Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
-1-
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to plant container liners or blanks therefor or sheets
of sphagnum
moss. In particular, although not exclusively, the invention relates to
sphagnum moss
liners for plant containers such as hanging baskets, especially those baskets
in the form
of skeletal containers.
Background to the Invention
Because of its unique water retaining properties, and pleasant appearance as a
natural
plant substance, sphagnum moss has traditionally been a favoured material for
use in
conjunction with floral arrangements and related horticultural activities.
Traditionally, sphagnum moss has been sold mostly in a dried state but
sometimes in a wet
state, but generally in a natural loose form in which each filament of the
moss plant is
separate and distinguishable.
In recent decades, a new technology has developed in the sphagnum moss
industry. This
is the use of pressure to compress the loose moss in a press into compact
sheet form.
These sheets are of various thickness, usually from 2 or 3 mm to about 7 mm.
They are
somewhat like cardboard in flexibility and look somewhat like particle board
in texture.
In its traditional Ioose form, sphagnum moss has always been associated with
hanging
baskets. One reason for this is its particular ability to absorb and retain
water up to and
exceeding 20 times its own weight. Another is its natural and aesthetically
pleasing
appearance.
The most common traditional method of using sphagnum moss to line hanging
baskets is
to place some loose moss in the bottom of a wire hanging basket, then cover
the moss with
a little potting mix. After this the basket is gradually filled, firstly by
building up the outer
layer of sphagnum moss around the outside of the basket and secondly by
holding it in
place with a little more soil and potting mix. This process is repeated
several times until
the lining of sphagnum moss reaches right to the upper rirn of the hanging
basket.
This is obviously a very labour intensive task. For this reason it has mostly
been
performed at home by the enthusiastic gardener, and by staff in some garden
centres. In
this form, hanging baskets with a layer of sphagnum moss directly inside the
wire basket
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
-2-
can be made available only when they are filled with soil and potting mix,
because it is
the soil and potting mix which holds the outer lining of loose filaments of
moss in place.
It is evident that there is an extremely limited scope for selling sphagnum
moss lined
hanging baskets in this form. The labour content in filling them is very high.
In addition
the basket would need to be regularly watered to keep the potting mix and the
sphagnum
moss moist.
For these reasons, sphagnum lined hanging baskets filled in this way would
normally have
to be made and sold in the same garden centre. Such articles could not be
manufactured
on a large scale using technology and production machinery and then
transported in bulk
nationally and internationally to many retail outlets. Consequently only very
small
numbers of such sphagnum lined baskets are made up in this way.
One company in USA has taken a step forward in this regard and created a
sphagnum
moss lined hanging basket which can much more readily be transported in
cartons as
freight, or even posted in the mail, which makes them much more marketable
than the
previously mentioned type. In these, filaments of loose dry sphagnum mass are
fixed onto
the outside of the basket with very fine filament or wire. This means that no
soil or
potting mix is needed to hold the sphagnum moss in place.
However, the process of sewing the filaments or moss onto the outside of the
basket is
very time consuming and keeps this type of moss lining within the category of
a hand
crafted item. As such, this type of liner will always be relatively expensive,
limited in
numbers, and therefore a speciality item.
One New Zealand company also markets a compressed sphagnum moss product formed
as a blank shaped like a Maltese cross. When placed inside a hanging basket,
the edges
fold up and contour to the shape of the basket. A disadvantage of a liner in
this form is
that initially at least, the liner does not conform satisfactorily to the
shape of the curved
hanging basket.
Common features of known compact sphagnum liners are:
Z They are both presented to the public in flat, one dimensional form.
2 Both must be placed inside a hanging basket before they can assume and
retain
the three dimensional shape of the basket.
3 Both are in untreated compacted sheet form and bear little resemblance to
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
-3-
sphagnum moss.
4 Both have to be assembled by the purchaser according to instructions
supplied.
Extensive market research conducted on our behalf concerning basket liners
made up of
flat sections of compacted sphagnum moss shows that unless there has been a
considerable
amount of prior instruction and education, a large proportion of the general
public and the
gardening public are not aware that:
- such flat shaped pieces of compacted sphagnum moss are in fact basket
liners;
- such a smooth surfaced, cardboard-like substance is in fact sphagnum moss.
In addition, the public needs instruction as to how such objects should be
assembled into
their end form as basket liners. In particular, a great deal of care and
attention is required
to manipulate the blanks to enable them to fit the containers. If the dry
compacted
sphagnum moss liners are bent to suit the contour of the containers, this
leads to cracking.
A comparison would be like trying to mould a sheet of balsa wood to fit into a
bucket.
The cracking results in breaking of the moss fibres themselves. This reduces
the fibre
length of the moss and the moss in and around the cracks may be of
insufficient strength
to effectively bind and hold the liner together once filled with soil. This
can lead to
unattractive holes in the moss with consequent loss of soil through the holes.
Accordingly, it is necessary to gently wet the sheets of compressed sphagnum
moss before
manipulating them into the plant containers. Furthermore, the customer ought
to take care
with the manner in which the water is applied to the liners. If the
temperature of the water
is tao high ie in excess of 25°C or the pressure to great, the user can
easily blow a hole in
the liner. Consequently, the degree of care required to manipulate the prior
art liners may
be viewed as very high, perhaps leading to wastage or excessive difficulty by
the end user.
