NZ623453B2 - Guide and fastening device for plant support wires - Google Patents

Abstract

guiding and fastening device for plant support wires is disclosed. The device comprises at least one pair of vertical upright elements (2) fastened to a head pole (PT) and provided with longitudinal guides (2) for fastening elements (3) for lateral containment wires (FC). A further training wire vertical upright (6) is associated with each pair of lateral containment uprights (2). The further uprights (6) have a guide for fastening elements (7) for at least one training wire (FP). The containment (FC) and training (FP) wires can be rearranged for different phases of plant cultivation, in particular for rows of grapevines in a viticulture operation. vertical upright (6) is associated with each pair of lateral containment uprights (2). The further uprights (6) have a guide for fastening elements (7) for at least one training wire (FP). The containment (FC) and training (FP) wires can be rearranged for different phases of plant cultivation, in particular for rows of grapevines in a viticulture operation.

Description

“GUIDE AND FASTENING DEVICE FOR PLANT SUPPORT WIRES” DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a guide and fastening device for plant training wires, particularly suitable for use in the ltural field.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION In the viticultural field, a well-known ce is to prearrange vine support structures consisting of rows of poles driven into the ground so as to form rows of grapevines. The poles are spaced at regular distances and are connected at a certain height from the ground by at least one fixed horizontal wire, called “carrying wire” or “training wire”.

On the two poles located at the head of each row, called “head poles”, is also ed at least one pair of parallel wires arranged on respective sides of each pole in the row. These wires are commonly called “containment wires” or “movable wires” e, during the different phases of cultivation of the , they are moved to different heights above the ground to contain and arrange the growing vegetation according to a desired configuration. This is a ularly laborious operation.

Italian Patent application PN2010A000023, filed by the same s of the present application, describes a fastening device for the “movable wires” of a row of plants, in particular grapevines, which foresees connecting the movable wires to vertical guide elements associated to the end or head poles.

The ends of the movable wires are fastened to mounting means that are inserted and can slide within the guides formed in the vertical guide elements, so as to modify the height of the movable containment wires and adapt it to the growing vegetation.

This solution is advantageous, but it does not offer the possibility of optimizing at another moment the position of the training wire and of the second wire, and of any third fixed wire, if present, that are located higher than the training wire having a support function. er, it does not completely solve the m of pruning the vine shoots after the grapes have been harvested. In effect, automatic machines have been built that move along the rows and are provided with means for lifting and cutting the vegetation. However, these machines cannot perform satisfactorily in the area at the head of the rows, that is in the area that goes from the head pole to the first plant support pole.

European Patent Application EP 2 324 700 A1 describes an elastic compensation device for the movable wires in ltural systems. This device includes a first fastening element for connection to a head pole in the row and a second fastening element to receive at least one pair of movable wires. The first and the second fastening elements are interconnected by an elastic element and are both arranged at the same end of said elastic element, so as to apply only a compression force on the . Wire-tensioning means are also provided in opposite positions with t to the elastic element to engage the pairs of containment wires and to make it possible to adjust their tension. However, the solution described in Patent Application EP 2 324 700 A1 is not adaptable to a “training wire” and is bound to the use of a specific tensioning means.

SUMMARY OF THE ION The main ive of the present invention is to propose a guide and support device for the “training wires” on rows of grapevines that makes it possible to make the most te use, that is, as far as the ends of the rows of vines, of the automatic machines for pruning vine-shoots.

In on, an objective of the invention is also to be able to vary and optimize the position of the support wires in a simple manner and as necessary.

Another objective of the present invention is to propose a device that is simple and quick to install, being made up of a minimum number of component pieces.

A still further objective of the t invention is to propose a single guide and support device for both the ng wires and the containment wires that is ularly rational, t and solid, so as to support all types of stresses to which it may be subjected.

Alternatively, it is also an object of the invention to at least provide the public with a useful choice.

Any one of these objectives are achieved with a tensioning device having the characteristics specified in the claims of the present patent.

[Followed by page 2a] Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and claims the terms “comprise”, ising” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense. That is, in the sense of “including, but not limited to”.

