HORTICULTURAL CLOCHE

Abstract: A horticultural cloche comprising a pair of generally rigid and normally rectangular panels (2, 4) a first (2) of which is provided with means (14) for anchoring one edge of the panel to the ground and supporting the panel to extend upwardly from that edge, and the second (4) of which is pivotably attached at its upper edge to the upper edge of said first panel so that it can pivot from a first position, wherein the opposite edge of the second panel rests on or adjacent the ground at a distance from the anchored edge of the first panel, to a second position in which it is supported by the anchored first panel and the ground under the panels is exposed e.g. for cultivation.

Description: This invention relates to cloches for the protection of plants and crops, and is concerned in particular with providing a long-lasting structure that is strong and yet light in weight, can be stored in a relatively small space with no or the minimum of dismantlement and, in particular, can readily be manipulated by one hand to provide ready access to the ground under the cloche without having to remove the cloche, thereby enabling the spraying of plants, etc., to be carried out in one operation- According to the present invention, there is provided a cloche comprising a pair of generally rigid panels intended in operation to protect the ground to be covered by the cloche and wherein a first of said panels has a pair of generally parallel edges and includes means for anchoring said panel to the ground with a first of said edges resting on or adjacent the surface and the panel extending generally upwardly from said edge to the second edge, and the second of said panels also has a pair of generally parallel edges and is pivotably attached by a first of said edges to the second edge of said first panel to pivot from a first position, wherein the second edge of the second panel in operation rests on or adjacent the surface at a distance from the first edge of the anchored first panel whereby the two panels form a roof over an area of ground to be protected by the cloche, to a second position in which second panel is supported by said first panel and said area O PI is exposed, said anchor means being capable of supporting both panels when said second panel is in said second position. In the simplest embodiment, each panel may comprise a single rectangular pane, the two panes being of generally identical size, whereby in operation the cloche adopts a tent-like or inverted "V" shape with the pivot axis at the apex. However, the panels may each comprise more than one pane; for example, in another preferred embodiment, each panel may comprise a pair of rectangular panes which are joined at an obtuse angle, whereby in operation, the cloche has in vertical section a barn-like shape with the pivot axis at the apex. To gain access to the ground protected by the cloche, the panel that is not anchored to the ground is pivoted about the pivot axis outwardly, upwardly and over the anchored panel until it reaches a second position where it is resting on the upper surface of, or is otherwise supported, by, the anchored panel. The anchor means is then providing the sole support for the entire cloche assembly. For optimum strength and longevity, preferably each panel of the cloche is formed from one or more sheets of light-permeable material mounted in a frame. To enable the removal and reinstallation of individual sheets e.g. for cleaning or replacement, it is further preferred that where OMPI the panel comprises more than one sheet, each sheet is mounted in a sub-frame. To this end the sheets and/or frames (or sub-frames where more than one sheet is employed in each panel) are preferably so constructed and dimensioned that each sheet may readily be removed from its frame or sub- frame; for example, the frame or sub-frame may be rect¬ angular wherein one of the pairs of parallel sides, generally the longer pair and which will be parallel to the ground, will comprise a pair of opposed channel members adapted to receive in them opposite edges of the sheet. The other pair of sides, hereinafter called the "side members" will be such, as to permit removal of the sheet from the frame or sub-frame e.g. by sliding in a direction parallel to the channel members or, where the sheet is of sufficiently resiliently defor able material, by bowing the sheet. Where the sheet is formed of a material having a different coefficient of linear expansion from that of the • material forming the frame or sub-frame, said frame or sub- frame should be dimensioned accordingly relative to said sheet to tolerate the range of temperatures to which the cloche is likely to be exposed. In one embodiment; the frame may be rigid and may be assembled e.g. by spot welding the channel members to the side members which may comprise flat rods whose extremities may suitably be located within the-.channels of the channel members. In a second embodiment, the channel members may be pivotally attached to the side members so that the frame may be collapsed for storage and transport by folding. Where the cloche is barn-shaped, each sub-frame may be formed thus so that each of the sub-frames may be collapsed. With this construction, it is more convenient for said side members to be attached to the outside of one of the arms of each of the channel members. Preferably the channel member which is at the apex of the cloche is attached to each of the side members by hollow pivots, such as tubular rivets, to receive means such as a pair of split rings by which the panel may be hinged -to the other panel