Trellis panel and method of fabrication

Abstract

A trellis panel and method of manufacture is described. The trellis panel is comprised of a rigid sheet of wood formed from wood particles or chips or straw and/or plant material glued together and treated to form a weather resistant sheet. The sheet has a substantially uniform thickness. A plurality of openings are disposed throughout the sheet. Preferably, but not exclusively, the sheet is formed from treated oriented strand board (OSB). The holes are formed in the board by a die-cutting device which has a die surface configured to cut a plurality of these openings throughout the sheet.

1 . A trellis panel comprising a rigid sheet of wood formed from wood particles or chips glued together and treated to form a weather resistant sheet, said sheet having a substantially uniform thickness, and a plurality of openings disposed throughout said sheet.  
   
   
       2 . A trellis panel as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said rigid sheet of wood is an oriented strand board sheet.  
   
   
       3 . A trellis panel as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said rigid sheet of wood is a plywood sheet formed of wood sheeting glued together with their grains cross-oriented.  
   
   
       4 . A trellis panel as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said rigid sheet of wood is a particle board sheet.  
   
   
       5 . A trellis panel as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said rigid sheet of wood further comprises a mixture of straw and/or particles.  
   
   
       6 . A trellis panel as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said openings are of like shape and equidistantly spaced through said sheet.  
   
   
       7 . A trellis panel as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said openings are square openings at an angle of 45° with respect to the longitudinal axis of said sheet, said sheet being a rectangular sheet.  
   
   
       8 . A trellis panel as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said wood components are exposed on outer surfaces of said sheet and are absorptive to wood staining liquid solutions whereby to impart a desired coloring to said sheet.  
   
   
       9 . A trellis panel comprising a rigid sheet of straw and/or plant material boards formed of straw and/or plant particles pressed and glued together and treated to form a weather resistant sheet, said sheet having a substantially uniform thickness, and a plurality of openings disposed throughout said sheet.  
   
   
       10 . A method of constructing a trellis panel comprising the steps of: 
 (i) providing a rigid sheet of wood and/or straw particles pressed and glued together,    (ii) positioning said sheet in a die-cutting device, said device having a cutting die surface configured to cut a plurality of spaced openings in said sheet,    (iii) pressing said cutting die surface against said board to form a plurality of openings throughout said sheet, and    (iv) treating said sheet to render said sheet weather resistant.    
   
   
       11 . A method as claimed in  claim 10  wherein there is further provided the steps of: 
 (v) collecting pieces of said sheet which have been cut away to form said plurality of openings, and    (vi) recycling said pieces to form further rigid sheets of wood.    
   
   
       12 . A method as claimed in  claim 10  wherein there is further provided one of the further steps of 
 (a) spraying said sheet with a staining liquid solution,    (b) painting said sheet.    
   
   
       13 . A method as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the step (iv) comprises one of 
 (a) treating said sheet with a chemical preservative, or    (b) treating said sheet under controlled heating.