AN IMPROVED FLOWER AND PLANT SUPPORT
Year: 1884

page_text: GEORGE JAMES WILLIAMS 81 Pershore Street Birmingham Warwickshire Brass-
founder do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED FLOWER
AND PLANT SUPPORT to be as follows:-
It consists of an Iron or other piece of wire, bent round at the top end to form
a circle see Fig 4, the end overlapping the other side, and leaving a space, see
Fig 2, A, wide enough for the stalk or stem of a plant to go between, the wire for
that purpose being held at a suitable angle, there are two coils Fig 2, B, B, in the
wire at different places forming loops for the wire Fig 1 to slide down, as soon as
the stalk or stem of the plant is in the circle, as shewn in the top section Fig 4,
the wire as Fig 1 is pushed down into the soil and the stalk or stem is thereby
fixed in its place. Fig 3 shews the complete article when in use, they can be
made of various strengths and lengths, and with different size tops or circles,
see Fig 4.

page_text: I, GEORGE JAMES WILLIAMS of Pershore Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Brass Founder, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "AN
IMPROVED FLOWER AND PLANT SUPPORT," and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of my invention is to support or maintain flowers and plants in an
erect position, during their growth or otherwise, without tieing the stem of the
flower or plant as is commonly practiced; and my said invention consists in con-
structing stems or props with sliding or adjustable holders, having a loop or ring
at its summit, through which the stem of a flower or plant passes, so that the holder
is capable of moving up or down upon a fixed stem to accommodate itself to
different sized plants, or to allow for the varying growth of the plant or flower.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my invention is to be carried into effect.
Figure represents a flower or plant support constructed according to my
invention, the said support is shown in the act of holding the stem of a flower in
-an-erect position, so as to prevent the stem yielding to the weight of its head.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of. the sliding and adjustable holder separately-and-
figure 3 is the rod or stem soparately and figure 3,-Figure 4 is a plan of figure 2
showing the circular character of the loop, and figure 5 is a section through the
stem and sliding holder.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in figures. 1. 2. 3. 4 and 5
of the accompanying Drawings.
a is a metal holder or support capable of sliding upon a stem b which is fixed
when in use in the ground or soil as represented, the said sliding holder has at its
summit a ring or loop as with its end slightly inclined upwards or downwards, so
as to be out of the plane of the ring or loop which is at right angles to its carriera.
The opening in the loop is marked a³, and is for the purpose of allowing the stem
of a plant to be introduced without opening out the metal, which is effected by
slightly inclining the stem and introducing it obliquely into the ring. The said
sliding holder is preferably cranked at at while the stein has loops as a bent from
the metal. These loops grip or hold the stem with sufficient friction so as to
support the holder in any position it may be placed, consequent upon the growth
or size of the plant. The support or stem bis crooked or turned at its end b³, to
prevent the sliding or adjustable holder to be accidentally withdrawn from the
support or stem upon which it slides.
Flower or plant supports constructed according to my invention are capable of
being lengthened or shortened according to varying requirements; and further
upholds the stem of the plant without tieing. Figure 6 represents a flower support
which may have a metallic or wooden stem, the end of the holder or sliding part is
made tubular or socket like at its lower end, which is marked c and is produced by
coiling the wire into a helix, the number of coils depends upon the amount of
lateral support required. These coils are made to slightly yield and clip the central
stem, so that there shall be sufficient friction for the moving part to be supported.
In figure 7 the guiding loops are made from the central stem and marked d³ d³,
while the sliding carrier e consists simply of a straight wire, with top and bottom
rings; so that the stem or stalk of the flower or plant is supported at two points.
Figure S represents a modification in which the guiding loops are made respectively
from the ends of the wires. f is the movable part of the flower or plant support,

page_text: while g is the fixed part, having at its end a yielding loop g' which slides upon the
stem of the part f, while the loop f' of the said sliding part moves stiffly upon the
stem g.
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
The improved flower or plant support hereinbefore described and illustrated in
figures 1, 2, 3, 4 5 and 6 of the accompanying Drawings: consisting of a fixed and
movable part; the latter of which is capable of sliding upon the other, the said.
supports being constructed arranged and acting in the manner and for the purposes
as described and set forth, also the loop or ring on the summit of the movable part
with its end turned slightly out of the plane of the said loop, for the insertion of
the stem of the plant or flower as described.