Consequently, expensive and extensive advertising and promotional material,
and special
training of shop sales persons at every point of sale has been necessary to
combat the fact
that many people do not know:
- what such obj ects are and what they are for;
- what they are made of;
- how they are to be assembled.
In spite of all this instruction, which does increase the price unnecessarily,
many people
still pass them by because they do not know what they are, and do not realise
how they
make up into a basket liner.
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
-4-
As a result, these liners have been observed in sales outlets being
progressively moved
into obscure positions of display where they gather dust.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a plant container liner or
a blank
therefor, which will address at least some of the foregoing problems or at
least provide the
public with a useful choice over linerslblanks at present available.
Statements of the Invention
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a liner
for a plant
container, the liner including one or more sheets of compressed sphagnum moss
and
having a moisture content such that the liner is pliable to the extent that it
is able to be
folded and unfolded with minimal or no degradation to the fibre integrity,
wherein the
liner is provided with moisture retainer to minimise moisture loss.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a blank
configured
to form a liner for a plant container, the blank comprised of one or more
sheets of
compressed sphagnum moss having a moisture content such that the blank is
pliable to the
extent that it is able to be folded and unfolded with minimal or no
degradation to the fibre
integrity, wherein the blank of compressed sphagnum moss is provided with a
moisture
retainer to minimise moisture loss.
In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a sheet
of compressed
sphagnum moss having a moisture content such that the blank is pliable to the
extent that
it is able to be folded and unfolded with minimal or no degradation to the
fibre integrity,
wherein the blank of compressed sphagnum moss is provided with a moisture
retainer to
minimise moisture loss.
In order to achieve the desired moisture content, the sphagnum moss may be
initially dry
or substantially dried prior to compaction and then partially reconstituted
following its
compaction. The moss may be pre-dried to around 18-20% moisture by weight
prior to
compaction. The partial reconstitution may be achieved by applying a liquid to
the
compressed sphagnum moss. Preferably the liquid is substantially water. Most
preferably
the liquid is applied by a fine mist spray. The amount of applied may be
anywhere in the
range of I00 g/m' up to 1020 g/m2. For some forms of the invention, it is
preferred that
a lesser amount of is applied, enabling the compressed sphagnum moss when
formed into
a liner to have walls which retain sufficient stiffness so as to be self
supporting. In this
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
-5-
form of the invention, the amount of added is preferably in the range 113-173
g/m2. In
a most preferred form of the invention, the amount of applied is 143 g/m2. The
is
preferably applied to the side of the blank which forms the exterior of the
blank in the
fully assembly 3-dimensional form of the liner. This amount of is selected so
that the
liners, blanks or sheets will be pliable but not so saturated as to fall apart
or lose the self
supporting quality.
In other forms of the invention, stiffness of the side walls of the finished
liner is not a
requisite feature and accordingly, a greater amount of may be added to the
liner, blanks
or sheets for a particularly pliable construction. For example, in one form of
the
invention, the blanks may comprise very large sheets of sphagnum moss intended
for large
plant containers. These blanks may be folded and enclosed in a sealed package.
The
amount of added may be in the range of 960-1020 g/m2. In a preferred form of
this
embodiment, 990 g/m2 is applied to these large liners prior to folding and
packaging.
Additionally, in order to prevent the layers of sphagnum moss from sticking to
each other
when folded, a barrier layer may be inserted therebetween. In a most preferred
form,
plastic sheet have a thickness of 15 microns is inserted between each of the
folded layers.
The means to minimise moisture loss from the liner, blank or sheet may
comprise a
substantially sealed package which is water impervious. The means to minimise
moisture
loss may comprise a water-resistant package or wrapping. Suitably the liner,
blanks or
sheets are enclosed in plastic. Where the liners are assembled into their 3-
dimensional
form then the liners may be individually wrapped in a shrink wrap plastic or
nested into
one another and shrink wrapped in groups of three or 4. Where the blanks or
sheets of
sphagnum moss are folded, the package may simply comply a plastic bag. The
packaging
of the liners in a water impervious package also prevents additional moisture
from
entering the package and unintentional reconstituting the sphagnum moss.
However, the invention is not limited to wrapping as a means of minimising
moisture loss.
It may be possible to spray the liner blanks or sheets with a coating to
achieve this end.
For example, a waxy coating could be sprayed onto the liner blanks or sheets
which is
later dissolvable to allow full reconstitution of the liners, blanks or
sheets.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a method of
fabricating a blank for a plant container including: partially reconstituting
one or more
sheets of compressed sphagnum moss which is dried or at least substantially
dry, until the
or each sheet reaches a moisture content sufficient to enable the or each
sheet to be
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
-6-
pliable to the extent that it is able to be folded and unfolded with minimal
or no
degradation to the fibre integrity; and providing the blank of compressed
sphagnum moss
with a moisture retainer to minimise moisture loss.
Any of the blanks or liners according to the foregoing aspects may incorporate
a layer of
water resistant material into the liner or blank.
It would be desirable for the layer of water resistant material to be
sandwiched within the
sphagnum moss but towards the outer surface of the Iiner because for visual
impact,
concealment of the water resistant layer by a layer of sphagnum moss is
desirable. This
can be achieved by initially laying a thin layer of the sphagnum moss, then
the water
resistant layer and finally the major amount of sphagnum moss to be
compressed.
