CA2127175C - Tree trunk surround - Google Patents
Tree trunk surroundInfo
- Publication number
- CA2127175C CA2127175C CA002127175A CA2127175A CA2127175C CA 2127175 C CA2127175 C CA 2127175C CA 002127175 A CA002127175 A CA 002127175A CA 2127175 A CA2127175 A CA 2127175A CA 2127175 C CA2127175 C CA 2127175C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- tree
- band
- surround
- wedge
- tree trunk
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
- A01G13/00—Protecting plants
- A01G13/10—Devices for affording protection against animals, birds or other pests
Landscapes
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Birds (AREA)
- Zoology (AREA)
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Toxicology (AREA)
- Environmental Sciences (AREA)
- Protection Of Plants (AREA)
- Catching Or Destruction (AREA)
- Cultivation Of Plants (AREA)
Abstract
A tree trunk surround including the use of re-usable tire casings, particularly the tire walls which are severed into truncated wedges with the narrower or rim edge affixed to a flexible or resilient band which stretches to allow unhindered growth of the tree and which has latching means at opposite ends whereby the band may be fixedly located as a loop around the trunk of the tree. Preferably, there is a light impervious sheath, commonly known as landscaping fabric, underlaying the inside surface of the band and spatially disposed truncated wedges so that light will not penetrate the surround when engaged about the tree. This inhibits growth of weeds and the like. The outside tire casings provide a barrier so that when trimming takes place about the tree, as by string weedcutters and lawnmowers, the bark of the tree is not bruised by these machines.
Description
TREE TRUNK SURROUND
This invention relates to a tree trunk surrounding structure or surround.
Particularly, the invention relates to a surround for circumscribing a tree trunk, at an elevation that is in close proximity to the elevation of the ground so as to surroundingly overlay the adjacent ground to the trunk of the tree and to snugly surround the tree trunk so as to protect the perimeter of the tree, at that elevation, from impact from string rotating trimmer equipment which are popularly known under the trade-mark ~eedeater~, Greenmachine~ and the like.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
A number of earlier inventions conceived by others have disclosed tree trunk surrounds which are either rigid or permanent in nature. They include SMITH for a "Tree Surrounding Ring" in U.S. Patent No. 2,782,561 of 26 February, 1954; JEAN et al. for an "Apparatus For Enhancing the Development of Micro-organisms needed to Promote the Growth and Development of Vegetation", ~.S. Patent No.
4,584,789 of 29 April, 1986; ALLEN for a "Tree Bark Protector", U.S. Patent No. 4,700,507 of 20 October, 1987;
CRAWLEY for a "Stabilized Mulch Skirt", U.S. Patent No.
5,085,001 of 4 February, 1992; REVANE for a "Tree Well Cover", U.S. Patent No. 4,308,688 of 5 January, 1982 and CARTER for a "Protective Ground Collar", U.S Patent No.
3,571,972 of 23 March, 1971. These solutions are cumbersome and expensive, nor do they use recyclable material.
An alternative means of tree trunk protection, according to the prior art, has been to use a flexible corrugated aperture plastic extruded drainage hose sold under the trade-mark Big O~ but the same is unsightly and weeds still grow through the same. When rotating a string weeding devices or trimmers, popularily known under the trademark WEEDEATER~, GREENMACHINE~ and the like are used for trimming around such hose, this hose is generally damaged because the wall of the hose is so thin that the string actually shatters 2 1~7 1~1 5 the hose or deforms it substantially and in some instances, even the tree bark is damaged by the string while in other instances where there is not sufficient space between the tree and the drainage hose, there is insufficient protection provided by the hose from the rotating string and the hose can be deformed to urge against the bark of the tree and hinder normal growth.
It is an object of the invention to provide a tree trunk surrounding structure, surround or collar that can be removably affixed to the circumference of the tree at or near the elevation of the ground and that provides protection to the tree trunk at this elevation from string rotating trimmer equipment or from the impact of lawnmowers which pass in close proximity to the trunk, during the cutting process, especially when these lawnmowers are mounted on a lawn garden tractor or other commercial lawn cutting equipment.
