Clip for connecting sheeting to trellising
The clip for securing sheeting to trellising wire addresses the issues of nail loss and safety hazards by clamping onto the wire, ensuring secure and efficient attachment without tearing, while being easier to handle and retrieve.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- F&T SPAGNOLO PTY LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-09
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-18
AI Technical Summary
The use of nails to secure protective sheeting to trellising wire is problematic due to nail loss, hazards from sharp tips, tearing of sheeting, and potential puncture hazards for vehicles and personnel, necessitating a safer and more efficient attachment method.
A clip with resilient legs that clamp onto trellising wire, eliminating the need for nails and distributing clamping load across a broader area to reduce tearing and enhance handling safety.
The clip provides secure attachment, reduces the risk of nail loss and injuries, and minimizes sheeting tearing, while being easier to handle and retrieve if dropped, thus enhancing safety and installation efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure AU2025051388_18062026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
CLIP FOR CONNECTING SHEETING TO TRELLISINGPriority Cross-ReferenceThe present application claims priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2024904068 filed 9 December 2024, the contents of which is to be considered to be incorporated into this specification by this reference.Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a clip for connecting protective sheeting over horticultural crops, such as trellised vines, to protect the crop of the vines against weather conditions such as hail, rain, frost, sunburn, and wind. The present invention further relates to a sheeting installation that employs the inventive clip.Background of the Invention
[0002] The discussion of the background to the invention that follows is intended to facilitate an understanding of the invention. However, it should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any aspect of the discussion was part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of the application.
[0003] Protective sheeting is used to cover trellised vines and the grapes or berries of the vines from hail, rain, frost, sunburn and wind. The sheeting is thin and flexible and is draped over the vine to rest on the vines themselves, such as on the foliage of the vines. The sheeting is secured in place by securing longitudinal edges of the sheeting to trellising wire of the vine trellising. Opposite ends of the sheeting can be secured to opposite ends of the trellising. The length of the sheeting can be in the order of 10m, or 30 metres, or over 300m for example.
[0004] Typically, the longitudinal edges of the sheeting are secured to the trellising wire by nails. The sheeting edge is wrapped around the trellising wire and a nail is inserted into the overlapping sections of the sheeting to secure the sheeting to the wire. Examples of this prior art arrangement are shown in Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is an overhead perspective view of a row of vines supported by a trellis structure. The trellis structure 10 comprises aplurality of upright posts 12 that support trellising wire frames 14 by which three strands of trellising wire 16 are suspended above the vines. In other arrangements, more than three strands of trellising wire are employed, such as 5 or 10 strands. A section of sheeting 18 extending between opposite edges 19, is shown supported on the trellising wire 16 in an upside-down V shape.
[0005] The sheeting 18 is draped over the upper trellising wire 16a, and the longitudinal edges of the sheeting 18 is fixed to the lower trellising wire 16b and 16c. The manner of fixing the longitudinal edges to the trellising wire 16b and 16c involves the use of nails 20 periodically inserted through the longitudinal edges. Figure 2 is a detailed view of one nail 20 of Figure 1, while Figure 3 Is a cross-sectional view through the trellising wires 16c to show the manner of fixing the nail 20 through the sheeting 18.
[0006] With reference to Figure 3, the longitudinal edge of the sheeting 18 Is wrapped about the wire 16c and the upper and lower sections of sheeting are brought together and the nail 20 is pushed through the upper and lower sections to secure the sheeting 18 to the trellising wire 16c. This form of attachment has been found to securely connect the sheeting 18 to the trellising wire even under windy or rainy conditions. The nails 20 are spaced apart along the longitudinal edges of the sheeting 18, with the spacing between adjacent nails being in the order of about lm, 1.5m or 3m.
[0007] Despite that the use of the nails 20 provides secure attachment of the longitudinal edges of the sheeting 18 to the trellising wire 16, the use of nails has disadvantages. One significant disadvantage is in relation to the loss of nails during removal of the sheeting 18. Because the nails are relatively small and easily dropped, many of the nails are dropped to the ground during removal and often these are not retrieved, but rather are left on the ground. Even if a worker intends to retrieve the nail, the nail might not be easily visible so that it might be left on the ground just because it was not easy to locate. Sometimes a sweep of the ground is made by a magnetic sweeper, so that ferrous nails that would otherwise be left on the ground are picked up by the magnetic sweeper. This of course is a time consuming process.
