A self-watering system provides water through capillary action across drainage holes in the bottom of a common pot without intrusion of any wicking material into the pot or necessity for transplanting the plant from the common pot in which it was commercially vended. The common pot is placed upon a felt wick pad which substantially covers the entire surface of the bottom of the common pot. The felt pad in turn is placed on a ceramic, porous base, which serves as a wick, which supports the felt pad, and which defines a water reservoir beneath a common pot. The common pot together with the felt pad and ceramic support are placed within a decorative pot with the water reservoir defined between the decorative pot and the ceramic support. The ceramic support is made of a fired mixture of talc, Tennessee #1 clay, OM #4 clay, P-V #1 clay, Pyrex and sand.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The invention relates to a capillary device for watering a potted plant, 
and more particularly to a ceramic disc and wick adapted to be used with a 
plastic or impervious flower pot to improve the transfer of water from a 
tray or decorative holding pot into the growing medium of the flower pot 
by means of capillary action. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The use of various types of wicking devices and capillary action in order 
to draw liquid into the soil within a potted plant is well known. Typical 
examples of such wicks are shown by Sorenson, "Plant Growing and Display 
Assembly," U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,353 (1980); Magid, "Flower Pot and Jacket 
For Same," U.S. Pat. No. 2,810,235 (1957); Schein, "Flowerpot Watering 
System", U.S. Pat. No. 2,072,185 (1937); Centafanti, "Self-Watering Flower 
Pot," U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,709 (1989); Patterson et al, "Osmotic Fiber 
Systems," U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,343 (1989); and Barstow, "Vase Adapter for 
Flowerpots," U.S. Pat. No. 2,695,474 (1954). Each of these prior art 
systems involves some type of a cord, rope or wicking material having one 
end disposed in a water reservoir and the other end disposed through drain 
holes provided in the bottom of the flower pot, which is held or contained 
in some fashion in relationship to the reservoir. 
The use of ceramics as wicking material to draw from a reservoir into the 
bottom of a pot is shown in several embodiments by Richards, "Auto 
Irrigation System," U.S. Pat. No. 2,084,005 (1937). However, in Richards 
the ceramic or porous clay material through which the water is drawn by 
capillary action into the soil surrounding the roots of the plant require 
an intimate and direct contact between the ceramic material and the soil. 
Therefore, a portion of the pot containing the soil must be made from the 
porous ceramic material or contiguous with some type of porous ceramic 
element that fits into the flower pot and extends therefrom into a 
reservoir. 
The use of a wicking pad underlying the flower pot, but not extending 
physically into the flower pot is shown by Holtkamp, "Capillary Disc and 
Support Therefor," U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,109 (1982). However, Holtkamp 
requires a portion of the felt pad to be cut and extended downwardly into 
a reservoir in order to provide a capillary or wicking action into the 
pad. The pad itself rests upon a plastic stand supported above the water 
tray reservoir. The plastic support in turn is supported by a tripod of 
three thin plastic legs which can easily be broken off in handling and 
which do not contribute to the capillary watering. 
What is needed is a rugged, inexpensive and simple watering system which 
can be used inside a decorative flower pot for self-watering a standard 
commercial flower pot having drain holes defined in the bottom, but 
without the requirement of having wicking material extending through the 
drain holes into the standard flower pot. A self-watering system is needed 
wherein the plant may be self-watered without the need for transplanting 
it into a specially designed container. The self-watering system should 
also be adaptable to easy decorative changes so that the display of the 
potted plant can be changed according to changing interior design needs. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention is a system for self-watering a plant contained within a 
common pot having at least one drainage hole defined through a bottom 
surface of the common pot. The invention comprises a felt pad for 
providing a wicking surface for contact with a substantial portion of the 
bottom surface of the common pot. A ceramic wick is provided to support 
the pad, to define a reservoir for water, and to provide a wick from the 
reservoir to the felt pad. As a result, the felt pad is kept sufficiently 
moist to allow capillary action of water across the wicking surface of the 
felt pad into the common pot without intrusion of any portion of the 
system into the common pot. 
The system further comprises a decorative pot for containing the common 
pot, felt pad and ceramic wick. The decorative pot hides the common pot 
from view. 
The felt pad entirely covers the bottom of the common pot. The ceramic wick 
provides a supporting wicking surface in contact with a substantial 
portion of the felt pad. The ceramic wick is characterized by a 
circumferential supporting rim. The circumferential supporting rim defines 
an interior reservoir beneath the ceramic wick and provides wicking action 
at all levels within the reservoir to the felt pad. The circumferential 
supporting rim defines an exterior reservoir between itself and the 
decorative pot. A notch is defined in the circumferential supporting rim 
to permit fluidic communication between the exterior reservoir and the 
interior reservoir. The felt pad and ceramic wick have a bore defined 
therethrough to permit inspection of the interior reservoir. The bore is 
sized to permit manual handling of the felt pad and ceramic wick. 
