GB2402595A

GB2402595A - Kit of parts for planter construction

Info

Publication number: GB2402595A
Application number: GB0413030A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bernard Alan Jones; Anita Julie Hunneybell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-06-14
Filing date: 2004-06-11
Publication date: 2004-12-15
Also published as: GB0413030D0; GB0313879D0

Abstract

The kit comprises a plurality of similar hubs 10 each having a plurality of parallel spaced apart grooves in its outer surface and a plurality of elongate wall members 16 the ends of which are adapted to be push fitted into the grooves of the hubs so as to form at least one closed shape. The wall members may be straight and of the same or different lengths. The hub may be a regular geometric shape such as a circle or regular hexagon. The arrangement of grooves around each hub allows wall members to be fitted so as to extend therefrom at predetermined relative angles. Each grooves may have restricted width entrance and the end of each wall member is a sliding fit in any one of the grooves and is held captive by the restricted entrance. In use two or more wall members can be fitted in the same groove in a hub, one above the other. Each hub may include a hole to allow spikes to be pushed into the hubs to join hubs together and/or secure a hub into the ground there below. A planter having an increased depth can be constructed from a plurality of layers of hubs and wall members, each layer being arranged over a lower layer. Two or more additional layers extruding over only part of the area of the layer below can be constructed to create a pyramidal terraced structure, (fig 16).

Description

C187/J Title: Planting layout aid

Field of the invention

This invention concerns an aid to the laying out of plants which may be used for flowers, herbs or vegetables. The aid is primarily intended for garden and garden centre use, but could be employed by market gardeners, commercial growers or Local Authority parks and gardens departments, schools, or business and communal parks, where flower displays are required on roundabouts in communal areas or in front of and around office and communal buildings. The invention is of particular advantage where a raised planting bed is required.

Background to the invention

It is known to define a planting area by using boards supported by pegs driven into the ground to keep the boards upright. Soil or other growing medium can be tipped into the area bounded by the boards and flowers or other plants sown in the soil or other growing medium.

Object of the invention It is an object of the present invention to provide a kit of parts by which a plurality of differently shaped planting beds can be defined.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a joining member for use in the aforesaid kit of parts which readily allows an existing planting bed to be extended to include one or more beds to the side of the existing bed, without disturbing the latter.

Summary of the invention

According to one aspect of the present invention a kit of parts from which a planting layout aid (sometimes referred to as a planter) can be constructed comprises a plurality of similar hubs each having a plurality of parallel spaced apart grooves in its outer surface and a plurality of elongate wall members the ends of which are adapted to be push fitted into the grooves of the hubs so as to form at least one closed shape.

The wall members may be straight or curved or otherwise shaped.

The cross sectional shape of each hub is typically a regular geometrical shape such as an equilateral triangle or a square or a regular multisided shape such as a regular hexagon or may be a circle.

The arrangement of the grooves around each hub preferably allows wall members to extend therefrom at predetermined relative angles.

If a hub is cylindrical and of sufficient diameter 12 grooves can be arranged therearound at 30 angular spacings. In that event two straight elongate wall members can be fitted so as to extend in line, at right angles, or with an angle of 30 , 60 , 120 or 150 therebetween.

If larger and there are twice as many grooves at 15 angular spacings, two wall members can be fitted as described and additionally with angles of 15 , 45 , 75 , 105 135 or 165 therebetween.

Preferably the kit of parts includes wall members of different lengths, but in the case where the hubs have six 60 spaced grooves, two different wall lengths, one approximately twice the length of the other, allows a number of different layouts to be constructed.

In one embodiment the two preferred lengths are 1200mm and 560mm, the cross section of each hub is a regular hexagon or is circular, having a distance between flats or a diameter of the order of 75mm, and has 6 equally spaced grooves.

