US4057930A — Hydroponic method and apparatus

Claim 1

Independent Claim 231 words

A hydroponic chamber comprising: a liquid holding chamber; a perforated, generally planar seed support member suspended in said chamber entirely above a predetermined level of liquid therein; means defining a substantially uniplanary arranged aeration grid in said chamber, substantially above the bottom of said chamber but just beneath said liquid predetermined level at least within the top one-half of the liquid; and means providing a supply of air under pressure to said aeration grid; said seed support being disposed at a predetermined height above said liquid predetermined level; said predetermined height being dependent upon the type of crop to be grown and so calculated that almost all of the root structure of a selected crop will be suspended in the space defined between said seed support member and said liquid predetermined level during growth; said aeration grid thus providing a supply of air bubbles which coalesce and burst at the surface of said liquid to provide a circulation of moisture droplets and moisture laden air about crop roots growing in said defined space; said chamber being sufficiently deep to define a settling tank of liquid undisturbed by action of said aeration grid, whereby any material washed from said seed support member by action of said aeration grid may fall therebeneath by gravity to settle at the bottom of said chamber so that such material is not recirculated onto the growing crop.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 231 words

A hydroponic chamber comprising: a liquid holding chamber; a perforated, generally planar seed support member suspended in said chamber entirely above a predetermined level of liquid therein; means defining a substantially uniplanary arranged aeration grid in said chamber, substantially above the bottom of said chamber but just beneath said liquid predetermined level at least within the top one-half of the liquid; and means providing a supply of air under pressure to said aeration grid; said seed support being disposed at a predetermined height above said liquid predetermined level; said predetermined height being dependent upon the type of crop to be grown and so calculated that almost all of the root structure of a selected crop will be suspended in the space defined between said seed support member and said liquid predetermined level during growth; said aeration grid thus providing a supply of air bubbles which coalesce and burst at the surface of said liquid to provide a circulation of moisture droplets and moisture laden air about crop roots growing in said defined space; said chamber being sufficiently deep to define a settling tank of liquid undisturbed by action of said aeration grid, whereby any material washed from said seed support member by action of said aeration grid may fall therebeneath by gravity to settle at the bottom of said chamber so that such material is not recirculated onto the growing crop.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 25 words

The hydroponic chamber claimed in claim 1 wherein said seed support member comprises taut sheet screening material bordered by a frame of inert plastics material.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 16 words

The hydroponic chamber as claimed in claim 2 wherein said sheet screening is made of bronze.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 53 words

The hydroponic chamber as claimed in claim 1 wherein said aeration grid comprises a network of tubular members in fluid communication with one another and means defining a plurality of perforations in said tubular members, said perforations being arranged to provide a horizontal, uniform pattern of air distribution points in said liquid level.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 24 words

The hydroponic chamber as claimed in claim 4 wherein said aeration grid further comprises means for disconnectibly mounting said aeration grid in said chamber.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 38 words

The hydroponic chamber as claimed in claim 5 wherein said disconnectibly mounting means comprises a pair of support struts for mounting said grid in said chamber, and resilient retention means in said chamber for holding said support struts.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 55 words

The hydroponic chamber as claimed in claim 4 wherein the internal diameter of said tubular members is far greater than the diameter of each of said perforations to the extent that said tubular members comprise a holding tank retaining a static head of pressure whereby air distribution through said perforations is uniform throughout the grid.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 31 words

The hydroponic chamber as claimed in 7 wherein the ratio of the diameter of said tubular members to the diameter of said perforations is on the order of 40 to 1.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 33 words

The hydroponic chamber as claimed in claim 8 wherein said diameter of said tubular members is about 0.25 inches (6.4 mm) and the diameter of said perforations is about 0.006 inches (0.15 mm).

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 21 words

The hydroponic chamber as claimed in claim 4 wherein said perforations are each formed through the bottoms of said tubular members.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 32 words

The hydroponic chamber as claimed in claim 4 wherein each of said tubular members include a plurality of recesses formed inwardly therebeneath, each said recess having one of said perforations formed therethrough.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 27 words

The hydroponic chamber as claimed in claim 1 further comprising heating means in said liquid holding chamber for heating a supply of liquid to be contained therein.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 42 words

The hydroponic chamber as claimed in claim 1 further comprising cover means over said chamber for defining a relatively closed environment within said hydroponic chamber, said cover means comprising a generally open based pyramid structure having an apex centrally above said chamber.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 93 words

The hydroponic chamber as claimed in claim 13 wherein said cover means further comprise a peripheral border which is concavely configured on the interior of said cover means and so disposed above a border of said seed support means that liquid condensing on the interior of said cover will travel downwardly interiorally on the walls of said pyramidal cover means to said peripheral cover border and thence drop onto said seed support border, whereby condensing liquid is prevented from dropping directly onto said seed support member and from migrating outwardly of said cover.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 32 words

The hydroponic chamber as claimed in claim 14 wherein said cover means peripheral border further comprises means defining a plurality of air openings therethrough communicating with the interior of said cover means.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 23 words

The hydroponic chamber as claimed in claim 1 further including predetermined liquid level maintaining means which comprises a barometric feed reservoir of liquid.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 145 words

A hydroponic method comprising the steps of: suspending seeds to be sprouted a predetermined distance entirely above but closely adjacent the surface of a supply of liquid to create a growing space; determining said distance by the type of crop selected so that almost all of the root structure of the selected crop will be suspended in said space; agitating only a layer of liquid very near the surface of the liquid by bubbling air therethrough to thereby provide a supply of air bubbles which coalesce and burst at the surface of the liquid to provide a circulation of moisture droplets and moisture laden air about the undersides of the seeds and through the roots thereof during sprouting of the seeds; and carrying away waste products and other pollutants from the liquid air agitated layer whereby the same are not recirculated onto the sprouting seeds.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 145 words

A hydroponic method comprising the steps of: suspending seeds to be sprouted a predetermined distance entirely above but closely adjacent the surface of a supply of liquid to create a growing space; determining said distance by the type of crop selected so that almost all of the root structure of the selected crop will be suspended in said space; agitating only a layer of liquid very near the surface of the liquid by bubbling air therethrough to thereby provide a supply of air bubbles which coalesce and burst at the surface of the liquid to provide a circulation of moisture droplets and moisture laden air about the undersides of the seeds and through the roots thereof during sprouting of the seeds; and carrying away waste products and other pollutants from the liquid air agitated layer whereby the same are not recirculated onto the sprouting seeds.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 47 words

The hydroponic method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the step of carrying away waste products and other pollutants includes allowing the same to fall by gravity through the liquid far enough beneath the surface as to be undisturbed by air bubbling in the air agitated level.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1980-11-14	1981-05-16	1981-11-15	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1984-11-14	1985-05-16	1985-11-15	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1988-11-14	1989-05-16	1989-11-15	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Hydroponic method and apparatus

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