The ceramic wick has a composition comprised of a mixture of talc. 
Tennessee #1 clay. OM #4 clay. and P--V #1 clay. The ceramic wick may 
further comprise a mixture of sand and Pyrex. In the illustrated 
embodiment the mixture is comprised of 46% by volume of talc, 18% by 
volume of Tennessee #1 clay, 18% by volume of OM #4 clay, and 18% by 
volume of P--V #1 clay. The ceramic wick is further comprised of 
additional portions of 15% by volume of the clay mixture of 70 mesh sand 
and 5% by volume of the clay mixture of the Pyrex. The mixture of talc, 
clay, sand and Pyrex is fired at approximately 1760 degrees F. for 
approximately 5 hours. 
The invention can also be characterized as a system for self-watering a 
plant in soil contained in a common pot having a bottom with at least one 
drainage hole defined therethrough. The system comprises a first element 
for providing a wicking action through the bottom of the common pot 
without intrusion of any object into the pot. A second element defines a 
water reservoir beneath the pot. A third element provides a wicking action 
from the water reservoir into the first element regardless of water level 
within the water reservoir. The third element is separate from the first 
element. As a result, a simple, inexpensive and rugged system for 
self-watering the plant is provided. 
The invention is still further characterized as a method for self-watering 
a plant in soil contained in a common pot having a bottom with at least 
one drainage hole defined therethrough comprising the steps of providing a 
wicking action through the bottom of the common pot without intrusion of 
any object into the pot. A water reservoir is defined beneath the pot. A 
wicking action is provided from the water reservoir into the first element 
regardless of water level within the water reservoir. The third element is 
separate from the first element. As a result, self-watering the plant in a 
simple, inexpensive and rugged system is provided. 
The invention and its various embodiments can better be visualized by now 
turning to the following drawings wherein like elements are referenced by 
like numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
A self-watering system provides water through capillary action across 
drainage holes in the bottom of a common pot without intrusion of any 
wicking material into the pot or necessity for transplanting the plant 
from the common pot in which it was commercially vended. The common pot is 
placed upon a felt wick pad which substantially covers the entire surface 
of the bottom of the common pot. The felt pad in turn is placed on a 
ceramic, porous base, which serves as a wick, which supports the felt pad, 
and which defines a water reservoir beneath a common pot. The common pot 
together with the felt pad and ceramic support are placed within a 
decorative pot with the water reservoir defined between the decorative pot 
and the ceramic support. The ceramic support is made of a fired mixture of 
talc, Tennessee #1 clay, OM #4 clay, P--V #1 clay, Pyrex and sand. 
FIG. 1 illustrates the preferred application of the invention wherein a 
decorative flower pot 10 is used as a container for holding and hiding a 
standard commercial flower pot 12. For example, pot 12 may typically be a 
common, low cost, plastic 4" pot commonly used to sell small plants 
throughout nurseries, grocery stores and other retail outlets. Decorative 
pot 10 is a more expensive, glazed and colored, or decorative heavy clay 
or ceramic of sufficient size to allow common pot 12 to be fully disposed 
inside of it and hidden from view. Common pot 12 serves to hold soil 14 
and plant 16 in a conventional manner, and in the preferred embodiment is 
the pot in which plant 16 is commercially vended. Therefore, there is no 
need in the use of the present invention to transplant or disturb the 
contents of pot 12 in any manner. 
Pot 12 typically has one or more drainage holes 18 disposed on its bottom 
surface 20. Pot 12 is placed so that its bottom surface 20 rests on a felt 
pad 22. Pad 22 in the preferred embodiment is cut to substantially cover 
the bottom of pot 10 at the elevation at which pad 22 is maintained. Pad 
22 is positioned in pot 10 by an underlying porous ceramic wick 24. In the 
illustrated embodiment, felt pad 22 is a wicking material approximately 
1/8" to 1/4" thick. 
Pad 22 is shown in greater detail in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 
2. Again in the illustrated embodiment, pad 22 has a generally circular 
configuration and is provided with a central access hole 26. Pad 22 is in 
contact with an upper surface 28 of ceramic wick 24. Ceramic wick 24 also 
has a central access hole 30 defined therethrough which is aligned with 
hole 26 when pad 22 is placed upon ceramic wick 24. These holes allow 
manual manipulation as well as visual access to inspect the level of water 
in the reservoir defined by the system. 
