IMPROVEMENTS IN. FLOWER VASES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Wilkins, late of No. 7, Addington Place,
Camberwell, but now of No. 8, Bath Terrace, Camberwell Road, in the
County of Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
FLOWER VASES."
Sealed the 5th August 1859, and dated the 9th February 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Wilkins at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
February 1859.
I, EDWARD WILKINS of No. 7, Addington Place, Camberwell Road, in the
County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOWER VASES," to be as follows:-
My Improvements consist in forming vases for containing plants in growth,
adapted for conveniently supplying and drawing off liquid manure to and
from the roots of the plants, or admitting air thereto.
The Drawing shews a view of a vase so constructed; a being the body of
the vase for containing mould, 6 a pan or saucer, for holding any liquid which
may escape through the holes in the sides of the vase, and in which, also, any
small plants may be grown, c a short tube or pipe, extending from a small
reservoir at the bottom of the vase, as shewn by the dotted red lines, and which

page_text: may be closed with a cork or otherwise, when desired to retain liquid, or be
opened when desired to admit air. The tube may be curved in any con-
venient direction, or may be made straight, and adapted to fit in a socket
formed upon any suitable standard or frame.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Wilkins, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th August 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
WILKINS, late of No. 7, Addington Place, Camberwell, but now of No. 8, Bath
Terrace, Camberwell Road, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Edward Wilkins, Her special licence that I, the said
Edward Wilkins, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Edward Wilkins, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOWER VASES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Wilkins, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Wilkins do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My improvements consist in forming vases for containing plants in growth,

page_text: adapted for conveniently supplying and drawing off liquid manure to and
from the roots of plants or admitting air thereto.
In the annexed Drawing, (in which similar letters of reference are used to
denote corresponding parts,) Figure 1 is an elevation of a vase, according to my
Invention and Figure 2, a vertical section. a is the body of the vase, for con-
taining mould, and which has a number of small holes through the lower part
thereof; b a kind of pan or saucer, firmly attached to the vase a for holding
any liquid which may escape through the perforations in the lower part of the
vase, and which may be filled with mould for the growth of any small plants
therein; ca perforated plate which being laid in the vase forms an air
chamber d at the lower part thereof; a tube extending from the air
chamber d to the upper edge of the vase, and which serves either to admit air
to the air chamber, or to supply it with liquid manure; fa shorter perforated
tube into which liquid manure can be poured, for supplying the roots of the
plants therewith, when required. These tubes may be either moveable or
fixed to the sides of the vase, or one or both of them may be altogether dis-
pensed with; g is a reservoir into which liquid flows from the air chamber
d, and h a small tube leading therefrom, which may be closed with a cork or
plug when it is desired to retain liquid, or opened when desired to draw it off
and admit air.
Figure 8 is an elevation, and Figure 4 a vertical section of another vase
slightly differing from that last described, and which instead of being supported
by feet, is adapted for fitting in a socket or ring, formed upon any suitable frame
or standard. The parts a, b, c, d, e, and fare similar to those marked with the
same letters in Figures 1 and 2, but instead of the body of the vase fitting
closely upon the surface of the pan or saucer it is slightly raised therefrom by
a rim i, which rim has a number of perforations through the lower part of it,
through which liquid can flow from the pan or saucer into the tube k, and
escape from thence when desired, on removing the cork or plug by which the
lower end of the tube k may be stopped. The tube k may be dropped into a
ring or socket formed for bolding it upon any suitable standard or frame. In
this case the plate c may be dispensed with by having the bottom of the vase
perforated.
Figure 5 is a vertical section of another vase, the body of which instead of
being formed with or fixed upon the lower portion or saucer, is capable of
being detached therefrom at pleasure, and is adapted for plants which require
a greater supply of liquid than those in the saucer. In this Figure l is an inner
pan or saucer attached to the outer one 6 by the rim i. The body of the

page_text: vase a is formed with a step at X, X, below which it is reduced in diameter, so
as to fit closely upon the pan or saucer 7; the bottom c, being perforated, serves
the purpose of the perforated plate c in the other Figures. This vase may be
made either with feet or with a tube k, as shewn.
I form my vases and their appurtenances of earthenware, or porcelain, but
they may be made of metal, or any other suitable material.
I do not limit myself to the shapes of the vases shewn in the Drawing, as
they may be made of any ornamental design, suitable for containing plants;
and the proportional sizes of the various parts with regard to each other may
also be varied, my Invention consisting in the means of supplying and drawing
off liquid manure to and from the roots of plants, and for admitting air thereto
when required, as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Wilkins, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty nine.
EDW WILKINS. (L. s.)