CA1068482A - Container for seedlings - Google Patents
Container for seedlingsInfo
- Publication number
- CA1068482A CA1068482A CA275316A CA275316A CA1068482A CA 1068482 A CA1068482 A CA 1068482A CA 275316 A CA275316 A CA 275316A CA 275316 A CA275316 A CA 275316A CA 1068482 A CA1068482 A CA 1068482A
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- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- container
- containers
- shoulders
- cell
- members
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
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- Cultivation Receptacles Or Flower-Pots, Or Pots For Seedlings (AREA)
Abstract
" CONTAINER FOR SEEDLINGS "
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The invention as described in the present specification provides an improved container for growing seedlings for transplanting. The container is split in half longitudinally. The two half sections may be separate, in which case they are held together by the walls of a crate into which a number of the containers are placed. Alternatively, the sections may be connected together along their bottom margins by a hinge. In this latter case the container can be opened in the manner of a book to expose the seedling and root ball for easy ex-traction. Each half section comprises a pair of spaced, inwardly-protruding shoulders and a web connecting the shoulders. When the two half sections are pressed together, the shoulders mate -- the opposed webs and shoulders then define an open-topped cell having an air-pruning opening at the base thereof. The webs are formed to provide vertical grooves running the length of the cell to the air-pruning opening. These grooves direct the growing seedling roots to the opening and thereby encourage the development of a thick growth of downwardly-extending, straight roots.
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The invention as described in the present specification provides an improved container for growing seedlings for transplanting. The container is split in half longitudinally. The two half sections may be separate, in which case they are held together by the walls of a crate into which a number of the containers are placed. Alternatively, the sections may be connected together along their bottom margins by a hinge. In this latter case the container can be opened in the manner of a book to expose the seedling and root ball for easy ex-traction. Each half section comprises a pair of spaced, inwardly-protruding shoulders and a web connecting the shoulders. When the two half sections are pressed together, the shoulders mate -- the opposed webs and shoulders then define an open-topped cell having an air-pruning opening at the base thereof. The webs are formed to provide vertical grooves running the length of the cell to the air-pruning opening. These grooves direct the growing seedling roots to the opening and thereby encourage the development of a thick growth of downwardly-extending, straight roots.
Description
~068482 This invention relates to containers for raising plants for transplantation, and particularly to improvements in containers which provide a container planting system superior to other known systems, and which provides an adaptability not found in other plant container systems.
Horticulture and forestry practices recently }lave undergone changes in techniques. Industrial ideas have been applied to these practices to make the two disciplines more efficient than in the past. Standardiza-tion of product, mass handling systems, and a "product engineering" approach to growing plants have resulted.
Among the systems now practised is one known as "Container Planting", where a plant is kept in a standard container, not unlike a flower pot, and is protected during the critical stages in its early growth. The container is used throughout all the rearing stages, before final trans-planting occurs, and this would include seeding and/or placing a cutting into a container.
Man has long recognized the need to replace forests, and reforestation has been extensively practised in r~any areas. Reforestation has been carried out by a number of different methods, including:
(1) the natural method, whereby a forested area is allowed to regenerate itself; and
Horticulture and forestry practices recently }lave undergone changes in techniques. Industrial ideas have been applied to these practices to make the two disciplines more efficient than in the past. Standardiza-tion of product, mass handling systems, and a "product engineering" approach to growing plants have resulted.
Among the systems now practised is one known as "Container Planting", where a plant is kept in a standard container, not unlike a flower pot, and is protected during the critical stages in its early growth. The container is used throughout all the rearing stages, before final trans-planting occurs, and this would include seeding and/or placing a cutting into a container.
Man has long recognized the need to replace forests, and reforestation has been extensively practised in r~any areas. Reforestation has been carried out by a number of different methods, including:
(1) the natural method, whereby a forested area is allowed to regenerate itself; and
(2) the nursery method.
The natural method of reforestation, as will be appreciated, is haphazard.
Nurseries were the first step in meeting some - 1 - ~
,, ~
~(~68482 of the demand for new trees. In the nursery method of reforestation seed is collected, prepared, sowed in long narrow beds in as dense concentration as possible, and covered with mulch; the beds are watered and the seedlings tended as they germinate, sprout and begin to grow. ~wo years later, when the seedlings are three to five inches high, they are dug up, the unpromising ones are culled, and the seedlings are transplanted by machine into other beds, and spaced out to allow further growth.
After a further two years, the seedlings are considered strong enough to stand transplanting at their final site, and are then uprooted again and moved out to the forest.
This method still is used; however, it has been at least partially supplanted by a newer metlod, container planting.
Largely as a result of the needs of reforesta-tion programs, a good deal of work has been carried out in recent years to develop improved methods and equipment for growing and planting seedlings. One promising method, with which this invention is concerned, is known as con-tainer planting, and this method has become a useful addi-tion to the nurseryman's techniques. The time-honored method of raising seedlings in a nursery bed has some dis-advantages, notably the lack of control over disease, the damage to seedlings from pests and weather, and the tendency of certain tree varieties to send out long roots which would need to be pruned before the tree could be removed, transported, and transplanted. Such pruning has often set back a seedling's growth or caused deformation and weakening of the root system.
The "container" method involves providing a l06s4s~
large number of cell-defining containers. The containers are filled with a growing medium, such as peat moss, and a seed is planted in each cell. After covering with grit or mulch, the seeds are permitted to germinate, and after they begin to grow, the young seedlings may be kept in a greenhouse from 4 weeks to 8 months depending on the variety and on the available environmental control.
At this point, the seedlings may be set out into a shaded area to acclimatize them to normal conditions before ; 10 being transplanted. In some cases,`a dormant condition is desired for transplanting, so the young seedlings may be specially treated with fertilizers, or in addition may be slowly cooled. In the planting season, the seed-lings are transported to the planting site directly in their containers, and kept in them for as long a time as possible. The planting operation is commonly carried out by a three-man crew. One of the crew carries the con-tainers and distributes them to the other two; these men, the planters, each form cavities in the soil with a dibble stick, extract the seedlings and attached root balls from the cells and tamp them into the cavities.
A good container is one of the keys to the success of this system. In the greenhouse stage, the container should provide cells which foster the develop-ment of a thick system of roots. ~ithout a good root structure, the plant will usually not survive in the field. For the purposes of the planting stage, the con-tainer should be a compact article which can be easily handled by the planters and which is adapted to permit efficient extraction of the seedling and root ball in an undamaged condition from the cell.
Advantages of container planting are as follows:
1. Each seedling is given an individual, non-competitive, controlled environment in which to grow and develop.
2. Seedling production -- seeding, thinning, ~leeding, atmosphere, fertilization, light control, temperature regulation and above all handling -- may be mechanized.
The natural method of reforestation, as will be appreciated, is haphazard.
Nurseries were the first step in meeting some - 1 - ~
,, ~
~(~68482 of the demand for new trees. In the nursery method of reforestation seed is collected, prepared, sowed in long narrow beds in as dense concentration as possible, and covered with mulch; the beds are watered and the seedlings tended as they germinate, sprout and begin to grow. ~wo years later, when the seedlings are three to five inches high, they are dug up, the unpromising ones are culled, and the seedlings are transplanted by machine into other beds, and spaced out to allow further growth.
After a further two years, the seedlings are considered strong enough to stand transplanting at their final site, and are then uprooted again and moved out to the forest.
This method still is used; however, it has been at least partially supplanted by a newer metlod, container planting.
Largely as a result of the needs of reforesta-tion programs, a good deal of work has been carried out in recent years to develop improved methods and equipment for growing and planting seedlings. One promising method, with which this invention is concerned, is known as con-tainer planting, and this method has become a useful addi-tion to the nurseryman's techniques. The time-honored method of raising seedlings in a nursery bed has some dis-advantages, notably the lack of control over disease, the damage to seedlings from pests and weather, and the tendency of certain tree varieties to send out long roots which would need to be pruned before the tree could be removed, transported, and transplanted. Such pruning has often set back a seedling's growth or caused deformation and weakening of the root system.
The "container" method involves providing a l06s4s~
large number of cell-defining containers. The containers are filled with a growing medium, such as peat moss, and a seed is planted in each cell. After covering with grit or mulch, the seeds are permitted to germinate, and after they begin to grow, the young seedlings may be kept in a greenhouse from 4 weeks to 8 months depending on the variety and on the available environmental control.
At this point, the seedlings may be set out into a shaded area to acclimatize them to normal conditions before ; 10 being transplanted. In some cases,`a dormant condition is desired for transplanting, so the young seedlings may be specially treated with fertilizers, or in addition may be slowly cooled. In the planting season, the seed-lings are transported to the planting site directly in their containers, and kept in them for as long a time as possible. The planting operation is commonly carried out by a three-man crew. One of the crew carries the con-tainers and distributes them to the other two; these men, the planters, each form cavities in the soil with a dibble stick, extract the seedlings and attached root balls from the cells and tamp them into the cavities.
A good container is one of the keys to the success of this system. In the greenhouse stage, the container should provide cells which foster the develop-ment of a thick system of roots. ~ithout a good root structure, the plant will usually not survive in the field. For the purposes of the planting stage, the con-tainer should be a compact article which can be easily handled by the planters and which is adapted to permit efficient extraction of the seedling and root ball in an undamaged condition from the cell.