[0008] Nails that are left on the ground can form a hazard for the inflated tyres of vehicles, such as tractors, sprayers, picking trailers and pruning equipment, as the nails canpuncture the tyres. The nails can be problematic for equipment used for the removal of suckers that shoot from vine, plant or tree trunks, as the equipment often uses high speed rotating cord and if the cord engages a nail, the cord can propel the nail at high speed which might be dangerous for personnel working in the immediate area or it might relocate the nail to a position where it becomes a puncture hazard for vehicle tyres.
[0009] The use of nails can also result in tearing of the sheeting because the nails piece the sheeting in two positions to extend through the sheeting and if the sheeting is stretched such as by the effect of wind, the piercing points can be tearing points.
[0010] The use of nails can also be a hazard for installation personnel, given that the nails have a sharp tip or point and so installation personnel can often be injured by that tip or point if they are not careful when handling the nails. It is noted that the nails are installed manually and so the nails are handled by installation personnel each time they are installed and because the procedure of installation is intended to be quick, often installation personnel can be the injured and even though the injuries are often minor, they are nevertheless open to infection, they can be unsightly and are simply to be avoided if possible.
[0011] The present invention aims to provide a new arrangement for connecting protective sheeting over the foliage of trellised vines, which is either an improvement over the prior art use of nails, or at least provides consumers with an alternative.Summary of the Invention
[0012] In a first form of the invention, there is provided a clip for connecting protective sheeting to trellising wire, the clip comprising a. a pair of legs positioned side by side, b. each of the legs extending from a base and having a leading end opposite the base, and c. each of the legs comprising a concave portion between the leading end and the base, the respective concave portions of the legs being generally of the same shape and dimension and being generally aligned in a direction perpendicular to the length of the legs, the concave portions of legs facing in generally theopposite direction to each other and the respective concave portions of the legs being operable to capture a trellising wire to which the clip is fitted, d. the legs being formed of a resilient material that allows the legs to resiliently bend relatively away from each other to accept a trellising wire between the legs and to resiliently bend relatively towards each other once the trellising wire is received within the concave portions of the legs.
[0013] A clip according to the present invention can thus comprise two legs, in which a side edge of one leg faces a side edge of the other leg. Accordingly, in a relaxed or home condition of the clip, the legs are thus approximately co-planar. That is, the legs are not arranged to overlie each other but rather are side by side or adjacent each other in approximately the same plane.
[0014] A clip according to the present invention can include more than two legs and so in a second form of the present invention there is provided a clip for connecting protective sheeting to trellising wire, the clip comprising a. a pair of spaced apart legs and an intermediate leg extending between the spaced apart legs, b. each of the legs extending from a base and having a leading end opposite the base, and c. each of the legs comprising a concave portion between the leading end and the base, the respective concave portions of the legs being generally of the same shape and dimension and being generally aligned in a direction perpendicular to the length of the legs, the concave portions of the spaced apart legs facing in generally the opposite direction to the concave portion of the intermediate leg, the respective concave portions of the legs being operable to capture a trellising wire to which the clip is fitted, d. the legs being formed of a resilient material that allows the spaced apart legs to resiliently bend relatively away from the intermediate leg, to accept a trellising wire between the legs and to resiliently bend relatively toward the intermediate leg once the trellising wire is received within the concave portions of the legs.
[0015] In either form of the invention described above, many of the characteristics of the legs can be the same. Accordingly, the discussion that follows can apply to either form of the invention except where clearly it applies just to the second form of the invention.
[0016] A clip according to the present invention advantageously clamps about the trellising wire and any sheeting that is wrapped about the trellising wire. It is not necessary to push the clip through the sheeting like in the prior art use of nails. Moreover, the surface area of the concave portions of the legs, particularly where three legs are provided (a pair of spaced apart legs and an intermediate leg extending between the spaced apart legs) can distribute the clamping load across a broader area of the sheeting, so that the likelihood of the clip tearing the sheeting is low, which overcomes a disadvantage of the prior art use of nails.
[0017] A clip according to the present invention is more easily handled by installation personnel because it is larger than the prior art nails and the clip can be formed with no sharp edges, reducing the potential for injury to installation personnel.
[0018] A clip according to the present invention will also generally be a larger size compared to a nail and this is expected to mean that if a clip is dropped to the ground, it is more likely to be noticed and retrieved rather than being left on the ground and forming a potential hazard.
