Abstract:
A decorative apparatus comprising a frog, a frog holder, a decorative attachment, and a means of attaching, positioning and orienting the decorative attachment.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Provisional application for Pat. No. 60/389,570 of Jun. 18, 2002, with the same title, “Decorative Apparatus”, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Applicant claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. Par. 119(e)(i). 
    
    
     STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a decorative apparatus suitable for, but not restricted to, use as a graveyard memorial. 
     2. Background Information 
     Applicant came up with his invention because he couldn&#39;t find what he wanted in a suitable decorative apparatus. 
     As will be seen from the subsequent description, the preferred embodiments of the present invention overcomes limitations of existing decorative apparatuses. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The preferred embodiment of the present invention, a decorative apparatus, comprises a frog, a frog holder, and a decorative attachment. 
     The frog holder, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, comprises a container, at least one mount, and a means of attaching, positioning, and orienting the decorative attachment. 
     The decorative attachment, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, glows in the dark. This can be accomplished by use of an appropriate material that is known in the art either as an ingredient in a decorative plastic attachment or in a coating applied to the decorative attachment. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIGS. 1,  2 , and  6  illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a decorative apparatus  1 . 
     FIGS. 3,  4 , and  7  illustrate an alternate embodiment of the present invention, an alternate decorative apparatus  100 . 
     FIG. 5 illustrates another alternate embodiment of the present invention, a second alternate decorative apparatus  1000 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  2 , and  6 , the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a decorative apparatus  1 , comprises a frog  30 , a frog holder  40 , a threaded rod assembly  20 , and a decorative attachment  200 . 
     The frog  30  comprises a threaded rod clearance  31 . 
     The frog holder  40  comprises a container  41  and mounts  10 . 
     Each mount  10  comprises a container support  12 , at least one clamp  11 , and an attachment means  13 . 
     The threaded rod assembly  20  further comprises a threaded rod  21 , and locking nuts  22  and  23 . 
     The threaded rod  21 , of the threaded rod assembly  20 , is attached to the container  40  by means of the locking nuts  22  and  23 . The frog  30  rests in the container  41 , with the threaded rod  21  passed through the threaded rod clearance  31  of the frog  30 . The decorative attachment  200  threads onto the threaded rod  21  of the threaded rod assembly  20 . 
     The threaded rod assembly  20  serves as a means of attachment, positioning, and orientation of the decorative attachment  200  to the frog holder  40 . 
     The decorative attachment  200 , in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, glows in the dark. This can be accomplished by use of appropriate materials, known in the art, either as one or more ingredients in a plastic material used to manufacture the decorative attachment  200  or in a coating applied to the decorative attachment  200 . 
     The decorative apparatus  1  is held in place on a marker  300 , with clamps  11 . Dotted lines  11 A indicate undistorted positions of the clamps  11 . 
     The function of the frog  30  is to permit insertion of flowers or other appropriate inserts. Thus it would be possible to surround a phosphorescent decorative attachment  200  with real or artificial flowers or with other decorations (not shown). These flowers and decorations would serve both to hide the frog  30  and to augment the appearance of the device. 
     The preferred material of construction of the frog  30  is a rigid foam plastic. However, as obvious to anyone skilled in the art, frogs have been constructed in many forms and of many materials. 
     Referring to FIGS. 3,  4 , and  7 , an alternate embodiment of the present invention, an alternate decorative apparatus  100  comprises an alternate frog  130 , an alternate frog holder  110 , an alternate threaded rod assembly  120 , and an alternate decorative attachment  400 . 
     The alternate frog holder  110  comprises an alternate mount  111 . In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the alternate mount  111  is a spike. 
     The alternate threaded rod assembly  120  comprises an alternate threaded rod  121 , a washer  122 , and a retaining nut  123 . 
     The alternate threaded rod assembly  120  inserted through an alternate clearance  131  of the alternate frog  130  is a member that serves as a means of attachment, positioning, and orientation of the alternate decorative attachment  400 . 
     The alternate frog  130  seats into the alternate frog holder  110  as indicated in FIG.  4 . 
     As indicated in FIG. 7, the alternate decorative apparatus  100  is supported by the alternate mount  111  inserted into, a ground  500 . 
     Referring to FIG. 5, a second alternate embodiment of the invention, a second alternate decorative apparatus  1000  comprises a second alternate frog  1030 , a second alternate frog holder  1010 , and a second alternate threaded rod  1020 . 
     The second alternated threaded rod  1020  comprises an upper threaded end  1021 , a shank  1022 , and a lower threaded end  1023 . 
     The second alternate frog  1030  is held in position against the second alternate frog holder  1010  by means of the second alternate threaded rod  1020 . The upper threaded end  1021  is a larger diameter than a corresponding clearance  1031  in said frog  1030  and the lower threaded end  1023  threads into said frog holder  1010 . 
     Frog holder  1010  comprises a second alternate mount  1011 . 
     Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. 
     For example, said decorative attachments  200  and  400  were shown respectively as an angel and a tree. Many other decorative attachments would serve the same purpose, such as, but not restricted to, seasonal decorations such as a snow man or a flag; a figure such as, but not restricted to a fireman, a policeman, a soldier, or nurse; or symbols such as fraternity or sorority emblems. 
     The marker  300  is often, but is not restricted to, a gravestone. Markers are used for marking other sites than graves. 
     It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims in the formal application and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.