor means, each as described herein.

For a better understanding of this invention it will now be described with the assistance of drawings wherein; Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view through a piece of paving and gardening edging according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through a piece of paving and gardening edging as in Figure 1, showing a joining member inserted between the upwardly open Sand downwardly open slots; 0 Figure 3 is a perspective view of two pieces of paving and gardening edging as illustrated in Figure 1, and a joining member, which is about to be inserted between the upwardly open and downwardly open slots of the respective pieces, thereby o00 joining them; NFigure 4 is a perspective view of the two pieces of paving and gardening edging in Figure 3, illustrating them joined by the joining member; Figure 5 is a plan view of the two pieces of joined paving and gardening edging, and the joining member in Figure 4, showing them bent so as to create a curved edge; Figure 6 is a perspective view of two pieces of paving and gardening edging according to a further form of the invention, illustrating them joined by the joining member; Figures 7a and b illustrate applications for the edging strip; Figure 8 is a cross-section view through a piece of paving and gardening edging according to yet a further form of the invention; and Figure 9 is a perspective view of two pieces of the paving and gardening edging illustrated in Figure 8, illustrating them joined by the joining member.

Referring now to the illustrations, there is a strip of paving and gardening edging 1, which has been formed by extruding aluminium. The edging 1 has a back part 2 and a base part 4 that extends from a first side of the back part 2. The back part 2 and base part 4 are integrally formed. In use, the base part is intended to be set on a ground surface and support the back part, which extends generally at right angles to the base part.

There are a plurality of spaced apart slots 6 cut through the base part. These slots assist in reducing the stiffness or resistance to bending that might otherwise be provided by the strip 1.

The strip1 incorporates a pair of integral upwardly and downwardly open slots 8 tand 10 respectively, extending along a length of the back part, within which a joining member 12 can be inserted.

0

(N

These integral upwardly and downwardly open slots 8 and 10 project from the rearward face 2b of the back part 2, this being the face or side opposite to the side 0_ from which the base part 4 extends. In doing so, this provides clear access for a N vertical punch, so that the spaced apart slots 6 in the base part 4 can then be N punched right to the adjacent front, or inside surface 2f of the back part 2.

The joining member 12 has an upper 14 and lower 16 portion, these being adapted to fit within the respective slots 8 and 10. The joining member is further characterized in that there is a further middle portion 18, that is shaped so as to make the joining member thicker, and therefore stiffer than a mere sheet of material which is of planar dimensions, with the thickness and shape to respectively fit with its edges in the respective slots.

The middle portion of the joining member 18 is thicker than the edges, and sits proud of them to such an extent that it will match approximately the width of the outer edges 8a and 10 a defining respectively the upper and lower slots 8 and There are stiffening ribs extending lengthwise along the base part 4; there is an outermost rim 22 and a medial 24 rim. There are a plurality of apertures cut or punched as round holes 20 at spaced apart intervals through the base part 4, spaced along the length of the edging. These holes 20 are used in conjunction with pins or tie downs of some sort to anchor the edging at spaced apart locations along its length.

In use, a length of the paving edging strip 1 can be curved by bending, in doing so it can be made to adopt the shape and contour desired for the garden design. The length can then be secured in position by driving the pins or stakes through the holes 20. A further length of edging strip can then be joined to the first by inserting a joining member between the integral upwardly and downwardly open slots 8 and 10 in the ends of each length of edging strip. The thicker middle portion of the joining member 10 means that the stiffness of the join between the two lengths of edging strip is approximately the same as the lowest stiffness in the strips at any other point, meaning smooth, gradual contours can be maintained despite the presence of the join between the two lengths.

In a further form of the invention, the slots 52, in the edging 50 are v-shaped; the apex 54 of the v is located coincident with an alignment of the inner surface 56f of the back part 56, and the two legs 58 of the v then project symmetrically out from N 5 this to exit fully from the base part 00 (1 In this embodiment then, the back part 56 of the respective ends of the two strips c-i 50 are the only parts of the respective ends that are abutting; the base part 60 in Seach case is not cut square to the back part, instead the leg 58 of the v is cut so as to define an inclined surface in the base part, such that the back part then is proud of the base part in the location of an abutting joint. The joint then will have characteristics defined almost entirely by the joining member 62, making the increased thickness and therefore rigidity provided by the joining plate critical to the capability of the strip to provide smooth contours.

