JP2002119144A - Support for plant - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a support for a plant having high durability and flexural rigidity, easy to insert into and pull off soil but having a moderate resistance to pulling it off soil. SOLUTION: This support for a plant is made of a cold-drawn, pure steel rod put to torsional work with polygonal cross section, and the respective sides in the longitudinal direction thereof are extended helically about the axis thereof as a result of the torsional work.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a support for supporting a plant for promoting the growth of the plant in agriculture and horticulture.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In agriculture and horticulture, in order to promote the growth of plants such as tomatoes, eggplants, and various flowers, the stalks of the plants are conventionally tied and supported by strings or the like.
No. 11979 (Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 5-53446) has been proposed, which is described in FIG.
Shown in

In FIG. 9, reference numeral 1 denotes a plant support, 2 denotes a support main body, and 3 denotes a projecting piece formed in a spiral shape on the surface of the support main body 2 along the longitudinal direction and integrally formed with the support main body 2.

[0004]

The conventional plant support shown in FIG. 9 is constructed as described above, and the projecting piece 3 is attached to the support body 2.
Since it is provided on the surface of the column, once it is embedded in the soil, it has the advantage that it is difficult to fall out and is less likely to fall down unless it is pulled out while rotating, but this is the opposite. In other words, in order to pull out from the soil, not only must the column 1 be rotated, but also when embedded in the soil, the column 1 must be rotated, which means that there is a disadvantage that workability is poor. I do.

[0005] Further, when the support body 2 is formed of a hollow pipe, the support body 2 is easily bent, and when the support body 2 is to be restored straight, the portion is damaged and cannot be reused. Even if you attach caps on both ends,
There is a drawback that moisture is condensed and rust is generated inside, and the durability is poor. Even when the column body 2 having a solid cross section (a material that is not hollow but has a material up to the center) is used, Since this is usually a long object of about several tens of centimeters to about 2 m, there is a disadvantage that it is easily curved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to overcome such disadvantages of the prior art, and although it is easier to insert and extract from the soil than the conventional one, Another object of the present invention is to provide a plant support which has a moderate resistance and is superior in durability and rigidity to bending as compared with the conventional one.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a solid steel rod having a polygonal cross section which has been cold drawn and twisted, and has a longitudinal side surface. The present invention provides a plant support made of a steel rod formed by spirally extending around the axis of the steel rod by the torsion process.

[0008]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of a plant support of the present invention, in which 5 is a plant support, 501 is a long solid rod made of a steel material having a square cross section, and the steel rod 501 has four chamfers. It has a ridge 502 and four side surfaces 503. The column body 501 is twisted in the circumferential direction so that each side surface 503 is spirally extended around the longitudinal axis 504 of the steel bar 501. In this embodiment, the steel bar 501 is linear as a whole.

Reference numeral 505 denotes a loop formed by bending the rear end of the steel rod 501 into a round or elliptical shape as viewed in the direction of insertion into the soil, and reference numeral 506 denotes a steel rod 5.
01 is a sharp portion formed by appropriate means such as polishing on the other end, that is, the tip of the steel rod 501. In this embodiment, the steel rod 501 is a loop portion 505. , Sharp part 506 and these loop parts 50
5 and a sharp body 506.

507 is fixed to an outer peripheral surface (side surface 503) of the main body 500 of the steel rod 501 at an appropriate position along its length by an appropriate number of appropriate means such as welding. A hook for accommodating a horizontal bar 6 (shown in cross section in FIG. 1) for elastic connection and elastically pressing and holding the horizontal bar 6 with the outer peripheral surface of the steel bar 501. It is made of a suitable material such as an elastic steel band.
The gap between the surface 508 facing the steel bar 501 and the outer peripheral surface of the main body 500 of the steel bar 501 is slightly smaller than the thickness of the horizontal bar 6. Further, in order to securely hold the horizontal bar 6 without falling out of the hook 507, the hook 507
The distance between the upper part of the steel bar 501 and the steel bar 501 is preferably smaller than that of the lower part as shown. Furthermore, the free end 509 of the hook 507 is preferably curved outwardly to facilitate insertion of the cross bar 6 into the hook 507.

