US2983076A

US2983076A - Hydroponic gardening device

Info

Publication number: US2983076A
Application number: US823580A
Authority: US
Inventors: Patterson D Merrill
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-06-29
Filing date: 1959-06-29
Publication date: 1961-05-09
Anticipated expiration: 1978-05-09

Description

1951 P. D. MERRILL 2,983,076

HYDROPONIC GARDENING DEVICE Filed June 29, 1959 INVENTOR.

HYDRGPONIC. GARDENING DEVICE Patterson D. Merrill, 1721 Hillsdale Road, South 'Bend, Ind.

Filed June 2d, 1959, Ser. No. 823,580 7 Claims. (Cl. 47-1.2)

This invention relates to improvements in hydroponic gardening devices, and more panticularly to a small portable device of this character which can be used in, a home' The primary object of this invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple in construction, light in weight, easy to operate, and elfective for its intended purpose A further object is to provide a device of this character which is formed from a foamed unicellular plastic material acconnuodating detachable connection of fittings thereto with a leakprocf arrangement to accommodate controlled application of liquid and of air under pressure to the device during use thereof.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having a false bottom having an opening with which a tubecommunicates to extend downwardly to a level adjacentto the bottom of the device, which false bottom supports granular material above the level of a supply of liquid contained in the chamber below the false bottom and subject to air pressure selectively generated by manually operable pump means communicating therewith and releasable by disconnection of the pressure-generating means I erefrom.

'A further object is to provide a device of this character having a false bottom defining a liquid-confining chamber provided with an opening adjacent its lower end in which is friction-ally received in sealed relation one end of a tube normally extending upwardlyand formed of transparent material to sender visible to view the level of the liquid therein as a gauge of a level of the liquid in the evice, said tube being rotatable to downwardly extending position for the purpose of serving as a drain to remove liquid from the chamber.

, v Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawing:

Figure l is atop plan view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the device taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional view of the air pressure generating means taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2. 7

Referring to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designates a container which is open at its top and is provided with a bottom wall 12, opposed end walls 14 preferably upwardly and outwardly inclined, and opposed side Walls 16, also preferably upwardly and outwardly inclined. The

walls

14 and 16 are preferably of lesser thickness at their upper end port ons to define shoulders 18 lying in a common plane and providing support for a horizontal partition or false bottom 20 located at approfimately midheight of the container ill. The container 10 is preferably provided with a top marginal rim 22 of increased thickness. False bottom 20 is provided with a central States PatentO 2 opening communicating with the upper end of an elongated vertical tube 24 which preferably terminates adjacent to and slightly above the upper surface of the bottom wall 12 of the container.

The container with its bottom, side and end walls and its rim portion 22 is preferably molded to constitute an integral one-piece structure. The material employed is preferably a unicellular foam type plastic or synthetic resin. One such plastic is a styrene foam. T he unicellular foam plastic is characterized by non-communicating voids therein extending substantially uniformly therethrough to produce a light weight, non-porous structure. The plastic is shape-retaining but is compressible, in at least a measure. The false bottom 20 and the conduit may be formed of any materialfound suitable, including the same unicellular foam material, if that is desired, in which event the

pants

20 and 24 may be formed integrally, as by molding. The margin of the false bottom 20 rests upon the shoulder 18 and is preferably continuously cemented thereon to provide an airtight joint between the false bottom and the walls of the container. there is a substantially airtight seal or union between the false bottom 2% and the upper end of the tube 24.

The false bottom 20 is preferably provided with an elongated longitudinal central recess 26, and the tube 24 communicates with this recess. The recess 26 receives a reticulated panel 28, such as screening sulficiently fine to support thereon a body of gravel 30, such as pea gravel, which covers the false bottom 20 to any desired depth. The screening 28 serves to retain the gravel and prevent it from passing through tube 24.

One of the upright walls of the container 20, here shown as one of the end walls 14, is provided with a passage 32 extending therethrough at approximately the level of the top surface of the bottom wall 12. Within this aperture 32 is inserted with a press fit one end or leg portion 34 of a tube formed of glass or other transparent material and preferably of L-shape and including an elongated portion 36 extending substantially at right angles to the tube part 34. The tube part 36 is of such length that when it is positioned to extend vertically upwardly, it will extend to a level equal to or above the top edge of the container-10. The diameter of the tube part 34 at its outer surface is slightly greater than the diameter of the bore :32 inwhich it is pressed, and in the preferred form the diameter of the bore 32 will be approximately one-sixteenth inch less than the outer diameter of the tube 34. The tube 34, '36 will be open at both ends thereof.

A passageway extends through one of the upright walls of the container at a level below and adjacent to the false bottom 20. As here shown, this passage is moldedv in one of the end walls 14 and comprises an elongated passage portion 40 open at its upper end at the top edge of the container and extending to a position spaced below the level of the shoulder 18. A short transverse passage portion 42 communicates with the lower end of the passage 40 and opens into the interior of the container. Adjacent its upper end the passage 40 communicates with a passage 44 extending laterally in the rim portion 22 and open at the outer edge of said rim. A plug 4-6 is inserted in and forms a seal in the upper part of the passage 40 above the level of the transverse passage 44. A fitting 48 is provided with a tapered end portion 50 having a slight or gradual taper and an exterior diameter slightly larger than the diameter of thebore 44 to accommodate a snug sealed fit ofthe fitting part or member 56 in said bore by simply pressing upon the fitting to wedge it in said bore 44. The fitting has a bore extending therethrough and has an outer reduced diameter end portion 52 upon which is mounted one end of a flexible conduit 54, such as a rubber tube. The

Similarly,

opposite end of the tube 54 mounts a check valve 56, here illustrated as having a valve seat 58 at one end thereof, against which a valve element 60 is pressed by a spring 62. A rubber bulb 64 is mounted on the housing of the check valve 66 at one end thereof. The other end of the bulb 64 mounts a second check valve 66 having an air intake 68 against which a valve member 70 is normally pressed by a spring 72.