Advantages of container planting are as follows:
1. Each seedling is given an individual, non-competitive, controlled environment in which to grow and develop.
2. Seedling production -- seeding, thinning, ~leeding, atmosphere, fertilization, light control, temperature regulation and above all handling -- may be mechanized.
3. Seedlings are not "shocked" by trar.splantin~, s~nce they are,in individual "pots" and the roots do not get damaged during this mechanical operation.
4. Because the seediings will not be "shoc~e~" they may be transplanted during sum~.er months on a regular weekly or daily basis. High productivity of labor and facilities, high survival rates and tangible good results are realized.
The prior art containers used in reforestation projects can be classified into two broad groups. The first group comprises plastic trays or bloc~s having rows of separate, tapered cells formed in them. To extract the seedling and root bulb from this type of cell, one grasps the seedling, at a time when the peat moss has become root bound, and simply pulls it out. A problem with this type of tray is that the time when the ball is root bound dictates when planting can be carried out.
Another disadvantage is that the trays are quite bulky and relatively lar~e ~uantities of plastics materlal are used in making them. The second group of con.ainers comprises a single cell ur.it, such as a paper or plastic cylirder.
~.ost containers of this type are buried in the soil together with the root ball and seedlirg. Because the v 4 10684~2 only egress available to the roots is straight down through the open end of the container, there is initially little lateral growth of the roots. As a result, the plant is not well anchored during its early development; this leads to poor growth and a high mortality rate due to causes such as frost heaving. Another defect of this type of container is that the amount of labor required to handle large numbers of individual, separate cells is higher than is the case with multiple-cell ùnits.
A distinct drawback to the use of the above type of planting container, which is intended to be allowed to degrade and is therefore left in the ground, is that the soil bacteria, the temperature, and generally the climate, must be just right or else the degradation of the contain-er will take place too slowly, causing problems with root entrapment and deformation of the transplanted seedling.
Container planting involves the use of environ-mental control during germination and early growth, pro-viding healthy plants with a good chance of survival after transplanting, and specifically allows tree seedlings to grow in individual cells~ A problem with many varieties of plant containers has been their need to have long and deep cells for handling tap root development or to enable the transplanted seedling to reach a low water table.
Ordinary pots or deep cells of this kind do not allow easy removal of the seedlings for transplanting until the whole volume has been filled with roots. Since such root-binding is undesirable horticulturally, it is useful to have an easy method of withdrawal, which allows the whole plug of roots and soil medium to be handled without damage and to t ~068482 be placed without any restrictive covering into the transplanting site.
The present invention provides the above ad-vantage, and also allcws for easy inspection of root development without disturbing the root system or strain-ing the stem or trunk of the seedling. It is either a folding planter or one made in two halves, single or multiple, ~hich can be removed from a box and opened easily, without restriction, along ~n axial split to reveal the root system for e~amination or easy removal for planting or culling, The s me container(s) and plant(s) may then be closed and replaced in the box, which in turn hold the two sides together in each container. Although there-is no frictional joint to slow down the process of opening or closing the container(s), there is a shiplap joint which provides a long and difficult path for probing roots to traverse and escape into adjoining con-tainers.
Within the walls of the containerts) of this invention and formed into the sides are 'ongitudinal grooves which catch and hold roots as they develop, and prevent roots from spiralling, which is the roots' natural tendency when they reach a smooth-walled surface. At the bottom of the container(s) the growing medium must be supported, yet as large as possible an opening is main-tained to provide space for developing roots. In practice, roots are allowed to emerge from thè bottom of the con-tainer(s) but are prevented from growingmuc~ further b~ cir-culation of air under the container(s). ~he grooves are able to direct outside roots straight toward this opening, ~068482 and since the roots in them are also straight, these roots become end-withered quickly. As the plant has certain root-promoting qualities which are frustrated by this, it throws out branches of roots which repeat the process.
It is therefore an o~jective of this invention to provide a container ~Yhose structure is adapted to direct root growth to an air-pruning aperture to promote the growth of a thick root system having relatively straight roots.
It is another objective to ~rovide a container rom which the seedling and root ball can be easily ex-tracted at any time for planting.
An additional preferred objective of this inven-tion is to provide a container having a large air-pruning aperture.
It is a further preferred objective of this in-vention to provide a container having a number of cells for raising seedlings.
Still another objective of the invention is to provide a compact container which is easily handled and which is made from a relatively small quantity of plastics material.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a container is provided having a large root-pruning aper-`ture 2t its base together with a nu~er of circumferen-tially-spaced, downwardly-extending root grooves formed by the interior surface of the container's side wall. The roots of the seedling grcw laterally out to the container side wall ar.d then follow the root groo~es down to the aperture -- on contacting air, which is of course devoid 0 of nutrients, the roots wither, with the result that new ~068482 roots sprout, thereby developing a thick root system. This aspect of the invention is described in applicant's Canadian Patent 989,614, issued May 25, 1976.
In accordance with a preferred form of the invention, a multiple-cell, single-row contalner is pro-vided. It is split longitudinally 2nd preferably hinged along its bottom edges so that it can be opened to e~pose the contents o~ its two halves. To extract the seedling from one o the cells, the planter opens the container and holds it in the palm of one of his hands, as one wo~lld do with a book, or places it in a carrying pouch, and ~lses his other hand to gently pry the exposed root ball free. At the same time, he may flex the thin-walled, flexible sheet plastic container to aid in releasing the root ball. In the greenhouse, the containers are tightly packed together in rows in a tray or box; the walls of the tray or box act to hold the containers closed. The structure of the container is such that it can be formed from a single thin sheet of plastics material; the consu~tion of raw material ~n manufacturing it is therefore kept to a minimum.
For mass production, it is more economical to have the containers in ganged and hinsed "books" which are held closed within the confines of a rorzminous-bottomed box. Several variations of this version with and without~`the hinoes are possible. For individual plant sales or for such applications as when the grower may wish to keep indivi~ual plants separate, a tube-like container may be provided with most of the above-mentioned specific fe~t~res ~hich are improvements to cor.tainer planting, and in addition some other features especially suited to the individual container.
io68482 A common feature of these containers is the form of the side walls of the container, which contain multiple grooves or flutes (more than four) which extend throughout the full effective length of the container to direct roots to the opening at the bottom. When filled with a growing medium, plants grow roots in each con-tainer, which roots are directly channeled to~ard the bottom by being trapped in these grooves or between ridges of the flutes. By the term "effective length", is meant L0 that part of the container which contains the growing medium .
Another common feature of these containers is ~eir possible oo~bination with a box, tray or co~parable flat-bottomed holder which holds them in a satisfactory posi-tion for filling, either by having the box or tray made with a foraminous bottom which will not allow the growing medium to fall through (but will allow the roots to pene-trate and be ai~pruned) or by pre~nting the folding "books" from c~ming open, or both.
Another common feature of these containers is their substantially constant cross section throughout their effective length, which gives the roots as much unrestricted volume as possible, and assists in maintaining a tight pack of containers for vibration filling, the box or tray being the holding fixture with vertical parallel sides, and the containers being fitted tightly into the box.
A specific feature of the rolding gansed con-tainer is its hinged design, which allows the ganged container (when removed from the holding box or tray) _ g ~06848Z
to be opened and closed like a ~ook so that the progress ofgrowth may be studied. In early ~evelo~ment of the plants, during climatic changes which provide more or less humidity and more or less heat, development of the plant may not match the fertili7er regimen that has been chosen. In 2 case,for example, where fertilizer has built up and salts have collected in the containers, the roots may rot out, unless the excess fertilizer is leached through by plain water. Such conditions are not easy to discern unless the state of the roots can be inspected. In other containers, it is difficult to remove the "plug" of growing medium without damaging the root structure. Hence it is important to be able to open the container on a hinge and to close it up again without disturbing the plant, and t~is invention provides an easily opened container~ ithout snaps, catches or friction locks.
The present invention in one broad aspect resides in a container for growing seedlings, said con-tainer being normally upstanding when in use and comprising a pair of first and second wall mem~bers, each formed ofsu~stan~ally n~-porous sheet plastics material Each said wall member comprises a series of spaced, inwardly-projecting, elongate shoulders integrally joined by webs, the shoulders of the first wall member beins mutually opposed relative to the shoulders of the second wall member, and said mutually opposed shoulders are provided with inter-engaging mears, whereby when the wall members are pressed together, a series of open-topped cell~ are formed, defined by the shoulders and their 1068482`
connecting webs and closed along the greatest part of their length. The lower end portions of each pair of opposed webs and integrally joined shoulders combine to form the base of each cell, within which is formed an aperture, which aperture is smaller than the aperture at the top of the cell. Said webs constitute the predominant portion of the side walls of the container, and each pair of opposed webs form the side walls of an individual cell of said series of cells. Each side wall o said individual cell has in its interior surface a plurality of spaced grooves, said grooves extending down-wardly towards the base aperture and constituting a series ofroot grooves for directing root growth toward said aperture.
In a preferred aspect of the invention, each said web is corrugated longitudinally of said cell, with the grooves of the corrugations on the interior side walls of each said cell extending downwardly directly toward the base aperture and constituting a series of root grooves for directing root growth toward the aperture. Another feature of a preferred aspect of the invention is that a pair of substantially horizontal, mutually-opposed, finger-like members extend in from the lower end portions of each pair of opposed webs to form a growing medium-retaining bar extending across the base aperture of each cell. As an optional but preferred feature of the invention, the container may include hinge means connecting the wall members at their lower ends. Desirably, the plastics material from which the container is made is thin-walled and flexible; however this is not essential.
