Patent Application
20050102898
This invention relates to a method and retainer device for holding a conventional flower pot, which is rested upon the ground, from tipping over accidentally. Conventional flower pots, which are made of plastic materials or clay or the like, that are filled with potting material or dirt and hold flowers or other plant materials, are prone to tipping over when subjected to wind or other relatively low, laterally applied forces. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a simple, inexpensive, device which holds a flower pot against falling over on its side.
Devices for stabilizing or holding a flower pot have been developed in the past. An example of such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,105 issued Nov. 17, 1998 to Ronald E. Loosen for “Nursery Pot Stabilizing Device.” That device involves a flower pot holder which has a base that is provided with openings. Hooks with upper ends that engage the holder base through its openings, extend into the ground to hold the pot in place upon the ground. However, a device of that sort is relatively expensive and cumbersome in use and is not useful with conventional flower pots. That is, it is not practical or sufficiently inexpensive for use with a substantial number of ordinary clay or plastic flower pots that are typically provided by retail plant sales establishments. Such conventional pots, containing plants, are commonly placed on the ground near homes, cemetery grave sites, and other places for temporary display of potted flowers.
Other more elaborate constructions have been used to hold a flower pot upon the ground and to prevent the pot from tipping over. Further examples of such devices are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 1,902,423 issued Mar. 21, 1933 to W. H. Seltzer for “Flower Holding Device”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,070 issued Jan. 18, 1994 to Jerald C. Shreckhise for a “Plant Growing Receptacle and Method”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,861,764 issued Nov. 25, 1958 to Delphis Fisher for a “Receptacle Holder”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,846,433 issued Feb. 23, 1932 to Percival F. Morley for a “Flower and Plant Holder”; French Patent No. 2,557,761, published Jul. 12, 1985, to Daniel Naas for a device for stabilizing flower pots; French Patent No. 2,481,881, published Nov. 13, 1981, to AndréFranclet, illustrating a flower pot retaining device for holding a pot upon the ground; French Patent No. 1,148,341, published Dec. 6, 1957, to M. Jean-Xavier Dagnaud for a holder for vases and pots.
Each of the devices disclosed in the foregoing patents are relatively expensive, particularly where a large number of them may be needed for temporarily holding a considerable number of flower pots at one time. These prior devices are formed to support a single-size pot. Since flower pots of different shapes and sizes are common, an inventory of retainers of different sizes would be needed for holding an assortment of different size pots. That is, the devices disclosed above, in general, lack the ability to hold pots of different sizes within a wide range of sizes. Hence, it would be desirable to have a simplified, very inexpensive, retainer which may be used on an assortment of different size and shape flower pots, within wide ranges of sizes, to securely hold a flower pot upon a ground surface against tipping over under the influence of wind or relatively small forces applied laterally against the pots or the portion of the plants that extend upwardly from the pots.
The present invention contemplates a simplified retainer and a method for applying the retainer for immobilizing a conventional flower pot rested upon a ground surface. The device comprises an elongated stem or rod having an upper end which is bent into a downwardly opening, hairpin-like shape which fits over and resiliently grasps an upper edge portion of the rim of a conventional flower pot. The stem is intended to extend downwardly from the rim of the pot, along the side wall of the pot, into the ground for a sufficient depth that will enable the retainer to stabilize the pot. A single retainer, in many instances, would be sufficient to hold a pot against tipping. However, in instances where a single retainer is not enough, due to the size or shape of the pot or the exposure to wind or other forces, two retainers may be used. For example, retainers may be positioned on diametrically opposite sides of the pot. The springy hairpin-like shape of the upper end of the retainer enables it to be utilized with various wall thicknesses and enables the retainer and the pot to stay together notwithstanding the forces applied against the pot or its contents.
An object of this invention is to provide an extremely inexpensive retainer in the form of a stiff, wire-like rod of sufficient length to extend into the ground alongside a pot while its upper end is bent into a downwardly opening hairpin-like hook which clips over and grips an upper portion of the rim area of the pot to hold the pot against tipping. The free end of the hook may be inserted into the potting material that is in the pot so as to grip the adjacent portion of the interior surface of the pot wall.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a simplified retainer manufactured from a length of wire-like metal whose upper end is bent downwardly into a hook-shape for gripping the upper edge of a pot, and whose lower end is sufficiently pointed or beveled to extend into the ground so that the retainer can be positioned alongside the wall of the pot.
These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following description, of which the attached drawings form a part.
Referring to the drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of this invention, a conventional flower pot 10 is illustrated as resting upon the ground. The pot may be made of a plastic material or of a conventional clay material or sheet metal or in some cases cardboard-like composition material. The particular shape and size of the flower pot and the material of which it is made, is not part of this invention and may vary.
The pot illustrated in
The pots illustrated in the drawings are filled with potting material or dirt 20 and contain a plant 21 which is schematically illustrated. The plant may be a flower plant or a number of flower plants or a bush or other plant types of materials commonly sold in flower pots.
It is contemplated that the flower pot will be rested upon the ground 25 which would comprise earth or pebbles or such other penetrable material. By way of example, it is common to provide flowers potted within small flower pots, at grave sites in cemeteries for various occasions (such as the deceased's birthday, anniversary of their death, mother/father's day, Christmas, etc.). Another common use of potted flowers and small flower pots in outdoor settings is around garden areas or areas around houses or other buildings where the flowers or plants are temporarily positioned in their pots and are replaced periodically.
In each of these uses, the flower pots, which may be relatively small, are rested upon the ground and are subjected to wind pressures or physical disturbances or inadvertent physical forces which may tip the pots over on their sides.
The retainer 30, as illustrated in
The lower end of the stem is preferably formed with a sharpened or pointed end portion 33 which assists in penetrating the ground or pebbles or other ground-forming materials when the retainer is pushed downwardly into the ground. Also, the free end of the outer leg 34 of the hook 32 may be formed with a sharpened or pointed end 35 which assists in penetrating the potting material when the retainer is pushed downwardly for gripping the upper edge portion of the pot.
Preferably, the outer leg forming the hook-like bend extends at a small angle toward the adjacent stem portion and the wire or rod material is somewhat resilient. Therefore, when the hairpin-like bend is positioned over the rim portion of the pot and the free end of the hook penetrates the contents of the pot, the hook tends to resiliently grasp the rim portion of the pot for tightly fastening together, by friction and spring force, the retainer and the pot.
It is preferred that the hook portion be extended in length sufficiently so that it may be pushed downwardly, when engaging the rim portion of the pot, far enough to receive the rim portion, but not necessarily to the point where the entire hook portion is filled by the rim. As can be seen schematically in the drawings, in
As indicated by the drawings, it is contemplated to use a single retainer for most situations. The retainer may be arranged vertically alongside the wall of the pot, as illustrated in
