US730779A - Support for plants or flowers. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JUNE 9, 1903.

L. F. LACY. SUPPORT FOR PLANTS OR FLOWERS.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB. 4; 1903.

n e W J u ti'orne UNITED STATES Patented June 9, 1903.

PATENT FFICE.

SUPPORT FOR PLANTS OR FLOWERS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 730,779, dated June 9, 1903.

Application filed February 4, 1903. Serial No. 141,905. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LUKE F. LACY, a citizen of the United States,resid ing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supports for Plants or Flowers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in supports for plants or flowers.

Some of the objects of the invention are to provide a device which is simple in construction and which may be adjusted vertically according to the plants or flowers it is to support; further, to provide a device which may be readily put up.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which will support a plant in a vertical position and protect the stems or stalk from being broken by the wind or during sprinkling for the purpose of Watering.

Vith these and other objects in view the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device. Fig. 2 is a plan view of same and shows the ring-support in the engaged position.' Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device, but shows the ring-support open and disengaged from the vertical support. Fig. 4 is another plan view of the ring-support and shows the ring contracted to reduce the size thereof, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the device employing a round standard. Fig. 6 shows another form of loop for the band.

In the drawings, a designates a vertical standard, preferably of metal, having a crimped lower end a, which is to be driven into the earth. This standard is preferably to be made of material having flat sides a although this is not essential. Supported on the standard is a wire band which in the present instance is circnlarin shape; but thesame may be of an oval, square, or other desired shape. This band is formed of a single piece of wire and is provided with a loop 0, which takes around the standard, and a twisted portion d, which extends from the loop cin a direction parallel with the standard. At the end of the twisted portion the strands of wire diverge, taking around the standard at 0pposite sides, then crossing each other at e in front of said standard, and thereby forming a clamping-loop f. The strands are then bent backward at g and again cross each other and form asecond loop 7t, and then each forms a semicircular spring-section i, provided with loops j to engage a rod, and the end of one of said circular sections is provided with a hook 7t, while the end of the other section is provided with an eye Z, which are adapted to engage one with the other, so that the two semicircular sections will form the band for surrounding the plants. It will be seen that by crossing the wires of the band at e and forming the second loop 72, the first loopfis made to clamp the standard a when the ends of the semicircular spring-sections are engaged. The loopsj may be like those shown in Fig. 1 or those in Fig. 6.

In practice it is often desirable that several of the bands be arranged on each standard. This is especially true in supporting flowers, like Carnations, having long stems, and it is also desirable at times, according to the character of the plant, that bands of different sizes or diameters be employed, a smaller one to fit snugly around the plant at a certain height and another of a larger size at a different height. When it is desired to reduce the size of a band for this purpose, one of ordinary size may be contracted, so that the hook 7r may be engaged in the loop j and the band thereby retained in the contracted position, as shown in Fig. 4.

By employing a rectangular standard the band that surrounds the plant is prevented from turning or swinging in a horizontal plane.

At the present time some gardeners and florists employ round standards a in connection with various forms of devices for supporting plants and flowers, and in order to render my band applicable to these round standards, and thereby save the cost of purchasing new ones, either or both of the loops j may receive a bar 112, as shown in Fig. 5,

which will serveto prevent the bands from swinging or turning around the round standard n.

It is obvious that the semicircular sections i may be provided with a greater number of loops, whereby a greater range of adjustment of the size of the bandsmay be made.

Having thus described myinvention, what 'I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a standard; a band comprising two semicircular sections provided at one side with means for engagement with each other said semicircular sections being crossed at the other side so as to form a clamping-loop to take around and clamp the standard when the sections are moved toward each other for engagement.

2. The combination of a standard; a band comprising two semicircular sections; means at the free ends of said sections for securing the same together, and a clamp device at the other end of said sections, said clamp device being arranged so that the joining of the spring-sections will cause the clam p to engage the standard.

3. The combination of a standard; a band comprising two semicircular sections, the end of one section having a hook and the other section having a plural number of loops whereby the hook may be engaged in either of the loops to adjust the diameter of the band and a clamp device for securing the band to the standard.

4. The combination of a standard; a continuous wire having aloop, c, at one end which takes around the standard and also having a clamping-loop in line with said loop, 0, which also takes around said standard, the ends of said wire forming semicircular spring-sections whereby when the said spring-sections are joined the clamping-loop will engage the standard.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LUKE F. LACY.

Witnesses:

CHARLES E. MANN, Jr., G. FERDINAND Voe'r.

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