U.S. patent number 3,866,352 [Application Number 05/310,981] was granted by the patent office on 1975-02-18 for horticultural nonwoven substrate and side mat.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Akzona Incorporated. Invention is credited to Alfred Birker, Berthold H. Daimler, Irmgard Dickersbach, Gunter Fett, Wilhelm Herveling, Siegfried Langefeld.
United States Patent |
3,866,352 |
Herveling , et al. |
February 18, 1975 |
HORTICULTURAL NONWOVEN SUBSTRATE AND SIDE MAT
Abstract
A horticultural substrate and side mat combination in which a
substantially horizontally extending three-dimensional random-fiber
nonwoven mat of rotproof synthetic fibers is situated beneath the
soil accommodating the roots, and said soil being laterally
surrounded by a substantially vertically extending
three-dimensional random-fiber mat.
Inventors: |
Herveling; Wilhelm (Wuppertal,
DT), Birker; Alfred (Neviges-Donberg, DT),
Langefeld; Siegfried (Wuppertal, DT), Daimler;
Berthold H. (Remscheid-Lennep, DT), Fett; Gunter
(Wuppertal, DT), Dickersbach; Irmgard (Wuppertal,
DT) |
Assignee: |
Akzona Incorporated (Asheville,
NC)
|
Family
ID: |
6625456 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/310,981 |
Filed: |
November 30, 1972 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S.
Class: |
47/81; 428/117;
442/400 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01G
9/02 (20130101); Y10T 428/24157 (20150115); Y10T
442/68 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
A01G
9/02 (20060101); D04b 003/16 (); A01g 009/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;47/9,56,34,37,38,38.1
;161/148,150 ;156/167 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Bagwill; Robert E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Young; Francis W. Hall; Jack H.
Claims
1. A horticultural nonwoven horizontal substrate combined with a
substantially vertical nonwoven side mat, said substrate and said
side mat being a unitary three-dimensional random fibrous nonwoven
porous structure of rot-proof synthetic fibers forming a continuous
aeration zone when placed beneath and around soil accommodating
plant roots, said rot-proof fibers consisting essentially of a
plurality of looped, intersecting and substantially amorphous
filaments of melt-spun synthetic polymers bonded together at their
intersection, wherein the surfaces of said mat and said substrate
which are in contact with said soil have a lower porosity than the
sides that do not contact said soil, said lower porosity being
sufficiently low to prevent substantial penetration of soil into
said
2. A horticultural nonwoven horizontal substrate combined with a
substantially vertical nonwoven side mat according to claim 1
wherein said surfaces contacting said soil have a porosity of from
50 to 70 percent and the remaining surfaces in contact with said
soil have a porosity of from
3. A horticultural nonwoven horizontal substrate combined with a
vertical nonwoven side mat extending upwardly from said substrate,
said combination being adapted to contain soil within the inside
surfaces of said substrate and side mat, means beneath said
horizontal substrate and outwardly of said vertical side mat to
support the same, said substrate and said side mat being
three-dimensional random fibrous nonwoven porous structures of
rot-proof synthetic fibers, the surfaces of said substrate and side
mat contacting the soil having lower porosity than the surfaces not
contacting the soil, said structures conforming to the internal
shape of said support means and forming an aeration zone when
placed beneath and around soil accomodating plant roots within said
structures, said support means being in supporting contact with
said combined substrate and side mat, whereby soil is substantially
prevented from penetrating into said aeration zone.
