A device for guiding plants

Abstract

The invention consists of a reel (1) attached to a fixed support (2) for fastening a corresponding staking wire. A cord, secured by its loose end for hanging plants, is attached to a pin (8) at the base of the support (2) and wound around the reel (1) to allow the reel to move both axially and rotationally. The base of the support includes a pair of vertical arms (10) that define a locking mechanism for the reel (1). The base of the reel (1) includes two diametric, perpendicular recesses or grooves (7), which may or may not fit into the arms (10) at the base of the support (2) itself. Thus, the reel is always in a locked position that can be released by pressing the reel upward.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for staking plants, and in particular to a device for staking tomato plants, although not excluding other uses where similar functionality is required.

[0002] The object of the present invention is to provide a device for adjusting the height of a tomato plant relative to a wire to which the plant is attached by means of a cord that forms part of the device itself.

[0003] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a means for easily adjusting the length of a cord connecting, for example, a tomato plant to a wire supporting the tomato plant, in order to facilitate harvesting of the crop or to adjust the height as the plant itself grows. [Background technology]

[0004] In order to optimize tomato production, as opposed to leaving the plants to grow naturally on the ground, within the scope of the practical application of the invention, and as is already common knowledge, these plants are always connected to horizontal wires by strings or cords that allow them to adopt a vertical position, keeping them off the ground and improving the production conditions of the crop, in addition to avoiding potential high humidity conditions and insects, and this also optimizes the space available.

[0005] In either case, this staking technique is undertaken with cords or strings that must adapt to changing conditions as a result of the plants' own growth. The plants can reach considerable heights, and naturally, not all tomatoes are harvested at the same time, as each is harvested according to its maturity. Therefore, the plants must be constantly unhooked to access the ripe crop, which is higher than the plant, before being re-hanged.

[0006] This staking process is therefore undertaken by tying and untying the cord until it conforms to the required length at any given time, which can be a difficult and arduous task, especially for large areas where this process needs to be repeated many times. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The plant staking device satisfactorily provides a response to the aforementioned problems based on a simple yet effective solution, making it possible to conveniently, quickly, and simply adjust the extension of the cord connecting the plant to the horizontal wire from which it is suspended, without the need for complex operations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] For this purpose, the device of the invention consists of two parts, a reel and a fixed support, which are manually joined together in order to attach the two parts to a horizontal piling wire.

[0009] More specifically, the reel has a hollow cylindrical tubular shape, which allows the cord to be secured by its loose end to the plant to be hung by wrapping the wire around its exterior, and as previously mentioned, the reel has a hollow interior, which defines a means for rotating the reel.

[0010] On the other hand, the support consists of a base with a vertical cylindrical pin intended to attach the reel, the base consists of a pair of vertical arms that emerge from the end and form a type of open winding shape of the reel, the two vertical arms extend above the reel and terminate in two hanging hooks on the corresponding wire.

[0011] This ensures that the reel can rotate relative to the wire fixed support and thus allow the cord associated with it to be unwound or wound in order to adjust the length of the cord and thus the height of the plant associated with the cord.

[0012] According to another feature of the present invention, the reel can be both locked and unlocked from the connected support by rotation. To this end, the reel terminates at its bottom with an annular base, which has a diametric recess or groove, the width and depth of which correspond to the arms of the base of the wire. Thus, due to the relative rotation between the elements during rotation of the reel and the effect of gravity or tension on the cord, the groove in the lower base of the reel coincides with and fits into the arms of the base, preventing relative movement between the two elements. Thus, when the reel can move axially on the pin emerging from the base of the support, the grower can release the reel by pressing upward on the base of the reel, allowing the reel to rotate freely and the cord itself to become fully stable so as to adjust the length of the cord wound on the reel. Thus, once the correct length is reached, the reel automatically locks. This occurs when the groove in the lower base of the reel coincides with the arms of the lower base of the support and the upward pressure is no longer applied. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] This therefore facilitates the creation of mechanisms that are both affordable and reusable, as well as being much easier to tune.

[0014] In accordance with preferred examples of practical application, to complement the following description and to facilitate a better understanding of the features of the present invention, a series of drawings, represented below by way of example and not limitation, are attached as an integral part of this description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1]1 shows a perspective view of a reel forming part of a device for staking plants made in accordance with the objects of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 shows a perspective view of the suspension support of the device relative to the horizontal wire to which the reel shown in FIG. 1 is attached. [Figure 3] 1 shows a perspective view of the assembled device of the present invention in an unlocked, free-spinning position of the reel relative to the hanging support. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Considering the diagrams shown above, it can be observed that the device for staking plants consists of a reel (1) shown in Figure 1 and a support (2) for attachment to a horizontal staking wire shown in Figure 2, the reel (1) and the support (2) being connected to each other, as can be observed in Figure 3.

[0017] Returning to Figure 1, the reel consists of a hollow cylindrical tubular body (3) including a disk-shaped upper base (4) with holes (5) for stabilizing the externally wound piling wire on the surface of the cylindrical tubular body (3). The lower limb of the tubular body terminates in an annular base (6) on the underside of which are two diametrically intersecting recesses or grooves (7) at right angles to each other.

[0018] According to Figure 2, the support (2) consists of a base with a hollow cylindrical vertical pin (8) intended to insert the reel (1). The cylindrical tubular body (3) has an inner shaft (9) attached in the middle of the pin (8).

[0019] The base of the support (2) consists of two vertical arms (10), from the ends of which emerge two vertical posts (11) that form the open winding shape of the reel, reinforced by rings (12) attached to all of the posts (11), two of which can be extended above the reel and terminate in hooks (13) that are used to hang it on the corresponding wire.

[0020] From this construction, and as can be seen in Figure 3, when pressing upward at the base of the reel (1) so that it can be displaced axially onto the pin (8) at the base of the support (2), the reel is released from the arm (10) that locks it in place, allowing it to rotate and thus adjust the cord attached to it. When the reel is released, both the downward tension of the cord and gravity tend to lock it, and the arm (10) of the support locks into the groove (7) of the reel.

Claims

1. A device for guiding plants, consisting of a reel (1) and a fixed support (2) fixed to the wire, The reel (1) is composed of a hollow cylindrical tubular body (3), a cord is wound around the outside of the reel (1), and one end of the cord is fixed to the plant that is hung by the cord; The reel (1) can be displaced both in the axial direction of a vertical pin (8) provided at the base of the fixed support part (2) and in the rotational direction around the vertical pin, The base is made up of a pair of arms (10) perpendicular to each other, and vertical supports (11) emerge from both ends of each of the pair of arms (10) to form an open case that encases the reel. Two of the vertical struts (11) extend into the headspace of the sides of the reel and have hooks (13) used to hang the fixed support (2) on the wire; The reel (1) has an annular base (6) with a recess or groove (7) on the underside thereof, the recess or groove being diametrically intersecting at a right angle; The device is characterized in that the recess or groove (7) can fit into and be removed from the arm (10) of the base of the fixed support (2), and the vertical pin (8) is hollow and comprises an inner shaft (9) attached to the center of the vertical pin (8) inside the hollow cylindrical tubular body of the reel (1).

2. A device for guiding plants as described in claim 1, characterized in that the reel (1) has a disk-shaped upper base (4) with holes (5) at the top of the reel to stabilize the cord.

3. A device for guiding plants as described in claim 1, characterized in that the fixed support part (2) includes a reinforcing ring (12) joined to the vertical support (11).

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