GB2037555A - Cloche - Google Patents

Abstract

A cloche is formed in its upper part with an opening 18 selectively closable by closure means 19 whereby access to the plants is possible without removal of the cloche. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cloche This invention relates to cloches and in particular to cloches of plastics material.

As an alternative to the traditional cloche using glass sheets which are supported in the shape of a tent or a barn over the plants, it has been proposed to form cloches out of transparent or translucent plastics material. Because of their lightweight con structions such cloches have to be anchored to the ground by, for example, the use of legs of wire or rods which are pushed into the ground when placing the cloches in position. When it is necessary to gain access to the growing plants below the cloches, removal of the cloches from the ground involving withdrawal of the legs is necessary. This causes dis turbance of the ground so that when the cloches are replaced the anchorages for the legs are less firm.

Moreover, removal and replacement of the cloches is a cumbersome operation.

An object of the invention is to provide a cloche which does not require the removal of the cloche in orderto gain access to the plants and which can therefore retain a firm anchorage in the desired posi tion in the ground.

According to the invention a cloche comprises a body formed of plastics material and of open-ended tunnel shape to define an enclosed space for grow ing plants, and having an opening formed in an upper portion of the body whereby access to the plants is obtained through the opening, closure means arranged to be selectively positioned over the opening or clear of the opening, and securing means for securing the body to the ground.

Preferably the material of the body is semi-rigid plastics sheet and the closure means is in the form of plastics sheet hingedly connected to one side of the opening to move between closed and open posi tions.

Further features of the invention appear from the following description of various embodiments of the invention given by way of example only and with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cloche, Fig. 1A is an enlarged view of part of the cloche of Fig. 1, Fig. 2 is a view of the cloche of Fig. 1 to showthe closure means in an open and partly open position, and Fig. 3 is a view of a sheet of material from which the cloche of Fig. 1 is made.

Referring to the drawings a cloche is shown which is in the form of a 'barn' cloche having a body 10 which is an open-ended tunnel including a top por tion 11 of inverted V-shape and legs 12 depending from each arm of the V, the legs 12 being splayed outwards.

The body 10 is formed of structured sheet which is of semi-rigid plastics material having spaced apart walls between which extend transverse webs, as seen most clearly in Fig. 1A. Such material is trans lucentortransparentand in one form is sold under the trade mark CORREX. The plastics usually has a polypropylene base but may be of other plastics, such as polycarbonate. It has been found that the structured sheet has the property of providing an integral hinge when a partial cut or score is made through one of the walls of the material so that the remaining wall of the material bends to produce a hinge line. This property is used in the preferred, and illustrated embodiment.

It will be seen that in the illustrated embodiment the channels in the structured sheet, which are defined between the transverse webs, extend in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the body 10, for reasons which will become apparent. However, it is also possible to have the channels extending in the longitudinal direction of the tunnel.

The body 10 is of integral construction, there being integral hinges at the apex of the V-shaped top portion 11 and at the junctions 13 between the portion 11 and the legs 12.

The body 10 is secured to the ground by hoops 14 and 15 shaped to conform to the cross-section of the body and having extended leg portions 16 which are for pushing into the ground when fixing the cloche in position over the planted area. The legs 16 of the hoops 14 and 15 each pass through channels in the leg portions 12 of the body 10 to locate the hoops relative to the body. It will also be seen that the hoops are located towards the ends of the body 10.

When the cloche of Fig. 1 is in position over the planted ground the space underthe body constitutes a growing space for the plants and several cloches are usually placed in a row in end to end relationship on the ground and the ends of the row of cloches may be closed by sheets of the structured plastics material.

In order to gain access to the interior space of the cloche when in place the top portion 11 of the body 10 is formed with a rectangular opening 18 and with a closure member 19 in the form of an integral rectangular lid. The lid 19 has a central integral hinge 21 and an integral hinge 20 attaching it to the body at one side of the opening 18, and at the opposite side of the lid 19 are latching means in the form of oppositely-directed bolts 22 of which a handle portion 23 is located in a cut-out 24 and a rod portion 25 extends through the lid. The bolts 22 are each movable longitudinally to engage in any one of a plurality of channels in pieces 26a and 26b of structured plastics material secured by staples 27 to the body of the cloche. The pieces 26a and 26b are positioned to enable the lid to be held in the closed position of Fig.