In the use of the device, a quantity of water is supplied to the device having dissolved therein a suitable plant nutrient. The quantity of water supplied is less than required to fill the chamber below the false bottom 20 to the level of the passage 42 but more than required to fill it to a level substantially above the outlet 32. The

tube

34, 36 is positioned to extend upwardly as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 2. Granular material, such as gravel 30, of the desired depth is placed in the upper part of the container, and seeds are sown in said granular material or living plants, such as flowers or vegetables, are set in said granular material. The device is then ready for use consistent with the basic principle of hydroponic devices. This principle is that plant roots growing in granular material, such as gravel, are nourished periodically by wetting the gravel with water enriched by proper plant nutrients, which water is then drained therefrom so that the plant roots are exposed to the air which replaces the water drained from the gravel.

This principle of operation is accomplished in the present device by repeatedly squeezing the bulb 64 to pump air under pressure into the liquid-containing chamber while the tube 54 and the fitting 48 are connected to the device as illustrated in Fig. 1. In this connection observe that compression of the bulb 64 by a squeezing action unseats the valve member 60 against the action of the spring 62 and forces air from the bulb into conduit 54. Subsequent release of pressure on the bulb 64 to permit it to expand results in reseating of the valve 60 by the spring 62, and, creation of a subatmospheric pressure within the expanding bulb 64. A pressure differential between atmospheric pressure and the sub-atmospheric pressure in the bulb is sutficient to permit unseating of the valve 70, so that air may enter the bulb 64 as it expands. When expansion of the bulb 64 cnds, the spring 72 again comes into play to reseat the valve member 70. Repeated squeezing of the bulb 64 thus results in an air-pumping operation which generates a sufficient air pressure between the false bottom 20 and the top of the liquid in the lower chamber of the device to displace that liquid downwardly in the bottom chamber of the device so as to force liquid into the bottom of the tube 24 for flow upwardly therein and into the gravel 30 supported by the false bottom 20, and also up in the tube 36 to the same level. This pumping operation can continue until sufficient liquid has been displaced to completely wet the gravel bed 30 or to wet it to any selected level as seen by viewing the sight glass 36. The liquid is then drained from the device by the simple expedient of removing the fitting 48 from its receiving bore 44 so that said bore is opened to atmosphere and the air pressure in the lower part of the device bearing upon the liquid is relieved so that the liquid may flow back into the lower chamber of the device by gravity.

When it is desired to drain the device, tube 36 can be swung to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 to project downwardly relative to the part 34, whereupon the liquid will flow from the device freely as accommodated by the fact that air may enter the lower liquid chamber through the tube 24 and the granular material thereabove.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that changes in the construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

'1 claim:

1. A hydroponic gardening device comprising a container open at its top and having a bottom and upright walls, a partition spanning said container spaced above said bottom to define a liquid chamber, said partition having an aperture therein and a marginal sealed connection with said container, at reticulated member spanning said aperture, an upright tube depending from said partition in communication with said aperture and terminating adjacent to but spaced above said container bottom, a passage in an upright container wall communicating with the upper part of said liquid chamber, means for supplying air under pressure through said passage, a second passage in an upright container wall communicating with the lower part of said liquid chamber, and an open ended tube having one end seated in said second passage and an angularly extending opposite transparent end portion. I

2. A hydroponic gardening device as defined in claim 1, wherein said container is formed of shape-retaining unicellular synthetic resinhaving a measure of compressibility, said last named tube being of a diameter larger than the diameter of the second passage and having a pressed sealed fit therein.

3. A hydroponic gardening device as defined in claim 1, wherein said container is formed of non-porous foamed plastic and said tube has a sealed pressed fit in said second passage accommodating rotation thereof to and positioning thereof in any selected angular relation.

4. A hydroponic gardening device as defined in claim 1, wherein said air supply means includes an air pump, a conduit and a fitting on said conduit removably mounted in said first passage with a sealed fit.

5. A hydroponic gardening device as defined in claim 1, wherein said container is formed of non-porous foamed plastic and said air supply means includes an air pump with an outlct fitting having a press fit in said first passage.

6. A hydroponic gardening device comprising a container having a bottom and upright walls, said container being formed of unicellular foamed synthetic resin having a measure of compressibility, a partition having an aperture therein and spanning and connected to said upright walls to form a liquid chamber therebelow, a conduit depending from said partition in communication with said aperture and terminating adjacent and spaced from said bottom, upper and lower apertures in said upright walls, an air pump having an outlet member releasably wedged in said upper opening, and an L-shaped open ended conduit having an end portion rotatably mounted in said lower opening with a pressed sealed fit and an opposite transparent end portion.

7. A hydroponic gardening device as defined in claim 1, wherein said conduit portion is of larger diameter than said lower opening and said pump fitting has a tapered end seated in said upper opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,940,044 Brandt Dec. 19, l933 2,241,699 Cooper May 13, 1941 2,600,718 Wilson June 17, 1952 2,870,574 Sheridan Jan. 27, 1959 2,879,627 Hollander Mar. 31, 1959