It is also intended that a wide range of materials may be utilised to form the
water resistant
or water impervious layer. In a simple form the layer can be provided by a mat
of
cellulous material such as a suitable grade of paper which may or may not have
surface
coatings. Suitable surface coatings where provided can facilitate adhesion to
the
sphagnum moss and increase the water retentive characteristics of the layer.
A suitable plastic sheet may replace the sheet of cellulous material with the
surface of the
sheet being treated to facilitate adhesion to the sphagnum moss if desired.
Aluminium foil
is another desirable alternative.
In a yet further modification, the water resistant layer can be provided by
treating a section
of the sphagnum moss with a suitable chemical mixture so that upon heat and
pressure,
or pressure alone, a layer of the sphagnum moss sheet will assume
characteristics resisting
water penetration. For example, a plastics compound which at ambient
temperatures
would be in liquid form could be sprayed onto the sphagnum moss and which when
subjected to heat and pressure, or pressure alone forms the required water
resistant layer.
It is also possible within the ambit of the present invention to provide a
liner which has
different water retentive characteristics. For example, in the base section
and a lower part
of the wall there could be a water resistant layer but in the upper section of
the wall the
water resistant Iayer may not be included.
As mentioned above, each blank is generally of a form including a circular
base section
and a unitary arcuate wall section extending around the circular base. In this
way, the wall
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
_7_
section defines a continuous wall around the circular base in the assembled
form of the
liner. In one form of such a blank the base section may be integrally formed
with the wall
section along a part of the periphery of the base, allowing the remainder of
the wall
section to be folded about the remainder of periphery of the base. The blank
may be
secured in the three dimensional form by overlapping extension areas of the
base and/or
the wall section and by joining together the ends of the wall section by
fastening means
such as staples passing through the overlapped extension areas.
In an alternative form of the invention, the blank may be configured to
include: a
substantially semi-circular base section having a substantially semi-circular
edge; and one
or more wall sections adapted to fold about the arcuate or semi-circular edge
of the base
section to form with the base section, a surrounding wall in the 3 dimensional
form of the
liner wherein at Ieast one of the wall sections is integrally formed with the
base section
along a part of the semi-circular edge of the base section and is adapted to
follow the
contour of the semi-circular edge of the base section in the 3 dimensional
form of the
liner. It will be appreciated that a liner of this form will be appropriate
for use in a wall
mounted hanging basket.
As discussed, an appropriately shaped mould may be used to form each of the
blanks.
Mould loading devices may be utilised to load a predetermined quantity of moss
into the
recesses of the moulds.
Alternatively, the sphagnum moss may be compressed into the form of a larger
sheet so
that a number of blanks may be cut from the sheet and each blank folded to
form a three
dimensional liner.
As already mentioned, the blanks or liners described in the foregoing aspects
may be
comprised of moss which is preferably pre-dried to around 18 to 20 percent
moisture by
weight prior to compaction into sheets. In a preferred form of the invention,
the moss is
compressed without any additional heat being applied. However, in countries
(eg
Australia) which exclude the import of any moss other than that which is
certifiably free
of viable seed, the moisture content of the sphagnum moss prior to the
compaction may
be greater to generate steam during hot-pressing to sterilise the moss. See
for example
New Zealand Patent Specification 314613/314825, Australian Patent
Specification
6037/98 or Chile Patent Specification 1790-98, the contents of which are
incorporated
herein by reference. However, where possible, the cold-press method is
preferred because
it is believed that hot-pressing slows the rate at which the compressed
sphagnum moss can
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
- g _
be reconstituted.
For transportation it is clearly desirable to ensure that the three
dimensional form of the
liners are able to be nested one within the other to minimise the
transportation space
required in sending the liners to the point of sale outlets.
As mentioned above, packaging is one means of preventing dehydration of the
liners. The
method may involve: enveloping a single liner or a plurality of nested liners
with shrink
wrapping material such that the shrink wrapping material extends into the
interior of the
or the top liner, weighting the shrink wrapping material with a weight placed
in the
interior of the or the top liner; and heat treating the shrink wrapping
material to conform
to the shape of the liner.
The invention consists in the foregoing and also envisages construction of
which the
following give examples only.
