A Miniature Portable Hothouse or Conservatory, suitable also as a Stand for Plants and the like, for Indoor or Outdoor Use.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Oct., 1894
Complete Specification-Left, 11th July, 1895-Accepted, 17th Aug., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Miniature Portable Hothouse or Conservatory, suitable also as a
Stand for Plants and the like, for Indoor or Outdoor Use.
I
I, HENRY COURTEEN, of Eversley, Devizes, in the County of Wilts, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to a miniature portable hothouse or conservatory, suitable
also as a stand for plants and the like, for indoor or outdoor use.
..
·
According to my invention, upon a suitable stand or frame, which may be mounted'
on wheele or castors, I place a water container connected by circulating pipes with
a small boiler heated by convenient means, as by an oil lamp for example. An
expansion pipe or pipes ascends from the said water container and leads at its tipper
end into a casing in which is a receptacle containing water for condensing purposes
fitted with an overflow pipe for carrying surplus water back into the heating
apparatus; the said casing may also be furnished with a lid arranged to rise when
the pressure exceeds a certain limit. The plants, seeds, and the like under culture
may be placed on the top of the water container, or, which I prefer, in a suitable
frame or crate fitted over the top and surrounding the sides thereof, the plants
thus receiving the radiated beat. In order to retain the heat and also to protect
the plants from the deleterious effects of the products of combustion of gas, I may
if desired place a glass cover or dome, over the apparatus the edges of which
preferably rest on india rubber so as to prevent the entrance of air between it and
the frame on which it rests, air being admitted to the interior of the cover by means
of a ventilating pipe or pipes which pass through the container and thus warm the
entering air if necessary: The said ventilating pipe or pipes may be provided with
suitable air filters or purifiers for purifying the entering air, and a convenient door
or air exit would be furnished in the cover.
If desired the water container may be made with hollow legs arranged to serve
as the circulating pipes, but I may if preferred dispense altogether with a boiler
and circulating pipes and heat the water container direct from the lamp or other
heater used.
A Miniature Portable Hothouse or Conservatory, suitable also as a
Stand for Plants and the like, for Indoor or Outdoor Use...
I HENRY COURTEEN of Eversley, Devizes, in the County of Wilts, Engineer,
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:
The object of the present invention is to provide a miniature portable hothouse

page_text: or conservatory, for indoor or outdoor use, suitable also as a stand for plants and
the like..
According to my invention, upon a suitable stand which is preferably mounted
upon wheels or castors, I place a water container connected by circulating pipes
with a small boiler heated by convenient means, as by an oil lamp or small stove
for example. An expansion pipe or pipes ascends from the said water container
and leads at its upper end into a casing or receptacle containing water for
condensing purposes and arranged to carry the surplus water back into the
container, the said casing or receptacle may also be furnished with a lid arranged
to rise when the pressure exceeds a certain limit.. The plants, seeds, and; the like
under culture, may either be placed on the top of the water container or on a
suitable frame, tray, or crate, which may be supported by the stand or may fit
over the top and surround the sides of the container, the latter arrangement
permitting the radiated heat to be more fully utilized. In order to retain the heat,
and also to protect the plants from the deleterious effects of the combustion of
gas, I may place n glass cover or dome over the water container, the edges of this.
cover preferably resting upon a seating, of rubber or other suitable material so as
to make an air tight joint, air being admitted to the interior of the cover or dome
by means of a ventilating pipe or pipes which passes through the water space of
the container and thus serves also to warm the entering air. The said, ventilating
pipe or pipes may be provided with suitable air filters or purifiers for purifying the
entering air, and convenient air exits would be provided in the glass cover, which
may also be furnished with a door or doors. If desired the legs of the stand
may be made hollow and arranged to serve as the circulating pipes connecting the
water container and the boiler, but I may dispense altogether with the boiler and
circulating pipes and beat the water container direct from the lamp or stove, if
preferred..