In another broad aspect, this invention resides in the combination of: -(a) a plurality of upstanding containers for growingseedlings, each said container comprising a pair of opposed first and second wall members, each formed of substantially non-porous sheet plastics material, each said wall member being formed by a series of s?aced, inwardly projecting elongate shoulders integrally joined by webs, the shoulders of the first wall member being mutually op?osed relative to the shoulders of the second wall member, said mutually opposed shoulders being provided with interengaging means, 1~ whereby when the wall members are ~ressed together, a series of open-topped cells are formed, defined by the shoulders and their connecting webs and closed along the greatest part of their length; the lower end portions of each pair of opposed webs and integrally joined shoulders combining to form the base of each cell, within which is formed an aperture, said webs constituting the predominant portion of the side walls of the container, and each pair of opposed webs forming the side walls of an individual cell of said series of cells;
each side wall of said individual cell having in its interior surface a plurality of spaced ~rooves, said grooves extending downwardly toward the base aperture and constituting a series of root grooves for directing root growth toward said a?erture; and (b) a holder for said containers, said holcer having side and end walls and a flat, foraminous bottom for retain-ing growing medium in the cells, said containers being cis?osed in a~utting relationshi? with res?ect to each other and to the walls of the holder, said containers being so arranged as to fill said holder.
For a more detailed description of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings 10684t~2 which illustrate various aspects of the present inven-tion by way of example, and wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of the container in the open position;
Figure ~ is a plan view from above of the con-tainer illustrated in Fig. l;
Figure 3 is an end view of the container of Fig. 1 in the open position;
Figure 4 is a side view of one half of the container of Fig l;
~ igure S is a top view of the container of Fig. 1 in the closed position;
Figure 6 is a plan view from below of the con-tainer of Fig. 1 in the closed position;
Figure 7 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the container in an open, flat position;
Figure 8 is a top plan view of one side wall of the container shown in Figure 7;
Figure 9 is a si~e view of one end of the con-tainer shown in Fig~ure 7;
Figure 10 is a partly cut away perspective viewof the container of Figure 7 in the closed position;
Figure 11 is à perspective, partly broken away view of an alternative embodiment of the container in the closed position;
Figure 12 is a perspective view of a single cell member, similar to those shown in ganged arrangement in Figure 11, in the open position;
Figure 13 is a perspective view, partly broken away, showing a container comprising separate wall members;
10684~Z
Figure 14 is a perspective view of a container similar to that shown in Figure 11, disposed in a box having a grid bottom; and Figure 15 is a pictorial repres~ntation, in perspective, of a typical growing seedling showing the xoot pattern developed by the use of the container of this ir.vention.
Referring now to Figures 1 - 6, the containerl illustrated includes a pair of upstanding, opposed, generally rectangular wall members 2, 3 hinged along their bottom edges by the horizontal, rectangular hinge member 4. The wall and hinge members 2, 3, 4 are formed from a single, thin-walled, flexible, non-porous plastic sheet so as to provide a unit comprised of three integral parts.
Each wall mer.~er 2, 3 comprises a series of spaced, inwardly-projecting, elongate shoulders 5, 6 joined by curved webs 7, 8~respectively. The shoulders 5,6 and webs 7, 8 combine to define two rows of parallel, open-topped, inwardly-opening, downwardly-extending grooves 9, 10 of semi-circular cr~ss section. The shoulders 5 of the wall member 3 are mutually opposed relative to the shoulders 6 of the wall member 2 whereby, when the container 1 is closed, they combine to`define a row of separate compart-ments or ce~lls 11.
In a preferred feature, the shoulders 6 have pointed edges 12 and the shoulders 5 have indentations 13.
When the wall mer.~ers 2, 3 are pressed together, the edges 12 seat in the indentations 13 to provide tignt, lengthwise seals ~etween adjoining cells.
The shoulders 5, 6 and tTebs 7, 8 are tapered and curved, respectively, to provide gathered portions 14, 15 at the bases of the grooves 9, 10. Semi-circular apertures 16, 17 are formed in the gathered portions 14, 15. ~en the container 1 is closed, the apertures 16, 17 unite to form apertures 30 for drainage and air-pruning.
One or more inwardly-opening, longitudinal root grooves 18, 19 are formed in the ~ebs 7, 8. These grooves 18, 19 lead down to the base apertures 16, 17 and serve to direct ~oot growth in that direction.
Adjacent the upper ends of some of the shoulders
The prior art containers used in reforestation projects can be classified into two broad groups. The first group comprises plastic trays or bloc~s having rows of separate, tapered cells formed in them. To extract the seedling and root bulb from this type of cell, one grasps the seedling, at a time when the peat moss has become root bound, and simply pulls it out. A problem with this type of tray is that the time when the ball is root bound dictates when planting can be carried out.
Another disadvantage is that the trays are quite bulky and relatively lar~e ~uantities of plastics materlal are used in making them. The second group of con.ainers comprises a single cell ur.it, such as a paper or plastic cylirder.
~.ost containers of this type are buried in the soil together with the root ball and seedlirg. Because the v 4 10684~2 only egress available to the roots is straight down through the open end of the container, there is initially little lateral growth of the roots. As a result, the plant is not well anchored during its early development; this leads to poor growth and a high mortality rate due to causes such as frost heaving. Another defect of this type of container is that the amount of labor required to handle large numbers of individual, separate cells is higher than is the case with multiple-cell ùnits.
A distinct drawback to the use of the above type of planting container, which is intended to be allowed to degrade and is therefore left in the ground, is that the soil bacteria, the temperature, and generally the climate, must be just right or else the degradation of the contain-er will take place too slowly, causing problems with root entrapment and deformation of the transplanted seedling.
Container planting involves the use of environ-mental control during germination and early growth, pro-viding healthy plants with a good chance of survival after transplanting, and specifically allows tree seedlings to grow in individual cells~ A problem with many varieties of plant containers has been their need to have long and deep cells for handling tap root development or to enable the transplanted seedling to reach a low water table.
Ordinary pots or deep cells of this kind do not allow easy removal of the seedlings for transplanting until the whole volume has been filled with roots. Since such root-binding is undesirable horticulturally, it is useful to have an easy method of withdrawal, which allows the whole plug of roots and soil medium to be handled without damage and to t ~068482 be placed without any restrictive covering into the transplanting site.
The present invention provides the above ad-vantage, and also allcws for easy inspection of root development without disturbing the root system or strain-ing the stem or trunk of the seedling. It is either a folding planter or one made in two halves, single or multiple, ~hich can be removed from a box and opened easily, without restriction, along ~n axial split to reveal the root system for e~amination or easy removal for planting or culling, The s me container(s) and plant(s) may then be closed and replaced in the box, which in turn hold the two sides together in each container. Although there-is no frictional joint to slow down the process of opening or closing the container(s), there is a shiplap joint which provides a long and difficult path for probing roots to traverse and escape into adjoining con-tainers.
Within the walls of the containerts) of this invention and formed into the sides are 'ongitudinal grooves which catch and hold roots as they develop, and prevent roots from spiralling, which is the roots' natural tendency when they reach a smooth-walled surface. At the bottom of the container(s) the growing medium must be supported, yet as large as possible an opening is main-tained to provide space for developing roots. In practice, roots are allowed to emerge from thè bottom of the con-tainer(s) but are prevented from growingmuc~ further b~ cir-culation of air under the container(s). ~he grooves are able to direct outside roots straight toward this opening, ~068482 and since the roots in them are also straight, these roots become end-withered quickly. As the plant has certain root-promoting qualities which are frustrated by this, it throws out branches of roots which repeat the process.
It is therefore an o~jective of this invention to provide a container ~Yhose structure is adapted to direct root growth to an air-pruning aperture to promote the growth of a thick root system having relatively straight roots.
It is another objective to ~rovide a container rom which the seedling and root ball can be easily ex-tracted at any time for planting.
An additional preferred objective of this inven-tion is to provide a container having a large air-pruning aperture.
It is a further preferred objective of this in-vention to provide a container having a number of cells for raising seedlings.
Still another objective of the invention is to provide a compact container which is easily handled and which is made from a relatively small quantity of plastics material.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a container is provided having a large root-pruning aper-`ture 2t its base together with a nu~er of circumferen-tially-spaced, downwardly-extending root grooves formed by the interior surface of the container's side wall. The roots of the seedling grcw laterally out to the container side wall ar.d then follow the root groo~es down to the aperture -- on contacting air, which is of course devoid 0 of nutrients, the roots wither, with the result that new ~068482 roots sprout, thereby developing a thick root system. This aspect of the invention is described in applicant's Canadian Patent 989,614, issued May 25, 1976.
In accordance with a preferred form of the invention, a multiple-cell, single-row contalner is pro-vided. It is split longitudinally 2nd preferably hinged along its bottom edges so that it can be opened to e~pose the contents o~ its two halves. To extract the seedling from one o the cells, the planter opens the container and holds it in the palm of one of his hands, as one wo~lld do with a book, or places it in a carrying pouch, and ~lses his other hand to gently pry the exposed root ball free. At the same time, he may flex the thin-walled, flexible sheet plastic container to aid in releasing the root ball. In the greenhouse, the containers are tightly packed together in rows in a tray or box; the walls of the tray or box act to hold the containers closed. The structure of the container is such that it can be formed from a single thin sheet of plastics material; the consu~tion of raw material ~n manufacturing it is therefore kept to a minimum.
