GB2432504A

GB2432504A - Pest control system

Info

Publication number: GB2432504A
Application number: GB0604561A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Victor John Sampson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-01-09
Filing date: 2003-01-09
Publication date: 2007-05-30
Anticipated expiration: 2023-01-09
Also published as: GB2397020B; GB0300475D0; GB2432504B; GB0604561D0; GB2397020A

Abstract

The system comprises a plurality of trough (12) and cover (14) combinations that are provided in differing sizes (e.g. various lengths and/or curvatures) as a kit of parts, each combination being dimensioned for inter-engaging assembly with another such trough and cover combination such that a plurality of such interconnected combinations can form an endless structure to encompass one or more botanical items. Each cover (14) is spaced above the trough (12) in use to protect pest repellent (15) within the trough from incident rain and/or sprayed on water. The cover (14) and trough (12) of each combination are fixedly attached to one another by a wall (20) upstanding from an elongate lip (18a) forming one side of the trough (12), the cover (14) being mounted at the top of the wall (20) which is to be in use closer to the botanical item(s) (11) to be protected than an opposite elongate lip (18b) of the trough (12).

Description

PEST CONTROL

DESCRIPTION

Technical Field

This invention relates to pest control and in particular to control of molluscs, especially slugs and snails that destroy plants and other botanical items. A related invention is disclosed in UK Patent Application 0300475.1 from which this patent application is divided.

Background

It is known to attempt to control mollusc attack on botanical items by dosing an area-preferably remote from the botanical items -with a chemical composition that is a poisonous attractant of molluscs. The object of such arrangements is to attract the molluscs to the chemically treated area where the chemical kills them. It is also known to dose an area around botanical items with a chemical composition that is a mollusc repellent. Unfortunately in either case the chemical composition is diluted or washed away or washed down into the soil by watering of the plants andlor by incident rain, and the chemical composition thus quickly loses its efficacy. As a result the molluscs can pass through the area and be then free to devour the botanical items that were to be protected.

Summary of the Invention

With a view to overcoming andlor minimising the above mentioned andlor other disadvantages of the prior art pest control arrangements, the present invention contemplates a pest control system comprising a plurality of trough and cover combinations that are provided in differing sizes, e.g. of various lengths and/or curvatures, as a kit of parts, each combination being provided with means to permit its 01P0103 k 3/2006 inter-connection to another such trough and cover combination, and such that a plurality of such interconnected combinations can form an endless structure to encompass one or more botanical items.

Prferably each trough and cover combination comprises its own fully lipped trough portion and a cover portion extending, at at least one end, longitudinally beyond the trough portion therebelow, and wherein the parts are arranged such that the ends of neighbouring trough portions can abut one another -such that said structure can be constructed effectively to form a completely encompassing trough member around one or more botanical items -with the abutting ends covered by at least one said end-extending cover portion.

Advantageously the pest control system further comprises a plurality of holders serving in use to hold the inter-assembled parts to one another and/or to hold the arrangement in firm contact with the ground -e.g. soil.

Preferably each of the holders has the form of a stake provided at its top with a lateral projection to engage the cover, e.g. the overlapping ends of the cover portions of adjoining said trough and cover combinations.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Byway of example embodiments of this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a pest control arrangement in a first embodiment of this invention, Figure 2 is a cross-section along the line 11-11 of Fig 1, Figure 3 is a side view of a holder to retain inter-assembled parts of the arrangement of Figs I and 2 in position, Figure 4 is a schematic exploded view along the lines IV-IV in Fig 3, of two said parts about to be inter-assembled, and EIPEIO3 k 3/2006 Figure 5 is a plan view of a pest control arrangement in a second embodiment of this invention.

Detailed Description of Example(s) of the Invention The pest control arrangement of the illustrated embodiment of Figs 1 to 4 comprises a covered trough 10-having a trough 12 and a cover 14 therefor -to encompass one or more botanical items ii, and a pest repellent 15 to be carried by the trough 12 and be protected by the cover 14 from incident water, e.g. rain or water sprayed onto the area containing said botanical items. The covered trough 10 is made of plastics material and is made up from a kit of parts that can be inter-assembled to provide different shapes andlor sizes for the item-encompassing arrangement. For the embodiment of Figs I to 4 the parts are arcuate and can be assembled to fonn a ring enclosure e.g. approximately 4.20mm internal diameter.

