IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLOWER POTS FOR ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS,
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Benjamin Löwy at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 19th February 1883.
BENJAMIN LÖWY, of Berlin, doing business under the firm of P. Leuchtmann
& Co of Berlin, Prussia, German Empire, IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF FLOWER POTS FOR ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS,
The use of artificial flowers for the adornment of rooms has been general for a
long time, and has created a demand for suitable flower pots in imitation of those
used for natural flowering plants, or bunches of flowers, and for this purpose it has
been customary to use pots made of porcelain, stone ware, china, majolica, and
similar materials.
Now, the use of porcelain pots employed in the case of natural flowers, for
artificial flowers, is not desirable, as whilst in the former case a water-holding
material is one of the necessary conditions, such is not requisite in the latter case,
in addition to which the liability of the porcelain pots to breakage prevents their
ready export as an article of trade and consequently the use of artificial flowers for
the proposed object. This however is not practicable when porcelain pots are used,
as it is difficult to pack them so that they shall not be broken, nor can they, as
already pointed out, be put up connected with the flowers in the same package, as
they cannot be sewn tight or tied with cords or bands, as is done in the case of
artificial flowers. It is therefore necessary to send the flower pot and flowers
separately, and the purchaser is left to put both parts together. This however is
also very prejudicial, and the goods have a poor appearance.
Now, in order to overcome the above mentioned difficulties, and instead of
employing the expensive, heavy, and breakable china pots, I purpose to manufacture
pots for artificial flowers from card board, paste board, or papier mâché, the
exterior surface of which I treat in such a manner as hereinafter described, that it
shall present the appearance of china, porcelain, etc This surface may be smooth,
or formed in relief by pressure. In the first case I coat the card board or paste
board with a good smooth satin or pattern paper, the surface of which is then
treated by a special process as hereinafter described, so that it presents exactly the
appearance of glazed porcelain or china.

page_text: These flower pots may be made in various forms, and besides being much lighter
and cheaper than china or porcelain pots, are quite unbreakable. They also allow
of the more convenient attachment of the flowers or plant to the moss filling, and
any convenient means for securing these may be used for the purpose, which
cannot be done when china pots are employed. The pots with their flowers
attached may with the greatest facility be sewn up in cartoons without the use of
packing material to prevent injury or disarrangement in transport.
Thus by means of this invention, artificial flowers can be combined with
unbreakable flower pots of exceptionally light material whose surface is an
imitation of porcelain.
The production of the pots depends generally on the form to be given them.
After the edges of the card board or paste board cylinder or body, which is to form
the pot, have been cemented or glued together, a covering of decorated, embossed
or painted paper is put on, and the surface thereof suitably treated with the view
of giving to it an imitation of porcelain glazing. For this purpose the surface of
the embossed or painted paper is coated with gelatine, and finally protected against
atmospheric effects by lacquering or varnishing, and thus the pot presents the
appearance of a porcelain or china pot.