It is an object of the invention to provide a removable collar so that the tree can be neatly cut around with a lawnmower without having to get too close to the trunk of the tree and without the use of a weedeater. The novel collar inhibits the growth, in proximity to the tree trunk of weeds and vegetation and the like so when the removable collar is put back in place around the tree, the appearance is one of neatness. It is this neatness in appearance that people are striving for in their yards.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a light impervious barrier near and adjacent to the elevation of the ground surrounding the tree trunk, thereby inhibiting the growth of grass, weeds and the like.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a collar which uses substantially, recyclable material such as truncated wedges from a spent tire casing; unless a more economical means of creating these wedges becomes available in the future.
We have conceived of an invention which uses the spent casings from normal automobile tires and particularly, the side walls thereof; the tread portion thereby being removed.
The side walls are severed into truncated wedges and are A~
21~717~
affixed to a foam rubber tubing under which a grass cloth sheet, sometimes called landscaping fabric which generally is a black porous synthetic substrate sheet of flexible material, is attached. This fabric inhibits light from passing between the truncated wedges of the rubber tires thus inhibiting the growth of unwanted vegetation next to the tree trunk; however, it still allows moisture through to the tree roots underneath. A piece of elastic is attached to the rim of the device in the manner of a collar, using Velcro~ or some similar means of a fastener at the end making it easily removable and re-attachable. The elastic or resilient band insures the tree can grow without interference from the collar as it expands with growth.
The invention therefore contemplates a tree guard cut triangularly out of used tires to fit snugly around the base of the tree utilizing an elastic, landscaping fabric and resilient. Using Velcro~ or some similar means of a fastener, it will be easily removable and re-attachable;
thus, it can be removed to cut the lawn and put back on when the job is completed. Weedeating won't even be needed.
THE INVENTION
A surround suitable for placement about a tree trunk comprising a flexible band of pre-determined length having at opposite ends, engagement means whereby the band may be placed in encircling fashion about a tree trunk and an engagement means engaged to thereby constrain the band thereabout; a plurality of wedge-shaped members depending from the band and spatially disposed along the band so that the upper portions of the wedge-shaped segment are in close proximity while the wider portions thereof are adapted to overlay each other and a light impervious fabric affixed to the band and underlying the wedges. Preferably, wedges are constructed from truncated segments of spent tire casing walls.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described by way of example and reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the surround, according to the invention, in situ;
Figure lA is an alternative layout for the surround;
Figure 2 is a back elevational view of the surround in its fully open extended position, just prior to it being encircled about a tree;
Figure 3 is a section along lines III-III of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a back elevational view, similar to Figure 2, but with a non-resilient band.
THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the novel surround (10) is shown in Figures 1 and lA encircling a tree (15) at the elevation of the ground (16). The surround (10), and now referring to Figures 2 and 4, consists of an upper elastic tape or band (20), which in Figure 2 is a resilient band (20) and in Figure 4, a fixed length claw or non-resilient band (20') with opposite ends (21) and (22) being a latching means, which in the preferred embodiment, is a hook fastener (21) and a loop fastener (22) such as Velcro~ strip. The band preferably is resilient.
To resilient band (20) are a plurality of depending truncated wedge shaped members (25). These members (25) are preferably fabricated from the sidewall casings of spent rubber tires; and hence, have a convex outer surface (26) and a concave inner surface (27), the lower wider margin thereof (28) being severed away from the substantially flat tread portion of the tire, and the upper shorter truncation portion (29) being a segment from the rim of the tire, the rim segment being noted as (30). Each side casing wall is severed into a wedge shape (25), as shown in the figures, using a guillotine process or the like.
Once the tire casing walls have been severed into a plurality of truncated wedges (25), the rim segments (30) are affixed to the tape (20) in reasonably close juxtaposition, as shown in the open stretched form of Figure 2 so that in fact the wider lower ends (28) of each truncated wedge (25) do not overlap adjacent ones in the fashion shown in Figure 2.
