Netting or Fence with Retro Reflective Strips

This invention refers to the production of a new series of braided products which include interwoven reflective strips so that they function as warnings for imminent danger.

As it is generally known measures have to be taken to ensure protection of road works or various other works; nets are used that are made of plastic or various other materials and in different colours. Depending on weather conditions the nets may be difficult to be seen under the light. For this reason, any project supervisor, e.g., of road construction, is obliged to draw attention to imminent danger to put up special lamps that are battery operated or operated by a combination of other electromechanical systems. These devices, beyond their high cost of purchase need to be maintained often and supervised to assure their working. On the other hand, batteries are a source of considerable environmental pollution. The above-mentioned systems, do not only have high operating costs but must also be placed close together on special mountings so that people will be able to spot them easily. This increases the total operational cost even more. Fig. Ia shows the state of the art wherein a fence 1 comprises a plurality of posts 2 supporting lamps 3 that illuminate the roadside. Fig. Ib is an enlarged part of fence 1.

As for the existing mesh nettings they are produced by extrusion and because of this method their walls are thick. Therefore, the meshes produced have a small length, great weight and are bulky.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a netting that serves to make visible boundaries of a road.

A netting according to the present invention comprises fibres tied with one another and includes retro reflective elements. The netting serves as a framework to receive the retro reflective elements that reflect light beams emitted by the lights of a vehicle or of lights born by a person during road construction and help to increase considerably security during such works.

Further advantages of the invention are disclosed by the dependent claims, the

description and the drawings.

Preferably, the reflective elements are tapes.

In an advantageous embodiment, the reflective elements are positioned paral- lely or vertically with respect of the direction in which the netting is extending.

In another embodiment it is advantageous if the reflective elements are embedded in the netting.

It is advantageous if the elements are woven in the netting, sown in the netting or thermo glued.

In another embodiment of the invention the fibres are woven or braided.

Preferably, the fibres are made of synthetic material.

In an advantageous embodiment the fibres are made of or comprise polyethylene, especially low density (LLDPE) or high density (HDPE) polyethylene and/ or a stressed polyethylene film, polypropylene (PP), polyvinylchloride, or ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) or at least another similar plastic material.

Advantageously, the fibres is between 100 mm and 6000 mm.

Further it is advantageous if the netting comprises reinforcement warps and/ or wefts.

It is another object of the invention to provide for a method for weaving a netting that comprises at least one tape, especially a retro reflective tape.

According to the invention a method for weaving a netting or a fence is provided wherein at least one tape extending in machine direction during weaving is dragged along the netting and is threaded to the netting.

According to another method of the invention a netting or a fence is woven wherein at least one tape (27) extending in transverse direction with respect to

the machine direction is dragged in transverse direction and attached to the netting by means of a glue.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a weaving machine adapted for methods mentioned above.

According to the invention a weaving machine for weaving a fence or a netting that comprises at least one tape extending in machine direction, comprises a comb with threading needles that attach the tape to the netting.

According to the invention a weaving machine for weaving a fence or a netting that comprises at least one tape extending in a transverse direction with respect to the machine direction, comprises a beam extending in transverse direction bearing a trolley for introducing the tape onto the netting and a connecting means for connecting the tape to the netting.

Further, the weaving machine, advantageously, may comprise a connecting means that comprises at least one jet for gluing the tape to the netting.

According to the invention synthetic plastic meshes (nettings) may be used the number of which, the size, colour and embedding method of the retro reflective tapes is free and defined only by the use for which the final product is intended. The synthetic mesh nettings may be produced by extrusion. The synthetic plastic meshes according to claims 1 to 3 which may be produced at any width and length. The width produced is limited only by the needs of the final user. Their length is freely defined. The synthetic plastic meshes (netting), according to the invention, may be produced in that way that their number, their size and the weaving pattern of their reinforcement warps and wefts is free and defined only by the use for which the final product is intended. In addition, the number and size of squares and their extrusion method is free and defined only by the use for which the final product is intended. The invention also pertains to ssynthetic plastic meshes (netting) wherein the number, the size and the manner in which retro reflective tapes are to be embedded in them is freely defined and they are limited only by the use for which the final product is intended.

