GB2390006A

GB2390006A - Aquatic Plant Holder

Info

Publication number: GB2390006A
Application number: GB0315159A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Anthony Charle Pendleton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-06-29
Filing date: 2003-06-30
Publication date: 2003-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 2023-06-30
Also published as: GB2390006B; GB0315159D0; GB0215130D0

Abstract

A plant holder arrangement 100 suitable for use in a pond, comprising support means 102 arranged to support retaining means 104 for retaining a plant 120. Preferably the retaining means has a suspension portion (204, fig. 2) and the retaining means depends from the suspension portion. The support means may be formed from stainless or mild steel, and the suspension portion may be enclosed in a plastics or rubber sleeve, or treated with a powder coating. The retaining means preferably has a projecting hinge 312. The suspension portion may have a pivot in the form of a u-shaped notch 212,214 from which the retaining means may suspend. The pivot region preferably accommodates up to two hinges from different retaining means. The retaining means may be a mesh basket and the support means may be a rod projecting from a foundation medium. The arrangement may also comprise deflection means 706 to effect motion between the support and retaining means in response to a load being applied to the deflection means.

Description

AQUATIC PLANT HOLDER

This invention relates to an aquatic plant holder.

5 Ponds and other standing water features in, for example, gardens have their aesthetic appeal enhanced by the addition of aquatic plants. Plants not only increase the appeal of a water feature but also provide a habitat for insects, amphibians and fish. Plants also play an important part in the removal of nitrates from a pond in which fish are producing waste.

A pond is typically constructed using a plastics or fibreglass liner. The liner can either be rigid, actually defining an internal configuration for the pond or soft, conforming to the contours of a previously dug pit in which the liner resides.

When keeping fish it is desirable to obtain the maximum volume of water possible for a given surface area of liner. This implies maximising the depth of the pond over as much of the pond as possible. A restricting factor in maximising the volume of a liner is the provision of mounts for 20 aquatic plants, these regions typically take the form of ledges placed close to a topmost edge of a hard liner or a mound of earth in the case of a soft liner. The plants are then placed, in pots, on top of the ledge or liner covered earth.

25 Another problem associated with current aquatic plant mounts is that, in high winds, a plant can topple over into an area of deeper water adjacent the plant mount. This can lead to the situation where somebody may risk falling into the pond in order to retrieve the plant or the plant is left to decay in the pond.

Another problem associated with current plant mounts is that they provide herons with landing sites in shallow water. This enables the heron to fish in the pond, which is distressing for the pond owner and leads to the expense of restocking the pond.

According to the present invention there is provided an aquatic plant holder arrangement suitable for use in a pond comprising a support means and a retaining means suitable for retaining an aquatic plant, the support means being arranged to support the retaining means such that in use in a 10 pond at least a portion of the support means remains out of the water and the retaining means resides substantially within the water.

This arrangement allows plants to be retained, for example, in a basket, below the level of water in a pond without requiring the formation of a 15 shallow region in the pond. Thus, the volume of the pond can be increased for a given size of liner over current arrangements.

The support means may be a rod, typically in the form of a cantilever arm, which may project from, and typically be arranged to have one end 20 thereof embedded in, a foundation medium adjacent the pond. The foundation medium may be concrete, mortar, or any other suitable medium. The support means may have a suspension portion, which may be 25 arranged to reside substantially within the water. The suspension portion may be enclosed in a plastics or rubber sleeve, or be treated with powder coating or any other means to prevent corrosion of the support means.

The suspension portion may have at least one pivot region defined thereupon. The pivot region may take the form of a substantially U 30 shaped notch in the suspension portion.

For modestly sized domestic garden ponds, single pivot support means would suit most situations. Support means with two or more pivot regions would suit larger ponds, in commercial or municipal situations, for example, where maintenance of the plants would typically be performed 5 by a team of gardeners.

The retaining means may be a basket, typically a mesh basket, usually a rigid plastics mesh basket. The basket may, for example, be elongate or be a part-spherical shell. The retaining means may be arranged to depend 10 from the suspension portion, typically having at least one rotational degree of freedom, usually about a longitudinal axis of the retaining means. The ability of the basket to swing acts as a deterrent to herons as they will be startled by the swinging when they land on the arrangement and will fly away without attempting to catch any fish. Additionally, the 15 freedom of the basket to swing means that in high winds the plants retained in the basket will not topple over into the pond but the basket will rather just swing in the wind.