The covered trough 10 is formed from a kit comprising a plurality of parts. Each of these parts is a unitary structure and comprises a trough portion 16 having an elongate arcuate or, for the embodiment of Fig 5, an elongate rectangular base 17 from the edges of which four lips 1 8 to 1 8 upstand. The lipi 8 that is to be located closer to the botanical item(s) 11 to be protected is bonded to, or moulded integrally with, an upstanding wall 20. A cover portion 22 is moulded integrally with or bonded to the top of the wall 20, this cover portion 22 being of generally arcuate form and extending laterally to cover the entirety of the trough portion 16 and project beyond the lip 18k located opposite lip 18 and wall 20. The degree of overhang and the height of the cover are chosen to minimise risk of slugs climbing over the member.

For example, the width of the trough portion 16 may be 30mm, the height of lips 18k, 1 8 andl8 may be 10mm, the height of wall 20 may be 55mm, the extent of cover portion 22 may be 55mm and rising at its peak to, say, 80mm above the base 17.

!PF 103 k 3/ 2006 Figure 4 shows two identical covered trough parts 1 0, 1 0 that in use are inter-assembled or inter-fitted with one another. The trough portion 16 of each part (e.g. as best shown for part 1 0) is composed of the base 17 and all four lips 1 8 to 1 8,but with the cover portion 22 and wall 20 projecting beyond one end of the trough portion, i.e. beyond part's lip l8, these projecting areas 20 and 22 being stepped backwardly by the respective thickness of the wall and cover portion. This backward stepping allows that end of a cover and trough part (lOa) to accommodate, within the step, the opposite end of the adjoining covered trough part (10k) such that lip 18&of part 10k can abut surfacially against the lip 1 8 of part 1 Oa, and such that these areas 20 and 22 of wall 20 and cover 22 overlie one another. This provides an encompassing barrier to mollusc pests gaining access to botanical items, e.g. potted plants, located internally of the covered trough 10 of Fig 1.

To retain the covered trough 10 in position and hold its constituent parts (such as I 0 lOb, ...) in inter-assembled or inter-fitted relation, holding members 28 of Fig 3 are provided in vertical planes intersecting the overlying or overlapping areas 20a,22 of the wall 20 and cover 22. These holding members 28 comprise a spike portion 27 to engage into the ground, the spike carrying at its top a laterally extending arch portion 29 of a curvature mating that of the outer surface of the projecting area or section 22 of cover portion 22.

For example the spike portion 27 may be 135mm in height and the arch portion 29 may be of 60mm lateral extent.

Advantageously the pest repellent employed comprises a chemical composition in the form of a mixture that comprises from 45 to 50 % of soda, 45 to 50 % of soda ash and 0 to 10 % of salt (sodium chloride). This mixture is not so fine as to be blown away by the wind, but not so caked as to be ineffective in repelling molluscs such as slugs and snails.

EIPEIO3 3/2006 In a modification, the arrangement comprises a plurality of parts of straight linear elements and a plurality of right-angle corner elements for inter-assembly to form an encompassing covered trough 30 (with trough portion 32 and cover portion 34) of rectangular form, e.g. as shown in Fig 5 -instead of the circular form shown in Fig 1.

In a further modification the kit of parts may comprises both linear and arcuate parts that can be inter-assembled to provide a covered trough of a shape having two parallel linear sides, interconnected by rounded ends.

The above-described embodiments and modifications of the invention can be still further modified by providing the covered trough and its parts with dimensions different -preferably larger -than those mentioned above only by way of example. Such larger sizes, notably height and width, make it even more difficult for snails and slugs to manouevre over or past the covered trough.

Optionally, the system may include a filling guide for the repellent, this guide providing two edges at an obtuse angle to one another, one edge being to abut against lip 1 8h as the guide is moved longitudinally of the covered trough, and the other edge being to shape and define the upper surface of the repellent 15 in trough 12 as the guide is thus moved along.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the illustrated embodiments envisage a pest control system comprising a plurality of trough and cover combinations that are provided in differing sizes (e.g. various lengths and/or curvatures) as a kit of parts, each combination being dimensioned for inter-engaging assembly with another such trough and cover combination such that a plurality of inter-engaging combinations can form an endless structure to encompass one or more botanical items.

