GB2391454A

GB2391454A - Hanging basket retaining aparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2391454A
Application number: GB0216334A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kevin Patrick Ambrose
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-07-13
Filing date: 2002-07-13
Publication date: 2004-02-11
Anticipated expiration: 2022-07-13
Also published as: GB2391454B; GB0216334D0

Abstract

A hanging basket 2 suspended from a hanging basket bracket 3 has a supplementary retaining element 1. The retaining element 1 comprises a bracket 7 mounted to extend from a wall 6 and is connected to a holder 10 which is detachably secured to the rim 5 of the hanging basket 2. The Holder 10 and bracket 7 may be adjustably connected one to the other by a padlock 11 or bolts (18 fig. 3) to allow for different separations between the hanging basket 2 and the wall 6. A tub (24 fig. 5) rather than a basket can be retained if a loop 21 is attached to the tub (24 fig. 5) so the holder 10 can be connected to the tub (24 fig. 5).

Description

HANGING BASKET RETAINER

The present invention relates to a retainer for maintaining a hanging basket or the like in a desired position. More particularly, but not exclusively, it relates to a secure retainer for a hanging basket to prevent its unauthorized removal.

Hanging baskets and the like are a common feature both in private gardens and in public places. A basket containing plants and a growing medium therefor is suspended, usually by several chains attached to a rim of the basket, from an elevated support, conventionally a bracket affixed to a wall, a fence, a post, or the like. The term "wall" will be used herein to describe any such structure to which a supporting bracket could be mounted.

The basket most frequently comprises a wire frame, often roughly hemispherical, into which a lining is placed, followed by the growing medium and plants. However, containers with substantially continuous walls, for example, tubs moulded from plastics material, may also be suspended in this way, and may be termed "tub baskets". The term "hanging basket" as used

herein should be understood also to comprise such tub baskets, unless the context indicates otherwise. One problem encountered with hanging baskets is theft. It is relatively simple to unhook a hanging basket, for example displayed in a public place or mounted to a front wall of a private house, from its support and to take it away. In some cases, this may be to steal particularly aesthetic or valuable plants therein, while in others it may be pure vandalism by malicious or inebriated individuals. In either situation, it would be of great benefit to be able to prevent removal of the hanging basket, while still maintaining the aesthetic effect of a basket hanging by thin chains or the like.

Another problem can occur when a hanging basket is exposed to high winds. The basket will tend to swing to and fro, and may impact on the wall to which its support is mounted, potentially damaging the basket and/or the plants that it contains. Indeed, it is undesirable to mount a hanging basket close to a window, where the basket might hit the glass if it were to swing. There is hence also a need for a means to prevent a hanging basket swinging freely in the wind, again while not obtruding on the general appearance of the hanging basket.

It is hence an object of the present invention to provide a device to retain a hanging basket, as herein defined, which obviates the problem of unauthorised removal. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a device to restrain a hanging basket, as herein defined, from swinging freely, potentially to the detriment of the basket, its contents and/or its surroundings.

According to the present invention, there is provided a retaining device for a hanging basket, as defined herein comprising bracket means so mountable to a wall, as defined herein, that a portion of the bracket means extends generally outwardly from the wall and holding means detachably securable around a rim means of the hanging basket, wherein the holding means is adjustably fastenable to said outwardly extending portion of the bracket means.

The rim means may comprise a frame element of a wire frame of the hanging basket.

Advantageously, the rim means may comprise a portion of a peripheral wire rim element of said wire frame.

Alternatively, the rim means may comprise loop means mountable to the basket.

The loop means may conveniently be mounted to a basket, such as a tub basket, by means of plate means mountable to a side wall of the hanging basket.

The loop means may be mountable to said side wall using nut and bolt means, screw means or rivet means.

Alternatively, said loop means may be permanently mounted to a hanging basket, optionally a tub basket.

Preferably, the holding means is fastenable to said outwardly extending portion of the bracket means so as to extend generally collinearly therefrom.

The retaining device may thereby be adjusted to allow for differing separations between a suspended hanging basket and the wall.

