GB2255488A

GB2255488A - Support apparatus for plants.

Info

Publication number: GB2255488A
Application number: GB9206050A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Geoffrey Betts
Original assignee: PORTLAND MANUFACTURING Ltd
Current assignee: PORTLAND MANUFACTURING Ltd
Priority date: 1991-03-26
Filing date: 1992-03-20
Publication date: 1992-11-11
Anticipated expiration: 2012-03-20
Also published as: GB9206050D0; GB2255488B; GB9106418D0

Abstract

Support apparatus for climbing plants comprises tie devices 14 each capable of being looped around a part of a climbing plant and including a pan which can be clamped to a wire 12. <IMAGE>

Description

Support apparatus The invention relates to support apparatus for use in particular by householders for supporting climbing plants such as ivy against a house wall.

Various means have been used for supporting climbing plants. For example, a wooden trellis may be secured to a wall so that climbing plants can be trained up the trellis and supported thereby.

However, a particular drawback in the use of a trellis is that it requires maintenance from time to time and this is difficult when climbing plants have become well established. Furthermore, when a trellis has become rotten with age, it is a considerable problem to maintain it and high winds are always likely to demolish it which can be a constant worry to the householder.

The invention has for its object to provide support apparatus which can be used for supporting climbing plants and the like and which will not be prone to the disadvantages and drawbacks of trellis supports.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a tie device for use as a support for climbing plants and the like, the device comprising an element capable of forming a loop around a part of a climbing plant and including also a part capable of being clamped in an adjusted position on a length of wire. The device will preferably be made of a plastics material and include a central portion from which flexible tie elements project, said tie elements being capable of being interengaged one with the other to form a loop, a further portion being provided which can be brought together with said central portion and secured thereto to clamp the device in an adjusted position on the length of wire. In this case, the central portion and said further portion may be provided with respective apertures for a fixing screw or nail.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided support apparatus for climbing plants and the like, the apparatus including a length of wire which in use is to extend between a plurality of fixings; and a plurality of tie devices as described above. The support apparatus may also include a plurality of wall plugs and/or screws or a plurality of nails which can be used as fixings to secure the length of wire to a wall or the like to provide a support for the plurality of tie devices.

A plurality of slotted support elements may be provided for holding the lengths of wire away from direct contact with a wall where the lengths of wire pass around a wall corner, the support elements being notched so that they can be seated in position against the wall corner.

In order that the invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: - Figure 1 is a perspective view of support apparatus embodying the invention in use for supporting climbing plants against a wall, Figure 2 is an exploded part-sectional view on the line 2-2 in Figure 1, Figure 3 is an exploded part-sectional view on the line 3-3 in Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a view of a tie device shown in use in Figures 1 and 3 but shown here in flat condition.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, the support apparatus there illustrated includes a plurality of fixings 10 which are fixed to a brick wall, as shown; a length of stainless steel wire 12 which has been caused to extend in taut condition between the fixings; and a plurality of tie devices generally indicated 14 which are secured at appropriate positions along the wire to give support where required to a climbing plant.

As shown in Figure 2, each fixing 10 comprises a wall plug 16, a screw 18 and a tubular spacer element 20, the arrangement being such that the wire, which is trapped beneath the heads of the screws 18, is able to extend between the fixings in a plane just clear of the face of the bricks, or as in the illustrated example, along the mortar courses. Also as shown in Figure 1, the support apparatus in this embodiment includes a number of slotted support elements 22, these being adapted to project from the wall corner to hold the lengths of wire away from direct contact with the wall. The lengths of wire extend through the diametrical slots formed in the ends of the support elements.

The other ends of the elements are notched so that, with the wire under tension, they are seated firmly in position against the wall corner.

The tie devices which are generally indicated 14 in Figure 1 are more clearly illustated in Figures 3 and 4. In Figure 4 it can be seen that each device is made as a single plastics moulding and includes a central disc portion 24 from which flexible tie elements 26 and 28 project in opposite directions. The flexible tie element 26 has a slot 30 whereas the element 28 has a number of projections 32 arranged in oppositely disposed pairs. The arrangement is such that, in use of the device, the flexible tie elements can be interengaged one with the other, that is to say, the end of the element 28 can be inserted through the slot 30 in the element 26 to form a loop around a part of a climbing plant. The loop can be drawn as small-as need be around the part of the plant, the projections 32 preventing the slackening of the loop.If it is subsequently desired to release the device, the element 28 can be twisted sideways to align the projections with the lengthwise dimension of the slot 30 through which the element 28 extends. The loop can then be reopened.