[0019] A clip according to the present invention can made from any suitable resilient material. The expectation is that it will be made from sheet metal, being punch manufactured, but an alternative is to make the clip from suitable resilient plastic, for example a hard plastic. An advantage of plastic is that it can be brightly coloured to make the position on the sheeting of the clips obvious and if a clip is dropped to the ground, to make its retrieval easy by being easily seen, although this can also be done with sheet metal by the application of a suitable coating.
[0020] If the clip is made of metal, the metal is preferably rust resistant. Surfaces of the clip that will be in contact with the trellising wire or the sheeting that is wrapped about the trellising wire can be roughened to promote better grip if required. A clip according to the invention can be coated by a suitable rust proof coating such as spin dip or Dacromet coating.
[0021] A clip according to the present invention can be formed as a one piece or unitary clip and if the clip is made of metal, it can be manufactured by punching as discussed above, or if the clip is made of plastic, it could be moulded for example.
[0022] The legs of the clip can be of the same or different lengths, or the leading ends of the legs can extend to the same or different position. In some forms of the invention where three legs are provided, at least the spaced apart legs are of the same length with the intermediate leg being of a different length to the spaced apart legs, or the leading ends of the spaced apart legs extending to a different position compared to the leading end of the intermediate leg. However, in other forms of the invention, each of the spaced apart legs and the intermediate leg have the same length, or the leading ends of the spaced apart and intermediate legs extend to the same position.
[0023] While a clip according to the present invention can have just two legs, prototypes developed to date have comprised three legs and so further discussion will be made in relation to that form of the present invention.
[0024] The legs of the clip can extend parallel to each other and side edges of the intermediate leg can be in close proximity to facing side edges of the spaced apart legs. In most forms of the invention, there will be no contact between the side edges of the intermediate leg and the two facing side edges of the spaced apart legs so that there is no impediment to relative bending movement between the spaced apart legs and the intermediate leg. The spacing between the intermediate leg and the spaced apart legs can be in the order of 1 to 2mm.
[0025] The legs of the clip can be arranged side by side when the clip is in a relaxed condition. The clip will therefore have a width measured in a direction perpendicular to the length of the legs which is equal to the combined width of the three legs and the spacing between the intermediate leg and the spaced apart legs. In some forms of the invention, the base from which the legs extend can have the same width so that outside edges of the spaced apart legs are coextensive with outside edges of the base. The base can have a generally planar form and in some forms of the invention, the base is square, or more preferably, rectangular. The clip can have a generally square or rectangular shape when taken in plan view.
[0026] The concave portions of the legs can be formed closely adjacent the connection of the legs to the base. For example, the concave portions can commence almost immediately at the point at which the legs extend from the base. Alternatively, and it seems preferably from prototype testing, the concave portions can be spaced away from the connection of the legs to the base, such as closer to the leading ends of the legs. The concave portions can be spaced approximately halfway between the connection of the legs to the base and the leading ends of the legs, or even closer to the leading ends of the legs than the connection of the legs to the base. The clamping load that the legs can apply to a trellising wire to which the clip is attached is expected to be greater if the concave portions are closer to the base than further away, although the ease of application of the clip to a trellising wire is expected to be greater if the concave portions are further away from the base. Accordingly, there is a trade-off between clamping load and ease of application, although selection of clip material also has an effect on each of these characteristics.
[0027] The concave portions can be U-shaped, V- shaped, part circular, or otherwise shaped as long as they are suitable to capture a trellising wire and sheeting wrapped about the trellising wire and to clamp about the trellising wire.
[0028] The legs can comprise a planar section that extends from each concave portion on the opposite side of the concave portion to the base. The planar section of the spaced apart legs can be coplanar, and the planar section of the intermediate leg can be out of plane relative to the spaced apart legs. This arrangement can provide an opening at the leading ends of the legs for the entry of trellising wire and sheeting wrapped about the trellising wire between the legs and for travel along the legs to the concave portions of the legs.
