Self-releasing tree collar and use thereof in a tree trunk guying system

Claim 2

A collar capable of closure to a substantially circular form around a tree trunk, in the closed state comprising a strip having at least three inwardly projecting lugs, all of said lugs being substantially, uniformly spaced apart about said collar and being more yieldable than the tree trunk, said collar having means holding said strip in a closed state and for disengagement from said tree trunk by tree growth and concomitant tree trunk expansion.

Claim 3

The collar of claim 1 wherein said collar is resilient.

Claim 4

The collar of claim 2 including means for anchoring said collar to an immovable surface.

Claim 5

A collar in accordance with claim 2 wherein each of said lugs on said collar has a greater cross-sectional area at the collar than at the free extremity.

Claim 6

The collar of claim 1 including means for anchoring said collar to an immovable surface.

Claim 7

The tree guying system of claim 1 wherein said means for disengaging said collar comprises a pair of mutually outwardly-facing parallel flanges formed in the respective ends of said strip, a "C"-shaped clip encasing and engaging the outer surfaces of said flanges to hold said flanges together, a release pin slidably received between said flanges interior of said clip, said pin comprising a pin body having an edge at one end thereof adjacent said "C"-shaped clip and a pin head at the other end thereof adjacent the xylem layer of the tree trunk so that expansion of the tree trunk will cause said release pin to be pushed outward against said clip and slide said clip off of said flanges and release said collar from the tree trunk.

Claim 8

The tree guying system of claim 1 wherein said collar is formed of a pair of half-collar strips: a. one end of said strip being formed into a tab adapted to be received between a pair of parallel tabs formed in the other end of said strip; b. said tab ends forming at least a pair of apertures that are in mutual alignment when said tabs are mutually assembled; c. a clip comprising a pair of opposed, parallel, long segments joined to a pair of opposed, shorter segments, the lengths of said segments arranged such as to allow said clip to be slidably received over said assembled tabs and slide inward and outward of said collar; and, d. at least a pair of rivets anchored to one long segment arranged to have the stems thereof inserted into said apertures such that when said tabs are mutually engaged and said clip is moved inwardly, said rivets hold said tabs together and as the tree trunk expands it moves said clip outward releasing said rivets from said tab apertures and releasing said collar.

Claim 9

A collar in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said lugs on said collar has a greater cross-sectional area at the collar than at the free extremity.

Claim 10

In a tree guying system of claim 1 wherein said lugs are of three-dimensional trapezoidal shape having the smaller end thereof abutting the tree and the base thereof affixed to said collar.

Claim 11

The tree guying system of claim 1 wherein said means for disengaging said collar comprises one end of said strip being formed into a tab adapted to be received between a pair of parallel tabs formed in the other end of said strip, the mating surfaces of said tabs having serrations formed therein to mutually engage and aid said tab ends in clasping together until a predetermined circumferential stress is reached in said strip, created by expansion of the tree trunk, to disengage said tab ends.

Claim 12

The tree guying system of claim 1 wherein said means for disengaging said strip ends after a predetermined expansion of the trunk, comprises a pair of mutually reversed "C"-shaped bends formed in the respective ends of said strip terminating in faced-apart lips, a frangible "C"-shaped clip encasing and engaging said faced-apart lips to hold said "C"-shaped strip ends together, said clip being designed to break at a predetermined stress conveyed thereto by said strip ends to be released and disengage said collar from the tree trunk.

Claim 13

The tree guying system of claim 1 wherein said means for disengaging said collar comprises a pair of outwardly facing parallel flanges formed in the respective ends of said strip and containing aligned apertures therein for receipt of pin means therethrough to fasten said flanges together, a release pin slidably received between said flanges interior of said pin means, said pin comprising a pin body having a cutter surface at one end thereof adjacent said pin means and a pin head at the other end thereof adjacent the xylem layer of the tree trunk so that expansion of the tree trunk will cause said release pin to be pushed outward against and fracture said pin means to release said flanged tab ends and disengage said collar from the tree trunk.

Claim 14

The tree guying system of claim 1 wherein said means for disengaging said collar comprises one end of said strip being formed into a partial socket to receive therein a partial ball shape formed at the other end of said strip to form a ball and socket joint to fasten said strip together, said ball and socket joint adapted to disengage and release said collar from the tree trunk at a desired circumferential stress in said strip.

Claim 15

The tree guying system of claim 1 wherein said means for disengaging said collar comprises one end of said strip being formed into a tab adapted to be received between a pair of parallel tabs formed in the other end of said strip, the mating surfaces of said tabs being coated with a biodegradable adhesive that will lose its adhesive properties after a predetermined period of time to release said tabs and disengage said collar from the tree trunk.

Claim 16

In a tree guying system comprising a tree trunk encircling and grasping collar and means for anchoring said collar to an immovable surface to hold the tree in a fixed position, said collar comprising: a. an elongated strip having opposed ends formed into said collar to encircle the tree trunk; b. a plurality of yieldable lugs attached to the inner surface of said strip to abut the tree trunk and hold it in concentric spaced-apart relation thereto, said lugs having a smaller contact area with the tree trunk than with said collar to permit the flow of vital tree-growing fluids vertically along the tree trunk; and, c. means on said strip for disengaging said collar from said tree trunk that is actuated by tree growth and concomitant trunk expansion.

Claim 17

In a tree guying system comprising a tree trunk encircling and grasping collar and means for anchoring said collar to an immovable surface to hold the tree in a fixed position, said collar comprising: a. an elongated strip having opposed ends formed into said collar to encircle the tree trunk; b. a plurality of yieldable lugs attached to the inner surface of said strip to abut the tree trunk and hold it in concentric spaced-apart relation thereto, said lugs having a smaller contact area with the tree trunk than with said collar to permit the flow of vital tree-growing fluids vertically along the tree trunk; and, c. means on said strip for disengaging said collar from said tree trunk that is actuated by tree growth and concomitant trunk expansion.