BACKGROUND There are many devices, which incorporate a spiral or helical form into their design enabling a connection to be formed between two pieces of wire or similar material.

Typically these connection devices require the use of tools for installation and these devices are not readily reusable.

There are a number of attempts for enabling the formation of this type of connection in the prior art. U. S. Patent No. 1,622, 878 discloses a fastener composed of a length of wire in an extended spring formation which is used for the interconnection of round wire reinforcing strap lengths. In order for the fastener to perform its function the helical convolutions of the fastener are flattened to approximately the width of the wire strap to be passed through the coil. Wire straps must be passed through the centre of the coil using suitable tensioning tools and then the fastener is crimped about the wire straps to secure the wire straps within the fastener.

In addition, U. S. Patent No. 2,097, 641 discloses a spring fastener intended to secure trim or like material upon a supporting structure with a continuously effective yielding pressure, thus acting as a clipping device. This fastener is formed from one piece of wire, consisting of a head in the form of a letter S and a pair of holding elements that approximate a helical form and project away from the ends of the head. Upon installation of this device and its subsequent rotation through the use of additional tools, the design of the spring fastener results in the a clamping force being applied to the trim and a supporting structure, thus providing a means for holding the trim in position.

A fencing system for the creation of an animal enclosure comprising longitudinally strung fencing wire and cross stay wires joining adjacent strands of fencing wire by means of knots or coils is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,148, 380. The cross stay wires are painted a contrasting colour, enabling ease of visibility of the fence wire by animals contained within the enclosure.

Each of the above examples of connectors incorporates helical or spiral formed connection components and they are typically more permanent in nature. Furthermore, installation of these connectors requires the use of additional tools to rotate, crimp or perform other actions on the connector in order for the connection to be formed. Therefore, there is a need for a reusable connection device for use with a wire type of material, which provides ease of interconnection of the material and which can be installed without the use of additional tools.

This background information is provided for the purpose of making known information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an eyelet connection device and its method of use. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a securing device for use with mesh screens, said securing device comprising: a length of rigid-quality material bent into a configuration presenting; a mid-section; a first end projecting away from the mid-section in an approximately helical path up to one convolution to define an eyelet connection means; a second end projecting away from the mid-section in an approximately helical path up to one convolution to define a further eyelet connection means ; wherein said rigid-quality material has a minimum cross-sectional dimension ranging from 3/16 of an inch to 1/2 of an inch, wherein said securing device is for use with

mesh screens formed from strands having a minimum cross-sectional dimension ranging from 3/16 of an inch to 1/2 of an inch, and wherein the approximately helical path has a pitch which is the same or greater than the cross-sectional dimension of the strands forming said mesh screens.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1A provides an elevation view of one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1B provides an elevation view of a further embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2A provides a top view of the embodiment according to Figure 1A.

Figure 2B provides a top view of the embodiment according to Figure 1B.

Figure 3 provides an elevation view of a further embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 provides a top view of the embodiment according to Figure 3.

Figure 5A provides a schematic of a use of the embodiment according to Figures 1A and 2A.

Figure 5B provides a schematic of a use of the embodiment according to Figures 1B and 2B.

Figure 6A provides a schematic of an installation method of the embodiment according to Figures 1A and 2A.

Figure 6B provides a schematic of an installation method of the embodiment according to Figures 1B and 2B.

Figure 7A provides a schematic of an installed connection device of the embodiment according to Figures 1A and 2A.

Figure 7B provides a schematic of an installed connection device of the embodiment according to Figures 1B and 2B.

Figure 8 provides a schematic of a use of the embodiment according to Figures 3 and 4.

Figure 9 provides a schematic of an installation method of the embodiment according to Figures 3 and 4.

Figure 10 provides a schematic of an installed connection device of the embodiment according to Figures 3 and 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Definitions The term"connecting eyelet"is used to describe the portion of the eyelet connection device in which the connected material is secured. The connecting eyelet is formed by bending a linear piece of material along a helical or approximately helical path up to one convolution.

The terms"mid-point"or"mid-section"are interchangeably used to describe the centre point or centre section of the eyelet connection device, which corresponds to the mid-length point of the material from which the eyelet connection device is formed.

