GB2051536A - Container for plants - Google Patents

Abstract

A holder for plant growth material has at its underside means for mounting it for rotation about a vertical axis. The means is a pin which is received in a socket e.g. a tube having a pointed end for insertion into the ground or supported by legs to form a stand. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Container for plants This invention relates predominantly to horticultural equipment and in particular to equipment for growing plants, especially flowers, in a supply of growing material held in a drained container.

It is well known to grow flowers or the like in more or less ornamental ports of earth standing on the floor of a patio or balcony. It is also known to grow them in a pot of earth held in a pedestal arrangement, but these are usually of small capacity and temporary in nature, being used for exhibition purpose or the like.

Additionally, it is known to hang baskets of growing material such as earth, compost, or humus from above on chains, but these are somewhat dangerous to someone walking beneath, and difficult to keep in good condition.

For example, when they are watered, the water flows through and on to the balcony or like surface beneath, and in any case the plant tends towards the light or to be stunted on its colder or more exposed side. Moreover, plants cannot cascade or fall to any great distance over the edge of such a basket without interfering with the comfort of the people walking beneath.

I have now discovered that advantage can be gained by mounting a plant container, equipped with drainage means, for rotation about a vertical axis.

The invention accordingly consists in an open topped holder for receiving a body of plant growth materials such as earth, compost, humus or the like, provided with drainage means and possessing at its underside means permitting rotary movement around a vertical axis.

The means permitting rotary movement are preferably not such that the holder turns casually in the wind or under similar incidental stresses, but are preferably such that the holder can be turned to and left at a desired position.

The holder itself may constitute a container, or may be a framework in which a separate container, e.g. a wire basket, is placed. Thus, the holder can hold the plant growth material directly or indirectly.

The holder or container can be bowl shaped, frusto-conical, frusto-pyramidal, rectilinear, cylindrical, or any other shape which preferably exhibits symmetry around its vertical axis so that the container does not become unbalanced.

The material of construction can be metal, preferably provided with a corrosion-resistant layer such as polymer coating. Alternatively, it can be a plastic moulding. The drainage means can be perforations or interstices between the wires of a wire basket. Alternatively, it could be one hole at the centre of an otherwise unperforated container; any expedient whereby water drains from the underside of the material rather than remains in contact with it could be used as a drainage means, for example a support grid in the container.

The means permitting rotary movement is usually a protruding vertical pin, for insertion into a suitable socket. (It could alternatively be a vertically extending recess within an upwardly protruding boss in the container). The pin, if such is used, could be hollow and assisting the draining off of liquid from the container, possibly into a reservoir for containing a suitable water supply.

Although the invention in one aspect consists in the holder, either formed as or supporting the container itself, it is preferably embodied in combination with a suitable support possessing means to mount the bowl for the stated rotation about the vertical axis.

This support means is preferably formed as, or comprises, a vertical hollow rod or tube wherein a protrusion from the holder can be received at the top end. Most preferably it is formed as a simple rod or tube with a pointed lower end suitable for hammering into soil.

Alternatively, the lower end of the rod or tube can be formed as or provided with three legs as a support for resting on a hard surface.

However, the invention could be embodied in further combination with a concrete base having a vertical hole to receive the lower end of the rod.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a side view of one embodiment of a basket holder, Figure 2 shows a top view of Fig. 1, Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment wherein the holder is the container, Figure 4 shows a metal tube for receiving the holder at the upper end, Figure 5 shows in section one form of pointed end for such a tube, Figure 6 shows in section an alternative form of pointed end for such a tube and Figure 7 shows a further alternative base for the tube.

Figs. 1 and 2 show arcuate strip steel members 1 and 2 at right-angles to each other, spot-welded to one another at 3 and to the top of a support pin 5. A wire basket (not shown) can be placed in, or possibly wound or woven into place around, the strips 1 and 2. The whole assembly can thereafter be phosphatized, or plastic-coated, against corrosion. It hus constitutes a suitable container or receptacle for a growth medium such as compost or humus. The necessary drainage of water takes place through the interstices in between the wire, and movement around pin 5 takes place when this pin is received into the top of a tube as shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 3 shows a synthetic polymeric bowl 6, for example made in polypropylene, with strengthening ribs 7 and perforations 8, the bowl being fixed to a steel pin 9 to exhbit the feature of rotation around a vertical axis as before.

Fig. 4 shows a hollow steel tube 10 typically of five-eighths of an inch outside diameter and about a half-inch diameter to receive pin 5 or pin 9 (as in Fig. 1 or 2) at its upper end, after it has been pushed or hammered vertically into the ground at pointed member 11. It thus allows the container to be turned to a desired orientation although of course casual or accidental turning e.g. in the wind is not preferred.

