GB2563018A

GB2563018A - Plant support

Info

Publication number: GB2563018A
Application number: GB1708530.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Williams Gwyn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2017-05-29
Filing date: 2017-05-29
Publication date: 2018-12-05
Also published as: GB201708530D0

Abstract

A plant support arrangement comprises two or more adjacent plant-supporting poles (16, figure 4) carrying respective removable supporting bosses 5, the bosses being held apart by an elongate link 2 connected between them. The bosses and links may comprise connector portions 7, 10 for connecting them together. The, or each elongate link may comprise at least one linking member. There may be at least two linking members which may be mutually connectable with an adjustable overlap. The linking members may each be provided with a linear array of alternating projections 12 and recesses 11 to enable the linking members to be mutually engaged. The poles may be supported upright by bases. In one embodiments the poles may project from a grow-bag. A kit of parts for a plant support arrangement is also disclosed

Description

Plant support

The present invention relates to arrangements for supporting plants, particularly but not exclusively in growbags.

It is known to grow plants, particularly fruit and vegetables such as runner beans and tomatoes, in growbags provided with upright poles such as garden canes for example. Growbags are highly convenient and are widely used in greenhouses and similar indoor locations. The pole provides essential support for the plant.

However it is necessary to support the poles and the depth and density of growing medium in the grow bag is in many cases inadequate to support the pole and the growing plant. In outdoor situations too, where plants are grown against poles embedded in soil, the soil is sometimes inadequate to keep the pole upright. For example it may be too light, or too hard to enable a lightweight pole such as a garden cane to be embedded to a sufficient depth. Furthermore as the plants grow they require more support and if the poles are inadequate they may eventually topple over.

An object of the present invention is to overcome or alleviate at least some of the above disadvantages.

Accordingly the invention provides a plant support arrangement, the arrangement comprising two or more adjacent plant-supporting poles carrying respective removable supporting bosses, the supporting bosses being held apart by an elongate link connected between them.

In this manner, adjacent supporting poles can be linked together so as to provide mutual support.

Preferably there are three or more such supporting bosses and two or more such elongate links wherein at least one supporting boss has two or more such elongate links.

In this manner a given supporting pole can be stabilised in two horizontal directions.

Preferably the or each elongate link comprises at least one elongate linking member and the supporting bosses and/or elongate linking member have connector portions for connecting the supporting bosses to longitudinally spaced-apart regions (eg the ends) of the elongate linking member(s).

Preferably the or each elongate linking member is made of plastics material, eg injection-moulded polypropylene. Such materials can provide sufficient rigidity to prevent the plant-supporting poles (typically bamboo canes) from leaning against each other but sufficient flexibility to allow some freedom in the positioning of the poles.

Preferably there are two or more such linking members and the linking members are mutually connectable with an adjustable overlap to provide a linking member assembly of adjustable length. This enables different pole spacings to be accommodated.

The linking members may for example each include a linear array of interengaging portions (eg projections and/or recesses or projections and/or apertures) which can be fitted together to join the linking members. Preferably each linking member is provided with a linear array of alternating projections and recesses or projections and apertures to enable the linking members to be joined by mutual engagement of the projections of one linking member with recesses or apertures of another linking member.

Preferably the connector portions are resiliently engageable to enable the supporting bosses to be disconnected and re-connected to the linking member/s).

Preferably the supporting bosses comprise a circumferential array of radially inwardly-extending fingers which in use surround and resiliently engage a plantsupporting pole.

Preferably the inwardly-extending fingers are capable of deflecting upwardly on lowering the boss over the top of a plant-supporting pole. This feature allows easy vertical positioning of the bosses and allows poles of different diameters to be accommodated.

In a preferred embodiment the arrangement further comprises one or more bases arranged to support the lower ends of supporting poles in an upright configuration. For example in a preferred embodiment the one or more bases may include upright tubular portions each arranged to receive the lower end of a supporting pole.

Preferably the upper end of each upright tubular portion has a cutting portion which can pierce a wall of a growbag.

