GB1575193A

GB1575193A - Plant protection structures

Info

Publication number: GB1575193A
Application number: GB7018/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-02-22
Filing date: 1978-02-22
Publication date: 1980-09-17

Description

(54) PLANT PROTECTION STRUCTURES (71) I, DOUGLAS CHARLES MACDONALD PIKE, Winthrop Hall, Chilton Sudbury, Suffolk, a British citizen, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to a plant protection structure often referred to as a garden cloche having a hinged quadrant method of opening.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a plant protection structure which is simple to manufacture, is easily assembled and dismantled and is of lightweight but relatively rigid construction. Further the invention provides a plant protection structure which allows of easy and unencumbered access from either side whilst remaining firmly secured to the ground.

According to the present invention in one embodiment there is provided a plant protection structure of variable size comprising for the main parts two hollow transparent approximate quadrants of a cylinder, the one part being slightly larger than the other part in both length and radius. These approxi mate quadrants of a cylinder comprise quad rant ends and a curved surface made from a transparent material which will usually be plastics and usually with corrugations running along the length of the cylinder. The ends of the curved surface are received and attached to the curved side of the quadrant ends which have been fashioned to receive these curved surface ends. The quadrant ends are usually moulded from glass rein forced plastics material but not exclusively in this material.

Two anchorage pegs or similar devices (hereinafter called 'the pegs') are provided which when secured firmly in the ground so as to present eye holes which correspond with holes provided in the quadrant ends near the confluence of their radii permit the insertion of a spindle at both ends of the structure through one quadrant end of each part and through an eye of the appropriate anchorage peg, so that the two parts are able to rotate, the smaller part opening within the larger part or the larger part opening without the smaller part, the whole structure being held securely to the ground by attachment to the anchorage peg.

Although reference has been made in the foregoing to describe the formation of a plant protection structure using two hollow transparent quadrants of a cylinder it is envisaged in a further embodiments that three or more such hollow transparent quadrants of a cylinder could be employed rotating about the same spindles using for their point of rotation any one of the plurality of eye holes provided at different heights above ground level in the anchorage pegs.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. I (a and b) is a perspective view of a plant protection structure in accordance with the invention.

Fig. II on a larger scale represents an example of the attachment of the curved surface to the quadrant ends.

Fig. III (a and b) illustrates the device whereby transparent sheets of the same width are accepted on both the larger and smaller of the two hinged cylindrical quadrant ends.

Fig. IV represents a longitudinal section through the hinge spindles illustrating the hinging device and the method of attachment of the structure to the ground via the anchorage pegs. Fig. IV further illustrates the device whereby the larger quadrant ends although situated outside the small quadrant ends on the spindle are able to accept for attachment sheets of the same lengths as the small quadrant ends.

Referring to the drawings numbered I, III and IV there is hinged through the eyes of two anchorage pegs two transparent hollow approximate quadrants of a cylinder.

The one slightly larger than the other in both length and radius so as to allow free rotation of either part about this hinge which is situated near the point of confluence of the radius of each quadrant end. The curved surfaces of the cylinders are usually formed from transparent sheets curved to corres pond with the curved sides of the quadrant ends. The quadrant ends are fashioned from a mouldable material usually although not exclusively glass reinforced plastics material and are provided with a hole near the confluence of their radii to receive the hinge spindle (R in Fig. Ia) and are further provided with a flange on the curved side at right angles to the flat surface to receive and attach to the curved surface ends as seen in Fig. II.The method of attachment of the curved surface to the quadrant ends is usually by bolts and nuts through the holes provided or by rivets or glue or any combination of these. It is envisaged in the present invention that a moulding could be made in one piece incorporating both curved surface and quadrant ends.

Fig. III and Fig. IV illustrates the shape to which the quadrant ends have been moulded to allow them to accept a curved surface sheet or sheets of the same width and length although the one quadrant end A has a larger radius than the smaller quadrant end B. Fig. III shows the quadrant end with the smaller radius to be somewhat more than a quadrant thus giving it a longer curved side and allowing it to receive the same width sheet or sheets as quadrant end A.

Fig. IV shows quadrant end A situated outside quadrant end B at both ends to allow opening of quadrant B inside A or quadrant A outside B. To allow both quadrant ends A and B to receive the same length sheet or sheets, the flange provided on quadrant end A projects further from the flat surface than that provided on quadrant end B.

Fig. IV shows the attachment of the two quadrant ends to the anchorage pegs through the spindle which will usually be a bolt of suitable size with washers secured with a nut. The anchorage peg usually has a firm head and a pointed end to facilitate entry into the ground to provide a firm anchorage for the structure against wind and other displacing forces. A plurality of eye holes is provided in this peg above the ground level to provide alternative points of attachment.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A plant protection structure comprising two or more hollow transparent substantially cylindrical quadrants having curved surfaces with different radii and corresponding end surfaces, the end surfaces being pivoted together substantially at their centres so as to allow opening by lifting a smaller quadrant to rotate within a larger quadrant or by lifting a larger quadrant to rotate without a smaller quadrant.

2. A structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said quadrants pivot about a spindle which extends through holes provided near the confluence of the radii of the end surfaces and through an eye of an anchorage peg for securing the structure to the ground.

3. A plant protection structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein each quadrant comprises planar end members having inwardly directed flanges and a sheet of plastics material secured to the flanges to form the curved surface of the quadrant.

4. A plant protection structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. pond with the curved sides of the quadrant ends. The quadrant ends are fashioned from a mouldable material usually although not exclusively glass reinforced plastics material and are provided with a hole near the confluence of their radii to receive the hinge spindle (R in Fig. Ia) and are further provided with a flange on the curved side at right angles to the flat surface to receive and attach to the curved surface ends as seen in Fig. II. The method of attachment of the curved surface to the quadrant ends is usually by bolts and nuts through the holes provided or by rivets or glue or any combination of these. It is envisaged in the present invention that a moulding could be made in one piece incorporating both curved surface and quadrant ends. Fig. III and Fig. IV illustrates the shape to which the quadrant ends have been moulded to allow them to accept a curved surface sheet or sheets of the same width and length although the one quadrant end A has a larger radius than the smaller quadrant end B. Fig. III shows the quadrant end with the smaller radius to be somewhat more than a quadrant thus giving it a longer curved side and allowing it to receive the same width sheet or sheets as quadrant end A. Fig. IV shows quadrant end A situated outside quadrant end B at both ends to allow opening of quadrant B inside A or quadrant A outside B. To allow both quadrant ends A and B to receive the same length sheet or sheets, the flange provided on quadrant end A projects further from the flat surface than that provided on quadrant end B. Fig. IV shows the attachment of the two quadrant ends to the anchorage pegs through the spindle which will usually be a bolt of suitable size with washers secured with a nut. The anchorage peg usually has a firm head and a pointed end to facilitate entry into the ground to provide a firm anchorage for the structure against wind and other displacing forces. A plurality of eye holes is provided in this peg above the ground level to provide alternative points of attachment. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A plant protection structure comprising two or more hollow transparent substantially cylindrical quadrants having curved surfaces with different radii and corresponding end surfaces, the end surfaces being pivoted together substantially at their centres so as to allow opening by lifting a smaller quadrant to rotate within a larger quadrant or by lifting a larger quadrant to rotate without a smaller quadrant.