AN IMPROVED SUPPORT FOR FLOWERS OR PLANTS
Year: 1885

page_text: GEORGE JAMES WILLIAMS Brassfounder 81 Pershore Street Birmingham do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED SUPPORT FOR
FLOWERS OR PLANTS to be as follows:-
It consists of an Iron or other piece of wire bent round to form a circle, at the
one end of the circle there is formed a coil, which forms a socket or slide, in the
centre of the circle there is formed another coil or slide, which also answers for a
spring, at the other end of the circle the wire is made into a loop or hook. The
other part consists of one or two straight wires or rods, which form the uprights or
standards, the coils or spring slide up or down as required, the loop or hook at the
end of the circle clip round the upright or standard and forms a complete circle.
In fixing round a clump of plants or flowers, the upright or standard is passed
through the coil or socket at the one end, the rod is pushed into the ground, then
taking hold of the other or loop end of the circle it can be opened, pass it round
the plant and hook or loop on to the standard already fixed in the ground, in case
of large size circles, were greater holding power is required, another or second
standard or upright is pushed through the coil or slide formed in the centre of the
circle down into the ground, they can be made in various sizes and strengths.

page_text: WEEDS
I, GEORGE JAMES WILLIAMS of Pershore Street Birmingham in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
"AN IMPROVED SUPPORT FOR FLOWERS OR PLANTS" 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 construct a simple and efficient means, for
supporting or maintaining flowers and plants, shrubs and other like objects in an
erect position during their growth, flowering or otherwise, without the necessity of
tieing the stem or stems of a flower or plant or a clump of flowers or plants, as the case
may be, as is commonly practiced; and my said invention, is an improvement upon
Letters Patent granted to me, and bearing date the 18th day of April 1884 and
numbered 6,492; and the invention consists in making the stems or supporting
props with sliding or adjustable holders which are in the form of a divided hoop or
ring which is capable of being opened out and again closed, so as to gather the stem
or stems or other portions of a flower or a clump of flowers within the enclosed
ring or hoop.
When the rings or hoops described are made continuous, or are only open near
the stem or prop supporting it, it is somewhat difficult to gather in the plants or
the stems of the plants, from the fact that the hoop or ring has to be inclined as
described in the Letters Patent before referred to.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings,
the manner in which the same is to be carried into effect.
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a gathering in, and divided hoop
flower support, constructed according to one form of my invention-Figure 2 is a
plan of the same, and figure 3 is the joint portion (upon an enlarged scale) of the
flower support, before the joint is completely made; that is, it exhibits the way in
which the coils at the joint ends of the respective half hoops, entwine one within
the other, so as to form a combined socket and stiff joint-The socket is for the
purpose of allowing the support or holder. to slide upon the stem by which it is
supported, while the joint by being made stiff, keeps the halves of the hoop or
wire ring in their open or closed positions.
a is one half hoop or ring of wire, and b is the other half hoop, which when
brought together, make a complete circle or enclosing loop when closed, which said
loop may be either cylindrical, elliptical or any other figure as may be desired―
The half ring or hoop a has a loop a² at one end, the eye of which is of about the
size or gauge of the wire composing it. The other end a³ is made into the form of
a screw coil, with intervening spaces a little less than the breadth of the coils
themselves.
The other half boop or ring b has a hook b² upon one end, and a screw coil b³
upon the other end, similar to the one described with respect to the half hoop a.
In putting the two half hoops together, the respective coils are placed in the
position as represented in figure 3, when by rotating a in one direction, or b in the
other direction, the screw coil of the one is made to entwine or coil itself between
the coils, or within the spaces between the other coils, as represented in figure 1.

