PATENT SPECIFICATION
`NO DRAWINGS
`
`(ll) 1 259 844
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`(22) Filed 9 April 1969
`(21) Application No. 18047/69
`(31) Convention Application No. 030 535
`(32) Filed 19 Sept. 1968 in
`(33) Canada (CA)
`(45) Complete Specification published 12 Jan. 1972
`(51) International Classification C 10 f 5/04
`(52) Index at acceptance
`CSG 7
`AlE 3 5X
`
`(54) COMPRESSION OF PEAT AND COMPRESSED PEAT AS A PLANT
`SEED CARRIER
`
`I, NELSON WILLIAM KITCHENER Patent No. 689,498, June 30, 1964, Biirger is
`(71)
`FRENCH ADAMS, a Canadian subject, of directed to a method of achieving colour
`P.O. Box 248, Fredericton, New Brunswick,
`control in bulb planting, and broadly dis-
`closes the use of decomposible material in
`Canada, do hereby declare the invention,
`for which I pray that a patent may be which to embed seeds or bulbs. However,
`granted to me, and the method by which it all of the foregoing patents relate to pro-
`ducts which are expensive to manufacture,
`is to be performed, to be particularly des-
`bulky to transport, and utilize decomposible
`cribed in and by the following statement:-
`This invention relates to the compressing masses which are slow to disintegrate and
`of peat, specifically, horticultural peat, and which require hand cultivation.
`In addition, in the past, attempts have
`particularly to tfle compressing of such peat
`with plant seeds and fertilizer embedded been made to compress peat using binders,
`such as fishmeal, potato starch, casein, and
`therein during the compression of the peat,
`urea resins, among others, but it was found
`as well as to the addition of plant seeds and
`that though peat would compress with the
`fertilizer .to a compressed peat mass, after
`compression.
`addition of such binders, the compressed
`The largest accessible peat bogs in the peat would not reconstitute itself fully after
`being bound with such binders.
`western world are located in New Bruns-
`It has now been discovered, surprisingly,
`wick, and large quantities of peat are cur-
`that if peat is reduced to about .15% moist-
`rently being exported from this province.
`However, attempts to use peat as a basis ure content (on a dry weight basis) before
`compression, that binding can be achieved,
`for secondary manufacturing have proved
`apparently through the natural resins and
`largely unsuccessful, and the principle ob-
`ject of this invention is to provide means waxes occurring in peat, and when subse-
`whereby peat may be compressed, with quently watered such compressed peat will
`fully reconstitute itself.
`plant seeds therein, in order to facilitate the
`In the past, attempts have been made tg
`planting of such seeds thus providing an
`avenue to secondary manufacture not open dry peat, such as by a tumbling hot-air
`until now.
`system, but this system tends to break down
`the peat fibers, and in addition, the use of
`Peat is commonly used in horticulture to
`aerate and hold moisture in the soil. Plant air which is too hot also tends to case
`pots manufactured of peat combined with harden the fibers.
`wood pulp are now being made in Europe,
`It has now however been found workable
`in accordance with the present invention, to
`and these pots permit plants to be started
`in a greenhouse and transplanted in the de-water peat mechanically
`to approxi-
`pot, directly to the field. However, under mately a 75% moisture content (on a dry
`dry conditions peat pots rob the soil con- weight basis) and follow such de-watering
`tained within the pot of some of its water, by a dehydration utilising heated rolls fol-
`and the pot itself is slow to break. down.-
`··
`lowed by radio frequency drying until the
`Attempts have been made in the past to peat has a moisture. content of between
`10 and 20% (on a dry weight basis). Sub-
`use peat as a plant seed carrier. For ex-
`example, Canadian Patent No. 601,686
`sequently the peat, surprisingly, is found
`issued July 12, 1960, Allan relates to a
`to compress (within the pressure range of
`1000 psi to 2000 psi and the temperature
`combination sheet inc3uding seed, while
`Canadian Patent No. 661.824, April 23,
`range of 80°C to l20°C for a time of from
`1963, Tukacs relates to the embedding of 1 to 5 minutes) and to retain its compressed
`seeds or
`in sheets, and CanadiaP
`shape, without difficulty. When such peat
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`SCOTTS EXHIBIT 1003
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`sheets, blocks or plugs are again expos~g spots are further dried with a radio fre·
`to moisture, the sheets, blocks or plugs will quency drier. The moisture content on a
`expand, and none of the original properties dry weight basis is thus reduced to 15%,
`of the peat will be lost, principally its plus or minus 5%.
`At this stage fertilizer can be mixed with 70
`5 highly absorptive capacity which is so con·
`the peat, and passed through a one inch
`ducive to the supply of air and water to a
`plant.
