GB2187092A

GB2187092A - Flower bases

Info

Publication number: GB2187092A
Application number: GB08600471A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barry David James; Steven James
Original assignee: James Naylor Ltd
Current assignee: James Naylor Ltd
Priority date: 1986-01-09
Filing date: 1986-01-09
Publication date: 1987-09-03
Also published as: GB8600471D0; GB2187092B

Abstract

A flower base comprises a plurality of containers (10, 11, 12) each comprising a trough carrying a block of water-absorbent material, and each shaped as a letter, numeral or emblem. The containers are arranged in a row by being secured to a longitudinal supporting member (20) comprising spaced parallel bars (21, 22) which extend between end pieces (23, 24) that also serve as stands whereby the containers are held in a generally upright or somewhat inclined position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Flower bases This invention relates to flower bases of the type utilising one or more blocks of water-absorbent foam to receive the stems of flowers. The use of such flower bases is well established especially for the purpose of making wreaths and they are readily available in a wide range of forms, including rings, crosses, hearts, cushions and other traditional shapes which have for many years been available in conventional wirework forms. Usually the foam material is supported in an appropriately shaped trough or other container which serves both to reinforce the rather fragile foam and also to retain water in the foam.

Such foam-type flower bases have several advantages over the older wire frameworks; for example, they are generally cheaper and easier to use.

As well as such standard shapes, there is a requirement for flower bases to special designs, including in particular arrangements depicting a name, other word or message. Bases for the most frequently used words are generally available in the form of the wire framework type, and although there have been some attempts to produce foam-type bases in the form of words, these have not been entirely satisfactory. For example, blocks of waterabsorbent foam have been mounted on a backing layer of a supporting material, but these lack the advantages of a containerforthe foam and generally present a rather unfinished appearance.

Systems have also been proposed which use small trough segments which can be joined together to form various shapes as required, but this type of system is expensive to produce and relatively limited in practice so that it is difficult to make up letters satisfactorily, and there is no easy way in which individual letters so formed could be made up into words.

According to the invention we provide a flower base comprising at least one longitudinal supporting member carrying thereon at least one open-topped container in which is received a block of water-absorbent foam for the reception of flower stems.

Whilst a single such container may be mounted on the supporting member, normally two or more such containers will be mounted in adjacent relation on the support member and typically one or more of such containers will be shaped as a letter or numeral. In this way, a word or message can be assembled from individual containers mounted collectively on a common support member.

Preferably the support member comprises at least two spaced parallel bars. The containers may be secured to the bars in any convenient manner. For example, adhesive pads may be employed, or the base of each container may have one or more suitable clips attached thereto or moulded integrally therewith and adapted to engage the bars in such a manner as to hold the containers in position on the bars.

The bars may be cut to any required length from suitable stock material. During assembly, the bars may be located in a jig which holds them in the required relationship, but preferably the bars are themselves secured together by means of spacers.

The spacers may be provided at the ends of the bars and may conveniently be in the form of stands arranged to hold the containers in a generally upright or somewhat inclined position. The spacers may afford recesses in which end portions of the bars are releasably received.

It will be appreciated that by providing containers in the shape of various letters or numerals, a range of words and messages can be made up very easily with a very neat appearence and at a comparatively modest cost. Of course, the support member can be used to support a single container of any shape, or any combination of letters, numerals and other shapes.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to one embodiment of flower base as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the illustrated example, a flower base comprises three trough-like containers 10,11 and 12, each shaped as a letter and each carrying a correspondingly shaped block of water-absorbent material 10a, liaand 12a,which may be assembled if required from a plurality of pieces. The three containers are mounted on a support member 20 which comprises spaced, parallel cross-bars 21 and 22 which are carried by end pieces 23 and 24.

In the illustrated example, the bars 21 and 22 are in the form of hollow, square-section extrusions of plastics material and may be cut to any required length from suitable stock material, although it will be appreciated that bars of other shapes and materials could be employed. Each end member 22 and 23 is formed as a hollow plastics moulding incorporating recesses 25 which correspond internally in shape and dimensions to the shape and external dimensions of the bars 21 and 22 so as to receive the latter as a close fit. In this way, the end pieces can simply be assembled with the bars, regardless of their length.

As illustrated, the end pieces 23 and 24 serve not only as spacers to hold the bases 21 and 22 in the required spaced relation but also as stands whereby the containers 10, 11 and 12 are held in an inclined position. As illustrated, the end pieces 23 and 24 are arranged to hold the containers at an angle of about 60 to the horizontal, but the two end pieces may be interchanged and inverted so as to hold the containers alternatively at an angle of about 30 to the horitontal if desired. Where the containers are required to lay in a flat position end members could be formed simply as suitable spacer members to hold the bars in the required relationship. In this case, such spacer members could include spigots adopted to enter into the interior of the bars.

In the illustrated example, the three containers are in the form of letters which make up the word "MUM", but other letters may be substituted to make up other words as appropriate, and a wide range of the most usually required words can be made using only a relatively small number of different containers shaped, for example, as the letters A, D, G, I, M, N, O, R, S and U. However, numerals may also be included in the range and if desired a full complement of letters.

In addition to, or instead of, being used to support containers shaped as letters or numerals, the support member 20 may be used to carry containers of other shapes such as hearts and anchors. It will also be appreciated that the number of individual containers carried by the support member 20 may be varied as necessary, and the length of the bars 21 and 22 adjusted accordingly.

The individual containers may be secured to the bars 20 and 21 in any convenient manner. Most simply, double-sided adhesive pads or strips may be used for this purpose, and in this case a suitable jig may be utilised to assist positioning of the containers on the support member. Alternatively, the containers may be provided with suitable clips designed to co-operate with the bars, such clips being secured to the bases of the containers at appropriate positions, or moulded integrally therewith.

Whilst the containers illustrated are shaped to represent complete letters, it would be possible to utilise containers which are each shaped to define only part of a letter, such containers, in use, being abutted on the support member in appropriate combinations to form the required letters.

Claims

1. A flower base comprising at least one e longitudinal supporting member carrying thereon at least one open-tapped container in which is received a block of water-absorbent foam for the reception of flower stems.

2. A flower base according to Claim 1 wherein two or more such containers are mounted in adjacent relation on the support member.

3. A flower base according to Claim 2 wherein one or more of such containers is shaped as a letter or numeral.

4. A flower base according to Claim 3 wherein a word or message is assembled from a plurality of such containers all mounted collectively on said support member.

5. A flower base according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the support member comprises at least two spaced parallel bars.

6. A flower base according to Claim 5 wherein the bars are themselves secured together by means of spacers.

7. A flower base according to Claim 6 wherein the spacers are provided at the ends of the bars.

8. A flower base according to Claim 7 wherein the spacers are in the form of stands arranged to hold the containers in a generally upright or somewhat inclined position.

9. A flower base according to Claim 7 or Claim 8 wherein the spacers afford recesses in which end portions of the bars are releasably received.

10. Aflower base according to any one of Claims 5 to 9 wherein the containers are secured to the bars by means of adhesive pads.

11. A flower base according to any one of Claims 5 to 9 wherein the base of each container is provided with one or more clips adapted to engage the bars in such a manner as to hold the containers in position on the bars.

12. A flower base according to Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

13. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or as shown in the accompanying drawing.