For mass production, it is more economical to have the containers in ganged and hinsed "books" which are held closed within the confines of a rorzminous-bottomed box. Several variations of this version with and without~`the hinoes are possible. For individual plant sales or for such applications as when the grower may wish to keep indivi~ual plants separate, a tube-like container may be provided with most of the above-mentioned specific fe~t~res ~hich are improvements to cor.tainer planting, and in addition some other features especially suited to the individual container.
io68482 A common feature of these containers is the form of the side walls of the container, which contain multiple grooves or flutes (more than four) which extend throughout the full effective length of the container to direct roots to the opening at the bottom. When filled with a growing medium, plants grow roots in each con-tainer, which roots are directly channeled to~ard the bottom by being trapped in these grooves or between ridges of the flutes. By the term "effective length", is meant L0 that part of the container which contains the growing medium .
Another common feature of these containers is ~eir possible oo~bination with a box, tray or co~parable flat-bottomed holder which holds them in a satisfactory posi-tion for filling, either by having the box or tray made with a foraminous bottom which will not allow the growing medium to fall through (but will allow the roots to pene-trate and be ai~pruned) or by pre~nting the folding "books" from c~ming open, or both.
Another common feature of these containers is their substantially constant cross section throughout their effective length, which gives the roots as much unrestricted volume as possible, and assists in maintaining a tight pack of containers for vibration filling, the box or tray being the holding fixture with vertical parallel sides, and the containers being fitted tightly into the box.
A specific feature of the rolding gansed con-tainer is its hinged design, which allows the ganged container (when removed from the holding box or tray) _ g ~06848Z
to be opened and closed like a ~ook so that the progress ofgrowth may be studied. In early ~evelo~ment of the plants, during climatic changes which provide more or less humidity and more or less heat, development of the plant may not match the fertili7er regimen that has been chosen. In 2 case,for example, where fertilizer has built up and salts have collected in the containers, the roots may rot out, unless the excess fertilizer is leached through by plain water. Such conditions are not easy to discern unless the state of the roots can be inspected. In other containers, it is difficult to remove the "plug" of growing medium without damaging the root structure. Hence it is important to be able to open the container on a hinge and to close it up again without disturbing the plant, and t~is invention provides an easily opened container~ ithout snaps, catches or friction locks.
The present invention in one broad aspect resides in a container for growing seedlings, said con-tainer being normally upstanding when in use and comprising a pair of first and second wall mem~bers, each formed ofsu~stan~ally n~-porous sheet plastics material Each said wall member comprises a series of spaced, inwardly-projecting, elongate shoulders integrally joined by webs, the shoulders of the first wall member beins mutually opposed relative to the shoulders of the second wall member, and said mutually opposed shoulders are provided with inter-engaging mears, whereby when the wall members are pressed together, a series of open-topped cell~ are formed, defined by the shoulders and their 1068482`
connecting webs and closed along the greatest part of their length. The lower end portions of each pair of opposed webs and integrally joined shoulders combine to form the base of each cell, within which is formed an aperture, which aperture is smaller than the aperture at the top of the cell. Said webs constitute the predominant portion of the side walls of the container, and each pair of opposed webs form the side walls of an individual cell of said series of cells. Each side wall o said individual cell has in its interior surface a plurality of spaced grooves, said grooves extending down-wardly towards the base aperture and constituting a series ofroot grooves for directing root growth toward said aperture.
In a preferred aspect of the invention, each said web is corrugated longitudinally of said cell, with the grooves of the corrugations on the interior side walls of each said cell extending downwardly directly toward the base aperture and constituting a series of root grooves for directing root growth toward the aperture. Another feature of a preferred aspect of the invention is that a pair of substantially horizontal, mutually-opposed, finger-like members extend in from the lower end portions of each pair of opposed webs to form a growing medium-retaining bar extending across the base aperture of each cell. As an optional but preferred feature of the invention, the container may include hinge means connecting the wall members at their lower ends. Desirably, the plastics material from which the container is made is thin-walled and flexible; however this is not essential.
In another broad aspect, this invention resides in the combination of: -(a) a plurality of upstanding containers for growingseedlings, each said container comprising a pair of opposed first and second wall members, each formed of substantially non-porous sheet plastics material, each said wall member being formed by a series of s?aced, inwardly projecting elongate shoulders integrally joined by webs, the shoulders of the first wall member being mutually op?osed relative to the shoulders of the second wall member, said mutually opposed shoulders being provided with interengaging means, 1~ whereby when the wall members are ~ressed together, a series of open-topped cells are formed, defined by the shoulders and their connecting webs and closed along the greatest part of their length; the lower end portions of each pair of opposed webs and integrally joined shoulders combining to form the base of each cell, within which is formed an aperture, said webs constituting the predominant portion of the side walls of the container, and each pair of opposed webs forming the side walls of an individual cell of said series of cells;
each side wall of said individual cell having in its interior surface a plurality of spaced ~rooves, said grooves extending downwardly toward the base aperture and constituting a series of root grooves for directing root growth toward said a?erture; and (b) a holder for said containers, said holcer having side and end walls and a flat, foraminous bottom for retain-ing growing medium in the cells, said containers being cis?osed in a~utting relationshi? with res?ect to each other and to the walls of the holder, said containers being so arranged as to fill said holder.
For a more detailed description of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings 10684t~2 which illustrate various aspects of the present inven-tion by way of example, and wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of the container in the open position;
Figure ~ is a plan view from above of the con-tainer illustrated in Fig. l;
Figure 3 is an end view of the container of Fig. 1 in the open position;
Figure 4 is a side view of one half of the container of Fig l;
~ igure S is a top view of the container of Fig. 1 in the closed position;
Figure 6 is a plan view from below of the con-tainer of Fig. 1 in the closed position;
Figure 7 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the container in an open, flat position;
Figure 8 is a top plan view of one side wall of the container shown in Figure 7;
Figure 9 is a si~e view of one end of the con-tainer shown in Fig~ure 7;
Figure 10 is a partly cut away perspective viewof the container of Figure 7 in the closed position;
Figure 11 is à perspective, partly broken away view of an alternative embodiment of the container in the closed position;
Figure 12 is a perspective view of a single cell member, similar to those shown in ganged arrangement in Figure 11, in the open position;
Figure 13 is a perspective view, partly broken away, showing a container comprising separate wall members;
10684~Z
Figure 14 is a perspective view of a container similar to that shown in Figure 11, disposed in a box having a grid bottom; and Figure 15 is a pictorial repres~ntation, in perspective, of a typical growing seedling showing the xoot pattern developed by the use of the container of this ir.vention.
Referring now to Figures 1 - 6, the containerl illustrated includes a pair of upstanding, opposed, generally rectangular wall members 2, 3 hinged along their bottom edges by the horizontal, rectangular hinge member 4. The wall and hinge members 2, 3, 4 are formed from a single, thin-walled, flexible, non-porous plastic sheet so as to provide a unit comprised of three integral parts.
Each wall mer.~er 2, 3 comprises a series of spaced, inwardly-projecting, elongate shoulders 5, 6 joined by curved webs 7, 8~respectively. The shoulders 5,6 and webs 7, 8 combine to define two rows of parallel, open-topped, inwardly-opening, downwardly-extending grooves 9, 10 of semi-circular cr~ss section. The shoulders 5 of the wall member 3 are mutually opposed relative to the shoulders 6 of the wall member 2 whereby, when the container 1 is closed, they combine to`define a row of separate compart-ments or ce~lls 11.
In a preferred feature, the shoulders 6 have pointed edges 12 and the shoulders 5 have indentations 13.
When the wall mer.~ers 2, 3 are pressed together, the edges 12 seat in the indentations 13 to provide tignt, lengthwise seals ~etween adjoining cells.
The shoulders 5, 6 and tTebs 7, 8 are tapered and curved, respectively, to provide gathered portions 14, 15 at the bases of the grooves 9, 10. Semi-circular apertures 16, 17 are formed in the gathered portions 14, 15. ~en the container 1 is closed, the apertures 16, 17 unite to form apertures 30 for drainage and air-pruning.
One or more inwardly-opening, longitudinal root grooves 18, 19 are formed in the ~ebs 7, 8. These grooves 18, 19 lead down to the base apertures 16, 17 and serve to direct ~oot growth in that direction.
Adjacent the upper ends of some of the shoulders
5, 6 tapered sockets 20 are formed; lugs 21 extend from the opposed shoulders so as to frictionally engage the sockets 20 when the container 1 is closed. These elements combine to hold the container 1 closed under most circum-stances and prevent the ~all members 2, 3 moving vertically relative to one another.
Turning to hinse member 4, a series of openings 22, which correspond with the apertures 30, are provided.
In addition, the hinge member 4 is formed to provide a series of downwardly-extending lugs 23. These lugs 23 serve to elevate the container 1 above the tray floor (not shown) so that the roots protrude through the apertures 30 and 22 for pruning.