The retaining means may be arranged to be suspended from said at least 20 one pivot region. The retaining means have a hinge projecting therefrom.

Typically, the hinge is an annulus. The hinge may be integrally formed with the retaining means. The hinge may be arranged to locate in the at least one pivot region. The hinge may be inclined at about 45O to sidewalls of the retaining means. Any pivot region may be arranged to 25 accommodate two hinges of different retaining means.

The support means may be fabricated of stainless steel or mild steel, which may be at least partially covered with a plastics or rubber material, or powder coating, or any other means of providing an anticorrosion 30 barrier.

The arrangement may comprise deflection means arranged to effect relative motion between the support means and the retaining means in response to a load being applied to the deflection means. The relative motion may be a rotation of the retaining means either substantially 5 about, or substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the support means. The deflection means may be a spar of substantially cruciform crosssection. A circlip may movably fasten the deflection means to the support means. Location means of the deflection means may locate in receiving means of hinge means of the retaining means.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure l is a sectional view of an aquatic plant holder arrangement 15 according to the present invention, in use; Figure la is a plan view of a layout of a plurality of aquatic plant holders of Figure 1 in-situ; 20 Figure 2 is a side elevation of a support rod of an arrangement according to the present invention; Figure 3a to 3c are views of a basket of an arrangement according to the present invention; Figure 4a is an expanded perspective view of a hinge of the basket of Figures 3a to 3c; Figure 4b is a sectional plan view of the hinge of Figure 4a; Figure 4c is a plan view of the hinge of Figure 4a;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of an alternative configuration of an aquatic plant holder arrangement according to the present invention, in use; 5 Figure 5a is a perspective view of a layout of a plurality of aquatic plant holder arrangements in the configuration of Figure 5 in- situ; Figure 5b is a plan view of aquatic plant holder arrangements of Figure 5a; Figures 6a to 6b are plan views of possible layouts of aquatic plant holder arrangements according to the present invention, in use; Figure 7 is a partial sectional view of a further embodiment of an aquatic 15 plant holder arrangement according to an aspect of the present invention; Figure 7a is an expanded cross-section of a portion of a hinge of the aquatic plant holder of Figure 7; 20 Figure 8 is a schematic sectional view of the aquatic plant holder of Figure 7, in rotation; Figure 9 is a perspective view of a deflector spar of the aquatic plant holder of Figures 7 and 8; Figure 10 is a plan view of a hinge of a basket of the aquatic plant holder of Figures 7 and 8; Figure lla is a perspective view of a hinge of a single pivot point basket 30 and a support beam of an aquatic plant holder undergoing rotation is response to a load;

Figure fib is a front elevation of the hinge and support beam of Figure lla; and 5 Figure 12 is an arrangement of two aquatic plant holders incorporating deflection spars.

Referring now to Figure 1, an aquatic plant holding arrangement 100 comprises a substantially L-shaped support rod 102 and a basket 104.

The support rod 102 is shown in detail in Figure 2 and comprises a fixing arm 202 and a suspension arm 204 that is substantially perpendicular to the fixing arm 202. The fixing arm 202 is a straight, solid cylindrical piece of material, typically 16mm or l9mm diameter mild steel coated 15 with a corrosion inhibitor or covered in a plastics material.

Alternatively, the rod 102 can be made from stainless steel or a plastics material. The suspension arm 204 comprises a spacing portion 206 that projects 20 from the fixing arm 202 substantially at a right angle thereto, an inclined intermediate portion 208 and an end pivot portion 210. The pivot portion 210 extends parallel to the spacing portion and has first and second U-

shaped pivot points 212, 214 formed therein. The first and second pivot points 212, 214 are typically spaced apart by about 305, 380 or 455mm.

25 This results in the production of a basket 104 of a size that is not too heavy to lift out of the pond when filled with water saturated earth, stones and plants. A single-pivot suspension arm would extend as far as the first pivot point 212 only.

30 The first pivot point 212 is spaced from the intermediate portion 208 and the second pivot point 214 is formed at a free end of the suspension arm

204. Both the intermediate portion 208 and the pivot portion 210 are typically covered in a plastics material or other anti-corrosion barrier.

