GB2051171A

GB2051171A - Greenhouse or Horticultural Building

Info

Publication number: GB2051171A
Application number: GB7917884A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-05-23
Filing date: 1979-05-23
Publication date: 1981-01-14

Abstract

One unit length of a greenhouse or horticultural building comprises parallel side members 10 and a ridge member 16 interconnected by curved struts 21 extending upwardly from the respective side member to the ridge member. There may be parallel transverse members 20 connecting corresponding ends of the side members to one another. Each side member and the ridge member include sockets 11, 19 into which the respective ends of the struts are inserted. A wooden door frame may be connected at one end of the unit to the transverse member and to the struts. Sheets of plastics material are drawn tightly over the frame elements constituting the unit to provide an enclosed sheltered space. Two or more units can be joined, end to end, to create a longer composite unit. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Movable Greenhouse or Movable Horticultural Building This invention relates to a greenhouse or movable horticultural building.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a basic unit of structure which can be added to in order to make a small-size domestic greenhouse or added to in order to make it suitable for joining to a similar unit or units in order to fabricate a larger-size building suitable as a larger greenhouse or for use in market gardening. Moreover, it is a subsidiary object to be able to supply the unit or units in knock-down form for erection by the purchaser.

Accordingly, the present invention consists in a movable greenhouse or movable horticultural building which comprises two parallel side members laid on the ground and an elevated ridge member spaced equally from and arranged parallel to the side members; each side member including two or more vertically arranged socket elements secured to a ground-contacting element, said socket elements being secured to the ground-contacting element at or near its opposite ends when there are only two of said socket elements; the elevated ridge member including two or more horizontally arranged socket elements which are disposed at or near the opposite ends of the ridge member when there are only two of said socket elements; and curved struts, each of which has one of its ends in a respective vertically arranged socket element and the other of its ends in a respective horizontally arranged socket element.

Preferably, the parallel side members are held in place on the ground by hooked pegs driven into the ground.

In one embodiment of the greenhouse according to the invention, the corresponding ends of the side members are connected to one another by respective transverse members.

The present invention further consists in a readily portable greenhouse constructed and arranged substantially as hereinafter described with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 illustrates in perspective a side member which comprises an aluminium tube 10 having three socket elements 11 of the same material secured thereto at equal intervals and having triangular plates 1 2 secured to the end socket elements 11. The manner of securing the parts to one another could be by nuts and bolts but welding is preferred.

Figure 2 illustrates an exploded view in perspective of a ridge member which comprises two aluminium tubes 15, 1 6 and three short pieces 17, 18 19 of tubing of the same material.

The pieces 17, 19 have a single hole drilled in each whereas the piece 1 8 has two holes drilled therethrough so that, if desired, a single long tube could be caused to extend through the aligned holes therein. In order to assemble the ridge member, the relevant ends of the two tubes 15, 1 6 are inserted into the holes in the pieces 1 7, 1 9 and the remaining ends of said tubes are inserted into the aligned holes in the piece 18; said remaining ends of the tubes 1 5, 1 6 will touch one another within the piece 18.

Referring to Figure 3, the mode of assembly will be evident therefrom and is as follows:- Two side members are laid on the ground with their plates 12 directed towards one another, and two additional tubes 20 are connected to the plates 12 by nuts and bolts. The parts of the ridge member are then put together and thereafter three pairs of arcuate pre-formed struts 21 are employed to connect the side members and the ridge member to one another; it will be apparent that one will thus have a framework which includes, in effect, three vertically disposed semicircular hoops. Now, appropriate lengths of timber are bolted to the socket elements 11 and also to the tubes 20; in this manner, a virtually rectangular frame of timber is formed at ground level.

A frame for a door is made by connecting two jamp elements 30, 31 at corresponding one ends thereof to the tube 20 (or possibly to the wooden part of the rectangular frame, and at corresponding other ends thereof by hooked connectors 32, 33 which hook around the struts 21. A lintel 34 can be secured easily by nailing triangular plates 35 to the lintel itself and to the respective jambs.