of the cloche. The method of attachment should be such that there is a significant resistance to the pivotal movement of the side members relative to the channel member. The frame is preferably made of corrosion-resistant material such as stainless or galvanised steel.. While the use of glass for the light-transmitting material is not excluded, it is preferred to use plastics sheets which are sufficiently resilient to permit removal of the sheet from the sub-frame without dismantling the latter, by bowing the sheet about an axis parallel to the channel members, especially where the second embodiment is employed, in which case the sheet may be cut away at each corner to accommodate the pivots. A particularly preferred plastics is polycarbonate which is clear and transparent with a light transmission only 5% less than that of glass, and at most only mildly affected by ultra violet light; is hard, strong and impact resistant; is able to withstand temperatures up to 115°C and yet retains its physical properties well at sub-freezing temperatures;, is not easily ignitable and is self extinguishing; is easily cleaned and does not encourage bacterial growth. However other transparent or translucent plastics may be used, e.g. acrylic, PVC or ethylene/ propylene copolymer. For good thermal protection, it is preferred that the sheet comprises a pair of parallel spaced light-transmitting skins with an air gap between them. Particularly preferred are the so-called twin-walled plastics sheets, especially twin-walled polycarbonate sheet. Twin-walled plastics sheet is a sheet having two parallel skins which are connected together and spaced apart by closely spaced parallel ribs which extend generally perpendicular to the planes of the skins. Such products are generally formed by extrusion and are available in a variety of plastics materials. The means for anchoring the first panel of the cloche to the ground preferably comprises a plurality of pegs extending away from the first edge of said panel and adapted for pushing into the ground to locate said first edges of - ϋREΛ OMPI , IPO the panel in the desired position on the ground with the panel extending upwardly from said edge at a desired angle relative to the ground, and to support said panel in that position against movement or distortion. In general, two such pegs are satisfactory but more than two may be used if desired. Conveniently, said pegs may be formed integrally with the frame into which the light-transmitting sheet or sheets are fitted to make up the panel; for example, they may comprise extensions of side members of the frame. It is preferred that the peg has a generally rectangular cross- section with one dimension substantially greater than the other, the greater dimension extending generally parallel to the axis of the cloche. The purpose of said anchor means is not only to anchor the first panel to the ground with said first edge resting on or adjacent the surface, but to support said panel in a position in which it extends generally upwardly from said edge, and to support the whole assembly when the second panel is folded back over said first panel to provide access to the area of ground protected by the cloche. It will also be understood that usually said first panel will be so positioned and/or so designed that there will be a moment about said first edge. The anchor means must therefore be designed and proportioned accordingly. Where pegs are employed, their length and cross-sectional dimensions will depend inter alia on the dimensions of the panel and the materials from which it is formed and can be determined readily by simple experiment. It is also preferred that the second panel be provided with means for locating and holding said second edge at the desired location on the ground distant from the first edge of the first panel. Such locating and holding means may comprise short spikes, prongs or pins extending away from said second edge of said second panel and since an important feature of the invention is that the second panel be readily lifted away from the surface in order to provide easy access to the ground under the cloche without removing the cloche, such spikes, prongs or pins should be dimensioned accordingly. Suitably, such spikes, prongs or pins may comprise extensions of side members of a frame of the second panel, such extensions suitably being about 25 mm in length. In accordance with the invention, the second edge of the first panel is attached to the first edge of the second panel by hinge means which permit said second panel to pivot relative to the first panel. Any suitable hinge means may be employed but are preferably such as to permit the panels to be demountably attached thereto for easy servicing, replacement and storage. In one preferred embodiment, the hinge means comprise a length of resilient material wound OMPI_ into a closed loop with free ends, " e.g. as in a split ring. To assist ventilation, it is desirable for the hinge means to be such as to permit the panel edges attached thereto to be movable from a first position, in which said edges abut, to a second position in which they are spaced apart. This may be achieved simply and cheaply, where the hinge means comprise split rings or the like, by employing rings of suitable diameter. The invention will now be illustrated with reference to three preferred embodiments thereof and with the aid of the accompanying drawings which are not intended to be to scale and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tent cloche according to the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a detail of