Referring now to Figures 3a to 3c, the basket 104 is elongate, is typically 5 fabricated of a plastics material and comprises a pair of curved mesh sidewalls 302, a flat mesh base 304, a pair of mesh end walls 306 and a frame 308. The frame 308 has a pair of angled struts 310 at each end thereof which project away from a top edge of the frame 308.

10 The curved nature of the sidewalls 302 allows the basket 104 to swing without contacting walls of a pond and the flat nature of the base 304 allows the basket 104 to be stood on a flat surface when out of the pond, for example when placing a plant into the basket 104.

15 The distance x, as shown in Figure 3c, is determined by half of the width of the basket plus a distance to allow for clearance between the basket 104 and the pond liner when the basket 104 is fully tilted. further margin is usually included to allow for root growth through the mesh sidewalls 302 and base 304 of the basket 104. The distance x is typically 20 of the order of 230mm to 305mm.

Struts 310 of each angle pair meet midway between the opposing sidewalls 302, in the place of the respective end walls 306. An annular hinge 312 is formed at the junction of each pair of struts 310. The hinge 25 312 is inclined at 45O to the longitudinal axes of the sidewalls 304. This allows two baskets to share each of the pivot points of the support rod, as will be described hereinafter.

A circular or square basket with the same profile as described in Figure 30 3c, and a centrally located hinge can be employed with single-pivot support rods. Single-pivot support rods can also support the two-hinged

baskets when the support rods are located in a similar fashion to that shown in Figure 5a.

Referring now to Figures 1 and la, with reference to Figures 2 and 3, a 5 pond 106 comprises a liner 108, typically made of butyl rubber and inclined, at the sides of the pond, at approximately 600 to the horizontal, and a soil wall 110 supporting the liner 108. The liner 108 defines a hollow which is filled with water 112. Paving slabs 113 fixed in mortar 114 extend over the margin of the liner 108 to anchor the liner 108 and, 10 typically extend over the wall 110 so as to overhang the water 112 slightly, typically by 5cm. A concrete foundation 116 is located in the soil wall 110 adjacent the liner 108 and has the fixing arm 202 of the support rod 102 embedded therein. The depth of the foundation 116 is chosen so that the intermediate portion 208 of the support extends over 15 the margin of the liner 108 and the top of the wall 110 below the mortar 114. One of the paving slabs 113 lies over the support rod 102. The mortar 114 and paving slab 113 help retain the support rod 102 in position. 20 The support rod is enclosed in a plastics cover 118 extending from the exit point of the support rod 102 to a free end of the pivot portion 210.

The intermediate portion 208 is adjacent the liner 108 and extends outwards from the wall 110, passing through a surface of the water 112 whilst still underneath the overhang of the overlying slab 113. Thus, the 25 pivot portion 210 extends away from the wall 110 under the level of the water 112. This improves the aesthetic appeal of the arrangement as the support rod 102 is not clearly visible.

The basket 104 depends freely from the pivot portion 210 by the location 30 of respective annular hinges 312 at the first and second pivot points 212, 214. The basket 104 has an aquatic plant 120 placed therein. Roots of

the plant 120 can extend through the mesh sidewalls 302, base 304 and the end walls 306 as the plant 120 grows.

Referring now to Figures 4a to 4c, the hinges 312 comprise a plastics ring 5 402 that is integrally formed with the struts 310. The diameter of the ring 402 is inclined at 450 to sidewalls of the basket and each pair of hinges 312 on any given basket are parallel to each other. The hinges 312 have an inner surface 404 that comprises two inwardly concave semitoroidal halves 406a,b that meet at the midpoint of each hinge 312 to define a 10 pivot 408.

As the hinges are at 45O to sidewalls of the basket it is possible for two hinges of different baskets to be located in each of the pivot points of the support rod.

The hinge should also have a means of attaching a plastics rod, designed to be positioned above the support rod and below the water surface when the basket is at rest. This plastics rod would be disturbed if a heron attempted to use the support rod as a perch, and so would disturb the 20 basket in a similar fashion to the basket itself being used as a perch.

