Raft apparatus for growing plants by means of water culture

Claim 2

Raft means for the hydroponic growth of at least one plant thereon including a raft body formed to float on a nutrient solution in a stable position, said body being formed with a generally vertically oriented channel extending from a foliage supporting upwardly facing side of said body through said body to a nutrient solution contacting downwardly facing side of said body, said channel having a transverse dimension formed for receipt of the stem of a plant therein with the root system of said plant depending downwardly into said nutrient solution, and said body having sufficient buoyancy to float said plant on said nutrient solution and said body extending laterally in all directions from said channel a distance sufficient to support the foliage of said plant above said nutrient solution during a substantial portion of the growth cycle of said plant, wherein the improvement in said raft means comprises: auxiliary buoyancy means engaging said body and formed to assist in the buoyant support of said body on said nutrient solution by providing auxiliary stability and buoyancy for said body, said auxiliary buoyancy means being formed with a generally vertically oriented auxiliary channel in substantially aligned registration with said channel in said body, and said auxiliary channel being dimensioned for downward depending of the root system of said plant therethrough.

Claim 3

Raft means as defined in claim 1 wherein said auxiliary buoyancy means is formed with a slot extending from the periphery thereof to said auxiliary channel, said slot being dimensioned for passage of the root system of said plant therealong.

Claim 4

Raft means as defined in claim 1 wherein, said auxiliary buoyancy means incudes registration means formed proximate a top surface of said auxiliary buoyancy means for receipt and securement of said body against lateral displacement relative to said auxiliary buoyancy means.

Claim 5

Raft means as defined in claim 1 wherein, said registration means is formed as a recess in said top surface of said auxiliary buoyancy means formed for receipt of a portion of said body therein.

Claim 6

Raft means as defined in claim 1 wherein, said auxiliary buoyancy means further having an area laterally of said auxiliary channel sufficient to space an adjacent raft means at a distance from the first named raft means for unimpeded growth of said plant.

Claim 7

Raft means for the hydroponic growth of at least one plant including a raft body formed to float on a nutrient solution in a stable position, said body being formed with a generally vertically oriented channel extending from a foliage supporting upwardly facing side of said body through said body to a nutrient solution contacting downwardly facing side of said body, said body being formed of a molded plastic foam having sufficient buoyancy and extending laterally of said channel for support of the foliage of said plant above said nutrient solution over a substantial portion of the growth cycle of the plant, and said body further including partition means extending transversely across said channel at a height causing said partition to normally be in contact with said nutrient solution when said raft means is floated thereon, said partition further having a thickness sufficient to support a plant seed thereon and being sufficiently thin to enable growth of the plant root system therethrough, wherein the improvement in said raft means comprises: said body being formed with a downwardly facing annular recess proximate said partition to define a wall of reduced thickness proximate said partition, and said body is further formed with an upwardly facing annular recess surrounding said channel and providing a relief space into which the wall of said body defining said channel may be radially displaced during plant growth.

Claim 8

Raft means for the hydroponic growth of at least one plant including a raft body formed to float on a nutrient solution in a stable position, said body being formed with a generally vertically oriented channel extending from a foliage supporting upwardly facing side of said body through said body to a nutrient solution contacting downwardly facing side of said body, said body being formed of a molded plastic foam having sufficient buoyancy and extending laterally of said channel for support of the foliage of said plant above said nutrient solution over a substantial portion of the growth cycle of the plant, and said body further including partition means extending transversely across said channel at a height causing said partition to normally be in contact with said nutrient solution when said raft means is floated thereon, said partition further having a thickness sufficient to support a plant seed thereon and being sufficiently thin to enable growth of the plant root system therethrough, wherein the improvement in said raft means comprises: said body being formed with a downwardly facing annular recess proximate said partition to define a wall of reduced thickness proximate said partition, and said body is further formed with an upwardly facing annular recess surrounding said channel and providing a relief space into which the wall of said body defining said channel may be radially displaced during plant growth.

Claim 9

Raft means for the hydroponic growth of at least one plant including a raft body formed to float on a nutrient solution in a stable position, said body being formed with a generally vertically oriented channel extending from a foliage supporting upwardly facing side of said body through said body to a nutrient solution contacting downwardly facing side of said body, said body being formed of a molded plastic foam having sufficient buoyancy and extending laterally of said channel for support of the foliage of said plant above said nutrient solution over a substantial portion of the growth cycle of the plant, wherein the improvement in said raft means comprises: said body being formed with a wall defining said channel formed for radially outward displacement by the stem of said plant as said plant grows.

Claim 10

Raft means for the hydroponic growth of at least one plant including a raft body formed to float on a nutrient solution in a stable position, said body being formed with a generally vertically oriented channel extending from a foliage supporting upwardly facing side of said body through said body to a nutrient solution contacting downwardly facing side of said body, said body being formed of a molded plastic foam having sufficient buoyancy and extending laterally of said channel for support of the foliage of said plant above said nutrient solution over a substantial portion of the growth cycle of the plant, wherein the improvement in said raft means comprises: said body being formed with a wall defining said channel formed for radially outward displacement by the stem of said plant as said plant grows.