Vegetation support

• US 6,925,754 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2003
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brian J. Tearoe
• Original Assignee: Brian J. Tearoe
• Inventors: Tearoe, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Valenti, Andrea M.
• Application Number:
  US10/671,240
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 521/57, 521/65, 248/530, 248/532, 248/156, 248/27.8, 47/47, 47/44, 47/83, 47/82, 47/39, 175/162, 173/145, 172/371, 172/381, 172/37, 172/41, 111/49, 111/92
• US Class Current: 47/47
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/12 Supports for plants; Trellis for strawberries or the like trellis-work for vines A01G17/06; stays for trees, props for vines A01G17/14

Abstract

A new vegetation support for supporting the growth of vegetation such as vegetable plants and vines. The inventive device includes an elongate pole with alternating first and second sets of bores through it. The bores of the first set of bores are extended in a first direction while the bores of the second set of bores are extended in a second direction. Inserted through each of the bores is an elongate dowel. An auger member with a top turning portion and a bottom corkscrew portion is inserted into an opening in the bottom of the pole.

Claims

1. A vegetation support, comprising:

an elongate pole having an interior, and top and bottom ends, said pole having a longitudinal axis extending between said top and bottom ends, said bottom having an opening into the interior of said pole;

said pole having alternating first and second sets of bores therethrough, said bores of said first set of bores being extended in a first direction, said bores of said second set of bores being extended in a second direction;

a plurality of elongate dowels, each dowel having opposite first and second ends, and a length defined between said first and second ends of said dowel;

each of said dowels being inserted through an associated bore of said pole;

said bottom end of said pole having a pair of elongate slots;

an auger member having a top turning portion and a bottom corkscrew portion, said corkscrew portion being for insertion into a ground surface, said turning portion of said auger member having a generally T-shaped handle, said handle of said turning portion of said auger member having a pair of arms; and

said turning portion of said auger member being inserted into said opening of said bottom of said pole, each of said arms of said handle of said turning portion of said auger member being inserted into an associated slot of said bottom end of said pole;

wherein each of said slots has a locking notch, wherein each of said arms of said handle of said turning portion of said auger member is inserted into an associated slot of said bottom end of said pole such that each of said arms of said handle may be inserted into the locking notch of the associated slot of said bottom end of said pole to help hold said handle of said auger member to said bottom end of said pole.

2. The vegetation support of claim 1, wherein said top has an opening into the interior of said pole, wherein a cap is inserted into said opening of said top end of said pole such that said cap substantially covers said opening of said top end of said pole.

3. The vegetation support of claim 1, wherein said bores are extended substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said pole, and wherein said bores of said first set of bores are extended substantially perpendicular to said bores of said second set of bores.

4. The vegetation support of claim 1, wherein said bores of said first set of bores are generally equidistantly spaced apart from the adjacent bores of said first set of bores.

5. The vegetation support of claim 1, wherein said bores of said second set of bores are generally equidistantly spaced apart from the adjacent bores of said second set of bores.

6. The vegetation support of claim 1, wherein said pole has a length defined between said top and bottom ends of said pole of less than about 6 feet, wherein said pole has a diameter of less than about 2 inches, wherein adjacent bores of said first set of bores are spaced apart less than about 12 inches from each other, wherein adjacent bores of said second set of bores are spaced apart less than about 12 inches from each other, and wherein each bore of said first set of bores is spaced apart from adjacent bores of said second set of bores less than about 6 inches.

7. The vegetation support of claim 1, wherein said length of each of said dowels is less than about 14 inches.

8. The vegetation support of claim 1, wherein said first end of each of said dowels is tapered.

9. The vegetation support of claim 1, wherein each of said dowels has an annular stop therearound, said annular stop being positioned between said first and second ends of said dowel, wherein each of said dowels is inserted through an associated bore of said pole such that said annular stops of said dowels abut said pole.

10. A vegetation support, comprising:

an elongate pole being generally cylindrical and having an interior, and top and bottom ends, said pole having a longitudinal axis extending between said top and bottom ends, said top having an opening into the interior of said pole, said bottom having an opening into the interior of said pole;

said pole having alternating first and second sets of bores therethrough, said bores being extended substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said pole, said bores of said first set of bores being extended substantially perpendicular to said bores of said second set of bores;

said bores of said first set of bores being generally equidistantly spaced apart from the adjacent bores of said first set of bores;

said bores of said second set of bores being generally equidistantly spaced apart from the adjacent bores of said second set of bores;

wherein said pole has a length defined between said top and bottom ends of said pole of less than about 6 feet;