Preferably, the holding means comprises two elongate strips, each extending substantially parallelly to the other away from a connecting curved zone, and fastenable one to the other at a point remote fiom said curved zone.

Said curved zone may thus retain the rim means of the hanging basket therewithin.

Advantageously, the two elongate strips of the holding means and the outwardly extending portion of the bracket means may all be fastenable together by common fastening means.

Each of the elongate strips may be provided with a series of apertures, each said aperture being aligned with a corresponding aperture of the other elongate strip.

Said series of apertures may be evenly spaced.

The outwardly extending portion of the bracket means may also be provided with a series of apertures, optionally having the same spacing as the apertures of the holding means.

A plurality of the apertures of the holding means and the apertures of the bracket means may thus be simultaneously alignable to receive fastening means therethrough.

Said fastening means may comprise nut and bolt means or screw means, preferably comprising more than one such means.

Alternatively, said fastening means may comprise padlock means.

The outwardly extending portion of the bracket means may have a generally U-shaped continuous cross-sectional profile.

The elongate strips of the holding means may be disposable within said generally U-shaped profile, thereby maintaining the holding means and the outwardly extending portion of the bracket means generally in alignment one with the other.

The bracket means may be substantially L-shaped, comprising a wall portion mountable to the wall and said outwardly extending portion, extending transversely therefrom.

The wall portion may be apertured to receive fixing means, such as screw means, to mount the bracket means to the wall.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example and with reference to the figures ofthe accompanying drawings, in which:- i Figure 1 is an elevation of a retaining device embodying the invention in place on a hanging basket; Figure 2 is a perspective view of separated parts of the device of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view in elevation of the device of Figure 1, in place; Figure 4 is a perspective view of an additional part of an embodiment of the device for use with tub baskets; and

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view in elevation of the device of Figure 4 in place on a tub basket.

Referring now to the Figures, and to Figure l in particular, a retaining device l is shown, attached to a hanging basket 2. The hanging basket 2 is suspended from a bracket 3 by three wires or chains 4, each mounted at a lower end to a rim 5 of the basket 2. The bracket 3 is shown mounted to a generally vertical wall 6, though the device I may equally well be used in conjunction with a basket 2 suspended from a fence, a post, a lamp post, a pole or even a tree. The device l comprises an L-shaped mounting 7, a first arm 8 of which is mounted to the wall 6 using screws, bolts or the like, and a second arm 9 of which thus extends substantially horizontally away from the wall. A connecting piece lO loops around a part of the rim 5 of the basket 2 and is fastened securely to the mounting 7, here using a conventional padlock l l.

As shown more clearly in Figure 2, the mounting 7 has a continuous crosssectional profile, forming a generally U-shaped channel. Its first arm 8 is provided with a plurality of apertures 12 to receive screws or the like to fix the mounting 7 to the wall 6. The connecting piece 10 comprises a strip of metal folded to form an upper portion 13 and a lower portion 14, connected by a fold zone 15. The fold zone 15 is curved to enclose the rim 5 of the basket 2. The width of the upper and lower portions 13,14 of the connecting piece lo is such that they may be received within the U-shaped channel of the substantially horizontal second arm 9 of the mounting 7. The upper and lower portions 13,14 are each provided with a series of evenly spaced holes 16. The holes 16 in the upper and lower portions 13, when folded

together, correspond one with another, and the second arm 9 of the mounting 7 is provided with a series of holes 17 with the same spacing as the holes 16 in the connecting piece 10.

The mounting 7 and the connecting piece 10 are preferably made from light steel or aluminium, although in some applications, a tough plastics material may be suitable, optionally having reinforcing metal inserts. The mounting 7 and the connecting piece 10 may be painted or otherwise coated to make them less visible in use, although, as Figure 1 shows, the device I would in any case be substantially concealed by the basket 2 from most viewing angles, particularly if the basket 2 is filled with bushy and /or trailing plants.

