Abstract:
A wreath or other decorative display which allows for attachment and removal of decorative items on the base of the display. Attached to the base are grasping clips which retain decorative items in their jaws such that the decorative items may be removed or changed when desired. The grasping clips may be attached to the base by fixed or articulable mountings or they may be selectively detachable from the base.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     The present invention pertains to decorative displays such as wreaths, tabletop floral displays, garlands and the like, and particularly to decorative displays to which foliage, ornaments, pine cones, ribbons, fruit or fruit imitations, and flowers may be attached.  
         [0002]     Traditionally, holiday wreaths and decorations featuring natural or artificial foliage and plant matter have been attached to bases constructed in toroidal shapes, hemispherical shapes and other geometric shapes. The bases are customarily formed of wire or narrow bands of metal or plastic which are joined at intersections of the wire or bands to form a rigid gridwork. Then foliage and decorative elements are attached to the gridwork with floral wire or with adhesives. Changes to the decorative displays are difficult if not impossible to make when wire or adhesives have been used to attach decorative elements. The elements will likely be damaged or degraded by removal efforts and therefore the elements will not be usable in other decorative displays. Furthermore, the removal of decorative elements attached by adhesives may render the base unusable for future use.  
         [0003]     In the case of fresh floral arrangements, replacement or removal of a wilted or damaged floral item cannot easily be undertaken when such items are wired to the gridwork or fastened with adhesives.  
         [0004]     The patent to DiMuzio, U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,882 teaches a decorative display unit with removable mounting spikes to skewer fruits and vegetables for fastening them to the display frame. This display limits the decorative items which can be secured to items which can be pierced with a spike to hold it. In an alternative embodiment, DiMuzio teaches that cup elements can be retained to the frame to receive stems of cut flowers.  
         [0005]     A decorative wreath or other display structure which permits desired changes and revisions to the arrangement of the decorative items attached to it would be beneficial to children who wish to pursue decorative design and for amateur florists to experiment with floral arrangements. It would also be desirable to have a frame which can be reused repetitively.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention provides a wreath or other decorative display which allows for attachment and removal of decorative items on the gridwork base of the display. The gridwork may be constructed of wires or bands or a mixture thereof fixed together at the intersections of the wires or bands. Alternatively, the base may present a generally solid surface, particularly one covered with hook and loop fasteners. Attached to the gridwork are grasping clips which may be spring clips such as are commonly known as “alligator clips” or they may be other sorts of grasping devices which are capable of retaining decorative items in their jaws such that the retained items may be removed when desired. The grasping clips may be welded to the gridwork directly, or they may be retained to the gridwork by other structures such as with magnets, hook and loop fasteners, rivets, adhesives, by ball and socket hinges or other articulable mountings. The clips may be carried on malleable wires and they may also be detachably secured to the gridwork by use of other clips which engage the bands or wires. The clips may be adjustable in orientation on the gridwork unless welded or riveted to the gridwork. Of course, bending of the segments of the gridwork may be accomplished to reposition a permanently fastened grasping clip.  
         [0007]     It is an object of the invention to provide a decorative display such as a wreath or tabletop display which can be modified by addition or removal of decorative items as desired. It is also an object of the invention to provide a decorative display which requires no use of adhesives or attachment wire or cords to attach decorative items to the underlying base of the display. It is further an object to provide a decorative display which may be reused through removal of existing decorative items and replacement with other decorative items. It is yet another object of the invention to provide a wreath or other decorative display which permits the removal of wilted or other deteriorated decorative items or foliage and replacement of it with fresh or new decorative items. It is yet an additional object of the invention to provide a decorative display for use by children or amateur florists who may experiment with the composition and arrangement of decorative items detachably fixed to the base of the display.  
