Artificial flower and method for making the same

An artificial flower is made by receiving the wire filaments of a plurality of petals in the passages of an elongated receptacle thereby holding the petals and wire filaments in a predetermined array or "whorl" pattern, with a main stem wire also being received in the receptacle and the tip ends of the wire filaments which extend a distance below the receptacle being twisted in a convoluted course about the stem wire thereby to anchor securely the petal components to the main stem wire. Florist tape is wound in an overlaying course on the main stem wire, over the twisted tip ends of the wire filaments and onto the receptacle to further enhance the anchorage of the petal assembly and to impart a natural appearance to the flower structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Artificial flowers as heretofore made generally have been assembled by 
winding or twisting filament wires extending from and attached to flower 
petal members about a main stem wire or by winding together two or more of 
the petal filaments and then winding or otherwise attaching as, e.g., with 
tape the filaments to the main stem wire following which the wire 
filaments as wound upon the main stem wire are overlayed with a wrapping 
of florist tape, the florist tape being of a color to lend semblance of 
natural appearance to the stem and also functioning to further secure the 
petal assembly to the main stem wire. 
Such method is not completely satisfactory inasmuch as following the 
assembly of flowers at a factory and shipment of same to an ultimate user, 
petals frequently are found to have become loosened and disassembled from 
the main stem wire. This occurs principally because notwithstanding that 
the wire filaments of the petals have been wound to the main stem wire, 
handling of the assembled flower in shipping results in some of the petal 
wire filaments pulling loose from the assembly. This thus requires that 
the ultimate user attempt to reinsert the petal wire filaments into the 
flower cluster of petals or alternatively remove the tape and reassemble 
the entire flower structure. It is clear that such disadvantageous result 
could be eliminated if a simple yet foolproof manner of anchoring the 
petal wire filaments to the main stem wire were provided. 
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
The present invention relates to an artificial flower and a method for 
making artificial flowers. The flower and the method by which it is made 
is characterized by the convenience and facility with which the plural 
petals forming a "whorl" can be held and permanently secured to a stem 
piece. Moreover, the integrity of the assembled flower structure is 
maintained completely from the time of manufacture through ultimate 
display use and nothing short of deliberate action can result in damage to 
the flower. 
In accordance with the invention, the wire filaments which form the stem 
part of the petal component of a flower and which are generally adhered to 
the petal backs are received in an elongated receptacle having a plurality 
of through passages, with the wire filaments being received in the 
passages in such manner that a tip end portion of the wire filaments 
extend a distance beyond the receptacle remote from their associated 
petals. Since the passages in the receptacle are disposed in a 
predetermined array, there consequently results the holding of the petal 
filament wires and associated petals in a corresponding order of array in 
the "whorl" or semblance of a natural flower. A main stem wire is also 
received in and extends through a passage in the receptacle and the tip 
ends of the wire filaments are twisted in a convoluted course about the 
stem wire. By thus twisting the filament wires and since the twisting is 
effected from laterally outwardly spaced locations relative of the stem 
wire, there results an anchoring of the filament wires and their 
associated petals in an optimized secure manner which prevents accidental 
or even deliberate withdrawal of the petals and filament wires from the 
assembly. A winding of florist tape extends along the main stem wire onto 
and around the twisted wire filaments and continues in winding embrace 
about the receptacle, desirably being terminated in its winding course in 
the region where the wire filaments merge onto the petals themselves. 
In accordance with the invention, the elongated receptacle can be of 
generally cylindrical shape or it may be of tapered cylindrical shape, 
with the diameter of the cylinder diminishing in the direction away from 
the petals. The passages extending through the receptacle are generally 
disposed in a circular array relatively of the receptacle as viewed from 
an end thereof and additionally there may be a central passage which can 
serve to receive the main stem wire with the wire filaments normally being 
received in the circular array of passages extending about the central 
passage. Where the receptacle is of tapered configuration, the passages 
extending therethrough are disposed in converging courses which follow the 
tapered configuration of the receptacle. 
While the invention is described herein in terms of the reception of wire 
filaments of petals in the passages of the receptacle, it will be 
understood that the other components of a flower as for example a pistil 
also can be received centrally of the arrayed petals and within the 
receptacle inasmuch as such pistil component forms part of a flower and 
its presence is desirable if a high degree of realism in the appearance of 
the flower is to be attained. 
The petal members generally are provided in the form of a shaped and 
colored fabric to which is adhesively secured a wire filament, the wire 
filament in turn being coated or covered with a material covering to 
closely simulate the appearance and texture of natural flower structures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the flower 10 depicted is illustrated 
by way of example only as being a lily, it being understood that the 
invention has applicability to the making of a wide range of flower forms. 