The assembly of the device I is shown in Figure 3. The first arm 8 of the mounting 7 is screwed to the wall 6, using at least two of the apertures} 2 provided. The basket 2 is suspended with its rim 5 generally level with the second, horizontally extending arm 9 of the mounting 7. The fold zone 15 of the connecting piece 10 is positioned around a convenient section of the rim 5. The upper portion 13 and lower portion 14 are then placed within the U-

shaped channel of the second arm 9 of the mounting 7, and the holes 16 of the upper and lower portions 13,14 are aligned with the holes 17 of the second arm 9. The connecting piece ] O and the mounting 7 are then fastened together (in Figure 3 nut and bolt fastenings 18 are shown in place of the padlock I 1 of Figure I).

The upper and lower portions 13,14 of the connecting piece 10 are thus held together, preventing removal of the rim 5 of the basket from within the fold zone 15. The series of holes 16,17 in the connecting piece 10 and the mounting 7 allow the device 1 to be adjusted to fit a range of separations between the basket 2 and the wall 6, without significantly affecting the angle at which the basket 2 may hang.

The device I can thus be fitted to existing baskets 2 as well as newly hung baskets and will prevent unauthorized removal of the basket 2 against all but the most determined of attacks.

It will also prevent the basket swinging to and fro in the wind.

A "tub basket" does not generally have a rim that can be encircled by the connecting piece 10. An adapter 19 is therefore provided for use with such baskets, as shown in Figure 4.

This comprises a faceplate 20, to which is mounted a metal loop 21 of similar dimensions to the rim 5. The faceplate 20 is mountable to a back plate 22, to sandwich a side wall of a tub basket held therebetween. Where the adapter 19 is to be fitted to an existing tub basket, the plates 20,22 may be screwed or bolted together. Where a tub basket is to be supplied with an adapter 19 already fitted, the plates 20.22 may be riveted together through the side wall of the tub. The back plate 22 may in some cases be replaced by a plurality of smaller plates or washers, each associated with a separate nut and bolt, rivet, etc. The use of the adapter 19 is shown in Figure 5. The plates 20,22 of the adapter 19 are disposed on either side of a side wall 23 of a tub basket 24 and bolted together, such that the loop 21 is aligned in a generally horizontal plane. The mounting 7 is fixed to the wall 6 and the tub basket 24 is suspended such that the loop 21 is generally level with the horizontally extending arm 9 of the mounting 7. The connecting piece 10 of the device 1 is then placed around the loop 21, acting as a substitute for a rim, such that a portion of the loop 21 lies within the fold zone IS. The connecting piece 10 and mounting 7 are then connected together as described above.

The device 1 can thus be attached to a tub basket 24 or the like provided with an adapter 19, to give all the benefits described above in respect of a conventional hanging basket 2.

Claims

c:. ce À c:. e. c: À À... 1 À À À À À :... À: À' ee. CLAIMS

1. A retaining device for a hanging basket, as defined herein, comprising bracket means so mountable to a wall, as defined herein, that a portion of the bracket means extends generally outwardly from the wall and holding means detachably securable around a rim means of the hanging basket, and adjustably fastenable to said outwardly extending portion of the bracket means.

2. A retaining device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rim means comprises a frame element of a wire frame of the hanging basket.

3. A retaining device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rim means comprises loop means mountable to the basket.

4. A retaining device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the loop means is mounted to a basket, such as a tub basket, by means of plate means mountable to a side wall thereof:

5. A retaining device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the holding means is fastenahle to said outwardly extending portion of the bracket means so as to extend generally collinearly therefrom.

6. A retaining device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the holding means comprises two elongate strips' each extending substantially parallelly to the other away from a connecting curved zone adapted to retain the rim means of the

À 1 À 8

1 1.e # À hanging bashct, and fastenable one to the other at a point remote from said curved zone.

7. A retaining device as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the elongate strips is provided with a series of substantially evenly spaced apertures, each said aperture being aligned with a corresponding aperture of the other elongate strip, and the outwardly extending portion of the bracket means is also provided with a series of apertures having the same spacing as the apertures of the holding means.

8. A retaining device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outwardly extending portion of the bracket means has a generally U-shaped continuous cross-sectional prod ile, within which are disposed the elongate strips of the holding means, thereby maintaining the holding means and the outwardly extending portion ol the bracket means generally in alignment one with the other.

9. A retaining device substantially as described herein with reference to any one of the Figures of the accompanying drawings.