Abstract:
A trellis is disclosed. The trellis has a base, spaced flexible arms rising generally vertically upwardly and outwardly from the base to free ends, and two spacers. There are openings in each of the spacers in which the arms of the trellis are slidable. The walls of the openings in the spacers engage the flexible arms frictionally, exerting a force which opposes sliding movement of the spacers relative to the flexible arms.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention is a support structure that is especially suited for service as a trellis. More particularly, the invention is a trellis assembly which, in an un-erected state, is quite compact in two dimensions and, when erected, is quite substantially dimensioned in two dimensions. The trellis can be erected by hand without the need for tools or adhesives. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Trellises have been known for many years, being disclosed, for example, in the following U.S. patents: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 US patent 
                 Date 
                 US patent 
                 Date 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 166,766 
                 Aug. 17, 1875 
                 890,948 
                 Jun. 16, 1908 
               
               
                   
                 1,311,136 
                 Jul. 22, 1919 
                 1,592,764 
                 Jul. 13, 1926 
               
               
                   
                 1,653,263 
                 Dec. 20, 1927 
                 D83,802 
                 Mar. 31, 1931 
               
               
                   
                 1.835.092 
                 Dec. 8, 1931 
                 1,953,638 
                 Apr. 3, 1934 
               
               
                   
                 2,418,151 
                 Apr. 1, 1947 
                 2,467,265 
                 Apr. 12, 1949 
               
               
                   
                 2,725,676 
                 Dec. 6, 1955 
                 2,799,122 
                 Jul. 16, 1957 
               
               
                   
                 3,119,202 
                 Jan. 28, 1964 
                 3,166,869 
                 Jan. 26, 1965 
               
               
                   