`screen.
`Using standard presses, with electrically
`There may thus be provided a compressed
`peat sheet, block or plug which does not heated or steam-heated plates the peat is
`require the utilization of a binder other than dried to approximately 15% (on a dry 75
`the natural resins and waxes found in peat, weight basis) and is then subjected to a
`peat sheets, blocks, plugs and other shapes, pressure of approximately 2000 psi, at a
`temperature of l20°C. After pressure for
`which can be formed without danger of
`breaking the individual peat fibres; and one minute, peat has been found to retain
`its compressed shape, whether that shape be 80
`15 compressed peat which will fully reconsti-
`in the form of a sheet, or of a plug or block
`tute itself, after exposure to moisture.
`There may also be provided compressed of any desired dimension or geometrical
`shape.
`peat moss in various geometric shapes, in
`Subsequently, exposure to water results
`which plant seeds are embedded, to facili-
`tate automatic planting of such seeds as tree
`in expansion of the sheet or plug to form 7 85
`It is also
`seeds, grass seeds, and the like.
`to 10 times its compressed size.
`It has also been found, advantageously,
`possible to provide compressed, fertilized,
`seed peat masses of various geom~tric that the surface of a peat mass after com-
`shapes, the peat masses consisting of a long pression has a wax or glazed surface, which
`is caused by the natural waxes and resins 90
`fibre sphagnum peat of a low degree of
`humidification and a moisture content of contained within peat, which are brought
`15~6 (on a dry weight basis) after compres-
`to the surface at the compression temper-
`sion at a pressure of 2000 psi, at a temper-
`ature. Thus, the compressed peat mass had
`ature of 100°C., and within the time period
`the advantage of great stability during hand-
`ling. before exposure to water.
`30 of one minute.
`Also available is a method of drying peat
`Plant seeds which are capable of with-
`without damaging the fibres thereof, to en-
`standing a compression pressure of 1000 psi.
`able satisfactory compression into sheets or such as grass seeds, can be added to the
`blocks, at a greatly reduced cost per ton.
`dried peat, before compression. Grass
`In attempting to add fertilizer to peat,
`seeds, for example, can then be readily 100
`before compression, an attempt was made
`"planted", by simply placing such com-
`by the inventor to utilise a tumbling system. pressed peat sheets on the area on which
`However, this was not found satisfactory as grass is desired, and subsequently watering
`to induce growth. Plant seeds which can-
`fibre break down resulted, and therefore
`fertilizer is added to compressed peat, be-
`not survive the pressure needed to compress 105
`fore compression into a plug or sheet.
`th~ peat are first encapsulated to protect
`It has been found satisfactory to dip
`Furthermore, there may be adopted a
`them.
`system of embedding seeds in a compressed
`seeds in an adhesive, such as a latex, and
`peat mass, so that seeds which are too
`then to coat the seeds with powdered peat.
`fragile to withstand the high pressure of This coating cushions and protects seeds, I 10
`peat during compression will not be des-
`and permits the admission of such coated
`troyed. This
`is achieved by pelletizing
`seeds into peat before compression. Deli-
`seeds in order to protect and insulate them.
`cate seeds, such as tree seeds can thus be
`before the pelletized seeds are pressed itno
`safely compressed within tr peat mass.
`Alternatively, plant seeds such as tree I 15
`50 a pre-formed peat sheet, plug or block.
`The invention will become clear \vith ref-
`seeds can be conveniently added to a pre-
`erence to the following description which
`formed plug of a geometrical shape, such
`should be considered, however, by way of as, for example, a compressed peat disk. or
`example only, and the invention should be a cylinder, by first coating the seed by
`limited only by the scope of the appended known means with gelatine, and adhering 120
`the coated seed to the compressed plug, or
`claims.
`Horticultural peat, received from the bog, within a depression formed in the plug or
`and which has preferably been harvested by disk at the time it is compressed, by the
`a mechanical cutter, is treated according to die.
`It will be appreciated that when a
`peat disk, block -or plug is subsequently 125
`this invention as follows:
`Preliminary drying is accomplished by de- watered, tha~ the gelatine will dissolve per-
`watering harvested peat in a centrifuge. mitting the seed to germinate.
`Secondarily the partly de-watered peat is
`Peat plugs, with plant seeds embedded
`passed in a thin layer through steam-heated
`therein are coated with polystyrene where it
`65 cylinder rolls, after which, if necessary, wet
`is necessary to maintain the seed in a dry 130
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`1,259,844
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`condition and in order to prevent germi(cid:173)
`nation. After late summer or autumn plant·
`ing, frost will crack the polystyrene coat(cid:173)
`ing, and permit the entry of moisture, and
`5 eventual germination.