In use, a n~mber of the containers 1 are stacked together in a closed, upstanding position in a tray or box havir~
a foraminous bottom. Peat moss or o~her sui ~ le growirlg medium is pa~ed into the cells 11, and a seed is planted in each. With watering, the seed serminates and grows into a seedling.
As its roots lengthen, they are guided downward by the grooves 18, 19 to the apertures 30. When the roots 10684~2 protrudé out of the growing medium and contact ~r, they wither at their ends; this is called "air p~ning"~ The seedling then sprouts more ~ots and the sequence is repeated. In this way, a thick growth of relatively straight roots is gradually developed. The roots of each seedling are prevented by the combination o the shoulder edges 12 and indentations 13 from extending into th~ next cell. As a result, the roots of adjoining seedlings do not become entangled with each other. ~hen ~he seedlings are to be planted, the closed containers are pac~ed in trays or boxes and carried ir.to the fields~ There each container is opened to expose the seedling and its root ball. These are extracted in the manner previously des-cribed and the empty container is retained for re-use.
According to one method of manufacture, the con-tainer is thermo-formed from .010 inch thick ~ase stock, high impact polystyrene. ~his plastic strip is ir.dexed into a hydraulic press having a perforated, heated platen which is equipped with a sealing ring circumscriDing its wo~ing face. me press forces the plastics material against a correspording ring on the mold side, thereby sealing the wo~ing area of the plastics material. me mold is suitable perfor-ated to allow for the passage of air. Ihe plastics material is pre-stretched and forced by air fed through the mold againstthe heated platen, which nas a vacuum applied against its non-working side. A vacuum is then applied to the non-working side of the mold, and air is passed through the platen to foroe the plastics material onto the mold w~re it cools to a rigid state. The press then openS and the plastics material is lifted off the mold ar,d conveyed into a punch press. The necessary holes are punched and parts cut out, e~:cept for i - 16 -106~482 connecting tabs, by the press. The material is then moved to a cut-off l;nife and the units are separated.
An alternative embodiment of the container is shown in Figures 7 - 10. In this version, the opposing shoulders are constructed to provlde shiplap joints which maintain separation between the cells even when the con-tainer walls are forced slightly apart, as can occur when ~he growing medium settles within the c~ells with a wedging action. As mentioned above, cell separation is desirable 10 to prevent intermingling of the plant root systems.
In greater detail, the container 5Q comprises opposed first and second wall members 51, 52, each having shoulders 53, 54. The shoulders 53 are rebated along their right-hand sice edges, when vie~-ed from the right of Fig. 7, to define the indentations 55; the shoulders 54 are rebated along their left-hand side edges, when viewed from the right of Fig. 7, to define the indentations 56. The indentations 55, 56 terminate short of the upper ends of the shoulders 53, 54.
S~ort indentations 57, 58 are formed in the left- and right-hand edges respectively, when viewed from the right of Fig. 7, of the shculders 53, 54.
20 It is to be noted that the shoulcers 53, 54 of wall 51 are mutually opposed to the shoulders 3'1, 53, respectively, of wall 52. As a result, the non-rebated portions 59, 60 of shoulders 53, 54 seat in the indentations 58, 57 of shoulders 54, 53 when the walls 51, 52 are in the closed position to provide shiplap joints. An interlocking arrangement is thus provided which reduces twisting and dis-tortion of the shoulders when the container is in use.
At thè base of this em~odir~ent of the container as shown in Fig. 7, there are a series of hinged ~e~bers 62, each being in.egrally formed with an adjacent pair of opposed 30 shoulders and interconr.ecting webs of container 50, which hinged members are foldable along hinge line 63. Referring now to Fig. 7 which illustrates the container in an open, flat condition, the hinsed members are raised relative to the corrugated side walls of tlle cavities in the manner of a plateau, as it were, but are below the level of the pointed edges 60a, 60b of the shoulders 53, 54. Be~ween each adjacent pair of hinged memhers 62 and also between the gathered portions 65, 66 of the opposed shoulders and interconne`cting webs of container 50 a comparatively wide and shallow channel-shaped depression 64 is formed. The shape of the hinged members 62 and channel-shaped depres-sions 64 is as shown in Figules 7 and 10. During the pro-cess of manufacture of the containers, the channel-shaped depressions 64 are slit in line with the hinges so that when the hinge is folded shut, the slit expands to provide a large drainage and air-pruning oFening (not speciflcally shown in Figs.
7-10) for each cavity, at location 67. When the container is in the closed position as illustrat~d in Figure 10, each half of the hinged members 62 resembles a deltoid wing-shaFed member. R~ot grooves 68, 69 are formed in the wall members 51, 52 for direct~g root grcwth.
` Those erbodiments of the invention which are illustrated by Figs. 1-10 of the drawings have been generally described in applicant's Canadian Patent 989,514 dated ~ay 25, 1976; but this description is repeated herein, together with additional description, for the sake of con-venience to the reader, and to show clearly the relation-ship between these e~bodiments and additional embodi~ents of the inver.tion, as described in the followlng portion of this specification, and illustrated in Figs. 11-i5 of the drawings.
~068482 In another embodiment illustrated in Figures 11 and 12, the container 70 is formed with shoulders 71, 72 and webs 73 which extend downwardly generally vertically, thereby providing a cell 74 of substantially constant cross-sectional area throughout its length. To prevent the contained peat moss or other growing medium from dropping out of the base aperture, substantially hori~ontal,mutually-opposed,finger-like members 75, 76 extend inwardly from the lower edge portions of each opposed pair of webs 73, to form a growing medium-retaining bar extending across the aperture to divide it into smaller air-pr~ning apertures 77. As illus-trated, the members 75, 76 are preferably connected at their ends to provide a hinge. The shoulders are also inter-connected a~t their bases by horizontal members 78 -- the m~ers 75, 76, 78 ~ining to provide hinge means connectlng the two wall members 79.
In another em~odiment illustrated in Figure 13, the container 80 comprises separate wall ~embers 81, 82 which may be inserted in a box 83 having a grid floor 86 as shown in Figure 14. When the box 83 is filled, the container wall mem~ers 81, 82 hold themselves up. As illustrated, a slightly different shiplap joint is used.
Whèn this last-mentioned embodiment is in use, the roots grow down along the root grooves 84 to the aper-ture~ 85. Here they extend through the grid floor 86 and are air-pruned. The mem~ers of the grid floor traverse tha base aperture of each cell, helping to hold the peat moss (or other growing medium) within the cell.
Another specific feature of the folding ganged container of this invention is the design of the grooves in the side walls. The side walls of each container cell or unit are provided with alternating longitudinal ridges and grooves on the exterior as well as the interior, as can be seen from an inspection of the drawings. Each ridge on the outer container wall is disposed directly opposite a groove in the interior side wall of the same container;
that is to say, the side walls of the container are corru-gated. Each such groove (referring here to grooves 68J 69 in Fig. 7, and grooves 84 in Fig. 13) is so designed as to be in matirg relationship with a corresponding ridge on the outer wall of a similar container placed in juxtaposition thereto, so that when another "~ook" or folded ganged container is placed next to it, the lonaitudinal ridges on the exter-or walls of one such container mate with corresponding lonsitudinal grooves in the exterior walls of the container next to it, so that the containers are prevented rrom sliding laterally relative to each other.
1068~82 ~ r.other specific feature of the folding ganged CGntainer of this invention is that the top portions of the wall members 51, 52 (Figs. 7, lO) e~tend vertically a short distance above the effective length of the container as flan~s 51a, 52a (Figs. 7, lO).
Referring here to Figs. 7 and lO of the drawings, at pre-detenmined spaced intervals along the length o ~all members Sl, 52 there project shoulder men~ers 53, 54 which are normal to the plane of the wall members 51, 52. The wall ~; lO members of the containers ~hen in use are vertical so that the shoulder members are horizont~lly extending. Each pair of wall members and shoulder ~erbers combine to define a container cell for holding gro~ing medium within which an individual seedling may be placed. The top surface of shoulder me~bers 53, 54 form ledges 53a, 54a (see Fig. lO) which, when the shoulders are joined together to provide a shiplap joint as previously described, fcrm a ledge extend-ing across the container. The vertically-extending flanges 51a, 52a and ledges 53a, 54a are smooth and straight rather than grooved or corrugated, as with the side walls of the container, so that when the ledges fit tosether, the pos-sibility of the growing medium becoming lodged bet~een 106848~
adjacent container cells a~d between abutting ganged con-tainers is substantially prevented; and so that excess gxo~ing medium may be placed above the container cells and later compressed down into the container cells. The ledges also act as a standardizing level for screeding off excess growing medium during the filling stage. These ledges have a further purpose, that o~ shielding the plant in its succulent stage rom being heavily battered by strong water and fertilizer sprays, and of catching and directing such sprays to the grooves, thereby enticing the roots toward the last wet place bet~een waterings, at the outside wall of the container.
A further specific feature of the folding ganged container o this invention is the shape of the seal ~e-ttleen cavities or cells, which seal is similar to a shiplap seal, and provides in each cavity half (as observed when opened up) a high portion on the one side and a low portion on the other side, which matc~ universally li~e two right hands or tt~o left hands in a handshake, eacn to the opposite cavity half. Closed, the cavity has seal lines which are ~thus off the center line of the hinse by half the depth of the shiplap seal. l~he locking portions o this shiplap seal are-like the thumbs of two right hands (or tt~o left hands) and seal to the depth of the main shiplap seal. The cross-over rom one siae to the other is mace with a minimum of an opening, so as to provide the least possible chance for roots to tJork their way bett~een cavities. This minimum opening is provided by making the cross-over edqes at 45 to the part line, so that the joint has only one small contact point. The joint is also kept as near IO the top of the cavity as possible to again minimize root migration.