                 4,999,944 
                 Mar. 19, 1991 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0005]    A trellis is a structure, often made from interwoven pieces of wood, bamboo or metal that is made to support a climbing plant or plants. There are many types of trellis for different places and for different plants, such as sweet peas, grapevines and ivy. 
         [0006]    A trellis can also refer to a structure, usually made from interwoven wood pieces, attached to the roof or exterior walls of a house (sometimes called a pergola). While metal trellises are typically very ornate, they may not be the best choice for many vining plants. As the sun heats the metal, it gets very hot, and actually stunts the growth of many vines. For tender plants, such as sweet peas, beans, and morning glories, wood or string are often the preferred choices. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The instant invention is based upon the discovery of a new trellis construction. The trellis comprises a base, a plurality of spaced flexible arms rising generally vertically upwardly and outwardly from the base in which they are fixed to divergent free ends, and first and second spacers. Both of the spacers have spaced openings in which the free ends of the flexible arms are slidably engaged with the spacers, and there is at least one relative position of the arms and the spacers where frictional engagement between the edge defining at least one of the openings on one or more spacers is enough to support at least one of the spacers on at least one of the arms. 
         [0008]    It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an improved trellis construction. 
         [0009]    It is another object to provide a trellis which comprises a plurality of spaced flexible arms rising generally vertically upwardly and outwardly from a base to free ends, and removable spacers having spaced openings in which the flexible arms are slidably engaged with the spacers. 
         [0010]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a trellis construction that can be broken down to a small size for transportation. 
         [0011]    It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a trellis construction that can be assembled or erected without tools. 
         [0012]    Other objects and advantages will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the description herein, reference being made to the attached drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a view in perspective showing an erected trellis according to the invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of a portion of a bottom support which supports flexible arms of the trellis. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a view in elevation of a portion of the bottom support of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a plan view of a first spacer which helps maintain the flexible arms of the erected trellis in spaced relationship. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a view in elevation of the spacer of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of a second spacer which helps maintain the flexible arms of the erected trellis in spaced relationship. 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a view in elevation of the spacer of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a plan view of the bottom support and the flexible arms of the un-erected trellis of the invention, showing the arms in an unspaced condition. 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is a vertical sectional view showing the engagement between a spacer and an arm of the trellis, when erected, according to the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    Referring now in more detail to the drawings, an erected trellis according to the invention is indicated generally at  11  in  FIG. 1 . The trellis  11  is composed of flexible arms  12 , a first, upper spacer  13 , a second, lower spacer  14 , and a base or bottom support  15 . The arms  12  pass through openings in the bottom support  15 , through openings in the spacer  14  and through openings in the spacer  13 . When the trellis  11  is erected, the outer ones of its arms  12  diverge outwardly to an appreciable extent (see, also,  FIG. 9 ), and the central one of the arms  12  extends essentially vertically, while the arms  12  adjacent to the central one of the arms  12  diverge outwardly to a lesser extent than do the outer ones of the arms  12 . The base or bottom support  15  is adhered or otherwise fixed or secured to the arms  12  to maintain them in a fixed relationship to each other and to the base  15 . Preferably, when the trellis is un-erected, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the arms  12  are closely adjacent to and substantially parallel to each other. 
         [0023]    In a preferred embodiment, the arms  12  are ¼ inch in diameter and they are made of glass fibers and resin by a pultrusion process. The arms  12 , as shown in  FIG. 8 , are graduated in length, outer ones  18  of the arms being 63 inches long; middle ones  19  being 67 inches long; and the other two arms  20  being 65 inches long. Arms  12  having different lengths can also be accommodated. The openings  16  have a diameter that is larger, but preferably only slightly larger, than the diameter of the arms  12 , preferably ranging, when the arms  12  have a nominal diameter of ¼ inch, from 0.260 to 0.265 inch to accommodate glue. 
         [0024]    The first step in producing the trellis  11  is to provide a base  15  which may be assembled from two like brackets  16 , which are shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , and to secure portions of the flexible arms  12  to the base  15 , to produce the structure shown in  FIG. 8 . As can be seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the brackets  16  have holes  17  which extend therethrough, and are aligned in the base  15 . It is preferred that the holes  17  be slightly larger in diameter than the diameter(s) of the arms extending through them so that there is a gap that can be filled by an adhesive, usually an epoxy (not shown). An epoxy adhesive is also preferred for securing the brackets  16  to each other to produce the base  15 . Production of the un-erected trellis assembly shown in  FIG. 8  requires no more than inserting appropriately sized ones  18 ,  19  and  20  of the arms  12  in the respective ones of the openings  17  in the two brackets  16 , applying an adhesive to at least one of the facing surfaces of the brackets  16 , bringing the brackets  16  together and supporting the pieces in substantially the positions shown in  FIG. 8  while the adhesive sets. When the brackets  16  are brought together, this will urge adhesive out from between the facing surfaces of the brackets  16  and some of it will be urged into the interfacing portions of the arms  12  and walls which define the openings in the brackets  16 , thereby securing the arms  12  to the bottom support  15  and vice-versa. After the adhesive sets, the arms  12  will, preferably, extend in substantially parallel relationship with each other substantially as shown in  FIG. 8 . This is a compact arrangement especially well suited for packaging and shipping the un-erected trellis which would include at least one spacer and, preferably, at least the first and second spacers  13  and  14 . 
         [0025]    The second step in producing the trellis  11  involves providing at least one and, preferably, at least two spacer brackets  13  and  14 . There are openings in the brackets  13  and  14  for the arms  12  and the openings are graduated. In the case where the arms have nominal diameters of ¼ inch, it is preferred that outer ones of the openings  21  have diameters of 0.332 inch. It is preferred that center openings  22  have diameters of 0.257 inch, and it is preferred that other openings  23 , between openings  21  and  22 , have diameters of 0.316 inch. 
         [0026]    The third step in producing the trellis  11  involves assembling the spacer brackets  13  and  14  with the arms  12 . The trellis  11  is erected by inserting the arms  18  into and through the openings  21  in the brackets  14  and  13 ; inserting the arms  20  into and through the openings  23  in the brackets  14  and  13 ; and inserting the arm  19  into and through the opening  22  in the brackets  14  and  13 . The arms  12  will be spread apart by this action, causing the free ends of the arms  12  to diverge and causing the arms  18  and  20  to become crooked within in the openings  21  and  23 , respectively, in the spacers  13  and  14 . As the brackets  14  and  13  are moved generally towards the base or bottom support  15 , the arms  18  and  20  will become more crooked within the openings  21  and  23  until at least one of the arms  18  and  20  becomes frictionally wedged within a corresponding opening in one or both of the spacers  13  and  14 . An example of this is shown in  FIG. 9  where the arm  20  extends through the opening  23  in the lower spacer  14 . The arm  20  is crooked and, as a consequence, there is frictional engagement between portions of the arm  20  and portions of the spacer  14  in the vicinity of the opening  23 . A plurality of such engagements between the arms  12  and the spacers  13  and  14  give structural integrity to the erected trellis  11 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , and serve to maintain the trellis  11  in its erected condition. 
         [0027]    It is preferred that the diameters of the arms  12  be the same and that the diameters of the holes  17  be the same. It is also preferred that the cross sections of the brackets  16  and of the spacers  13  and  14  be the same so that the trellis  111  can be produced from only two kinds of stock. However, it will be appreciated that the arms  12  can have a cross section other than round, such as polygonal. 
         [0028]    The arms  12 , the spacers  13  and  14  and the brackets  16  can all be produced in conventional pultrusion apparatus, for example, from glass fibers and a suitable resin. Other materials may be used. 
         [0029]    It will be appreciated that considerable variation from the specific details of the invention as disclosed above is possible without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the following claims.