GB2380398A

GB2380398A - Plant container support bracket for posts or walls

Info

Publication number: GB2380398A
Application number: GB0120640A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenneth Leslie Owen; James Unsworth
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-08-24
Filing date: 2001-08-24
Publication date: 2003-04-09
Also published as: GB0120640D0

Abstract

The bracket comprises an inverted U-shape member having an upper wall 6 and two side walls 8 and 10, extending perpendicularly from said upper wall. The side walls can be provided with screws 18 in order to fix the bracket to the post or wall. Transverse members 14 that brace the two side walls 8, 10 to improve the fitting of the bracket. Various types of plant support members can be fixed above the upper wall, including a ring (12, Fig 2) for holding the base of a plant pot, an option of a ring having castellated shape 30 provided with two apertures, each at opposing ends of the ring, so that a skewer 32 can be received therethrough to secure a plant container to the bracket, and another option of fixing stirrups 24, 26 that cross each other at the centre 28 of the support, designed to hold various sizes of plant containers.

Description

A SUPPORT DEVICE FOR A PLANT CONTAINER Field of the Invention The present invention relates to support devices for plant containers.

Background of the Invention Many different devices have been proposed for supporting plant containers, such as plant pots or baskets. For example, traditional L-shaped or triangular brackets are commonly attached to walls and other substantially vertical surfaces to provide an arm from which a pot or basket can be hung.

Alternatively, International Patent Application No.

PCT/AU94/00721 discloses a device for supporting a plant pot of hanging basket on an upright member, such as a post or a horizontal member, such as a railing. The device comprises an arm attached to a gripping member by means of a fulcrum. The gripping member is shaped to fit about an upright or horizontal member. The arm has a region at one end thereof to support a plant pot or hanging basket and a region at the other end, which can act as the fulcrum. The gripping means is placed around an upright or horizontal member to provide an initial means of attachment. The force acting on the arm when the container is supported on the supporting end region of the arm causes the arm to pivot about the fulcrum and thereby increases the grip of the gripping means on the member.

Canadian Patent Application No. 2, 227, 459 discloses a different plant pot support for attaching to a horizontal member such as a railing. The support comprises an inverted substantially U-shaped bracket, which is placed over the horizontal member in use. Extending from the front wall of the U-shaped bracket is a support ring, into which a plant pot can be lowered. The bracket comprises screws passing through the front wall of the bracket to a flexible plate member secured to the distal end of the screws. Tightening of the screws causes the flexible plate member to move towards the back wall and thereby narrow the channel provided between the front and back wall of the bracket.

It is an aim of preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide an alternative plant container support.

Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a support device for a plant container comprising a bracket for attaching said support device to an object, said bracket having an upper surface and first and second side walls extending from said upper surface, and plant container support means for supporting a plant container over said upper surface when said support device is in use.

Suitably, the upper surface and first and second side walls of the bracket form an inverted substantially Ushaped cross section.

The first and second side walls of the bracket may have the same or different depths.

Suitably, the first and/or the second side walls extend substantially perpendicular of the upper surface.

The support device may comprise one or more screws arranged to removably attach the device to an object.

Suitably, the one or more screws pass through the first wall and/or the second wall. Alternatively, separate screws may pass through each wall of the bracket. The screws may also or alternatively pass through the upper surface of the bracket.

The bracket suitably, comprises sheet metal, wrought or cast metals, or extruded plastics material, for example.

The bracket may further comprise a transverse member extending between said first and second walls. Suitably, the transverse member is substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the bracket. Suitably, the transverse member is substantially parallel to the edge of the upper surface.

Suitably, the depth of the transverse member is less than the depth of the first and/or the second wall.

The transverse member may be spaced from the upper surface. Alternatively, the transverse member may contact the upper surface of the bracket.

Suitably, the transverse member is located towards the outer edge of the upper surface. Suitably, the transverse member is spaced from the outer edge of the upper surface.

Preferably, the bracket comprises two transverse members.

The transverse member may comprise any suitable material.

The transverse member may comprise a sheet metal material or an extruded plastics material, for example.

Suitably, the bracket and the transverse member comprise the same material.

The transverse member advantageously provides a means of steadying the bracket when mounted on a non-planar surface, such as a fence post having a pointed or halfball type top surface, and preferably the transverse member is dimensioned to raise the bracket clear of the non-planar surface.

The plant container support means may comprise any suitable support means. For example, the support means may comprise a support ring. The support ring may comprise at least one castellation, preferably at least two castellations. The support ring may comprise a pair of castellations oriented opposite to each other on the support rings. Suitably each of the pair of castellations comprises an aperture therethrough, arranged to receive an elongate member such as a skewer or pole. Alternatively, the support device may comprise one or more substantially semi-circular support stirrups.

If the support means comprises a plurality of substantially semi-circular stirrups, the stirrups suitably cross each other at the centre.

The support means may by mounted over the upper surface. The support means may be attached directly to the upper surface, for example, the support means may be welded or screwed to the upper surface. Alternatively, the support means may be attached indirectly to the upper surface, for example, by means of a supporting framework.

The support means may be fixedly or removably mounted on the bracket.

Brief Description of the Drawings The present invention will now be illustrated, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings, in which :- Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a plant container support device; Figure 2 is a plan view of the device of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic view from the front of the device of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of an alternative plant container support device ; Figure 5 is a side view of the device of Figure 4, and

Figure 6 is a schematic side view of the device of Figures 1-3 in use; Figure 7 is a schematic side view of another preferred embodiment of a plant container support device of the invention; Figure 8 is a plan view of the device of figure 7; and Figure 9 is a schematic view from the front of the device of Figures 7 and 8.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments The plant container support device 2 of Figures 1-3 comprises a bracket 4, comprising an upper surface 6 and a first side wall 8 and a second side wall 10. Welded to the upper surface 6 is a plant container support ring 12.