We refer now to Figure 7a, which illustrates an application for the paving and gardening edging 1. Here a layer of aggregate material, or gravel 63, has been laid over the ground surface 64 and compacted. The base portion 65 of the edging strip 1 is then laid atop of the gravel 63 and a spike or pin 66 is then passed through an aperture in the base portion so that the portion of the spike extending through the base portion 65 further extends through the layer of gravel 63 and into the earth 64 beneath, so as to fix the edging strip in place. A thin layer of sand 67 is then laid on one side of the back portion, and pavers 68 are then laid atop of the layer of sand 67 such that an edge of each paver abuts the back portion 69 of the edging strip 1. Lawn or garden can then be laid over the base portion 65 on the other side of the back portion 69 of the edging strip 1.

Referring now to Figure 7b, which illustrates an application for the paving edging 1.

Here two strips of edging are secured directly to a concrete surface 70, such as a driveway, using masonry fixings 72. A thin layer of sand 74, of about 10 to depth is then laid down to bed the pavers 76. Because only a thin bed of sand is needed, a user still has the versatility to change the direction or shape of the pavers even after the pavers have been laid onto the existing concrete base This embodiment address's a problem related to a current difficulty where there exists a current a solid concrete path or driveway. Previously it has been considered that the appropriate way of converting such a path or driveway to paving which is considered by many now to be more aesthetically pleasing has been to remove the concrete first or in another case place a floor of further concrete over the underneath material so as to provide purchase for subsequent tiles or pavers. This can be a very difficult and costly exercise and this then is the problem.

IN By using the edging of this invention and joining this as described allows the 0 concrete to be simply left in place and the edging is then able to be secured N directly to the concrete by typically hardened nails or dyna bolts or the like secure ci masonry fixings. The edging then is able to provide the appropriate retention for subsequent pavers whether these are then laid on a bed of sand or otherwise.

0 Referring now to Figures 8 and 9, which illustrate an edging strip 100 that further includes a back part 102 that extends downwardly past the underside 104 of the base part 106; the portion 108 extending below this level serving as a ground engaging portion, that can be driven into the sand and other soft ground surfaces like a blade. This ground-engaging portion 108 then provides some significant advantages; firstly, it secures the strip 100 in position prior to securing it to other strips using joining members, or indeed securing it to the ground using the pegs, pins or stakes. This allows a user to curve and then position a strip in a preliminary fashion so that they can consider its appearance prior to fixing the strip in place using the more permanent techniques. Furthermore, this ground-engaging portion 108 increases the stability of the application by virtue of the fact that the edging no longer merely sits atop the ground level, but physically engages the ground itself.

It would be understood by a person skilled in the art that the edging according to the present invention can be used for edging and defining borders for any one of a number of suitable materials, including pavers, turf (real and synthetic), bitumen, pebbles and terrazzo to name just a few.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognised that departures can be made within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details described herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the appended claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

Claims (18)

1. A paving and gardening edging strip of extruded aluminum, including a back part and a base part that are substantially orthogonally aligned one with respect to INO the other such that the base part projects from a first side of the back part, a plurality 00 5 of apertures passing through the base part, each at a location which is spaced apart from adjacent respective apertures along the length of elongation of the base part, a plurality of slots passing through the base part, each at a location which is spaced apart from adjacent respective slots along the length of elongation of the base part, N each slot extending fully through the base part to an edge of the back part, a portion of the back part extending from the opposite side of the back part to the base part and defining a joining slot with an upper most open mouth, a further portion of the back part extending from the opposite side of the back part to the base part and defining a joining slot with a lowermost open mouth, the respective joining slots defining between them a joining member holding shape.

