AU596111B2

AU596111B2 - Rat guard net

Info

Publication number: AU596111B2
Application number: AU60957/86A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Iwao Kadokura
Original assignee: Okanishi KK
Current assignee: Tsukuba Sangyo Co Ltd
Priority date: 1985-08-08
Filing date: 1986-08-07
Publication date: 1990-04-26
Anticipated expiration: 2006-08-07
Also published as: AU6095786A; CA1298998C

Description

Form COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952-69 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

Class Application Number: o Lodged: I t. Class 5~6i1i Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: This do~. titfltflt w. I it ",Id .49 I1( I s Il akl L1 I' d IN L cl Rni-ited Art: Name of Applicant: 4ddress of Applicant: 0 04 04drs fo4 evc 0 44 KABUSHIKT KAISHA OKANXSHI 2-6-2, Kajicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan IWAO KADOKURA EDWD. WATERS SONS, QUEEN STREET, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, 3000.

Complete Specification for the Invention entitled: RAT GUARD NET The following statement Is a full description of this Invention, including the best method of performing It known to I- US Rat guard net Background of the Invention: This invention relates to a rat guard net for protecting farm machines and implements and harvested farm produce, for example, from the harm of rats.

Farm machines and implements such as rice reapers and threshers are used for brief limited periods. They are generally kept in barns, for example, while they are not in service. They have the possibility that during their long idle periods, the remnants of the harvested produce which are remaining in the farm implements will entice rats into invading the interiors of the farm implements and building nests therein. These rats gnaw drive belts and electric wires used inside the farm implements and their excrements defile the SI:, farm implements hygienically and accelerate corrosion of the 15 farm implements. It is often witnessed that rats help themselves freely to harvested farm produce kept in storage.

For the prevention of the harm of rats done in various manners as described above, there have been made various attempts such as extirpation of rats with rodenticides and 4 20 concealment of farm machinery and harvested farm produce with sheets of fabrics.

The extirpation by the use of a rodenticide, however, cannot be expected to bring about any appreciable effect where the rats are allowed to find a rich supply of farm produce as their feed besides baits containing the rodenticide. In the presence of farm produce remaining in farm implements or of farm produce kept in storage, therefore, it is extremely difficult to effect satisfactory prevention of the harm of rats by the use of a roden'ticide. The concealment of farm implements or harvested farm products with sheets of fabrics cannot be expected to produce a practical effect because the rats are greedy enough to take the trouble of eating holes in the sheets and reach the farm produce hidden thereunder. It has Sbeen known that there is a net formed by bending and entangling wires of a rigid material such as a metal. Such a net may be used to cover a protected article such as a farm implement to protect it from the harm of rats. But, since the net lacks in free bendability, it is difficult to completely cover the I protected article without leaving any gap which allows the rats enter therethrough.

Summary of the Invention:

II

This invention aims to provide easy protection of farm machines and implements and harvested farm produce from the harm of rats. This object is accomplished by a rat guard net Swhich is formed by having links of a rigid material fitted freely movably into one another in a generally two-dimensional pattern so as to give rise to a three-dimensionally bendable network in spite of the rigidity of the material of the

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i on o CO 09 0 0 000 o 00 00 no 0 0000 0 o 0 0 0 00 0 Q a aud 0 00 S00 0 0 0 1 0 00 00 0 *a 0 0a o 0 «r .a individual links. Since the rat guard net of this invention is formed by causing the links to be fitted freely movably into one another and, therefore, is rendered three-dimensionally bendable, it can be easily draped over a given farm implement or a given heap of farm produce without leaving behind any gap enough to admit rats. Since the component links of this rat guard net are made of a rigid material, the rat guard net has absolutely no possibility of being gnawed by rats. The rat guard net, therefore, permits perfect protection of farm implements and harvested farm produce from the harm of rats.

The other objects and characteristics of this invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention.

Brief Explanation of the Drawings: 15 Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating part of a rat guard net formed of circular links and elliptic links, as one embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 through Fig. 2 are perspective views respectively of a circular link, an elliptic link, and a link possessed of loops one each at the opposite ends thereof.

Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the rat guard net of Fig. 1 held in the state of actual use.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating part of a rat guard net formed of rhombic links and elliptic links, as another embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating part of a rat guard net formed solely of rhombic links, as yet another embodiment of this invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention: A rat guard net illustrated in Fig. 1 is formed by fitting elliptic links 2, 2, severally into circular links 1, 1, spaced regularly in the longitudinal and lateral direction thereby interconnecting the individual circular links 1, 1, with the elliptic links 2, 2, in the longitudinal and lateral directions. The generally rectangular so-called meshes enclosed with the lines of the circular links 1, 1, and the elliptic links 2, 2, each have an opening small enough to prevent the head of a rat from entering.