In use, a number of the containers of this invention, for example containers 50 as illustrated in Figs. 7 - 10, or containers 70 as illustrated in Fig. 11, or 80 as illustrated in Fig. 13, are stacked together in abutting relationship in an upstanding position in a tray or box or comparable flat-bottomed holder. ~he containers are then fillad with a growing medium, such as treated peat, ground bar~, vermiculite, expanded perlite, sterilized soil or sand. After watering and settling, the containers are seeded. A vacuum-head seeder may be used, which simply draws seeds from storage to small holes arranged in the pattern of the cavities. The seeder is then placed over the tray and the vacuum released, which allows seeds to drop into each cavity. ~ext, a mulch, generally of sand or limestone grit, is sprir.kled to cover the seed. Trays are put in a suitably warm place and covered with a poly-ethylene film while the seeds serminate. Overseeding often is carried out to ensure 100~ utilization, so thinning becomes part of a later operation.
Germination takes place normally in a moist atmosphere at 70-75F. A sheet of thin polyethylene is wrapped around a batch of seeded, watered trays. Heat build-up during this period must be watched to provide the best temperature. When seeds reach above 80F their rate of germination may decrease. It has been found that the early life of any plant is extremely sensitive to changes in environment, and it is desirable to keep plants in the greenhouse for at least 8 weeks after seeding, from the standpoint of the extra good start they set in life.
lQ68~82 The containers of this invention are very useful during these first eight weeks.
During growth of the seedling, the technique of "Air-Pruning" is used to promote root growth. Normal growth of a root follows the path of least resistance, and guides such as the aforementioned srooves, tend to direct most of the roots which touch the side walls toward the bottom of the container. The biological urge which causes root growth is frustrated by the air which the emerging, growing root meets as it finds it way out of the bottom and withers off. This urge makes the roots within the containerbranch out further and more new roots then follow the grooves and ridges to the bottom where the process is repeated.
At any time during the seedling's growth, its root development may be inspected.
All that is necessary is to take the filled con-tainer containing the growing seedling(s) (which, since it ca~ be opened up like a book, will be referred to here as a "book"), open the "book", and visually inspect the root ball (plug). If desired for this purpose the root plug can be readily removed from the container and held in the hand, as illustrated in Fig. 15. The development of the seedling 88 (referring to that Figure) and in particular its roots 90 can be seen at a glance. After inspection is completed, the root ball plug 92 comprising the seedling root system within the compacted growlng me2ium, is simply placed back in the individual co~tainer cell from .~~` which it was taken, and the "book" is clcsed.
0 At the same time as the root development of the _ 24 -1 ~68482 seedling is being inspected, the inspector can tell by thecolor of the growing medium whether there are dryness or over-watering problems. Root development in these early stages of development may be examined without damage to the plant.
When the seedling has developed to the point where it is large enough to transplant, the seedling in ` its container is moved to a semi-controlle~ outdoors area or to a small unheated greenhouse -- the so-called "cold frame" -- where the plant is acclimatized or "hardened"
to outdoor conditions.
When moved out to the cold frames or open storage, the trays with enclosed containers are placed up off the groundj This enables "Air-Pruning" to occur~
"Air-Pruning" is really a method of tricking the plant to put out branch roots. When the plant roots reach the open bottom of the container they dry off in the air. This tempor~ry growth stoppage is biologically signalled to the seedling, and this triggers the development of new branch root growth. Since most roots are airecte~ by the grooves in the container walls straight to the bottom, the process is speeded up by use of the containers of this invention.
Normally, a nursery seedling, placed beside its fellows in a seed bed, develops very long roots that are few in nu~ber.
The long roots cannot be transplanted so they are cut off, thereby "shocking" the transplant. In contrast theret~, seedlings grown in containers of this invention have all the roots intact when they are transplanted; so may be transplanted at any time, even when "flush" with new growth.
All the roots of importance are on the outside, waiting to ~06848Z
make contact with new soil, and they fan out evenly on allsides, making an ideal root system to prevent b'owdowns at a later stage of growth.
The plant may then be taken directly to the transplanting area, and removed from the container by the samé simple procedure as outlined previously herein in connection with the inspection of the seedling during its early growth.
Transplanting may be accomplished by ordinary standard methods, but the trays are compact and are often used to carry seed'ings right to the site. A hoe, dibble, adze, mattock, spade or planting tube may be used. All methods have been tried with success in the field, and are chosen at the discretion of the planting supervisor.
The containers of the present inventionhave number of important advantages, summarized as follows:
1. The containers can be made in ar.y desired size to accommodate numerous different varieties of seedling.
2. Storage and shipping costs are minimum.
3. m e containers are easy to load, fill, seed, thin and weed.
4. The container grooves speed root development, minimize spiralling, and promote healthy growth of contact roo~s (i.e., the roots which will first contact new soi~ when transplanted).
5. The containers of this invention allow inspection at any stage of growth. A "boo~" may be rezdily pulled out, opened, and one may "read" the root development of the seedling.
~`~ 30 6. The co~tainers of this invention ~low removal of the ~068482 seedling at any stage of growth, and removal is very easy. All that need be done is to open the container.
Smooth, hard sides, a hinged bottom and linear grooves make removal easy. No time is lost in transplanting directly from the box in the field.
7. The containers of this invention give nearly maximum bench density, yet may be spaced out to give leaf room at later development stages, without losing their multiple handling advantage.
8. The containers of this invention are useful for a wide ~ variety of horticultural techniques: rooting from ! cuttings, sprouting from root cuttings, "air-pruningn of heavily tap-rootea plant varieties, and for many kinds of plants, from trees to wild grasses, to shrubs, to vegetables.
; 9. ~he containers of this invention grow plants that are easy to transplant. No special equipment is required, yet they will easily adapt to the most sophisticated transplanting machines.
10. The containers of this invention are relatively inex-pensive to manufacture.
While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims.
Turning to hinse member 4, a series of openings 22, which correspond with the apertures 30, are provided.
In addition, the hinge member 4 is formed to provide a series of downwardly-extending lugs 23. These lugs 23 serve to elevate the container 1 above the tray floor (not shown) so that the roots protrude through the apertures 30 and 22 for pruning.
In use, a n~mber of the containers 1 are stacked together in a closed, upstanding position in a tray or box havir~
a foraminous bottom. Peat moss or o~her sui ~ le growirlg medium is pa~ed into the cells 11, and a seed is planted in each. With watering, the seed serminates and grows into a seedling.
As its roots lengthen, they are guided downward by the grooves 18, 19 to the apertures 30. When the roots 10684~2 protrudé out of the growing medium and contact ~r, they wither at their ends; this is called "air p~ning"~ The seedling then sprouts more ~ots and the sequence is repeated. In this way, a thick growth of relatively straight roots is gradually developed. The roots of each seedling are prevented by the combination o the shoulder edges 12 and indentations 13 from extending into th~ next cell. As a result, the roots of adjoining seedlings do not become entangled with each other. ~hen ~he seedlings are to be planted, the closed containers are pac~ed in trays or boxes and carried ir.to the fields~ There each container is opened to expose the seedling and its root ball. These are extracted in the manner previously des-cribed and the empty container is retained for re-use.
According to one method of manufacture, the con-tainer is thermo-formed from .010 inch thick ~ase stock, high impact polystyrene. ~his plastic strip is ir.dexed into a hydraulic press having a perforated, heated platen which is equipped with a sealing ring circumscriDing its wo~ing face. me press forces the plastics material against a correspording ring on the mold side, thereby sealing the wo~ing area of the plastics material. me mold is suitable perfor-ated to allow for the passage of air. Ihe plastics material is pre-stretched and forced by air fed through the mold againstthe heated platen, which nas a vacuum applied against its non-working side. A vacuum is then applied to the non-working side of the mold, and air is passed through the platen to foroe the plastics material onto the mold w~re it cools to a rigid state. The press then openS and the plastics material is lifted off the mold ar,d conveyed into a punch press. The necessary holes are punched and parts cut out, e~:cept for i - 16 -106~482 connecting tabs, by the press. The material is then moved to a cut-off l;nife and the units are separated.
An alternative embodiment of the container is shown in Figures 7 - 10. In this version, the opposing shoulders are constructed to provlde shiplap joints which maintain separation between the cells even when the con-tainer walls are forced slightly apart, as can occur when ~he growing medium settles within the c~ells with a wedging action. As mentioned above, cell separation is desirable 10 to prevent intermingling of the plant root systems.
In greater detail, the container 5Q comprises opposed first and second wall members 51, 52, each having shoulders 53, 54. The shoulders 53 are rebated along their right-hand sice edges, when vie~-ed from the right of Fig. 7, to define the indentations 55; the shoulders 54 are rebated along their left-hand side edges, when viewed from the right of Fig. 7, to define the indentations 56. The indentations 55, 56 terminate short of the upper ends of the shoulders 53, 54.
S~ort indentations 57, 58 are formed in the left- and right-hand edges respectively, when viewed from the right of Fig. 7, of the shculders 53, 54.
20 It is to be noted that the shoulcers 53, 54 of wall 51 are mutually opposed to the shoulders 3'1, 53, respectively, of wall 52. As a result, the non-rebated portions 59, 60 of shoulders 53, 54 seat in the indentations 58, 57 of shoulders 54, 53 when the walls 51, 52 are in the closed position to provide shiplap joints. An interlocking arrangement is thus provided which reduces twisting and dis-tortion of the shoulders when the container is in use.
At thè base of this em~odir~ent of the container as shown in Fig. 7, there are a series of hinged ~e~bers 62, each being in.egrally formed with an adjacent pair of opposed 30 shoulders and interconr.ecting webs of container 50, which hinged members are foldable along hinge line 63. Referring now to Fig. 7 which illustrates the container in an open, flat condition, the hinsed members are raised relative to the corrugated side walls of tlle cavities in the manner of a plateau, as it were, but are below the level of the pointed edges 60a, 60b of the shoulders 53, 54. Be~ween each adjacent pair of hinged memhers 62 and also between the gathered portions 65, 66 of the opposed shoulders and interconne`cting webs of container 50 a comparatively wide and shallow channel-shaped depression 64 is formed. The shape of the hinged members 62 and channel-shaped depres-sions 64 is as shown in Figules 7 and 10. During the pro-cess of manufacture of the containers, the channel-shaped depressions 64 are slit in line with the hinges so that when the hinge is folded shut, the slit expands to provide a large drainage and air-pruning oFening (not speciflcally shown in Figs.
7-10) for each cavity, at location 67. When the container is in the closed position as illustrat~d in Figure 10, each half of the hinged members 62 resembles a deltoid wing-shaFed member. R~ot grooves 68, 69 are formed in the wall members 51, 52 for direct~g root grcwth.
` Those erbodiments of the invention which are illustrated by Figs. 1-10 of the drawings have been generally described in applicant's Canadian Patent 989,514 dated ~ay 25, 1976; but this description is repeated herein, together with additional description, for the sake of con-venience to the reader, and to show clearly the relation-ship between these e~bodiments and additional embodi~ents of the inver.tion, as described in the followlng portion of this specification, and illustrated in Figs. 11-i5 of the drawings.
~068482 In another embodiment illustrated in Figures 11 and 12, the container 70 is formed with shoulders 71, 72 and webs 73 which extend downwardly generally vertically, thereby providing a cell 74 of substantially constant cross-sectional area throughout its length. To prevent the contained peat moss or other growing medium from dropping out of the base aperture, substantially hori~ontal,mutually-opposed,finger-like members 75, 76 extend inwardly from the lower edge portions of each opposed pair of webs 73, to form a growing medium-retaining bar extending across the aperture to divide it into smaller air-pr~ning apertures 77. As illus-trated, the members 75, 76 are preferably connected at their ends to provide a hinge. The shoulders are also inter-connected a~t their bases by horizontal members 78 -- the m~ers 75, 76, 78 ~ining to provide hinge means connectlng the two wall members 79.
In another em~odiment illustrated in Figure 13, the container 80 comprises separate wall ~embers 81, 82 which may be inserted in a box 83 having a grid floor 86 as shown in Figure 14. When the box 83 is filled, the container wall mem~ers 81, 82 hold themselves up. As illustrated, a slightly different shiplap joint is used.
Whèn this last-mentioned embodiment is in use, the roots grow down along the root grooves 84 to the aper-ture~ 85. Here they extend through the grid floor 86 and are air-pruned. The mem~ers of the grid floor traverse tha base aperture of each cell, helping to hold the peat moss (or other growing medium) within the cell.
Another specific feature of the folding ganged container of this invention is the design of the grooves in the side walls. The side walls of each container cell or unit are provided with alternating longitudinal ridges and grooves on the exterior as well as the interior, as can be seen from an inspection of the drawings. Each ridge on the outer container wall is disposed directly opposite a groove in the interior side wall of the same container;
that is to say, the side walls of the container are corru-gated. Each such groove (referring here to grooves 68J 69 in Fig. 7, and grooves 84 in Fig. 13) is so designed as to be in matirg relationship with a corresponding ridge on the outer wall of a similar container placed in juxtaposition thereto, so that when another "~ook" or folded ganged container is placed next to it, the lonaitudinal ridges on the exter-or walls of one such container mate with corresponding lonsitudinal grooves in the exterior walls of the container next to it, so that the containers are prevented rrom sliding laterally relative to each other.
1068~82 ~ r.other specific feature of the folding ganged CGntainer of this invention is that the top portions of the wall members 51, 52 (Figs. 7, lO) e~tend vertically a short distance above the effective length of the container as flan~s 51a, 52a (Figs. 7, lO).
Referring here to Figs. 7 and lO of the drawings, at pre-detenmined spaced intervals along the length o ~all members Sl, 52 there project shoulder men~ers 53, 54 which are normal to the plane of the wall members 51, 52. The wall ~; lO members of the containers ~hen in use are vertical so that the shoulder members are horizont~lly extending. Each pair of wall members and shoulder ~erbers combine to define a container cell for holding gro~ing medium within which an individual seedling may be placed. The top surface of shoulder me~bers 53, 54 form ledges 53a, 54a (see Fig. lO) which, when the shoulders are joined together to provide a shiplap joint as previously described, fcrm a ledge extend-ing across the container. The vertically-extending flanges 51a, 52a and ledges 53a, 54a are smooth and straight rather than grooved or corrugated, as with the side walls of the container, so that when the ledges fit tosether, the pos-sibility of the growing medium becoming lodged bet~een 106848~
adjacent container cells a~d between abutting ganged con-tainers is substantially prevented; and so that excess gxo~ing medium may be placed above the container cells and later compressed down into the container cells. The ledges also act as a standardizing level for screeding off excess growing medium during the filling stage. These ledges have a further purpose, that o~ shielding the plant in its succulent stage rom being heavily battered by strong water and fertilizer sprays, and of catching and directing such sprays to the grooves, thereby enticing the roots toward the last wet place bet~een waterings, at the outside wall of the container.
A further specific feature of the folding ganged container o this invention is the shape of the seal ~e-ttleen cavities or cells, which seal is similar to a shiplap seal, and provides in each cavity half (as observed when opened up) a high portion on the one side and a low portion on the other side, which matc~ universally li~e two right hands or tt~o left hands in a handshake, eacn to the opposite cavity half. Closed, the cavity has seal lines which are ~thus off the center line of the hinse by half the depth of the shiplap seal. l~he locking portions o this shiplap seal are-like the thumbs of two right hands (or tt~o left hands) and seal to the depth of the main shiplap seal. The cross-over rom one siae to the other is mace with a minimum of an opening, so as to provide the least possible chance for roots to tJork their way bett~een cavities. This minimum opening is provided by making the cross-over edqes at 45 to the part line, so that the joint has only one small contact point. The joint is also kept as near IO the top of the cavity as possible to again minimize root migration.
In use, a number of the containers of this invention, for example containers 50 as illustrated in Figs. 7 - 10, or containers 70 as illustrated in Fig. 11, or 80 as illustrated in Fig. 13, are stacked together in abutting relationship in an upstanding position in a tray or box or comparable flat-bottomed holder. ~he containers are then fillad with a growing medium, such as treated peat, ground bar~, vermiculite, expanded perlite, sterilized soil or sand. After watering and settling, the containers are seeded. A vacuum-head seeder may be used, which simply draws seeds from storage to small holes arranged in the pattern of the cavities. The seeder is then placed over the tray and the vacuum released, which allows seeds to drop into each cavity. ~ext, a mulch, generally of sand or limestone grit, is sprir.kled to cover the seed. Trays are put in a suitably warm place and covered with a poly-ethylene film while the seeds serminate. Overseeding often is carried out to ensure 100~ utilization, so thinning becomes part of a later operation.
Germination takes place normally in a moist atmosphere at 70-75F. A sheet of thin polyethylene is wrapped around a batch of seeded, watered trays. Heat build-up during this period must be watched to provide the best temperature. When seeds reach above 80F their rate of germination may decrease. It has been found that the early life of any plant is extremely sensitive to changes in environment, and it is desirable to keep plants in the greenhouse for at least 8 weeks after seeding, from the standpoint of the extra good start they set in life.
lQ68~82 The containers of this invention are very useful during these first eight weeks.
During growth of the seedling, the technique of "Air-Pruning" is used to promote root growth. Normal growth of a root follows the path of least resistance, and guides such as the aforementioned srooves, tend to direct most of the roots which touch the side walls toward the bottom of the container. The biological urge which causes root growth is frustrated by the air which the emerging, growing root meets as it finds it way out of the bottom and withers off. This urge makes the roots within the containerbranch out further and more new roots then follow the grooves and ridges to the bottom where the process is repeated.
At any time during the seedling's growth, its root development may be inspected.
All that is necessary is to take the filled con-tainer containing the growing seedling(s) (which, since it ca~ be opened up like a book, will be referred to here as a "book"), open the "book", and visually inspect the root ball (plug). If desired for this purpose the root plug can be readily removed from the container and held in the hand, as illustrated in Fig. 15. The development of the seedling 88 (referring to that Figure) and in particular its roots 90 can be seen at a glance. After inspection is completed, the root ball plug 92 comprising the seedling root system within the compacted growlng me2ium, is simply placed back in the individual co~tainer cell from .~~` which it was taken, and the "book" is clcsed.
