GB2124873A

GB2124873A - Plant containers

Info

Publication number: GB2124873A
Application number: GB08320696A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenneth William Pink
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-08-13
Filing date: 1983-08-01
Publication date: 1984-02-29
Also published as: GB8320696D0

Abstract

An aquatic plant container for immersion in a fish pond or the like and which is elongate and open topped in shape, the walls of the container being perforated or otherwise formed with apertures, one end of the container being convexly curved and the other end of the container being concavely curved, and one side of the container being convexly curved while the opposite side of the container is concavely curved, the radius of curvature of the convex end of the container approximating that of the concave end of the container and the radius of curvature of the convex side of the container approximating that of the concave side of the container. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Plant containers The invention relates to containers and more particularly but not exclusively to plant containers of the kind used to hold aquatic plants in fish ponds. It is known to provide a containerfor aquatic plants in fish ponds and such containers are normally of a plastics material and are of a basket-like construction so that the water can flow th rough the container. A disadvan- tage of known containers of this type is that they are of regular shape, e.g. square or rectangular, which is aesthetically discordant especially since fish ponds are usually of irregular shape, e.g. curved.Some known containers are circular in cross section but this hinders the creation of beds of aquatic plants since the containerswill not stack closely one againstthe other withouttheformation of large gaps.

It is an object of the invention to provide a container which overcomes orat least mitigatesagainstthe above stated disadvantage, and which permits the formation ofcurved beds of plants.

According to the invention there is provided a continerwhich in plan view is of irregular shape and which is capable of being butted end to end with similarcontainersto provide surface to surface engagement. Preferably one end ofthe container is convexly curved and the other end ofthe container is concavelycurvedwherebytwo or more similar containers can be joined end to end withoutthe formation of gaps between the containers. Preferably the arrangement is such that one container can be rotated relative to the next container.

Preferably one side of the container is convexly curved and the opposite side of the container is concavely curved so that similar containers can be butted side by side with the minimum of gaps between the containers.

In a preferred form of the invention intended as an aquaticplantcontainerforafish pondorthelikethe container is in the form of an elongate open topped receptacle of plastics orthe like, the walls ofthe container being perforated or otherwise formed with apertures.The radius of curvature ofthe convex end of the container preferably matches that ofthe concave end ofthe container and the radius of curvature ofthe convex side ofthe container preferably matches that ofthe concave side ofthe container. In this way the containers can be stacked end to end and side by side with the minimum of wasted space.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a container for aquatic plants; Figure 2 is a plan view ofthe container shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of a generally circular sectioned containerforaquatic plantsforuse in association with the container shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a plan view ofthe container shown in Figure3; and Figure 5 is a plan view of an assembly ofthe containers shown in Figures 1 to 4.

In the drawings and referring more particularly to Figures 1 and 2 there is shown an elongate open topped container 1 for aquatic plants made from plastics or the like. As indicated diagrammatically in Figure 1 the side and end walls of the container are basket-like in that they are formed as a series of upright bars 3 intersected by horizontal bars 4to define substantially rectangular perforations 2 to allowwaterto penetrate the container freely. To strengthen the container, solid columns 5 are placed at positions approximating to the corners ofthe container, the columns extending from the upper periphery 6 of the containerto the base 7 thereof.

As appears more clearly in Figure 2 one end 8 of the container is convexly curved whilethe opposite end 9 is concavely curved, the radius of curvature ofthetwo ends being the same. Similarly one side 10 of the container is convexly curved and the other side 11 of the container is concavely curved and here again the radius of curvature of one side is the same as that of the other side.

The construction of the circular plastics aquatic plant container 12 of Figures 3 and 4 is generally similartothatdescribed above and the corresponding reference numerals apply. The radius of curvature of the container 12 the same as that ofthe ends 8 and 9 of the container of Figures 1 and 2, forthe reason appearing below.

By shaping the containers 1 and 12 in the way described above they can be fitted together as indicated in the plan view of Figure5toform larger beds of plants. Thusthe containers can befitted together both side by side and end to end and the direction of curvature ofthe bed can be reversed by employing the circular section container 12 of Figures 3and4.

1. A container which in plan view is of irregular shape and which is capable of being butted end to end with similar containers to provide surface to surface engagement.

2. Acontaineraccordingtoclaim 1, wherein one end of the container is convexly curved and the other end ofthe container is concavely curved.

