GB2224421A - A protector for young trees and plants - Google Patents

Abstract

A protector for young trees and plants comprises a tube of corrugated plastics material which in use is attached to a stake by means of ties 6 formed integrally with the tube wall. The slits which define the ties are terminated at each end by holes 9 to relieve stress on the tube wall. <IMAGE>

Description

A PROTECTOR FOR YOUNG TREES AND PLANTS The present invention relates to a protector for young trees and plants.

It is well known to provide young trees and plant.

with a tubular protector made, eg, of plastics material1 for protection against animals and the weather. Conventionally1 the protector is either planted directly into the ground or attached to a stake. The latter method is obviously preferable to the extent that it does not require such i sturdy material fox the protector; on the other hand, it poses the problems of securely attaching the stake to the protector and providing sufficient rigidity in the protector itself.

According to the present invention, there is provided a protector for young trees or plants in the form of a tubular wall of sheet material and in which an attachment for securing it to a stake is provided by one or more ties which are defined by 8ide-by-side slits or cutouts in the material of the wall and which can be pushed inwardly of the tube te form a channel to receive and encircle the stake. The sheet material may be corrugated polypropylene.

Preferably each slit or cut out is rounded at each of its ends to relive the stress around the area at which the tie(s) attach to the remainder of the tube wall.

The invention will be further described by way of non-limitative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of protector according to the present invention; and Figure 2 is an underneath plan view of the protector shown in Figure 1.

As can be see from the drawings, the protector 1 in its erected form is a square-section hollow tube, typically about 1.2m long. The tube is constructed from sheet plastics, conveniently of the well known type which compresses a corrugated core for rigidity with two facing sheets to present smooth surfaces. A pre-cut blank is creased to provide the four fold lines 3a-d, folded so as to form the tube with the edge areas 4, 5 in overlying relation and then these edges 4, 5 are secured together; preferably this is done by sewing although any other suitable method vouch as stapling, welding or gluing could be used instead.

In the condition as sold, of course, the tube is folded flat.

Attachment of the protector to the stake (not shown in the figures) is achieved by means of one or more ties 6 provided by part of the material of the tube wall.

As sown, each tie is defined by two spaced, parallel slits or cut-outs 7 formed in the blank by dicutting or similar process and which are perpendicular to the fold line 3a and spaced from one another lengthwise of the tube. Where there is more than one tie 6, they are preferably uniformly distributed along the length of the protector In use, in the erected condition of the protector, the user simply pushes the ties into the interior of the tube ec that it forms an approximately square shaped channel to receive and encircle the stake.

Preferably, each slit or cut-out is terminated at each end with a circular hole 8 cut-out or drilled through the sheet as this relieves the stress on those ends and reduces the tendency for the material of the wall to rip.

It has been found that the disposition of the joint between the edges 4, 5 which form the joint has a significant influence on the rigidity of the protector in its erected form. In par-ticular, it is preferable that the joint is formed at the adjacent corner of one of the two walls in which the tie(s) is defined, and that it not be formed at the corner diagonally opposite to the corner with the ties.

As shown in Figure 1 at 9, the protector preferably has the upper end of the wall material folded back on itself along two parallel creases and secured in that position by mean. of the joint 5, so as to round off the upper edge on the tube wall and thereby reduce damage or abrasion to the plant or tree.

Although in the above the invention has been described with reference to its application to a square section protector, it is equally applicable to other cross- sectional shapes, for example to cylindrical protector..

Claims (7)

1. A protector for young trees or plants in the form of a tubular wall of sheet material and in which an attachment for securing it to a stake is provided by one or more ties which are defined by side-by-side slits or cutouts in the material of the wall and which can be pushed inwardly of the tube to form a channel to receive and encircle the stake.

2. A protector according to claim t and in which each slit or cut-out is rounded at each of its ends.

3. A protector according to claim 1 or 2 and in which the tubular wall is of a cross-section providing a corner and the slits or cut-outs defining the, or each, tie are disposed to opposite sides of that corner.

4. A protector according to claim 1, 2 or 3 and which is formed by from a flat blank by folding and by providing a longitudinal joint between overlying edges of the folded blank.

5. A protector according to claim 5 and in which the joint is secured by sewing the overlying edges of the blank.

A A protector according to any one of the preceding claims and which is of approximately square cross section in its erected condition.

7. A protector according to claim 6 and claim 4 or 5 and in which the joint is formed in one of the sides of the tube in which the olit(s) or cut-out( ii defined 8 A protector constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings