WO2017032979A1

WO2017032979A1 - Polytunnel arrangement

Info

Publication number: WO2017032979A1
Application number: PCT/GB2016/052534
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rolly WHATTON; James CORMACK
Original assignee: Haygrove Ltd
Current assignee: Haygrove Ltd
Priority date: 2015-08-21
Filing date: 2016-08-16
Publication date: 2017-03-02
Anticipated expiration: 2018-02-21
Also published as: GB2541867A; GB2541867B; GB201514917D0

Abstract

A polytunnel arrangement is described that comprises a pair of rows of legs (10, 12), each leg (10, 12) having, at its upper end, a generally U-shaped part (14) arranged to carry ends of a pair of hoop members (16), in use, the generally U-shaped part (14) having a rope anchor bracket (22) secured thereto.

Description

POLYTUNNEL ARRANGEMENT

This invention relates to a polytunnel arrangement for use in the cultivation of crops, providing protection for the crops and/or enabling the growing environment to improved or optimised to increase production.

One form of polytunnel arrangement in common use comprises a pair of rows of legs, each of which is secured in position on a ground surface. A series of cover support hoop members are provided, each hoop member being supported at one end by being fixed to or carried by one of the legs of one of the rows, the other end of the hoop member being fixed to or carried by a respective one of the legs of the other of the rows. A cover, for example of a flexible plastics material, is supported by the hoop members and is anchored in position using ropes or straps that are secured to fastening points provided on the legs and extend over the cover.

It is often the case that several polytunnel arrangements of this type are provided side-by-side, in which case where appropriate the legs of certain of the rows may carry the ends of the hoop members of two adjacent ones of the polytunnel arrangements, thereby reducing the number of component parts required, and allowing the polytunnel arrangements to be provided closer to one another. In such an arrangement, the upper ends of the legs are typically of bifurcated, generally, U-shaped form, one of the limbs of which is used to support the hoop member associated with one of the polytunnel arrangements, and the other of which is used to carry the associated hoop member of the other of the polytunnel arrangements. The U-shaped parts of the legs may further carry a gutter member arranged to catch and carry rainwater draining from the covers of the polytunnel arrangements to an end thereof.

The fastening points to which the ropes or straps used to anchor the cover in position are attached, in use, are typically welded or otherwise secured to the legs at a position beneath the level of the U-shaped parts of the legs, and are only used when no gutter is provided. There are circumstances in which it is desired to use legs that are of relatively short length, with the result that the ends of the hoop members are supported at relatively low positions, and any gutter provided between adjacent polytunnel arrangements is at a low level. Whilst, potentially, legs of the type described hereinbefore could be used in the provision of such an arrangement, the positioning of the fastening points at a level beneath the U-shaped parts of the legs results in the fastening points being difficult to access, the clearance between the fastening points and the ground surface being small, and hence in the process attaching the ropes or straps to anchor the cover in position being unnecessarily complex and time consuming. Furthermore, since the fastening points of such a structure cannot be used in arrangements in which a gutter is provided, they are of limited use.

It is an object of the invention to provide a polytunnel arrangement in which at least some of the disadvantages associated with known arrangements are overcome or are of reduced effect.

According to the present invention there is provided a polytunnel arrangement comprising a pair of rows of legs, each leg having, at its upper end, a generally U-shaped part arranged to carry ends of a pair of hoop members, in use, the generally U-shaped part having a rope anchor bracket secured thereto. The rope anchor bracket conveniently extends in a plane perpendicular to a plane in which the limbs of the generally U-shaped part are located. The rope anchor bracket conveniently curves downwardly from a point at which it is secured to the generally U-shaped part. It is preferably attached, for example, by welding to an upper face of a base part of the generally U-shaped part.

Such an arrangement is advantageous in that the rope anchor bracket is secured to the leg at a higher level than is the case in the known arrangement, and thus is still readily accessible even where the leg is of relatively short form, the rope anchor bracket being spaced above the underlying ground surface by an increased distance compared to the known arrangement. Consequently, lacing of ropes or straps to the rope anchor bracket is relatively straightforward. As the rope anchor bracket depends downwardly from its point of attachment to the generally U-shaped part, the presence of the rope anchor bracket does not impede the provision of a gutter supported by the generally U-shaped part (although is not normally used where a gutter is so located).

The invention also relates, in a second aspect thereof, to a polytunnel arrangement comprising a pair of rows of legs, each leg having, at its upper end, a generally U-shaped part arranged to carry ends of a pair of hoop members, in use, a gutter member supported by the generally U- shaped part, and an auxiliary rope anchor bracket located within a channel defined by the gutter member and secured to the generally U-shaped part. The gutter member may be of a flexible plastics material. Alternatively, it could be of a suitable metallic material. A rope anchor bracket as defined hereinbefore may also be provided.

Such an arrangement is advantageous in that it permits anchoring of the cover of a polytunnel arrangement in position whilst also permitting the provision of a gutter. Furthermore, the gutter can, if desired, be at a relatively low level.