         [0008]     These and other salutary objects of the invention will become understood from the detailed description of the invention which follows. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective of a decorative display in a wreath shape characterized by the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged exploded perspective of a ball and socket attachment of a grasping element of the invention mounted to a segment of a display frame.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective of a grasping element provided with one part of a hook and loop fastener which may be mated with complementary hook and loop fasteners attached to a display frame.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective of a grasping element mounted by welding to a display frame.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged perspective of a compound grasping clip adapted for use with the invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged perspective of a grasping element provided with a magnet to retain it to a metal frame of a decorative display according to the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view an alternative decorative display provided with grasping elements attached to the display frame by alternate attaching modes.  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  is a front elevation of a second alternate embodiment of the invention provided with grasping elements on malleable stems.  
         [0017]      FIG. 9  is an enlarged perspective of an alternative grasping element provided with a clasp to grasp a part of the frame of a decorative display.  
         [0018]      FIG. 10  is an enlarged perspective of a resilient grasping clip provided with a socket to receive a ball attached to a segment of a frame.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]     Now referring to the drawings and particularly to  FIG. 1 , a preferred embodiment of the invention  2  is illustrated. Invention  2  comprises a base  4  which in the embodiment of  FIG. 1  is a toroid constructed of plural circular wires  6  which may be bands or other elongate narrow or slender members, which are joined to and held rigid by transverse curvilinear wire segments  8  which are joined to the circular wires  6  at intersections  10 .  
         [0020]     Secured to base  4  spaced are grasping elements  12  which may be spaced equidistantly or at irregular spacings. Each grasping element  12  may be a spring clip having a mouth  14 . Fixed to handle  16  of each grasping element  12  is a socket member  18  which receives a ball  20  which is fixed to the base  4 .  
         [0021]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , an enlarged view of the first preferred embodiment grasping element  12  and its selectively positionable attachment to base  4  is illustrated. Ball  20  is fixed to wire  6  of base  4  (only a short segment is shown) by post  32 . Grasping element  12  comprises first jaw member  22  and second jaw member  24  which cooperate to provide mouth  14  which may grasp a ribbon, elements of foliage, flowers, fruit items, pine cones, berries, branches, sprigs or other items desired to be retained to the base  4 . Jaw members  22 ,  24  are urged into abutment by spring element  36 . When a decorative item is to be grasped by grasping element  12 , lever  34  is urged toward handle  16  against the bias of spring  36  such that jaws  22  and  24  may be separated.  
         [0022]     Opposing mouth  14  is handle  16  to which may be fixed a socket member  18  which may comprise spaced apart rings  28 ,  30 . Rings  28 ,  30  may capture ball  20  between them thereby allowing grasping element  12  to restrictedly rotate about ball  20  and still be retained to wire  6 . The stiffness of rings  28 ,  30  and their spacing will frictionally resist movement of grasping element  12  about ball  20 . Therefore each grasping element  12  is articulable on base  4  but will remain positioned as desired until sufficient force is applied to reposition it.  
         [0023]      FIG. 3  illustrates a grasping element  12  provided with a hook and loop fastener element  40 , which may be selectively joined to a complementary hook and loop fastener fixed to base  4 . Hook and loop fastener  40  may be adhered to handle  16 . The mating part of the hook and loop fastener combination may be fixed by adhesive or other permanent attachment to the gridwork of base  4  to be detachably joined to hook and loop fastener element  40 .  
         [0024]     Referring next to  FIG. 4 , another grasping element  12  is shown fixed by welding to one of wires  6  of base  4 . Welding tab  42  is permanently joined to handle  16  of grasping element  12  and is welded to wire  6  at weld  44 . Welding tab  42  may be stiff or it may be malleable in which latter case, grasping element  12  may be selectively oriented relative to wire  6  as desired.  
         [0025]      FIG. 5  discloses a compound grasping clip  50 . A first spring clip  52  is joined at handle  56  thereof to the handle  58  of second spring clip  54  by sleeve  60  which may be welded or adhesively joined to handle  56 ,  68 . One of spring clips  52 ,  54  may be used to grasp wire  6  or wire segment  8  of base  4  in the jaws thereof while the other of spring clips  52 ,  54  may be used to grasp a decorative element desired to be retained to base  4 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 6  illustrates a grasping element  12  to which a magnet  70  is retained by magnetic attraction if handle  16  of grasping element  12  is ferromagnetic, or magnet  70  may alternatively be fixed to handle  16  by adhesive or other mechanical fixing means.  