4. A planter combination for the hydrocultural growth of plant life
comprising a substantially horizontal base layer composed of a
porous filamentary web situated below a root zone of a growing
plant, a secondary approximately vertically positioned porous
filamentary web extending upwardly from said base layer, said
horizontal and vertical webs at least partially surrounding said
root zone and a water-permeable growing medium contained by said
horizontal and vertical webs for the development and growth of said
plant, each of said webs consisting essentially of continuous
filaments of a melt-spun, substantially amorphous fiber-forming
synthetic polymer, which filaments are resistant to rotting and
decomposition under plant growing conditions, a plurality of said
filaments of each of said webs being looped in adjacent rows for
random intersection of overlapping loops with adherence at their
points of intersection to form a retaining wall for said
water-permeable growing medium, said horizontal base and vertically
positioned web, said horizontal base and vertically positioned web
being three-dimensional random fibrous nonporous structures, the
surfaces of said structures contacting said growing medium having a
lower porosity than those that do not contact said growing medium,
said lower porosity being sufficiently low to prevent substantial
penetration of said growing medium into said
5. A planter combination according to claim 4 wherein said surfaces
contacting said growing medium have a porosity of from 50 to 70
percent, and said surfaces not contacting said soil having a
porosity of from 85 to 95 percent.
Description
This invention is directed to horticultural nonwoven substrates in
which a substantially horizontally extending three-dimensional
random-fiber nonwoven of rotproof synthetic fibers is situated
beneath the soil accommodating the roots and in combination with
side mat of said fibers.
German Utility Models 7,023,734 and 7,023,735 relate to a
horticultural substrate for water cultures in which the bottom of
the container accommodating the soil is covered by a
three-dimensional random-fiber nonwoven of rotproof synthetic
fibers. The object of this insert is to remove the unwanted water
from the soil. It collects beneath the soil in the cavities in the
nonwoven insert.
It has been found that excess water collecting in the insert at the
bottom of the container frequently results in rotting of the roots
because it cannot be removed and because the roots receive hardly
any air.
An object of this invention is to enable the excess water
collecting at the bottom of the container to evaporate without
having to pass through the soil.
Another object of the invention is to aerate the roots really
effectively from all sides.
According to this invention, the preceding objects are achieved
through use of a horticultural substrate in which a substantially
horizontally extending three-dimensional random-fiber nonwoven mat
of rot proof synthetic fibers is situated beneath the soil
accommodating the roots, said substrate being in combination with
laterally surrounding substantially vertically extending
three-dimensional random-fibers nonwoven side mat to form around
the said soil and aeration zone through which the excess moisture
escapes, atmospheric oxygen penetrates and, at the same time, the
entire root area is exposed to substantially the same
conditions.
Following insertion of this vertical insert, plant growth was
considerably improved. Young plants grew much more quickly and were
much stronger in the horticultural substrate prepared in accordance
with the invention than plants of the kind which, by way of
comparison, grew in horticultural substrate provided only with a
horizontal insert. Following insertion of the horizontal and
vertical insert into the flower pots or flower boxes, established
plants showed a distinct increase in stalk diameter and the new
leaves and blooms were distinctly larger. In the case of cacti, for
example, the stem cross sections were increased by up to 30
percent.
It is preferred to use a horticultural substrate in which the
substantially horizontally extending random-fiber nonwoven and the
substantially vertically extending random-fiber nonwoven consist of
a plurality of looped, intersecting and substantially amorphous
filaments of melt-spun polymers which are bonded together at their
intersections. In addition to a remarkably high cavity volume,
random-fiber nonwovens of this kind also withstand heavy
stressing.
In one preferred embodiment, the sides of the random fiber nonwoven
side mat insert facing the soil have a lower porosity than the
remaining zones of the insert. More particularly, the porosity of
the sides facing the soil should amount to between 50 and 70
percent, while the remaining zones have a porosity of from 85 to 95
percent. In the context of the invention, porosity is the
percentage ratio of cavity volume to overall volume of the
non-woven insert.
The preferred fleece or web structures are formed in accordance
with the processes disclosed in detail in the U.S. Pat. No.
3,691,004 and No. 3,687,759, which are incorporated herein by
reference as fully as if set forth in their entirety.
The embodiment just described largely prevents the penetration of
soil into the drainage and aeration zone.