[0029] The legs can further comprise leading ends that are angled in order to form a recess or channel into which a trellising wire and sheeting wrapped about the trellising wire can enter prior to the clip being pushed further into clamping engagement with the trellising wire. That is, the clip can be brought into abutting engagement with the trellising wire by bringing the recess or channel of the clip into abutment with the trellising wire and sheeting and that abutment properly locates the clip relative to the trellising wire for subsequent installation of the clip onto the trellising wire. The recess or channel can be formed by the leading ends of the spaced apart legs being angled in a different direction to the leading endof the intermediate leg so as to create a V or U shaped recess or channel for example. The respective leading ends can be angled in equal and opposite directions for example. The channel or recess is therefore formed by the leading ends of the spaced apart legs extending at an angle upwardly for example and the leading end of the intermediate leg extending downwardly. Clearly the use of the terms upwardly and downwardly here relate to orientations of the clip when the clip is for example, disposed horizontally. The angle spanning between the spaced apart legs and the intermediate leg can be 100° for example, or in the region of 90° to 150° for example.
[0030] By suitable selection of the material of the clip, the clip can be pushed onto the trellising wire manually, with the intermediate leg splaying or bending relative to the spaced apart legs to allow the trellising wire and the sheeting wrapped about the trellising wire to enter between the spaced apart legs and the intermediate leg, and to travel along those legs as the clip is pushed further on to the trellising wire until the trellising wire reaches the concave portions. Just prior to the trellising wire reaching the concave portions, the legs will have splayed or separated a maximum amount and as the trellising wire enters the concave portions, the legs can resiliently return relative to each other to clamp about the trellising wire. By suitable selection of the material of the clip, this process can be very quick so that a clip can be pushed into position clamping a trellising wire, in the order of one or two seconds.
[0031] A clip according to the present invention can comprise a finger grip to assist installation of the clip into an operational position clamped about a trellising wire, and / or to assist removal of a clip from the operational position. The finger grip can be formed by a section of the clip which extends from the base at an angle to the base, such as perpendicular to the base, or at an angle that is greater than perpendicular. The finger grip could extend at an angle to the base of 100°, or 110° for example. The finger grip can thus be a portion of the clip which is bent at an angle to the base. An alternative form of finger grip comprises a pair of angled portions, that are angled in opposite directions to each other, such as a first portion which extends from the base perpendicular to the base, or at 100°, or 110° to the base, and a second portion that also extends from the base at the same angle, but in the opposite direction to the first portion. The first portion can comprise a pair of portions that are spaced apart and the second portion can comprise a portion that is between the pair of portions, butwhich extends in the opposite direction to the pair of portions. These portions can be aligned with the spaced apart legs and the intermediate leg.
[0032] Still another alternative form of finger grip comprises one or more openings formed in the base which allows finger entry to securely grip the base.
[0033] The clip according to the invention has been described as comprising two legs, or three legs which comprise a pair of spaced apart legs and an intermediate leg. It should be appreciated however, that the clip according to the invention can include more than two or three legs, such as four or five legs for example. A clip that employs four legs, will still comprise a pair of spaced apart legs and an intermediate leg, and the fourth leg will extend from the base and on either side of one of the pair of spaced apart legs. The fourth leg will comprise a leading end opposite the base and a concave portion between the leading end and the base. The concave portion will be generally of the same shape as the concave portions of the other three legs and will be generally aligned with the concave portions of the other three legs. The concave portion of the fourth leg can face in generally the same direction to the concave portion of the intermediate leg. It will be appreciated that the fourth leg can be generally the same as or identical to the intermediate leg, so that it is also formed of a resilient material and is likely formed integrally with the base.
[0034] In a clip that comprises five legs, the legs can be substantially identical with the exception of the direction in which the concave portion of the respective legs faces. The concave portions of three of the legs can face in one direction and the concave portions of the other two legs can face in the opposite direction. Of course, the clip according to the present invention can comprise any number of legs with the minimum number of legs comprising three legs and with those legs comprising a pair of spaced apart legs and an intermediate leg.
[0035] A clip according to the invention can comprise one or more strengthening or stiffening grooves, channels or recesses (hereinafter "grooves"). These grooves are most relevant to clips, or at least legs, that are formed from flat material, such as flat or sheet metal or plastic sheet, and the grooves have a depth that is out of plane of the sheet. That is, the base of the grooves extends out of the plane of the sheet so that the base forms a raised rib along the length of the groove.
[0036] The grooves formed in the legs can have the same length or different lengths, and the same depth or different depths. There may for example, be benefit in rendering one leg to be of greater stiffness than another, and this can be achieved by the groove in the leg requiring greater stiffness to have greater length, or greater depth than the other groove or grooves.
