GB2227637A

GB2227637A - Slug barrier

Info

Publication number: GB2227637A
Application number: GB8827803A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Stephen Lowe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-11-29
Filing date: 1988-11-29
Publication date: 1990-08-08
Also published as: GB8827803D0

Abstract

A device for preventing the progress of slugs or snails comprises an elongate wall (1), the lower edge of which is bevelled to facilitate insertion of the wall into the ground in use, a trough (4), adapted to contain a substance such as salt which deters gastropods, and a web of material (3), which joins the side of the trough remote from the wall to the wall. The web (3) may have means for connecting two such devices with a translucent connecting element thereby forming a cloche. The device may be made of plastics or metal. Several devices may be joined end-to-end by clips or by springing the end of one device over the end of another. <IMAGE>

Description

HORTICULTURAL ARTICLE This invention relates to horticultural articles and more particularly to deterrents for slugs or snails.

Slugs and snails are a common and troublesome problem for gardeners, causing damage to plants.

especially seedlings, which is often very severe. Methods- have been sought for deterring slugs and snails. These usually involve placing substances harmful to the slugs and snails on the ground around the plants. Such substances may be synthetic chemicals in pellet fcJrm or simply common salt. Howe-el-, it is difficult to cox-er the around surroundind the plants evenly and there may be patches where there is little or no deterrent. Ii addition, substances are washed away by rain.

The innention seeks to provide an article fo preventing the progress of slugs and snails.

The invei-it ioi provides an article compri sing aj elongate wall which in use is 5 inserted into the ground and extends upwardly and a trough adapted t C contain a substance which deters gastropods, the trough extending substantially along the length of tlle wall Preferably, the elongate wall has a sharpened lower edge to facilitate insertion into the ground under manual pressure.

Suitably, the trough is laterally spaced from the wall, the side of the trough remote from the wall being joined to the top of the wall by a web of material which, in use, passes over the trough. This serves to protect the substance in the trough from rain and also from inquisitive animals or birds.

Conveniently, the trough,the elongate wall and the web of material are integrally formed.

Advantageously, the side of the trough remote from the wall is spaced from the wall b between 5 cm and 10 cm, the width of the trough is between 3 cm and 8 cm and the height of the wall, when in use, is between .) cm and 15 cm.

Preferably, at least one end of the article may te deformed elastically such that the trough and the wall are moved towards or away from one another by manual pressure such that an end of a further said article may be engaged with the elastically deformed portion an3 gripped thereby when the manual pressure ic rem-X-eKi.

Alternatively a plurality of articles ma-- be secured end- to-end b joining pieces. Corners can be formed by using suitably shaped joining pieces.

Suitably, the article has means adjacent the top and extending substantially along the length adapt el engage a connecting element for direct or indirect connection with a further said article when the two articles are substantially parallel to one another.

Conveniently, such connecting elements are made from translucent material.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the article inserted into the ground for use; Figure 2 is an end view of the article of Figure 1, looking along its length; Figure 3 (in three parts) shows three successive stages in the method of filling the trough of the article of Figure 1; Figure 4 corresponds to Figure 1 bt shows an alternative embodiment of an article in accordance with the invention; Figure 5 shows two articled as shown in Figure joined by a connecting element;; Figure b shocks a joining extrusion suitable tor use in the connecting element of Figure 5; and Figure 7 shows the joining extrusion asshown Figure 6 ir. use with a connecting element as shown in Figure 5.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2 the article comprises an elongate, rectangular, planar wall 1. The lower edge 2 thereof is bevelled and, in use, is inserted into the ground such that the wall 1 extends upwardly.

The top portion of the wall 1 is formed integrally with a a downwardly Qoncave web 3, the portion of which remote from the wall 1 is formed integrally with an upwardly concave trough 4, the trough 4 lying between the wall and the said remote portion of the web 3. The trough i extends substantially along the length of the wall 1 and is laterally spaced from the wall.

The trough is spaced from the wall by between 2 cm and 15 cm but preferably between 5 cm and 10 cm and most preferably 8 cm. The width of the trough itselt ff is between 3 cm and 12 cm, preferably between 3 cm and 8 em, most preferably 5 cm. The height of the wall is between 4 cm and 20 cm, preferably between 5 cm and 15 c, mt preferably 10 cm. The length of the wall can be varied as desired but is conveniently between 0.5 m and 2.0 m and preferably between 0. 75 m and 1.5 m.The thickness of the article is approximately 0.5 cm.

