US 4,057,932 AGranted

Container for seedlings

OwnerHenry Anderson Spencerinventor

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Abstract

The invention as described in the present specification provides an improved container for growing seedlings for transplanting. The container is split in half longitudinally. The two half sections may be separate, in which case they are held together by the walls of a crate into which a number of the containers are placed. Alternatively, the sections may be connected together along their bottom margins by a hinge. In this latter case the container can be opened in the manner of a book to expose the seedling and root ball for easy extraction. Each half section comprises a pair of spaced, inwardly-protruding shoulders and a web connecting the shoulders. When the two half sections are pressed together, the shoulders mate -- the opposed webs and shoulders then define an open-topped cell having an air-pruning opening at the base thereof. The webs are formed to provide vertical grooves running the length of the cell to the air-pruning opening. These grooves direct the growing seedling roots to the opening and thereby encourage the development of a thick growth of downwardly extending, straight roots.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A container for growing seedlings, said container being normally upstanding when in use and comprising:

a pair of first and second wall members, each formed of thin-walled, flexible, substantially non-porous sheet plastic, each said wall member comprising a series of spaced, inwardly-projecting, elongate shoulders integrally joined by webs, the shoulders of the first wall member being mutually opposed relative to the shoulders of the second wall member, said mutually opposed shoulders being provided with inter-engaging means, whereby when the wall members are pressed together, a series of open-topped cells are formed, defined by the shoulders and their connecting webs and closed along the greatest part of their length;
said shoulders and webs combining to form a series of parallel, inwardly-directed, relatively broad, deep grooves within said shoulders, said grooves extending perpendicularly downwardly from the wall members' upper edge portions;
the lower end portions of each pair of opposed webs and integrally joined shoulders combining to form the base of each cell, within which is formed an aperture, said aperture being smaller than the aperture at the top of the cell;
said webs constituting the predominant portion of the side walls of the container, and each pair of opposed webs forming the side walls of an individual cell of said series of cells;
each said web being corrugated longitudinally of said cell, the grooves of the corrugations on the interior side walls of each said cell extending downwardly directly toward the base aperture and constituting a series of root grooves for directing root growth toward said aperture;
and hinge means connecting the wall members at their lower ends.

3 more elements

In combination:

a. a plurality of upstanding containers for growing seedlings, each said container comprising a pair of first and second wall members, each formed of thin-walled, flexible, substantially non-porous sheet plastic, each said wall member comprising a series of spaced, inwardly-projecting, elongate shoulders integrally joined by webs, the shoulders of the first wall member being mutually opposed relative to the shoulders of the second wall member, said mutually opposed shoulders being provided with inter-engaging means, whereby when the wall members are pressed together, a series of open-topped cells are formed, defined by the shoulders and their connecting webs and closed along the greatest part of their length;
said shoulders and webs combining to form a series of parallel, inwardly-directed, relatively broad, deep grooves within said shoulders, said grooves extending perpendicularly downwardly from the wall members' upper edge portions;
the lower end portions of each pair of opposed webs and integrally joined shoulders combining to form the base of each cell, within which is formed an aperture, said aperture being smaller than the aperture at the top of the cell;
said webs constituting the predominant portion of the side walls of the container, and each pair of opposed webs forming the side walls of an individual cell of said series of cells;
each said web being corrugated longitudinally of said cell, the grooves of the corrugations on the interior side walls of each said cell extending downwardly directly toward the base aperture and constituting a series of root grooves for directing root growth toward said aperture;
and hinge means connecting the wall members at their lower ends;
and
b. a holder for said containers, said holder having side and end walls and a flat, foraminous bottom for retaining growing medium in the cells, said containers being disposed in abutting relationship with respect to each other and to the walls of the holder, said containers filling said holder.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 05/728,640Filed 1 Oct 1976 · continuation in part
Priority: 22 Mar 1971
Granted: 15 Nov 1977
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

A01G 9/0295
Receptacles for seedlings: units comprising two or more connected receptacles
A01G 9/0302
Receptacles, e.g. flower-pots or boxes ; Glasses for cultivating flowers: receptacles consisting of separable sections, e.g. for allowing easy…
A01G
Horticulture

Family

Serial126,605Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 22 Mar 1971
Serial250,994Parent of this continuation · filed 9 May 1972
Serial445,443Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 25 Feb 1974
Serial538,540Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 6 Jan 1975
US 4,057,932 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.