GB1569200A

GB1569200A - Combined removal tool and watering tray

Info

Publication number: GB1569200A
Application number: GB560577A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-02-06
Filing date: 1978-02-06
Publication date: 1980-06-11

Description

(54) COMBINED REMOVAL TOOL AND WATERING TRAY (71) We, JAMES FREDERICK HINDS and MARGARET HELEAH HINDS, trading as Rowsons Nurseries, Vines Cross, Heathfield, Sussex, both British Subjects, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method bv which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a combined removal tool and watering ray for use in conjunction with plant-storage means adapted to hold a plurality of plants, particularly in the form of cuttings or seedlings.

for propagation and/or transport.

The removal tool of the present invention is particularly adapted for use with plantstorage means, such as described for example in our co-pending Application No 55348! 74 (Serial No 1 511 256, comprising a slab of a thermally insulating material containing a plurality of bores extending between the two faces of the slab. Each of these bores is open at both faces of the slab and the walls of the bore are so shaped that the openings of all the bores at one face of the slab are larger in area than the openings of the bores at the other face of the slab. This may be effected by inclining or curving the walls of the bore from one end to the other. or by stepping the wall of the bore. or by a combination of these methods. Such storage means will hereinafter be referred to as "storage means of the type described'.

In use, the slab is placed with its base containing the larger ends of the bores upwards and each of the bores is filled with compost to receive a plant. The bores will normally be regularly spaced in the slab in rows and columns.

When it is required to remove the plants and the compost containing them from the slab, for example, when propagation has been carried as far as it can be in the slab and it is required to plant out the growing plants. or, when the slab has been used for transporting plants. when the plants have reached their destination and again are required to be planted out. it is desirable to use a tool which will loosen all the compressed bodies of compost containing the plants in the bores and push them partially out of the bores simultaneouslv.

Convenientlv. plants being propagated or transported in such trays can be watered from below through the smaller ends of the bores. This can be effected by standing the tray in water and for this a suitable container is required.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tool which can be used to loosen all the plants contained in one or more storage slabs and push them partially out of the slab so that thev can easilv be removed for re-planting. and which can also be used as a watering tray for supplving water to one or more storage slabs containing plants.

According to the present invention, there is provided a combined removal tool and watering tray for use with plant-storage means of the tvpe described, comprising a substantially flat plate having a plurality of mutually spaced pegs with flat or rounded tops extending outwardly from one face thereof, each said peg being arranged so as to locate in the smaller end of a respective bore of one or more of said plant-storage means, and the other face of said plate having a recess therein adapted to contain water and to receive one or more of said plant-storage means.

The pegs on the one face of the plate are arranged in the same formation as the bores in the storage slab and have a diameter such that they are a loose fit in and will just enter the lower smaller end of the bore. The length of each peg is preferably such that it extends well into the bore but preferably does not quite reach the other end thereof.

In use as a removal tool. the plate is placed on a flat surface with the pegs extending upwardly and the storage slab from which the plants are to be removed is placed above the plate with the pegs in register with the lower ends of the bores. If the slab is now pushed downwardly. the pegs enter the bores and simultaneously push the compost bodies contained therein and the plants upwardly out of the bores. If, as is preferred, the height of the pegs is somewhat less than the length of the bores, the compost bodies are still supported to some extent within the bores so that there is little danger of their falling off the slab. The compost bodies and the plants contained therein are now freed from the bores and can be picked up and taken awav for re-planting as required.

The other face of the slab is provided with an upstanding peripheral portion defining a central recess which is of such size as to receive the smaller ends of the bores contained in one or more storage slabs resting on the raised periphery. Thus. when the removal tool is required to be used as a watering tray, it is turned so that the pegs extend downwardly and rest on a flat surface and the recess is filled with water.

One or more plant-storage slabs is then rested on the periphery of the tray so that the lower ends of the smaller ends of the bores are in contact with the water in the tray. Preferably. means are provided on the lower face of the slab which are located in the corners of the recess to hold the slab in the correct position on the tray.

When, as in one embodiment described in our co-pending Application No 55348/74 (Serial No 1 511 256). the bores in the slab are of conical shape and the lower end thereof is provided with an external flange having a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the larger end of the bore. so that slabs can be stacked, the perimeter of the recess can be given a wavy shape so as to correspond to the outer curvature of the flanges surrounding the bores, these flanges then serving as the locating lugs.

When the plants contained in the bores are to be watered from above. the slabs are preferably arranged on the tray side of the plate which in this case serves as a drip tray to catch water percolating downwardly through the compost.

The combined tool and watering tray of the present invention can be made of any suitable material, but is preferably made of expanded polystyrene.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure I is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention arranged for use as a watering tray: Figure 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 1 arranged for use as a removal tool; Figure 3 is a similar view to that Figure 1 of a further embodiment of the invention; and Figure 4 is a similar view to that of Figure 2 of the embodiment of Figure 3.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a combined removal tool and watering tray according to the invention comprises a plate 10 having on one face thereof a plurality of flat-topped pegs 11 arranged in rows and columns. and on the other face thereof a raised peripheral portion 12 defining a central recess 13. The pegs are arranged in a formation corresponding to the bores in a plant-storage slab of the kind described in our co-pending Application No. 55348/74 (Serial No. 1 511 256).

The particular embodiment of the invention shown in figures 1 and 2 is intended for use with a slab in which the individual bores are of square cross-section and slope slightly from the top to the bottom, the lower end of the bore having a flat floor in which is a circular hole. The hole at the lower end of each bore is flush with the base of the slab.

