Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
  • A01G5/00—Floral handling
  • A01G5/02—Apparatus for binding bouquets or wreaths

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and an installation for making tight tufts of plants consisting of a combination of flowers, plants, herbs and / or various foliage on stems, commonly and generically called "bouquets of flowers ”.
• the present invention provides an original method and installation for making bouquets of flowers automatically or semi-automatically, thereby reducing the cost of these bouquets by limiting the labor required for their development, and also allowing to obtain bouquets of structured form offering an attractive aesthetic, and this in a repetitive and standardized way.
• the method according to the present invention consists in positioning the plants constituting the bouquet (flowers, plants, herbs and / or various foliage) in a receptacle, and in making an intercrossing of the stems of said plants before the complete tightening of these stems on an area determined by their height, to obtain a bouquet of the “round bouquet” type after extraction of said receptacle.
• the clamping operation of the plant stems can be carried out manually, but it is preferably carried out by automatic means.
• an automatic link or ligation is placed around these stems, on the tightening zone or near this zone, to keep the bouquet in shape.
• the process consists, after having cut the stems of the plants to the desired length, in positioning these stems vertically or substantially vertically in the receiving receptacle, then in carrying out the aforementioned tightening and tying operations.
• the method consists in positioning the stems of the plants per unit or in small groups in a plurality of suitable housings arranged in the reception receptacle, in particular to allow precise structuring of the bouquet. Still according to another characteristic, the method consists in moving the receptacle which receives the plant stems and the means for clamping these stems apart, by a relative translational movement, in order to extract the bouquet formed from said receptacle.
• the method consists in performing a mechanical twisting or twisting of the base of the bouquet, while implementing the means of tightening the stems of plants.
• This twisting or twisting of the base of the bouquet is advantageously obtained by placing the plant stems individually or in small groups in a plurality of suitable housings arranged in the receiving receptacle, then by combining a rotational movement of this receptacle around a vertical axis, and a vertical translational movement between said receptacle and the clamping means of said rods.
• the invention also relates to the installation for implementing the aforementioned method, for making bouquets of plants, which installation comprises a receptacle for the vertical or substantially vertical positioning of the plants, as well as means which make it possible to intersect the stems of said plants to obtain a bouquet of the "round bouquet” type after clamping between them said plant stems in a determined area of their height.
• this installation comprises means for clamping the plant stems between them over a determined area of their height.
• These means may consist of means for laying a link or a ligature which surrounds said rods, or even a system of pliers or mechanical jaws arranged opposite.
• these clamping means consist of a system of pliers or mechanical jaws, associated with means for placing a link or a ligature which encircles the plant stems.
• the installation comprises a system of two clamps or jaws of the male / female type, able to come to nest together to optimize the tightening and limit the alteration of the plant stems.
• the installation comprises means for allowing a relative movement of separation by vertical translation between the means for tightening the bouquet and the receptacle for receiving plant stems, in order to extract the bouquet from said receptacle.
• the receptacle is provided with a plurality of housings for individual reception or by small groups of plant stems, in particular to allow precise structuring of the bouquet.
• the installation comprises means for twisting or twisting the base of the bouquet, simultaneously with the implementation of the tightening means.
• the installation preferably includes: - a receptacle provided with a plurality of housings for the individual or small group reception of plant stems,
• the twist or twist of the base of the bouquet is then obtained by combining a rotational movement of the receptacle and a translational movement between this receptacle and the means for tightening the rods.
• at least some of the receptacle receptacle housings have a generally tubular shape whose axis is inclined relative to the vertical to optimize the twist operation of the base of the bouquet.
• the receptacle is provided with a plurality of tubular housings distributed substantially on concentric crowns, the axis of said housings being inclined according to the same slope on each of said crowns, and this inclination being produced substantially on the tangent of said crowns, the slope of the axis of said housings decreasing from the center of the receptacle outward.
• FIG. 1 is a general schematic view of an installation for making a "round bouquet twisted foot" according to the present invention
• - Figure 2 is a perspective view of the receptacle which allows the reception of the plant stems
• - Figures 3 to 7 illustrate, in five steps, the method according to the present invention for the preparation of a "round bouquet twisted foot”.