A sheet of appropriately heavy duty transparent plastics sheeting can now be laid over the erected structure and is secured to the wooden rectangular frame by means of laths of wood and nails; the plastics material is sandwiched between the respective piece of said frame and a lath and nails are driven through the lath and the plastics material into the frame. It is advisable to leave a generous "skirt" lying on the top of the ground beyond the frame so that, if desired, stones or soil can be placed on that skirt to eliminate possible draughts.

Hooked ground stakes can be driven into the ground with their hooked ends over the tubes 10 in order to anchor the greenhouse to the ground.

If, instead of a greenhouse, it is desired to make a two-unit, three-unit and so on horticultural building, the procedure for assembly is the same up to a point. Said members and a ridge member are connected to one another by struts 21 and tubes 20 as before. Assuming that a two-unit building is to be made, one makes up two units as far as mentioned in the preceding sentence, and then to each of them two wooden frame pieces are attached to the socket elements 11 of each side member and also to one of the tubes 20. Timber is not attached to the other tube 20.

However, at the end where the tube 20 does not have timber attached to it, angled struts 40 (see Figure 4) are fixed by their ends to the curved struts 21 and then a tie strut 41 is fixed by its ends to the struts 40.

Transparent plastics material is then spread over each unit as before, except for the modified end described in the preceding paragraph; in the case of that modified end, the plastics sheet is cut and folded around the struts 40 and tie strut 41 and fixed thereto with laths and nails.

The two units are now placed end-to-end with the two struts 41 as close together as possible, and said struts 41 are then bolted to one another.

The tubes 20 which are adjacent one another directly under the struts 41 can now be removed.

In view of the fact that the join of the two units is not weather-proof, a wide strip of plastics material is placed over the gap, with plenty of overlap, and the ends of the strip are fixed to the timber frame by further laths and nails.

The socket elements 11, the triangular plates 12, the tubes 20 (and, where necessary, the struts 21) are all predrilled to facilitate assembly by the purchaser.

Instead of aluminium for the tubes 10, 11, 15 to 21, 1 have used flow-coated steel tubes with excellent results.

New Claims or Amendments to Claims filed on 25/4/80 Superseded claims New or Amended Claims: 8

Claims

1. A movable greenhouse or movable horticultural building which comprises two parallel side members laid on the ground and an elevated ridge member spaced equally from and arranged parallel to the side members; each side member including two or more vertically arranged socket elements secured to a ground-contacting element, said socket elements being secured to the ground-contacting element at or near its opposite ends when there are only two of said socket elements; the elevated ridge member including two or more horizontally arranged socket elements which are disposed at or near the opposite ends of the ridge member when there are only two of said socket elements; and curved struts, each of which has one of its ends in a respective vertically.arranged socket element and the other of its ends in a respective horizontally arranged socket element.

2. A greenhouse or horticultural building as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the parallel side members are held in place on the ground by hooked pegs driven into the ground.

3. A greenhouse or horticultural building as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the corresponding ends of the side members are connected to one another by respective transverse members.

4. A greenhouse or horticultural building as claimed in Claim 3, wherein said side members and said transverse members are securely connected to the constituent elements of a horizontally arranged rectangular timber frame.

5. A greenhouse or horticultural building as claimed in Claim 4, wherein a cover of an appropriately thick gauge of plastics material, preferably at least translucent, extends from one side member upwardly over the curved struts and over the elevated ridge member and down to the other side member, said cover being secured to the timber frame.

6. A greenhouse or horticultural building as claimed in Claim 5, wherein a peripheral skirt which is integral with said cover extends horizontally over the ground away from and outwardly of said side members, whereby anchoring members (such for example as rocks, bricks or earth) may be placed on said skirt to prevent movement of the greenhouse or building in the wind and/or to eliminate draughts.

7. A movable greenhouse or a movable horticultural building constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

8. Any features of novelty, taken singly or in combination, of the embodiments of the invention hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.