Further it will be understood that the leaves which are found in natural 
flowers and are attached to the main stem are not depicted but it will be 
understood would be formed in known manner as part of the finished 
artificial flower. A representative artificial lily petal 12 is shown in 
FIG. 7 and has as part thereof a stem or wire filament 14 which is fixed 
to the petal preferably in adhesive connection therewith, the wire 
filament having an appreciable length for purposes as will be understood 
upon further reading of the specification and such wire filament being 
covered along its length in a fabric sleeve of suitable color affecting a 
natural stem. The petal itself is also formed of a fabric or other 
suitable material and is colored or multicolored, spotted and otherwise 
provided with appearance and shaping after the natural flower petal it is 
intended to simulate. 
With reference again to FIG. 1, flower 10 has six petals 12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 
12-4, 12-5 and 12-6 each with its respective wire filaments 14-1, 14-2, 
14-3, 14-4, 14-5 and 14-6, the wire filaments being received in and held 
in spaced ordered array in an elongated receptacle 16 (at best seen in 
FIG. 2). Also forming part of flower 10 and centrally disposed of the 
petals are a number of pistils 18, the pistils also having wire filaments 
20 which can be received in the receptacle. A main stem wire 22 extends up 
into and optimally may extend a distance above the receptacle in which 
instance, the pistils 18 could be secured to the extension length of the 
stem wire. As will be noted in FIG. 2, the wire filaments 14 are received 
in receptacle 16 in such manner that tip ends of the filaments, i.e., the 
ends remote from the petals extend down below the receptacle for a 
distance and such tip ends are twisted in a convoluted course 21 about the 
stem wire. Since the receptacle is provided with a plurality of passages 
receiving the wire filaments as will be discussed in more detail below, 
and since such passages are generally disposed laterally outwardly of the 
floral axis, that is, of the stem wire 22 there results when the tip ends 
are twisted, an offset in their twisted portions relative to the remainder 
upper lengths of the wire filaments which forms with the receptacle an 
anchorage rendering it very difficult if not impossible to remove any 
petal and wire filament except by deliberate action which would be 
destructive to the flower. As seen in FIG. 1 tape, e.g., conventional 
green florist tape 24 is wound along the stem wire, around the wire 
filament twist and onto the receptacle. Moreover, the tape winding can 
continue upwardly and embrace the lower portion of the petals as, for 
example, at 28 (FIG. 7) to prevent the petal from being pulled off its 
associated wire filament. 
FIGS. 3-5 show further details of the construction of the receptacle 16. 
The receptacle 16 is an elongated generally tapered cylindrical body 
having a plurality of passages extending therethrough from the upper to 
the lower ends thereof. The passages include, e.g., six (6) passages 30-1, 
30-2, 30-3, 30-4, 30-5 and 30-6 arranged, as seen from the ends of the 
receptacle in a circularly spaced array. Although it is preferable, it is 
not essential that the respective petal wire filaments be received in 
passages 30 inasmuch as some of the petal wire filaments 14 could be 
received in central passage 32 depending on the type of flower being made 
and the effect to be created. Similarly and while the central passage 32 
is primarily intended for reception of the stem wire 22, such stem wire 
could be received in one of the passages 30. 
A particular advantage of the receptacle 16 is that in shape and size and 
when fixed in place on the flower, it closely follows the appearance and 
size of the receptacle of a natural flower. In an actual embodiment, the 
receptacle 16 measures about 3/8-1/2 inch in length and varies in diameter 
from about 1/4 inch at the top to about 3/16 of an inch at the bottom. The 
receptacle readily can be molded of thermoplastic material. Where the 
receptacle is tapered as in the instance of the FIGS. 3-5 embodiment, the 
passages 30, 32 coverage from top to bottom of the receptacle in 
correspondence to the taper of the receptacle body. 
The receptacle need not be of tapering cylindrical configuration but could 
be of the constant diameter cylinder configuration, depicted in FIG. 6. 
Thus receptacle 50 is of elongated uniform diameter and is provided with a 
central passage 52 and a plurality of circularly spaced passages 54. Other 
shapes could be employed for the receptacle such as square-section, 
rectangular section, etc. 
While the description given before has pointed out that florist tape can be 
wound about the stem wire, receptacle and wire filament twists, it will be 
appreciated that other forms of covering could be used for such purpose. 
Thus, for example, a tubular member could be slid over the stem wire and 
upwardly snugly against the array of wire filaments as they enter the top 
of the receptacle. Such tube member could be made of fabric, plastic, etc. 
Other forms of coverings as, for example, paper winding also can be used 
which winding could be glued to the stem wire. 
While there is disclosed above only certain embodiments of the present 
invention, it will be appreciated that it is possible to effect various 
modifications therein without departing from the scope of the inventive 
concept herein disclosed.