Brief Description of the Drawings
One preferred form of the invention and modifications thereof will now be
described with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 illustrates filaments of natural sphagnum moss product as harvested;
Figure 2 illustrates the principle of reconstitution of a sheet of compressed
sphagnum
moss;
Figure 3 is a bottom perspective view of a mould loading device according to a
preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 4 is a top perspective view of the mould loading device illustrated in
figure 3;
Figure 5 is a bottom perspective view with the mould loading device in
operation;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a negative mould plate;
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional detail of the negative mould plate illustrated
in figure 6;
Figure 8 is a cross-sectional detail of the mould plate illustrated in figure
6;
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the negative mould plate of figure 6
illustrating the
alignment of a cooperable positive mould member;
Figure 10 is a perspective/partial cross-sectional view of the positive mould
member
shown in figure 9;
Figure 11 is a cross-sectional detail of the positive mould member illustrated
in figure
10;
Figure 12 is a cross-sectional detail of the positive mould member illustrated
in f gore
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
-9-
10;
Figure 13 is a blank of compressed sphagnum moss which may be used to assemble
a
plant container liner;
Figure 14 is a top view of the three dimensional form of the liner assembled
from the
blank in figure 13;
Figure 15 is a side perspective view of the three dimensional liner shown in
figure 14;
Figure 16 is a perspective view of the three dimensional liner shown in figure
15 with
the surface of the exterior of the liner partially reconstituted;
Figure 17 illustrates the liner of figure 16 including a plastic shrink
wrapping;
I O Figure 18 is a perspective view of three liners, nested into a stack and
bound by plastic
shrink wrapping;
Figure I9 is a perspective view of the liner of figure 16 installed in a
conventional
hanging basket assembly;
Figure 19b is a plan view of a blank for a plant basket;
1 S Figure 20 is a blank of compressed sphagnum moss which may be used to
assemble a
modified plant container liner;
Figure 21 is a top view of the three dimensional liner formed from the blank
illustrated
in figure 20;
Figure 22 is a front perspective view of the liner in figure 21;
20 Figure 23 is a view of a wall blank of compressed sphagnum moss and a
separate base
blank;
Figure 24 shows a top view of the three dimensional liner formed from the
component
parts as illustrated in figure 23;
Figure 25 is a front view of the liner illustrated in figure 24;
25 Figure 26 is a view of a blank for a compressed sphagnum moss liner
according to
another preferred embodiment of the invention;
Figure 27 is an inside view of the liner assembled from the blank of Figure
26;
Figure 28 is a front view of the liner of Figure 27;
Figure 29 is a further detailed view of the blank shown in Figure 26;
30 Figure 30 is a view of a further preferred form of a blank, similar to that
shown in
Figure 26;
Figure 31 is a section through a plant container liner manufactured according
to an
aspect of the present invention; and
Figure 32 is a section through an alternative plant container liner.
Preferred Embodiments of the Invention
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
- 10-
Figure 1 shows filaments of harvested sphagnum moss 100. The sphagnum moss I00
is
used primarily in the present invention for its water retentive property which
is up to 20
times its own weight in water. The sphagnum moss 100 is also used for its
aesthetic value
in hanging basket arrangements. The sphagnum moss is harvested from a natural
and
renewable source.
Initially, some of the excess water may be removed from the freshly harvested
sphagnum
moss 100 through the use of a centrifuge or calender rolls. The sphagnum moss
100 is
then dried either in a kiln or with natural sunlight. Preferably, the sphagnum
moss 100
is dried in a kiln with a continuous conveyor (not shown), the speed of which
is
controllable. Suitably, an automatic feeding system (not shown) that deposits
the moss
onto the kiln's continuous conveyor is also provided. The kiln is in the form
of a tunnel
and operates to circulate heated air which is generated from hot water heat
exchangers
operating at a temperature as high as 140 ° C. The moss is gradually
dried as it travels
through the kiln.
After drying, the moss may be left in piles to cool and reabsorb some moisture
from the
atmosphere. Alternatively, additional moisture may be added to the moss
through the use
of pressurised water misting nozzles. The optimum moisture content of the moss
prior to
pressing is 18 to 20 percent by weight although a range of 14 to 17 percent by
weight is
commonly used. It is considered that anything in the range of 3 to 25 percent
by weight
will work.
When an appropriate moisture content has been reached, the sphagnum moss can
be
compressed into sheets 102 as illustrated in figure 2. The sphagnum moss sheet
102 has
the ability to absorb a significant quantity of water 104 and reconstitute
into its
substantially original state. The sheet 102 illustrated in figure 2 is
included to provide the
reader with an appreciation of the ability of sphagnum moss to reconstitute
from a
compressed, substantially dried state to its substantially original state.
Prior to
reconstitution, the sheet 102 may be cut into one or more blanks, each of
which may then
be assembled to form a three dimensional liner. However, in the most preferred
form of
the invention to be explained by the following text, the sphagnum moss is
compressed
directly into the form of individual blanks each of which, when assembled
forms a three
dimensional liner of the form illustrated in Figure 15. Figure 9 illustrates
the general form
of the mould used to form each of the blanks of Figure I 5. The mould includes
a negative
mould plate 600 having a number of mould recesses 602 and positive mould
members of
a shape complimentary to that of the recesses. Accordingly, a mould loading
device 300
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
-lI-
(Figure 3) is used to load sphagnum moss into the mould recesses 602.
The mould loading device 300 comprises a filling box 302 generally conforming
to the
shape of the mould recess 602 to be filled. The filling box 302 shown in
figure 3 includes
a base 304 and side walls 306 but is open at the top as illustrated in figure
4. The base 304
includes finger slots, the reason for which will be explained.
The mould loading device 300 further includes a handle portion 308 conforming
only
approximately to the shape of the filling box 302. Dependent from the handle
portion 308
are four dowels 310 (only three of which are shown). These dowels 310 are
fixed to the
handle portion 308 at spaced locations but extend slidingly through apertures
provided in
the base 304 of the filling box 302. As can be seen in figure 5, the dowels
310 are
attached to a false bottom 316 which is complimentary in shape to the base of
the filling
box. The false bottom 316 is slidable within the filling box 302 and is
controlled by the
handle portion. In figure 3, the handle portion has been pulled out as far as
possible so
that the false bottom 316 engages against the inside of base 304. In this
configuration, the
spring loaded latch 318 has a pin which extends into an aperture provided in
centre dowel
310. This holds the false bottom 316 in position against the inside of base
304 during
filling and tipping.