Typically the wall members have a thickness of the order of 20mm and a width of 200mm so that when located edge-on on flat ground, the raised bed will have a nominal depth of 200mm According to a particularly preferred feature of the invention each groove includes an entrance having a restricted width and the ends of the wall members are adapted to be a sliding fit in the grooves, and are shaped so as to be held captive by the two jaws defining the restricted entrance to each groove.

In one arrangement the wall ends are formed with resiliently deformable fir tree formations which will compress to permit the end to be pushed end-first into a groove, but once the fir tree formation is beyond the restricted entrance it will spring back to shape and become trapped behind the restricted entrance.

In a more preferred arrangement the end of each wall member may be necked so as to leave an end beyond the necked region which corresponds in shape and cross section to that of each groove so as to be a snug sliding fit therein after the necked end has been aligned with one end of a groove, so that the neck region accommodates the two jaws defining the restricted entrance to the groove, and the engagement of the jaws in the necked region of the wall member serves to lock the hub and wall member together.

The length of each hub is preferably the same as the width of the wall members but may be longer so that when the wall members are located edgeon or on flat ground the upper ends of the hubs protrude above the height of the wall members.

According to a further feature of the invention the hubs may have an axial length which is a whole number multiple of the width of each wall member, and where a hub is for example twice the wall member width, two such wall members can be fitted in the same groove in a hub, one above the other, so as to allow a second layer of wall members to be arranged above a first lower layer.

The wall members in one of the two layers may be aligned with, or extend at an angle to those in the other layer.

According to another preferred feature of the invention, each hub may be constructed with a central hole which may extend wholly through the length thereof, and can be used to accommodate a spike driven into the ground to assist in retaining the hub in position while a planter is being assembled and to retain the planter in place once assembled.

If blind holes are provided i.e., the holes do not extend completely through the hubs, the spike must be either first driven into the ground, or a hub can be pushed onto the spike and by pushing down on the hub so the spike can be driven into the ground until the hub reaches ground level.

Where the holes extend completely through the hubs, the latter can be placed in the desired positions with or without wall members fitted thereto, and spikes driven into the ground through the hubs - which act as guides for the spikes.

A spike can be driven further into the ground using a second spike or a tool which can enter the hole in the hub, which is used to push the first spike down so that the upper end is below the top surface of the hub and after the second spike or tool has been removed, a blind hole will be left in the upper end of the hub which is closed at its lower end by the upper end of the first spike.

The blind hole so formed can be used to accommodate a short rod which is a push fit in the hole in the hub and is approximately twice the length of the blind hole, so that when pushed into the latter it extends by a similar distance above the hub, and a second hub can be fitted thereon by pushing it down onto the protruding rod.

Alternatively an upper blind hole so formed at the upper end of a first hub or at the upper end of a second hub fitted to the first, can be employed to retain a decorative finial or other device having a peg which is a push fit in the blind hole.

Where two or more hubs are to be aligned one above the other, a single longer spike may be used whose length is sufficient to accommodate all the hubs.

A second layer of wall members can be slid into the grooves of the second layer of hubs, and third and subsequent layers of wall members can be similarly pushed into the grooves of hubs in the third or higher layers. If the longer spikes are driven into the ground through the aligned holes in the stacked hubs they not only secure the planter in position but by driving each spike between the upper end of the uppermost hubs, so decorative finials can be fitted by pegs to the uppermost hubs.

Thus two or more layers of hubs and wall members can be aligned over some or all of the first layer to build up a greater depth of planter over some or all of the first layer.

According to a particularly preferred feature of the invention, an additional layer or layers of hubs and wall members may be arranged over only part of a lower layer, so as to create a terraced or pyramid effect.

Accordingly to another aspect of the invention, multiple height hubs may be provided for use where greater depths are required, allowing second or more layers of wall members to be pushed into the relevant grooves after a first or earlier layer of wall members has been fitted, and the longer hubs have central openings which may extend wholly therethrough for accommodating elongate spikes and into which pegs of decorative finials, can be pushed as described above.

