AU731883B3 - Vegetation growth inhibiting collar - Google Patents

Description

P/00/012 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A PETTY PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Invention Title: Address for Service: MICHAEL FITZPATRICK and ALAN PORCHERON ALAN PORCHERON VEGETATION GROWTH INHIBITING COLLAR 1/45 Fourth Avenue PALM BEACH QLD 4221 Details of Associated Provisional Applications Nos: PQ 0168 filed 6 May 1999 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- This invention relates to vegetation growth inhibiting collars for use with posts or poles to prevent or minimise growth of weeds, grass or other vegetation around the base of the post or pole.

Commonly, signposts, electricity supply and light poles, street signs and other forms of poles and posts are erected at many locations and often on a footpath or other area where grass or other vegetation grows. Posts and other poles are also often erected in parks and playgrounds for supporting various types of playground equipment. The locations at which poles and posts of the above type are erected are usually public access areas and therefore the responsibility of the relevant local authority to maintain.

Maintenance usually requires mowing and mowing around posts and poles is notoriously difficult. Accordingly, it is a common procedure for the area of the ground around the bases of the poles or posts to be poisoned to prevent or minimise vegetation growth in this area. This therefore makes it easier for the public area to be maintained by mowing as a mower does not have to be moved right up to the base of the post or pole. Use of poisons 15 however has to be regularly repeated and this is relatively expensive because of the labour involved and poisons being used. Furthermore, poisons in the event of rain tend to be washed into the stormwater drainage system and this is obviously undesirable and environmentally unacceptable particularly if the stormwater drainage system feeds water into a water storage area such as a dam from which water is used in a water supply system. Alternatively, the area around the base of a pole may be trimmed by using suitable edging or trimming equipment however again this procedure is required to be regularly repeated involving high maintenance costs.

The present invention aims to overcome or alleviate the above disadvantages by providing a collar for use around posts or poles to minimise growth of vegetation therearound. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the "following description.

The present invention thus provides a vegetation growth inhibiting collar for use at the base of a post or pole. said collar including main substantially planar base portion, a central aperture formed in said planar base portion and a sheath coaxial with said aperture in said base portion and upstanding from said base portion, said sheath being formed of a flexible material and being of a diameter for engaging the perimeter of said post or pole, said base portion being adapted to seat on the ground adjacent the base of said post or pole.

Suitably,, the sheath is of hollow frustoconical form, of uniform thickness and is sufficiently flexible or elastic to adapt to posts or poles of differing diameters and grip around the periphery thereof. To adapt the collar to poles of larger diameter, the conical sheath may be severed partway along its length to define an upper opening of larger diameter.

3 The planar base portion is preferably formed of relatively thin pliable material so as to adapt to the shape of the ground upon which the collar is located. Further the planar base portion is suitably sufficiently thin to enable a lawn mower to be driven thereover without fouling. In some circumstances, the base portion may be constructed of a cushioning material where for example the base portion covers projections in the ground so as to provide protection against persons falling on the projections. The base portion of the collar may be of any shape however typically the base portion is square, rectangular or circular. The base portion may be provided with one or more apertures to enable the base portion to be anchored to the ground by suitable stakes or pins.

The collar is suitably moulded from a rubber or plastics material. A particularly suitable material comprises a rubber or plastic composite formed from recycled tyres.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof and wherein 15 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the collar according to one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the collar of Fig. 1: Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the collar of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view along line A-A of Fig. 2: Fig. 5 illustrates the collar of Fig. 1 applied to a post: and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the post/collar assembly.

Referrring to the drawings and firstly to Figs. I to 4 there is illustrated a Svegetation growth inhibiting collar 10 according to an embodiment of the invention including a generally planar base portion 11 having a central aperture 12 therein and a frustoconical hollow sleeve 13 arranged coaxially with the central aperture 12. The inner wall 14 of the sleeve 13 extends upwardly from the periphery of the aperture 12 to define a bore 15 of tapering cross section. The sleeve 13 is formed of relatively thin flexible elastic material as is the base portion 11 although the base portion 11 may be less flexible and of increased thickness. The base portion 11 in this embodiment is of square peripheral form and is provided adjacent its corners with openings 16 therethrough for a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent.

In use and as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. the collar 10 may be applied to a post 17 which is upstanding from the ground 18. The frustoconical sleeve 13 grips around the periphery of the post being sufficiently flexible and elastic to substantially seal around the post 17. The base portion 11 seats on the ground 18 and lies substantially flat so as to minimise growth of vegetation beneath the base portion 11. In addition, as the sleeve 13 is substantially sealed to the post 17. air is substantially excluded from the region of the ground around the post 17 thus inhibiting vegetation growth and further this region is also shielded from the sun which will also inhibit vegetation growth.

The substantially planar base portion 11 being relatively thin permits mowing apparatus to be driven right up to the post 17 and over the base portion 11 ensuring neatness in appearance and reducing the need for maintenance such as the need to use edging equipment such as line-cutters or poisons for killing vegetation. If desired the base portion 11 may be secured to the ground adjacent each corner by suitable pins 19 inserted through the openings 16 and driven into the ground 18 as shown in Fig. The collar 10 of the present invention is also particularly suited to use in playground areas where posts supporting playground equipment are erected on foundations and bolted thereto. The use of the collars 10 in this environment shields the bolt heads and improves safety in use. In this case, the base portion 11 can be construction of a thicker material which has cushioning properties such that in the event of persons falling towards the bolts, they are protected from injury. Further should a post be inclined to the 15 vertical, there is sufficient flexibility in the sleeve 13 to adapt to the inclination.

The collars of the invention may be provided in a range of sizes to suit different applications or alternatively or additionally., the sleeve may be transversely severed to define a larger diameter opening to accept a large post therethrough.

Whilst the collar of the invention is most preferably fitted during installation of a post, it may be retrofitted by, for example in the case of a road sign, by unbolting the sign. slipping the collar over the post and then replacing the sign.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative embodiment of the invention, all such variations and modifications thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (3)

1. A vegetation growth inhibiting collar for use at the base of a post or pole, said collar including a main substantially planar base portion, a central aperture in said base portion, a sheath formed integrally with the planar base portion and coaxial with the aperture in the base portion, said sheath upstanding from the base portion and being formed of flexible material, said sheath having a resiliently deformable edge remote from the base portion, said edge adapted to substantially continuously engage with a perimeter of the post or pole.

2. A vegetation growth inhibiting collar of claim 1 wherein the base portion is movable relative to a longitudinal axis of the sheath and thereby adapted to conform to the ground adjacent to the base of said post or pole.

3. A vegetation growth inhibiting collar according to either of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the sheath is of hollow frusto-conical form ooo.oi and wherein the base portion has openings for receipt of securing ps t pins to secure the base portion. :Z: o• o gi*g* •*o