The article can be made from any suitable material su as a plastics material or a metal such as aluminium.

As all parts of the article are integrally formed, the article may easily be shaped from a sheet of suitable material. For reasons which will be explained below, it t is advantageous for the finished article to be resiliently deformable under manual pressure.

The trough should be filled with a suitable deterrent substance to a depth of approximately 1.0cm.

The substance used may be fine sand, common salt or a suitable synthetic chemical. Filling can easily be achieved by the method illustrated in Figure 3. The article should be inverted and placed on a flat surface so that it is lying on the web of material. The chosen substance is then poured into the web of material as shown in 3a. The article is then carefully rotated through position 3b to position 3e, thus allowing the substance to move into the desired position n the trough. The article is now ready for use and should be inserted into the ground until the bottom of the trough is approximately 3 cm above the surface of the ground.

The article will deter the progress of slugs or snails by presenting a physical barrier and, if any slugs or snails crawl up the article, they will reach the trough4 where they will be killed or repelled by its contents.

Several articles can be joined together to increase the length of protection. This can be achieved by overlapping adjacent ends and relying on the springiness of the material to hold the articles in place. To facilitate overlapping, each article can be made with a smaller and a larger end. Alternatively, adjacent ends may be held together by a springy clip or fitted into joining pieces. Corners can be formed by using suitably shaped joining pieces.

In an alternative embodiment, illustrated in Figure 4, the article has a means 5 on the top adapted to engage with a connecting element 6 (Figure 5) to enable two articles to be connected either directly or indirectly. A convenient means for engaging with the connecting element is a channel into which the shaped edges of the connecting element fit securely. Using this embodiment of the invention a cloche may be formed as shown in Figure 5. Two articles are placed substantially parallel to one another approximately 40 cm apart with their troughs remote from each other. They are then joined by a connecting element made from a sufficiently translucent material. Ventilation under the cloche can be achieved by using two connecting elements which are joined at a point equidistant between the two articles by an extrusion joining piece (Figures 6 and 7). The extrusion joining piece is used in short lengths with small gaps between each length, thus providing ventilation.

Claims

1. An article comprising an elongate wall which, in use, is inserted into the ground and extends upwardly and a trough adapted to contain a substance which deters gastropods, the trough extending substantially along the length of the wall.

2. An article according to Claim 1 wherein the elongate wall has a sharpened lower edge to facilitate insertion into the ground under manual pressure.

3. An article according to Claims 1 and 2 wherein the trough is laterally spaced from the wall, the side of th trough remote from the wall being joined to the top of the wall by a web of material which, in use, passes over the trough.

4. An article according to Claim 3 wherein the troueft.

the elongate wall and the web of material aie integrally formed.

5. An article according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the side of then Fuzztrough remote fron- the wall is spaced from the wa4 1 by between 5 cm and 10 cm, the width of the trough being between 3 em and 8 en-.

6. An article according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the height of the wall, when in use, is between 5 cm and 15 cm.

7. An article according to anp one of the preceding claims wherein at least one end thereof may be deformed elastically such that the trough and the wall are moved towards or away from one another b manual pressure such that an end of a further said article ma be engaged with the elastically deformed portion and gripped thereby when the manual pressure is removed.

8. A kit comprising a plurality of articles according to any one of Claims I to 7 and a plurality of joining pieces to secure the articles together end-to-end.

9. An article according to Claim 8 wherein at leasi some ot the joining pieces are shaped such that come are formed between two adjoining articles joined by the said joining pieces.

10. An article according to any one of the preceding claims comprising means adjacent the top thereof ano extending substantially along the length thereof ad;- to engage a connecting element for direct or indirect connection with a further said article when the two articles are substantially parallel to one another.

11. A kit comprising a plurality of articles according to Claim 10 and a plurality of the said connectin elements.

12. An article according to Claim 11 wherein at least some of the connecting elements are made from translucent material.

13. An article according to Claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

14. An article according to Claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

15. A kit according to Claim 11 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

16. A kit according to Claim 11 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.