US2641086A

US2641086A - Gardenia support

Info

Publication number: US2641086A
Application number: US709645A
Authority: US
Inventors: Shinoda Daniel Stephen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-11-13
Filing date: 1946-11-13
Publication date: 1953-06-09
Anticipated expiration: 1970-06-09

Description

June 9, 1953 D. S. SHINODA GARDENIA SUPPORT Filed Nov. 13, 1946 INVENTOR. 0A N] EL S. SH/NODA A T TORNE V Patented June 9, 1953 GARDENIA SUPPORT Daniel Stephen Shinoda, Hayward, Calif. Application November 13, 1946, Serial No. 709,645

3 Claims.

This invention relates to ornamental supports for gardenias used as corsages, and more particularly to a novel, ornamental support for a gardenia which may be preformed for attractive fixture to a gardenia in a simple and economic fashion.

At the present time, it is the practice of large nurseries and producers of gardenias utilized in the production of individual flower corsages to affix wires to the calyx of the flower to form a corsage anchoring means therefor and wrap the calyx and said wires with a light-weight adhesive tape, thus enabling the same to be attached conveniently to the garment or coiffure of a wearer.

The production of gardenias suitable for sale as corsages is limited because of the amount of manual or hand labor necessary to affix the wires to the calyx and apply the tape thereto. Further, the present practice of preparing the corsages necessitates a great deal of handling of the delicate blossoms and results in substantial flower spoilage. Again, the preparation of the corsage, as above described, is time-consuming, expensive, uses considerable floor space and is generally uneconomic.

It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a preformed support for gardenias which eliminates a great deal of the manual or hand labor presently necessary in preparing the corsage for marketing and which reduces the handling of the flower bloom. A further object of the invention is to provide a preformed support for gardenias, as mentioned, which not only affords support to the blossom but provides an integral anchoring means to facilitate attachment of the blossom to the arment or coiifure of the wearer. A further object is to provide an ornamental support for gardenias, of the character mentioned, which is attractive in appearance, of minimum weight and which is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and apply to the flower.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent upon reference to the specification and drawings in which similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in the several Views.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a gardenia support prior to molding into shape for reception of the blossom.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the petal supports and calyx cup after molding for the reception of the blossom.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the invention in readiness for the reception of a blossom.

Fig. 4 is a section View of the invention taken on line 44 of Fig. 2 and showing the coating of plastic material in which the support has been dipped.

Fig. 5 is a top, plan view of a modification of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the modification illustrated in Fig. 5 in readiness for reception of a blossom.

The invention comprises, essentially, a blank of ductile metal, such as aluminum or tin foil which is readily yieldable to permit shaping thereof and which may be stamped from sheets of the desired metal.

Fig. 1 illustrates a plan view of a gardenia support stamped from suitable ductile metal, prior to molding thereof, and comprises a calyx support 2 which is substantially V-shaped in plan and has a series of angular perforations'forming barbs 3 provided across the top portion thereof.

Integral with the calyx-receiving member 2 and protruding from the top thereof is a series (preferably four) of petal supports 4. Integral with the calyx-receiving portion 2 and depending from the base portion thereof is a relatively narrow stem member 5, which may be doubled back upon itself, as at 6, in order to lend greater strength thereto. The calyx-receiving portion 2 may be bent into a cup-like receiving portion 7 for the reception of the calyx of the flower (not shown). The foliage supports 4 are bent at approximately right angles to the top rim of the calyx-receiving member 2, substantially as indicated in Fig. 2.

The stem, calyx-receiving portion and petal supports may be dipped into a suitable plastic preparation, indicated generally at It either before or after the forming above mentioned. The plastic which I utilize is adapted to bond the stem portion 5, calyx-receiving portion and petal supports 4 into a more rigid structure and yet will allow for bending and forming thereof. Any suitable plastic or rubber base composition having the characteristics noted is satisfactory.

Gardenia leaves 8 are affixed to the top surfaces of foliage supports 4, as by means of staples 9 or by other suitable means. The calyx of the gardenia is then inserted into the cup-like receiving portions 1 and the barbs 3 retain the said calyx in position relative to the foliage supports 4. It may be desired to wrap light-weight adhesive tape around the calyx-receiving portion 2 and perhaps the stem member 5 or a part thereof.

It is further noted that the plastic substance in which the support is dipped may be provided with a pigment in order to color the support as desired. For example, the entire support may be dipped in a white plastic or only a part of the support such as the stem may be dipped in white plastic, and the calyx-receiving portion 2 and foliage supports 4 may be dipped in a green colored plastic.

The modification of the invention illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 com-prises an elongated stem member [5, calyx-enclosing strips I6 integral with the stem member l5 and integral with leave members l1. Barbs l8 may be provided in the portions I 6 by stamping or by other suitable means. The leaf members ll, stem l5, and portions [6 are stamped from suitable ductile metal and the leaf members I! are formed in the shape of leaves. The integral support may be clipped in a suitable plastic substance, as mentioned in regard to the preferred embodiment, and then formed in the shape indicated generally in Fig. 6 and wherein the portions [6 form a calyx-receiving cup l9 and the leaf members I! are bent at right angles to said members It, substantially as indicated in Fig. 6. The calyx of the blossom may be inserted in the calyx-receiving cup l9, formed by calyx-enclosing strips PB, and the barbs l8 will grip the calyx and retain the blossom in position. A suitable pressure sensitive adhesive. tape may be woundv around the member I 6, thereby increasing the support characteristics of the gardenia support.

The essence of this invention is the provision of a sup-port for gardenias which may be stamped from yieldable metal in mass quantity and which may be preformed for the reception of the gardenia flower. The metal support may be clipped in a suitably pigmented plastic substance prior to or subsequent to the forming of the support for reception of the blossom.

While I have described this invention in more or less specific detail for purposes of clarity of description, example and illustration,v it is understood that many changes, variations and modifi'cations may be made within. the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

1. An ornamental support for gardenias comprising'an elongated stem member formed of. thin ductile metal, a plurality of calyx-enclosing strips integral with said stem member, and a plurality of members simulating foliage integral with said strips, at least two of said strips terminating in a said foliage simulating member.

2. An ornamental support for gardenias comprising an elongated stem member formed of thin ductile metal, a plurality of yieldable calyxenclosing strips integral with said stem member and provided with barbs to grip the calyx of a flower, and a plurality of members adapted to simulate foliage integral with said strip and normally disposed at substantially right angles thereto, at least two of said strip terminating in said. foliage. simulating members.

3. An ornamental support for gardenias formed from a blank of thin ductile metal and comprising a separable calyx receiving and retaining portion having barbs adapted to grip the calyx of a flower inserted thereinto, a plurality of foliage support members integral with and disposed at substantially right angles to the top edge of said calyx receiving and retaining portion when a calyx is positioned in said calyx receiving and retaining portion, said plurality of foliage support members spaced laterally from one another and. being of substantially uniform size and shape, an elongated stem member integral with said calyx receiving and retaining portion and depending from the bottom thereof, and a resilient plastic covering for-said stem member and calyx receiving and retaining portion.

. DANIEL STEPHEN SHINODA.

References Cited. in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 910,300 Magruder Jan. 19, 1909 1,026,969 Tygert May 21, 1912 1,748,636 Crockett Feb. 25, 1930 1,929,317 Kelly Oct. 3, 1933 2,029,043 Wendell et a1 Jan. 28, 1936 2,390,858 Walker Dec. 11, 1945 FOREIGN. PATENTS Number Country Date 56,919 Austria Dec. 27, 1912