As described above, in the present invention, each side surface 50
3 uses a steel rod 501 having a configuration extending helically around the longitudinal axis 504 of the steel rod 501, so that there is no projecting piece 3 in the conventional one, and the side surface 503 simply extends helically. Therefore, the plant support 5 can be easily inserted into the soil by hammering or manual pushing without rotating the plant support 5. When supporting vine plants, the side 503 and the ridge 502
Is spiral, so that the vine is not entangled with the side surface 503 or the ridge 502, so that the vine does not slide down along the steel bar 501.

Further, the plant support 5 once inserted into the soil
As the time elapses, the surrounding soil is entangled with the spiral side surface 503 due to the earth pressure, and the soil shows moderate resistance to pulling out with respect to the side surface 503, so that the soil is firmly held in the soil. Since there is no projecting piece 3 in the object, it can be pulled out of the soil without rotating.

In the present invention, steel is used as the material of the plant support 5, but steel is generally inexpensive as compared with other metal materials, and is used in applications requiring a large number of supports such as agricultural and horticultural works. It is particularly advantageous. Not only that, it is well known that the hardness of steel is increased when it is cold-worked, but a steel rod 501 that has been cold-drawn and twisted (plastic working) is used. Therefore, the bending stiffness (hardness to bend) is large, and when the plant support 5 is driven into the soil and inserted into the soil by pushing or the like, it is bent as compared with a similar steel rod which is not subjected to such processing. Hateful. Accordingly, since a thinner steel bar 501 can be used, it is also advantageous in terms of weight reduction.
This is extremely advantageous for a plant support which is expected to use a large amount in general, such as agriculture and horticulture.

In the present invention, as described above, a solid steel bar is used. This is different from the use of hollow pipes, as there is no need to attach waterproof caps to both ends of the steel rod, and there is no danger of dew condensation at least on the inside of the steel rods. Means that it is more durable than a plant support using In addition, the hollow pipe is easily broken during the twisting process, but a solid steel rod is less likely to cause this.

Further, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a loop portion 5 is formed at the rear end of the steel rod 501 in the direction of insertion into the soil.
If the 05 is provided, the adjacent plant support 5 is tied using a string, a wire, an interconnecting line such as a wire-attached tape, or a horizontal bar is tied to the loop 505 by using this loop. Plant supports 5 can be tied and supported together,
The rear end also eliminates the risk of injury to the operator. Note that the shape of the loop portion 505 is not limited to that shown in the drawing, and may be rectangular as shown in a simplified diagram in FIG. 2, a triangle shown in FIG. 3, and an inverted triangle shown in FIG. And other shapes.

As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1, a steel bar 501 is provided with a horizontal bar 6 for interconnecting the steel bar at an appropriate position along the longitudinal direction on the outer peripheral surface of the steel bar 501. By providing a hook 507 for elastically sandwiching and holding the rod 501 with the outer peripheral surface of the main body 500, the steel bar 5 can be disposed by merely pushing the horizontal bar 6 into the hook 507.
01 can be easily connected to each other to prevent the steel bar 501 from falling down.

By providing the hook 507 in this manner, the adjacent steel bars 501 can be easily interconnected to each other by using the horizontal bar 6, but in a case where the hook 507 is not provided. Also, the steel rods 501 can be connected to each other by binding the interconnecting strips to the outer peripheral surface of each steel rod 501. In this case, since the side surface 503 of the steel bar 501, that is, the ridge portion 502 also extends spirally, the striations are entangled with the side surface 503 and the ridge portion 502, so that the vertical position does not shift. Further, even when the stem of the plant is tied to the column 5, the position of the tied string or the like does not shift, and the plant can be reliably supported.