In the case of flower pots, a preferred embodiment is one in which
the bottom of the flower pot is covered with a circular
random-fiber nonwoven insert adapted to the shape of the flower pot
upon which is placed a hollow cylindrical random-fiber nonwoven
insert similarly adapted to the shape of the flower pot.
It has been found that, in cases where overpots are used there is
no need at all for the actual flower pot of clay or foamed
plastics. In this case, the nonwoven inserts have dimensions and
shapes adapted to the overpot.
In the case of flower boxes, a preferred embodiment is one in which
the substantially horizontally extending random-fiber nonwoven mat
and the substantially vertically extending random-fiber nonwoven
side mat are in the form of a single, substantially U-shaped
nonwoven structure which is open at its ends. It is of course also
possible to produce a corresponding insert of one base plate and
two side plates or additionally to close the ends with specially
tailored plates. However, the lateral nonwoven inserts are
sufficient because they provide for extremely effective
aeration.
In the case of plants grown in greenhouses or in the open, a
preferred embodiment of the horticultural substrate is one in which
the root soil resting on a random-fiber nonwoven is interrupted by
substantially vertically extending nonwoven structures. To this
end, for example, horizontal nonwoven mats are laid, strips of
nonwoven arranged parallel to one another are then mounted
vertically on the mats and the intermediate space filled with soil.
The vertical aeration and drainage system can of course also
consist of intersecting strips of nonwoven which can be inserted
into one another to form a lattice.
The nonwoven mat of this invention can consist of any synthetic
filament-forming polymeric materials providing they are rotproof.
Polyamide is preferred. Additional polymers that can be utilized
include, for example, polyesters, polypropylene and
polyvinylchloride.
The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying
drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a section through a flower pot with a horticultural
substrate according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is a section through a flower pot or flower box equipped in
accordance with the invention with a multiple-part insert.
FIG. 3 shows a one-piece insert for flower boxes consisting of a
horizontal and vertical nonwoven.
FIG. 4 is a section through a nonwoven insert whose porosity
decreases towards the soil.
FIG. 5 is a section through a greenhouse or open-air substrate with
one horizontal nonwoven structure and several vertical nonwoven
structures.
As shown in FIG. 1, a flower pot 1 is equipped according to the
invention with a nonwoven insert 2 consisting of a substantially
horizontally extending random-fiber nonwoven 2" and a substantially
vertically extending random-fiber nonwoven 2'. The nonwoven insert
2 accommodates the soil 3 with the roots 4 of the plant 5.
FIG. 2 is a section through a cylindrical flower pot 6 whose base
is covered by a circular random-fiber nonwoven insert 8. The soil 3
is laterally surrounded by a cylindrical random-fiber nonwoven
insert 7.
The section could also be taken through a flower box in which case
8 would be a horizontal mat, while 7 would be vertical mats for
better aeration and drainage.
FIG. 3 shows an insert for flower boxes. It is in one piece, in
other words the vertically extending random-fiber non-woven 9' and
the horizontally extending random-fiber nonwoven 9" are in the form
of a single substantially U-shaped nonwoven structure 9. The ends
of this nonwoven structure can be closed with plates cut to the
appropriate size or can be left open.
FIG. 4 shows one preferred embodiment of an aeration and drainage
insert used in accordance with the invention. At the sides 10"
facing the soil, the random-fiber nonwoven insert 10 has a lower
porosity than the remaining zones 10' thereof.
Finally, FIG. 5 illustrates the use of vertical aeration and
drainage mats in greenhouses or in the open. In this case, the soil
3 which rests on a horizontal mat 11 is interrupted at regular
intervals by vertical mats 12. The effect obtained is similar to
that obtained in flower boxes. Other strips of matting can of
course also be arranged perpendicularly of the vertical mats 12 so
that a lattice-like aeration and drainage system is formed. The
effect obtained in this case is comparable with that obtained in
the case of flower pots.
The present invention can be varied within the scope of the present
total specification as it would be construed by one skilled in the
art in assessing equivalent variations that would function to
achieve essentially the same results as herein exemplified.
* * * * *