The term"central extender"or"elongated mid-section"is used to describe the linear portion of a connection device located between the connecting eyelets.

The term"mesh screen"is used to describe a configuration of material wherein the material has been formed into a grid pattern. For example, a mesh screen can be formed from steel wire configured into a grid pattern with the intersection points of the"horizontal"and

"vertical"members of the grid being rigidly connected by welding, for example.

Alternatively, the segments can be bent and interlaced forming a mesh screen, for example chain link fencing.

The term"segment"is used to define a portion of a mesh screen wherein a segment forms one side the shape forming said wire mesh screen. For example, a wire mesh screen can be envisioned as having a grid pattern, wherein said grid pattern defines a plurality of for example squares. The term segment is used to define the span or one side of any square.

The term"strand"is used to define the lengths of material which form a mesh screen. For example a strand can span the entire height or width of a particular mesh screen and a single stand may comprise a plurality of segments.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.

The present invention discloses an eyelet connection device and its method of use enabling secure interconnection of mesh screens or material formed into a grid type configuration and/or the repair or reinforcement of segments within a mesh screen. The eyelet connection device of the present invention can be installed and removed without the use of additional tools and may be reusable.

The eyelet connection device of the present invention can be constructed from rigid-quality material having a minimum cross-sectional dimension ranging from 3/16 of an inch to 1/2 an inch and is formed by bending the ends of the material towards the mid-section of the piece such that eyelets are formed at either end of the piece of material. Bending the ends of the material can be performed such that they are bent out of the longitudinal plane of the piece of material along a helical or approximately helical path to the extent of up to approximately one convolution, thus forming the eyelet connectors operatively associated with the eyelet connection device.

In one embodiment of the present invention the minimum cross-sectional dimension of the rigid quality material ranges from 1/4 of an inch to 1/2 an inch. In a further embodiment the minimum cross-sectional dimension of the rigid quality material ranges from 1/4 of an inch to 3/8 of an inch.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first and second ends of the eyelet connection device project away from the mid-section of the device in an approximately helical path, wherein the second end projects in a direction opposite to that of the first end.

The pitch of the helical type bend located at each end of an eyelet connection device is the same or greater than the thickness of the mesh screen material forming a mesh screen with which the eyelet connection device is being used. The mesh screen material has a minimum cross-sectional dimension ranging from 3/16 of an inch to 1/2 an inch. As the thickness of the mesh screen material increases, the pitch of the helical form increases proportionally such that the open space between adjacent segments of the helical formation is equal to or larger than the thickness of the mesh screen material.

In one embodiment of the present invention the minimum cross-sectional dimension of the mesh screen material ranges from 1/4 of an inch to 1/2 an inch. In a further embodiment the minimum cross-sectional dimension of the mesh screen material ranges from 1/4 of an inch to 3/8 of an inch.

The eyelet connection device of the present invention can be formed from any relatively stiff material having a tensile capacity sufficient for maintaining the desired connection, for example, aluminium or other alloy, mild steel, medium-carbon steel, high-carbon steel, carbon fibre or fibreglass. In addition, the eyelet connection device may be formed from a material which is resistant to environmental conditions for example stainless steel or galvanised steel. Selection of the desired material may be based on factors comprising accessibility, cost, location of usage and ease of manufacture.

In one embodiment of the present invention, an eyelet connection device can be used to interconnect mesh screens acting as protective barriers. For this type of application of the present invention, the load bearing capacity of the eyelet connection device, which is based on the geometry of the cross-section and the material from which it is formed, is selected such that an appropriate factor of safety is achieved. This factor of safety is based on the ratio of the capacity of the device to the required capacity of the device.

In addition, the eyelet connection device can be formed from material having a number of cross-sectional shapes, for example, circular, square, rectangular, hexagon or octagonal. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the eyelet connection device is formed from material having a circular cross section.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the eyelet connection device further comprises a protective surface finish. This surface finish may be in the form of paint, a protective seal or any other finish that can inhibit deterioration or corrosion of the device.