• the installation illustrated in the appended figures is particularly suitable for the production of bouquets with a round top whose foot is twisted or twisted, that is to say bouquets made up of plants whose stems cross at the level of the tightening fitted with a tie or holding ligature.
• FIG. 1 The installation shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 comprises: - a receptacle 1 for the vertical or substantially vertical reception of the plants 2 which it is desired to group in clumps (these plants 2 are here represented in dotted lines in the form of flowers) ,
• the receptacle 1 comprises a plurality of housings 10 of generally tubular shape which allow individual or small group reception of the plant stems.
• the height of these housings 10 is adapted so as to maintain the plants in a vertical or substantially vertical position, compatible with the size and shape of the jaws 3, 4.
• Their size, number and distribution depend on the plants used and the desired bouquet structure; one can for example provide 35 to 40 housings 10 in the receptacle 1.
• the bottom of all the housings 10 is preferably located in the same horizontal plane, this plane serving as a reference level for cutting the plant stems 2 to length beforehand, according to the desired structure of the bouquet.
• the receptacle 1 is rotatably mounted on a support 12, around a vertical or substantially vertical axis 13. The corresponding rotation is subjected to the action of suitable mechanical means, here illustrated in the form of a rack 15, movable under the effect of a jack 16, and meshing with a toothed pinion 17 secured to receptacle 1.
• the means for rotating the receptacle 1 can take other forms.
• the receptacle 1 is removably mounted on the support 12 (or the pinion 17).
• the support 12 or the pinion 17.
• the housings 10 of the receptacle 1 have a particular configuration which is adapted to optimize the twisting or twisting of the plant stems during the shaping of the bouquet, and in particular to avoid, or at least limit as much as possible the deterioration of plants.
• each housing 10 is oriented as best as possible according to the inclination that will take the stem of the plant it receives in the finished bouquet.
• the housings 10 are substantially distributed over concentric rings centered on the axis of rotation 13 of the receptacle 1.
• the axis 10 'of the housings 10 is inclined by the same value with respect to the vertical, and this tangentially or substantially tangently with respect to said crown; and the corresponding angle of inclination is increasing on the different crowns, starting from the center towards the outside.
• the axes 10 ′ of the housings 10 can also be slightly oriented converging upwards.
• the axis of the central housing, if there is one, is placed on the axis of rotation 13.
• the general orientation of the axes 10 ′ of the housings 10 is of course a function of the direction of rotation of the receptacle 1 for shaping the twisted bouquet; for this purpose, the embodiment of the receptacle 1 illustrated in FIG. 2 takes account of the direction of rotation defined by the orientation arrow 18.
• the two jaws or clamps 3, 4 are positioned symmetrically with respect to the vertical axis 13; they are all the two subjected to the action of maneuvering means 19 which allow their tightening and their spacing as required, in a plane or on an axis perpendicular to the vertical axis 13.
• the corresponding operating means here have the form of hydraulic cylinders 19 mounted on the chassis 5, but any other equivalent principle can be envisaged.
• the two jaws 3 and 4 are adapted to tighten between them the stems of the plants 2 over a determined area of their height which is advantageously between 2/5 th and a third of the height of the plants, starting from their end. lower.
• these jaws are of the male / female type, that is to say, as illustrated in FIG. 1, that they have the possibility of being nested one in the other so as to limit the alteration of plant stems during tightening.
• the female jaw 3 and the male jaw 4 opposite, allowing to apply clamping pressures in the same plane or on the same area to avoid breakage or bending the rods.
• the shape and size of the jaws are adapted to obtain optimum and non-destructive tightening of a well-defined area of the base of the bouquet; preferably this tightening is carried out on a maximum height of the order of 1 to 2 cm.
• the chassis 5 which carries the clamping jaws 3 and 4 is movable vertically under the effect of means of displacement in translation, illustrated here in the form of a hydraulic jack 20.
