Improvements in Holders for Flowers and the like.
Year: 1887

page_text: •
Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1887
Complete Left, 15th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 20th Apr., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Holders for Flowers and the like.
I THOMAS CHARLES MARCH of Forest Lodge, Ashtead, in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In arranging cut flowers for decoration it is a matter ordinarily of no small
difficulty to make them show to the best advantage without crowding each flower
into another or others, to avoid disarranging those first placed in position by those
added and to remove one and replace it or substitute another for it and to keep all in
contact with the water supplied to keep them alivo.
Various plans or arrangements of apparatus have been proposed and adopted with
various degrees of success such as wirework shields fitting onto water vases or vessels
the divisions or meshes of the wirework forming divisions for spacing the cut flowers
or sprays but these and other devices having the like object possess the inherent
defects of not affording separate and lateral support to stems of flowers especially
short ones and necessitating the stems to be sufficiently closely packed to support each
other in position below the meshes.
According to my invention I form a dome shaped or arched surface preferably of
porcelain or earthenware having a number of openings leading to a series of tubular
passages either blind so as to form a series of separate flower holders supplied with
sustaining liquid or leading down and communicating with a reservoir of liquid
below, or a series of sealed tubes at the upper portion of the dome and open
tubes or notched channels at the lower parts or various combinations of each kind
of recess.
A very convenient and ornamental example may be constituted by a domed body
having the appearance of the centre of a sunflower when not in use and resting in a
dish which may be designed to represent the edge leaves or fringe of the same flower
the tubes or passages being arranged to reach from the exterior to or nearly to the
dish so that the stems of the flowers or leaves may lie in water contained in the
passages or pass down to a supply in the dish.
Another example may be a more or less domed fictile representation of virgin cork
having recesses to hold or lead to liquid below and this may rest in a dish or form
one with it.

page_text: The dome may be in one or be built up of superposed or assembled rings or
divisions and grooves or recesses in adjacent parts inceting may form the channels or
tubes for the flower or other stems, or the domed parts may simply form the sockets.
for separate tubes or liners to be inserted in them and a convenient form of socket
has a larger diameter contracted below to a pin or short stem hole, the liner or tube
being a blind tube with a base pin or stem.
By this arrangement of the tubes in a line or lines radiating from a centre at or
near the base of the dome a good effect is attained.
Porcelain or other earthenware or plastic material I find the more convenient
* material to make tho articles of.
Dated the ocul
Jabatan 1005
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Holders for Flowers and the like.
I THOMAS CHARLES MARCH of Forest Lodge, Ashstead, in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
In arranging cut flowers for decoration it is a matter ordinarily of no small difficulty
to make them show to the best advantage without crowding each flower into another
or others, to avoid disarranging those first placed in position by those added and to
remove one and replace it or substitute another for it and to keep all in contact
with the water supplied to, keep them alive and to prevent the overflow of water from
the vessel.
Various plans or arrangements of apparatus have been proposed and adopted with
various degrees of success such as wirework shields fitting onto water vases or vessels
the divisions or meshes of the wirework forming divisions for spacing the cut flowers
or sprays but these and other devices having tho like object possess the inherent
defects of not affording separate and lateral support so as to prevent entanglement
and relative interference of the stems of the flowers and derangement especially of
short ones; necessitating the stems to be more closely packed to support each other
in position below the meshes than is desirable and necessary to the best effect.
According to my invention I form a holder of a domed outer surface of earthen-
ware, pressed glass, Portland or other hydraulic cement or asphaltic material or other
plastic material or compositions of suitable character for moulding to the desired form
hereafter described.
This domed or convex disc or plate has a number of openings or passages formed
by a series of tubular passages either blind so as to form a series of separate flower
holders supplied with sustaining liquid or leading down and communicating with a
reservoir of liquid below or a series of scaled tubes at the upper portion of the dome
and open tubes or notched channels at the lower parts or various combinations of each
kind of recess. This domed piece may be separate and removable from a dish or
plate having its surface inclined in all directions towards a central part, and this
central part and the dish generally serve to hold water, the overflow of the blind
tubular passages and to serve as the supply of refreshing fluid to the ends or stalks
projecting into it from the exposed flowers which stalks pass through the tubes
thereinto or lie therein in the lower grooves. This domed part and the dish or plate
base may however be connected or formed as one.
A very convenient and ornamental example may be constituted by a domed body
having the appearance of the centre of a sunflower when not in use and resting in a
dish which may be designed to represent the edge leaves or fringe of the same flower
the tubes or passages being arranged to reach from the exterior to or nearly to the
dish so that the stems of the flowers or leaves may lie in water contained in the passages
or pass down to a supply in the dish.

page_text: which is here imdicated as separate from the domed support a.
Fig. 2 is a front view of same.
Figure 3 is a plan thereof.
Figure 4 is an underside view of the domed perforated support a and Figure 5
shews a form of domed support having knobs or feet a¹ in place of feet formed by.
parts left between recesses.
The holes 1-1 are blind or do not pass quite through. The holes 2--2 pass
through the dome to the space below.
The form of convex part in which the flower stem recesses or wells or water access
passages are formed may be varied to suit requirements and the shape of the dish
may correspond thus instead of a circular base the domed part may have an oval or
oblate, semicircular, or semi-oval for brackets, or other figure.
The moulds preferably employed for making these forms of plastic material
and for shaping the holes are constructed as follows, in order to arrange the holes
radially.
: The shell giving the dome form say like a jelly mould receives the plastic matter,
and through the walls are passed plugs fitted held or screwed into those walls to
retain them, during setting of the stuff at appropriate angles-when the stuff has set
the plugs are pulled or screwed out and then the cast delivered from its matrix to be
dried and treated.
These plugs are preferably tapered to facilitate extraction.
The plastic material may be colored either before, during or after moulding as
desired either by mixture with the slip, laying-in the mould, or coating or
dyeing.
The dishes are made sometimes of the same plastic material but having no angular
wells to provide the plugs have not to be provided for.
When the domed parts and dishes are inade in one they may be formed in divided
moulds or joined by cement or otherwise.
•

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The manufacture and use of flower holders and the like supports by moulding or
shaping substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The manufacture and use of flower holders and the like supports by moulding
plaster of Paris or other plastic material in moulds having removable plugs as and for
the purposes set forth.
3. The manufacture of domed or convex shaped holders or supports for flowers or
like articles requiring arrangement and support, with cells or passages provided for
the stems, and adapted to be used in conjunction with dishes or plates in manner and
for the purpose, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
4. In a flower holder or like support, the combination of a domed or convex outline
with cellular receptacles or passages for stems or parts of the displayed flowers either
in conjunction with a dish separate, or not therefrom, as set forth.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.