with reference now to the said figures ( fig1 ), the protective device of this invention consists mainly of a flexible anti - mosquito type of net 1 , or non - woven fabric in tubular form and , in general , cylindrical , with upper 3 and lower 5 ends open and , in any case , the lower one 5 closed , inside of which are installed a series of rigid hoops 7 at regular distances that ensure that the inside of the cited tube 1 maintains a certain distance from the fruit 9 or articles to be protected . once installed ( fig2 ), the cited tube surrounds the said fruit 9 or articles , the upper 3 and lower 5 ends are closed using conventional closing elements , such as clips . fig3 shows the reduced space occupied by the described device when not in use : its flexible mesh 1 enables it to be significantly compressed , together with its hoops . when convenient ( fig4 ), the tube can comprise a flat portion 11 of mesh of non - woven fabric that is rolled into the desired tube shape , which is then similarly supported by means of a series of adjustable flexible strips 17 which , in this case , are incorporated on the outside of the tube 11 , with the ends of each strip 17 fitted with respective series of matching closing devices , for example , buttonholes 15 a and buttons 15 b that are suitably fastened . this second version ( fig4 and 5 ) has an advantage over the first in that the protective tube 11 diameter can be adjusted using the cited adjustable hoops 17 ; fig5 shows the referred tube 11 with its maximum diameter housing two bunches of grapes 9 a and 9 b . in any case , the cited mesh tube 1 , 11 should be sufficiently close - woven so that it prevents birds and insects from accessing the inside of the tube through the holes , and which will be made of a mesh or non - woven fabric that is innocuous to the food products inside . the strips 17 can be joined to the protective tube 11 either by the inside of the same ( as illustrated in fig2 ), or by the outside of the same ( as shown in fig5 ). with reference now to the other figures , the protective device of this invention ( fig6 ) principally consists of a tubular element 1 , manufactured from a flexible anti - mosquito type of net or non - woven fabric in tubular form and , in general , cylindrical , with upper 3 and lower 5 ends initially open and subsequently closed by means of closing elements 13 , and where the inside of the non - woven fabric 1 is supported on a series of rigid hoops 7 at regular distances , which ensures that the inside of the cited tubular element 1 remains at a certain distance from the ham 9 or other articles to be protected . it is necessary to point out that a cut is made which , in this case , is from the lower end 5 to the closest hoop , so that the ham 9 can be positioned inside , in spite of the fact that the said ham is secured to a ham stand 6 , which has a support 12 that raises the ham 9 into a cutting position , holding thus immobile so that the ham 9 can be cut , without be able to move . the said cut 8 defines two ends and these ends tend to close when they surround the ham 9 , with one end overlapping the other . in the illustrated embodiment , a cut has been made from the lower end 5 to the hoop closest to the said end 5 , although it could be made from the upper end 3 , or cutting more than one hoop . when it becomes necessary to cut the ham 9 , the lower means of closing , for example , some clips , are removed and then the tubular element 1 is folded towards the ham 9 foot leaving an area of ham 9 exposed for cutting ( fig7 ). subsequently , once the ham 9 has been cut , the reverse operation is performed , so that , in order to cover the lower part of the ham again , the ends defined by cut 8 are overlapped and the tubular element 1 is closed , thus preventing the entrance of insects and dust , maintaining the ham &# 39 ; s 9 characteristics intact ( fig6 ). in the same way as the previous example , in any case , the cited non - woven fabric of the tube 1 must sufficiently close so as to prevent birds and insects from passing through and also be made of a material that is innocuous to the food products . fig8 is a new option in which a ham is used hanging from a cord 32 fixed to a hook 31 that is secured to a support 30 , for example , a bar . as is well - known , hams have to be hung during their curing process but , at the same time , they have to be protected from insects that could spoil them . just as can be seen , the hook is inside the tubular element 1 and when the ham 9 is hung , the hook 32 pinches the tubular element , but without tearing it and the said ham is hung from the bar 30 , which prevents insects entering the tubular element . lastly , fig9 is a final variation in relation to a tree 9 , for example , a fruit tree . the fruit of certain trees is highly - prized and because of this , damage to just one fruit or flower can lead to great economic losses to agriculturists . thus , it can be observed that in this case , the upper end 3 is closed by some means of closing 13 and the lower end 5 is in contact with the ground 25 , with the said tubular element 1 fixed to the ground 25 by some means of securing 24 , so that the tree is protected from any type of inclement weather and / or insects etc . through the previous description , the efficient protection that this device provides to fruit and other various products against aggression by birds , insect and dust is quite evident . in any case , it must be understood that the said protection is not limited to just these articles , but can be extended to elements of other natures , such as a recently painted element to which access by insects is not desired since they will stick to it and spoil its finish . having fully described the nature of this invention , it is stated for the record that this protective device for fruit and other various articles from birds , insects and dust can be manufactured using the most suitable materials and the most suitable size , with all of this falling into the spirit of the following claims .
the invention relates to a device for protecting different articles against birds , insects and dust . the inventive device consists of a tubular element comprising a flexible mesh or a non - woven fabric , which can be closed at the upper and lower openings thereof and which encloses the article to be protected . the invention is also equipped with a series of hoops or supports which keep the tube at a certain distance from the article to be protected .