1
In order that my invention may be fully understood I will now describe the
annexed drawings in which similar letters refer to corresponding parts in all the
figures, and in which :-
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are views of a more or less diagrammatic nature shewing in side
elevation the construction, in accordance with my invention, of apparatus or means
for the purpose set forth.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the general appearance of an ornamental
form of miniature hothouse or conservatory constructed according to my invention.
a is the water container which is supported upon, the stand or legs
and: is
heated from the lamp or small stove c also supported on the stand. b. The heat
from the lampe may either be applied directly to the container a as shewn in
Fig. 3, or to a small boiler d connected with the, container a by the circulating
pipes e e, e being the flow pipe and the return flow pipes, auy convenient
number of which may be employed. The legs of the stand b may be made hollow
and utilised as the circulating pipes if desired as shewn in Fig. 2. is an expansion
pipe ascending from the container a and leading at its upper end into the vessel g
containing water for condensing purposes and fitted with a lid h, the latter being
arranged to rise when the pressure exceeds a certain limit. By leading the
expansion pipe down nearly to the bottom of the container as shown in Fig. 1 it
is caused to serve also as an overflow pipe for returning surplus water from the
condenser g to the container' a, though a separate overflow pipe may be provided
if desired. The container a would be filled through the expansion pipe f, and i is
an air cock for permitting the exit of air during the filling of the container. If
preferred I'may dispense with the air cock and lead a second expansion pipe ₤1
(Fig. 3) from the container to the condenser, said pipe f¹ serving the purpose of
the air cock i. k is a ledge or grooved, channel surrounding the container a and
secured thereto or to the stand b, said ledge having a seating of rubber or
other suitable material upon which rest the edges of the glass cover m..
Air is
admitted to the interior of this cover by the ventilating pipe n which connects
'
:

page_text: with the pipe n', the latter passing through the container and thus warming the
entering air. The pipe n should descend below the level of the lamp o (see Fig. 1)
in order that air as pure and as little vitiated by combustion as possible may be
supplied to the plants, which in Fig. 1 are represented as placed upon the top of
the container a and in Fig. 2 as placed upon the frame or crate o disposed over
the container a and surrounding the sides thereof. P. F (Fig. 4) are convenient.
doors in the cover m which latter would also be provided with convenient air exits..
In Fig. 4 the boiler, circulating pipes and lamp are enclosed within the ornamental
base and pedestal b. When the cover m is removed the apparatus serves as a
flower stand. It will be noted that the entire apparatus is portable and self
contained and can be readily moved to any desired place within or out of doors.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. For the purpose set forth, portable and self contained apparatus or means.
suitable for indoor or outdoor use, comprising a convenient stand supporting a
water container and means for heating the same, said water container being
provided with an expansion pipe which terminates in a condensing vessel, and the
apparatus being adapted to hold the plants under cultivation and to support a glass
cover or dome, substantially as described.
2. For the purpose set forth, portable and self contained apparatus or means
suitable for indoor or outdoor use, comprising a stand supporting a water container
and a boiler connected by circulating pipes, and means for heating the boiler, the
water container having an expansion pipe lending to a condenser and the apparatus
being adapted to hold the plants under cultivation and to receive a glass cover
or dome, substantially as described.
3. In apparatus or means as set forth in Claims 1 and 2 above, the employinent.
of a ventilating pipe or pipes passing through the water space of the container a
whereby warm air may be supplied to the space beneath the cover m substantially
as described.
4. In apparatus or means for the purpose set forth, the combination with the
water container a and expansion pipe of the condensing vessel a from which
the surplus water is led back into the container a, substantially as described and
illustrated.
5. The general construction and arrangement of a miniature portable hothouse
or conservatory suitable also as a stand for plants and the like, for indoor or
outdoor use, substantially as illustrated in the annexed drawings.
CT11005
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Chartered Patent Agents,
19 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London; W.C., Agents.