Since the steel bar 501 is solid, it can withstand rusting on its surface for a sufficiently long period of time, but it can be used for a long period of time. Covering with a tube of paint or a heat-shrinkable synthetic resin and heating it and applying an appropriate rust-prevention treatment such as a resin heat-shrinkage method that adheres tightly to the outer peripheral surface of the steel rod is not only for rust prevention but also for maintaining aesthetics It is also preferable from the viewpoint. In addition, in order to use the resin heat shrinkage method when having the hook 507, the steel bar 501 and the hook 507 may be covered with individual synthetic resin tubes and heated.

The steel rod 501 can be made of various steels such as mild steel, hard steel, and stainless steel. Of these, mild steel is preferred because it is the least expensive. The cross-sectional size of the steel rod 501 is a square cross-section, and the size of one side is 4 mm to 7 m.
m is preferable. That is, if it is 7 mm or more, the weight becomes excessively large, and if it is 4 mm or less, it becomes easy to bend. 6m
A size of about mx 6 mm is practical in terms of bending rigidity, durability, weight, and price.

Next, the preferred helical pitch of each side surface 503 of the steel rod 501 depends on the thickness, cross-sectional shape, required bending stiffness, and the like of the main body 500 of the column 5 and cannot be said unconditionally. However, if the helical pitch is made too small, the steel rod 501 may be broken during the twisting.

For example, in the case of a steel bar 501 having a square cross section of 6 mm × 6 mm, the helical pitch is preferably set to about 80 mm or more in order to prevent the steel bar 501 from breaking.
In order to obtain the required bending stiffness while avoiding self-restoration (untwisting) due to the elasticity of the steel bar 501, and to secure resistance to pulling out from the soil, the thickness is preferably 160 mm or less. In the case of a steel rod 501 having a square cross section of 6 mm × 6 mm, a particularly preferable helical pitch range is 100 mm to 15 mm.
0 mm. By twisting at a helical pitch in this range, the steel rod 501 can be thin, lightweight, and have high bending rigidity, and can have an appropriate resistance to pulling out from the soil.

The sectional shape of the steel bar 501 is different from that of the steel bar 50.
(1) Positive in terms of securing resistance to pulling out of the pillar 5 from the soil by the spiral side surface 503 while minimizing the directionality of bending rigidity (difference in bending depending on the direction) at various positions in the longitudinal direction. A square (including an octagon formed by slightly chamfering the ridge 502 to prevent injury due to the sharp ridge 502) is most preferable, but in the present invention, the cross-sectional shape of the steel rod 501 is limited to a regular square. Not a thing,
A regular polygon other than a regular quadrangle (for example, a regular triangle, a regular pentagon, etc.) or a polygon other than a regular polygon may be used. But,
In order to ensure the resistance of the spiral side surface 503 to pulling out of the pillar 5 from the soil, it is not preferable to make the area of the side surface 503 too small, and in that sense, a triangle or a square is preferable.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.
Is shown in a front view. The embodiment shown in FIG.
00 to the left and right legs 510, 511
511 is bent into a U-shape having a connecting portion 512 for interconnecting the two, and a sharp portion 506 is formed at the tip of both legs 510 and 511 for easy insertion into the soil.

When the support 5 is used, both legs 510, 5
11 is inserted into the ground through its sharp part 506. The connecting portion 512 is used to support the plant stem which is inclined obliquely so as not to be further inclined. In this case, the stem may be simply placed on the connecting portion 512, or may be tied to the connecting portion 512 by a string or the like. According to this embodiment, it is possible to easily support the stem of the plant so as not to tilt greatly. FIG.
It is needless to explain again that the same operation and effect as the support 5 shown in FIG.

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in a schematic diagram in a front view in FIG. In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the connecting portion 512 in the embodiment of FIG. 5 is bent in a concave shape so that the stem of the plant is supported in the concave portion 513. In this embodiment, the plant stem is accommodated in the recess 513 and supported, so that the plant stem does not shift to the left and right, and the plant is not tied with a string or the like. In this case, the support can be more easily and stably performed.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing the plant support shown in FIG. 1 will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a flowchart schematically showing a manufacturing method, and FIG. 8 is a front view of a rotary die for drawing and twisting used in the manufacturing method.

