Improvements in the Cultivation of Plants and in Means therefor.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1899
Complete Specification Left 29th Aug. 1900-Accented 13th Oct. 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Cultivation of Plants and in Means therefor.
I, ALBERT JEAN MARIE VAN DER STICHELEN, of 7, Rue Longue du Marais, Gand,
in the Kingdom of Belgium, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this in-
vention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the cultivation of plants and has for its object to
provide a means of giving complete freedom to the plant roots, at the same time
imparting to the soil in which they are planted, the same amount of heat which
they receive in their native country and also to dispense with the process of
successive re-pottings as at present practiced.
My invention consists in spreading out the layer of earth usually employed upon
a table or support of porous bricks or equivalent porous material, beneath which a
current of moist and hot air is caused to circulate, the arrangement being such
that the young plants obtained from seeds, slips or layers can be stuck directly
into the ordinary layer of earth.
In one such arrangement made in accordance with my invention for use in hot-
houses and such like structures, I construct a culture bed or frame of suitable
dimensions in the interior of the hot house and I fill the said beds or frames with
ordinary earth up to a suitable height, say 15 inches from the top. This earth
base is then well stamped down and above same a set of air channels are formed
of ordinary bricks arranged in longitudinal directions and covered with flat bricks
or tiles, the whole being suitably cemented together with mortar or the like, and
forming the porous table upon which is placed the layer of earth to receive the
plants.
The longitudinal partitions forming the air channels referred to are made
shorter than the length of the frame so as to form end chambers for the proper
circulation of the air.
In a cultivating apparatus so constructed a current of moist and hot air is con-
stantly circulated through the channels referred to, for instance, where three such
channels are employed the air will be passed first through the outside channels
into the end chamber and return through the central channel to the chamber
wherein the air circulating apparatus is disposed. This apparatus consists of any
appropriate means for circulating the air preferably a bellows or a blast device
with a steam jet adapted to carry along with it a sufficiently large quantity of air
to instantly cool the steam down to the required temperature say 25 to 40 degrees
Centigrade. The blast device is or may be formed of or with a series of metal
rings disposed one within the other so as to admit air between them and arranged
about the air channel inlets in the form of a cone whose apex is formed by the
orifice of the steam pipe or jet; this arrangement will enable a sufficient volume
5f air to pass to control the temperature of the steam as well as the temperature
mparted to the whole layer of earth or material forming the culture bed above
the air circulating channels and porous floor. The proper reduction in the tem-
perature of the steam is obtained more easily owing to the fact that the air
D
0.27

page_text: returning from the circulating channels is again drawn into the air channels by
the injecting apparatus and recirculated, whilst for the same reason no part of the
bed or apparatus undergoes any appreciable pressure; hence the effective tem-
perature and proper circulation of hot and moist air can be maintained with very
little steam.
a
It will be readily understood that owing to this arrangement the whole mass
of earth or material employed for cultivation will be raised to a given temperature
and will thus form as it were an accumulator of heat, offering to the plant
permanently moist soil of uniform temperature which temperature can be so
regulated as to approach as nearly as required the temperature which the plants
receive in their native soil.
1
1000
Improvements in the Cultivation of Plants and in Means therefor.
I, ALBERT JEAN MARIE VAN DER STICHELEN, of 7, Rue Longue du Marais, Gand,
in the Kingdom of Belgium, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly de-
scribed and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
―
Various means have already been proposed with the object of allowing complete
liberty to the roots of plants while imparting to them the same warmth of soil
which they receive in the country to which they are indigenous, but these arrange-
ments all possess serious drawbacks due chiefly to the presence of large quantities
of water in the frames, cultivation beds or the like, which are difficult to maintain
watertight, and also to the difficulty of obtaining uniform distribution over the
beds.
It has likewise been proposed to employ steam whereby the employment of
considerable quantities of water is avoided, but the best results are not obtained
owing to the excessive temperature produced in the beds at the parts near which
the steam jets are situated.
Now the object or the present invention is to overcome these drawbacks and
provide means whereby it is possible to obtain a ready regulation of the tempera-
ture and uniform distribution of heat and also whereby the degree of humidity
can be regulated at will.
To these ends according to this invention I employ for heating the beds a
current of moist warm air drawn or induced by means of steam and capable of
easy regulation according to requirement. This current of moist warm air is
impelled into and through suitable channels or passages which it traverses, being
then again drawn into circulation and passed through the said channels in such
manner as to produce a continuous and rapid circulation therein. The heat and
moisture are supplied by the steam which serves to create the current of air and
becomes distributed or diffused throughout the same.
The accompanying drawings illustrate one arrangement of cultivation bed
constructed in accordance with my invention.
In these drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the general arrangement which
I prefer to adopt and Fig. 2 a horizontal section on line 11 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3
is a part section on a larger scale showing the means employed for regulating the
induction or draft of air and represents this regulating apparatus in the position
in which it gives the maximum delivery. Fig. 4 is a plan of the regulator in a