In one embodiment of the present invention, and with reference to Figures 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B, the eyelet connection device is formed of a piece of material wherein the connecting eyelets 10 are separated by a central extender 20. The eyelet connection device can be constructed of a single piece of material and is formed by bending the ends towards the mid-point 30 of the piece of material such that eyelets 10 are formed at either end of the piece of material. Bending the ends of the material can be performed such that they are bent out of the longitudinal plane of the piece of material on a helical or approximately helical path to the extent of up to approximately one convolution, thus forming the eyelet connectors 10 associated with the eyelet connection device. The length of the central extender 20 can be adjusted by changing the length of the material from which the eyelet connection device is formed. The length of the central extender 20 is selected based on the grid size of the mesh screen with which it is to be used, wherein the length of the eyelet connection device is determined based on a multiple of this mesh screen grid size. The pitch of the helical type bend is so selected such that the open space 40 located between

adjacent portions of the material formed into a helix is equal to or greater than the thickness of the material from which the mesh screen to be connected, is constructed.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the eyelet connection device is fabricated from more than one piece of material, for example, the central extender and each eyelet can be formed separately. These components of an eyelet connection device can be rigidly connected to each other forming the eyelet connection device wherein the rigid connection is formed by welding, for example, or any connection means applicable to the material from which the device is constructed.

With reference to Figures 3 and 4 a further embodiment of the present invention is schematically represented. The eyelet connection device can be constructed of a single piece of material and is formed by bending the ends towards the mid-point 30 of the piece of material such that eyelets 10 are formed at either end of the piece of material. Bending the ends of the material can be performed such that they are bent out of the longitudinal plane of the piece of material on a helical or approximately helical path to the extent of up to approximately one convolution, thus forming the eyelet connectors 10 associated with the eyelet connection device. The mid-point 30, of this embodiment, can be a tangential point on the approximately helical shape of the device and thus the eyelet connection device appears as a single eyelet. The pitch of the helical type bend is selected such that the open space 40 located between adjacent portions of the material formed into a helix is equal to or greater than the thickness of the material from which the mesh screens to be connected, are constructed.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the embodiment of the eyelet connection device according to Figures 1A and 2A can be used to reinforce a segment, of a material formed into a mesh screen, which may have been cut or weakened, as illustrated in Figure 5A. The eyelet connection device can be used to connect the adjacent parallel strands which are connected at a specific location by the segment which may have be been cut or weakened. In this example, the eyelet connection device functions as a double hook that spans the distance between the adjacent parallel strands. One installation technique, which

can be employed for an eyelet connection device used in this manner, is illustrated in Figure 6A. The eyelet connection device can be oriented such that the open space 40, as illustrated in Figure 2A, is located within substantially the same horizontal plane as the parallel strands to be connected. In this position, the parallel strands can be slipped into the respective connecting eyelet, moving from position 1, 100, to position 2,110, as illustrated in Figure 6A in order for each strand to be secured within the corresponding connecting eyelet 10 as indicated in Figure 7A. The extended curved ends of the connecting eyelet 10 can prevent the eyelet connection device from being accidentally dislodged from the mesh screen. The length of the central extender 20 can be modified during fabrication of the eyelet connection device, providing a means for the eyelet connection device to be used in the above manner with mesh screens having various grid sizes. In addition, the above described application and method of use may be employed for the embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in Figure 1B, 2B, 5B, 6B and 7B.

In one embodiment of the present invention a method of reinforcing or repairing a segment within a mesh screen using the securing device comprises the steps of aligning the securing device such that the elongated mid-section is essentially parallel and essentially on top of the segment to be reinforced or repaired ; aligning said first and second ends such that the first and second ends project away from the mid-section in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the mesh screen, wherein the first end is aligned with a first parallel strand located at a first end of the segment and the second end is aligned with a second parallel strand located at a second end of the segment ; translating the securing device within the plane of the mesh screen in a manner such that the adjacent parallel strands are located within the eyelets connection means located at the first and second ends of said securing device such that said securing means reinforces or replaces the segment. For example, the translation of the securing device may be performed in a manner such that the first and second parallel strands are inserted into the first and second eyelet connectors sequentially as would be understood to a worker skilled in the art.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the embodiment of the eyelet connection device as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 can be used to secure adjacent mesh

screens together, as illustrated in Figure 8. In order to secure two mesh screens together, parallel strands from each mesh screen can be aligned such that they are substantially on top of each other, as indicated in Figure 8. The eyelet connection device can be subsequently oriented such that the open space 40, as indicated in Figure 4, is aligned substantially parallel to the aligned strands, as illustrated in Figure 9. In this position, the aligned strands can be slipped into the connecting eyelet of the eyelet connection device. The eyelet connection device can subsequently be rotated through an angle of up to 90 degrees about an axis perpendicular to the plane formed by the mesh screen, as indicated in Figure 9, thereby securely connecting the aligned strands within the connecting eyelet as indicated in Figure 10.

