GB2339665A - Plant support with adjustable support ring - Google Patents

Description

2339665

PATENTS ACT 1977 A9527GB Title: Plant Support Description of Invention

This invention relates to a plant support of the type used in flowerbeds, to prevent plants from collapsing or breaking during heavy winds or rain, for example, and to prevent large plants from smothering neighbouring plants, or protruding over the edges of lawns and paths.

A variety of such supports are known, in general comprising one or two downwardly extending legs, and a support member (commonly a ring) which is either secured to, or movable relative to, the leg or legs.

Such plant supports do however suffer from some disadvantages.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved plant support which is easy to use and effective when in use.

According to the present invention there is provided a plant support comprising a leg, a support member bounding an area through which plants may grow and which comprises engaging means to enable the support member to be mounted on the leg and to be moved generally axially, but not transversely, of the leg, the engaging means comprising a pair of engaging formations which, when the support member is engaged with the leg, are disposed in an axially spaced relationship.

Each engaging formation is preferably generally U-shaped, such that, in use, the leg is located in, or close to, the bottom of each U-shaped engaging formation.

Conveniently, the limbs of each U-shaped engaging formation C'U") are 0 interconnected by a pair of spacer limbs which may be disposed at 90' or thereabouts to the limbs of each U.

The spacer limbs may be integral with the respective limbs of each U.

2 The leg may be formed from steel wire, preferably having a_ diameter between 4mm and 7mm, conveniently around 5.5mm, although it will be appreciated that other suitably resilient materials may alternatively be used.

Preferably, the engaging means is also formed from steel wire, although conveniently of a smaller gauge, for example between 4mm and 5.5mm, desirably about 4.7mm.

The engaging means, which as a whole, is preferably generally Ushaped, may conveniently be formed by first producing a closed, and generally planar, loop of steel wire, having two generally parallel sides, and subsequently bending end portions of the loop through about 90'.

In this way, an effective engaging means may be produced in a relatively simple, and inexpensive, manner.

Preferably, the support member includes a ring, of any convenient enclosed shape, eg circular, conveniently formed from the same or a similar gauge steel wire as the engaging means.

Conveniently, the loop is secured, for example by welding, to the engaging means at a position corresponding generally to the intersection of the limbs of one pair of engaging formations, and the spacer limbs.

The engaging means may be configured so as to enable the support member to be held in one of a plurality of positions on the leg by frictional engagement with the leg.

Preferably however, a stop means is provided for the leg, which is engaged by the engaging means, with the stop means being conveniently V moveable relative to the leg so as to enable the support member to be located in one of the plurality of positions.

The stops means may comprise a sleeve or similarly apertured component.

Preferably, at least an inwardly facing surface of a bore of the stop means exhibits a relatively high degree of friction, whereby the stop means 3 enables the support member to be held securely at each one of the plurality of positions.

Desirably, the stop means comprises a plastics (conveniently polyurethane) bush slidably received about the leg.

The stop means may additionally be configured so as to engage with the engaging means in such a way as to prevent or at least hinder rotation of the engaging means about the axis of the leg.

The plant support may comprise a frame having a pair of legs and a crossmember extending between the legs, with the support member thus comprising a pair of engaging means.

The legs preferably extend generally parallel to one another, and the cross-member is conveniently integral with the legs, such that the legs and the cross-member together adopt a generally U-shaped configuration.

The legs and cross-member are preferably formed from steel wire, preferably having a diameter between 4nim and 7mm, conveniently around 5. 5mm, although it will be appreciated that other suitably resilient materials may alternatively be used.

In this way, a sturdy construction of support is obtained.

In use, with the legs and cross-member adopting a generally inverted Ushaped configuration, the support member may be positioned relatively close to the ground such as may be desirable to support small plants, and gradually moved away from the ground, towards the cross-member, as the plants grow.

Preferably, a stop means is provided for each leg which is engaged by the engaging means, with the stop means conveniently being movable relative to the respective leg so as to enable the support member to be located in one of the plurality of positions.

According to this invention there is also provided a plant support having a frame comprising a pair of legs and a cross-member extending between the legs, and a support member bounding an area through which plants may grow.

0 4 A preferred embodiment of the invention will now described, in greater detail, but by way of example only, by reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a perspective view of the embodiment concerned.

The plant support 10 comprises a pair of generally parallel extending legs I I a, I lb, connected at their upper ends by a cross-member 12, formed integrally therewith.

Both the legs and the cross-member are conveniently formed from 5.5mm gauge steel wire, which provides the legs and cross-member with a high degree of strength and resilience.

The plant support further comprises a support member 13 which is composed of a ring 14, conveniently formed from the same material as the legs and cross-member, although of a somewhat lesser gauge, and a pair of engaging means 15, which hold the support member relative to the legs Ila and llb in such a way as to allow axial movement, but not transverse movement, of the support member.

Each engaging means comprises a pair of parallel extending limbs 16a and l6b, the ends of which terminate in a U-shaped part 17, through which the legs I I pass.