[0037] In some forms of the present invention, a groove extends along each leg, in the length direction of the leg, through the concave portion of each leg. The extent of the groove on either side of the concave portion can be determined by amount of strengthening or stiffening required for each leg and in some forms of the invention, each groove extends from within the base of the clip, through the concave portion of each leg and terminates prior to the leading end of each leg. The groove can terminate just after the concave portion of each leg as continuing the groove beyond the concave portion does not add much strengthening or stiffening to the leg. The main strengthening or stiffening occurs in the portion of the groove commencing from the base and through the concave portion.
[0038] The grooves can be provided in each leg, or in less than each leg.
[0039] In clips in which three legs are provided, the open end of the grooves can all face in the same direction, or the groove of the intermediate leg can face in the opposite direction to the grooves in the spaced apart legs.Brief Description of the Drawings
[0040] In order that the invention may be more fully understood, some embodiments will now be described with reference to the figures in which:
[0041] Figure 1 is an overhead perspective view of a row of vines supported by a trellis structure and incorporating sheeting covering the vines and secured to the trellis structure by prior art fixing.
[0042] Figure 2 is a detailed view of a section of sheeting that is secured to the trellis structure.
[0043] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken through trellising wire of the trellis structure of Figure 2 and showing the nail connector securing the sheeting to the trellising wire.
[0044] Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views of a clip according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0045] Figure 6 is an overhead perspective view of a row of vines supported by a trellis structure and incorporating sheeting covering the vines and secured to the trellis structure by the clip of Figures 4 and 5.
[0046] Figure 7 is a detailed view of a section of sheeting that is secured to the trellis structure by the clip of Figures 4 and 5.
[0047] Figure 8 shows the clip of Figures 4 and 5 at an initial stage of installation to a trellising wire.
[0048] Figure 9 shows the clip of Figures 4 and 5 at an intermediate stage of installation to a trellising wire.
[0049] Figure 10 shows the clip of Figures 4 and 5 at a final stage of installation to a trellising wire.
[0050] Figure 11 is a perspective view of a clip according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0051] Figure 12 is a plan view of the clip of Figure 11.
[0052] Figure 13 is a side view of the clip of Figure 11.Detailed Description of the Drawings
[0053] Figures 4 and 5 show a clip 25 according to one embodiment of the present invention in opposite perspective views, while Figure 6 shows the clip 25 in use in relation to the same trellis structure 10 of Figure 1. Accordingly, in relation to the trellis structure 10, the same reference numerals used in Figure 1 are used again in Figure 6.
[0054] The clip 25 comprises a pair of spaced apart legs 26 and 28 and an intermediate leg 30. The intermediate leg 30 extends between the spaced apart legs 26, 28. Each of the legs 26, 28 and 30 extend from a base 32. The legs 26, 28 and 30 all extend to the same length and in the same direction from the base 32. The the legs 26, 28 and 30 extend parallel to each other and inner side edges 34 of the spaced apart legs 26, 28 are closely adjacent facing side edges 36 of the intermediate leg 30. The side edges 34 and 36 are however slightly spaced apart, so that the legs 26 and 28 can move relative to or do not interfere with relative movement of the intermediate leg 30.
[0055] Each of the legs 26, 28 and 30 each comprise a concave section or bend 38 and 40 closely adjacent the base 32. The concave portions 38 and 40 have generally the same shape and are generally aligned in a direction perpendicular to the length of the legs 26, 28 and 30, ie along the line A-A of Figure 5. The concave portions 38 and 40 of the legs 26 and 28 face generally downwardly in the orientation of the clip 25 as shown in Figures 4 and 5, while the concave portion 40 faces in the opposite and upward direction as shown in Figures 4 and 5.
[0056] Each of the legs 26, 28 and 30 further comprise planar sections 42 and 44 that extend from the concave portions 38 and 40 and that extend to leading ends 46 and 48. The planar sections 42 and 44 are generally in the same plane in the relaxed or home condition of the clip 25. The leading ends 46 and 48 are bent out of plane relative to the planar sections 42 and 44 and the leading ends 46 are bent in the opposite direction to the leading end 48 so that the leading ends form a channel or recess R (see Figure 8) into which a trellising wire can enter prior to the clip 25 being pushed into clamping engagement with the trellising wire.
[0057] At the opposite end of the clip 25, a finger grip 50 extends generally perpendicular to the base 32.