Hereinafter, the invention is described in more detail by means of the drawings wherein

Fig. Ia shows the production of a fence according to the prior art.

Fig. Ib is an enlarged part of Fig Ia.

Fig. 2 shows a roll of a fence or netting comprising a retro reflective tape,

Fig. 3 shows a netting comprising a tape extending in machine direction wherein the tape is attached to the netting by means of a thread,

Fig. 4 shows a fence with a horizontal retro reflective tape extending horizontally at the roadside,

Fig. 5 shows a fence with a vertical retro reflective tapes extending horizontally at the roadside,

Fig. 6 shows a weaving machine for weaving a netting and attaching at least one tape extending in machine direction and/ or at least one tape extending in transverse direction, and

Fig. 7 shows a netting comprising retro reflective tapes extending in machine and in transverse direction.

Hereinafter the following definitions will apply:

i. {Mesh} Thin tapes made preferably from polyolefines such as PP (polypropylene) LLDPE (low density polyethylene) HDPE, PVC (polyvinylchlo- ride) or EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) or another similar plastic material. These tapes have been woven into a mesh. The dimensioning and braiding of the netting is irrelevant since it is possible to be made in any desired weaving pattern and dimension.

ii. {Fibres} The thin tapes that make up the netting. Before their final strain they are between 15 μm and 150 μm in thickness and between 1 mm and 20 mm in width.

iii. {Warps}: Woven fibres 4 in the direction of the netting flow (fig. 2).

iv. {Wefts}: Fibres 4 woven together with warps 5 , which combine the warps 5 into a net (fig. 2).

v. {Extruded}: This is a category of mesh nettings that are produced by ex-

trusion without being woven with part or complete rotation of the die head to achieve the form of a net.

vi. {MD}: (Machine Direction) The flow direction of the mesh when it is unrolled or during production.

vii. {Retro reflection tape or reflective tape}: Tapes that consist mostly of a polyester agent or other synthetic material and are coated with micro prisms. Depending on the application they are intended for better reflection; their background colour may be orange, red, silver or fluorescent. As for their width it can be from 1 mm to 1000 m. In various other products in order to be better interwoven in the mesh this tape is elastic, such as in hay-baling meshes.

This invention refers to mesh products such as netting for fences in projects, hay-baling mesh and other woven materials made from synthetic materials. The weaving method for the production of protective meshes has many advantages such as better strength against breaking force compared to their very small weight per running meter. Warning mesh netting that is intended for fences for road and other works consist of woven synthetic fibres with polyole- fin base. These fibres may be made from Polyethylene (PE) of high (HDPE) or low density (LLDPE), as well as other similar synthetic materials. In these meshes it is possible - depending on the needs and the use they are intended for - to weave reflective tapes along the length and the width of the netting retro. These nettings have a weight of 10 to 500 gr/m2.

The number of retro reflective tapes 6, 7 (fig. 2) is freely decided and is only defined by the length and width of each netting. In another embodiment a netting comprises warps 8 (fig. 3) and wefts 9 wherein retro-reflective strips 10 are positioned between the warps 8.

Figure 4 shows a fence 1 1 wherein the direction of retro -reflective strips 12 is at least substantially horizontal. Figure 5 shows a fence 13 wherein the direction of retro-reflective strips 14 is vertical.

Depending on the needs it is intended for the width of each woven (embedded)

tape is in the range between 1 mm to 1000 mm. Furthermore, the reflection colour and elasticity of this tape is freely decided and can only be limited by the use for which each new product is intended.

The number of woven products that can be produced using this technology is very large. As an example, the new retro reflective fence netting according to the invention is described hereinafter.

This product is intended to be used as a fence for the preventive protection of road and building works and earthworks in general. The main weaving pattern used in this product is square weaving (fig. 7). This means that it includes alternating square meshes in which one column of squares is fully coloured, e.g. orange or red fibres so that by their colour they warn of imminent danger and the next column of squares is empty so that on the one hand it will be possible to weave the reflective tape there and on the other hand, to allow the wind to pass through it without causing a great force on it. For this reason it is not necessary to use particularly strong supports to keep it stable. The chosen retro reflective tape that is woven in the squares is silver.

