IL28872A - Plant propagating container - Google Patents

Description

C O H E N Z E D E K & S P I S B A C H E G D, PAT E NT AT TO R N EYS 24, LEVONTIN SIR., P. O. B. 1169 T E L - A V I V P A T E N T S & D E S I G N S O R D I N A N C E 16877/67 SPECIFICATION RCEL FERR ND, a French citizen, of $, Chemin de Bellet, Nice, Alpes Maritimes, France, EREBY DECLARE the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement: The present invention releites to a device for -use in Plant Propagation and more particularly to a device which is adapatable to all pots or containers in whic plants are grown, the object -of the new device being the protection of the roots of plants when the latter are potted or transplanted.

The main feature of the invention resides there in that the new device which is adapted to hold plants is no longer provided with orifices - as it was customary - through which liquid is drained from the device or through which the plants are irrigated. These orifices are now replaced by slits which are so designed that the edges of the slit, closing against one another, do permit the passage of liquid in both directions but do not permit the roots to grow through such slits.

In the annexed drawings some forms of practical embodiments of the new invention are shown in a no-.-liniitative way and not restricting the invention to the form shown: Pigs. 1 and 2 show, in longitudinal section, a fraction of the wall. of the new device with the slits according to the invention. ' * Fig.3 shows a device, also in fractional view of a wall wherein the slits are provided in a relief portion of the said wall.

Fig.4 is a plan view of a slit provided in the material of the device.

Figs. 5 and 6 exemplify the bottoms of the new device, being perforated, while figure 7 shows a particular form of container which has extensible walls.

Figs. 8 and 9 show conical containers which can be detachable.

Turning now to figures 1 to 4, the openings or orifices 1 are provided in the wall of the respective containers as shown in figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 and have a length v/hich is determined by consideration of the material from which the container is made, so as not to impair the elasticity of the material. Thus the length of the slits in different containers has to be determined by experiment.

As can be seen in Fig.l the lips 3 and 4 of the slit approach one another by mechanical force. The slit in Fig.2 is obliquely cut at 5 and in such a case surfaces 6 and 7 are formed which adhere to one another under the elastic urge of the material and effect a certain braking when force is applied tending to open the slit.

When the wall of the container is convex and a portion of it is a raised rib 8 in Pig.3. the slits 9,11 and 10, 12 extend in different planes and thus ensure the drainage of liquid from the container or the irrigation of plants at appropriate levels.

Fig.5 shows the bottom of container in which slits arranged in circles have been provided and marked 17, 18. In fig.6 relief ribs are formed on the bottom 14 marked 15, 16 and slits in these in fact would extend in the way shown in Fig.3.

The containers, tubular otherwise formed and marked 28 in Fig.7 may have s¾ar shaped, profile, that is to say, the walls thereof may be provided with creases or folds so that the volume of such a container can be enlarged during the time when the plants are grown in such a container.

According to Pig.8 the container is a tubular element and has either horizontal e.g. slits 21 or vertical ones in its wall and the whole is of conical shape and has a removable bottom 27. Near the bottom 27 of the container there are provided slits 22, permitting the &a&s removal of the bottom.

According to Fig.9 bottom 27 is also removable and the hole of the container is shaped with a spiral rib 26 which forms a screwthread so that after the removal of the bottom and screwing elements 23 and 24 into one another the .hole requires only one bottom 27.

It is clear that the new containers may have whatever shape. he advantages of the new device will become clear work caused by the necessity of unpotting and repotting the plants several times during their growth. Moreover all pots as used are provided in their lowermost part with holes which are destined for the drainage of liquid from the pot or the introduction of irrigation water into it. It is inevitable that the roots of plants grow out through these holes and develop outside the pot, which has the result that they have to be cut off in order to be able to unpot the clod which is contained in the pot. In other words, the root system of the plant is thus mutilated.

The slits 1 to 3» 4 have the advantage that they permit water to pass in both senses, the irrigation water in the sense of the arrow A and drainage passing in the sense of the arrow B without permitting roots to grow through the slits.

The operations of unpotting ahd repotting the plants may be facilitated by adding and superposing one pot to another as explained in connection with Figs. 8 and 9 by means of the screw thread 26 which is embossed in the wall of the containers.

The lowermost part 27 of these containers is detachable and it is therefore sufficient to detach the bottom of the container at the slits 22 which permit the easy removal of the bottom so as to adapt the container to be screwed on to another container and thereby to augment the capacity of the first container wherein a growing plant is contained.

In hydroponics it is well known that plants are grown in an inert substrate and that these plants undergo a vegetative shock when they are planted into the soil or into a biological mass. In use of the adaptable device according to Fig.8 and 9 it is possible to place a second container which is already in the second container expand slowly that they accommodate themselves to this condition before the plant is transplanted into open soil. It is thus possible to transplant the plant into open soil without risk of vegetative shock.

The containers 23 can be made extensible according to ?ig.7 and augment the capacity in the same ceasure as the plant grows.

It will be understood that the shape, size and form of the containers may be varied within the scope of the above. and the following claims and that the above description and the drawings have been given by way of example and without intent to delimit the invention to the forms shown.

Claims (5)

HAVING NOW particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-

1. Plant propagating container characterised thereby that it is made of an inherently flexible and elastic material and that slits with joining edges or lips are cut into the walls of such container, such slits opening under a mechanical force application and permitting thus liquid to pass through while preventing roots to grow therethrough.

2. Device as claimed in Claim 1 characterised thereby that the slits are provided in the wall and/or bottom of the container.

3. Containers as claimed in Claim 1 and 2 characterised thereby that the bottom is removable therefrom.

4. Container as claimed in any of the preceeding claims characterised thereb that the wall is provided with an embossed screwthread appearing in relief on the outside of the container.

5. Plants propagating container substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in the annexed drawings. Attorneys for Applicants.