Fig. 5 shows one mode of holding the pointed member 11 in relation to the tube 1 0. In this mode the shank 1 2 of pointed member 11 has a circular groove 1 3 into which is crimped some of the tube wall at 14 so that even repeated use does not lead to disengagement of the tube 10 and pointed member 11.

Fig. 6 shows a simpler but still effective embodiment for pointed member 11 where the shank 1 5 is forced fitted into the tube 10 and has a diameter smaller than the maximum diameter of the pointed member 11. This maximum diameter of pointed member 11 is in turn less than the outside diameter of the tube 10.

Fig. 7 shows a further alternative in which three splayed feet 1 6 are spot welded at 1 7 to the base of tube 18 as a suitable stand or support. Thus, this tube 1 8 can extend all the way to the basket, or, as shown, receive the lower end of the tube 10.

The invention as shown provides various advantages in use. For example, flowers can be set up for maximum effect in a garden which basically has the wrong sort of soil, or unduly rocky soil. They can even be set up in a balcony or like enclosure with no soil.

Moreover, flowers can be set up in awkward corners which are unduly draughty, cold or shady. By turning the basket each day, one can ensure that every portion of the plant gets its modicum of light and attention.

Another advantage of the invention is that the flower shows to maximum effect, and that attention is not detracted by any prominent concrete or other stand or obtrusive basket.

This latter problem is particularly noticeable since an overhead basket if sufficiently highly mounted displays to the casual glance merely the underside of the basket rather than the flower itself.

Another category of advantage displayed by the invention is the fact that the flowers can be moved. Thus, a nursery-man can provide flowers on a wholesale basis to weddings or outdoor functions of any type. Alternatively, the domestic user can move plants from any part of the garden to any other part e.g. for family functions or entertaining. Moreover, the plants can if necessary be moved into a sheltered indoor position such as a greenhouse for winter conditions.

Yet another advantage displayed by the invention is that all sorts of plants can be exhibited in a cascade or fall mode. Clearly, if plants are grown on the ground they will not cascade, and if they are grown in a hanging basket it is often undesirable for them to cascade since they interfere with the comfort of people passing beneath. To have a noninterfering central support, which allows the flowers to cascade over the basket and down towards the ground, provides a new mode of growth and display for many common flowers.

Another technique allied to this, especially useful for the nurseryman is to provide stands of different sizes so as to produce a bank of flowers. Thus, the first row can have a low stand, the middle row an intermediate length stand i.e. tube, as described above and the back row could have a considerably higher tube, the net effect being that of a wall of flowers. This not only has the advantage of appearance but also the advantage of easy attention.

Finally, the invention lends itself to different techniques of handling, either in a nursery garden or for individuals. Thus, weeding or debudding can be carried out merely by rotating the container rather than by reaching behind into an inconvenient location. Similar considerations apply to watering or applying fertilizer to the plants. Moreover, since most plants are to some extent phototropic, occasional movement of the container can ensure that the plant grows evenly. Another possibility is to locate the container so that one half of the plant is encouraged, which encouragement can if necessary be enhanced by judicious feeding or watering, and when the flowering season for that half is finished to turn the container through 180 when the other half of the plant should be ready for display.

Claims (10)

1. An open topped holder for receiving a body of plant growth materials such as earth, compost, humus or the like, provided with drainage means and possessing at its underside means permitting rotary movement around a vertical axis.

2. A holder as claimed in claim 1 which is itself a container for the plant growth material.

3. A holder as claimed in claim 1 which comprises a framework to receive a separate container for plant growth material.

4. A holder as claimed in any preceding claim made of metal with a corrosion-resistant polymer coating.

5. A holder as claimed in any one preceding claim wherein the drainage means is a central hole in an otherwise unperforated container.

6. A holder as claimed in any one preceding claim, in which the means permitting rotary movement is a protruding central vertical pin for insertion into a suitable socket.

7. The combination of a holder as claimed in claim 6 with a hollow rod or tube adapted to be held in a vertical position and open at the top to receive the vertical pin.

8. The combination as claimed in claim 7 in which the rod or tube has a pointed lower end which can be thrust into the ground.

9. The combination as claimed in claim 7 in which the rod or tube is provided with legs at the lower end, to hold the rod or tube upright on a hard surface.

10. The combination as claimed in claim 7 in further combination with a stable base member provided with a vertical hold to receive the rod or tube.