         [0027]     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , a generally hemispherical decorative display  102  is shown. Display  102  comprises an open gridwork  120  of latitudinal bands  108  and longitudinal bands  106  which are joined at intersections  110  thereof to form a generally rigid gridwork  120 .  FIG. 7  illustrates that an assortment of differing attachment structures for grasping elements  12  may be used with the same display  102 . Each stemmed grasping element  15  includes a grasping element  12  fixed at the handle  16  thereof to a stem  80  which is fixed at its opposing end  81  by welding or adhesive to one of bands  106 ,  108 . Stems  80  may be elongate or relatively short in length. Stems  80  may be polymeric but preferably are of a malleable metal so that a grasping element  12  fixed to an end of a stem  80  may be moved into a desired position and will remain there until repositioned by a user.  
         [0028]     Other of grasping elements  12  are shown joined to one of bands  106 ,  108  by a welding tab  42 . Another of grasping elements  12  is retained to one of latitudinal bands  108  by magnet  70 . It should be understood that if gridwork  120  is ferromagnetic, that magnet equipped grasping elements  12  may be located along bands  106 ,  108  wherever desired.  
         [0029]     A hook and loop equipped grasping element  112  is shown retained to one of latitudinal bands  108  by a strip  46  of hook and loop fastener which interlocks with hook and loop fastener element  40  mounted on hook and loop equipped grasping element  112 . It is to be understood that hook and loop equipped grasping element  112  may be moved to any location along strip  46  and that strip  46  may be of any length and may be chosen to extend the entirety of gridwork  120 . Hook and loop equipped grasping element  112  with hook and loop fastener element  40  may be positioned in several orientations so long as hook and loop fastener element  40  is in contact with strip  46 .  
         [0030]     Also retained to gridwork  120  is compound grasping clip  50 , with a first spring clip  52  thereof grasping a part of a latitudinal band  108 . The second spring clip  54  is available to retain a decorative item in the jaws thereof.  
         [0031]     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , a network base  204  is disclosed. Network base  204  resembles structure of a tree or bush comprising multiple branches  206  and is provided with plural grasping elements  12 , some of which are joined to free ends  208  of branches  206  while others are joined to main stem  210  at connecting strips  242 . Branches  206  and main stem  210  may be constructed of malleable materials or they may be resilient or flexible. In any case, grasping elements  12  are available to retain ornamental balls, fruits, pine cones, holly, roping, or any other decorative item desired to be removably attached to network base  204 .  
         [0032]      FIG. 9  discloses yet another mounting structure for retention of an alternative embodiment grasping element or clamp  512 . Clamp  212  comprises handle  216  and opposing lever  218  which can be urged toward each other to open mouth  220 . Clamp  212  may be of a larger size than grasping elements  12  shown in  FIGS. 1-2  in order to grasp larger decorative items. Clamp  212  is provided at its handle end  214  with attached clasp  130  which includes resilient opposing curvilinear retainers  132 ,  134  which may be forcibly slid onto a wire  6  (of e.g., base  4  as in  FIG. 1 ) to retain clamp  212  to wire  6 . It is to be understood that clamp  212  may be rotated about wire  6  while clasp  130  substantially surrounds wire  6 .  
         [0033]     Referring now to  FIG. 10 , a tong  152  is illustrated. Tong  152  may be constructed of resilient material such as spring steel or formed plastic. Tong  152  comprises a handle  154  to which are mounted spaced apart rings  228 ,  230  which serve as a socket  218  to receive and retain ball  20  fixed to base  4 . Tong  152  also comprises first and second jaw members  156 ,  158  which have opposing free ends  162 ,  160  respectively which are separated by a small gap  164  when at rest. A decorative element may be received through gap  164  and retained between by jaw members of tong  152 , which is retained by socket  218  to ball  20  of base  4  and is articulable thereabout.  
         [0034]     Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.  
         [0035]     Having described the invention,