The method by which these meshes are produced is the following:

Using an existing weaving machine 15 (fig. 6) that comprises (in outline) two combs 16 with threading needles 17, a series of needles 18, an extender 19 and a spool winder 20 , a netting is woven that may be used as a fence.

In order to manufacture the net with wherein the retro reflective tape 12 is embedded in machine direction some new materials have been added to the machine: an additional comb 21 with corresponding threading needles 22, wherein the number of the threading needles 22 is equal to the number of tapes, a tape guide 23 , and a locked shaft 24 where the tapes are placed.

Operation description:

Rolls of tapes are put on shaft 24 and guiding the tape 10 according to fig. 3 the tape 10 is passed through the tape guide 23 and that way the tape 10 is touching the spot where the netting is woven. By pressing guide 23 of the tape 10 on the mesh, the tape 10 is dragged along by the netting and in this point

of the weaving comb 21 with each equal number of threading needles 22 a thread 25 (fig. 3) in zigzag pattern is woven on the reflective tape 10 or 26 (fig. 7). In this manner the tape 10, 26 is woven on the netting in the machine direction. With this method the productivity of weaving machine 15 is not affected and it is possible to produce nettings with as many retro reflective tapes as desired.

In order to manufacture meshes (fences) comprising tapes 27 extending in vertical direction with respect to the machine direction some additional parts are added to machine 15. A linear guide 28 (figs. 6, 7) which is a beam the edges of which reach from one end of the weaving machine 15 to the other is bearing a trolley 29 (fig. 7) which has on it two electromagnetic clamps 30, the solder- ing-bit which has two jets 31 for the necessary thermo glue to stick the tape on the netting, the gluing shaft 32 (fig. 6), shaft pair 33, razors and automati- sation which consists of a counter with which it is set how many meters a tape 27 will be inserted, and the PLC which sets all other operations.

Operation:

The counter is set on the desired distance between tapes e.g. 3 meters, after entering the order, the trolley where the clamps are located moves towards the tape on end of which is in a guide. The moment the clamps reach the end of the tape they close and the trolley starts to move to the other side of the machine. At the same time, during the entire movement the nozzles or jets 31 (fig. 7) that are next to the tape guide (fig. 7, position 34) spread the thermo glue on tape 27. With this method tape 27 is guided where glue has been added vertically against the produced netting. During the entire movement of the trolley 29 the tape 27 is guided vertically to the production flow of the netting and parallel to its surface without touching it and in this way it is possible to keep production uninterrupted and keep tapes parallel to each other.

When tape 27 reaches the other edge of the machine, the shaft 32 rotates on its axis by 15 ^Q . In this way the tape 27 is pressed on the netting and is cut at the point or in the proximity of the point where the guide 34 is located. From this stage the counter counts the 3 meters that have been set as an interval and then the system is ready to repeat the procedure. During production the netting along with the retro reflective tape reaches the shaft pair 33 where the

tape 27 is pressed and is embedded on the netting. After the tape 27 is pressed it is cut by the razors and is ready to be rolled.

This innovation is easy to use and cost efficient so that it can easily be adapted and in various ways even to the existing mesh (the well-known orange or red extruded fence that are seen in road works). Briefly:

During production of the net before it is rolled it passes through a shaft pair where the reflective tapes are attached to the netting by means of hot melt glue. There can be one or more tapes parallel to the machine direction or in an opposite direction to the transverse direction. There are no limitations as to the width and the colour of these tapes.

The result of using this product, as a fence is that in some road the passing drivers will be able to see very well the limits of the road since, the colour, orange for example, offers a very intense contrast versus the surrounding area while the silver tapes reflect the light with an intense silver-white colour. This combination can be visible either from hundreds of meters away. At night and in bad weather conditions the fence is very visible due to the retro reflective effect from the vehicle headlights. This is because the reflective tapes create continuous bright silvery white lines on the fence, as far as the headlights of the vehicle can reach. This means that there is no need for special signalling lamps. After being set up the fence will need no maintenance or supervision of its function since the retro reflective tapes remain functional even after long time, e.g. a year.

With this proposed method it is possible to produce a series of new products for the preventive protection and safeguarding of different projects and objects. These materials are very cost efficient and effective.