page_text: When a clump of flowers, or the stems of flowers or other plants, are required to:
be gathered in, or brought together, and the flower or plant supported, and held in
an erect position, in one aggregate body, it is only necessary to disconnect the
hooked end 6 from the loop a then open or widen out the half rings upon the
stem cas a centre, and after the flowers or plants have been collected or assembled
in a clump, close the ring, and again connect the hooked end 6' with the eye of
the loop a².
By such means flowers or plants are supported and held in an erect position
without being liable to be injured or disfigured by wind or wet; or in case the
heads of a clump of flowers become top heavy or too weighty for their stems to
support them, they are sufficiently upheld by the means as described, without the
necessity of tieing or propping, as is commonly practised.
Figure 4 represents another form of my invention, where a link or hoop a is
supported at two opposite points, or is supported by two stems instead of by one.
In this form of support, the middle of the wire forming the loop (which is made
continuous) is bent into a loop or eye d at its middle, the said loop or eye'
embraces and clips, but is capable of sliding upon the stem c² which forms a
second support. The ends of the hoop a are respectively formed into a coil à³, and
into a hook a³; the former slides upon the stem c for adjusting the height of the
holder or support, while the latter both hooks on, and slides upon the stem or
support.
If necessary the support c² and the loop d may be dispensed with.
To gather in a clump of flowers or plants, disconnect the hook a³, which allows
that side of the hook to open out as represented in dotted lines. When gathered in,
connect the hooked end again with the stem c or with the stem of the half hoop
lying next to the socket coil and the plants or shrubs will be confined within the
ring, and effectually and efficiently supported.
Figure 5 shows a modified form of figure 4.
Figure 6 shows another modification. In this case, the hoop is carried by an
independent stem with a coiled socket for its adjustment upon the main stem. c is
the main stem, a is the hoop or ring, and e is a supplementary stem supporting it.
The ring is connected to the stem e by coiling the wire into two separate slides or
supports and marked a². The lower end of the supplementary stem e is formed
into a socket coil e².
Figure 7 shows another form of holder made according to my invention-The
half hoops are supported by a supplementary bracket fcoiled at its lower end,
which surrounds the stem c, while the other or upper end is embraced by coils
proceeding from the hoop or ring.
The coiled sockets carrying the holder instead of being made to entwine one
with the other, as in figure 3, they are made separate; that is, each stem end of
the half hoops carries independent sockets as represented in figure 74.
The hook and loop connections, at the meeting points of the half hoops, may be;
made respectively to turn in opposite directions to those represented.
Figure 8 represents a perspective view of another form of my invention in which
the two halves of the hoop or ring constituting the enclosure of the flower support
are automatically opened and closed by force applied in opposite directions to presser}
arms, which form levers for the opening out of the half hoops when a plant or
flower is required to be embraced, while the closing of the half hoops or half rings is
effected by the support being made from spring wire; so that on relaxing pressure
on the presser arms, the half hoops or rings are closed towards or upon each other,
and gather in the plants or the stems of plants as desired. Thus the terminal ends
of the half hoops or half rings are brought together and are separated by the
presser levers or presser arms and half rings, being made out of one piece of wire,
or being made a continuation of each other. The pressing inwards of the levers,
causes the respective half hoops or rings to follow the motions of the levers but in
a reverse direction, the fulcrums or joint centres of the levers or arms are made at
1

page_text: the junction of the hoops, by the respective wires at that part being bent into
loops, which link within each other so as to form joints.
a is one half hoop or ring of the flower support or holder and b is the other
half. a is the arm or lever connection of the hoop segment a, and b² is the arm
or lever of the half hoop or segment ba³, 63 are twisted loops, linked within each
other, of the respective wires forming the half hoops a and arms a³, b b²―The
terminal ends of the wires forming the said holder, are twisted or coiled into a
socket eye which is marked c, which admits of the holder being adjusted upon the
stem d. Figure 9 shows a plan of the flower support opened.
When the half hoops of the flower support are required to be opened, in order to
embrace and bring together or to embrace only the heads or the stems or the heads
alone of flowers or plants, it is only necessary to press inwards, or to press together
the levers or arms a² 62 into the position as represented in figure 9, when the half
hoops or half rings are thereby opened. On liberating or ceasing to press the levers
or arms, the parts resume their normal positions as represented in figure 8, by the
elasticity of the wire resuming its former figure after having ceased to be pressed.
Figure 10 shows the joint connection of the half hoops upon a larger scale, and
figure 7 the parts separately.
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 :-
First. In an adjustable support for flowers, plants and other like objects;
consisting of two jointed half rings or hoops, capable when unfastened, of opening
or widening out, hinge like upon the supporting stem as a joint centre, (as in
figures 1, 2, 3 and 7A) or upon a prop or independent stem carried by the main
prop (as in figures 6 and 7) The fastening together of the free or opening ends of
the said half hoops, being effected by a hook and loop or like connection,
substantially as described and set forth; also the coiled sockets which make both
joints and adjustable sockets for the half hoops, substantially as described and
illustrated.
Secondly. A flower or plant support-Making the hoop or ring continuous, or
out of one piece, with the terminal ends formed respectively into an adjustable coiled
socket a³, and a hook a³, which latter is capable of connection with or disconnection
from the stem c, or with the other part of the hoop near the stem; also the
secondary middle loop & when two stems are required, substantially as described
and illustrated in figure 4 of the drawings.
Thirdly. Automatically opening and closing the half rings or half hoops
constituting the enclosure of a flower or plant support, by providing arms a³ ³,
joints a³ ³, coiled sockets c all made preferably out of spring or hardened wire,
which is a continuation of the respective half hoops or rings a, b. The bringing
together of the arms a² 62, causes the half hoops to open out upon the loops or
twists a³ ³ as joint centres, and in opposite directions, while the return motion is
effected by the springiness of the wire, resuming its normal shape or condition
substantially as described and set forth in figures 8, 9, 10 and 11.
Fourthly. The general construction and arrangement of the parts of flower
supports as described and illustrated.