NZ205773A - Interlocking plastics-framed shields for plant protection - Google Patents

Description

205773- Attorney's ref. P301/83T.CS Patents Form No. 5 Fee $100 Patents Act 1953 Number: 205773 Date: 28 September 1983 \ COMPLETE SPECIFICATION ENCLOSURE DEVICE FOR PLANTS, SHRUBS AND THE LIKE I, JOHN WAKEFIELD CROPPER, a New Zealand citizen of 10 Eastbourne Road, Remuera, Auckland, New Zealand, hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- 205773 This invention relates to components for an enclosure device suitable for use in relation to plants, shrubs and any other things in respect of which interference is to be prevented.

Often young shrubs are damaged by being knocked over or otherwise damaged before they have matured. Thus they are often protected by having stakes driven into the ground around them and either rope or wire mesh placed around the stakes to prevent the shrub being interfered 10 with.

Similarly, young plants such as strawberries and the like are covered to prevent their damage by birds. Typically such covers consist in strips of wire mesh moulded to form an arch which is placed over the young 15 plants.

At present, there is nothing on the market designed to be used as an enclosure for plants, shrubs and other things, which is easily assembled and dismantled. Such an enclosure would need to be able to act as an 20 arch when providing a cover over plants while on the other hand, being able to be arranged to form a tubular shape when acting as an enclosure around shrubs and other things.

It is an object of this invention to provide an enclosure for use in 25 protecting plants, shrubs and other things, or at least provide the o n 'X f*' T <i J S J O public with a useful choice.

In this specification, the term "shield" means a product substantially sheet-like in structure, which is bendable. The construction of the 5 shield may be an open woven structure such as wire mesh.

This invention consists in components for an enclosure device comprising two or more shields as hereinbefore described, each shield having at least two substantially straight edges with connecting means adapted in 10 use to connect to complementary connecting means on the other shield to form an enclosure.

The above gives a broad description of the present invention, a preferred form of which will now be described with reference to the 15 accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of the shield, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the shield in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a side view of a stake with connecting means, Figure 4 is a cross-section of the stake in Figure 3, Figure 5 is an example of two or more shields connected to from an enclosure to enclose a shrub, Figure 6 is a perspective view providing an example of two or more shields connected and bent to form an arch for covering young plants 25 such as strawberries, it47r -o^ 205773 r Figure 7 is a perspective view providing an alternative arrangement to Figure 6 whereby the shields are connected together in a staggered arrangement.

In this invention, two or more shields are connected together in use to form an enclosure. The shields are made of wire mesh 1 and have substantially parallel straight sides. Typically the shields 1 are substantially rectangular in shape. Along the parallel straight edges of each shield is a connecting means. Each connecting means is adapted to 10 connect with a similar connecting means on another shield 1.

Each connecting means is made in plastics by extrusion, but could alternatively be a metal member. The connecting means is an elongate member 2 with one edge having a slot 3 into which the edge of the shield 15 1 is fixed. The other edge of the elongate member 2 has an outwardly projecting portion 4 or 5 which curves inwards, but does not reconnect back onto the member 2. The curved portion 4 or 5 of the elongate members forms a partially enclosed passageway with a gap 7 or 6, respectively. The gap 7 or 6 formed by the elongate members 2 on either 20 side of a shield 1 are each facing in opposite directions. The curved portion 4 or 5 engages in use with a similar curved portion 5 or 4 respectively on an adjacent elongate member 2. Engagement takes place by connecting the curved portion 5 or 4 of one elongate member 2 through its gap 6 or 7 with the curved portion 4 or 5 of another elongate member 25 similarly through its gap 7 or 6 and sliding the elongate members 2 — /"N w/ "*,f • j '4\3 0'« i O along their longitudinal axis towards each other. Cnce two elongate members 2 are connected, they are interlocked and are not easily separated. Separation takes place by sliding each elongate member 2 in opposite directions along its longitudinal axis.

A further component in assembling an enclosure is that of a stake 8. The stake is typically made of aluminium having a T cross-section as seen in Figure 4. The stake 8 has a connecting means along two of its edges. Hie connecting means is similar to that of the shield 1 as 10 described above, that is, it is an elongate member 9 with one edge having a slot 12 into which the edge of the stake 8 is fixed. The other edge of the elongate member 9 is an outwardly projecting portion 10 or 13 which curves irwards, but does not reconnect tack onto the msnber 9. This results in a gap 11 or 14 formed by the elongate members 9 on the 15 stake 8 each face in opposite directions.

The method of assembling the components described above consists in the steps of taking two or more shields 1 and placing then next to each other. The curved portion 4 or 5 of each elongate member 2 is engaged 20 with a complementary elongate member 2 of another shield 1 as described above.

