# US 9,433,308 B1 · Landscape safety apparatus, associated combinations, methods, and kits > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,433,308 B1 - Document ID: US9433308B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 14/997,552 - Filed: 2016-01-17 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2011-03-16 - Assignees: Landscape Safety Systems LLC - Applicants: Landscape Safety Systems LLC - Inventors: James Jeffrey Kalinski - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9433308B1 ## CPC - A47G 5/02: Roll-up screens - E06B 9/40: Roller blinds (usable only as awnings E04F10/06) - F16P 1/02: Fixed screens or hoods - E04G 21/30: against mechanical damage or dirt, e.g. guard covers of stairs - E06B 11/04: characterised by the kind of suspension (suspensions per se E05D) - A47G: HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT (book-ends A47B5/00; knives B26B) - E06B: FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES (shades or blinds for greenhouses A01G9/22; curtains A47H; lids for car boots or bonnets B62D25/10; skylights E04B7/18; sunshades, awnings E04F10/00) - F16P: SAFETY DEVICES IN GENERAL; {SAFETY DEVICES FOR PRESSES} - E04G: SCAFFOLDING; FORMS; SHUTTERING; BUILDING IMPLEMENTS OR AIDS, OR THEIR USE; HANDLING BUILDING MATERIALS ON THE SITE; REPAIRING, BREAKING-UP OR OTHER WORK ON EXISTING BUILDINGS ## Abstract A landscaping device and shield apparatus combination is provided. The landscaping device is powered by an engine and/or motor capable of hurling upward flying debris. The apparatus includes supports, each having an upper end and a lower end. Bases each having a rod insertable up to a bulge into the lower ends of the supports are provided to maintain the supports in a substantially vertical orientation. Also included are: a flexible screen and a retraction mechanism. The retraction mechanism has a construction such so as to provide an automatic locking and automatic retraction assist that a second support may be temporarily locked, and later pulled toward the first support, as desired The landscaping device excludes a stump grinder. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A landscaping device and shield apparatus combination, comprising: a landscaping device powered by an engine and/or motor capable of hurling debris during operation up to a height of at least about 18 inches; and a shield apparatus, comprising first and second supports, each support having an upper end and a lower end, first and second bases each having a rod insertable up to a bulge thereof into the lower ends of the first and second supports, respectively, the bases having a construction to maintain the supports in a substantially vertical orientation above the bulges, a flexible screen having opposing vertical edges attached to the first and second supports, the screen effective to block debris hurled by the landscaping device from traveling through the screen, and a retraction mechanism associated with the first support, wherein the landscaping device excludes a stump grinder and is, during operation, located within about 20 feet of the shield apparatus, and further wherein each of the first and second bases is selected from a set of hardscape and softscape bases, each hardscape base has a hardscape construction comprising a disk having a vertical rod insertable up to the bulge of the hardscape base into the lower ends of the first or second supports, and each softscape base has a softscape construction comprising a stake and a crossbar located below a vertical rod insertable up to the bulge of the softscape base into the lower ends of the first or second supports. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The combination of claim 1, wherein the screen has a height of about 4 feet to about 7 feet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The combination of claim 1, wherein the screen comprises a polymeric material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The combination of claim 1, wherein the screen is wind permeable. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The combination of claim 1, wherein the screen has about a 400 to about a 480 warp. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The combination of claim 1, wherein the screen has about 340 to about 380 fill. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The combination of claim 1, wherein the device is a handheld device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The combination of claim 7, wherein the device is a trimmer or blower. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The combination of claim 8, wherein the device is a string trimmer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The combination of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second bases has the hardscape construction comprising. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The combination of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second bases has the softscape construction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The combination of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional support having an upper end and a lower end and being physically associated with a portion of the screen located between the opposing vertical edges, and an additional base having a vertical rod insertable into the lower end of the at least one additional support. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The combination of claim 1, wherein no support is located at a distance greater than about 20 feet from at least one other support. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The combination of claim 1, wherein the retraction mechanism retracts the screen by way of rotational motion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The combination of claim 1, further comprising a housing associated with the first support and/or retraction mechanism. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The combination of claim 15, wherein the housing is integral to the first support. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The combination of claim 16, wherein the housing has a size effective to contain the entire screen upon retraction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The combination of claim 17, further comprising a first handle attached to the housing, and a second handle attached to the screen and/or the second support. ### Claim 19 A landscaping method, comprising: (a) identifying a grounds region for using a landscaping device powered by an engine and/or motor capable of hurling debris during operation up to a height of at least about 18 inches; (b) transporting a shield apparatus to the region, the shield apparatus comprising: first and second supports, each support having an upper end and a lower end, first and second bases each having a rod insertable up to a bulge into the lower ends of the first and second supports, respectively, the bases having a construction to maintain the supports in a substantially vertical orientation above the bulges, a flexible screen having opposing hems attached to the first and second supports, the screen having sufficient strength to block debris hurled by the device from traveling through the screen, and a retraction mechanism associated with the first support; (c) inserting the rods of the first and second bases into the lower ends of the first and second supports; (d) positioning the first and second supports in a substantially vertical orientation at different locations bounding the region while automatically locking the screen in a substantially taut manner between the supports; (e) using the handheld landscaping device in the region at a location no greater than about 20 feet from the apparatus, thereby allowing the apparatus to blocking debris hurled by the apparatus up to a height exceeding at least about 18 inches from hitting passersby, bystanders and/or property located outside the grounds region; and (f) activating the retraction mechanism to pull the second support toward the first support, wherein each of the first and second bases is selected from a set of hardscape and softscape bases, each hardscape base has a hardscape construction comprising a disk having a vertical rod insertable up to the bulge of the hardscape base into the lower ends of the first or second supports, and each softscape base has a softscape construction comprising a stake and a crossbar located below a vertical rod insertable up to the bulge of the softscape base into the lower ends of the first or second supports. ### Claim 20 A shield apparatus kit, comprising: first and second supports, each support having an upper end and a lower end; a set of hardscape and softscape bases for the first and second supports, each base having a rod insertable up to a bulge into the lower ends of the first and second supports, respectively, to maintain the first and second supports in a substantially vertical orientation above the bulges, a flexible screen having opposing vertical edges attached to the first and second supports, the screen effective to block debris hurled by the landscaping device from traveling through the screen; at least one additional support having an upper end and a lower end and being physically associated with a portion of the screen located between the opposing vertical edges; a set of hardscape and softscape bases for the at least one additional support, each base having a rod insertable into the lower end of the at least one additional support to maintain the at least one additional support in a substantially vertical orientation; and a retraction mechanism associated with the first support, wherein the set of hardscape and softscape bases comprise hardscape bases each having a hardscape construction comprising a disk having a vertical rod insertable up to the bulge of the hardscape base into the lower ends of the first or second supports, and softscape bases each having a softscape construction comprising a stake and a crossbar located below a vertical rod insertable up to the bulge of the scopescape base into the lower ends of the first or second supports.