[0058] The clip 25 is made from a single piece of thin metal and can be manufactured by a punching process for example. The metal can be of any suitable type that gives the the legs 26, 28 and 30 a spring characteristic or a resilience to bending, so that the the legs 26, 28 and 30 can be bent from the relaxed position shown in Figures 4 and 5 to a position for receiving and connecting the clip 25 to trellising wire. The spring characteristic or resilience to bending allows the the legs 26, 28 and 30 to firmly grip the trellising wire as will be discussed later herein.
[0059] The clip 25 is shown in Figures 7 and 10 in an operational position, attached to trellising wire 52 and securing sheeting 54 to the trellising wire 52, while Figures 8 and 9 show the sequence of application of the clip 25 to the trellising wire 52.
[0060] Figure 8 shows the trellising wire 52 and a section of the sheeting 54 wrapped about the trellising wire 52, and further shows the clip 25 having been pushed into engagement with the trellising wire 52 so that the legs 26 and 28 have lifted or separated relative to the leg 30 and so that the planar sections 42 and 44 of the legs 26, 28 and 30 have shifted out of plane. This relative movement is resilient movement, so there is resistance to separation and so that there is a tendency for the the legs 26, 28 and 30 shift back to the relaxed or home position of Figures 4 and 5.
[0061] Figure 9 shows further progression of the clip 25 onto the trellising wire 52 whereby the trellising wire 52 is now sandwiched between the planar sections 42 and 44 of the legs 26, 28 and 30 and the legs 26 and 28 have separated further. The installation personnel would experience resistance to progression of the clip 25 on to the trellising wire 52 because the legs 26, 28 and 30 are biased towards the relaxed or home position of the clip 25 shown in Figures 4 and 5, however suitable selection of the material of the clip 25 will mean that the resistance load is low and is easily overcome by hand pressure.
[0062] Finally, Figure 10 shows the clip 25 fully engaged about the trellising wire 52 by the clip 25 having progressed further so that the trellising wire 52 and the sheeting 54 wrapped about the trellising wire 52 are located within the concave sections 38 and 40 and so are sandwiched between legs 26, 28 and 30. Advantageously, up on the trellising wire 52 reaching the concave sections 38 and 40, the legs 26, 28 and 30 will tend to snap into the operational position of Figure 10 from the intermediate position between Figures 8 and 10 and the installation personnel will receive a tactile indication By that snapping motion, that the clip 25 is properly positioned by that tactile indication.
[0063] In Figure 10, the legs 26, 28 and 30 have returned towards the relaxed or home position of the clip 25 shown in Figures 4 and 5, but the legs 26, 28 and 30 have not fully returned to the relaxed or home position, but rather, have reached the operational position in which the legs 26 and 28 are separated from the leg 30 but are biased towards each other, and so the legs 26, 28 and 30 impose a clamping load about the trellising wire 52 and thesheeting 54 wrapped about the trellising wire 52. Testing to date has used 0.7mm spring steel.
[0064] The clamping load can apply between the concave sections 38 and 40 and the trellising wire 52, and can also apply between the planar sections 42 and 44 of the legs 26, 28 and 30 and the adjacent layers of the sheeting 54, particularly in the portions of the planar sections 42 and 44 closely adjacent the concave sections 38 and 40. As can be seen in Figure 10, the planar sections 42 and 44 diverge slightly away from each other in a direction towards the leading ends 46 and 48 and so any clamping pressure applied by the planar sections 42 and 44 to the adjacent layers of the sheeting 54 is greatest adjacent the concave sections 38 and 40, and will reduce away from the concave sections 38 and 40, such that there may be no clamping pressure towards the leading ends 46 and 48.
[0065] In Figure 10, it can be seen that the sheeting 54 is wrapped about the trellising wire 52 and that the concave portions 38 and 40 of the clip 25 are located about the trellising wire 52 and the sheeting 54. It can also be seen that in this operational position, the legs 26 and 28 are separated from the leg 30 so that the legs 26 and 28 have bent upwardly relative to the leg 30. The legs 26 and 28 rest on or overlie an upper surface of the sheeting 54 and the leg 30 extends underneath the sheeting 54. Gravity will tend to cause the sheeting 54 to remain in contact with the leg 30. By the resilient characteristics of the metal from which the clip 25 is formed, the legs 26, 28 and 30 clamp about the trellising wire 52 and sandwich the sheeting 54 that is wrapped about the trellising wire 52 between the concave portions 38 and 40 and the trellising wire 52. That clamping effect is sufficient to securely hold the sheeting 54 to the trellising wire 52.
