GB2066632A - Apparatus for growing plants - Google Patents

Abstract

A modular set comprising a plurality of like vessels 55 stacked one upon another, each vessel 55 having a permeable bottom 56, and at least one outwardly extending, balcony-shaped bulge 60 which is open at top. It is intended to have plants grow in the said vessels, the plants extending outwardly from the open top of the bulges. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for growing plants This invention relates to apparatus for growing plants in particular to a vessel which can form part of X a modular set and which is intended to hold live plants, the said vessel having a permeable bottom.

The invention further relates to the provision of a modular set composed of at least one such vessel.

Ordinary tube shaped vessels which have a base or leg and in which it is intended to propagate high growing plants, have the disadvantage thatthey are not adapted, as far as local conditions are con cerned, to the requirements of a plant to be grown (e.g. as the latter grows and increases in height).

It is therefore desirable to overcome this problem and create a construction of an integratable vessel which in combination with similar vessels can form an assembly permitting one to change the height of the assembly and to combine different plants in one assembly, which latter may be likened to a tree.

According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a vessel for growing plants, said vessel forming part of a modular set and having a perme able bottom portion adapted to hold a nutritive medium for plants, at least one laterally extending balcony-like bulge at which plants can extend into the open, and further being equipped with connect ing means for connection of the vessel with another like vessel or other part of the said modular set.

As used herein the term "balcony-like" includes a structural projection extending progressively out wardly and upwardly away from a wall of the vessel from a location at or adjacent (the bottom of) an aperture in said wall.

By way of non-limiting example, embodiments of this invention will now be described with reference to the annexed drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is an axial section through a vessel of the modular set and according to this invention, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through a trough shaped base element forming part of such a set, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the element shown in Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through another embodiment of a said base element, Fig. 5 is a partial plan view of the element shown in Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a lateral view of a top cover element, Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a vessel according to this invention composed of two parts, Fig. 8 is a view of an assembled set with plants, according to this invention, Fig. 9 is an axial section through a vessel accord ing to this invention which is intended for use in hydrocultures, and Fig. 10 is an axial section through part of an assembly to be used in hydroculture and embodying the present invention.

An assembly as shown in Fig. 8 comprises as main elements vessels 1 as shown in Fig. 1. Each such vessel 1 has a main portion 3 with a bottom 4 pro vided with a number of slots 5. A lowermost upstanding rim 7 has sectors of screw threads 9, e.g.

formed of sectors of 90 , this rim 7 being inwardly inset with respect to an adjoining superimposed cylindrical portion 10 that is located upwardly following the said lowermost rim or the sectors 9 respectively. The cylindrical portion 10 has outwardly directed balcony-like bulges 12 each consisting of a structural projection extending progressively outwardly and upwardly away from the cylindrical wall of the vessel and away from (the bottom of) an aperture. The effect of the balcony-like bulges 12 is, in a sense, to convert an opening into the vessel from the vertical plane towards the horizontal plane. In the examples shown, these balconies 12 are arranged symmetrically in pairs. However, they could disposed in a haphazard manner and may be of whatever suitable location and arrangement.At the top of the vessel 1 there is a rim 13 which comprises four internal screw-threaded sectors 14 for mating cooperation with the external screw-threaded sectors 9. The bottom portion of the vessel is filled with gravel.

Such vessels 1 can be placed one on top of the other and connected by the sectors 9, 14 respectively. The connection is attained by a rotation of one vessel in relation to the other, preferably through 90" so that the four sectors 9 and 14 are in engagement.

Obviously it will also be possible to provide alternative connecting means such as bayonet connections or telescoping connections, the latter being perhaps especially advantageous if the modular elements are four-sided. The decision as to what form of connecting means should be employed depends, primarily, on the technological means of manufacture. The elements may be of plastics material, ceramic or metal.

The vessel 3 may serve as a container for soil, the plant being rooted in the soil and extending through the outwardly bulging balconies 12 and, in the case of the drooping plants, which hang down, they would coverthe column formed by a plurality of superimposed vessels 3 nested in one another. Of course various plants, as well as grass, may be planted in the vessels. Also it is possible to use vessels with an impermeable bottom (apart from a water outflow and overflow) which would be adapted for hydrocultures. Whatever soil or nutritive means are used, all kinds of appropriate additives such as nutritious salts, chemicals, peat for loosening the soil, if necessary sand or gravel, such as well known to those skilled in the art, could be used.

The bottom portion of the column is a tube or trough-shaped element 16 as shown in figs. 2 and 3 which may be provided with a drawer-like insert 18, the outside surface of which is flush with the wall of the vessel. This drawer 18 is provided with a handle 21 and a window 22. The uppermost rim 19 of element 16 is also provided with internally screw threaded sectors 20 which permit the connection with vessel 1. Alternatively this connection may be a telescoping one.