In use, the mass loading device is oriented in figure 4 with the handle
portion 308 fully
extended and the latch in position in the dowel 310. Sphagnum moss 100 is
inserted into
the open end of the filling box 302. Once filled, the mould loading device is
weighed on
electronic scales to ensure that an appropriate quantity of moss has been
inserted into the
filling box. An appropriate amount might be approximately 869 g/m2 of area of
the
finished blank. Once filled to a satisfactory level, the mould loading device
300 is
brought to the negative mould plate 600 (figure 6, figure 9) and the loading
device is
deftly flipped over so that the opening is in register with the mould recesses
602 of the
mould plate 600. To ensure adequate removal of the contents of the mould
loading device
300, the latch 318 is released to allow the user to push handle portion 308
towards the
base 304. The handle portion 308 is configured to enable the user to use both
hands to
extend around respective parts of the handle portion 308 with the users
fingers inserted
through the finger slots 305. Squeezing together of the portion of the base
between the
finger slots 305 and the handle portion 308 ensures full ejection of the
sphagnum moss
100 from the filling box 302 into the mould cavity 602. Depending on the size
of the
filling box 302 and the predetermined correct weight of the moss in the
filling box, the
thickness of the moss deposited into each mould recess will be approximately
60 to 85
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
-12-
mm.
The negative mould plate 600 illustrated in figure 6 has a regular array of
mould recesses
602 shaped so that the blanks produced thereby will conform to those
illustrated in figure
13, to enable the assembly of the three dimensional liner illustrated in
figure 15, with little
if any wastage of sphagnum moss material.
The negative mould plate 600 is primarily constructed of a high density PVC
foam
material 700 sold under the trade mark KLEGECELL. The high density foam
material
700 is sandwiched between two sheets of plywood 702, 704. The sheet 702 forms
the
upper surface of the mould and the sheet 704 defines the lower periphery of
the high
density foam material 700. A further sheet of plywood 706 is disposed to
define the base
of the negative mould plate 600.
The high density PVC foam material 700 is of the type commonly used in the
construction
of surfboards, sailboards and in general boat and yacht construction. Suitably
the high
density foam material should be both light and strong. The choice of plywood
for the
sheet 702, 704, 706 has been made because plywood is able to withstand the
high
pressures applied to it during the pressing process (500 - 3500 psi) (3.448 -
24.133 MPa).
All of the layers in the negative mould sheet 600, apart from the base layer
706 are cut to
remove portions in the shape of the blanks to be formed by the mould recesses
602. Each
of the layers 700, 702, 704 is provided with the cut outs in register with
each other so that
when the layers are stacked one on top of each other, the layers will define
the mould
recesses 602. Only the base layer of plywood 706 remains in tact and thereby
defines the
base of the mould recesses 602. The depth of the mould recesses can range
between 35
and 90 mm depending on the application. The layers are glued together to form
a
laminate. The surface of the foam layer 700 defining the working surface of
the mould
recess 706 is provided with a fibreglass coating 800 to protect the working
surface of the
foam layer 700 from abrasion during pressing. The fibreglass coating 800 may
include
polyester, vinyl ester or epoxy resins and chop strand matt as is known to
those skilled in
the art of fibreglass.
The positive mould members 900 illustrated in f gures 9 to 12 are comprised of
four sheets
of plywood including a top sheet 910 of 7 mm plywood, a base sheet 920 of 12
mm
plywood and two inner sheets 930, 940 of 12 mm plywood. The inner sheets of
plywood
930, 940 are machined with a plurality of fairly evenly spaced apertures 950
which serves
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
-13-
to reduce the weight of the positive mould member 900. The layers of plywood
910, 920,
930, 940 are glued together to form a laminate.
The shape of each positive mould member 900 (excluding positive mould member
901
illustrated in Figure 16a) is complimentary to the shape of each mould recess
602, except
that the positive mould member 900 is smaller than the mould recess 602 so
that a gap of
between 2 and 3 mm is provided between the sides of the positive mould member
900 and
the side wall of the mould recess 602 when the positive mould member 900 is
inserted
into the mould recess 602. Additionally, the positive mould members 900 are
formed so
as to be 5 to 10 mm thicker than the depth of the mould recesses 602. In this
way, when
the full pressure of the press bears on the positive moulds, no pressure will
be exerted onto
the top surface of the negative moulds. In view of the foam material, pressure
on the
negative mould plate 600 might cause it to be crushed.
In use, the mould recesses 602 of the negative mould plate 600 are filled in
turn with
sphagnum moss using the mould loading device 300. When all of the mould
recesses 602
have been loaded with sphagnum moss, each of the positive moulds 900 is
inserted into
a respective mould recess 602. The assembly of the negative mould plates 600
and the
positive mould members 900 is thus ready for insertion between the platens of
a platen
press (not shown). The press may be of a conventional type with the assembly
of the
mould plate 600 and mould members 900 being carried or conveyed to the press
and
inserted between the platens thereof, prior to the platens being brought
together to
compress the sphagnum moss within each of the mould recesses 602. The pressure
for
pressing the moss range is between 500 psi and 3800 psi (3.448 - 26.201 MPa)
for a time
ranging between 10 seconds and 3 minutes. The combination of pressure and time
is such
that the thickness of the blanks produced is between 2.5 and 4 mm and yet
still able to
reconstitute with the addition of water. This degree of compression provides
the blank
with sufficient rigidly to enable the walls of the assembled three dimensional
liner to be
self supporting. It is considered that a compressed thickness of between lmm
and 6mm
for the stated pre-compression thickness of moss should also provide
sufficient rigidly for
the walls to be self supporting.