page_text: position in which it gives a minimum delivery and Fig. 5 is an end view of the
regulator.
The young plants raised from seeds or obtained from cuttings or by layering
are pricked out or planted in the ordinary way in a bed of mould a spread upon
a layer or bed of porous bricks b, the latter being supported above a suitable
number of passages or channels e formed of ordinary bricks f laid in a cultivation
frame c which filled with ordinary soil as at d to a depth of say 12 inches from
the top edge. The two outer channels e are separated from those of the neigh-
bouring series and terminate at a short distance from the ends g where the outside
channels communicate with the central channel e formed by partitions h and i.
In carrying out my invention with the apparatus just described the heating of
the layer of mould a is effected by a current of moist warm air which is con-
stantly passed into the side channels and returns by the central channel when it
again passes into the side channels and so continuously circulates. This current
of moist warm air is produced and regulated by the injection of steam which draws
by a suitable apparatus a quantity of air sumcient to instantaneously cool the
steam to the desired temperature, say 40°, 35° or 25° Centigrade as required.
With this object the injecting apparatus comprises a series of concentric metal
rings or annular casings fitted telescopically one within the other (see Figs. 3,
4 and 5) and adapted to slide on ribs or webs o formed with or attached to same.
As will be seen from the drawing the first ring that of the largest diameter slides
11 a pipe p constituting the mouth of the channel e to which it relates. This
ring is provided with ribs or webs o which serve to guide it upon the next ring
of lesser diameter. The rings or annular casings thus succeed each other succes-
sively decreasing in diameter down to the last ring which is secured to an end
piece or eye piece q rigidly connected to the nozzle of the steam injector.
It will thus be readily understood from the drawings that each ring is capable
of sliding upon the following one by means of the ribs o which serve not only
as guides therefor, but also provide between each ring or casing an annular space s
for the passage of the air. The rings thus constitute a telescopic arrangement
and the nearer they are brought to the injector (Fig. 4) the less will be the
volume of air drawn in thereby. On the other hand, the farther the rings are
drawn out (Fig. 3) the greater will be the volume of air drawn in.
I have found by experiment that if the mixture of air and steam attains a
temperature of only 20° C. on its issue from the pipe p when the rings are
disposed as shown in Fig. 3, the same mixture will attain a temperature of 40°
Centigrade and more when the rings are moved towards the nozzler of the steam
jet as shown in Fig. 4. The position of these rings can consequently be so regu-
lated as to allow of the passage of a greater or less volume of air according to the
temperature to be obtained and it follows that the temperature and the degree
of humidity of the air current are readily obtainable by regulating the quantity
of steam and of air drawn into circulation by the steam jet. Also this regulation
is all the more easy to obtain since the same air being at once induced and impelled,
the consumption of steam necessary to maintain the circulation, the degree of
humidity, and the desired degree of heat of the air current is extremely small;
on the other hand, as no portion of the channels or passages is subjected to the
direct action of the steam there is no fear of the occurrence of excessive tempera-
ture in any part of the bed, as is the case with arrangement hitherto in use.
result is that by this invention the greatest possible uniformity is obtained in the
distribution of the heat.
The
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The improved method of cultivation in which the plants are placed in a
bed of mould subjected to a current of moist and warm air, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.

page_text: 2. The improved apparatus comprising a bed of mould in which the plants
are placed, said mould being supported upón porous material subjected to a current
of moist and warm air circulated in channels beneath same substantially as and
for the purposes set forth.
3. The improved arrangement of apparatus comprising a bed of mould for the
plants supported upon porous material having channels arranged beneath same and
communicating with one another at their extremities, the air in such channels
being moistened and warmed and caused to circulate and recirculate by the in-
jection of steam in one or more of the channels substantially in the manner set
forth.
4. In an apparatus such as described the special construction and arrangement
of concentric pipes disposed around the steam jet and adapted to be adjusted for
regulating the volume of air drawn in by the jet substantially as set forth.
5. The combination of parts comprising the improved cultivating apparatus all
constructed arranged and adapted for operation substantially as and for the
purposes set forth and illustrated in the drawings.
For the Applicant,
J. C. CHAPMAN & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents, 70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.