[0066] To install the clip 25 to the position shown in Figure 10, installation personnel grip the clip 25 on the base 32 and can easily push the clip 25, or push against the finger grip 50, from the initial abutting position against the trellising wire 52 of Figure 8 to the operational position of Figure 10. To remove the clip 25, installation personnel grip the base 32 and / or the finger grip 50 and simply pull the clip 25 from the trellising wire 52. The legs 26, 28 and 30 will again splay apart or separate as the trellising wire 52 travels out of the concave portions 38 and 40 back through the legs 26, 28 and 30 to the point where the clip 25 is completely released from the trellising wire 52.
[0067] Figures 11 and 12 show an alternative clip 60 according to another form of the present invention. Figure 11 shows the clip 60 in perspective view, while Figure 12 shows the clip 60 in plan view. The clip 60 includes many of the features and characteristics of the clip 25 discussed above, however the differences are explained below.
[0068] Like the clip 25, the clip 60 comprises a pair of spaced apart legs 62 and 64 and an intermediate leg 66. The intermediate leg 66 extends between the spaced apart legs 62, 64 and each of the legs 62, 64 and 66 extend from a base 68. Each of the legs 62, 64 and 66 extend to the same length and in the same direction from the base 68.
[0069] Each of the legs 62, 64 and 66 comprise a concave section or bend 70 and 72 closely adjacent the base 68 and like the clip 25. the concave portions 70 and 72 have generally the same shape and are generally aligned in a direction perpendicular to the length of the legs 62, 64 and 66. The concave portions 70 of the legs 26 and 28 face generally upwardly in Figure 11, while the concave portion 72 faces in the opposite and downward direction.
[0070] Each of the legs 62, 64 and 66 further comprise planar sections 74 and 76 that extend from the concave portions 70 and 72 and that extend to angled leading ends 78 and 80. The leading ends 78 and 80 are bent out of plane relative to the planar sections 74 and 76 for the same reasons as the leading ends 46 and 48 of the clip 25.
[0071] At the opposite end of the clip 60, a finger grip 82 extends generally perpendicular to the base 68.
[0072] The clip 60 comprises a plurality of strengthening or stiffening grooves 84 and 86. The grooves 84 and 86 formed in the legs 62, 64 and 66 have the same shape (a generally U- shape), the same length and the same depth. Each of the grooves 84 and 86 extends along each leg 62, 64 and 66 lengthwise of the legs 62, 64 and 66, commencing from within the base 68, through the concave portions 70 and 72 and terminating prior to the leading end of each leg 62, 64 and 66, just after the concave portions 70 and 72.
[0073] The grooves 84 and 86 have a depth that is out of plane with the sheet material of the clip 60. This is shown in Figure 13 in which the base 88 of the grooves 84 and 86 extends out of the plane of the sheet so that the grooves 84 and 86 form a raised rib alongthe legs 62, 64 and 66 and in particular, that rib is evident extending about each of the concave sections 70 and 72.
[0074] The grooves 84 and 86 are open and they open in opposite directions.
[0075] Unless the context requires otherwise, where the terms "comprise", "comprises", "comprised" or "comprising" are used in this specification (including the claims) they are to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components, but not precluding the presence of one or more other features, integers, steps or components, or group thereof.
[0076] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. It is understood that the invention includes all such variations and modifications which fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Claims
Claims1. A clip for connecting protective sheeting to trellisi ng wire, the clip comprising: a pair of spaced apart legs and an intermediate leg extending between the spaced apart legs, each of the legs extending from a base and having a leading end opposite the base, and each of the legs comprising a concave portion between the leading end and the base, the respective concave portions of the legs being generally of the same shape and being generally aligned in a direction perpendicular to the length of the legs, the concave portions of the spaced apart legs facing in generally the opposite direction to the concave portion of the intermediate leg, the respective concave portions of the legs being operable to capture a trellising wire to which the clip is fitted, the legs being formed of a resilient material that allows the spaced apart legs to resiliently bend relatively away from the intermediate leg, to accept a trellising wire between the legs and to resiliently bend relatively toward the intermediate leg once the trellising wire is received within the concave portions of the legs.