In an alternative type press (not shown) the lower platen may be provided in
the form of
a table slidable into and out of the press. In this embodiment, the positive
mould members
are affixed to the upper platen of the press and the negative mould plate is
affixed to the
lower platen of the press. When the lower platen is moved into position inside
the press,
the mould recesses and the positive mould members are in precise alignment.
With this
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
- 14-
arrangement, the negative mould plate 600 may be conveniently accessed for
loading and
unloading by sliding the table out of the press. In another alternative form
of the press,
the upper platen may be tiltable to provide increased access to the negative
mould plate
600.
As illustrated in figure 13, the blank 1 which will be formed using the mould
assembly of
negative mould plate 600 and positive mould plate 900 has an arcuate wall
section 2 and
a circular base integrally formed with the wall section. An extension 4 at one
end of the
wall section 2 provides for an overlap to occur between the j oining wall
sections when
IO folded about the base 3. Connecting staples 9 pass through the overlapped
sections to
retain the wall section of the liner assembled in the three dimensional form
as illustrated
in figure 14.
The extension 5 beyond the perimeter of the base 3 indicated in dotted outline
in figure
13 and the tab 7 can be folded up during assembly to overlap the lower
periphery of the
wall 2 and an attaching staple 10 passing through the tab 7 and wall of the
blank will
complete the assembly of the three dimensional liner 11 illustrated in figures
14 and 15.
Other forms of fastening are also considered within the scope of the present
invention.
The compressed sphagnum moss liner 11 has the appearance of cardboard and
consequently is not easily recognisable to the purchasing public as a sphagnum
moss liner.
To bring the surface of the sphagnum moss liners to resemble their original
natural state,
a fine mist of water is sprayed onto the exterior side of the blank only,
prior to assembly
using an atomised fluid spray to produce a fine mist. The amount of water is
about I 13-
173 g/m2, preferably 143 g/m2. The temperature of the water is also controlled
within a
range of I5-25°C. This serves to at least partially reconstitute the
surface layer of the
blank 1 on one side. The blank 1 is then assembled into the three dimensional
form of the
liner 11 optionally through the use of the connecting staples 9 in the manner
illustrated in
figures 14 and 15. The assembled liner will resemble that illustrated in
figure I6 with the
surface layer 11 a of the exterior of the blank 11 reconstituted as
illustrated. The degree
of reconstitution (143 g/m2 of water) enables the liner to be pliable to the
extent that it is
able to be folded and unfolded with minimal or no degradation of the fibre
integrity and
yet enables the walls of the liners to be sufficiently stiff as to be self
supporting. To
prevent drying out, the liners are enclosed in a sealed package as discussed
in connection
with Figure 17. If the liners were to dry out they would become brittle and
thus
susceptible to damage and fragmentation which would render them inoperable.
Following stapling, the liners 11 have appropriate product information and
advertising
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
- 1S -
sheets placed in or over the liners 11 in such a manner that they contour to
the curved
surfaces of the liners 11.
Figure 17 illustrates the liner 11 enclosed within a bag 1 lb of water-
impervious shrink
S wrap plastic of 19 micros in thickness. The bag is sealed in a circular
shape around the
top of the liner 1 l, 10 to 100 mm from the top edge with a purpose built
circular sealing
machine. This provides a surplus of plastic which fits down inside the liner I
1 against the
sides and the bottom. The plastic is held in position against the sides and
bottom of the
liner 11 by a purpose built frame fitting the outside and the inside of the
liner which
clamped together holds the plastic in place. The wire frame conforms to the
inner contour
of the liner 11. As the wire frame (not shown) is inserted into the liner 1 l,
the plastic is
held against the sides and bottom of the liner. Holes punched into the plastic
prior to
sealing enable air trapped inside the bag to escape when the wire frame is
inserted into the
liner. The liner 11 with the sealed bag and the purpose built frame is passed
through a
1 S shrink oven akin to a conveyor bread oven. The Iiner 11 and accompanying
wrap is then
allowed to cool, after which the purpose built frame is removed. The result is
that the
plastic still lies snug against the interior and the bottom of the liner and
not stretched
tightly across the top of the liner 11 as would occur in conventional shrink
wrapping.
The use of a circular bag with a circular sealer eliminates bunching of the
plastic on the
outside of the liner which would occur with the use of a square bag.
Additionally, with
three liners nested together and shrink wrapped as a pack of three, the shrink
wrapping
process has the additional benefit of compacting the liners more tightly
together than prior
to wrapping. This enables more three-packs to fit into a cardboard carton than
a single
2S shrink wrapped package.
The intended use of the liner is illustrated in figure 19. As shown, the liner
11 is inserted
into a conventional hanging basket assembly 11 d. Once the liner 11 is
inserted into the
basket, it may be fully reconstituted by having water poured over or by being
soaked in
water for a matter of minutes, to enable full reconstitution to occur.