It will be appreciated that the engaging formations which are provided by the U-shaped parts 17 serve not only to restrict horizontal translational movement of the ring 14 but also serve to prevent tipping of the ring 14 out of a generally horizontal plane.

The engaging means may be formed from a plastics material, or at least be plastics coated. It is envisaged that if formed from a plastics material, the "bottom" parts of each U-shaped part 17 could in fact be "open" to allow a snap-fitting engagement with the legs 11.

It is envisaged that it may be possible to shape and/or dimension the engaging means so as to enable the support member to be held at one of a plurality of positions on the legs I I by means of frictional engagement alone, 0 although in the present example, a pair of stop means 18, in the form of plastics (polyurethane) bushes, having an axially extending bore, are utilised.

These bushes, whilst being movable along the legs 11, exhibit a relatively high degree of friction, such that they are able to support the weight of the support member and thus retain the support member at one of a plurality of possible relative positions.

As shown in dotted outline in Figure 1, the construction of the support member and engaging means is such that the support member may be introduced onto the legs not only by passing the free ends of the legs through the U-shaped parts 17, but also by lowering the support member onto the frame from above.

In this way, support for plants may be provided at two levels, which may be desirable in the case where a number of different height plants are present in close proximity.

It will be appreciated that the leg and crossbar assembly is useful in its own right, such that if disposed at an angle to the ground, the crossbar itself may provide support for small plants.

It is envisaged by the applicants that several plant supports of the type described above may be used in conjunction with one another.

To enable such a plurality of supports to be maintained in close relationship with each other, linking means may be provided, such as, for example, that shown by reference numeral 20 in the drawing. It will be appreciated that a variety of differently configured linking means may be used, although a particularly suitable configuration, such as that shown, enables a snap-fit engagement to be obtained with adjacent legs of different supports. Conveniently, such linking means may be provided from a suitably resilient plastics material.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in

C> 6 terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof

Claims (24)

7 CLAIMS

1 A plant support comprising a leg, a support member bounding an area through which plants may grow and which comprises engaging means to enable the support member to be mounted on the leg and to be moved generally axially, but not transversely, of the leg, the engaging means comprising a pair of engaging formations which, when the support member is engaged with the leg, are disposed in an axially spaced relationship.

2 A plant support according to claim I wherein each engaging formation is generally U-shaped such that, in use, the leg is located in, or close to, the bottom of each U-shaped engaging formation.

3 A plant support according to claim 2 wherein the limbs of each engaging formation are interconnected by a pair of spacer limbs.

4 A plant support according to claim 3 wherein the spacer limbs are disposed at 90' or thereabouts to the limbs of each engaging formation.

A plant support according to claim 4 wherein the spacer limbs are integral with the respective limbs of each engaging formation.

6 A plant support according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the leg is formed from steel wire having a diameter between 4mm and 7mm.

7 A plant support according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the engaging means is formed from steel wire of a smaller gauge than that from which the leg is formed.

8 8 A plant support according to claim 7 wherein the engaging means is between 4mm and 5.5mm in diameter.

9 A plant support according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the engaging means is formed by first producing a closed, generally planer, loop of steel wire, having two generally parallel sides, and subsequently bending end portions of the loop through about 900.

A plant support according to claim 9 wherein the support member includes a ring.

11 A plant support according to one of claims 9 and 10 wherein the loop is secured to the engaging means at a position corresponding generally to the intersection of the limbs of one pair of engaging formations, and the spacer limbs.

12 A plant support according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the engaging means is configured so as to enable the support member to be held in one of a plurality of positions on the leg by ffictional engagement with the leg.

13 A plant support according to claim 12 comprising a stop means provided for the leg, said stop means being moveable relative to the leg so as to enable the support member to be located in one of said plurality of positions.

14 A plant support according to one of claims 12 and 13 wherein the stop means comprises a sleeve or similarly apertured component.

9 A plant support according to one of claims 13 and 14 wherein an inwardly facing surface of a bore of the stop means exhibits a relatively high degree of friction, whereby the stop means enables the support member to be held securely at each one of the plurality of positions.

16 A plant support according to any one of claims 12 to 15 wherein the stop means comprises a plastics bush slidably received about the leg.

17 A plant support according to any one of claims 12 to 16 wherein the stop means is additionally configured so as to engage with the engaging means in such a way as to prevent or at least hinder rotation of the engaging means about the axis of the leg.

18 A plant support according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a frame having a pair of legs and a cross-member extending between the legs, with the support member comprising a pair of engaging means.

19 A plant support according to claim 18 wherein the legs extend generally parallel to one another.

A plant support according to any one of claims 18 and 19 wherein the cross-member is integral with the legs.

21 A plant support having a frame comprising a pair of legs and a crossmember extending between the legs, and a support member bounding an area through which plants may grow.

22 A plant support according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising two support members mounted on said leg.

23 A plant support constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompany drawing.

24 Any novel feature or novel combination of features hereinbefore described and/or shown in the accompanying drawing.

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