In one embodiment the wall members are of hollow rectangular box-section, and have open ends, and where an end of a wall member is to be held captive in a groove in a hub, end cap is provided which in use is push fitted into the open end of the hollow box section, to protrude therefrom and provide a necked end for slidingly engaging in a groove in a hub.

Hollow wall members may be reinforced internally by elongate rigid inserts which are push fitted in place during manufacture or assembly. Such inserts may be of plastics or wood or metal, and typically have a structural I-beam or box cross-section to resist bending, and thereby stiffen the wall member and reduce the tendency for the latter to bow under soil or root pressure.

End caps may be formed from plastics, which may for example be extruded to form a long continuous length of appropriate cross section, and cutting it into short lengths commensurate with the internal height of the box section into which each is to be fitted.

The end caps may be a push fit or fir tree fit in the box section or may be secured by an adhesive or by rivets, screws, bolts or pegs inserted after they are push fitted into the box section ends.

That part of each cap which is to be fitted into an open box section end of a wall member may be undercut relative to the width and height of the groove engaging part, the undercut dimension of the first part corresponding to the wall thickness of the box section, so that the outer surface of the groove engaging part merges with the outer surface of the wall member.

Where canes or poles or trellis or other plant support means is required, holes in the hubs can be employed to retain the lower ends of the canes or poles or trellis or the like. The holes for the plant support means may be those used to accommodate spikes or rods or additional holes may be provided.

If finials are fitted, the upper ends of these may have holes into which such securing members can be fitted, and into which plugs can be push fitted to close off any not required to receive securing members.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig 1 is a view of the top of a hub, Fig 2 is an elevation of the hub of Fig 1, Fig 3 is a side view of a hollow box-section wall member, Fig 4 is an end view of the wall member of Fig 3, Figs 5A and 5b are side elevation and top plan views of an end cap adapted to be pushed into the open end of a wall member having a head end which can be pushed down into one of the grooves in the hub, Figs 6A and 6B are top plan views of a hub and an end cap shown fitted into the end of a wall member, the end of the latter being sectioned to reveal the shank of the end cap push fitted into the box section of the wall, Fig 7 is a perspective view of a hub with five end caps fitted, Fig 8 is a perspective view of an arrangement of wall members and hubs joined in accordance with the invention.

Fig 9 is an end view of a finial, Fig 10 is a top plan view of another hub having 6 grooves at 60 spacing, with one wall member shown engaged in one of the grooves, Fig 11 is a side elevation of Fig 10 with the hub and finial in cross section, Fig 12 is an end view of the circular metal plate at the lower end of the rod shown threaded through the centre hole of the hub of Fig 11, Fig 13 shows another arrangement of hubs and wall members arranged with six wall members radiating from a central hub like the spokes of a wheel, and joined at their ends by wall members of similar length so that they define six equilateral triangles, and Fig 14 is a top plan view of the hub of Fig 10 with two wall members shown engaged in different grooves therein, Fig 15 is a side elevation of the assembly of Fig 14 showing that one wall member is twice the height of the other, and showing the use of a longer rod, Fig 16 is a perspective view from above of a two level planter utilising double height hubs and wall members to define part of the assembly.

Figs 1 and 2 show a 12-groove hub 10 in which one of the grooves is identified by reference number 12. A central fixing hole 14 enters it through the hub The hub is conveniently formed by extruding plastics material with a cross section as shown in Fig 1, and cutting the extruded form to length Alternatively the hub may be formed from metal or glass or more preferably may be machined from wood. In the latter case the cross sectional shape may to advantage be a regular hexagon, instead of circular.

Figs 3 and 4 show how a wall member 16 can be constructed. This may also be made by extruding a plastics material so as to have a hollow rectangular box cross section such as shown in Fig 4. Alternatively it may be of metal or wood. The box section provides open ends 20 to the wall member.

The hollow thin walled box section of a wall member such as 16 may be reinforced by a metal or wooden insert push fitted therein.