The aforementioned circular links 1, 1, and elliptic links 2, 2, are made of a material too rigid to be gnawed by rats. Generally, a metallic substance is used as the rigid 0 a material. Optionally, a rigid synthetic resin such as, for example, polycarbonate or a ceramic substance may be used instead for the purpose of decreasing the weight of the net.

20 In the metallic substances which are available for the rigid material, aluminum and aluminum alloys such as duralmin are the best selections. When the rat guard net of this invention is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, it features light weight and ease of handling.

Since the circular links 1, 1, and the elliptic Ila o 1 It $1 links 2, 2, are fitted into one another with ample play, they are free to move about one another. Since the circular links 1, 1, and the ellipitic links 2, 2, are fitted into one another in such a manner as to enjoy freedom of motion about one another, the rat guard net as a whole is three-dimensionally bendable notwithstanding the rigidity of the material of which the circular links 1, 1, and the elliptic links 2, 2, are made.

The union of the circular links 1, 1, and the elliptic links 2, 2, can be obtained by preparing either or both of the two groups of links in a pattern containing an opening 3 as illustrated in Fig. 2 and Fig. 2 slipping the links into one another through the openings 3, and thereafter closing these openings 3. When links 2' which, as 15 illustrated in Fig. 2 possess loops one each at the opposite ends thereof are used in place of the elliptic links 2, they offer an advantage that the openings 3, once closed after completion of the union of the links, will not readily permit exertion thereon of any external force tending to pry open the loops.

The rat guard net of this invention is used as draped on a protected article 4 such as, for example, a farm implement or a heap of harvested farm produce as illustrated in Fig. 3.

Since the rat guard net is freely bendable in a three-dimensional pattern as already described, it can be draped easily along the 1 contour of the protected article 4 without leaving behind any gap large enough to admit rats. Further, the possibility of rats stealing their way to the protected aricle 4 from under the bottom edge of the rat guard net draped thereon can be precluded by allowing the bottom edge of the net to lie fast on the floor. To ensure perfect preclusion of the possibility, weights 5 such as stones may be placed on the skirt of the net lying flat on the floor to hold down the skirt.

The size of the rat guard net can be fixed proportionately to the size of the protected article 4. If the size is too large, the rat guard net entails inconveniences of transportation and storage. When the protected article 4 happens to be a large farm machine, it is desirable to cover this protected article 4 with a plurality of rat guard nets each of a unit size of 1 m in width and 5 m in length, for example. When the plurality of rat guard nets are used in the 'manner just described, the adjacent nets may be tied to each other with wires or devices like carabiners.

Fig. 4 illustrates another typical rat guard net according to the present invention. This rat guard net is formed by regularly and parallelly spacing a plurality of rows each formed of rhombic links 6, 6, fitted freely movable into one another, allowing ellipitic links 2, 2, to be fitted parallelly and freely movably to the adjacent rows of rhombic links 6, 6, thereby interconnecting the rows of rhombic links 6, 6, to one another in a two-dimensional pattern.

Fig. 5 illustrates yet another typical rat guard net according to this invention. This rat guard net is formed by fitting rhombic links 6, 6, freely movably into one another in the longitudinal and lateral directions in a two-dimensional pattern.

In accordance with this invention, there is obtained a net which is made of a material too rigid to be gnawed by rats and yet is freely bendable three-dimensionally. When it is draped on a farm implement and a heap of farm produce, it can protect them from the harm of rats. The links to be used in this invention are not limited to the circular, elliptic, and rhombic shapes described above with reference to the drawings but may be formed in oval, triangular and other polygonal shapes.

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Claims

2. A method according to claim i, wherein a plural number of nets are used for draping a protected object.
3. A rat guard net when used in the performance of the method as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein circular links spaced regularly in the longitudinal and lateral directions are interconnected longitudinally and laterally with elliptic links.
4. A rat guard net according to Claim 3, wherein links each possessing loops one each at the opposite ends thereof are used in place of said elliptic links. A rat guard net when used in the performance of the It. method as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of rows each formed of interconnected rhombic links are regularly and parallely spaced and the adjacent rows of rhombic links are o interconnected to one another with elliptic links.
6. A rat guard net when used in the performance of the method as claimed in claims 1 or 2 wherein rhombic links are S° interconnected to one another in the longitudinal and lateral direction. Dated this 29th day of January, 1990. KABUSHIKI KAISHA OKANISHI WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS FLOOR 2, 290 BURWOOD ROAD HAWTHORN, VICTORIA, 3122, AUSTRALIA.