Apparatus for producing plants
AssigneeGeneral Mills, Inc.
InventorsNoel Davis, William M. Dreier, Stanley C. Rustad
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An installation for continuously growing plants which includes one or more growth chambers wherein alternate periods of lightness and darkness are provided, and the environmental conditions are controlled. The plants are individually supported, and transported through the growth chambers in such a manner as to require a minimum amount of handling. A diverging track system is provided in one of the growth chambers for handling the plants in a prescribed manner and guiding them through the chamber. As the plants are moved through such chamber, increased space is automatically provided for plant growth. The installation is well suited for growing plants hydroponically.
Claims30
Apparatus for growing plants comprising an elongated housing having at least one chamber therein, said chamber having first and second ends, a plurality of elongated track means having an inlet end and a discharge end, means for mounting said track means within said chamber so that they extend generally longitudinally therein, said track means being arranged relative to each other so that they diverge outwardly so as to form a fan-shaped array of pathways extending from one end of the chamber to the other end, the discharge ends of said track means being spaced apart a greater distance than the inler ends, means for holding said plants in a prescribed manner so that they can be introduced into the inlet end of the track means, and means for moving said plants from said inlet end of said track means to the discharge end at a prescribed speed.
A system for growing plants hydroponically under controlled environmental conditions comprising at least one elongated chamber having an inlet end and a discharge end, means including a diverging trough system for holding said plants in a prescribed manner within said chamber so that they can be moved from said inlet end to said discharge end at a prescribed speed, means for moving said plants through said chamber, means for maintaining said plants in a fluid medium as they are moved from one end of the chamber to the other, means within said chamber for dividing it into multiple compartments of alternate periods of lightness and darkness, each such period being of a prescribed duration, light means for providing a predetermined level of illumination in said chamber during the periods of lightness, said divider means effectively preventing the light from being directed into the darkness compartments of the chamber, said diverging trough system guiding said plants through the alternate compartments of lightness and darkness, said trough system capable of holding said fluid medium whereby the plants are at least partially immersed in said fluid medium, means for controlling the temperature within said compartments, and means for controlling the humidity within said compartments.
A system for growing plants hydroponically under controlled environmental conditions comprising at least two elongated chambers, each chamber having an inlet end and a discharge end, means for holding said plants in a prescribed manner within each chamber so that they can be moved from said inlet end to said discharge end at a prescribed speed, means for moving said plants through each chamber, means for maintaining said plants in a fluid medium as they are moved from one end of the chamber to the other, means within each chamber for dividing it into compartments of alternate periods of lightness and darkness, each such period being of a prescribed duration, light means for providing a predetermined level of illumination in said chamber during the periods of lightness, said divider means effectively preventing the light from being directed into the darkness compartments of the chamber, the means for holding said plants in at least one of said chamber, the means for holding said plants in at least one of said chambers including a diverging trough system therein for holding said plants in a prescribed manner and guiding said plants through the alternate compartments of lightness and darkness, said diverging trough system capable of holding said fluid medium whereby the plants are at least partially immersed in said fluid medium, the length of said trough system covering the major portion of said chamber, said trough system including a plurality of troughs mounted in side-by-side relationship, the discharge end of said troughs diverging outwardly, means for controlling the temperature within said compartments, and means for controlling the humidity within said compartments.
A system for growing plants hydroponically under controlled environmental conditions comprising at least two elongated chambers, each chamber having an inlet end and a discharge end, means including a diverging trough system in at least one of the chambers for holding said plants in a prescribed manner within said chamber so that they can be moved from said inlet end to said discharge end at a prescribed speed, means for moving said plants through said chamber, means for maintaining said plants in a fluid medium as they are moved from one end of the chamber to the other, means within said chamber for dividing it into multiple compartments of alternate periods of lightness and darkness, each such period being of a prescribed duration, light means for providing a predetermined level of artificial illumination in said chamber during the periods of lightness, said divider means effectively preventing the light from being directed into the darkness compartments of the chamber, said diverging trough system guiding said plants through the alternate compartments of lightness and darkness, said trough system capable of holding said fluid medium whereby the plants are at least partially immersed in said fluid medium, means for controlling the temperature within said compartments, and means for controlling the humidity within said compartments.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.