First, a steel round bar having an appropriate diameter (for example, 9 mm in diameter) is drawn out cold through the hole 701 of the rotary die 7 shown in FIG. 8 and rotating the rotary die 7 in the direction of arrow 702 or in the opposite direction. And a predetermined size (for example, the length L of one side is 6 mm) and a square cross section (strictly speaking, if each ridge 502 is chamfered and each chamfer is counted as one side, it is strictly an octagon) ( For example, a steel rod 501 having a spiral pitch of 130 mm on each side surface 503 is obtained. Next, the steel rod 501 drawn and twisted in this manner is cut into a desired length (for example, 1200 mm), and thereafter, a loop portion 505 is formed at one end of the steel rod 501 by a bending machine.
Next, the other end is polished by a suitable means such as a lathe or the like to sharpen the sharp portion 50.
6 is formed. Thereby, the support 5 is basically completed. In FIG. 8, reference numeral 703 denotes a ridge 50 of the steel rod 501.
2 is a chamfered portion of the hole 701 for chamfering 2.

When the hook 507 is provided, the hook 507 is fixed to the side surface 503 of the steel bar 501 by a suitable means such as welding after forming a sharp portion, so that the hook 507 does not interfere with lathe processing. It is preferable in terms of doing so. In the case where rust prevention treatment is performed, it is general to perform this after hook attachment. However, the order of each of the above-described steps can be appropriately changed. For example, the order of forming a loop portion, forming a sharp portion, attaching a hook and the like can be interchanged with each other, and the rust-proofing treatment of the steel rod 501 is performed by a machine in which the applied rust-proof layer can only withstand wire drawing through the die 7. In the case where the hook has the proper strength (for example, electrogalvanizing, hot-dip galvanizing, etc.), it can be performed before the wire drawing and the twisting regardless of whether or not the hook 507 is provided.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, the plant support is a solid steel rod having a polygonal cross section which has been cold drawn and twisted, and has a longitudinal side surface. Is formed by a steel rod spirally extended around the axis of the steel rod by the torsion process, so that it is easy to insert into the soil and pull out from the soil, This has the effect of having an appropriate resistance and being superior to conventional ones in terms of durability and rigidity against bending.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a plant support of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a plant support having a loop portion having a shape different from that in the embodiment of FIG. 1 by a diagram.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a plant support having a loop portion having a different shape from that of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 by a diagram.

FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a plant support having a loop portion having a different shape from that of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a front view of a plant support according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a plant support according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a flowchart schematically showing a method of manufacturing the plant support shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a rotary die for drawing and twisting used in the manufacturing method of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a side view showing an example of a conventional plant support.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 5 Plant support 6 Horizontal bar 501 Steel bar 503 Side surface of steel bar 504 Longitudinal line of steel bar 505 Loop 507 Hook 510 Leg 511 Leg 512 Connecting portion 513 Concave portion

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A solid steel rod having a polygonal cross section, which is drawn in a cold state and subjected to a torsion process, wherein each side surface in the longitudinal direction is spirally formed around the axis of the steel bar by the torsion process. A support for a plant, comprising a steel rod extending in a direction. 2. The plant rod according to claim 1, wherein the steel rod is straight, and a loop formed by bending a rear end of the steel rod as viewed in a direction in which the steel rod is inserted into the soil is provided. Prop. 3. A steel bar for accommodating a horizontal bar for interconnecting steel bars at an appropriate position along the longitudinal direction on the outer peripheral surface of the steel bar, and elastically holding the horizontal bar between the outer peripheral surface of the steel bar and the steel bar. 3. The plant support according to claim 1, wherein a hook is provided. 4. A steel rod is bent into a U-shape having left and right legs and a connecting portion connecting the both legs to each other, and the legs are inserted into the soil, and the plant stem is supported by the connecting portion. The support | pillar for plants of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. 5. The plant support according to claim 4, wherein the connecting portion is bent in a concave shape, and the stem of the plant is accommodated and supported in the concave portion. 6. The plant support according to claim 1, wherein the steel rod is made of a mild steel material. 7. The plant support according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the steel rod is subjected to rust prevention treatment.