the construction of the frames employed in the cloche of Figure 1 ; Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view through the line AA' of Figure 2; Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view through line BB' of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a barn cloche in accordance with the invention; Figure 6 is an enlarged view of a detail of the construction of the frames employed in the construction of the barn cloche of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a cross-section through the twin-walled plastics sheets employed in the construction of the cloches of Figures 1 and 5. Figure 8 shows a collapsible form of the cloche illustrated in Figures 1 to 4. The tent cloche illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings comprises a pair of flat rectangular panels 2, 4 connected together at their apex by hinge means 6. Each panel comprises a rectangular frame formed of a pair of opposed channel members 8, 10 which extend along the axis of the cloche and form the first and second edges of the panels, and a pair of flat bars 12 forming side members. In each frame, the flat bars 1 extend beyond one of the channel member 10 to form pegs 14 or pins 16, respectively. The pegs 14 of panel 2 extend a substantial distance beyond the channel member forming the bottom edge of the panel whereas the pins 16 of panel 4 are relatively short. Each of the frames has fitted therein a twin-walled transparent polycarbonate sheet 18 which comprises a pair of parallel skins 62, 64 spaced apart and connected together with a plurality of closely spaced parallel ribs 66 (see Figure 7). The sheet is fitted with the ribs extending parallel with the flat bars 12 of the frame whereby the open ends of the channels in the twin-walled sheet are located in and protected by the channel members 8, 10 to prevent the ingress of dirt and moisture and to allow any moisture which is condensed in the channels to drain. The length and width of the sheet are slightly less than the distance between the inner edges of the bars 12 and the distance between the bottoms of the channel members 8, 10, respectively, so that the panel may accommodate climatic changes of temperature without distortion. The sheet may be fitted into and removed from the frame by bowing it about an axis extending at right angles to the ribs and thereby springing it into or out of the frame. The frames may suitably be made from mild steel. For a panel having the dimensions of about 1000 mm x 500 mm, 4 mm twin-walled polycarbonate sheet provides adequate strength and rigidity, the channel members 8, 10 may be folded from 22 s.w.g. 25 mm wide sheet steel strip and the flat bars may be 12.5 ___ x 3 ■ in cross-section. The channels are formed to be 6 mm wide (outside width) to accommodate the sheet as a loose fit. The tops of the bars are located in the channel of the top channel member 8 which is then pinched at its ends to hold the bars, as shown in Figure 3« The tips of the bottom channel member 10 are each pinched together for a distance in from the end equal to about the width of each bar 12 and then joggled to - dRE OMPI t. form an L-shaped rebate on the inner face thereof to receive the bars, as shown in Figure 4. The pegs 14 may be approximately 1 0 mm long and the pins 16, 25 mm long. The channel members and flat bars may be joined together by any suitable means e.g. spot welding. To join the panels together to form the cloche, holes 20 are drilled through the top corners of each frame, to pass through the channel member and the ends of the flat bars housed in the member, to receive the hinge means 6. Preferably, the frames are provided with a corrosion- protective coating e.g. by galvanisation or bright zinc plating. The hinge means 6 comprise a pair of 35 mm diameter split rings which may be made of nickel plated hardened and tempered spring steel or other suitable material. In operation, with the panel 4 folded back against the panel 2 and lying on the upper side of the panel 2, the pegs 14 of panel 2 are pressed into the soil to support said panel at the desired angle to the ground. Panel 4 is then swung up and away from panel 2, over and down to the ground until the short pins 16 are pressed lightly into the soil. By adjusting the angle at which the panel 2 is located relative to the ground, a tent cloche formed of panels having the dimensions indicated above may protect a width of about 350 to about 920 mm with a maximum height varying from OMPI about 500 mm to about 270 mm, respectively. The top edges of the panels can be abutted against each other or moved apart to the extent permitted by the split rings to provide- ventilation. The barn cloche illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 comprises a pair of panels 22, 24 hinged together at 26. Each panel comprises a pair of panes 28, 30 each of which is formed of a sheet 32 of light-permeable material held in a sub-frame 34, 36. As in the construction described and illustrated with reference to Figures 1 and 2, each sub- frame is formed of a pair of opposed channel members 38, 40, 42, 44 joined together by a pair of parallel spaced flat bars 46, 48, 50, 52. Bars 46 and 48 comprise a single length of bar which is bent to the desired angle, e.g. about 135 , and likewise for bars 50 and 52. Reinforcement is provided by angled metal strip 54 which is shown in Figure 6 with parts cut away to expose the underlying structure. The two sub-frames are thus at an obtuse angle to each other. In sub-frame 34, one end of each flat bar 46 is fitted into the channel of channel member 38 which is then