It will be appreciated that depending upon the shape of the blank, various
Iiner shapes can
be created. Generally, it is desirable that the shape is one which can allow
nesting of
similar shaped liners. Such nesting configurations are employed where the
assembly step
3S is performed at a site remote from the point of sale.
Figure 19b illustrates the form of a compressed sphagnum moss blank for a
plant
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
-16-
container of a specific form. The blank is particularly large and so it must
be folded up
to be transported from the place of manufacture to the point of sale. The
blank is formed
accordingly to the processes set out above. Once formed, one side of the blank
is partially
reconstituted with water in the amount of 990 g/m2. This is merely a preferred
amount and
an acceptable range lies between 960-1020 g/m2. Once the compressed sphagnum
moss
blank has been sprayed with water having a temperature in the range of 15-
25°C by an
atomised fluid spray, the blank may be folded up. Suitably, plastic sheeting
of 15 microns
in thickness is inserted between the layers of the folded blank to prevent the
layers from
sticking to each other. The folded blanks are then inserted into plastic bags
of 60 microns
in thickness. A partial reconstitution of the large sphagnum moss liners
provides them
with sufficient pliability to fold into a plastic bag and then to be unfolded
to fit into a plant
basket after sale without any further spraying.
An illustration of another possible modified blank and liner formed therefrom
is illustrated
in figures 20 to 22 of the accompanying drawings. In figure 20 the blank 12 of
compressed sphagnum moss is provided with a side wall section 13 and an
integral base
section 14. The shape is designed to create a three dimensional Iiner which,
when
assembled is, suitable for a plant container supported against a surface such
as a wall. The
overlap section 15 allows the joining ends of the wall section to be connected
and the
extension section 16 with tab 17 is upturned to join by way of staples 18, 19,
the base in
a manner similar to that previously described in connection with figures 13 to
15.
Optionally, the exterior of the liner 20 is then sprayed with water.
A further modification of the present invention allowing a liner to be
assembled from a
base and wall section is illustrated in figures 23 to 25 of the drawings. A
wall blank 21
of compressed sphagnum moss is provided together with a separate base member
22
having a lip 23. An overlap section 24 allows for the joining ends of the wall
using staples
25. The lip 23 is upturned and then connected to the lower end of the wall
with staples
26 thereby completing the three dimensional liner 27 as illustrated in figures
24 and 25.
The wall section 21 is shown with a scalloped upper periphery that is also
produced as a
scalloped finish in the assembled liner 27. Optionally, the exterior of the
liner is then
sprayed with water to partially reconstitute the outer surface layer.
It will be appreciated from the above description of the method of manufacture
that from
an outward appearance it is not easy to distinguish between a liner that has
been formed
to incorporate a water retentive barner within the compressed sphagnum moss
and one
which does not have such a barrier. Establishing a distinctive peripheral edge
such as the
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
- 17 -
scalloped edge 28 could be used to provide a visual distinction indicating to
a user that the
liner has a water retentive barrier.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the blank 30 illustrated in
Figure 26
is assembled to form a liner 32 for inserting into a wall mounted hanging
basket or
container (not shown) of the kind which has a planar semi-circular back
section for
mounting against a supporting wall surface and a curved front wall section,
generally
conforming to the surface of a quarter sphere. Such baskets or containers have
an open top
for insertion of the plant.
The blank 30 is of integral construction, having a back section 34, a first
front section 36
and a second front section 38. The back section 34 is substantially semi-
circular in shape
and is connected to the second front section at a central portion of its
curved periphery.
On the remainder of its curved periphery on either side of the central
connected portion,
the back section 34 is provided with overlap sections 40,42. These overlap
sections are
folded at approximately right angles to the back section 34 to overlap with
the rear edges
43,44 of the second front section 38. Optionally, these overlap sections 40,42
could be
clipped to assist with joining to the rear edges 43,44 of the second front
section 38.
The first and second front sections 36, 38 are shaped so that when assembled
together they
will approximately conform to the shape of the surface of a quarter sphere.
The two
divisions between the first and second front sections 36,38 are thus in the
manner of darts
commonly employed in the construction of garments. At each of the two
divisions
between the first and second front section 36,38 are overlap sections 46,48.
These overlap
sections 46, 48 overlap respective adjacent edges of the first front section
36 in the
assembled configuration of the liner 32. The overlap sections 46,48 could be
clipped to
assist the assembly process.
Figure 29 illustrates a further detailed view of the blank of Figure 26 . If
the rear edges
43,44 of the second front section 38 were to be curved around to follow the
corresponding
periphery of the back section 34, as indicated by the phantom lines, then
point 50 on the
second front section 38 would correspond to point 52 on the back section 34.
Instead, the
shape of the blank is such that the second front section 38 is extended as
shown in Figure
29 so that point 54 meets with point 52 on the back section. The rear edges
43,44 of the
second front section 38 must therefore be gathered or drawn inwards and/or the
overlap
sections 40,42 stretched to achieve the specified fit. This is required to
achieved the
desired spherical fullness to the assembled liner. The overlap sections 40,42
are stapled
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
-18-
near to the rear edges of the second front section 38.
Similarly, point 58 on the first front section 36 would normally meet with
point 57 on the
second front section 38. Instead, point 58 meets with point 59. The forward
edges of the
second front section 38 must therefore be gathered and/or the adjacent edges
of the first
front section 36 stretched to achieve the required fit and accordingly obtain
the desired
fullness for the assembled liner 32. The joins are secured by staples.
