Fill fence system and method for installing same

A method of installing a fill fence system in a predetermined location to cover an opening defined by a back, an opposed floor, and left and right walls, the fill fence system comprising a fill fence assembly, the method comprising:

• (a) providing a carrier system comprising:
• a carrier assembly comprising:
• a chassis subassembly comprising a chassis;
• a mast subassembly to which the fill fence assembly is securable, the mast subassembly comprising a mast frame pivotably mounted to the chassis and fastening elements mounted on the mast frame, the fastening elements being configured for releasably securing at least one preselected portion of the fill fence assembly to the mast frame;
• a lifting subassembly for raising the mast frame, when the fill fence assembly is secured to the mast frame, from a lowered position, in which the mast frame is non-vertical, to a raised position in which the mast frame is non-horizontal, to position the fill fence assembly in the predetermined location;
• and
• a control unit for remote control of the carrier assembly, the control unit being operably connected with at least one securing means for securing the fill fence assembly to a plurality of walls at a preselected location, to control said at least one securing means;
• (b) locating the carrier assembly in a safe zone that is spaced apart from the predetermined location;
• (c) with the mast frame in the lowered position, positioning at least one preselected portion of a body subassembly of the fill fence assembly on the mast frame, said at least one preselected portion of the fill fence assembly being securable to the mast frame by the fastening elements;
• (d) with the fastening elements, securing said at least one preselected portion of the fill fence assembly to the mast frame;
• (e) moving the carrier assembly, with the fill fence assembly secured to the mast frame, from the safe zone to a preselected location in an unsafe zone proximal to the predetermined location, from which the fill fence assembly may be positioned in the predetermined location by the carrier system;
• (f) with the carrier assembly at the preselected location, raising the mast frame to the raised position, to position the fill fence assembly in the predetermined location therefor;
• (g) via the control unit, activating said at least one securing means to secure the body subassembly in a non-horizontal position to the back, the floor, and the left and right walls in the predetermined location, to define gaps between the body subassembly and the back, the floor, and the left and right walls respectively;
• (h) applying initial amounts of a securing element at the fill fence assembly and the left and right walls to at least partially cover the gaps between the installed fill fence assembly and the left and right walls;
• (i) permitting the securing element to at least partially cure;
• (j) releasing said at least one preselected portion of the fill fence assembly from the mast frame, by releasing the fastening elements therefrom;
• (k) moving the mast frame to the lowered position;
• (l) moving the carrier assembly to the safe zone;
• and
• (m) applying additional amounts of the securing element at the fill fence assembly and the back and the floor, to at least partially cover the upper and lower gaps between the fill fence assembly and the back and the floor respectively, to provide the fill fence system.

A fill fence system for substantially covering an opening that is in communication with an open region when the fill fence system is located in a predetermined location, the opening being defined by a back, an opposed floor and opposing left and right walls, the fill fence system comprising:

• a fill fence assembly comprising:
• a body subassembly having an inner side formed to be facing toward the open region and an outer side formed to be facing away from the open region when the fill fence assembly is installed in the predetermined location, the body subassembly comprising:
• a central post;
• a plurality of cross-members mounted to the central post, each said cross-member extending between left and right ends thereof, the cross-members comprising an uppermost cross-member positioned to be located uppermost when the fill fence assembly is installed in the predetermined location and a lowermost cross-member positioned to be located lowermost when the fill fence assembly is installed in the predetermined location;
• a left side plate and a right side plate, mounted to the left and right ends of the cross-members respectively;
• at least one screen positioned on the inner side of the body subassembly, said at least one screen comprising an exterior side at least partially engaged with the inner side of the body subassembly, and an interior side facing toward the open region when the fill fence system is installed in the predetermined location;
• at least one membrane positioned on the interior side of said at least one screen;
• a plurality of air cylinder subassemblies mounted to the left and right side plates respectively, each said air cylinder subassembly comprising an air cylinder and a rebar element, the air cylinder being activatable to extend the rebar element away from the central post to an extended position thereof;
• left and right expandable mesh elements;
• said left expandable mesh element extending between an inner side thereof secured to the left side plate and an outer side thereof secured to respective outer ends of the rebar elements positioned proximal to the left side plate;
• the right expandable mesh element extending between an inner side thereof secured to the right side plate and an outer side thereof secured to respective outer ends of the rebar elements positioned proximal to the right side plate;
• whereby, when the fill fence assembly is in the predetermined location, the central post is positioned in a non-horizontal position between the back and the floor, to locate the cross-members in non-vertical positions respectively, to locate the left and right ends of the cross-members proximal to the left and right walls respectively,
• whereby, when the fill fence assembly is in the predetermined location, the left and right side plates define respective left side and right side gaps between the left side plate and the left wall, and the right side plate and the right wall, and
• upon activation of the air cylinders, the outer ends of the rebar elements are extended to engage the left and right walls respectively, to expand the left and right expandable mesh elements at least partially over the left side gap and the right side gap respectively.