Revolving Flower-bed.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 28th Apr., 1894
Revolving Flower-bed.
I, JOSEF DEMMING, Gardener, of Neuss on the Rhine, in the Province of
Rhineland, Prussia, 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 the revolving flower-bed, which is represented in annexed drawing a picture
rich in changes is offered to the eyes of the spectator. He sees a little raised bed
of flowers continually revolving about its centre, without perceiving anything of the
actual machinery. The revolving flower-bed rests on an under-frame that turns
about an axis, and is made to rotate by means of toothed-wheel gear.
Fig. 1 shews us a vertical section;
Fig. 2 the ground-plan of the under-frame, half with and half without
Covering, and
Fig. 3 gives us the picture of a complete flower-bed.
The vertical axis a, revolving in a bed joins at its upper end a number of
stays b running in a slanting direction and with their lower ends resting on an iron
hoop r. This hoop is made with a somewhat smaller diameter than the lower
circumference of the flower-bed, which is to be placed on it. On the hoop r are
the beds for the wheels k running on the rail m having a circular shape. On the
vertical axis of rotation a there is a conical toothed-wheel z, which catches into a
second conical toothed-wheel z₁, the latter rests on a shaft w running horizontally
under the surface of the earth and set in rotation in any way that is suitable. In
the annexed drawing this is done by a weight g running off a pulley attached to
the shaft w. This weight 9 must correspond to the weight of the revolving
flower-bed, i.e. to the friction produced between the wheel and rails, which it must
overcome. When the weight has run down it is wound up by means of a hand-
crank h and toothed-wheels z, z. The driving power may naturally, as already
mentioned, be of any kind; when the circumstances are favourable the apparatus
may be worked by steam engine, water-power etc. by means of suitable gearing.
The velocity of the revolution can of course be regulated i.e. increased or decreased
according to wish by a corresponding choice of the toothed-wheel gear. All the
iron parts are galvanized in order to insure their immunity from rust.
Above the stays b, already mentioned above, which need not of necessity be
straight, but for the sake of greater resistance may be in the shape of an arch,
there is a covering of wood which is also covered with zine in order to prevent the
water from oozing through and to keep the wood from rotting too quickly. This
zinc-covering also protects the wheels against wet by terminating in an undulated
edge, under which are the wheels.
On this zinc-covering there is a layer of mould, which may be arranged in
different forms and filled with a variety of plants.
It goes without saying that the arrangement as regards the under-frame and
also the driving-gear may be changed in such a manner that one or more ring-
shaped beds are formed about a centre-bed and that the motion of these separate
parts takes place in different directions, or furthermore that the centre-bed or one
of the ring-beds stands still and the other parts move. In this manner continually
changing pictures of splendid colours may be obtained.

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 :
Revolving flower-bed, either raised or level, in which earth and flowers are
placed on an under-frame formed correspondingly of supports and covering; the
flower-bed being made to revolve by some motive-power (z, 21, g.) and turning with
any velocity about a vertical axis.
Dated this 25th day of January 1894.
For JOSEF DEMMING,
B. Brockhues.