GB2064284A

GB2064284A - Laying sheet material

Info

Publication number: GB2064284A
Application number: GB7939041A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: WARING Ltd PETER
Current assignee: WARING Ltd PETER
Priority date: 1979-11-12
Filing date: 1979-11-12
Publication date: 1981-06-17
Also published as: GB2064284B

Abstract

There is described a device for laying flexible material, e.g. polythene film, over areas of land, in which slack is introduced into the material before it is laid. The device includes a movable frame (1), on which is mounted a roll (4) of flexible material, one or more pressure discs (6) mounted on the frame (1) and adapted to contact the marginal portion of the flexible material as it is laid on the ground, and a slack-inducing device (14,) mounted on the frame, the height of which relative to the axis of the roll (4) is adjustable. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Laying sheet material This invention relates to the laying of flexible material over land areas, and is especially concerned with the provision of a device for laying flexible material in strip form over an area of land.

Much use has been made in the recent past of plastic films, e.g. polyethylene films, in agriculture and horticulture as soil coverings, with a view to increasing crop yield and improving plant growth.

Opaque and translucent films are used as a "mulch", reducing weed competition and thereby improving the crop, transparent films laid over a sown or growing crop raise soil temperature and aid plant growth, generally producing an earlier and consequently more valuable crop.

One type of device for laying flexible material on soil is described in U.K. Patent Specification No.

1339270, and in the operation of this device a pair of parallel furrows are formed in the soil, strip plastic film is laid on the soil so that its marginal portions lie in the furrows, and then soil is displaced by plough members onto the margins of the strip to "anchor" those margins in the furrows.

As the seeds sown beneath the plastic film germinate and the seedlings begin to grow they push against the film lying on top other. In order not to damage the crops or to rupture the film it is normal either to form the film with perforations or to produce "slack" in the film just before it is laid. The crop can then either grow up through the perforations, in the one case, or take up the slack, in the other. U.K.

Patent Specification No. 1444928 describes the use of a perforated film; and U.K. Patent Specification No. 1504967 describes a method of and device for putting slack in the film just before it is laid.

The present invention relates to an improvement in the latter type of device, and according to the invention a device for laying flexible material over an area of land comprises a movable frame, a roll of flexible material rotatably mounted on the frame, at least one pressure member mounted on the frame and adapted to contact the marginal portion of the flexible material as it is laid on the ground, and slack-inducing means mounted on the frame and situated between the roll of flexible material and the pressure member, the height of the slack-inducing means relative to the axis of the roll of flexible material being adjustable.

In a preferred embodiment the slack-inducing means, which may comprise one or more wheels, a ball or a skid, is mounted on an arm which is pivotally attached to the forward end of the frame.

The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of filmlaying device; Figure 2 is a view of part of the frame of a second such device, showing a different form of slackinducing means; Figure 3 is a similar view of that of Figure 2, show ingyetafurtherform of slack-inducing means; and Figure 4 is a side elevation of the device shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 1, a rectangular frame 1 has a 3-point attachment 2 for coupling to a tractor or the like. Mounted on the frame 1 are downwardly depending arms 3 which between them rotatably carry a roll 4 of strip plastic film, e.g. polyethylene.

Also mounted on frame 1 are arms 5 carrying pressure discs 6 and arms 7 carrying pressure rollers 8.

At the forward end of the frame 1, an arm 9 is mounted at approximately the mid-point of frame cross-member 1 a, and pivotally mounted on the lower end of arm 9, on pivot pin 10, is a slackinducing mechanism designated generally 11. This consists of a bar 12, attached at one end on the pivot 10, and having at its other end an upwardlyextending arm 13. Two rotatable wheels 14 are mounted on an axle 15 journalled at the upper end of arm 13.

An arm 16 at the forward end of bar 12 is provided with a pawl 17 which engages a ratchet bar 18 attached to, or formed integraily with, the upper end of arm 9.

The height of the wheels 14 relative to the axis of the roll of film 4 may be simply adjusted by releasing the pawl 17 and engaging it with another ratchet on the bar 18.

The embodiments illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 differ from that of Figure 1 only in the form of the slack-inducing member. Thus, in the Figure 2 embodiment the wheels 14 are replaced with a rotatable ball 140; and in the Figure 3 embodiment with a stationary skid 240.

In use, the frame 1 is drawn forwardly by the land-vehicle, e.g. tractor, to which it is attached and plastic film 20 is drawn from the roll 4. It passes upwardly (see Figure 4) over the wheels 14 (or ball 140 or skid 240) and this has the effect of putting slack or a lap in the centre of the film. The film then passes onto the ground, into which its edge portions are pressed by the pressure discs 6 (in Figure 4 ground level is indicated by reference 21 and the longitudinal edge of the film by reference 22) and pressure rollers 8 then compact the soil and film behind discs 6.

The slack put into the film, which may be required to be varied (for example when laying film over crops which will grow to different heights), can be varied by pivotting the mechanism 11 about pivot 10. Such movement will also ensure that as the film on the roll 4 is used up (i.e. the circumference of roll 4 is reduced) the slack put into the film remains the same.

CLAIMS.