• the corresponding displacement allows in particular the extraction of the stems from the plants of their housings 10 when the bouquet is shaped.
• the means for maneuvering in vertical translation of the carrying frame 5 can be in other forms, such as motorized worm, rack or other ...
• the means 6, 7 for placing the link or the ligature around the foot bouquet have been shown schematically in Figure 1, in association with the two clamping jaws 3 and 4.
• These particular means may consist of any ligating device known per se (strapping apparatus, twist-fastening apparatus, etc.).
• the link system used can be a thread of any material adapted to limit the alteration of plant stems; it may be a plastic material, a metallic material, a metal wire coated with plastic material, a vegetable material (raffia for example), or even an elastic link.
• FIG. 1 there is the coil 21 for storing the wire material 22 allowing the corresponding link or ligature.
• the ligating means 6, 7 can be adapted to place the link or the ligature just below the clamping level by the two jaws 3 and 4, as shown in FIG. 1.
• the means 6, 7 for laying the link or the ligature can be arranged directly on the chassis 5; as the case may be, they can also be placed on an independent support structure.
• the rotation of the receptacle 1 and the translational movement of the chassis 5, in particular, can be linked mechanically.
• the first step in making the bouquet consists in manually positioning the plants 2 in the receptacle 1.
• a single plant stem is placed in a receptacle in the receptacle; but it is also possible to envisage grouping the plants in pairs or in threes in each accommodation or in only some of the accommodation.
• the corresponding positioning of the plants depends on the structure of the bouquet that one wishes to achieve. This individual positioning allows very precise structuring of the bouquet, and the configuration of housing 10 (in particular their distribution and their inclination) prepares the bouquet for the subsequent twisting operation of its foot.
• the plants 2 can be introduced into the receptacle 1 on the shaping station, between the jaws 3 and 4. It is also possible to carry out this operation on one or more independent preparation stations, then to manually or automatically transport the loaded receptacle to 'at the shaping station between said jaws 3 and 4.
• the bouquet formed begins to emerge from the receptacle 1 by the movement in vertical translation of the chassis 5 (FIG. 6).
• the link 24 can be placed when the jaws 3 and 4 exert their maximum tightening on the plant stems, to obtain the knotted round bouquet illustrated in FIG. 7.
• the twisting or twisting operation of the base of the bouquet entails an intersection of the plant stems 2 at the level of the link 24.
• the jaws 3 and 4 then loosen their grip to return to the inactive position.
• the tied bouquet is removed manually or by appropriate mechanical means for storage or packaging.
• the coordination of the various movements which have just been described is adapted to obtain the best possible result in terms of aesthetics and preservation of the plants.
• the upward movement of the chassis 5 is adapted to ensure the total extraction of the bouquet from the receptacle 1; the rotation of this receptacle 1 to obtain a bouquet whose foot is properly twisted or twisted can be of the order of a U-turn.
• the precise positioning of the plants in the receptacle 1 allows great repetitiveness of the general aesthetics of the bouquets produced; it is thus possible to obtain identical or almost identical bouquets in large numbers, if one has a raw material having regular characteristics.
• All the housings 10 of the receptacle 1 are not necessarily used for making the bouquets. It will be noted here that in order to avoid overloading the attached drawings, the plants 2 used to form the illustrated bouquet have been shown in small numbers and little fleshed out. In reality, bouquets will be obtained from a substantial number of well “leafy” plants to form a dense aesthetic whole.
• the operation of extracting the bouquet from the receptacle 1 is carried out by a vertical translation of the chassis 5. Equivalently, this extraction can be carried out by a combination of movements between the frame 5 and the support 12 of the receptacle 1.
• the link or ligature can be positioned manually, after mechanical tightening by means of jaws 3 and 4.

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Basic Packing Technique (AREA)
• Packaging Of Special Articles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8869111

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (8)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 2001
  • 2001-11-06 FR FR0114338A patent/FR2831766B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2002
  • 2002-11-06 WO PCT/FR2002/003803 patent/WO2003039241A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2002-11-06 EP EP02795371A patent/EP1446003A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events