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; transferring the potted plant to the automatic covering apparatus; and automatically applying the decorative cover about the potted plant by non-manually disposing 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 automatically applying the decorative cover.
- 4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of sorting the potted plant occurs after the step of automatically applying the decorative cover.
- 5. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of sorting the potted plant comprises using an automatic sorting apparatus 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 automatically applying a decorative cover further comprises securing the decorative cover to the exterior surface of the potted plant.
- 8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the additional step of providing a transfer apparatus for engaging the covered potted plant for conveying the covered potted plant to a boxing station.
- 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the transfer apparatus further comprises an automatic pushing apparatus.
- 10. The method of claim 8 wherein the transfer apparatus further comprises an automatic gripping apparatus.
- 11. 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 transferring the potted plant to the automatic sleeving apparatus; and automatically applying a sleeve about the potted plant by non-manually disposing the potted plant into the sleeve to form a sleeved potted plant.
- 12. The method of claim 11 comprising the additional step of sorting the potted plant into one of at least two grades in accordance with a predetermined grading criterion.
- 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of sorting the potted plant occurs before the step of automatically applying the sleeve.
- 14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of sorting the potted plant occurs after the step of automatically applying the sleeve.
- 15. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of sorting the potted plant comprises using an automatic sorting apparatus to sort the potted plant.
- 16. The method of claim 11 wherein the automatic sleeving apparatus comprises an apparatus for automatically opening the sleeve to provide an open sleeve for receiving the potted plant.
- 17. The method of claim 16 wherein the potted plant is non-manually disposed into the open sleeve by passing the potted plant through a guiding apparatus.
- 18. The method of claim 11 comprising the additional step of sealing an upper portion of the sleeve of the sleeved potted plant.
- 19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of sealing further comprises using an automatic sealing device.
- 20. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of sealing further comprises heat sealing.
- 21. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of sealing further comprises sonic sealing.
- 22. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of sealing further comprises vibratory sealing.
- 23. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of sealing further comprises pressure-sensitive sealing.
- 24. The method of claim 11 further comprising the additional step of providing a transfer apparatus for engaging the sleeved potted plant and placing the sleeved potted plant into a carton.
- 25. The method of claim 24 wherein the transfer apparatus further comprises an automatic pushing apparatus.
- 26. The method of claim 24 wherein the transfer apparatus further comprises an automatic gripping apparatus.
- 27. 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; transferring the sorted potted plant to the automatic sleeving apparatus; and automatically applying a sleeve about the sorted potted plant by non-manually disposing the sorted potted plant into the sleeve to form a sleeved potted plant.
- 28. 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 cover to the potted plant, the cover having an interior space; transferring the potted plant to the automatic covering apparatus; automatically applying the cover about the potted plant by non-manually disposing the potted plant into the interior space of the cover to form a covered potted plant; and bonding the cover about the potted plant via a bonding material selected from the group consisting of a pressure sensitive adhesive or cohesive, heat sealable materials, sonic sealable materials, vibratory sealable materials, ties, labels, bands, ribbons, string, tape, staples, and combinations thereof.
- 29. The method of claim 28 comprising the additional step of sorting the potted plant into one of at least two grades in accordance with a predetermined grading criterion.
- 30. The method of claim 29 wherein the step of sorting the potted plant occurs before the step of automatically applying the cover.
- 31. The method of claim 30 wherein the step of sorting the potted plant occurs after the step of automatically applying the cover.
- 32. The method of claim 30 wherein the step of sorting the potted plant comprises using an automatic sorting apparatus to sort the potted plant.
- 33. The method of claim 29 wherein in the step of automatically applying the cover, the cover is a preformed decorative cover provided by an automatic cover supplying apparatus which retrieves the cover from a set of preformed covers and places the cover in an application position.
- 34. The method of claim 29 further comprising the additional step of providing a transfer apparatus for engaging the covered potted plant for conveying the covered potted plant to a boxing station.
- 35. The method of claim 34 wherein the transfer apparatus further comprises an automatic pushing apparatus.
- 36. The method of claim 34 wherein the transfer apparatus further comprises an automatic gripping apparatus.
- 37. The method of claim 29, wherein in the step of bonding the cover about the potted plant, the bonding material is a band.
- 38. The method of claim 29, wherein in the step of bonding the cover about the potted plant, the bonding material is an adhesive material.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 09/785,891, filed Feb. 16, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,311,461, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 09/393,041, filed Sep. 8, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,295, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 09/005,630, filed Jan. 9, 1998, 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. Serial 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 (82)
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. |
“Speed Sheets and Speed Rolls” Brochure, Highland Supply Corporation, ©1990. |
“A World of Cut Flower and Pot Plant Packaging” Brochure, Klerk's Plastic Products Manufacturing, Inc., Date unknown, 6 pages. |
Continuations (6)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/785891 |
Feb 2001 |
US |
Child |
09/909374 |
|
US |
Parent |
09/393041 |
Sep 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/785891 |
|
US |
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 |