The shields 1 can be joined together to form a cylinder which is shown if figure 5. The cylinder can be placed around a shrub to protect it. 25 To ensure the enclosure does not move, a sta-kV 8 cirfiibe joined to the /• #10 on!* ■ri >~-t » S i O enclosure. The curved portion 10 and 13 of the elongate member 9 on the stake 8 is connected to the ccmpLanentary curved portion 4 or 5 of the elongate members 2 on the shields 1. Hie stake 8 is driven into the ground so as to retain the enclosure in one position. There may be two or more stakes 8 used in this manner where a cylinder encloses a shrub.

It is possible to form a fence by using a plurality cf stakes 8 and shields 1 which are connected together in the manner mentioned above.

Another use of the above components is to bend the shields 1 to form an arch. Each shield 1 is connected with another shield 1 and butted together for use in covering plants such as strawberries. This is seen in Figure 6. When the shield 1 is wire mesh, it is possible to add an opaque material to the shield 1 such as polythene.

A variation of the above-mentioned arch is to interlock the shields 1 so that they are connected in a staggered arrangonent. In this case each elongate member 2 of a shield 1 connects with a portion of two other elongate members 2. There are two different sizes of the shield 1, a full size and a half size. Thus, with a staggered arrangement the half size shield can be used to finish off the ends. This can be seen in Figure 7. The length of the arch formed in either of these.-two ways can be of an indeterminate size. o n^ 7 V v ii ) i ij is possihle to add an opaque material to cover the diield 1. Typically polythene is used. Thus where the enclosure is used ever strawberry plants, the polythene has the desirable effect of keeping warm air around the plants and so forming a microclimate suitable for the plants to grow in. Alternatively where the polythene is attached to the shields 1 used around shrubs it acts as a wind screen and so gives small shrubs an opportunity of getting established without being exposed to unnecessary winds.

The polythene can be attached by any suitable method. Typically the edge c£ the polythene is slid into the gap 6 or 7 of the elongate member 2, and held there ty rubber or plastics wedges.

Many modifications to the above are possihle within the scope of the 15 present invention as claimed.

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Claims (14)

O O !" P-1 '"1 i-' o I if o WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. Components for an enclosure device comprising two or more shields, each shield having connecting means on a first 5 edge and a second edge, said first edge being substantially parallel to and opposite said second edge, each shield being made of a sheet material which is bendable in a plane so as to bring said first and second edges closer together, each shield being connectable to another shield by engaging and 10 sliding together the connecting means on each shield along the longitudinal axis of the connecting means.

2. Components for an enclosure device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the connecting means comprises an elongate member 15 having an inner edge with a slot into which the edge of the shield is fixed and an outer edge with a retaining member which extends outwardly and then curves around toward the outer edge, the retaining member being adapted to engage a retaining member on another elongate member such that in use 20 the elongate members cannot be disengaged except by sliding along the longitudinal axis.

3. Components for an enclosure dev^CS^^2^imed in claim 1 or claim 2 additionally including^'% stake wi®w a connecting 25 means along one edge adapted in'^-ius,^ iJ^Ve ©bnnected to a •"> O '7 ■v U J i / complementary connecting means on a shield.

4. Components for an enclosure device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the stake has a connecting means along two edges. 5

5. Components for an enclosure device wherein the connecting means of the stake as claimed in claim 4 is an elongate member having an inner edge with a slot into which the edge of the stake is fixed and an outer edge with a 10 retaining member which extends outwardly and then curves around towards the outer edge, the retaining member being adapted to engage a retaining member on another elongate member. 15

6. Components for an enclosure device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the shields are made of an open mesh material.

7. Components for an enclosure device as claimed in any one 20 of the preceding claims wherein the shields are covered by an opaque material.

8. Components for an enclosure device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the opaque material is detach^^^E^Tn.ected to the 25 shields. //.. UN \ v,z .6 . •. C\ r •' 4UJ i i O

9. Components for an enclosure device substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings. 5

10. A method for using the components for an enclosure device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the complementary connecting means of two or more shields are connected together to form a substantially cylindrically shaped 10 enclosure.

11. A method of using the components for an enclosure device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the complementary connecting means of two shields are connected together and 15 the shields are curved to form an arch.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein three or more shields are connected in a staggered arrangement so that each connecting means connects with a portion of two other 20 connecting means.

13. A method of using the components for an enclosure device as claimed in claim 5 wherein one or more connecting means along the edge of one or more st^Jcfes'^re connected to ff« 25 complementary connecting means of shields. * -fe JAN»88 A

14. A method of using the components for an enclosure device as claimed in claim 1 substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the 5 accompanying drawings. JOHN WAKEFIELD CROPPER by hisautinorized agents, J.D. HARDIE CO. ao 15 - 11 -