pinched at its end, as illustrated in Figure 3, to grip the bar " ends which are fixed in position by spot welding to the arms of the channel. Channel member 40, however, abuts each of the side bars 46, 50 (see Figure 6). In sub-frame 36, channel member 42 likewise abuts each of side bars 48 and 52. The tips of channel member 44 are pinched and shaped in the same manner as the bottom channel member 11 in the cloche of Figure 1 , as illustrated in Figure 4* The bars 48 and 52 are located in the L-shaped rebates so formed and fixed in position by spot welding. As in the construction described and illustrated with reference to Figures 1 and 2, the -flat bars 48, 52 forming the side members of panel 22 extend beyond the channel member 44 forming the lower edge of the panel to provide anchor means in the form of pegs 56 (see Figure 5) and the corresponding flat bars forming the side members of panel 24 are extended a short distance beyond the channel member to provide means 58 for pinning that panel to the ground. The short channel members 40 and 42 are held in position by angled retainer and cover strip or spine 54 to which they are spot welded, strip 54 itself extending over and being spot welded to bars 46, 48, 50 and 52. To assist access of the electrodes for spot welding the channel members 40, 42 to the strip 54, the inner arm of each of these channels is made shorter than the outer arm which is to be attached to the strip. To connect the panels of the barn cloche together, the same hinge means may be employed as for the tent cloche of Figures 1 and 2. As with the cloche described and illustrated with reference to Figures 1 and 2, in operation, the barn cloche of Figures 5 and 6 is suitably erected by pressing the pegs 56 attached to panel 22 into the soil to locate said panel and support it at the desired angle to the ground and panel 24 is swung until the lower edge contacts the ground and then pushed to press pin means 58 lightly into the soil to retain said panel in the desired position. To store the tent cloches of Figures 1 and 2, panel 4 may be folded against panel 2. To store the barn cloches of Figures 5 and 6, one of the panels is detached from the hinge means and nested in the other panel. Figure 8 illustrates an alternative form of frame suitable for use in the tent cloche ' of Figures 1 to 4 wherein the corresponding parts are identified by the same reference numerals plus 100. In this embodiment, the opposed channel members 108, 110 are attached to the flat bars 112 by pivot means 200, 202 whereby for storage and transport the frame may be collapsed by folding to the position shown by the broken lines in the drawing. The pivot means 200 employed for the channel members at the apex of the cloche comprise tubular rivets through which the split rings 106 are threaded to connect the panels together. Pivot means 202, however, need not be hollow. For simplicity of design, the bars 112 which form the side members are located to one side of the channel members. The pivots are such that to fold the frame it is necessary to OMPI apply a significant force. The transparent sheet employed with this embodiment is preferably cut away at each corner to accommodate the pivot means. k collapsible alternative to the barn cloche of Figures 5 and 6 may be formed in similar fashion by arranging for flat bars 46 and 50 to be separate from flat bars 48 and 52, for channel member 38 of sub-frame 34 to be pivotally attached to the flat bars 46 and 50, for channel member 44 of sub-frame 36 to be pivotally attached to flat members 48 and 52, and for cover strip 54 to be pivotally attached to flat bars 46, 48, 50 and 52. As in the folding tent cloche construction shown in Figure 8, the flat bars are preferably attached to the sides of the channel members. The pivot means attaching channel member 38 to the flat bar side members 46 and 50 will be hollow to receive the hinge means 26. In another alternative, the arrangement comprising channel members 40 and 42 and angled retainer and cover strip 54 of the rigid or collapsible alternatives of the barn cloche may be replaced by a construction comprising a pair of parallel spaced obtuse-angled sheets each having a shape similar to that of cover strip 54. These sheets may be attached to each other in any suitable manner e.g. rivets and spacers at each end. To improve rigidity of the cloche, a bracing strut may be provided at one or each end of the cloche and which is suitably pivotally attached to a side member of one panel for hooking or otherwise being detachably attached at its other end to the corresponding side member of the other panel to locate the bottom edges of the panels at one or more fixed distances apart. For example, the free end of the strut may have a plurality of notches at spaced intervals along the strut, for engagement with e.g. a pin on the panel side member. Whereas the invention has been described with reference to tent and barn cloches, it will be appreciated that other shapes and constructions can be contemplated. For example, the panels may be arcuate whereby to provide a tunnel- or arch-shaped cloche. One of the panels of a tunnel cloche may be detached from the hinge means and nested in the other panel for storage. Means other than split rings may be used for hinging the panels together, for example, spring steel strip which is wound to form a ring with the ends overlapping or a ring made of two parts which are hinged at one end and have means such as interlocking teeth for locking the other ends together. Long strips of ground may be protected by assembling a length of overlapping cloches of the invention. The open ends of the cloches may be closed, if desired, by any suitable means. Preferably, however, an enάpiece is provided comprising a rectangular pane having a structure corresponding to that of panel 2 of the tent cloche described above i.e. the panel which includes pegs 14, but with the dimensions altered appropriately.