Also as shown in Figure 4, the central disc portion of each tie device is connected by means of a flexible strap 34 to a secondary disc portion 36.

In use of the device, the central disc portion 24 and the secondary disc portion 36 can be brought together as shown in Figure 1 and secured in that position by means of a screw 38 with a portion of the taut wire 12 trapped between them. The device can initially be secured on the wire with the screw merely nipping the two disc portions together. The device can then be slid along the wire to some extent to bring it to a required location for holding a part of the climbing plant concerned in an adjusted position. The screw 38 will subsequently be fully tightened to fix the tie device in its adjusted position along the length of wire.

Thus there is provided support apparatus for use in particular by householders for supporting climbing plants, the apparatus being particularly versatile and easy to use. It will require little or no maintenance and will withstand the most severe weather conditions. The apparatus can be used to reinforce or hold in place any trelliswork which is beginning to rot or which is in danger of being blown down. In fact, the apparatus can be used to replace such trellis-work; when the apparatus is in place the trellis-work can be removed, either entirely or in part, piece by piece. The apparatus is also usable for training cordon apple trees along a wall or fence.

The fact that the fixings of the apparatus can be screwed into the mortar between the bricks or stones of a wall make it particularly useful for securing climbing plants on the walls of listed buildings for example. Unlike trellis-work, support apparatus embodying the invention is unobtrusive and from a distance cannot be seen at all. It will of course be understood that the fixings need not necessarily be screwed into the mortar between the bricks or stones of a wall and may be screwed into the bricks or stones themselves in many cases. They can of course also be screwed into the woodwork of a fence for example. The lengths of wire need not extend horizontally. They can be caused to extend in whatever direction is most convenient.

However, various modifications may be made. For example, it is not essential that each tie device should be made as a single plastics moulding although it is obviously most convenient if the central disc portion and the secondary disc portion are connected together as illustrated; not only is it convenient from a matching and assembly point of view, but the assembly can be made so that the wire is captive within the loop connecting the two disc portions even if not trapped between the two disc portions themselves. In this connection, however, a further modification could be the forming of a lip element on one of the two disc portions to make captive the length of wire between them. The parts which are disc shaped in the illustrated embodiment, and which have been referred to as a central disc portion and a secondary disc portion, do not necessarily need to be of a circular shape; they could quite well be of square shape for example.

If the apparatus is required only for fitment to a wooden wall or other wooden structure the fixings will not need to include wall plugs and will be constituted only by screws and tubular spacer elements. It is possible that when wall plugs are required the tubular spacer elements may be omitted; the wall plugs could be inserted only partly into their respective holes so that they could themselves constitute spacer elements.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A tie device for use as a support for climbing plants and the like, the device comprising an element capable of forming a loop around a part of a climbing plant and including also a part capable of being clamped in an adjusted position on a length of wire.

2. A tie device according to claim 1, the device being made of a plastics material and including a central portion from which flexible tie elements project, said tie elements being capable of being interengaged one with the other to form a loop, a further portion being provided which can be brought together with said central portion and secured thereto to clamp the device in an adjusted position on the length of wire.

3. A tie device according to claim 2, in which the central portion and said further portion are provided with respective apertures for a fixing screw or nail.

4. Support apparatus for climbing plants and the like, the apparatus including a length of wire which in use is to extend between a plurality of fixings; and a plurality of tie devices as claimed in either one of the preceding claims.

5. Support apparatus as claimed in claim 3, including a plurality of wall plugs and/or screws or a plurality of nails which can be used as fixings to secure the length of wire to a wall or the like to provide a support for the plurality of tie devices.

6. Support apparatus as claimed in claim 5, including a plurality of slotted support elements for holding the lengths of wire away from direct contact with a wall where the lengths of wire pass around a wall corner, the support elements being notched so that they can be seated in position against the wall corner.

7. Support apparatus for climbing plants and the like, constructed, arranged and adapted to be used substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustated by the accompanying drawings.