On assembly, the overlap portions 46,48 of the first front section 36 are
joined to the
second front section followed by the joining of the back section 34 to the
second front
section 38. Staples are used to secure the joins and hold the liner in the
assembled
configuration.
It will be appreciated that the blank illustrated in Figures 26 and 29 need
not be of integral
construction and could be constructed of two or more parts. For example, the
back section
34 could be formed as a discrete component of the liner with appropriate
joining tabs
provided on either the back section or the second front section. Additionally,
the first and
second front sections 36,36 could also be discrete.
Once the liner, in whatever form, has been assembled into a three dimensional
form, the
treatment of the outer surface of such a complete liner with moisture to a
sufficient degree
allowing the reconstitution of the outer section of the sphagnum moss gives an
enhanced
visual appearance making it easily possible for a prospective customer to
recognise the
liner as having been formed from sphagnum moss. It is desirable to ensure
treatment
allows only the required partial reconstitution of the liner and of course
this step can be
more easily controlled using the form of the invention where there is a water
resistant
layer.
The incorporation of a water resistant layer into a plant container liner is
illustrated in
Figures 31 and 32. The liner is formed from a sheet 61 which may be primary
comprised
of dried plant material in layers 4 and 5 such as coconut fibre or sphagnum
moss. Where
moss is used, preferably the moss has the moisture content reduced so that it
can be
compressed into a sheet form. The moisture level has not been reduced to a
degree that
the moss itself has an unacceptable brittleness or inability to reconstitute.
The sheet 61 has incorporated towards one surface a layer of water resistant
or water
impervious material 62. In one form this barrier can be provided by a layer of
paper 63
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
-19-
or suitable plastics material with one or both surfaces, if required, treated
to facilitate
adhesion to the sphagnum moss when compressed.
Desirably a thin Iayer of sphagnum moss 64 is placed in a mould, the barrier
placed in
position and the remaining mat 65 of sphagnum moss placed over the barrier 62
prior to
compression. Thus, once compressed, the sheet of sphagnum moss has an outward
appearance of a normal compressed sheet of sphagnum moss but has a water
resistant
barrier 62 towards one surface thereof.
In figure 32 the barrier is provided by treating a layer of the moss with a
suitable
substance. The first layer 4 of moss fibrous plant material placed in the
mould may be
treated by spraying a thermo setting plastic material. Any curable plastic
mixture could
be applied depending upon whether the sheet was to be hot or cold pressed.
Where the sheet is a liner for a plant container, the sheet can be formed
using the moulds
described in connection with Figures 3 to 12. Alternatively, the sheet may be
formed
using a roll press with the prepared bed of sphagnum moss passing through one
or a series
of rollers to form the desired compaction of the sphagnum moss. Where it is
desirable for
the end use of the material to be laid over a large surface, the more
continuous form of
compressing would be an advantage with the completed product delivered in
rolls which
could be easily handled when covering larger surface areas.
One such application of the invention would be to provide an undersurface for
a lawn in
arid or semi-arid conditions with the water resistant or substantially
impervious layer
provided in the sheet. The sheet according to the present invention will
retain moisture
allowing an even watering of an area, for example, of lawn with the
application of a
subterranean watering system using the drip feed technique. The result
achieved in the
present invention provides an evenness of moisture over the area of lawn and
this can be
contrasted with an area of lawn on an untreated bed of sphagnum moss where the
moisture
pattern throughout the watered area is uneven. This is because the barrier in
the sheet
according to the present invention operates to restrict movement of water
allowing the
moss to become saturated. It is recognised that sphagnum moss presents a
desirable
environment for root growth.
Hot and cold pressing creates different reconstitution characteristics in a
compressed
sphagnum moss sheet. Hot pressing establishes a longer reconstitution time
whereas with
cold pressing reconstitution occurs much more rapidly. When the liner 11 as
illustrated
CA 02341811 2001-06-08
-20-
in figure 16 is folded into the basket and the moss reconstitutes, the
expansion caused by
reconstitution and the forces generated through that expansion tend to
compress the joints
thereby restricting the amount of moisture which will be lost through these
joints. While
the openings allow for appropriate drainage to avoid stagnation problems they
do restrict
the amount of moisture which is able to penetrate to the outer surface of the
compressed
sphagnum moss sheet. This means that the visual appearance of the liner is
retained and
does not visually deteriorate as with conventional sphagnum moss liners. In
conventional
liners, moisture in the outer surface of the moss causes a green algae growth
giving a
visually less pleasant appearance.
One of the greatest causes for moisture loss from the hanging basket is the
evaporation
surface created by the outer surface of a conventional liner. This evaporation
is
accentuated in any conditions where there is a draft or movement of air but
with the
present invention because of the water resistant barrier, such evaporation is
minimised
thereby retaining moisture within the hanging basket.
With the significant reduction of water loss it is not necessary for the
hanging baskets to
be watered as regularly to retain optimum growing conditions. With
conventional basket
liners and untreated sphagnum moss liners it is frequently necessary to water
the plants
at least daily and sometimes more than once a day depending upon ambient
conditions to
preserve a healthy environment for the plant. With the present invention the
watering
programme can be modified and while conditions will determine the required
maintenance, much greater gaps between watering are possible.