Extending between the first and second side walls 8, 10 are transverse members 14,16. As can be clearly seen from Figures 1-3, the transverse members 14,16 are parallel to the edge of the upper surface 6 and perpendicular to the upper surface 6. The transverse members 14,16 are welded to the first and second side walls 8,10 and the underside of the upper surface 6.

Finally, two screws 18 pass through the first side wall 8.

In use of the device of Figures 1-3, as illustrated in Figure 6, the bracket 4 is placed over the top of a fence post 20. The screws 18 are tightened to fasten the bracket to the post.

A plant container 22 is then placed in the support ring 12.

As can be seen from figure 6, the transverse members 14, 16 helps to steady the support device 2 when situated on top of a post having an upper surface that is not planar, in this case it is square pyramidal.

The plant container is supported in the support ring 12.

An advantage of a support ring 12 is that plant containers of different sizes can be supported in the same device.

The device of Figures 4 and 5 comprises a bracket 4 that is similar to that illustrated in Figures 1-3 and 6. Like reference numerals refer to like features.

The device of Figures 4 and 5 comprises a pair 24, 26 of semi-circular support stirrups in place of the support ring 12 of Figures 1-3 and 6.

The stirrups 24, 26 are arranged to cross in the centre and are fixed to the upper surface 6 of the bracket 4 by means of a screw 28.

In use of the device of Figures 4 and 5, the bracket 4 is attached to an object in the same manner as described in relation to Figures 1-3 and 6. A plant container is the lowered into the support framework provided by the stirrups 24,26. Again the support stirrups 24,26 provide a support device 2 that can advantageously support plant containers of different sizes.

The device of Figures 7-9 comprises a bracket 4 that is similar to that illustrated in Figures 1-3 and 6. Like reference numerals refer to like features.

The device of Figures 7-9 comprises a support ring 30 in place of support ring 12 of Figures 1-3 and 6. The support ring 30 comprises a series of two solid castellation 36 and two castellation 34 having an aperture 38 therethrough, as illustrated in Figure 9. The castellations 34 and 36 are arranged radially on the support ring 30, with the two solid castellations 36 being opposite each other, and the two castellations 34 with apertures 38 also being opposite each other on the ring 30.

The support ring 30 is welded to the upper surface 6 of the bracket 4.

The device of Figures 7-9 also includes a skewer 32 arranged to be inserted through the apertures 38 in the castellation 34 and span the diameter of the support ring 30.

In use of the device of Figures 7-9, the bracket 4 is attached to an object in the same manner as described in relation to Figures 1-3 and 6. A plant container is then lowered into the support ring 30. The skewer 32 is then inserted through on of the apertures 38 in one of the castellations 34, through the plant container and through the other aperture 38 on the opposite side of the support ring 30. Thus the skewer 32 ensures that the plant container cannot be removed from the support ring 30 unless the skewer 32 is removed. The plant container used

with the device 2 of Figures 7-9 may be a frame of a hanging basket or the like or may be a container having apertures through which the skewer 32 may pass. The device 2 of Figures 7-9 also allows plant containers of different sizes to be placed into the support ring 30 and held tight by the skewer 32.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment (s). The invention extend to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims,

abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

Claims 1. A support device for a plant container, comprising a bracket for attaching said support device to an object, said bracket having an upper surface and first and second side walls extending from said upper surface, and plant container support means for supporting a plant container over said upper surface when said support device is in use.
2. A support device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the upper surface and first and second side walls of the bracket form an inverted substantially U-shaped cross section.
3. A support device as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the first and/or second side walls extend substantially perpendicular of the upper surface.
4. A support device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the support device comprises one or more screws arranged to removably attach the device to an object.
5. A support device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the bracket further comprises a transverse member extending between said first and second walls.
6. A support device as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the transverse member is substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the bracket.

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7. A support device as claimed in Claim 5 or 6, wherein the transverse member is substantially parallel to the edge of the upper surface.
8. A support device as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 7, wherein the depth of the transverse member is less than the depth of the first and/or second wall.
9. A support device as claimed in any of Claims 5 to 8, wherein the transverse member is spaced apart from the upper surface.
10. A support device as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 8, wherein the transverse member contacts the upper surface of the bracket.
11. A support device as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 10, wherein the transverse member is located towards the outer edge of the upper surface of the bracket.
12. A support device as claimed in any of Claims 5 to 11, wherein the transverse member is spaced from the outer surface of the upper surface of the bracket.
13. A support device as claimed in one of Claims 5 to 12, wherein the bracket comprises two transverse members.
14. A support device as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 13, wherein the or each transverse member provides a means of steadying the bracket when mounted on a non- planar surface.

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15. A support device as claimed in Claim 14, wherein the transverse member is dimensioned to raise the bracket clear of the non-planar surface.
16. A support device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the support means comprises a support ring.
17. A support device as claimed in Claim 16, wherein the support ring comprises at least one castellation.
18. A support device as claimed in Claim 17, wherein the support ring comprises a pair of castellations oriented opposite to each other on the support ring.
19. A support device as claimed in Claim 18, wherein each of the pair of castellations comprises an aperture therethrough, arranged to receive an elongate member.
20. A support device as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 15, wherein the support means comprises one or more substantially semi-circular support stirrups.
21. A support device as claimed in Claim 20, wherein the support means comprises a plurality of substantially semi-circular stirrups, and the stirrups cross each other at the centre.
22. A support device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the support means is fixedly mounted on the bracket.

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23. A support device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 21, wherein the support means is removably mounted on the bracket.
24. A support device substantially as described herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings.