Claims
- 1. A method of packaging a potted plant comprising the steps of:providing a potted plant having an exterior surface; providing an automatic covering apparatus for automatically applying a decorative cover to the potted plant, the decorative cover having an interior space; conveying the potted plant to the automatic covering apparatus; and automatically applying the decorative cover about the potted plant by non-manually directionally orienting the potted plant into the interior space of the decorative cover to form a covered potted plant.
- 2. The method of claim 1 comprising the additional step of sorting the potted plant into one of at least two grades in accordance with a predetermined grading criterion.
- 3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of sorting the potted plant occurs before the step of applying the decorative cover.
- 4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of sorting the potted plant occurs after the step of applying the decorative cover.
- 5. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of sorting the potted plant comprises using an automatic sorting device to sort the potted plant.
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein in the step of applying the decorative cover, the decorative cover is a preformed decorative cover provided by an automatic cover supplying apparatus which retrieves the decorative cover from a set of preformed decorative covers and places the decorative cover in an application position.
- 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of applying a decorative cover further comprises securing the decorative cover to the exterior surface of the potted plant.
- 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of conveying the potted plant further comprises conveying the potted plant on automatic conveying apparatus.
- 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the automatic conveying apparatus further comprises a conveyor belt.
- 10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the additional step of providing a transfer device for engaging the covered potted plant for conveying the covered potted plant to a boxing station.
- 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the transfer device further comprises an automatic pushing device.
- 12. The method of claim 10 wherein the transfer device further comprises an automatic gripping device.
- 13. A method of packaging a potted plant comprising the steps of:providing a potted plant having an exterior surface; providing an automatic sleeving apparatus for automatically applying a sleeve to the potted plant; automatically conveying the potted plant and transferring the potted plant to the automatic sleeving apparatus; and automatically applying a sleeve about the potted plant by non-manually directionally orienting the potted plant into the sleeve to form a sleeved potted plant.
- 14. The method of claim 13 comprising the additional step of sorting the potted plant into one of at least two grades in accordance with a predetermined grading criterion.
- 15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of sorting the potted plant occurs before the step of applying the sleeve.
- 16. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of sorting the potted plant occurs after the step of applying the sleeve.
- 17. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of sorting the potted plant comprises using automatic sorting device to sort the potted plant.
- 18. The method of claim 13 wherein in the step of automatically conveying the potted plant further comprises using a conveyor belt.
- 19. The method of claim 13 wherein the automatic sleeving apparatus comprises an apparatus for automatically opening the sleeve to provide an open sleeve for receiving the potted plant.
- 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the potted plant is automatically deposited into the open sleeve by passing potted plant through a guiding device.
- 21. The method of claim 13 comprising the additional step of sealing an upper portion of the sleeve of the sleeved potted plant.
- 22. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of sealing further comprises using an automatic sealing device.
- 23. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of sealing further comprises heat sealing.
- 24. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of sealing further comprises sonic sealing.
- 25. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of sealing further comprises vibratory sealing.
- 26. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of sealing further comprises pressure-sensitive sealing.
- 27. The method of claim 13 further comprising the additional step of providing a transfer device for engaging the sleeved potted plant and placing the sleeved potted plant into a carton.
- 28. The method of claim 27 wherein the transfer device further comprises an automatic pushing device.
- 29. The method of claim 27 wherein the transfer means further comprises an automatic gripping device.
- 30. A method of packaging a potted plant comprising the steps of:providing a potted plant having an exterior surface; sorting the potted plant into one of at least two grades in accordance with a predetermined grading criterion; providing an automatic sleeving apparatus for automatically applying a sleeve to the sorted potted plant; automatically conveying the sorted potted plant to the automatic sleeving apparatus; and automatically applying a sleeve about the sorted potted plant by non-manually directionally orienting the potted plant into the sleeve to form a sleeved potted plant.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 09/005,630, filed Jan. 9, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,500 which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 08/720,961, filed Oct. 10, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,628, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 08/462,332 filed Jun. 5, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,029, which is a division of U.S. Ser. No. 08/417,477 filed Apr. 5, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,425, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 07/954,635, filed Sep. 30, 1992, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (81)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
560532 |
Apr 1975 |
CH |
513971 |
Nov 1930 |
DE |
2489126 |
Mar 1982 |
FR |
542958 |
Feb 1993 |
JP |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (9)
Entry |
Chantler & Chantler brochure showing Zipper Sleeve™ and Florasheet®, Date unknown, 2 pages. |
“Color Them Happy with Highlander Products” ©1992. |
“Super Seller”, Supermarket Floral, Sep. 15, 1992. |
“Costa Keeps the Christmas Spirit”, Supermarket Floral, Sep. 15, 1992. |
“Now More Than Ever”, Supermarket Floral, Sep. 15, 1992. |
“Halloween”, Link Magazine, Sep. 1992, 2 pages. |
Speed Cover Brochure, “The Simple Solution For Those Peak Volume Periods”, Highland Supply Corporation, ©1989. |
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Continuations (4)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/005630 |
Jan 1998 |
US |
Child |
09/393041 |
|
US |
Parent |
08/720961 |
Oct 1996 |
US |
Child |
09/005630 |
|
US |
Parent |
08/462332 |
Jun 1995 |
US |
Child |
08/720961 |
|
US |
Parent |
07/954635 |
Sep 1992 |
US |
Child |
08/417477 |
|
US |