IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF POTS FOR FLOWERS OR OTHER PLANTS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Blake, of the Firm of Blake and Mackenzie, of
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturing Stationers, and Robert
Tebbs, of Stepney, in the County of Middlesex, Seedsman, for the Invention of
* IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF POTS FOR FLOWERS OR OTHER
PLANTS."
Sealed the 4th May 1877, and dated the 7th November 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Blake and Robert
Tebbs at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th November
1876.
WILLIAM BLAKE, of the Firm of Blake and Mackenzie, of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Manufacturing Stationers, and ROBERT TEBBS, of Stepney, in
the County of Middlesex, Seedsman. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
POTS FOR FLOWERS OR OTHER PLANTS."
$6
+
Our Invention has special reference to the manufacture of pots for use in sending
flowers or other plants by rail or otherwise from place to place, but pots made
according to our Invention may be employed in lieu of ordinary earthenware flower
pots for general purposes. It is found that in the transit of flowers or plants in.
earthenware pots the pots frequently get broken and the plants consequently
injured, the pots too are of considerable weight, and with the requisite packing
occupy much space, and the cost of carriage is proportionately high.
Now our Invention consists in manufacturing pots from a material which shall
not be liable to break, which shall be of little weight and occupy comparatively
little space, which shall more effectually protect the plant in transit, and which shall
nt the same time be inexpensive. For this purpose we manufacture the pots from
paper by preference as herein-after described. We take paper, say brown, of
sufficient toughness, and by means of any suitable apparatus cut it out into pieces
which in shape correspond with the developed sides or inside or inner circumference
of the pot to be manufactured; we also cut out pieces of the size of the bottom of
the pot, with the addition of projecting pieces or scallops, and with a hole in the
centre like the usual hole in the bottom of a flower pot. We then for each pot take
two of the pieces which correspond with the side of the pot and one of the bottom
Dring 21

page_text: pieces, and we coat one side of each of the side pieces with paste or other adhesive
material. We next place the two side pieces one upon the other, their pasted sides
meeting, and we insert between them the scallops of the bottom piece, which we
bend up for the purpose.
We then by any suitable apparatus roll up the sides into
a circular form until the edges overlap; these edges being coated with paste unite
and the pot is completo.
For the purpose of retaining the mould or moss in the pot during transit we also
make the side pieces with scallops or projecting parts at their upper edge, which
scallops after the plant has been potted are bent inwards upon the mould or moss,
and keep all in place even should the pot be inverted, and to facilitate the bending
in of the scallops we sometimes form perforations where the bend or fold has to be
made. Either or both of the thicknesses of paper is by preference waterproof, which
prevents evaporation, and thereby secures the safe transit of plants to a long distance
and prevents their suffering if delayed in delivery.
Instead of making the sides of two thicknesses of paper as herein-before mentioned
one thickness may sometimes be considered sufficient, or there may be more
than two.
In some cases instead of employing paper I mould or shape the pots from paper
pulp by any suitable machinery, and then make it waterproof, or the waterproof
inaterial may be incorporated with the pulp.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Blake and Robert Tebbs in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th May 1877.
WILLIAM BLAKE, of the 'Firm of Blake and Mackenzie, of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Manufacturing Stationers, and ROBERT TEBBS, of Stepney, in
the County of Middlesex, Seedsman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
POTS FOR FLOWERS OR OTHER PLANTS."
Our Invention has special reference to the manufacture of pots for use in sending
flowers or other plants by rail or otherwise from place to place, but pots made
according to our Invention may be employed in lieu of ordinary earthenware flower
pots for general purposes. It is found that in the transit of flowers or plants in
earthenware pots the pots frequently get broken and the plants consequently injured,
the pots too are of considerable weight and with the requisite packing occupy
much space, and the cost of carriage is proportionately high.
Now our Invention consists in manufacturing pots from a material which shall
not be liable to break, which shall be of little weight and occupy comparatively
little space, which shall more effectually protect the plant in transit, and which shall
at the same time be inexpensive. For this purpose we manufacture the pots by
preference from paper as herein-after described. We take paper, say brown, of
sufficient toughness, and by means of any suitable apparatus cut it out into pieces
which in shape correspond with the developed sides or inside or inner circumference
of the pot to be manufactured (see a, Figure 1); we also cut out pieces of the size
of the bottom of the pot (see b, Figure 2), with the addition of projecting pieces or
scallops c, c, and with a hole d in the centre like the usual hole in the bottom of
a flower pot. We then for each pot take two of the pieces which correspond with
the side of the pot (which we will call "body" pieces) and two of the bottom pieces;
we bend each of the body pieces into a conical form (see Figure 3), pasting the
overlapping edges together, and to ensure that they may be all of the same size we
perform the pasting upon a conical block which is expanded by a wedge or screw
before each body piece is removed therefrom; we then put one of these body pieces
on another conical block which is vertical and upon which it fits, the larger end
being downwards; we next place on the top of the block one of the bottom pieces b,

page_text: and the block should have a central vertical peg to take into the hole d in the
piece b, so that it may be placed and retained in true position; upon this bottom
piece we place another bottom piece b pasted on the under side, the position of this
second bottom piece being such that its scallops c come above the spaces between the
scallops of the first bottom piece (see Figure 4). We next coat the outside of the
body piece while still on the block with paste, and put over it a second body piece,
which in being pressed down turns down the scallops of the bottom pieces, and
these thus become fixed between the two body pieces; this operation is now
complete. If thought sufficient only one of the bottom pieces may be used.
For the purpose of retaining the mould or moss in the pot during transit we also
make the side pieces with scallops or projecting parts at their upper edge, as seen
at e, e, in Figure 5, which scallops after the plant has been potted are bent inwards
upon the mould or moss (see the plan view, Figure 6), and keep all in place even
should the pot be inverted, and to facilitate the bending in of the scallops we
sometimes form perforations where the bend or fold has to be made.
These
scallops e, e, may either be cut by a suitable machine after the pot has been made,
or the "body" pieces may be cut with these scallops in the first instance. We prefer
to make one or both of the thicknesses of paper waterproof to prevent evaporation,
and thereby secure the safe transit of plants to a long distance and prevent their
suffering if delayed in delivery.
Instead of making the sides of two thicknesses of paper as herein-before
mentioned, one thickness may sometimes be considered sufficient, or there may be
more than two.
In some cases instead of employing paper we mould or shape the pots from paper
pulp by any suitable machinery, and then make it waterproof, or the waterproof
inaterial may be incorporated with the pulp.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Tebbs, on behalf of myself and the said
William Blake, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of
May, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
ROBERT TEBBS. (L.S.)