US2187159A - Flowerpot holder and stand - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 16, 1940. R M c FLOWERPOT HOLDER AND STAND Filed Nov. 9, 1938 Patented Jan. 16, 1940 UNITED STATES FLOWERPOT HOLDER AND STAND Roderick M. Koch, Evansville, Ind.

Application November 9, 1938, Serial No. 239,719

Claims.

This invention belongs to the general class of supports. More specifically, it pertains to that type of supports known as flowerpot holders; but it is not intended that it be confined to that .3 I use; because it may be used in various places and for various purposes; for instance: as a counter display rack in stores, and it is desired to protect the invention for every purpose which may be lawfully within the scope of'the claims.

to Heretofore many flowerpot holders have been devised; but to all that I am acquainted with there are objections; because they take up too much space; are not easily stored; and, for these reasons they are usually subjected to the highest 1.3 class of freight rates when transported, because they are so readily damaged.

My invention isso constructed as to be readily collapsed or folded into a space not more than an inch in thickness and it may be then be stored in any space in which an ordinary board or piece of inch-thick lumber can be accommodated and, during shipment, may be placed in an ordinary flat shipping carton which is transported at the lowest freight rates.

' For purposes of illustration to show the best form I now know of reducing myinvention to practice, I have filed as a part of this specification one sheet of drawings having six figures in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of my flowerpot holder in its expanded or operative position;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of my flowerpot holder in collapsed or folded condition for storage or shipping purposes and showing the auxiliary supporting base portion by dotted lines in operative position;

Fig. 3 is adetail of an individual pot holder showing a pot in section;

Fig. 4 is a detail showing how the pivoted auxiliary supporting base portion is held in open or supporting position;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, showing the manner of pivoting the auxiliary supporting member to the fixed base portion; and

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing a modification of the auxiliary base support wherein both ends thereof are held by the keeper.

In all the views of the drawing the individual features are designated by letters or by figures and wherever a designating character is used it is always employed to point out the same individual feature.

My flowerpot holder consists of a main upright or standard 2 to which is rigidly fixed two scrolls A and B at points 3, 4, 5, 6, I, and 8.

I prefer to make standard 2 and scrolls A and B of resilient wire and, as illustrated, of wire having a square or rectangular cross-section; but the cross-section of the wire used is not an essential. I

Scrolls A and B are formed much like a figure 6; but while scroll A is like a figure 6 in form it is placed in an inverted position; and these scrolls A and B face in opposite directionsso that the general formation of the two scrolls A and, B 10 taken as a whole compose the form of a letter S as shown in Fig. 1.

Upon the outwardly projecting convex portions of scrolls A and B atpoints 9, l0, and II are rigidly fixed individual pot holders 0, D, and E. 15

The connections 9, Ill, and H may be rivets, solder, welding or any other means of uniting metal parts. v

A base member F is rigidly connected to standard 2 at point 8 and to. scroll B at points [2 and I3. I

All the connections at points 3,. 4, 5, 6, I, 8, l2, and I3 may be made by rivets, soldering, welding, or by any other well known or desirable manner.

The base member consists of a horizontal portion F having a curved upstanding part 1 at each end; and the upstanding parts 1 are rigidly connected to scroll B at points l2 and I3.

Intermediate the upstanding portions of the base member F, a supplemental base member G is pivoted at I4.

To keep member G from binding against part F when swung upon pivot I4, I prefer to introduce a spacing washer l5 between parts F and G, see Fig. 5. If desired, part F may be upwardly 35 bent or off-set at points 16 and I1, Fig. l, which 'will also help prevent binding against part F when part G is swung upon pivot l4.

To hold supplemental base member G at right angles to part F and thus provide a four point 40 support, I fasten a catch or keeper 18 to upright 2 so located that the free end g may be bent down and spring upwardly into engagement with keeper [8 to retain it in supporting or operative position.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6, both ends g of the supplemental base member G are carried upwardly to be sprung under and held by keeper l8 which may be in the form of a ring or thimble slidably mounted upon standard 2. In this figure the necessary bending or springing movement of the ends to engage with the keeper I8 is greatly exaggerated by the dotted lines to accentuate the fact that the member G and its several parts are composed of flexible or resilient material.

Pot holders C, D, and E are composed of strips of fiexible metal; the upper ends of each are formed into suitable hooks to take over the upper edge of a pot of suitable size, as shown in Fig. 3 and the lower end of each is formed as a projecting hook or shelf d.

The hook shaped portion d as shown in Fig. 3 is greatly exaggerated. A much flatter hook than that illustrated will answer the purpose perfectly.

In operation the auxiliary supporting member G is swung to a position at right angles to base member F and its free end is engaged with keeper l8 to hold it in fixed position. The upper edge 'of a flowerpot of suitable size is engaged under the upper hook d of holder D and the lower projecting hook or shelf d of the pot holder is sprung under and engages and supports the pot by engaging its bottom. Usually the end of shelf d engages the drainage hole almost universally provided in flowerpots. The other individual pot holders are constructed and operate exactly like the description given of holder D.

Having fully described the construction and the the mode of operation of my invention 1 claim:

1. In a flowerpot support the combination of a main standard having a fixed supporting member attached thereto, an auxiliary supporting member pivoted to the fixed supporting member and means on the main standard for holding the auxiliary supporting member in operative position.

2. The combination of a standard having a flowerpot holder attached thereto, a supporting base member fixed to the standard, an auxiliary supporting member pivoted to the fixed base member and a keeper for holding the auxiliary supporting member in operative position.

3. The combination of a standard, a scroll fixed to the upper part of the standard, a second scroll fixed to the standard below the first scroll, a base member fixed to the lower scroll, and an auxiliary base member pivoted to the fixed base member.

4. The combination of a standard, a scroll fixed to the upper part of the standard, an inverted scroll fixed to the standard below the first scroll, a base member fixed to the lower scroll, an auxiliary base member pivoted to the fixed base member and means to hold the auxiliary base member in operative position.

5. The combination of a standard, a scroll fixed to the upper part of the standard, an inverted scroll fixed to the standard below the first scroll, a base member fixed to the lower scroll, an auxiliary base member pivoted to the fixed base memher, a keeper to hold the auxiliary base member in operative position and a plurality of individual flowerpot holders on the scrolls.

RODERICK M. KOCH.

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