The invention also provides a plant-support arrangement comprising two or more adjacent plant-supporting poles projecting upwardly from at least one growbag, supporting bosses located over respective plant-supporting poles above the growbag, and at least one elongate link connected between the supporting bosses which holds them apart.

The invention also provides a kit of parts for such plant support arrangements, the kit comprising two or more bosses which are locatable over respective plant-supporting poles and an elongate link which in use connects the bosses and holds them apart.

Preferably the elongate link is a separate linking member and the supporting bosses and/or linking member have connector portions for connecting the supporting bosses to spaced-apart regions of the linking member.

Preferably the parts are composed of injection-moulded plastics material, eg polypropylene.

Other preferred features are defined in the dependent claims.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an exploded front perspective view of a supporting boss and elongate linking member of a plant-support arrangement or kit in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded front perspective view of a base of a plant-support arrangement or kit in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a plant-support arrangement in accordance of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a left hand side elevation of part of the plant-support arrangement of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is diagrammatic sectional elevation of a support boss engaging a plantsupporting pole in the plant-support arrangement of Figures 1 to 3, and

Figure 6 is a plan view showing the mating engagement of two elongate linking members of the plant-support arrangement of Figures 1 to 3.

Referring to Figure 1, a supporting boss 1 and an elongate linking member 2 are shown. One end of the linking member has a socket portion 10 which is shown coaxially aligned with one of four posts 7 which are attached by lugs 6 to the exterior of the boss 1. The lugs and posts are distributed in a regular circumferential array about the exterior of the boss and enable it to be connected to up to four such linking members as is best seen in Figure 3. In a variant, fewer (eg three) or more then four posts 7 may be provided in a regular circumferential array.

The boss 1 and elongate linking member are each made of injection-moulded polypropylene. The height h of the body portion of the linking member is suitably 5 to 10mm, eg 8mm, the thickness t (Figure 6) is suitably 1 to 3mm (eg 2mm) and the length 1 (Figure 6) is suitably 100 to 300mm (eg 200mm). These dimensions provide sufficient strength and resilience to hold plant-supporting poles 16, eg bamboo garden canes, a fixed distance apart as best seen in Figure 4.

Referring again to Figure 1, the elongate linking member 2 is provided with a longitudinal linear array of alternating projections 12 and apertures 11. The projections are equidistant from the neighbouring projections so that two such linking members can be aligned and snap-fitted together by mutual engagement of their projections and recesses as best seen in Figure 6. It will be apparent that the degree of overlap between the linking members can be adjusted to vary the length of the assembly, so as to accommodate different spacings between supporting bosses 1 as best seen in Figures 3 and 4. The latter Figure shows both quadrilateral and triangular arrays of bosses 1.

As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the supporting boss 1 has an annular shell portion 5 which is open at the bottom and carries a circumferential array of radially inwardlyextending triangular spring fingers 13 on its inner wall. The inner tips of the spring fingers 13 form a circular array which is about 3mm to 6mm in diameter (preferably 4mm) which can be expanded to accommodate poles of a range of common diameters (eg 4mm to 20mm) by lowering the supporting boss over the top of the pole, which deflects the spring fingers upwards as shown in Figure 5. Irregularities in the radial cross-sectional profile of the pole are accommodated by differences in deflection of the spring fingers as shown in Figure 5. Hence a range of irregular poles (eg bamboo garden canes) can be held securely in position by the supporting bosses 1.

Referring to Figure 2, a base 3 is shown which is provided with a tube 4 which fits snugly inside a central collar portion 14 thereof. The upper end of tube 4 is cut diagonally to provide a pointed end which can pierce a growbag.

As best seen in Figure 4, bases 3 are laid on the ground surface, growbags 17 are laid on top so as to be penetrated by the diagonally cut ends of tubes 4, and poles 16 (eg bamboo garden canes) are fitted into the tubes 4 before being connected at their upper ends (above the growbags) by an array of supporting bosses 1 and connected pairs of elongate linking members 2. The resulting rectangular two-dimensional array is shown in plan view in Figure 3. In a variant, some or all the bosses 1 could have eg three posts 7 and be connected by three links to its nearest neighbours, forming a triangular array of links. However bosses with four posts 7 can be connected in both quadrilateral (typically approximately rectangular) and triangular fashion as shown.

