US720132A - Flower-holder. - Google Patents

Description

'No. 720,132. PAT-ENTED FEB. 10, 1903.

' I. w. GREEN. FLOWER HOLDER;

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1902.

am MODEL.

- I I P4270155). Greer:

' A TTOHNEXS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS WV. GREEN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

FLOWER-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Ifl'o. 720,132, dated February 10, 1903.

Application filed November 28,1902. Serial No. 133,088. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, FRANoIs W, GREEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flower-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to flower-holders designed to support a number of flowers or sprays in a vase or other suitable receptacle.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and convenient device whereby a number of flowers or sprays may be firmly held or supported individually therein and in any desired relation or disposition to one another.

To this end my invention consists of a frame or plate adapted to rest securely over the mouth of a vase or other receptacle and provided with a multiplicity of hollow conical spring-holders open from end to end and having their axes disposed in substantially vertical lines.

In carrying out my invention I prefer to construct the individual conical or tapered holder from sheet metal made up into the form of a conical tube which has its smaller end at the bottom and its larger at the top, and which is suitably slit or cut at its smaller end, so as to afford a spring-clip for firmly grasping the stem of the flower or spray, while at the same time permitting said stem to be inserted and adjusted to any desired height. I also prefer to make the frame of the device from a number of strips of metal suitably secured together in the proper form and having perforations or openings in which the hollow comically-shaped tubes are insert-- ed and properly fastened. I do not, however, limit myself to the use of metal or to the use of strips, since the frame might be made of a single plate of suitable material, such as sheet metal, which, if desired, may be plated or have other" ornamental finish.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the device, showing the same applied over the mouth of the vase. Fig. 2 is a plan. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the individual conically-shaped springholders. Fig. 4: is a vertical section through the same, showing the manner in which the individual holder is supported in the frame; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section through the center of the frame, showing the preferred manner of securing the parts thereof together when the same is made of a number of strips. Fig. 6 shows a modification in the end of the bars forming the frame to adapt the same to receptacles of different sizes.

1 indicates strips or pieces of metal of any desired number, which cross one another at any desired point or points. Preferably they are arranged to cross one another at a common point or center, as shown, and are there secured together by a rivet 2 or other device, which rivet is preferably hollow to permita conical holder to be inserted in the frame at the central point or other point of crossing. The ends of the strips are preferably curved downwardly to provide ears or stops that will prevent the frame from being displaced when applied over the mouth of the receptacle, so that it may rest securely in position by being supported on the edges of the mouth of said receptacle. The frame made up as thus described or in any other suitable manner is provided with any desired number of individual spring-holders 5. Each of these holders, as shown, is tapered or of conical shape and is opened from end to end. Each one tapers, preferably, downwardly, so as to provide a large mouth, into which the stem of the flower or spray may be easily inserted.

These conical holders are preferably made of sheet met-a1 formed up into the shape shown, and each is provided with a lip or flange 6, as indicated, to adapt it to be firmly supported in an opening or perforation provided in the frame. Each said tube is also slit from the bottom a suitable distance upwardly, so that it may grasp the stem by a spring action, while, nevertheless, allowing the stem to be inserted to any desired extent and to hold it in the desired adjusted position. These holders may be securely fastened in the frame by soldering the lip or flange 6, or, if desired, the gage of the perforation in the frame may be made slightly smaller than the gage of the tube, and the latter may be forced into place and be firmly held by friction or by the grasp of the metal of the frame, which is forcibly displaced in the operation of forcing the holder down to bring the lip or flange 6 against the upper surface of said frame. As will be obvious, the stems of the sprays or flowers may be inserted and forced downward through the conical holder until the head of the flower or spray is at the desired position in the holder and so that a number of flowers or sprays may be artistically disposed or arranged with relation to one another as may suit the individual taste of the user. Also it will be seen that the flowers or sprays may be removed readily when desired and replaced by others.

While I have described the use of individual conical spring flower-holders made of sheet metal, I do not limit myself to the same, but may use any form or kind of material which will provide a tapering or conical tubularshaped holder opened from end to end and adapted to grasp the stem of the flower by a spring-pressure, while allowing the same to be forced through it to any desired extent, nor do I limit myself to the use of metal as the material for any of the parts of the device.

The end of each of the several strips or bars of which the frame is constructed is made so as to be expansible and contractible by constructing it as shown in Fig. 6. The end portion of the bar which carries the ear or projection which comes down over the side of the receptacle is telescopically connected with the main portion of the bar. This may be effected by turning over the edge of the bar, as indicated at S, to form a socket in which the end section 9 of the bar may slide frictionally. The end section 9 consists, preferably, of a bent piece of wire the loop of which is bent down to form the lug or ear, while the two free ends slide in the sockets at 8.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The improved flower-holder herein described comprising a frame adapted to rest over the mouth of a vase or other receptacle and provided with a number of vertically-disposed tapering spring flower-holders open at both ends, as and for the purpose described.

2. The improved flower-holder consisting of a frame adapted to rest over the mouth of a vase or other receptacle provided with lugs or ears to prevent lateral displacement, and with conical sheet-metal tubes open at both ends and tapering downwardly each said tube being slit or cut longitudinally at its lower end, as and for the purpose described.

3. The improved flower-holder comprising a frame or support adapted to rest upon the mouth of a vase or other receptacle and having a number of tapering spring-tubes open at both ends and each having a lip or flange 6 adapted to support the tube in an opening in said frame.

4. A frame or support adapted to rest upon the mouth of a vase or other receptacle and,

provided with a number of spring flowerholders and with ears or lugs telescopically connected with said frame or support, as and for the purpose described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 26th day of November, A. D. 1902.

FRANCIS W. GREEN.

Vitnesses:

J. GALLWITZ, E. L. LAWLER.

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