Insect and rodent band

Claim 2

In combination, a camping vehicle including a vehicle-toground conduit, a band encircling said conduit in position spaced from said vehicle and the ground and axially shiftable along said conduit, said band being constructed of fluid-absorbent material, whereby an insecticide or repellent may be applied thereto to prevent the passage of insects or rodents from the ground to the camping vehicle along said conduit, said conduit including longitudinally spaced first and second means defining outstanding circumferential channels opening along said conduit toward each other and in which the opposite axial end portions of said band are seated, one of said means being shiftable relative to the other means along said conduit away from the other means for freeing the axial ends of said band from within said channels, and means releasably retaining said one means in axially shifted position along said conduit against movement away from the other of said first and second means.

Claim 3

In combination, a camping vehicle including a vehicle-to-ground conduit, a band encircling said conduit in position spaced from said vehicle and the ground, said band being constructed of fluid absorbent material, whereby an insecticide or repellent may be applied thereto to prevent the passage of insects or rodents from the ground to the camping vehicle along said conduit, said conduit including longitudinally spaced first and second sections and a third intermediate section to whose opposite ends adjacent ends of said first and second sections are sealingly secured, one end portion of said third section including first means defining a first outstanding circumferential channel opening toward the other end portion of said third section and said other end portion of said third section including second means defining a second outstanding circumferential channel opening toward said one end portion of said third section, said band including opposite axial end portions seated in said channels.

Claim 4

In combination, a camping vehicle including a vehicle-to-ground conduit, a band encircling said conduit in position spaced from said vehicle and the ground, said band being constructed of fluid absorbent material, whereby an insecticide or repellent may be applied thereto to prevent the passage of insects or rodents from the ground to the camping vehicle along said conduit, said conduit including longitudinally spaced first and second sections and a third intermediate section to whose opposite ends adjacent ends of said first and second sections are sealingly secured, one end portion of said third section including first means defining a first outstanding circumferential channel opening toward the other end portion of said third section and said other end portion of said third section including second means defining a second outstanding circumferential channel opening toward said one end portion of said third section, said band including opposite axial end portions seated in said channels.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 2 wherein said second means is shiftable longitudinally of said third section between a first operative position with the axial ends of said band seated in said channel and a second position spaced further away from said first means sufficiently to enable the axial ends of said band to be fully withdrawn from said channels.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 3 wherein said second means is fully displaceable off the end of said intermediate section remote from said first means so as to enable said band, if continuous to be axially withdrawn from the same end of said intermediate section.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 2 wherein said intermediate section is constructed of rigid material and said adjacent ends of said first and second sections are telescoped over the ends of said intermediate section.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 2 wherein said adjacent ends of said first and second sections are constructed of somewhat deformable material, said opposite ends of said third section having shallow circumferential grooves formed in the outer surface portions thereof over which said adjacent ends are telescoped, and clamp means clamped about said adjacent ends and at least partially radially inwardly displacing the underlying portions of said adjacent ends into said grooves.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 2 wherein said second means is shiftable longitudinally of said third section between a first operative position with the axial ends of said band seated in said channel and a second position spaced further away from said first means sufficiently to enable the axial ends of said band to be fully withdrawn from said channels, said second means and said intermediate section including means defining a releasable bayonet connection therebetween for retaining said second means in said first position.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 2 wherein said intermediate section is generally vertically disposed.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 2 wherein said intermediate section is generally horizontally disposed.

Claim 12

In combination with claim 1 wherein said one means includes a ring structure disposed about said conduit and coacting with the latter to define the corresponding channel, the outer surface of said conduit forming the inner wall of said channel and said ring structure defining the outer and bottom walls of said corresponding channel.