The embodiment illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 is very similar to that of Figures 1 and 2, but it is intended for use with a slab in which the bores are conical and are provided at their smaller ends with a surrounding flange adapted to fit within the wider end of the corresponding bore in another slab for stacking purposes. As will be seen from Figure 3. in this case, the peripheral portion 12 has a wavy internal periphery shaped to correspond to the curvature of the flanges of the peripheral bores. The depth of the recess 13 is such that when the base of the slab rests on the peripheral portion 12, the bottom face of the flange is spaced slightly from the floor of the recess so as to permit water to enter the lower ends of the bore.

As shown in Figure 4, the face of the plate 10 carrying the pegs 11 may also be provided with a raised peripheral portion 14, the inner periphery of which is shaped to correspond to the outer curvature of the flanges surrounding the lower ends of the bores of the storage slab. Such a peripheral portion is indicated in dotted lines in Figure The combined tool and watering tray of the present invention can be made of any suitable material. but is preferably a onepiece moulding made from a suitable plastics material such as expanded polystyrene, which has advantages in the way of lightness.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A combined removal tool and watering tray for use with plant-storage means of the tvpe described, comprising a substan

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. placed on a flat surface with the pegs extending upwardly and the storage slab from which the plants are to be removed is placed above the plate with the pegs in register with the lower ends of the bores. If the slab is now pushed downwardly. the pegs enter the bores and simultaneously push the compost bodies contained therein and the plants upwardly out of the bores. If, as is preferred, the height of the pegs is somewhat less than the length of the bores, the compost bodies are still supported to some extent within the bores so that there is little danger of their falling off the slab. The compost bodies and the plants contained therein are now freed from the bores and can be picked up and taken awav for re-planting as required. The other face of the slab is provided with an upstanding peripheral portion defining a central recess which is of such size as to receive the smaller ends of the bores contained in one or more storage slabs resting on the raised periphery. Thus. when the removal tool is required to be used as a watering tray, it is turned so that the pegs extend downwardly and rest on a flat surface and the recess is filled with water. One or more plant-storage slabs is then rested on the periphery of the tray so that the lower ends of the smaller ends of the bores are in contact with the water in the tray. Preferably. means are provided on the lower face of the slab which are located in the corners of the recess to hold the slab in the correct position on the tray. When, as in one embodiment described in our co-pending Application No 55348/74 (Serial No 1 511 256). the bores in the slab are of conical shape and the lower end thereof is provided with an external flange having a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the larger end of the bore. so that slabs can be stacked, the perimeter of the recess can be given a wavy shape so as to correspond to the outer curvature of the flanges surrounding the bores, these flanges then serving as the locating lugs. When the plants contained in the bores are to be watered from above. the slabs are preferably arranged on the tray side of the plate which in this case serves as a drip tray to catch water percolating downwardly through the compost. The combined tool and watering tray of the present invention can be made of any suitable material, but is preferably made of expanded polystyrene. The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure I is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention arranged for use as a watering tray: Figure 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 1 arranged for use as a removal tool; Figure 3 is a similar view to that Figure 1 of a further embodiment of the invention; and Figure 4 is a similar view to that of Figure 2 of the embodiment of Figure 3. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a combined removal tool and watering tray according to the invention comprises a plate 10 having on one face thereof a plurality of flat-topped pegs 11 arranged in rows and columns. and on the other face thereof a raised peripheral portion 12 defining a central recess 13. The pegs are arranged in a formation corresponding to the bores in a plant-storage slab of the kind described in our co-pending Application No. 55348/74 (Serial No. 1 511 256). The particular embodiment of the invention shown in figures 1 and 2 is intended for use with a slab in which the individual bores are of square cross-section and slope slightly from the top to the bottom, the lower end of the bore having a flat floor in which is a circular hole. The hole at the lower end of each bore is flush with the base of the slab. The embodiment illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 is very similar to that of Figures 1 and 2, but it is intended for use with a slab in which the bores are conical and are provided at their smaller ends with a surrounding flange adapted to fit within the wider end of the corresponding bore in another slab for stacking purposes. As will be seen from Figure 3. in this case, the peripheral portion 12 has a wavy internal periphery shaped to correspond to the curvature of the flanges of the peripheral bores. The depth of the recess 13 is such that when the base of the slab rests on the peripheral portion 12, the bottom face of the flange is spaced slightly from the floor of the recess so as to permit water to enter the lower ends of the bore. As shown in Figure 4, the face of the plate 10 carrying the pegs 11 may also be provided with a raised peripheral portion 14, the inner periphery of which is shaped to correspond to the outer curvature of the flanges surrounding the lower ends of the bores of the storage slab. Such a peripheral portion is indicated in dotted lines in Figure The combined tool and watering tray of the present invention can be made of any suitable material. but is preferably a onepiece moulding made from a suitable plastics material such as expanded polystyrene, which has advantages in the way of lightness. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A combined removal tool and watering tray for use with plant-storage means of the tvpe described, comprising a substan

tially flat plate having plurality of mutually spaced pegs with flat or rounded tops extending outwardly from one face thereof, each said peg being arranged so as to locate in the smaller end of a respective bore of one or more of said plant-storage means, and the other face of said plate having a recess therein adapted to contain water and to receive one or more of said plant-storage means.

2. A combined removal tool and watering tray as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each said peg has a diameter such that it is a loose fit in the smaller end of a bore of said plant-storage means.

3. A combined removal tool and watering tray as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the length of each said peg is only slightly less than the axial length of a bore in said plant-storage means.

4. A combined removal tool and watering tray as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the side wall of the recess in said other face of the plate has a wavy shape to correspond to the outer curvature of flanges surrounding the smaller ends of the bores of said plant-storage means.

5. A combined removal tool and watering tray as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 made of expanded polystyrene.

6. A combined removal tool and watering tray substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, or Figures 3 and 4, of the accompanying drawings.