1, the open position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, or in any intermediate position, such as shown in chain lines in Fig. 2. As an alternative to using the structured plastics pieces 26a and 26b, as illustrated, the bolts 22 may be locatable in staples spaced along the edges of the opening.

Since the body of the cloche may be formed of translucent material, in order to see plants growing under the cloche a transparent window 29 may be formed in the lid. The window may be a piece of glass held in place by rods 30 to each side of the glass and extending along channels in the lid.

It will be appreciated that if access to the space within the cloche is required the bolts 22 are withdrawn so that the lid 19 can be hinged back about the hinge 20. The lid can be retained in the fully open position or if the lid is opened for ventilation purposes and it is required to have the lid partly open, the desired position is selected intermediate the fully open and closed positions.

In making the body of the cloche a rectangular sheet of structured plastics is cut as indicated in Fig.

3, the full lines indicating a cut right through the material and a dotted line indicating a score or a partially cut line. As previously explained, a score line forms a hinge line for integral hinges. When the cuts and scores have been made the body can be shaped to the desired barn shape and the hoops 14 and 15 inserted.

As an alternative to the hoops the cloche may be secured by rods (not shown) having hooked ends, the rods passing through or over the legs 12 with the hooks holding the rods in position.

Similarly, instead of having an integral hinge 20 whereby the lid is hinged to the body a wire may be passed through a side edge of the lid with the ends of the wire passing through the body.

The cuts and scores of Fig. 3 are more readily formed in the body when the channels of the structured plastics extend longitudinally but such chan nels may extend in the transverse direction which obviates the need for the pieces 26a and 26b as the bolts 22 can engage directly in the channels in the body.

Cloches otherthan barn cloches may embody the invention. For example, a tent cloche in the form of an inverted V may be provided with an opening extending across the apex of the body of the cloche and being formed with a lid in a similar manner to that described.

Semi-circular section cloches can also be formed with an upper central opening closed by a lid in a similar manner to the illustrated embodiment.

As a further alternative the lid may be formed of a different material to the body of the cloche, for exampletransparentflexible plastics material which may be attached along one edge to the body by adhesive or adhesive tape to hinge, and the lid may be secured in the closed or partly closed position by studs, staples or adhesive tape.

Claims (14)

1. A cloche comprising a body formed of plastics material and of open-ended tunnel shape to define an enclosed space for growing plants, and having an opening formed in an upper portion of the body whereby access to the plants is obtained through the opening, closure means arranged to be selectively positioned over the opening or clear of the opening, and securing means for securing the body to the ground.

2. A cloche according to claim 1 wherein the material of the body is semi-rigid plastics sheet and the closure means is in the form of plastics sheet hingedly connected to one side of the opening to move between closed and open positions.

3. A cloche according to claim 2 comprising fixing means for fixing the closure means selectively in a position covering the opening or clear of the opening.

4. A cloche according to claim 3 wherein the fixing means is located on the closure means remote from the hinged connection to the side of the opening and is in the form of latch means.

5. A cloche according to claim 4 wherein the latch means is engageable in a plurality of positions between the closed and fully opened positions.

6. A cloche according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the opening is of generally rectangular shape and located centrally of the body.

7. A cloche according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the closure means is formed integrally of the body.

8. A cloche according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the body is formed of structured plastics sheet having spaced apart walls between which extend transverse webs, the transverse webs extending in a direction between the ends of the body or in a direction transverse thereto.

9. A cloche according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the securing means for the body is in the form of hoops each shaped according to the cross-sectional shape of the tunnel and defining legs at each end for engagement in the ground.

10. A cloche according to claim 9 wherein a hoop is located towards each end of the body and clear of the opening.

11. A cloche according to claim 9 or 10 wherein the hoops each have at least one portion passing through a channel formed in the body.

12. A cloche according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the tunnel is of barn shape in cross-section, the upper part being of inverted V-shape having legs depending from the limbs of the V, the opening being formed in said upper part.

13. A cloche according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the closure means is formed with a transpa rent viewing window.

14. A cloche substantially as described with reference to the drawings.