Improved Method of and Means for Supporting and Training Plants, Trees, and the like, Real or Artificial.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 17th July, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 17th Apr., 1900-Accepted, 23rd June, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of and Means for Supporting and Training Plants,
Trees, and the like, Real or Artificial.
I, HENRY HEATH, of No. 39, Lombard Street, in the City and County of Lon-
don, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved method of and means for supporting
growing plants, trees and the like, and the object of it is to facilitate the opera-
tion of supporting them in the position desired and effect it in a more reliable
and sightly manner.
The customary methods of supporting growing plants, trees and the like,
namely when desired to be erect by means of straight sticks or stakes stuck
vertically in the ground near the object, the latter being tied to the stick or
stake by means of a piece of dried grass known as bass, or when the object is
to be trained on a wall or other foundation, by means of short pieces of felt or
cloth which are doubled around the branch or member to be trained at intervals,
and nailed through into the wall or other foundation, are tedious and possess many
disadvantages. They necessitate much handling of the plant or object being
treated which is injurious to delicate plants, considerable care is necessary in
order to avoid tying or nailing either too tightly or too loosely, for in the former
case they would be killed and in the latter the ties are apt to slip down and cause
the plant to suddenly drop and perhaps break in its fall, and moreover in the
case of small sticks, the single end or point which is stuck in the ground forms
the only means of their support and consequently they are not very stable, even
a moderate gust of wind blowing them over, plant and all together.
My invention obviates the above disadvantages and provides a ready and
reliable means whereby a plant, tree or the like may be supported, or trained in
any manner desired and the operation so simple that the work is greatly facili-
tated and the effect more pleasing to the sight.
The invention also includes within its scope all kinds of artificial plants, trees
and the like, and likewise and also corresponding decoration materials, for
example, strings of flowers or leaves such as are employed at galas and fetes.
In its simplest form my invention consists of a stiff rod or wire of the required
length, the said rod or wire having a cross bar at its lower end and prongs, pre-
ferably two or three, projecting downwards therefrom. The rod or wire has one
or more "kinks" formed in it at intervals these kinks being produced by par-
tially twisting it at that part, thus forming in plan view a kind of eye, which is
not quite a circle but has an opening in the circumference.
There may be two or more kinks close together so that they appear in groups
at intervals along the rod or wire.
The above is a description of the form intended to take the place of the straight
sticks or stakes as now used to support plants in an erect position. It is used
as follows: The rod or wire is stuck firmly into the ground by means of the
prongs on its lower end and the stem of the object to be supported, say, a carna-
tion, is simply passed into the kinks successively commencing from the bottom

page_text: and working upwards. It is not threaded through these eyes formed by the
kinks but passed into the circumferential opening.
Those openings may be so arranged as to be alternate in direction, that is, one
on one side of the rod or wire and the next on the reverse side, so as to more
effectually prevent the plant from springing out again. Thus no tying whatever
is needed and the operation can be performed very rapidly.
In the more elaborate forms it may be composed of flexible wire which may
be fashioned or wrought into any shape desired, for example, tree-like forms,
trellis, arches, bowers, geometric and other designs, alphabets etc., by gracefully
bending even the single wires, plant stems may be made to grow in any form
at will, which is not possible with the sticks now used.
Finally the rods or wire may be painted the predominating colour of the
object it supports and thus become invisible at a short distance.
Dated the 17th day of July 1899.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improved Method of and Means for Supporting and Training Plants,
Trees, and the like, Real or Artificial.
I, HENRY HEATH, of No. 39, Lombard Street, in the City and County of Lon-
don, Gentleman, 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: -
This invention relates to an improved method of and means for supporting
growing plants, trees and the like, and the object of it is to facilitate the opera-
tion of supporting them in the position desired and effect it in a more reliable
and sightly manner.
The customary methods of supporting growing plants, trees and the like, namely
when desired to be erect, by means of straight sticks or stakes stuck vertically in
the ground near to the object, the latter being tied to the stick or stake by means
of a piece of dried grass known as bass; or, when the object is to be trained on
a wall or other foundation, by means of short pieces of felt or cloth which are
doubled around the branch or member to be trained at intervals, and nailed
through into the wall or other foundation, are tedious and possess many disad
vantages. They necessitate much handling of the plant or object being treated,
which is injurious to delicate plants; considerable care is necessary in order to
avoid tying or nailing either too tightly or too closely, for in the former case
they would be killed and in the latter the ties are apt to slip down and cause the
plant to suddenly drop and perhaps break in its fall, and moreover in the case of
small sticks, the single end or point which is stuck in the ground, forms the
only means of their support, and consequently they are not very stable, even a
moderate gust of wind, blowing them over, plant and all together.
My invention obviates all the above disadvantages and provides a ready and
reliable means whereby a plant, tree or the like may be supported, or trained in
any manner desired and the operation so simple that the work is greatly facili-
tated and the effect more pleasing to the sight.
The invention also includes within its scope all kinds of artificial plants, trees
and the like, and likewise corresponding decoration materials, for example,
strings of flowers or leaves such as are employed at galas and fetes.

page_text: I will now proceed to describe the invention with reference to the accompany-
ing sheet of drawings, in which;-
-
Figure 1 represents my device for propping or supporting plants, in its simplest
form.
Figure 2 is a modified form of the prop or support.
Figure 3 illustrates the prop stuck in the ground, and
Figure 4 illustrates by way of an example of decorative shape a long prop or
supporting wire bent to an arch shape; both extremities being provided with
points.
23
In its simplest form my invention consists of a sufficiently stiff rod or wire a
of the required length, the said rod or wire having a cross-bar at its lower end
and one or more prongs e preferably two or three, projecting downwards there-
from. The rod or wire has one or more kinks formed in it at intervals
these kinks being produced by partially twisting it at that part, thus forming in
plan view a kind of eye, which is not quite a circle but has an opening e in the
circumference.
There may be two or more kinks close together so that they appear in groups
at intervals along the rod or wire.
The above is a description of the form intended to take the place of the
straight sticks or stakes as now used to support plants in an erect position. It
is used as follows:-The rod or wire a is stuck firmly into the ground by means
of the prongs c on its lower end and the stem of the object to be supported, say a
carnation, is simply passed into the kinks successively commencing from the
bottom and working upwards. It is not threaded through these eyes formed by
the kinks but passed into the circumferential openings c.
These openings c may be so arranged as to be alternate in direction, that is,.
one on one side of the rod or wire and the next on the reverse side, so as to
more effectually prevent the plant from springing out again. Thus no tying
whatever is needed and the operation can be performed very rapidly.
In the more elaborate forms the device may be composed of flexible wire which
may be fashioned or wrought into any shape desired, for example, tree-like forms,
trellis, arches (as shewn in Figure 4) bowers, geometric and other designs,
alphabets, etc., by gracefully bending even the single wires, plant stems may be
made to grow in any form at will, which is not possible with the sticks now used.
Finally the rods or wire may be painted the predominating colour of the
object is supports and thus become invisible at a short distance.
The modification shewn in Figure 2 is suitable for use horizontally, for example
to train a creeper across a greenhouse, or the like.
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 device for supporting or training plants, trees or the like, real or artificial,
consisting of a wire bent into one or more kinks substantially as described and
set forth.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.