GB1588181A

GB1588181A - Device for protecting plants

Info

Publication number: GB1588181A
Application number: GB181977A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-01-13
Filing date: 1978-01-13
Publication date: 1981-04-15

Description

(54) A DEVICE FOR PROTECTING PLANTS (71) I, ROBIN TEMPLER WILLIAMS, a British Subject, of No. 1 Smith's Barn Farm, Comptons Lane, Horsham, Sussex, 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: This invention relates to a device for protecting plants, in particular trees, bushes, shrubs and other forms of vegetation. In this specification the term 'plant' is to be under stood to include within its scope trees, bushes, shrubs and the like.

The growth of a plant can be impaired if the necessary moisture is not retained within the root are or if the young roots and upper growth are hindered by weeds or grass growing close to the plant or if the plant is damaged by grass cutting equipment or the application of herbicides while grass or weeds around the plant are being cut, killed, controlled or treated.

The present invention provides a device for protecting plants comprising two sheets of material laid side by side upon the ground with a portion of each sheet of material overlapping the other sheet, wherein the overlapping portions of the respective sheets of material are in the form of fingers or fins, the said fingers or fins of one sheet of material overlapping and interlocking with the fingers or fins of the other sheet of material.

The sheets of material may be suitably laid upon the ground as parallel strips around plants planted in rows, such as will for example be found in a plant nursery or for hedging.

The overlapping portions of the sheets of material in the form of fingers or fins accommodate the stems of plants and allow the sheets of material to be laid closely around the plant stems.

The shape of the fingers or fins on each sheet of material is such that they overlap and interlock to minimise the possibility of the sheets becoming separated. Where a plant stem occurs the fingers or fins may be suitably either partly removed or bent back to accommodate it.

Two sheets of material may, in a particularly preferred arrangement, be laid upon the ground in such a way that the fingers or fins on each sheet are staggered with respect to the fingers or fins on the other sheet so that they intersect and connect with each other when overlapped.

In addition to the fingers or fins it is pre ferahle for one or more slits to be incorporated in the sheets of material at the parts between the bases, usually semi-circuIar parts, formed by the shape of adjacent fingers or fins. These slits are intended to accommodate a plant stem having a diameter larger than that of the Semi- circular part formed by the shape of the fingers or fins.

The sheets of material constituting the device according to the invention are suitably a flexible material such as bitumenimpregnated felt, polythene, rubber compounds, polyvinylchloride, or compressed peat or compounds of other vegetable matter. Either biodegradable or non-biodegradable materials may be used.

The thickness of the material used will usually be of the order of 1 to 3 m.m., but this will to some extent depend upon the material used. The total width of the sheets when overlapped is preferably 500 m.m.

to 1 metre, depending on the size of the plants to be protected and the area of ground it is intended to keep clear of grass and weeds.

The size of the fingers or fins is preferably approximately 65 m.m. long by 30 m.m wide and spaced at approximately 30 m.m. intervals, but again this will depend on the size of the plants to be protected.

Suitably the lengths of the sheets of material could be cut as desired from rolls of the material.

The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a schematic plan view illustrating the use of the device according to the invention for protecting plants.

The device shown in the drawing comprises a first sheet of material A placed upon the ground C alongside a second similar sheet of material B. Each of the sheets of material A and B are provided along their length with a series of fingers or fins E (hereinafter referred to only as fingers), the fingers on the sheet of material A being staggered with respect to those on the other sheet B so that fingers on the respective sheets may overlap and interlock as illustrated at D.

At positions F where plants are planted the fingers are bent back as illustrated at G to reveal a hole H to accommodate a plant K. The fingers of either the sheet A or the sheet B may be bent back to reveal the hole H.

Should the stem of the plant K be larger (in respect of of its diameter) than the size of the hole H then slits I cut into the parts between the bases of adjacent fingers E open up to make the hole larger, as illustrated at J.

Thus the sheets of material A and B may be laid as parallel interlocking strips around a row of plants K, the device comprising the interlocking sheets of material A and B functioning as a protector around the stems of the plants.

WHAT I CLAIM IS:- 1. A device for protecting plants comprising two sheets of material laid side by side upon the ground with a portion of each sheet of material overlapping the other sheet, wherein the overlapping portions of the respective sheets of material are in the form of finger or fins, the said fingers or fins of one sheet of material overlapping and interlocking with the fingers or fins of the other sheet of material.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the said fingers or fins on one sheet of material are staggered with respect to the fingers or fins on the other sheet of material.

3. A device as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the parts between the bases of adjacent fingers or fins are each provided with one or more slits.

4. A device for protecting plants substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in, the accompanying drawing.

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. The device shown in the drawing comprises a first sheet of material A placed upon the ground C alongside a second similar sheet of material B. Each of the sheets of material A and B are provided along their length with a series of fingers or fins E (hereinafter referred to only as fingers), the fingers on the sheet of material A being staggered with respect to those on the other sheet B so that fingers on the respective sheets may overlap and interlock as illustrated at D. At positions F where plants are planted the fingers are bent back as illustrated at G to reveal a hole H to accommodate a plant K. The fingers of either the sheet A or the sheet B may be bent back to reveal the hole H. Should the stem of the plant K be larger (in respect of of its diameter) than the size of the hole H then slits I cut into the parts between the bases of adjacent fingers E open up to make the hole larger, as illustrated at J. Thus the sheets of material A and B may be laid as parallel interlocking strips around a row of plants K, the device comprising the interlocking sheets of material A and B functioning as a protector around the stems of the plants. WHAT I CLAIM IS:-

1. A device for protecting plants comprising two sheets of material laid side by side upon the ground with a portion of each sheet of material overlapping the other sheet, wherein the overlapping portions of the respective sheets of material are in the form of finger or fins, the said fingers or fins of one sheet of material overlapping and interlocking with the fingers or fins of the other sheet of material.