Referring now to Figure 5 to fib, the support rod 102 is mounted in substantially the same way as referred to in relation to Figure 1. A smaller basket 504a, of substantially the same design as the basket 104, is 25 suspended between first pivot points 212 of two adjacent support rods 102. A larger basket 504b is suspended between second pivot points 214 of the adjacent support rods 102. Both the smaller and larger baskets 504a,b have the same length but differing depths and widths.

30 Thus, two, or more, baskets of aquatic plants 520 can be suspended substantially parallel to the edge of the pond and swing parallel to the

side of the pond. The use of the smaller baskets 504a adjacent the edge of the liner allows aquatic plants to be located close to the edge of the pond where the slope of the liner limits the depth of water in which the basket 504a can be placed. The larger basket 504b is located further from 5 the edge of the pond in deeper water.

The pivots of adjacent smaller baskets 504a locate in the first pivot 212 of respective adjacent rods 102 and the respective hinges 312 of the respective baskets 504a interlock due to their inclination at 45O to the 10 baskets' sidewalls. Thus, the pivot points 312 define static points for the baskets 504a to swing about. Pivots of the larger baskets 504b locate in the second pivot points 214 in a similar manner to those of the smaller baskets 504a.

15 Referring now to Figure 6a, support rods 102 are placed about a concavely curved pond edge 602 such that pivot points of the rods 102 follow the line of the pond edge 602. Smaller baskets 604a are suspended from between respective second pivot points of adjacent rods 102 and larger baskets 604b are suspended from between respective first pivot 20 points. This is because the second pivot points are more closely spaced than the first pivot points due to the curve of the pond edge 602.

Conversely, referring to Figure 6b, in the case of a convexly curved pond edge 606 larger baskets 604b are suspended between respective first pivot 25 points of adjacent rods 102 with smaller baskets 604a being suspended between respective second pivot points of adjacent rods 102.

Unlike the baskets of differing sizes referred to in relation to Figures 5 to 5b the baskets referred to in relation to Figures 6a and 6b will normally 30 have differing lengths, widths and depths in order to account for the radius of curvature of the pond edge.

Referring now to Figures 7 to 12, an aquatic plant holder 700 comprises a support rod 702, a basket 704 and a deflector spar 706. The support rod 702 is mounted in substantially the same way as referred to in relation to 5 Figure 1. The basket 704 has a hinge 708 that locates in a pivot point 710, of the support rod 702 as described hereinbefore with reference to Figures 1 and 5 to Sb.

Referring now to Figure 9 in particular, the deflector spar 706 comprises 10 an elongate body 712 of cruciform cross-section, a C-shaped circlip 714 depends from one free end of the spar 706, the circlip 714 being arranged to snap-fit onto the support rod 702. A post 716 bearing an octagonal locating plug 718 depends from the other free end of the spar 706 and extends in the same direction as the circlip 714. A wall 720, forming one 15 arm of the cruciform body 712, tapers outward from a narrow point at the mid-point of the spar 706 towards the circlip 714 and the post 716 respectively. This encourages bending of the spar 706 in response to a weight being applied at any point along the length of the spar 706.

Typically, the deflector spar 706 is arranged to lie beneath the water level 20 of a pond, in use.

The plug 718 is of octagonal cross-section and tapers inwardly away from the spar 706. The plug 718 has a cylindrical spigot 722 projecting from a free end thereof, which terminates in a spherical projection 724, having a 25 larger radius than the spigot 722.

The hinge 708 has a chamber 726 opening through a surface thereof opposite the basket 704, which is arranged to receive the plug 718. The chamber 726 comprises an inwardly tapering octagonal entry portion 728, 30 a cylindrical body section 730, a waist region 732 and a spherical terminal cavity 734.

The cylindrical body section 730 is wider than the spigot 722 such that the projection 724 can pass freely until the waist region 732 is reached.

The waist region 732 is sufficiently resilient to deform in order to allow 5 the projection 724 to enter the cavity 734, and snap fittingly engage the spigot 722. The entry portion 728 locates the plug 718 such that the spar 706 is aligned with the support rod 702.

Thus, in use, when the basket is at right angles to the support rod 702 10 should a heron or other bird, or animal, rest upon the spar 706 there is a deflection of the spar such that the basket 704 is deflected away from the side of the pond by motion of the hinge 708 about the hinge 704. This motion of the basket serves to frighten the bird or animal in order to make the bird or animal leave the pond without attacking fishes or other 15 pondlife. In an alternative embodiment, for instance when the basket is aligned with the support rod axis a bird or an animal standing upon the spar 706 will cause the spar 706 and basket 704 to rotate about the support rod 702 20 causing the bird or animal to take flight from the pond.