2. A clip according to claim 1, the clip being formed as a one piece or unitary clip.
3. A clip according to claim 1 or 2, the clip being made from sheet metal.
4. A clip according to claim 1 or 2, the clip being made from hard plastic.
5. A clip according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the legs of the clip being of the same lengths.
6. A clip according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the legs of the clip being of different lengths.
7. A clip according to claim 6, the spaced apart legs being of the same length and the intermediate leg being of a different length to the spaced apart legs.
8. A clip according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the extending parallel to each other.
9. A clip according to claim 8, side edges of the intermediate leg being spaced from but in close proximity to facing side edges of the spaced apart legs.
10. A clip according to claim 9, the spacing between the side edges of the intermediate leg and the facing side edges of the spaced apart legs being in the order of 1 to 2mm.
11. A clip according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the pair of spaced apart legs and the intermediate leg being arranged side by side when the clip is in a relaxed condition.
12. A clip according to any one of claims 1 to 11, the concave portions of the legs being formed closely adjacent the connection of the legs to the base.
13. A clip according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the concave portions being V- shaped, U- shaped or part circular.
14. A clip according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the concave portions being part circular and having a radius slightly greater than the radius of the trellising wire the concave portions are intended to receive.
15. A clip according to any one of claims 1 to 14, the pair of spaced apart legs and the intermediate leg comprising a planar section that extends from each concave portion on the opposite side of the respective concave portion to the base.
16. A clip according to claim 15, the planar section of the spaced apart legs being coplanar.
17. A clip according to any one of claims 1 to 16, the pair of spaced apart legs and the intermediate leg comprising leading ends that are angled in order to form a recess or channel into which a trellising wire can enter prior to the clip being pushed into clamping engagement with the trellising wire.
18. A clip according to claim 17, the recess or channel being formed by the leading ends of the spaced apart legs being angled in a different direction to the leading end of the intermediate leg.
19. A clip according to claim 18, the respective leading ends being angled in equal and opposite directions.
20. A clip according to any one of claims 1 to 19, the clip comprising a finger grip which is formed by a section of the clip which extends from the base at an angle to the base.
21. A clip according to claim 20, the section of the clip extends from the base at an angle that is perpendicular to the base.
22. A clip according to claim 20 or 21, the pair of spaced apart legs and the intermediate leg extending from one side of the base and the finger grip extending from the opposite side of the base.
23. A clip according to any one of claims 1 to 19, the clip comprising a finger grip which comprises one or more openings formed in the base.
24. A clip according to any one of claims 1 to 23, the legs being formed from sheet material and at least one of the legs comprising one or more strengthening or stiffening grooves.
25. A clip according to claim 24, each of the legs comprising a strengthening or stiffening groove.
26. A clip according to claim 24 or 25, the grooves have a depth that is out of plane of the sheet so that the base forms a raised rib along the length of the groove.
27. A clip according to any one of claims 24 to 26, the groove or grooves extending along each leg, in the length direction of the leg, through the concave portion of each leg.
28. A clip according to claim 27, the groove or grooves extending from within the base of the clip, through the concave portion of each leg and terminating prior to the leading end of each leg.
29. A clip according to any one of claims 24 to 28, the open end of the groove of the intermediate leg facing in the opposite direction to the open end of the grooves in the spaced apart legs.
30. A clip according to any one of claims 1 to 29, the clip comprising more than three legs.
31. A clip according to claim 30, comprising a fourth leg extending from the base and on either side of one of the pair of spaced apart legs, the fourth leg being generally the same as or identical to the intermediate leg and the concave portion of the fourth leg facing in the same direction as the concave portion of the intermediate leg.
32. A clip for connecting protective sheeting to trellising wire, the clip comprising: a pair of legs positioned side by side, each of the legs extending from a base and having a leading end opposite the base, and each of the legs comprising a concave portion between the leading end and the base, the respective concave portions of the legs being generally of the same shape and dimension and being generally aligned in a direction perpendicular to the length of the legs, the concave portions of legs facing in generally the opposite direction to each other and the respective concave portions of the legs being operable to capture a trellising wire to which the clip is fitted, the legs being formed of a resilient material that allows the legs to resiliently bend relatively away from each other to accept a trellising wire between the legs and to resiliently bend relatively towards each other once the trellising wire is received within the concave portions of the legs.