3. A container according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein one side of the container is convexly curved and the opposite side of the container is concavely curved.

4. An aquatic plantcontainerfor immersion in a fish pond or the like and which is elongate and open topped in shape, the walls ofthe container being perforated or otherwise formed with apertures, one end of the container being convexly curved and the other end of the container being concavely curved, and one side ofthe container being convexly curved while the opposite side of the container is concavely curved,the radius of curvature ofthe convex end of the container approximating that of the concave end

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Plant containers The invention relates to containers and more particularly but not exclusively to plant containers of the kind used to hold aquatic plants in fish ponds. It is known to provide a containerfor aquatic plants in fish ponds and such containers are normally of a plastics material and are of a basket-like construction so that the water can flow th rough the container. A disadvan- tage of known containers of this type is that they are of regular shape, e.g. square or rectangular, which is aesthetically discordant especially since fish ponds are usually of irregular shape, e.g. curved.Some known containers are circular in cross section but this hinders the creation of beds of aquatic plants since the containerswill not stack closely one againstthe other withouttheformation of large gaps. It is an object of the invention to provide a container which overcomes orat least mitigatesagainstthe above stated disadvantage, and which permits the formation ofcurved beds of plants. According to the invention there is provided a continerwhich in plan view is of irregular shape and which is capable of being butted end to end with similarcontainersto provide surface to surface engagement. Preferably one end ofthe container is convexly curved and the other end ofthe container is concavelycurvedwherebytwo or more similar containers can be joined end to end withoutthe formation of gaps between the containers. Preferably the arrangement is such that one container can be rotated relative to the next container. Preferably one side of the container is convexly curved and the opposite side of the container is concavely curved so that similar containers can be butted side by side with the minimum of gaps between the containers. In a preferred form of the invention intended as an aquaticplantcontainerforafish pondorthelikethe container is in the form of an elongate open topped receptacle of plastics orthe like, the walls ofthe container being perforated or otherwise formed with apertures.The radius of curvature ofthe convex end of the container preferably matches that ofthe concave end ofthe container and the radius of curvature ofthe convex side ofthe container preferably matches that ofthe concave side ofthe container. In this way the containers can be stacked end to end and side by side with the minimum of wasted space. The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a container for aquatic plants; Figure 2 is a plan view ofthe container shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of a generally circular sectioned containerforaquatic plantsforuse in association with the container shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a plan view ofthe container shown in Figure3; and Figure 5 is a plan view of an assembly ofthe containers shown in Figures 1 to 4. In the drawings and referring more particularly to Figures 1 and 2 there is shown an elongate open topped container 1 for aquatic plants made from plastics or the like. As indicated diagrammatically in Figure 1 the side and end walls of the container are basket-like in that they are formed as a series of upright bars 3 intersected by horizontal bars 4to define substantially rectangular perforations 2 to allowwaterto penetrate the container freely. To strengthen the container, solid columns 5 are placed at positions approximating to the corners ofthe container, the columns extending from the upper periphery 6 of the containerto the base 7 thereof. As appears more clearly in Figure 2 one end 8 of the container is convexly curved whilethe opposite end 9 is concavely curved, the radius of curvature ofthetwo ends being the same. Similarly one side 10 of the container is convexly curved and the other side 11 of the container is concavely curved and here again the radius of curvature of one side is the same as that of the other side. The construction of the circular plastics aquatic plant container 12 of Figures 3 and 4 is generally similartothatdescribed above and the corresponding reference numerals apply. The radius of curvature of the container 12 the same as that ofthe ends 8 and 9 of the container of Figures 1 and 2, forthe reason appearing below. By shaping the containers 1 and 12 in the way described above they can be fitted together as indicated in the plan view of Figure5toform larger beds of plants. Thusthe containers can befitted together both side by side and end to end and the direction of curvature ofthe bed can be reversed by employing the circular section container 12 of Figures 3and4. CLAIMS

4. An aquatic plantcontainerfor immersion in a fish pond or the like and which is elongate and open topped in shape, the walls ofthe container being perforated or otherwise formed with apertures, one end of the container being convexly curved and the other end of the container being concavely curved, and one side ofthe container being convexly curved while the opposite side of the container is concavely curved,the radius of curvature ofthe convex end of the container approximating that of the concave end of the container and the radius of curvature of the convex side of the container approximating that of the concave side of the container.

5. An aquatic plant container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.