Plant husbandry – Receptacle for growing medium – Specific container material
Patent
1987-07-27
1990-02-13
Taylor, Dennis L.
Plant husbandry
Receptacle for growing medium
Specific container material
47 17, 111200, A01G 900, A01G 3100
Patent
active
048994898
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to the farming industry and is concerned, more specifically, with a device for growing plants under natural conditions or in an artificial environment, in particular, on protected or open ground.
The invention finds application for growth of plants directly on the surface of water basins or reservoirs, or deeply in the water thereof. The invention makes it possible to grow plants on various abandoned lands, marshlands, roofs of production or residential buildings, in abandoned mine workings, as well as in mines and collieries.
In addition, the invention can be used for growing biological products (such as algae, molluscs, fish, etc.) in an aqueous medium, as well as in the outer space.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Known in art is a device for growing plants, comprising a container accommodating layers of an organomineral root medium and a fine-grained water-permeable material, separated by a perforated partition, and a reservoir containing a nutrient solution, communicating with the container (cf. USSR Inventor's Certificate No. 988,241, Int.Cl. A01G 31/00).
However, the aforementioned device fails to provide an efficient use of the nutritive salts contained in the nutrient solution, since the holes in the perforated partition can get clogged with the plants' roots, root discharges and salt deposits, which results in disturbed water-salt metabolism and aeration of the plants.
A prior-art installation for soil-free growing of plants in a waterproof container is known to comprise a network carrying a matting material for the plant roots, a device for feeding plant roots with a nutrient solution, and a means for mist formation, communicating with the container (cf. USSR Inventor's Certificate No. 897,175, Int.Cl. A01G 31/02, 1982).
A disadvantage inherent in said installation resides in its restricted technological capabilities, since it is applicable for plant growing under stationary conditions only.
Another prior-art device for growing plants is known to comprise a hermetically sealed chamber, accommodating a perforated band mounted on a driven drum, respective systems for feeding nutrient solution and working agent to the chamber, and a perforated band cleaning element (cf. USSR Inventor's Certificate No. 969,211, Int.Cl. A01G 31/02, 1981).
The aforementioned device suffers from low productivity and restricted technological capabilities, since it is applicable under stationary conditions only. Besides, planting and harvesting are carried out manually, which substantially affects the productivity of the device. The plant growing area is constant, which renders the device inapplicable for use in various media and does not allow the planting area in the chamber to be changed whenever necessary.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The main object of the present invention is to provide a device for growing plants construction of which would allow one to change planting area in the chamber.
The aforesaid object is accomplished by a device for growing plants, comprising a hermetically sealed chamber, accommodating a perforated band mounted on a driven drum, and systems for feeding nutrient solution and working agent to the chamber, according to the invention, part of the chamber is fashioned as a flexible tubing whose one end is connected to the free end of the perforated band, while the other end thereof is turned inside out and held in place peripherally in the chamber to form a hermetically sealed space along therewith.
The proposed invention provides for changing the size of the planted area, depending on the length of the tubing, and makes it possible to establish the planted area on practically any surface, which extends the technological capabilities of the device. Thanks to the fact that planting and harvesting are carried out from the same position, i.e., when inflating the tubing and reeling it onto the drum, respectively, the productivity of the device is increased and its operation and maintenance is made more convenient.
Since the tubing is moved by virtue
REFERENCES:
patent: 3178732 (1962-03-01), Stibitz
patent: 3757788 (1973-09-01), Renfroe
patent: 4291499 (1981-09-01), Prewer
Ibzhenerny Tsentr "Truboprovod"
Taylor Dennis L.
Thompson Jeffrey L.
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