In the case where there is only a single pivot point the deflection spar will typically run from the pivot point to close to the end of the horizontal section of the support rod at the supported end. Alternatively, where there 25 is more than one pivot point deflection spars will typically run between pivot points and from the nearest pivot point to the pond liner to close to the end of the horizontal section of the support rod at the supported end.

The use of the octagonal locating plug allows the deflection spar to be 30 located in one of three possible alignments in the chamber in the hinge as required for the cases detailed hereinafter. For a single hinged basket the

hinge rests at right angles to the support rod. In the case of a double hinged basket the hinge rests at 450 to the support rod and the basket axis is at right angles to the support rod axis, and for a double hinge basket where the hinge is at 45 o to the support rod and the basket axis is 5 coincident with the support rod axis.

It is apparent that in order to accommodate variations in the radii of curvature of concave and convex pond edges a range of basket sizes are desirable. Similarly, a range of rod sizes is desirable in order to 10 accommodate the variations in the sizes of baskets for concave and convex pond edges. The variation in basket and rod sizes is not necessary when single pivot support rods are used.

It will be appreciated that, although shown as elongate, the baskets may 15 each take the form of a mesh bowl with a single hinge that is suspended from a single pivot point.

Claims

1. An aquatic plant holder arrangement suitable for use in a pond comprising a support means and a retaining means suitable for retaining 5 an aquatic plant, the support means being arranged to support the retaining means such that in use in a pond at least a portion of the support means remains out of the water and the retaining means resides substantially within the water.

10 2. An arrangement according to Claim 1 wherein the support means

has a suspension portion, which is arranged to reside substantially within the water.

3. An arrangement according to Claim 2 wherein the retaining means 15 is arranged to depend from the suspension portion.

4. An arrangement according to Claim 3 wherein the retaining means has at least one rotational degree of freedom.

20 5. An arrangement according any one of Claims 2 to Claim 4 wherein the suspension portion is enclosed in a plastics or rubber sleeve, or is treated with powder coating or other means to prevent corrosion of the suspension portion.

25 6. An arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein the retaining means has a hinge projecting therefrom.

7. An arrangement according to any one of Claims 2 to 6 wherein the suspension portion has at least one pivot region defined thereupon.

8. An arrangement according to Claim 7 wherein the at least one pivot region takes the form of a substantially U-shaped notch in the suspension portion.

5 9. An arrangement according to either of Claims 7 and 8 wherein the retaining means is arranged to be suspended from said at least one pivot region. 10. An arrangement according to any one of Claims 7 to 9 as 10 dependent upon Claim 6 wherein the hinge is arranged to locate in the at least one pivot region.

11. An arrangement according to Claim 10 wherein the, or at least one, pivot region is arranged to accommodate two hinges of different retaining 15 means.

12. An arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein the support means is fabricated of stainless steel or mild steel.

20 13. An arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein the support means is at least partially covered with a plastics or rubber material, or powder coating, or other means of providing an anti-

corrosion barrier.

25 14. An arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein the retaining means is a basket.

15. An arrangement according to Claim 14 wherein the basket is a mesh basket.

16. An arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein the support means is a rod, which projects from, and is arranged to have one end thereof embedded in, a foundation medium adjacent the pond.

5 17. An arrangement according to any preceding claim comprising deflection means arranged to effect relative motion between the support means and the retaining means in response to a load being applied to the deflection means.

10 18. An arrangement according to Claim 17 wherein the relative motion is a rotation of the retaining means either substantially about, or substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the support means.

19. An arrangement according to either of Claims 17 or 18 wherein the 15 deflection means is a spar of substantially cruciform cross-section.

20. An arrangement according to any one of Claims 17 to 19 wherein a circlip movably fastens the deflection means to the support means.

20 21. An arrangement according to any one of Claims 17 to 20 wherein location means of the deflection means locate in receiving means of hinge means of the retaining means.

22. An aquatic plant holder arrangement as substantially hereinbefore 25 described with reference to the accompanying drawings.