Referring to Figure 4, when a non-resilient band (20') is used, the upper portions of the truncated segment are in close proximity to one another and this causes the bottom edge of each segment to respectively overlap the other.
The rim segments (30) are staped by staples or other suitable fasteners (33) to the tape band (20) and also through a light impervious synthetic flexible polar sheet commonly known as landscaping fabric (35). The fabric is preferably one continuous run so that it underlay each of the plurality of the adjacent wedges (25), and when put around the tree, provides an undercover for the wedges so that light can not penetrate into or through it and hence vegetation will not grow up through the surround (10), but water can penetrate. The outer casings (25) provide for the resilient protective barrier about the tree trunk inhibiting the direct hitting of string trimming devices and lawnmower.
In order to provide additional "cushion" around the bark of the tree the fastener (33) preferably terminates through a resilient body (37) which may be sponge rubber or tubing. If the staple (33) is placed firm enough the end tip (36) of the staple is recessed into the resilient material (37) hence does not hurt the bark of the tree.
Referring to Figures 1 and lA, whether the band be a resilient band (20), as in Figure 2, or a non-resilient band (20'), as in Figure 4. When assembled in the fashion of Figure 3, the surround snugs around the tree , as in Figure 1. If the concave surface (27) is used as the outside, then the surround, as shown in Figure lA, is achieved while if the convex surface (26) is used on the outside, then that of Figure 1, the preferred embodiment. When the preferred embodiment of Figure 1 is used, the actual wedges (25) provide a reasonably hard surface around the tree trunk to thereby protect the same. If Figure lA is used, then the fabric (35) is on the outside.
This invention relates to a tree trunk surrounding structure or surround.
Particularly, the invention relates to a surround for circumscribing a tree trunk, at an elevation that is in close proximity to the elevation of the ground so as to surroundingly overlay the adjacent ground to the trunk of the tree and to snugly surround the tree trunk so as to protect the perimeter of the tree, at that elevation, from impact from string rotating trimmer equipment which are popularly known under the trade-mark ~eedeater~, Greenmachine~ and the like.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
A number of earlier inventions conceived by others have disclosed tree trunk surrounds which are either rigid or permanent in nature. They include SMITH for a "Tree Surrounding Ring" in U.S. Patent No. 2,782,561 of 26 February, 1954; JEAN et al. for an "Apparatus For Enhancing the Development of Micro-organisms needed to Promote the Growth and Development of Vegetation", ~.S. Patent No.
4,584,789 of 29 April, 1986; ALLEN for a "Tree Bark Protector", U.S. Patent No. 4,700,507 of 20 October, 1987;
CRAWLEY for a "Stabilized Mulch Skirt", U.S. Patent No.
5,085,001 of 4 February, 1992; REVANE for a "Tree Well Cover", U.S. Patent No. 4,308,688 of 5 January, 1982 and CARTER for a "Protective Ground Collar", U.S Patent No.
3,571,972 of 23 March, 1971. These solutions are cumbersome and expensive, nor do they use recyclable material.
An alternative means of tree trunk protection, according to the prior art, has been to use a flexible corrugated aperture plastic extruded drainage hose sold under the trade-mark Big O~ but the same is unsightly and weeds still grow through the same. When rotating a string weeding devices or trimmers, popularily known under the trademark WEEDEATER~, GREENMACHINE~ and the like are used for trimming around such hose, this hose is generally damaged because the wall of the hose is so thin that the string actually shatters 2 1~7 1~1 5 the hose or deforms it substantially and in some instances, even the tree bark is damaged by the string while in other instances where there is not sufficient space between the tree and the drainage hose, there is insufficient protection provided by the hose from the rotating string and the hose can be deformed to urge against the bark of the tree and hinder normal growth.