1. A device for laying flexible material over an area of land comprising a movable frame, a roll of flexible material rotatably mounted on the frame, at least one pressure member mounted on the frame and adapted to contact the marginal portion of the

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Laying sheet material This invention relates to the laying of flexible material over land areas, and is especially concerned with the provision of a device for laying flexible material in strip form over an area of land. Much use has been made in the recent past of plastic films, e.g. polyethylene films, in agriculture and horticulture as soil coverings, with a view to increasing crop yield and improving plant growth. Opaque and translucent films are used as a "mulch", reducing weed competition and thereby improving the crop, transparent films laid over a sown or growing crop raise soil temperature and aid plant growth, generally producing an earlier and consequently more valuable crop. One type of device for laying flexible material on soil is described in U.K. Patent Specification No. 1339270, and in the operation of this device a pair of parallel furrows are formed in the soil, strip plastic film is laid on the soil so that its marginal portions lie in the furrows, and then soil is displaced by plough members onto the margins of the strip to "anchor" those margins in the furrows. As the seeds sown beneath the plastic film germinate and the seedlings begin to grow they push against the film lying on top other. In order not to damage the crops or to rupture the film it is normal either to form the film with perforations or to produce "slack" in the film just before it is laid. The crop can then either grow up through the perforations, in the one case, or take up the slack, in the other. U.K. Patent Specification No. 1444928 describes the use of a perforated film; and U.K. Patent Specification No. 1504967 describes a method of and device for putting slack in the film just before it is laid. The present invention relates to an improvement in the latter type of device, and according to the invention a device for laying flexible material over an area of land comprises a movable frame, a roll of flexible material rotatably mounted on the frame, at least one pressure member mounted on the frame and adapted to contact the marginal portion of the flexible material as it is laid on the ground, and slack-inducing means mounted on the frame and situated between the roll of flexible material and the pressure member, the height of the slack-inducing means relative to the axis of the roll of flexible material being adjustable. In a preferred embodiment the slack-inducing means, which may comprise one or more wheels, a ball or a skid, is mounted on an arm which is pivotally attached to the forward end of the frame. The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of filmlaying device; Figure 2 is a view of part of the frame of a second such device, showing a different form of slackinducing means; Figure 3 is a similar view of that of Figure 2, show ingyetafurtherform of slack-inducing means; and Figure 4 is a side elevation of the device shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2. Referring to Figure 1, a rectangular frame 1 has a 3-point attachment 2 for coupling to a tractor or the like. Mounted on the frame 1 are downwardly depending arms 3 which between them rotatably carry a roll 4 of strip plastic film, e.g. polyethylene. Also mounted on frame 1 are arms 5 carrying pressure discs 6 and arms 7 carrying pressure rollers 8. At the forward end of the frame 1, an arm 9 is mounted at approximately the mid-point of frame cross-member 1 a, and pivotally mounted on the lower end of arm 9, on pivot pin 10, is a slackinducing mechanism designated generally 11. This consists of a bar 12, attached at one end on the pivot 10, and having at its other end an upwardlyextending arm 13. Two rotatable wheels 14 are mounted on an axle 15 journalled at the upper end of arm 13. An arm 16 at the forward end of bar 12 is provided with a pawl 17 which engages a ratchet bar 18 attached to, or formed integraily with, the upper end of arm 9. The height of the wheels 14 relative to the axis of the roll of film 4 may be simply adjusted by releasing the pawl 17 and engaging it with another ratchet on the bar 18. The embodiments illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 differ from that of Figure 1 only in the form of the slack-inducing member. Thus, in the Figure 2 embodiment the wheels 14 are replaced with a rotatable ball 140; and in the Figure 3 embodiment with a stationary skid 240. In use, the frame 1 is drawn forwardly by the land-vehicle, e.g. tractor, to which it is attached and plastic film 20 is drawn from the roll 4. It passes upwardly (see Figure 4) over the wheels 14 (or ball 140 or skid 240) and this has the effect of putting slack or a lap in the centre of the film. The film then passes onto the ground, into which its edge portions are pressed by the pressure discs 6 (in Figure 4 ground level is indicated by reference 21 and the longitudinal edge of the film by reference 22) and pressure rollers 8 then compact the soil and film behind discs 6. The slack put into the film, which may be required to be varied (for example when laying film over crops which will grow to different heights), can be varied by pivotting the mechanism 11 about pivot 10. Such movement will also ensure that as the film on the roll 4 is used up (i.e. the circumference of roll 4 is reduced) the slack put into the film remains the same. CLAIMS.

1. A device for laying flexible material over an area of land comprising a movable frame, a roll of flexible material rotatably mounted on the frame, at least one pressure member mounted on the frame and adapted to contact the marginal portion of the flexible material as it is laid on the ground, and slack-inducing means mounted on the frame and situated between the roll of flexible material and the pressure member, the height of the slack-inducing means relative to the axis of the roll of flexible material being adjustable.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the slack-inducing means is mounted on an arm which is pivotally attached to the forward end of the frame.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the slack-inducing means comprises one or more wheels, a ball or a skid.

4. A device for laying flexible material over an area of land, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.