Devices for Holding Cut Flowers.
Year: 1898

page_text: Devices for Holding Cut Flowers.
I, ROBERT WILLIAM FIELDWICK, of 53, Victoria Street, Westminster, London,
S.W., Mechanical and Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is for the purpose of holding cut flowers, ferns, or the like
in such a manner that they appear to be growing out of the water contained
in the wide-mouthed bowl, vase, or pot, wherein this device is placed; and con-
sists of a group of tubes of lead, pewter, or any other material, and of suitable
diameters and lengths, open at either end, and held in vertical or inclined posi-
tions, by a connecting plate or plates, or by a framework of jointed links, the
latter arrangement allowing of an alteration in the position of the tubes, to
suit bowls or troughs of different sizes & shapes; so as to form a battery or
concrete mass of tubes, each joined to the others by some rigid or flexible
connection, cast with or fixed to, any part in the length of the tubes.
The following are some of the forms of the device which I prefer to use,-I
cast in lead, or pewter, in a metallic mould, having taper steel rods for coring
the holes in the tubes. Cast in one piece with the tubes is a base plate of suit-
able outline, having a flange running round the edge on its under side, which
flange is partly removed in places, to allow the water to freely enter the tubes;
in this form the whole length of the tubes stands above the base plate, verti-
cally when cast, but in some cases, I prefer to bend them to form a suitable
angle with the base plate after casting.
In another form I rivet, solder, or otherwise fix, separate tubes of lead, pewter,
porcelain or any other material, into a suitable base plate, or series of jointed
links or wires. In another form, I mould in terra-cotta, porcelain, or a suit-
able composition, a battery or collection of tubes, in one piece with the base or
other connection between the tubes.
Devices for Holding Cut Flowers.
I, ROBERT WILLIAM FIELDWICK, of 53, Victoria Street, Westminster, London,
S.W., Mechanical and Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to improved means for facilitating the arrangement of

page_text: cut flowers in wide mouthed bowls, vases or the like and it consists in the use
of a novel form of holder comprising a number of tubes or sockets of lead,
pewter or other material open at both ends and of suitable diameter and length
for supporting the flowers, the said tubes being arranged in groups to suit bowls
or vessels of different sizes and shapes; the several tubes of a group may be
joined together by rigid or flexible connections the latter permitting of altering
the position of the tubes according to requirement or fancy.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:-
Figure 1 is a plan view, and
Figure 2 a central vertical section of a flower holder constructed according
to my invention and wherein the several tubes are united by a rigid connection.
Figures 3 and 4 are a plan and elevation respectively of an arrangement
wherein the several tubes are united by a flexible connection.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several
figures.
a, a are the tubes and b, bare the connecting portions between the same.
In the arrangement of my invention shewn in Figures 1 and 2 the tubes a, a
are formed in one piece with the connecting portion which is of disc shape,
the whole device being preferably cast in a metallic mould having steel rods
serving as cores for forming the tubular portions the mouths of which are sub-
sequently expanded to make them of bell and trumpet shape. The said con-
necting part is, as shewn in the drawing, provided with feet c, c which support
the connecting plate 6 above the bottom of the vessel in which it is placed and
so permit of the water entering the lower ends of the tubes, if desired, how-
ever, the said plate 6 may be constructed with a flange which forms a continuous
foot, the said Hange being cut away at one or more points to allow the water to
freely enter. As shewn almost the whole length of the tubes a project above
the plate and this arrangement is advantageous inasmuch as it permits of
bending the said tubes to an angle with the plate b. It is to be understood
however that the tubes a may be partly above and partly below the said plate.
In the arrangement of my invention shewn in Figures 3 and 4 the several
tubes a are soldered to or cast in one with a flexible connecting strip b, which
strip may be bent to group the said tubes in any desired manner or to make
the device of any desirable external contour. Instead of connecting the several
tubes to a flexible strip they may be united by a series of jointed links or wires.
It is to be understood that instead of forming my device of cast metal as
herein before described it may be moulded in terra-cotta, porcelain, or other
suitable material.
In some cases I employ in combination with the tubes of my holder remov
able tubes d, such as shewn in Figure 2, which removable tubes permit of a
number of flowers being arranged together before putting them in the holder
and also serve to reduce the diameter of the tubes when the latter are to support
single flowers or specimens; these tubes, when used, are notched or provided
with holes e at the bottom for allowing the entrance of water.
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. A device for holding cut flowers comprising a series of tubes united
together to form a group, substantially as described.
2. A device for holding cut flowers comprising a series of tubes united
together by means of a rigid connection which tubes when made of flexible
material can be bent to any desired angle relatively with the connecting portion
of the device, substantially as described.
3. A device for holding cut flowers consisting of a series of tubes united
together by flexible connections which permit of the tubes being grouped in

page_text: any desirable manner and of the external contour of the group being varied,
substantially as described.
4. The manufacture and use of devices for holding cut flowers substantially
as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 and Figures 3 and 4
of the accompanying drawing.
D
.
101
1
1 1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.