Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Feb., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 15th Mar., 1887.
I, GEORGE A. BURROUGH, of Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
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:-
My invention relates to flower-pots which are made with detachable or removable
bottoms, and comprises various improvements hereinafter set forth.
;
The objects of my invention are to provide for efficient drainage of the soil; to
obviate the use of "crock"; to prevent injury to the plants by worms, ants or other
insects; to advantageously supply the plants with volatile, liquid or other fertilizers
to provide more effectually than heretofore for the admission of air; to facilitate the
examination of the roots of the plants and enable the condition of the soil to be readily
ascertained; to prevent too rapid evaporation from the surface soil; to reduce the
expenditure of time and labor necessary in re-potting; to prevent dampness and the
growth of mould under the saucer; and to afford a continuous supply of moisture to
the soil by means of capillary attraction.
I attain these objects in the manner hereinafter described, reference being had to the
accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view, shewing one form of my improved
flower-pot and saucer.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of a standard used for re-potting or for facilitating the
examination of the soil or of the roots of the plant.
Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the manner of removing a plant from the
pot for re-potting or for examination of the soil or roots.
Figure 4 shews perspective views of porous pieces hereinafter described.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
A is the body of the flower-pot, which is made without a bottom, but which is
provided on the inner side, near its lower end, with a continuous shoulder a, on which
is placed a detachable or removable bottom B. This detachable or removable bottom
is either moulded to any desired form or made plain. It is made from any suitable
material, preferably from a mixture of clay and sawdust in about the proportions
hereinafter mentioned for producing porosity, or from any equivalent mixture; if

page_text: moulded to form, it should be recessed in the centre of its upper side, as at b, for the
reception of concentrated or volatile fertilizers; it should, moreover, have a shoulder b¹
on its under side to keep it in its place in the pot. It is preferably glazed or enamelled
on its under side, or otherwise rendered impervious. In some instances, I make it
with radial grooves 62 to facilitate the distribution of the fertilizer.
The detachable or removable bottom may, if desired, be supported on lugs or bosses
formed on the body A or in any other suitable manner. I prefer, however, to use for
this purpose a continuous shoulder, as shown.
The contact of the detachable bottom B with the shoulder a is preferably such as to
exclude worms, ants, or other insects, and, at the same time, leave sufficient opening
for the escape of water and for the free circulation of air.
C is the saucer which has a central tube or air duct c, and the underside of which is
made either plain or with radial grooves as at c¹, c¹ for the admission of air.
The detachable bottom B should be above the level of the rim of the saucer C,
when in position, in order to ensure its being above the level of the water in the
saucer; the plant will thus be automatically relieved from all surplus water, regardless
of the quantity used. The saucer should be glazed, enamelled or otherwise made
impervious in order to prevent dampness and the growth of mould; it serves as a
reservoir in case of casual neglect.
Vents or air-passages d, d are sometimes formed in the body A for the admission of
air, in case the pot should be used without the saucer.
Flower-pots constructed according to my invention can be made of any suitable
material, the most common being clay, better known as stone and earthenware; they
may be made in any of the usual plain or fancy shapes, and of various sizes, and by
the usual process or processes of manipulating the different materials.
When the pots are required for aquatic plants or such other plants as need a great
amount of moisture, if the said pots are made of clay, I provide them with a porous
lining composed of a mixture thoroughly incorporated, of clay and sawdust in about
equal parts, by measure, or any substitute therefor that will ensure the desired porosity
of the said lining; this mixture is so placed in the mass in the process of making a
flower-pot, that it will form the inside of the pot when finished. A lining of this
description is shewn at e in Figure 1.
When the pot is made of hydraulic or other cement, I use for the lining a mixture
of granulated alum or some other suitable solvent with an equal part of such cement;
this mixture is manipulated as above described, and, when sufficiently dry, the solvent
is removed by repeated washings with water.
When the pot is made of other material, a detached or a fixed porous lining can be
made by either of these or equivalent processes.
I also use, if desired, porous pieces f, f, ff, Figure 4, of various forms; for
instance, two simicircular pieces f to be placed on the surface of the soil, as in Figure 3,
to prevent too rapid evaporation, and other pieces f1, 2, f³ to be placed in the soil
among the roots to retain moisture, these pieces are made of the same materials and
proportions as those herein described for the porous linings.
For facilitating re-potting or examination of the roots of a plant, as exemplified in
Figure 3, I use a standard B, Figure 2, made of any suitable material, preferably iron,
and provided with revolving interchangeable heads such as that shown at D'. These
heads are made of different sizes, so that they will pass through the openings of the
several sizes of pots, and will afford support proportional to the weight of the pot used.
I place this standard upon a table, and put the pot containing the plant upon the said
standard; then, by holding one side of the pot with one hand and gently tapping the
opposite edge by means of a leaden or wooden mallet with the other hand, or, by
pressing the pot down with both hands, the roots and soil may be left exposed to view
stan ling upon the detached bottom on the top of the said standard. The plant and
soil can easily be turned with the revolving head D₁ into any desired position for
permitting a leisurely inspection; if the plant is to be replaced in the pot, the latter is
raised and the plant with the pot is removed from the standard. If, however, the
plant needs re-potting, it is set aside, the old pot is removed and a larger one is put in

page_text: its placed, in the manner hereinafter described, that is to say:-The detached bottom
of the larger pot is placed on the top of the standard D, and the plant is placed upon
the said detached bottom; the pot is then raised so that the plant is received therein,
and the plant with the pot then removed from the standard; soil is added to fill the
vacant space around the roots, and the operation is thus completed.
To apply volatile, liquid or other concentrated fertilizers, the plant is removed from
the pot as for re-potting, the fertilizer is poured or placed upon the detached bottom,
and the plant is replaced in the pot.
Plants thus thoroughly treated have all the elements of growth within their reach,
hydrogen being supplied from the reservoir by capillary attraction; nitrogen from
the evaporation of the volatile fertilizers; and oxygen from the free and constant
circulation of air; all permeating the soil with their combined nutrition, and, by
assimilation, imparting life, vigour and health to the plant and producing the highest
attainable results.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it understood that I claim :-
First. A flower-pot having an inner shoulder or projection at or near its lower end
and a detachable bottom which rests upon the said shoulder or projection, substantially
as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Second. The combination, with a flower-pot having an inner shoulder or projection
and a detachable bottom which rests thereon, of an impervious saucer having a central
tube or air duct and with or without radial grooves in its. under side, all substantially
as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Third. The combination of a flower-pot having an inner shoulder or projection and
a detachable bottom which rests thereon, and a fixed or detachable porous lining, (with
or without the porous pieces f,f,ƒ³, f³), all substantially as, and for the purposes, set
forth.
Fourth. The above described improved method of providing for the re-potting
of plants or for the examination of the roots thereof by the use of a standard for
supporting the detachable bottom of the flower-pot, the soil and the plant, while the
body of the flower-pot is removed therefrom, substantially as set forth.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.