`In the introduction to this disclosure ref·
`erence was made to the difficulty found in
`atempts to add fertilizer to peat, inasmuch
`as even distribution of fertilizer material
`10 could only be achieved by a tumbling sys(cid:173)
`tem, and the tumbling of the peat itself
`tends to break the fibres, and it is of course
`desirable that the peat retain fibres of as
`long length as possible, for improved ab-
`15 sorption, and aeration of plants.
`Accordingly it has been found satisfactory
`to coat a sheet, plug or block of compressed
`peat with fertilizer such as ammonium sul(cid:173)
`phate in granular form, which has been
`20 mixed in polystyrene. Using known coating
`apparatus, such a mixture can be coated
`on one side of a compressed peat sheet, or
`on one or more sides of a compressed peat
`mass having a geometrical shape.
`In the case of compressed peat sheets
`containing grass seed, one side of such
`sheets can conveniently be coated with a
`fertilizer solution. while the other side is
`coated with gelatine, using appara.tus which
`is already known, such as a glue spread~r
`used for coating both sides of plywood lami(cid:173)
`nates. The fact that the granular fertilizer
`is mixed with paraffin controls the disper(cid:173)
`oon of the fertilizer, inasmuch as paraffin
`35 degrades slowly, and will thus release the
`fertilizer over relatively long periods of
`time, of up to several years.
`If the readily soluble nitrates and phos(cid:173)
`phates are to be utilized as fertilizer, these
`40 can be encapsulated in polystyrene or the
`like, and punctured with a pin-hole. Such
`capsules, adhered to or embedded in a plant
`seed peat plug will thus slowly release the
`necessary nutrition for the associated plant
`45 as growth proceeds.
`When seed-carrying peat seeds are being
`constructed, the peat, seed and fertilizer
`can be conveniently mixed, for example, in
`the headbox of a paper-making machine,
`50 and subsequently dried as a sheet on a
`calender machine. This technique is suit(cid:173)
`able for grasses or grain where the seed is
`small and able to withstand pressures.
`Additionally, if desired, seeds carried by
`55 compressed peat can be further protected
`with a coat of any substance which will
`deter consumption by birds and mice, such
`as, for example, red lead, until germination
`occurs.
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`30
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`Seeds embedded in or carried by com- 60
`pressed peat blocks, plugs or sheets can be
`subsequently conveniently planted by auto(cid:173)
`matic means, as will be clear to one skilled
`in the art of planting.
`•
`
`65
`
`WHAT I CLAIM IS:-
`1. A method of compacting peat into a
`unitary mass, comprising the steps of de(cid:173)
`watering peat mechanically to a moisture
`content of approximately 75% (on a dry
`weight basis) and dehydrating by heated 70
`rolls and with a radio frequency drier, to a
`moisture content of between 10 and 20%
`(on a dry weight basis) and subjecting the
`peat to pressure within the range of 1000
`psi to 2000 psi at a temperature of from 75
`80°C. to l20°C., for a time of from one to
`five minutes.
`2. A method according to claim I, said
`mechanical de-watering being carried out in
`a centrifuge and said dehydrating being 80
`accomplished by steam-heated cylinder rolls
`and a radio frequency drier.
`3. A method according to claim 1 or 2,
`including the step of admixing plant seeds
`and fertilizer in said peat after dehydration 85
`and before the peat is subjected to pres(cid:173)
`sure.
`4. A method according to claim 1, 2 or
`3, including the final step of adhering a
`plant seed to said peat, after compression. 90
`5. A method according to any of the
`preceding claims, said peat being com(cid:173)
`pressed into a geometrical shape namely,
`that of a sheet, disk, block or plug.
`6. A method according to any of the 95
`preceding claims. plant seeds being encapsu(cid:173)
`lated in powdered peat and adhesive, and
`being admixed with the peat before com(cid:173)
`pression.
`7. A method according to any of the 100
`preceding claims wherein the compressed
`mass is finally externally coated.
`8. A method according
`to claim 7
`wherein said coating is a germination re-
`tarding coating.
`9. Methods of compressing peat accord-
`ing to claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore
`described.
`10. Compacted peat when formed by a
`method as claimed herein.
`
`105
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`110
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`HUGHES & YOUNG,
`Agents for the Applicant,
`7, Stone Buildings,
`Lincoln's Inn,
`London, W.C.2.
`
`Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by Burgess & Son (Abingdon), Ltd.-1972.
`Published at The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A lAY,
`from which copies may be obtained.