Any suitable climbing plant (not shown) can be supported on the poles 16, eg runner beans, tomatoes, flowers or the like.

In a variant, each linking member 2 could be made integral with a supporting boss 1.

In a further variant, which is less preferred, each linking member 2 could be made integral with a supporting boss at each end.

In a further variant, the facing sides of the elongate linking members could be provided with hook-and-loop material rather than the array of projections 12 and apertures 11 shown.

In a further variant, base 3 could be arranged to support two or more spaced-apart plant-supporting poles 16. In other variants, the base 3, tube 4 and growbags 17 could be dispensed with and the poles 16 stuck in the ground, the upper ends being held by the array of supporting bosses and linking members.

The features of two or more of the above variants can be combined with each other or with features of the preferred embodiments.

Claims

1. A plant support arrangement, the arrangement comprising two or more adjacent plant-supporting poles carrying respective removable supporting bosses, the supporting bosses being held apart by an elongate link connected between them.

2. A plant-support arrangement according to claim 1 comprising three or more such supporting bosses and two or more such elongate links wherein at least one supporting boss has two or more such elongate links.

3. A plant support arrangement according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the or each elongate link comprises at least one elongate linking member and the supporting bosses and/or elongate linking member have connector portions for connecting the supporting bosses to longitudinally spaced-apart regions of the elongate linking member(s).

4. A plant-support arrangement according to claim 3 wherein the elongate linking member is made of plastics material.

5. A plant-support arrangement according to claim 3 or claim 4 as which comprises two or more such elongate linking members, the linking members being mutually connectable with an adjustable overlap to provide a linking member assembly of adjustable length.

6. A plant-support arrangement according to any of claims 3 to 5 wherein the connector portions are resiliently engageable to enable the supporting bosses to be disconnected and re-connected to the linking member(s).

7. A plant-support arrangement according to claim 6 wherein each linking member is provided with a linear array of alternating projections and recesses or projections and apertures to enable the linking members to be joined by mutual engagement of the projections of one linking member with recesses or apertures of another linking member.

8. A plant-support arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein the supporting bosses comprise a circumferential array of radially inwardly-extending fingers which in use surround and resiliently engage a plant-supporting pole.

9. A plant-support arrangement according to claim 8 wherein the inwardly-extending fingers are capable of deflecting upwardly on lowering the boss over the top of a plant-supporting pole..

10. A plant-support arrangement according to any preceding claim, further comprising one or more bases arranged to support the lower ends of supporting poles in an upright configuration.

11. A plant support arrangement according to claim 10 wherein the one or more bases include upright tubular portions each arranged to receive the lower end of a supporting pole.

12. A plant-support arrangement according to claim 11 wherein the upper end of each upright tubular portion has a cutting portion which can pierce a wall of a growbag.

13. A plant-support arrangement comprising two or more adjacent plant-supporting poles projecting upwardly from at least one growbag, supporting bosses located over respective plant-supporting poles above the growbag, and at least one elongate link connected between the supporting bosses which holds them apart.

14. A kit of parts according to claim 18 or claim 19, wherein the parts are composed on injection-moulded plastics material.

14. A plant-support arrangement according to claim 13 comprising three or more such supporting bosses and two or more such elongate links wherein at least one supporting boss has two or more such elongate links

15. A plant-support arrangement according to claim 13 or claim 14 wherein the elongate link is a separate linking member and the supporting bosses and/or linking member have connector portions for connecting the supporting bosses to spaced-apart regions of the linking member.

16. A plant-support arrangement according to claim 15 wherein the or each linking member is as defined in any of claims 4 to 7.

17. A plant-support arrangement according to claim 15 or claim 16 wherein the or each boss is as defined in claim 8 or claim 9.

18. A kit of parts for a plant support arrangement as defined in any preceding claim, the kit comprising two or more bosses which are locatable over respective plantsupporting poles and an elongate link which in use connects the bosses and holds them apart.

19. A kit of parts according to claim 18, further comprising one or more bases as defined in any of claims 10 to 12.