Advantages and details of the invention will become clear from the following description, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the enclosed gs, wherein: [Followed by page 3] [Followed by page 3] - figures from 1A to 1C illustrate the head ns of a row of plants, in particular grapevines, equipped with a guide and t device for movable wires in a first embodiment of the invention, with the vegetation in different stages of ; - figure 2 is a perspective view of the device according to the invention installed on a head pole of a row of plants; - figure 3 is a perspective view from above of the device of figure 2; - figure 4 is a view of the upper end of the head pole of a row of plants provided with the device according to the invention in a second embodiment; - figure 5 is a perspective view from above of an enlarged detail of the device of figure 4.

ED PTION OF THE INVENTION The head portion of a row of plants, in particular grapevines, shown in figures 1A to 10, es a head pole PT and an intermediate pole PI. The head pole PT is driven into the ground, generally inclined from the vertical plane and is suitably braced by relative bracing wires FV. The intermediate pole PI is instead driven into the ground in a substantially vertical position.

On the head pole PT is mounted a compensation device 1, to which are fastened the ends of the containment wires FC. The compensation device includes a pair of guides 2 within which slide tive fastening means 3.

The device 1 must guarantee that the guides 2 are as much as possible vertical, so as to enable the displacement of the containment wires FC.

To the fastening means 3 are fastened the ends of the containment wires FC, which are kept spaced apart laterally so as to guide between them the grown vegetation and follow it as it grows upward. The guides 2 are connected and fastened to the head pole PT by means of brackets 4 and collars 5.

The detailed description of this solution is omitted, as reference to the constructive details is made in Patent Application AOOOO23 previously mentioned.

According to the invention, the compensation device 1 includes a further guide 6 that is associated to the guides 2, in an intermediate on between them. In the guide 6 are mounted sliding means 7, similar to the fastening means 3. The ends of the training wires FP are connected to the fastening means 7, so as to allow the vertical displacement of the wires.

Naturally, the vertical positioning of the wires can be assured with known fastening means, such as pins to insert in relative holes in the guides; such pins are preferably connected to the guides through chains, so as to avoid scattering them. As an alternative, elastic split pins or similar means can be used for this purpose.

Preferably, the ng wires FP and the containment wires F0 are connected to the ing means 3 and 7 h cushioning means 8 of known type.

In particular, in a second embodiment, the compensation device 1 is made adjustable by connecting the vertical guides 2 and 6 to the head pole PT through a curved bracket 9 provided with a ity of equally spaced holes 10. pondingly, the vertical guides 2 and 6 are provided with holes 11 near their upper ends. The holes 10 on the bracket 9 and the holes 11 on the guides 2 and 6 receive a threaded pin 12 that is locked by a nut 13.

This solution makes it possible to adapt the position of the compensation device 1 and the tensioning of the training and containment wires to adapt them to the characteristics of the g vegetation in the row of vines.

The new on was studied to make it more advantageous to carry out the pruning and defoliation operations performed with automatic machines, allowing the vertical displacement of the training wires FP, while keeping them parallel to the ground.

In fact, up to now the ends of the training wires FP were connected in fixed positions on the head poles PT, and thus in the n of a rows of plants between the head pole PT and the first intermediate pole PI the training wires FP were inclined upward so as to be guided toward the pruning machines.

Consequently, the pruning of the plants was irregular in the head portions of the rows of plants, or had to be carried out manually, demanding time and effort from the operator.

With the solution according to the invention, there is also the advantage of enabling the ng wires FP to be displaced vertically, even independently of the pruning ion, so as to simply adapt the system to the type of training of the specific plants.

Claims (6)

1. Guide and fastening device for plant support wires, in particular for rows of grapevines, the device comprising at least one pair of vertical upright elements, fastened to a head pole and provided with longitudinal guides within which are made to slide ing elements for lateral vegetation containment wires, wherein to each pair of uprights for the lateral containment wires is associated a further vertical t provided with a guide n is made to slide a fastening element for at least one training wire.

2. Guide and fastening device for plant support wires as in claim 1, wherein within said further vertical upright are made to slide two fastening elements for a lower ng wire and for an upper training wire, respectively.

3. Guide and fastening device for plant t wires as in claim 2, wherein the training wires and the containment wires are connected to the fastening ts through cushioning means.

4. Guide and fastening device for plant support wires as in any one of the previous claims, wherein the vertical guides are ted to the head pole by means of a curved bracket provided with a plurality of holes, which correspond to holes on the guides for a connection by means of a threaded pin and nut.

5. Guide and fastening device for plant support wires as in any one of the previous claims, wherein the positioning of the fastening ts is achieved by means of pins or similar means inserted into holes in the guides.

6. A guide and fastening device for plant support wires substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.