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A cloche comprising a pair of generally rigid panels intended in operation to protect the ground to be covered by the cloche and wherein a first of said panels has a pair of 'generally parallel edges and includes means for anchoring said panel to the ground with a first of said edges resting on or adjacent the surface and the panel extending generally upwardly from said edge to the second edge, and the second of said panels also has a pair of generally parallel edges and is pivotably attached by a first of said edges to the second edge of said first panel to pivot from a first position, wherein the second edge of the second panel in operation rests on or adjacent the surface at a distance from the first edge of the anchored first panel whereby the two panels form a roof over an area of ground to be protected by the cloche, to a second position in which second panel is supported by said first panel and said area is exposed, said anchor means being capable of supporting both panels when said second panel is in said second position. 2. A cloche as claimed in claim 1 wherein each panel is a rectangular pane, the two panes being of generally identical size, whereby when erected the cloche adopts a tent-like or inverted "V" shape with the pivot axis at the apex. 3« A cloche as claimed in claim 1 wherein each panel comprises a pair of rectangular panes joined at an obtuse angle whereby when erected the cloche has in vertical section a barn-like shape with the pivot axis at the apex. 4« A cloche as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the means for anchoring the first panel comprises a plurality of pegs extending away from the first edge of the panel and adapted for pushing into the ground. 5« A cloche as claimed in claim 4 in which each peg has a generally rectangular cross-section with one dimension extending generally parallel to the axis of the cloche and being substantially greater than the other dimension. 6. A cloche as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 in which the second panel is provided with means for locating and holding its second edge at a desired location in the ground distant from the first edge of the first panel. 7« A cloche as claimed in claim 6 in which said locating and holding means comprise a plurality of spikes, prongs or pins extending away from said second edge of said second panel. 8. A cloche as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein each panel is formed from one or more sheets of light-permeable material mounted in a frame. 9« A cloche as claimed in claim 8 wherein each panel is formed from more than one sheet of light-permeable material and each sheet is mounted in a sub-frame. - OREA OMPI 10. A cloche as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 in which the frame or sub-frame includes a pair of opposed channel members for receiving opposite edges of the sheet and a pair of opposed side members. 11. A cloche as claimed in claim 10 wherein the channel members are pivotally attached to the side members so that the frame may be collapsed by folding. 12. A cloche as claimed in claim 11, wherein the means pivotally attaching the channel member which forms the apex of the frame to each of the side members are hollow and adapted to receive the hinge means. 13 * A cloche as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 12 when appendant to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein said pegs comprise extensions of the frame members. 14. A cloche as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 12 when appendant to claim 7, wherein said spikes, prongs or pins comprise extensions of the frame members. 1 * A cloche as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 14 wherein at least one of the sheets of light-permeable material comprises a pair of parallel spaced light-permeable skins with an air gap between them. 16. A cloche as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 14 wherein at least one of the sheets of light-permeable material comprises a twin walled plastics sheet. OMPI 17* A cloche as claimed in any ' one of claims 1 to 16 wherein the light-permeable material of each panel comprises transparent polycarbonate. 18. A cloche as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 1 in which each hinge means comprises a length of resilient material wound into a closed loop with; free ends. 19» A cloche as claimed in claim 18 in which each hinge means comprises a split ring. 20. A cloche as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 19 in which the hinge means permits the panel edges attached thereto to be movable between a first position in which said edges abut and a second position in which said edges are spaced apart to assist ventilation. 21. A cloche as claimed in claim 1 , substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to (a) Figures 1 to 4 or (b) Figures 5 and 6 when taken in conjunction with Figures 3 and 4, or (c) Figure 8 of the drawings, any of (a), (b) and (c) when taken in conjunction with Figure 7 of the drawings.

Inventors: PLUNKETT ELLEN MARY, PLUNKETT, ELLEN, MARY
Applicants: PLUNKETT ELLEN MARY, PLUNKETT, ELLEN, MARY
Application year: 1984
Main classification: A01G13
IPC codes: A01G13