wherein said pole has a diameter of less than about 2 inches;

wherein adjacent bores of said first set of bores are spaced apart less than about 12 inches from each other, wherein adjacent bores of said second set of bores are spaced apart less than about 12 inches from each other, wherein each bore of said first set of bores is spaced apart from adjacent bores of said second set of bores less than about 6 inches;

a plurality of elongate dowels, each dowel being generally cylindrical and having opposite first and second ends, and a length defined between said first and second ends of said dowel, wherein said length of each of said dowels is less than about 14 inches, each of said dowels having a diameter of less than about ⅜

inch, said first end of each of said dowels being tapered;

each of said dowels having an annular stop therearound, said annular stop being positioned between said first and second ends of said dowel, said annular stop being positioned three-fourths of the length of said dowel from said first end of said dowel;

each of said dowels being inserted through an associated bore of said pole such that said annular stops of said dowels abut said pole;

a cap being inserted into said opening of said top end of said pole such that said cap substantially covers said opening of said top end of said pole;

said bottom end of said pole having a pair of diametrically opposed elongate slots, the lengths of said slots extending from said bottom end of said pole towards said top end of said pole substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of said pole, each of said slots having a locking notch;

an auger member having a top turning portion and a bottom generally helical corkscrew portion, said corkscrew portion being for insertion into a ground surface, said turning portion of said auger member having a generally T-shaped handle, said handle of said turning portion of said auger member having a pair of arms; and

said turning portion of said auger member being inserted into said opening of said bottom of said pole, each of said arms of said handle of said turning portion of said auger member being inserted into an associated slot of said bottom end of said pole such that each of said arms of said handle may be inserted into the locking notch of the associated slot of said bottom end of said pole to help hold said handle of said auger member to said bottom end of said pole.

11. A vegetation support, comprising:

an elongate pole having an interior, and top and bottom ends, said pole having a longitudinal axis extending between said top and bottom ends, said bottom having an opening into the interior of said pole;

said pole having alternating first and second sets of bores therethrough, said bores of said first set of bores being extended in a first direction, said bores of said second set of bores being extended in a second direction;

a plurality of elongate dowels, each dowel having opposite first and second ends, and a length defined between said first and second ends of said dowel;

each of said dowels being inserted through an associated bore of said pole;

said bottom end of said pole having a pair of diametrically opposed elongate slots;

an auger member having a top turning portion and a bottom corkscrew portion, said corkscrew portion being for insertion into a ground surface, said turning portion of said auger member having a generally T-shaped handle, said handle of said turning portion of said auger member having a pair of arms;

said turning portion of said auger member being inserted into said opening of said bottom of said pole, each of said arms of said handle of said turning portion of said auger member being inserted into an associated slot of said bottom end of said pole; and

wherein each of said slots has a locking notch, wherein each of said arms of said handle of said turning portion of said auger member is inserted into an associated slot of said bottom end of said pole such that each of said arms of said handle may be inserted into the locking notch of the associated slot of said bottom end of said pole to help hold said handle of said auger member to said bottom end of said pole.

12. The vegetation support of claim 11, wherein said top has an opening into the interior of said pole, wherein a cap is inserted into said opening of said top end of said pole such that said cap substantially covers said opening of said top end of said pole.

13. The vegetation support of claim 11, wherein said bores are extended substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said pole, and wherein said bores of said first set of bores are extended substantially perpendicular to said bores of said second set of bores.

14. The vegetation support of claim 11, wherein said bores of said first set of bores are generally equidistantly spaced apart from the adjacent bores of said first set of bores.

15. The vegetation support of claim 11, wherein said bores of said second set of bores are generally equidistantly spaced apart from the adjacent bores of said second set of bores.

16. The vegetation support of claim 11, wherein said pole has a length defined between said top and bottom ends of said pole of less than about 6 feet, wherein said pole has a diameter of less than about 2 inches, wherein adjacent bores of said first set of bores are spaced apart less than about 12 inches from each other, wherein adjacent bores of said second set of bores are spaced apart less than about 12 inches from each other, and wherein each bore of said first set of bores is spaced apart from adjacent bores of said second set of bores less than about 6 inches.

17. The vegetation support of claim 11, wherein said length of each of said dowels is less than about 14 inches.

18. The vegetation support of claim 11, wherein said first end of each of said dowels is tapered.

19. The vegetation support of claim. 11, wherein each of said dowels has an annular stop therearound, said annular stop being positioned between said first and second ends of said dowel, wherein each of said dowels is inserted through an associated bore of said pole such that said annular stops of said dowels abut said pole.