The invention will further be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a polytunnel arrangement;

Figure 2 illustrates a leg used in a typical polytunnel arrangement;

Figure 3 illustrates a leg used in a polytunnel arrangement in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and Figure 4 is a view illustrating the leg of Figure 3 modified in accordance with the second aspect of the invention.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, a polytunnel arrangement is illustrated, diagrammatically, which comprises first and second rows of legs 10, 12. Each leg 10, 12 includes, at its upper end, a generally U-shaped part 14, the limbs 14a, 14b of which each carry, in use, an end part of a hoop member 16. As illustrated, each hoop member 16 is support, at one end, by a leg 10 in one of the rows, and at its opposite end, by a leg 12 of the other of the rows. A flexible plastics material cover 18 is carried by the hoop members 16, supported in such a manner as to define a barrel shaped roof profile, the cover 18 being anchored in position by anchor ropes or straps 20. Whilst not shown, each leg may carry the adjacent ends of two hoop members associated with a pair of adjacent polytunnel arrangements.

Figure 2 illustrates a typical design of the leg 10, from which it is clear that, beneath the generally U-shaped part 14, rope anchor hooks 22 are welded to the leg 10. The rope anchor hooks 22 lie in the same plane as the limbs 14a, 14b. As described hereinbefore, whilst in some applications, the use of a leg of the type shown in Figure 2 allows the construction of a polytunnel arrangement of desired characteristics, it has been found that where the leg is of relatively short length, used in the provision of a polytunnel arrangement of the type in which the ends of the hoop members are supported above the ground surface by only a short distance, the location of the rope anchor hooks 22 beneath the generally U-shaped part impede the operation of attaching the ropes or straps 20 in position, resulting in the assembly or construction of the polytunnel arrangement being of greater complexity and being more time consuming.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, as shown in Figure 3, rather than provide rope anchor hooks 22 located beneath the generally U-shaped parts 14, the rope anchor brackets or hooks 22 are secured, for example by being welded, to an upper surface of the base 14c of the generally U-shaped part 14 of each leg, the rope anchor hooks 22 extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to a plane containing the limbs 14a, 14b of the generally U-shaped part 14. The rope anchor hooks 22 depend downwardly from their points of attachment to the generally U-shaped parts 14. In use, with respective hoop members 16 supported by the generally U-shaped parts 14, and a cover 18 carried by the hoop members 16, ropes or straps 20 may be laced between the rope anchor hooks 22 to secure or anchor the cover 18 in position.

Turning to Figure 4, it is apparent that the rope anchor hooks 22 of the arrangement shown in Figure 3 do not impede the location of a gutter material 24 carried by the generally U-shaped parts 14 of the legs. In such an arrangement, as with the known arrangement, the presence of the gutter material prevents the rope anchor hooks 22 from being used to anchor the cover 18 in position, the gutter material 24 blocking the path that would need to be followed by the ropes or straps 20. In order to allow the anchoring of the ropes or straps 20 in an arrangement in which a gutter material 24 is provided, an auxiliary rope anchor bracket or hook 26 is provided, the auxiliary rope anchor hook 26 being located within the channel defined by the gutter material 24 and being secured to the limbs 14a, 14b of the generally U-shaped part 14 by mounting brackets 28 which are clamped or otherwise affixed to the limbs 14a, 14b, and which include parts that extend through openings formed in the gutter material 24 to engage the auxiliary rope anchor hook 26 and fix the hook 26 in position. As illustrated, the auxiliary rope anchor hook 26 conveniently includes two hook parts 26a, 26b thereby allowing a single hook 26 to be used in the attachment of ropes or straps 20 associated with a pair of adjacent tunnel arrangements, the hook 26 being secured, by a pair of mounting brackets 28 to both limbs 14a, 14b of the generally U-shaped part 14. However, this need not always be the case and arrangements are possible in which only a single hook part is present and/or in which only a single mounting bracket 28 is used.

It will be appreciated that the invention is advantageous in that it enables the provision of a relatively low level polytunnel arrangement, allowing the attachment of ropes or straps to anchor the cover thereof in a relatively simple and convenient manner. Furthermore, it allows such a structure to be provided with a gutter, at a relatively low level, if desired. Whilst a specific embodiment of the invention is described herein, it will be appreciated that a wide range of modifications and alterations may be made to the arrangement described hereinbefore without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A polytunnel arrangement comprising a pair of rows of legs, each leg having, at its upper end, a generally U-shaped part arranged to carry ends of a pair of hoop members, in use, the generally U-shaped part having a rope anchor bracket secured thereto.

2. An arrangement according to Claim 1, wherein the rope anchor bracket extends in a plane perpendicular to a plane in which the limbs of the generally U-shaped part are located.

3. An arrangement according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the rope anchor bracket curves downwardly from a point at which it is secured to the generally U-shaped part.

4. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the rope anchor bracket is attached to an upper face of a base part of the generally U-shaped part.

5. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the rope anchor bracket is welded to the generally U-shaped part.

6. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a gutter member supported by the generally U-shaped part, and an auxiliary rope anchor bracket located within a channel defined by the gutter member and secured to the generally U-shaped part.

7. A polytunnel arrangement comprising a pair of rows of legs, each leg having, at its upper end, a generally U-shaped part arranged to carry ends of a pair of hoop members, in use, a gutter member supported by the generally U-shaped part, and an auxiliary rope anchor bracket located within a channel defined by the gutter member and secured to the generally U-shaped part.