It is an object of the invention to provide a tree trunk surrounding structure, surround or collar that can be removably affixed to the circumference of the tree at or near the elevation of the ground and that provides protection to the tree trunk at this elevation from string rotating trimmer equipment or from the impact of lawnmowers which pass in close proximity to the trunk, during the cutting process, especially when these lawnmowers are mounted on a lawn garden tractor or other commercial lawn cutting equipment.
It is an object of the invention to provide a removable collar so that the tree can be neatly cut around with a lawnmower without having to get too close to the trunk of the tree and without the use of a weedeater. The novel collar inhibits the growth, in proximity to the tree trunk of weeds and vegetation and the like so when the removable collar is put back in place around the tree, the appearance is one of neatness. It is this neatness in appearance that people are striving for in their yards.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a light impervious barrier near and adjacent to the elevation of the ground surrounding the tree trunk, thereby inhibiting the growth of grass, weeds and the like.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a collar which uses substantially, recyclable material such as truncated wedges from a spent tire casing; unless a more economical means of creating these wedges becomes available in the future.
We have conceived of an invention which uses the spent casings from normal automobile tires and particularly, the side walls thereof; the tread portion thereby being removed.
The side walls are severed into truncated wedges and are A~
21~717~
affixed to a foam rubber tubing under which a grass cloth sheet, sometimes called landscaping fabric which generally is a black porous synthetic substrate sheet of flexible material, is attached. This fabric inhibits light from passing between the truncated wedges of the rubber tires thus inhibiting the growth of unwanted vegetation next to the tree trunk; however, it still allows moisture through to the tree roots underneath. A piece of elastic is attached to the rim of the device in the manner of a collar, using Velcro~ or some similar means of a fastener at the end making it easily removable and re-attachable. The elastic or resilient band insures the tree can grow without interference from the collar as it expands with growth.
The invention therefore contemplates a tree guard cut triangularly out of used tires to fit snugly around the base of the tree utilizing an elastic, landscaping fabric and resilient. Using Velcro~ or some similar means of a fastener, it will be easily removable and re-attachable;
thus, it can be removed to cut the lawn and put back on when the job is completed. Weedeating won't even be needed.
THE INVENTION
A surround suitable for placement about a tree trunk comprising a flexible band of pre-determined length having at opposite ends, engagement means whereby the band may be placed in encircling fashion about a tree trunk and an engagement means engaged to thereby constrain the band thereabout; a plurality of wedge-shaped members depending from the band and spatially disposed along the band so that the upper portions of the wedge-shaped segment are in close proximity while the wider portions thereof are adapted to overlay each other and a light impervious fabric affixed to the band and underlying the wedges. Preferably, wedges are constructed from truncated segments of spent tire casing walls.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described by way of example and reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the surround, according to the invention, in situ;
Figure lA is an alternative layout for the surround;
Figure 2 is a back elevational view of the surround in its fully open extended position, just prior to it being encircled about a tree;
Figure 3 is a section along lines III-III of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a back elevational view, similar to Figure 2, but with a non-resilient band.
THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the novel surround (10) is shown in Figures 1 and lA encircling a tree (15) at the elevation of the ground (16). The surround (10), and now referring to Figures 2 and 4, consists of an upper elastic tape or band (20), which in Figure 2 is a resilient band (20) and in Figure 4, a fixed length claw or non-resilient band (20') with opposite ends (21) and (22) being a latching means, which in the preferred embodiment, is a hook fastener (21) and a loop fastener (22) such as Velcro~ strip. The band preferably is resilient.
To resilient band (20) are a plurality of depending truncated wedge shaped members (25). These members (25) are preferably fabricated from the sidewall casings of spent rubber tires; and hence, have a convex outer surface (26) and a concave inner surface (27), the lower wider margin thereof (28) being severed away from the substantially flat tread portion of the tire, and the upper shorter truncation portion (29) being a segment from the rim of the tire, the rim segment being noted as (30). Each side casing wall is severed into a wedge shape (25), as shown in the figures, using a guillotine process or the like.
