US3108401A - Flower display device - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 29, 1963 1. RICHARDSON FLOWER DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Nov. 23, 1960 INVENTOR ONE. Q\CHAQ M BY g 04% ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,108,401 r I FLOWER DISPLAY DEVICE lone Richardson, 6215 Chef Menteur Highway, New Orleans, La. Filed Nov. 23, 1960, Ser. No. 71,291 1 Claim. (Cl. 4739) The present invention relates to a plant display device for artistically displaying floral arrangements and the like, and particularly short stemmed flowers and fresh cut plant material where it is desired to present a display of substantial vertical height.

The invention will be described in connection with the annexed drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an. exploded view of the device partially in section, and

FIGURE 2 is a front perspective view in which the elements of the device are assembled in position and carry the floral arrangement.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the device comprises a base 1 upon which is mounted a vertically extending support member 2. Means are provided to removably or permanently connect the leg member 2 with the base 1. In one form of the invention the leg member 2 is provided with exterior threads 3 which screw in the threads 4 of the base member. The lower part of the base member is apertured at 1a to allow water to drain from the leg member 2 and through the base member by the arrangement of valves herein later on set forth. The leg member 2 has an open upper end 5 adapted to receive an intermediate leg member 11. The leg 2 is provided with an arm 6 extending at an angle to the vertical axis of the leg member 2 which constitutes one of several leg members which, when nested, provide a central support. The arm 6 extends upwardly at an angle from the upper portion of the leg member 2, the former having mounted thereon at its upper end a cup or water-container 7 having positioned therein needles 8 upon which short stemmed flowers are disposed.

The water-container 7 has an open upper end 9, said container having flowers 10 or the like disposed therein on the needles 8. The arm 6, which is desirably hollow, is connected to the leg 2 by any suitable means, as for example, a weld 6,. If the leg 2 and the arm 6 are plastic members, these members may be formed in a hollow unit assembly by molding or extruding or the like. The cup or water-container 7 may be also integrally molded with the leg 2 and the arm 6.

The intermediate leg member 11 is provided with an open upper end 12 and a tapered lower end .13, the latter being tapered, as at 1'4, to permit easy assembly with the open end 5 of the leg 2 and to provide free and easy pivoting of the leg 11 so that the latter can rotate within the upper end of the leg 2.

The intermediate leg member 11 is provided with an angle arm 16 extending at an angle to the vertical axis of the leg 11, the arm having mounted thereon at its upper portion a cup or water-container 17, having disposed therein needles 18 adapted to receive short stemmed flowers or the like. The leg member 19 is provided with an open upper end 20 and a tapered lower end 21, the wall thereof being tapered, as at 22, to permit easy assembly of the lower leg member 19 within the open end 12 of the intermediate leg 11, and to provide free and easy pivoting of the leg 19 so that the leg 19 can rotate within the upper end 12 of the leg 11.

The upper leg member 19 is provided with an angle arm 23 extending at an angle to the vertical axis of said leg, the latter having removably secured thereon at its upper end a cup or water-container 24, having disposed therein a plurality of needles 25 adapted to receive short stemmed flowers or the like. The vertically-extending leg members 2, 11 and 19 are desirably hollow so that water from the water- containers 7, 17 and 24 may flow through said leg members when the valves V V and V are open.

The angle arms 6, 16 and 23 are provided respectively with valves V V and V so that water can flow through said angle arms to their respective leg members 2, 11 and 19 and then, if desired, through the conduit 1,, of the base member, and the valve V. All other valves may be adjusted to positions which permit such flow; or only certain valves may be adjusted to drain the water from any other of the particular water- containers 7, 17 and 24. For example, when it is desired to empty container 7, then it is only necessary that the valves V and V be open; if it is desired to empty water from container .17, then it is necessary that valves V and V be open, and

the remaining valves may be closed; and if it is desired to empty water from container 24, only valves V and V need be open.

Alternatively, instead ofudraining the water-containers through the final exit valve V, the latter may be closed and then draining from any or all of the water-containers or any or all of the legs may be effected through the take-off conduit which is provided adjacent the end T with a valve V, which is open when the valve V is closed. The end T of the take-oil T is adapted to receive a hose which may conduct the drainage fluid to any desired container.

The cups or water-containers may have disposed there in fresh flowers and plant material, which does not neces sarily have blooms thereon.

When it is not desired to drain water from the watercontainers, the leg members and their angle arms need not be hollow. The angle arms may be partially hollow.

Any suitable means may be provided for connecting each angle arm to its respective leg member. In one term of the invention there has been provided in a plant display device a combination of a base, a vertically-extending central support mounted on said base, said support being constituted by an assembly of nested units which, when arranged one above the other, rotate with respect to each other, each unit having an arm extending at an angle to the vertical axis of the central support, each arm having mounted thereon at its upper end a water-container for artistically displaying plant material, each water-container being arranged with respect to the central support to clear the water-container therebelow as units of the display device are rotated. It is understood that the water-containers, the angle arms and the leg units are desirably, although not necessarily, interconnected with the base member to permit drainage of the water from the display device.

It is desirable that the pipe 1,, be provided with perforations 1 for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

The base member 1 may be weighted to impart stability to the display device.

Further, in one form of the invention the base may be made of a porous material and disposed in a receptacle 26 which is adapted to contain water. The base 1 may be bonded to receptacle 26 by any suitable bonding material. Satisfactory results can be obtained by using plastic flower clay, although any bonding or adhesive me dium may be used through which water may penetrate from the receptacle 26 to the hollow base member 1. Instead of using bonding clay, plastic foam may be used which will adhere to the bottom of the base 1, said foam material being sufliciently porous to enable water to penetrate from the receptacle 26 to the base 1. It is pre- \ferred that the receptacle 26 be circular.

I claim:

In a plant display device of the type adapted for artistically displaying plant material, a base member, a plurality of plant material mounting means disposed on said base; a hollow vertically extending central support mounted on said base in such a manner as to afford fluid communication therebetween, said support comprising a plurali-ty of superposed vertically extending hollow leg members, each leg member being pivotally mounted in the leg beneath it for rotation of each leg member so mounted about its vertical axis; a plurality of hollow arms mounted on said vertical support in such a manner as to afiord fluid communication therebetween, said arms being upwardly and outwardly inclined relative to the axis of said support, at least one arm being mounted on one leg member and at least another aim being mounted on another leg member; an open-topped water container mounted on each arm, each of said containers having a plurality of plant material mounting means, said containers being arranged with respect to the central support so as to 2 clear the water container therebelow as the legs of the display device are rotated; a receptacle adapted to support said base and to contain water to preserve said plant material mounted on said base; and a plurality of valve means, said valve means being disposed so as to selectively control fluid communication between the interior of each of said Water containers and said support and between said support and said receptacle, whereby water placed within the several containers may be selectively drained therefrom through said support, and whereby plant material mounted in each of said water containers may be selectively placed with respect to both the plant material in another of said containers and the plant material mounted on said base in order to achieve a desired floral arrangement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 217,010 Judson et a1. July 1, 1879 253,877 Messler Feb. 21, 1882 1,431,679- Noda Oct. 10, 1922 1,577,873 Root Mar. 23, 1926 1,928,799 Stevens Oct. 3, 1933

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