0 At the same time as the root development of the _ 24 -1 ~68482 seedling is being inspected, the inspector can tell by thecolor of the growing medium whether there are dryness or over-watering problems. Root development in these early stages of development may be examined without damage to the plant.
When the seedling has developed to the point where it is large enough to transplant, the seedling in ` its container is moved to a semi-controlle~ outdoors area or to a small unheated greenhouse -- the so-called "cold frame" -- where the plant is acclimatized or "hardened"
to outdoor conditions.
When moved out to the cold frames or open storage, the trays with enclosed containers are placed up off the groundj This enables "Air-Pruning" to occur~
"Air-Pruning" is really a method of tricking the plant to put out branch roots. When the plant roots reach the open bottom of the container they dry off in the air. This tempor~ry growth stoppage is biologically signalled to the seedling, and this triggers the development of new branch root growth. Since most roots are airecte~ by the grooves in the container walls straight to the bottom, the process is speeded up by use of the containers of this invention.
Normally, a nursery seedling, placed beside its fellows in a seed bed, develops very long roots that are few in nu~ber.
The long roots cannot be transplanted so they are cut off, thereby "shocking" the transplant. In contrast theret~, seedlings grown in containers of this invention have all the roots intact when they are transplanted; so may be transplanted at any time, even when "flush" with new growth.
All the roots of importance are on the outside, waiting to ~06848Z
make contact with new soil, and they fan out evenly on allsides, making an ideal root system to prevent b'owdowns at a later stage of growth.
The plant may then be taken directly to the transplanting area, and removed from the container by the samé simple procedure as outlined previously herein in connection with the inspection of the seedling during its early growth.
Transplanting may be accomplished by ordinary standard methods, but the trays are compact and are often used to carry seed'ings right to the site. A hoe, dibble, adze, mattock, spade or planting tube may be used. All methods have been tried with success in the field, and are chosen at the discretion of the planting supervisor.
The containers of the present inventionhave number of important advantages, summarized as follows:
1. The containers can be made in ar.y desired size to accommodate numerous different varieties of seedling.
2. Storage and shipping costs are minimum.
3. m e containers are easy to load, fill, seed, thin and weed.
4. The container grooves speed root development, minimize spiralling, and promote healthy growth of contact roo~s (i.e., the roots which will first contact new soi~ when transplanted).
5. The containers of this invention allow inspection at any stage of growth. A "boo~" may be rezdily pulled out, opened, and one may "read" the root development of the seedling.
~`~ 30 6. The co~tainers of this invention ~low removal of the ~068482 seedling at any stage of growth, and removal is very easy. All that need be done is to open the container.
Smooth, hard sides, a hinged bottom and linear grooves make removal easy. No time is lost in transplanting directly from the box in the field.
7. The containers of this invention give nearly maximum bench density, yet may be spaced out to give leaf room at later development stages, without losing their multiple handling advantage.
8. The containers of this invention are useful for a wide ~ variety of horticultural techniques: rooting from ! cuttings, sprouting from root cuttings, "air-pruningn of heavily tap-rootea plant varieties, and for many kinds of plants, from trees to wild grasses, to shrubs, to vegetables.
; 9. ~he containers of this invention grow plants that are easy to transplant. No special equipment is required, yet they will easily adapt to the most sophisticated transplanting machines.
10. The containers of this invention are relatively inex-pensive to manufacture.
While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims.
Claims (16)
1. In combination:
(a) a plurality of upstanding containers for growing seedlings, each said container comprising a pair of opposed first and second wall members, each formed of substantially non-porous sheet plastics material, each said wall member being formed by a series of spaced, inwardly projecting elongate shoulders integrally joined by webs, the shoulders of the first wall member being mutually opposed relative to the shoulders of the second wall member, said mutually opposed shoulders being provided with interengaging means, whereby when the wall members are pressed together, a series of open-topped cells are formed, defined by the shoulders and their connecting webs and closed along the greatest part of their length; the lower end portions of each pair of opposed webs and integrally joined shoulders combining to form the base of each cell, within which is formed an aperture, said webs constituting the predominant portion of the side walls of the container, and each pair of opposed webs forming the side walls of an individual cell of said series of cells;
each side wall of said individual cell having in its interior surface a plurality of spaced grooves, said grooves extending downwardly toward the base aperture and constituting a series of root grooves for directing root growth toward said aperture; and (b) a holder for said containers, said holder having side and end walls and a flat, foraminous bottom for retain-ing growing medium in the cells, said containers being disposed in abutting relationship with respect to each other and to the walls of the holder, said containers being so arranged as to fill said holder.
(a) a plurality of upstanding containers for growing seedlings, each said container comprising a pair of opposed first and second wall members, each formed of substantially non-porous sheet plastics material, each said wall member being formed by a series of spaced, inwardly projecting elongate shoulders integrally joined by webs, the shoulders of the first wall member being mutually opposed relative to the shoulders of the second wall member, said mutually opposed shoulders being provided with interengaging means, whereby when the wall members are pressed together, a series of open-topped cells are formed, defined by the shoulders and their connecting webs and closed along the greatest part of their length; the lower end portions of each pair of opposed webs and integrally joined shoulders combining to form the base of each cell, within which is formed an aperture, said webs constituting the predominant portion of the side walls of the container, and each pair of opposed webs forming the side walls of an individual cell of said series of cells;
each side wall of said individual cell having in its interior surface a plurality of spaced grooves, said grooves extending downwardly toward the base aperture and constituting a series of root grooves for directing root growth toward said aperture; and (b) a holder for said containers, said holder having side and end walls and a flat, foraminous bottom for retain-ing growing medium in the cells, said containers being disposed in abutting relationship with respect to each other and to the walls of the holder, said containers being so arranged as to fill said holder.
2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein each said web is corrugated longitudinally of said cell, the grooves of the corrugations in the interior side walls of each said cell constituting said root directing grooves.
3. The combination according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said plastics material is flexible.
4. The combination according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said wall members of each of said containers are thin-walled.
5. The combination of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein for each cell of each of said containers, said base aperture is smaller than the aperture at the top of the cell.
6 The combination according to claim 1 wherein said holder is a box.
7. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said holder is a tray.
8. The combination according to claim 6 wherein the box has an open grid bottom, the members of the grid bottom of said box traversing the base aperture of each cell of said containers.
9. The combination according to claim 1 wherein, in each cell of said containers, a pair of substantially horizontal, mutually opposed, finger-like members extend in from the lower end portions of each pair of opposed webs to form a growing medium-retaining bar extending across the base aperture.
10. The combination of claim 1 wherein the opposed shoulders of each of said containers are so constructed as to provide a shiplap joint along the greatest part of their lengths when pressed together, said shiplap joint maintaining separation between adjacent cells and restraining inter-mingling of root systems in said cells.
11. The combination according to claim 1, 2 or 10 wherein the upper portions of each wall member of each of said containers extend vertically a short distance above the upper edges of the shoulder members and form a pair of mutually opposed flanges, said upper edges of the shoulder members forming a ledge extending across the container when the shoulders are interengaged, said ledge and said flanges being smooth and straight.
12. The combination according to claim 1, 2 or 10 wherein each said container includes hinging means connecting the wall members at their lower ends.
13. The combination according to claim 1, 2 or 10 wherein each said container includes hinging means connecting the wall members at their lower ends, said hinging means taking the form of a series of hinge members, each of which is integrally formed with an adjacent pair of opposed shoulders and interconnecting webs of said container, there being between each pair of adjacent hinge members a relative-ly wide, shallow, channel-shaped depression provided with a slit along the line of folding of said hinge members, such that when the container is closed, in which condition the hinge member is folded, the slit expands to provide a drainage and root-pruning aperture at the base of the cell.
14. A combination as defined in claim 2 wherein the ridges on the exterior of the longitudinally corrugated side walls of each container are so configured as to mate with corresponding grooves on the exterior of the side walls of another of said containers abutting therewith, thereby to prevent lateral movement of the containers relative to others of said containers juxtaposed thereto.
15. The combination according to claim 9 wherein the shoulders and webs of each of said containers extend downwardly generally vertically, whereby cells of substan-tially constant cross-sectional area along most of their length are provided for each of said containers,
16. The combination according to claim 1 wherein, in each container, said first and second wall members are separate, i.e., not joined together at any point , said wall members being held together to form said container in upstanding position by the combination of (1) the abutting relationship of said wall members with similar wall members of adjacent containers and (2) the abutting relationship of those containers of said arrangement of containers adjacent the walls of said holder, with said holder walls.
Priority Applications (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA275316A CA1068482A (en) | 1977-04-01 | 1977-04-01 | Container for seedlings |
| CA335,673A CA1070114A (en) | 1977-04-01 | 1979-09-14 | Container for seedlings |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA275316A CA1068482A (en) | 1977-04-01 | 1977-04-01 | Container for seedlings |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1068482A true CA1068482A (en) | 1979-12-25 |
Family
ID=4108295
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA275316A Expired CA1068482A (en) | 1977-04-01 | 1977-04-01 | Container for seedlings |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1068482A (en) |
-
1977
- 1977-04-01 CA CA275316A patent/CA1068482A/en not_active Expired
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