2. The paving and gardening edging strip as in the immediately preceding claim further characterized in that at least two separate strips can be joined together in an end to end abutting alignment, in which the ends of the respective strips are positioned in an adjoining association, and there is a joining member extending into each respective joining slot so as to be extending across the abutting join and holding the respective ends of the strips in alignment thereby.

3. The paving and gardening edging strip as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that the joining member includes an upper and lower portion which is adapted to fit within the respective joining slots, and a further middle portion that is shaped so as to be stiffer than a mere sheet of material which is of planar dimensions and which would have the thickness and shape to respectively fit with its edges in the respective joining slots.

4. The paving and gardening edging strip as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that the middle portion of the joining member is thicker than the upper and lower portions, to an extent that it will match approximately the width of an outer edge of the portions of the edging strip defining the upper and lower slots respectively. The paving and gardening edging strip as in any one of the preceding claims Sfurther characterized in that the edging strip further includes at least a portion of the back part of the paving edging strip that extends downwardly past the underside surface of the base part, this further portion serving as a ground-engaging portion.

6. The paving and gardening edging strip as in any one of the preceding claims 00 further characterized in that, the ground-engaging portion is substantially collinear N with the back part of the paving edging strip.

7. The paving and gardening edging strip as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that the ground-engaging portion is integrally formed with the remainder of the edging strip.

8. The paving and gardening edging strip as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that the ground-engaging portion extends along the full length of the edging strip.

9. The paving and gardening edging strip as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that the base part is anchored to the ground by anchoring means passing through an aperture in the base part. The paving and gardening edging strip as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that the anchoring means is a pin or spike of uniform cross- sectional shape, which has an overturned or mushroom head and a lowermost sharpened point, which is embedded into the ground through a respective aperture until the overturned head intersects with an upper surface of the base part.

11. The paving and gardening edging strip as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that the slots in the base part are in at least one case of v- shape, with an apex of the v-shape being innermost against the inner edge of the back part, or at least in alignment with this.

12. The paving and gardening edging strip as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that the two legs of the v then project symmetrically out from their apex so as to exit fully from the base part.

13. The paving and gardening edging strip as in any one of claims 1 to 10 further characterized in that the slots in the base part have in at least one case, parallel Ssides and an orthogonal end, which is coincident or closely coincident with an inner surface alignment of the back part. O

14. A combination of paving and gardening edging strips including at least a pair IN 5 of paving edgings strips as described in any one of the preceding claims, wherein 00 these are joined using the joining member in the manner described in any one of N the preceding claims. c-i The combination of paving and gardening edging strips as in the immediately preceding claim further characterized in that the combination is held to the ground by the anchor means engaging through the respective apertures in the base part.

16. An installation incorporating paving and gardening edging strips including a combination of edging strips as in any one of the preceding combination claims, in which the base part of an edging strip is positioned directly above a layer of compacted aggregate material, and where there is a sand layer above the base part in the installation.

17. An installation incorporating paving and gardening edging strips including a combination of paving edging strips as in any one of the preceding combination claims, in which the base part of an edging strip is positioned directly above a solid concrete surface, and secured to this by masonry fixings.

18. The installation as in any one of the preceding installation claims, further characterized in that base part of the edging strip is directed so that it will lie beneath any paving.

19. A kit of parts for a paving and gardening edging installation including at least a pair of edgings strips, at least one joining member, and at least one anchor means, each as described in any one of claims 1 to 13. A paving and gardening edging strip substantially as described in the specification with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying representations.

21. A combination of paving and gardening edging strips substantially as described in the specification with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying representations.

22. An installation incorporating paving and gardening edging strips substantially as described in the specification with reference to and as illustrated in the IC 5 accompanying representations. 00 c 23. A kit of parts for a paving and gardening edging installation substantially as Sdescribed in the specification with reference to and as illustrated in the In accompanying representations. Dated this 20th day of May 2003 ROBERT HENRY HAYSOM and DEIRDRE MARY HAYSOM By their Patent Attorneys COLLISON CO