In those cases where a high assembly is to be made by superposing a number of vessels 1 onto one another, a lowermost foot-like element 25 of heavy weight is used, having a bottom plate 26 and a hollow leg 27 (Figs. 4 and 5). This lowermost member 25 can be filled through an opening 28 with water or sand so as to increase its weight and lower its center of gravity. The aperture 28 can be closed by means of a stopper 29. The element 25 has an intermediate false bottom 31 having an upstanding rim 32 provided with an internal screw thread 33.

The elements 25 which, as has been stated, has a considerable weight, can be provided with one or two lateral handles 40 (see Fig. 5). The lower edge of the tube-shaped element 16 is provided with an exterior screw thread 34 for coupling with the inter nallythreaded rim 32 of the leg-shaped element 25.

Such an assembly is covered by a lid 45 as shown in Fig. 6 having a rim 46 provided with four externally screw-threaded sectors 47 which engage with internally screw-threaded sectors 14 on rim 19 of a vessel 1,so as to cover the top of the assembly.

According to Fig. 7 a vessel according to the invention may be built up of two complementary parts la and 1b. The part 1a is provided with at least one (preferably two) balcony-like bulge, while the upper part 1b has an inwardly offset lowermost part, the outer diameter ofwhich is equal to the internal diameter of part la. The junction from the main portion of part 1b is a downwardly directed shoulder 60 by which part 1b sits on the uppermost edge of part la. The uppermost part 1b may optionally be provided with outwardly extending, balcony-like bulges.

This two-part construction of Fig. 7 is preferred in those cases where the number of vessels to be manufactured is not very great, since tools for making the two parts are likely to be less expensive than those for a vessel as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 shows a fully assembled stand composed of modular parts, comprising three vessels 1, the uppermost vessel carrying a lid 45 and the lowermost vessel being connected to the leg 25. The growing plants extend from the bulges 12 and it is clearly possible to plant different plants in one assembly of vessels.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 is slightly different from the embodiments shown in Figs. 1-7. Fig. 8 shows a vessel 55 of square cross section. It has a bottom 56 from which extend wall parts 57 which are inwardly off-set with respect to the upper wall parts 58 of the vessel. Thus the lower vessel wall parts 57 can be inserted telescopingly into the upper vessel wall parts 58 of a vessel below (see Fig. 10). The four walls each have a balcony-like bulge 60. Within the vessel 55 is positioned a tubular insert 61 having an outlet 62 into the vessel 55 below. The insert 61 and its outlet 62 constitute respectively an overflow and an outflow, and may be considered to provide a degree of permeability for the vessel bottom 56. As is known, gravel 65 may be placed in these vessels and plants 67 and 68 receive the necessary substances for their growth from the water therein so as to grow upwardly from bulges 60.

It will be seen that the modularassemblyaccord- ing to the invention can be adapted to local condi tions and to the nature of plants to be grown.

Claims (14)

1. A vessel for growing plants, said vessel form ing part of a modular set and have a permeable bot tom portion adapted to hold a nutritive medium for plants, at least one laterally extending balcony-like bulge at which plants can extend into the open, and further being equipped with connecting means for connection of the vessel with another like vessel or other part of the said modular set.

2. Avessel as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said connecting means adaptthe vessel for vertical statk- ing connection with another like vessel or other part of the said modular set.

3. A vessel as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterised in that the said connecting means are sector-shaped screw-threads, bayonet joints ortelescoping portions.

4. Avessel as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the vessel bottom has at least one aperture.

5. A vessel as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said vessel bottom has a plurality of slots therein.

6. A vessel as claimed in any one of Claims 14 and for use with hydrocultures, the vessel bottom being provided with an overflow and an outflow.

7. Avessel as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a drawer-like member is provided in the portion of the vessel to contain liquid, the outside surface of said drawer-like member being generally flush with the wall of the vessel.

8. A vessel as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that it comprises two complementary parts which fit into one another in superposed state, at least one of said two parts having at least one outwardly extending, balcony-like bulge and the upper part having no bottom.

9. A modular set including at least one vessel according to Claim 1 and a base element which is equipped with connecting means for connection with a vessel.

10. A set as claimed in Claim 9 comprising two different base elements which are connectable with one another.

1 Asset as claimed in Claim 10, characterised in that one of the said base elements is tubular.

12. A set as claimed in Claim 9, characterised in thatthe base element is a hollow member which can be filled to be weighted.

13. A modular set as claimed in any one of claims 7to 12, characterised by including a lid equipped with connecting means for connection to the top of a vessel.

14. A modular set and its individual constituents, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the annexed draw ings.