In order to provide solid ends to each wall member which will be a sliding fit in the grooves such as 12, an end fitting such as shown at 18 in Fig SA is pushed into the open end 20 of each box section length 16.

Typically the end fittings 18 are formed from a plastics material extruded in a continuous manner to form the cross section shown in Fig 5B, and then cut to length to form what is shown in Fig 5A.

The cross section includes a part cylindrical nose 22 at one end which merges with the rest of the fitting by way of a neck 24. Below the neck are formed two shoulders 26 and 28 which prevent rectangular part 30 of the fitting from being pushed too far into the open end 20 of hollow box section.

If the shoulders 26, 28 extend beyond the cross section 30 by the same as the thickness of the wall 21 of the box section 20, the fitting 18 will be flush with the exterior of the box section 20.

This is best seen in Fig 6B where the end fitting 18 can be seen fitted within the open end of a wall member 16 with the cylindrical nose formation 22 protruding therefrom ready to be received in a groove hub 12 in a hub 10.

Fig 6A shows another hub lOA which has twelve grooves 12A, and the nose 22 of a wall member 16 can be slid into one of the grooves 12A of hub lOA in the same way as it can be slid into one of the grooves 12 in hub 10.

Fig 7 shows five wall members 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D and 16E fitted into five of the grooves in the twelve groove hub lOA of Fig 6A. The central hole can be seen at 14A in both Fig 6A and Fig 7.

By using a number of six-groove hubs 16 and wall members of equal length, an array of equilateral triangles can be constructed as shown in Fig 8.

Figs 9 - 12 illustrate a six-groove hub 32 (see Fig 10) to which wall members such as 34 can be fitted by sliding the nose end 36 into the appropriate one of the grooves such as 38, so as to extend from the hub in the desired direction.

A central hole 40 extends axially through the hub 32 to allow a rod 42 (see Fig l lA) to be pushed therethrough, for securing the hub to the ground, or to another hub positioned above or below the first.

As shown in Fig l lB cylindrical in-fills such 44 can be slid into grooves such as 38 which are not required for wall members.

Where the wall members 34 are solid and formed from wood, or are thin walled plastics box-sections reinforced with metal or wood, the weight of an assembly such of hubs and wall members will tend to be such that it will stay put on level soil without the need for anchoring by using long rods or spikes such as 42. However it may be desirable to add a decorative finial such as 46 (see Fig 9) and this can be fitted to the upper end of each hub as shown in Fig 11, using a rod such as 42 which is threaded at the upper end 48 and which can be screwed into a nut 50 held captive in the finial.

The nut 50 may for example be driven to the bottom of a hole 52 (shown dotted in Fig 11) so that it rests on the shoulder between the hole 52 and a reduced diameter continuation 54 (also shown dotted) of the hole 52. The reduced diameter hole 54 is selected to prevent the nut from being driven any further than the shoulder, but is a clearance fit around the threaded end 48 of the rod 42.

The lower end of the rod 42 may also be threaded so that it can be secured in a similar manner into a nut held captive at the lower end of the hole 40. Alternatively as shown, the lower end of the rod 42 is welded or otherwise secured to the centre of a metal disc 49 (see Fig 12) which extends over the base of the hub. This has the added advantage of obscuring the lower ends of the grooves 38, so that the nose- ends of the wall members 34 or the instills 44 cannot be pushed beyond the lower end of the hub.

In a preferred arrangement the hubs, finials and wall members are all formed from timber, typically a hardwood or a pressure treated softwood. Where timber is used for the hubs the circular cross-section shape shown in the drawings may be replaced with a multi-sided shape such as a regular hexagon, since it may be easier to machine such shapes in timber than circular cross-sections.

Fig 13 shows how 12 similar length wall members, one of which is denoted by 56, can be fitted together using seven hubs one of which is denoted by 58, to form a ring of six adjoining equilateral triangles, one of such is denoted by 60.

Other shapes and arrangements are possible using more or less wall members and hubs, the number of the former which can be employed being limited in general only by the number of free grooves in the hubs to which they can be fitted.