Ceramic wick 24 provides an elevated platform for the support of bottom 
surface 20 of pot 12 as best illustrated in the cross-sectional view of 
FIG. 3 taken through sections lines 3--3 of FIG. 2. Surface 28 of ceramic 
wick 24 is elevated by means of an integral circular supporting rim 32 
which serves to define a reservoir cavity 34 underneath surface 28. A 
notch 36 is defined at one point in rim 32 to allow the free flow of water 
from the interior reservoir cavity 34 to a circumferential reservoir 
cavity 38, which is best depicted in FIG. 1 as being defined between the 
outside rim 32 of ceramic wick 34 and the containing decorative pot 10. 
When ceramic wick 32 with felt pad 22 is placed in the bottom of pot 10 as 
depicted in FIG. 1, aligned access holes 26 and 30 permit visual 
inspection of the water level within the main and central underlying 
cavity 34 without removal of the wicking material from the pot simply by 
lifting pot 12 out of pot 10. Circumferential reservoir 38 is often, is 
often, if not always, hidden by the overextending circumferential lip 40 
of wick 24 and/or pad 22 which may completely fill the bottom of pot 10. 
In addition, access holes 26 and 30 provide a convenient means for 
inserting and removing felt pad 22 and ceramic wick 24 by placing the 
finger within the axial hole and curving the fingertip slightly into 
reservoir cavity 34 to hook the combination of pad 22 and ceramic wick 24. 
In the illustrated embodiment, pad 22 is fixed or adhesively bonded to 
surface 28 of wick 24. 
In its intended use, ceramic wick 24 and pad 22 are placed in the bottom of 
pot 10 and water poured into pot 10 until pad 22 is throughly wetted 
without necessarily submerging the upper surface of pad 22. Common pot 12 
is then simply placed on top of wick 22, which is kept moist by the 
composition of ceramic wick 24 to a sufficient degree that the water on 
the top surface of pad 22 is capable of bridging the small air gaps in 
drainage holes 18 which may exist between soil 14 and the upper surface of 
pad 22. If pad 22 is too dry, it is possible that insufficient water will 
be provided at the top of pad 22 to allow a sufficiently strong capillary 
action through holes 18 into soil 14. Unlike the prior art which in 
virtually all instances required the wicking material to extend into 
direct contact with soil 14, direct contact with soil 14 and pad 22 in the 
present invention might not occur, or if it does occur, may be nominal. 
Therefore, it can be readily appreciated based on the teaching of the 
invention that it is necessary to keep pad 22 at a sufficiently high 
moisture content. This is achieved in the present invention by having the 
entire volume of ceramic wick 24 providing a strong wicking action into 
pad 22. Therefore the composition and manufacture of ceramic wick 24 must 
be of a nature sufficient to maintain the moisture level within pad 22 to 
allow the capillary action to jump the air gaps in holes 18. 
In the illustrated embodiment, the ceramic of wick 24 is manufactured by 
thoroughly mixing talc, Tennessee #1 clay, OM #4 clay, and P--V #1 clay. 
In the preferred embodiment, talc is added to equal parts by volume of 
Tennessee #1, OM #4 and P--V #1 clay. For example, 40% by volume talc is 
added to 18% by volume T #1 clay, 18% by volume OM #4 clay, and 18% by 
volume P--V #1 clay. 
Sand and powdered Pyrex are then mixed into the clay and talc mixture. 
Again in the illustrated embodiment, 70 mesh sand in the proportion of 15% 
by volume of the clay and talc mixture and 5% by volume Pyrex of the clay 
and talc mixture are added and thoroughly mixed together. The clay talc, 
sand and Pyrex mixture is molded to form wick 24 as described above, and 
then fired at approximately 1760 degrees F. for approximately 5 hours. 
What results is a highly porous white ceramic with good mechanical 
properties, which allows it to provide a nonfriable mechanical support for 
pot 12 and yet provides a strong degree of capillary action to keep felt 
pad 22 sufficiently wet. 
The ceramic wick by its structure defines the water reservoir and forms a 
continuous wicking medium to the very bottom of the reservoir defined by 
it to the lowermost extending surface of felt pad 22. Therefore, 
regardless of how low the water reservoir gets, there is no situation 
where contact with the ceramic wicking medium into the felt pad is 
interrupted. Furthermore, the entire volume of ceramic wick 24 provides a 
wicking action and the entire surface 28 of ceramic wick 24 provides a 
delivery surface for the water into felt pad 22, which is thus uniformly 
supplied with water across its entire lowermost surface and not only at a 
central wicking point such as shown by Richards. 
Many modifications/alterations may be made by those having ordinary skill 
in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 
Therefore, it must be understood that the invention is defined by the 
following claims and is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiment. 
The following claims are to be read as including not only what is 
literally specified, but all means equivalent thereto for performing 
substantially the same function in substantially the same manner to obtain 
substantially the same result.