Versatile horticultural growth apparatus

Claim 1

Plant growth apparatus for use in artificial light horticulture comprising a plurality of modular elements adapted to be quickly and easily assembled into an integral structure and wherein the relative dispositions of said modular elements within said structure can be readily altered, which apparatus comprises: a. a pair of upright substantially vertical support columns; b. internal support means disposed between said vertical columns to laterally space and rigidize said vertical columns into a base frame; c. laterally extending leg portions affixed at the bottom of each of said vertical columns to support said base frame in generally upright fashion; d. receptive connecting means at corresponding spaced intervals on the laterally outward face portions of said vertical columns; e. at least a pair of laterally extending shelf support brackets having fastening means at their inner ends adapted to be fastened into said receptive connecting means on said vertical columns, each pair of brackets being respectively disposed one on each of said columns at the same vertical position on the same face side of the columns; f. an elongate, multiple outlet electric power strip energized by a single external power feed line connection positioned vertically on one of said support columns and extending vertically on said column for at least a portion of the column height, with at least one of the electric outlets in said strip being closely adjacent the fastening point of each of said shelf support brackets disposed on said column; g. at least one generally rectangular light-providing shelf unit substantially horizontally disposed upon each pair of said laterally extending support brackets, said light-providing shelf unit comprising: i. a flat upper surface adapted to hold plant materials and other objects as a shelf area, ii. an open under section containing laterally disposed therein at least one fluorescent tube light, the area beneath said open under section defining a plant growth area which is substantially as wide as the distance between said column supports, and iii. end encasement sections extending longitudinally outwardly from said open under section, said encasement sections containing the ballast units and other electrical circuitry for the fluorescent light operation, and wherein said shelf support brackets engage said light-providing shelf unit outside said plant growth area at said end encasement sections.