Other modifications and embodiments of the invention, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art, are to be deemed within the ambit and scope of the invention, and the particular embodiment(s) hereinbefore described may be varied in construction FTPE1O3 3/ 2006 and detail, e.g. interchanging (where appropriate or desired) different features of each, without departing from the scope of the patent monopoly hereby sought by the following Claims.

ELPE 103 k 3/ 2006

Claims

CLAIMS

1. A pest control system comprising a plurality of trough and cover combinations that are provided in differing sizes as a kit of parts, each combination being dimensioned for inter-engaging assembly with another such trough and cover combination such that a plurality of such inter-engaging combinations can form an endless structure to encompass one or more botanical items.

2. A pest control system according to Claim 1, wherein said trough and cover combinations are of various lengths and/or curvatures, 3. A pest control system according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein each trough and cover combination comprises its own fully lipped trough portion and a cover portion extending, at at least one end, longitudinally beyond the trough portion therebelow, and wherein the parts are arranged such that the ends of neighbouring trough portions can abut one another -such that said structure can be constructed effectively to form a completely encompassing trough member around one or more botanical items -with the abutting ends covered by at least one said end-extending cover portion.

4. A pest control system according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, and further comprising a plurality of holders serving in use to hold the inter-assembled parts to one another andlor to hold the arrangement in firm contact with the ground -e.g. soil.

5. A pest control system according to Claim 4, wherein each of the holders has the form of a stake provided at its top with a lateral projection to engage the cover.

6. A pest control system according to Claim 4 or 5 when depndant from Claim 3, wherein each of the holders has the form of a stake provided at its top with a lateral EIPEIO2 3/2006 projection to engage the overlapping ends of the cover portions of adjoining said trough and cover combinations.

7. A pest control system according to Claim I and substantially as herein described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIPFIO2 k 3/ 2006 Amendments to claims have been filed as follows

CLAIMS

1. A pest control system comprising a plurality of trough and cover combinations wherein each trough has a flat base at the bottom of the combination, said base has lips upstanding from all its perimeter edges, one lip being associated with a wall upstanding from the base and supporting said cover at a height spaced above the trough, said cover extends over at least the entirety of the trough, and wherein the plurality of combinations are provided as a kit of parts in differing dimensions that can be inter-engagingly assembled with one another and thereby provide different shapes and/or sizes of such inter-engaging combinations that can form an endless structure to encompass one or more botanical items.

2. A pest control system according to Claim I, wherein at least two of the trough and cover combinations are arcuate in plan view.

3. A pest control system according to Claim 2, wherein said at least two trough and cover combinations are semi-circular in plan view.

4. A pest control system according to any preceding Claim, wherein said trough and cover combinations are of various lengths and/or curvatures.

5. A pest control system according to any preceing Claim, wherein the cover portion of each said combination extends, at at least one end, longitudinally beyond the trough portion therebelow, and wherein the parts are arranged such that the end lips of neighbouring trough portions can abut one another -such that said structure can be constructed effectively to form a completely encompassing trough member around one I II'I Io I. I ?.J)Ob /0 or more botanical items -with the mutually abutting end lips covered by at least one said end-extending cover portion.

6. A pest control system according to any one of Claims I to 5, and further comprising a plurality of holders serving in use to hold the inter-engagingly assembled parts to one another andlor to hold the arrangement in firm contact with the ground -e.g. soil.

7. A pest control system according to Claim 6, wherein each of the holders has the form of a stake provided at its top with a lateral projection to engage the cover.

8. A pest control system according to Claim 6 or 7 when dependant from Claim 5, wherein each of the holders has the form of a stake provided at its top with a lateral projection to engage the overlapping ends of the cover portions of adjoining said trough and cover combinations.

9. A pest control system accordin o Claim I and substantially as herein described with reference to and/or as illustrated the accompanying drawings.

lI'l 102 b 1 / 0(J(