In one embodiment of the present invention a method of interconnecting two adjacent mesh screens using the securing device comprises the steps of aligning at least one parallel strand from each adjacent mesh screen such that the strands are aligned approximately on top of each other; aligning the securing device such that the first and second ends are essentially parallel to the strands aligned previously; translating the securing in a manner such that the aligned strands are located within the eyelet connection means; rotating the securing device through an angle of up to 90 degrees thereby securing the aligned strands within the eyelet connection means. For example, if the mesh screens being interconnected form a single plane, the translation of the eyelet connection means would be along an axis which is perpendicular to the plane of the mesh screens. The mesh screens to be interconnected can be positioned such that each screen defines a plane, for example they may be positioned at a right angle to each other, or any other angle desired. A worker skilled in the art would understand the manner in which an eyelet connection means may be translated in order to result in the aligned strands being within the eyelet connection means for this form of positioning of the mesh screens.

In one embodiment a method of interconnecting two adjacent mesh screens using the securing device comprises the steps of aligning at least one parallel strand from each adjacent mesh screen such that the strands are aligned approximately on top of each other; aligning the securing device such that the first and second ends are essentially parallel to the

strands previously aligned; translating the securing in a manner such that the aligned strands are located within the eyelet connection means; and rotating the securing device through an angle of up to 90 degrees thereby securing the aligned strands within the eyelet connection means.

In one embodiment of the present invention a locking means may be associated with the eyelet connection device providing a means for securely attaching the device to a mesh screen and thus deterring the removal of the eyelet connection device by unauthorised personnel. A locking means can be a padlock or any other locking device which may be easily removed by authorised personnel.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the internal diameter of the connecting eyelet of an eyelet connection device can be sufficiently large such that, when the strands of the mesh screens are secured within this region, the strands are not rigidly connected together as indicated in Figure 10. This provides a means for relative movement of the mesh screens, while maintaining the desired connectivity supplied by the eyelet connection device.

The installation of an eyelet connection device according to the present invention may not require the use of additional tools and thus the eyelet connection device may be installed by "hand". In addition, by reversing the sequence of the installation method as defined above, the eyelet connection device may be removed and reused at an alternate location.

EXAMPLES Example I : Use During Mining Operations During mining operations the roof and walls of a tunnel are typically covered by mesh screens in order to form a protective barrier, reducing the amount of debris, for example rock, which may fall from the roof and walls of a tunnel, therefore providing the workers with added protection.

In some instances loose material, for example rock, becomes lodged within or on the mesh screens and this loose material may be removed by cutting one or more strands or segments of the mesh screens thus providing a means for the removal of this loose material. The eyelet connection device according to the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1A & B and 2A & B may be used to repair these cut segments as illustrated in Figure 5A & B. An eyelet connection device used in this manner can be installed as previously described.

In addition, as the tunnels increase in size, typically length, additional mesh screens can be installed along the roof and walls of the extended tunnel. The eyelet connection device according to the embodiment illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 may be used to connect adjacent segments of mesh screens, as illustrated in Figure 8. This procedure may reduce the need for the installation of a number of new roof bolts to secure the new mesh screen segments.

An eyelet connection device used in this manner can be installed using a method previously described.

Example II : Use For Forming a Temporary Barricade The eyelet connection device or securing device of the present invention may be used in association with a temporary barricade formed from a plurality of mesh screens. In this manner an opening or an area may by barricaded using a plurality of mesh screens, wherein the mesh screens can be interconnected using the securing device of the present invention.

In one embodiment the securing device allows for relative movement of connected adjacent mesh screens which may provide a means for manipulating the intersection angle of the adjacent screens after the interconnection of these screens. In addition, the securing device may be locked into in desired location therefore reducing the possibility of removal of said device by unauthorised personnel.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.