The hubs 58 and wall members 56 may be constructed as previously described or as shown in Figs 1 to 5, or Figs 6 and 7, or Figs 9 to 12.

Figs 14 to 16 show how by using double height hubs such as 62 (shown in Fig IS), a double height length 64 and double height wall members, (or as shown two standard height wall members 66, 68 located edge to edge one above the other) a double height planter can be constructed.

Although the hub 62 is shown as an integral double-height unit, it may (like the double height wall) be formed from two standard height hubs such as 38 in Fig 11, located end to end one above the other and held together by the double length rod 64 A finial 70 is secured to the upper end of the rod 64 in a similar way to the finial 46 of Fig 11 and a disc 72 is secured to the lower end of the rod 64 in the manner and for the purposes described in relation to Fig 11.

Fig 16 shows how a two level planter can be constructed using double height walls such as 74 each made up of upper and lower wall members 76, 78 and double height hubs 80,82,84 - - - - - 90. No finials are shown in Fig 16, but will be fitted as shown in Fig 15.

Radiating from the hubs 80 to 90 are six similar length wall members one of which is denoted by 92, and hubs such as 94 at the end of the radiating walls such as 92 serve to cormect each with the adjoining ends of two double-length standard height wall members such as 96,98.

The double height walls such as 74 define a central regular hexagonal double depth planter and the standard height walls such as 92,96, 98 define six regular trapezoidal standard height planters around the central double height planter.

Claims

C187/J CLAIMS

1. A kit of parts from which a planter can be constructed comprising a plurality of similar hubs each having a plurality of parallel spaced apart grooves in its outer surface and a plurality of elongate wall members the ends of which are adapted to be push fitted into the grooves of the hubs so as to form at least one closed shape.

2. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 1 wherein the wall members are straight.

3. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 1 wherein the wall members are curved.

4. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3 wherein the cross-section of each hub is a regular geometric shape such as a circle or regular hexagon and the arrangement of the grooves around each hub allows wall members to extend therefrom in use at predetermined relative angles.

5. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 4 wherein each hub has twelve grooves therearound at 30 angular spacings.

6. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 4 wherein each hub has six equally spaced grooves at 60 spacings.

7. A kit of parts as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 wherein the wall members are all of the same length

8. A kit of parts as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 wherein the wall members are of different lengths

9. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 8 wherein the wall members have two different lengths, one of which is approximately one half the other length.

lO. A kit of parts as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9 wherein the wall members have a thickness of the order of 20mm and a width of 200mm.

11. A kit of parts as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10 wherein each groove has a restricted width entrance and the end of each wall member is adapted to be a sliding fit in any one of the grooves and is shaped so as to be held captive by the restricted entrance to the groove.

12. A kit of parts as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11 wherein all the grooves are of similar size and cross sectional shape.

13. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 12 wherein the end of each wall member is necked so as to leave an end beyond the necked region which corresponds in shape and cross section to that of each groove so as to be a snug sliding fit therein, and in use the necked end is aligned with the restricted entrance to the groove, and the wall member is pushed into the groove, the engagement of the two jaws defining the restricted entrance, in the necked region of the wall member, serving to lock the hub and wall member together

14. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 10 wherein each wall member end includes a resiliently deformable fir tree formation which in use will compress to permit the end to be pushed end-first into a groove, but once the fir tree formation is beyond the restricted entrance to the groove it will spring back to shape and become trapped behind the restricted entrance.

15. A kit of parts as claimed in any claims 1 to 14 wherein the length of each hub is the same as the width of the wall members.

16. A kit of parts as claimed in any of claims 1 to 14 wherein the length of each hub is greater than the width of each wall member so that in use when the wall members are located edge-on on flat ground, the upper ends of the hubs protrude above the height of the wall members.

17. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 16 wherein at least some of the hubs have an axial length which is a whole number multiple greater than 1 of the width of each wall member

18. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 17 wherein the longer hubs are twice the wall member width, such that in use two such wall members can be fitted in the same groove in a hub, one above the other, so as to allow a second layer of wall members to be arranged above a first lower layer.

19. A kit of parts as claimed in any of claims 1 to 17 wherein each hub includes a hole which extends wholly through the length thereof.

20. A kit of parts as claimed in any of claims 1 to 18 wherein each hub includes a hole which extends only part way through the hub from either one end of the hub or from both ends of the hub.

21. A kit of parts as claimed in claim l9 or 20 wherein each hole is central of the hub.

22. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 19 or 20 further comprising a plurality of spikes which in use are pushed into the holes in the hubs and are a push fit therein.

23. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 22 wherein the spikes are longer than the axial length of the hubs and the holes in the latter extend completely therethrough so that in use a hub can be secured in position by pushing a spike through the hole in the hub into the ground below the hub

24. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 23 wherein in use after a spike has been pushed through a hub it is driven further into the ground using a second spike or a tool so that the upper end of the spike is below the upper end surface of the hub, whereby after the second spike or tool has been removed, a blind hole is left in the upper end of the hub.

25. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 24 further comprising shorter spikes which in use are push fitted into blind holes so formed so that the other end protrudes from the hole whereby a second hub can be fitted thereon by pushing it down onto the protruding end of the shorter spike.

26. A kit of parts as claimed in any of claims 21 to 25 wherein the hole formed at the upper end of a first hub or at the upper end of a second hub fitted above the first, serves in use to retain a decorative finial or other device thereon having a peg which is a push fit in the hole.

27. A kit of parts as claimed in any of claims 22 to 26 wherein at least some of the spikes are long enough to accommodate at least two hubs thereon and optionally to protrude from the hubs for securing them in place in the ground.

28. A kit of parts as claimed in any of claims 1 to 27 wherein each wall member is of hollow rectangular box-section, and has open ends, an end cap is provided for each wall member end which in use is to be fitted to a hub groove, and each end cap is fitted into the open end of a hollow box section, to protrude therefrom and provide a necked end for slidingly engaging in the groove in a hub.

29. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 28 wherein each hollow wall member is reinforced internally by at least one elongate rigid insert which is push fitted in place during manufacture or assembly, to thereby stiffen the wall member.

30. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 28 or 29 wherein the end caps are formed from plastics, which is extruded to form a long continuous length of appropriate cross section and which is then cut into short lengths commensurate with the internal height of the box section into which each is to be fitted.

31. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 28, 29 or 30 wherein the end caps are a push fit or fir tree fit in the box section, or are secured by an adhesive, or by rivets, screws, bolts or pegs, inserted after they are push fitted into the box section.

32. A kit of parts as claimed in any of claims 28 to 31 wherein that part of each cap which is to be fitted into an open box section end of a wall member is undercut relative to the width and height of the groove engaging part, the undercut dimension of the first part corresponding to the wall thickness of the box section, so that the outer surface of the groove engaging part merges with the outer surface of the wall member.

33. A kit of parts as claimed in any of claims 1 to 32 wherein in use holes in the hubs of an assembled planter are employed to retain in place plant support means, canes or poles or trellis.

34. A kit of parts as claimed in any of claims 1 to 33 which includes finials which in use are fitted to the hubs.

35. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 34 wherein the upper ends of the finials have holes into which in use plant support means are fitted, and the kit of parts further comprises plugs which are a push fit in any holes not required to receive plant support means.

36. A planter when constructed from a kit of parts as claimed in any of claims 1 to 33.

37. A planter when constructed from a kit of parts as claimed in any of claims 1 to 33 wherein at least a second layer of hubs and wall members is aligned over some or all of the first layer to build up a greater depth of planter over some or all of the area of the first layer.

38. A planter as claimed in claim 37 wherein additional layers of hubs and wall members are arranged over parts of the wall members and hubs of lower layers, so as to create a pyramidal terraced structure.