Once the tire casing walls have been severed into a plurality of truncated wedges (25), the rim segments (30) are affixed to the tape (20) in reasonably close juxtaposition, as shown in the open stretched form of Figure 2 so that in fact the wider lower ends (28) of each truncated wedge (25) do not overlap adjacent ones in the fashion shown in Figure 2.
Referring to Figure 4, when a non-resilient band (20') is used, the upper portions of the truncated segment are in close proximity to one another and this causes the bottom edge of each segment to respectively overlap the other.
The rim segments (30) are staped by staples or other suitable fasteners (33) to the tape band (20) and also through a light impervious synthetic flexible polar sheet commonly known as landscaping fabric (35). The fabric is preferably one continuous run so that it underlay each of the plurality of the adjacent wedges (25), and when put around the tree, provides an undercover for the wedges so that light can not penetrate into or through it and hence vegetation will not grow up through the surround (10), but water can penetrate. The outer casings (25) provide for the resilient protective barrier about the tree trunk inhibiting the direct hitting of string trimming devices and lawnmower.
In order to provide additional "cushion" around the bark of the tree the fastener (33) preferably terminates through a resilient body (37) which may be sponge rubber or tubing. If the staple (33) is placed firm enough the end tip (36) of the staple is recessed into the resilient material (37) hence does not hurt the bark of the tree.
Referring to Figures 1 and lA, whether the band be a resilient band (20), as in Figure 2, or a non-resilient band (20'), as in Figure 4. When assembled in the fashion of Figure 3, the surround snugs around the tree , as in Figure 1. If the concave surface (27) is used as the outside, then the surround, as shown in Figure lA, is achieved while if the convex surface (26) is used on the outside, then that of Figure 1, the preferred embodiment. When the preferred embodiment of Figure 1 is used, the actual wedges (25) provide a reasonably hard surface around the tree trunk to thereby protect the same. If Figure lA is used, then the fabric (35) is on the outside.
Claims (4)
1. A surround suitable for placement about a tree trunk comprising:
(a) a flexible band of pre-determined length having at opposite ends, engagement means whereby the band may be placed in encircling fashion about a tree trunk and the engagement means engaged to thereby constrain the band thereabout;
(b) a plurality of wedge-shaped members, each with upper narrower ends and lower wider portions, with the upper narrower ends carried by and depending from the band and spatially disposed along the band so that the upper ends of the wedge-shaped member are in close proximity while lower wider portions thereof are adapted to overlay each other;
(c) a light impervious fabric affixed to the band and underlying the wedge-shaped members.
(a) a flexible band of pre-determined length having at opposite ends, engagement means whereby the band may be placed in encircling fashion about a tree trunk and the engagement means engaged to thereby constrain the band thereabout;
(b) a plurality of wedge-shaped members, each with upper narrower ends and lower wider portions, with the upper narrower ends carried by and depending from the band and spatially disposed along the band so that the upper ends of the wedge-shaped member are in close proximity while lower wider portions thereof are adapted to overlay each other;
(c) a light impervious fabric affixed to the band and underlying the wedge-shaped members.
2. The surround as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the wedge-shaped members is composed of a truncated segment of a spent tire casing wall.
3. The surround as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the wedge-shaped members has a concave portion and the light impervious fabric is laid within the concave portion of each wedge-shaped member.
4. The surround as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the wedge-shaped members have a concave and the light impervious fabric is laid within the concave portion of each wedge-shaped member.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002127175A CA2127175C (en) | 1994-06-30 | 1994-06-30 | Tree trunk surround |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002127175A CA2127175C (en) | 1994-06-30 | 1994-06-30 | Tree trunk surround |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2127175A1 CA2127175A1 (en) | 1995-12-31 |
| CA2127175C true CA2127175C (en) | 1998-06-23 |
Family
ID=4153931
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002127175A Expired - Fee Related CA2127175C (en) | 1994-06-30 | 1994-06-30 | Tree trunk surround |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2127175C (en) |
-
1994
- 1994-06-30 CA CA002127175A patent/CA2127175C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CA2127175A1 (en) | 1995-12-31 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request | ||
| MKLA | Lapsed |