Abstract: A plant packaging and covering system comprising a floral sleeve having a base portion and skirt portion. The sleeve may have an upper protective sleeve portion for enclosing a plant disposed in a pot and which can be detached once the protective function of the sleeve has been completed. The sleeve has an expansion element comprising a plurality of expandable folds for allowing portions of the base portion to expand to conform to the shape of a pot when a pot is disposed within the sleeve.

Abstract: A substantially flexible, shape-sustaining article having an appearance simulating paper made by forming a flexible, laminated material having a paper-like texture or appearance into a substantially flexible article for receiving an object. The substantially flexible article includes a base having a lower end, an open upper end with an object opening extending therethrough and a decorative border extending outwardly from the open upper end of the base. The lower end of the base of the article may be closed and may also contain a gusset.

Abstract: A sleeve used to wrap items such as potted plants or comestibles. The sleeve has a closed curved bottom. The sleeve may also have an expansion element such as a gusset, pleats, random folds or elastic material for enabling the lower portion of the sleeve to conform to the outer and bottom surfaces of the pot to provide a decorative cover about the pot. The sleeve optionally has a detachable upper portion.

Abstract: Methods are provided for packaging floral groupings in a modified atmosphere at or near the site or harvest. The modified atmosphere package, which generally contain oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations which differ from those seen in air, is constructed of a material which has modified atmosphere characteristics such that the material is permeable to certain gases while impermeable to others. The package may also include fluid impermeable perforations to assist in the removal of the floral grouping from the package. A surface packaging agent, which maintains the appearance of the floral grouping and/or the modified atmosphere package, may also be present on the package, and a floral grouping maintenance agent, which maintains the appearance of the floral grouping, may also be disposed within the package with the floral grouping before partially sealing the modified atmosphere package about the floral grouping.

Abstract: A lightweight flow control valve for use in cooling towers is provided. The valve includes a lightweight, thin-walled valve body having a flow bore, an inlet port, and an outlet port. The outlet port is disposed in a substantially perpendicular relationship relative to the inlet port. The valve body has a substantially frusto-conically shaped interior surface defining the flow bore. A lightweight, thin-walled barrel having an inlet, an outlet, and a fluid passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet is disposed within the flow bore of the valve body. The inlet of the barrel is concentrically positioned relative to the inlet port of the valve body and the outlet of the barrel is disposed in a substantially perpendicular relationship relative to the inlet of the barrel.

Abstract: A plant packaging system and method comprising a combination of a protective upper portion and a decorative lower portion having a base portion and a skirt portion for packaging a potted plant or a botanical item and a growing medium without a pot. The protective upper portion can be detached from the lower portion of the package system once the protective function of the upper portion has been completed. The sleeve may be provided without a detachable upper portion. The lower portion may have a skirt portion which has a non-linear upper peripheral edge. The lower portion may be tapered and may have a gusset in the lower end.

Abstract: A packaging assembly for shipping a container comprising a support member for supporting the container in an upright position, a sheet of material wrapped about the support member and at least a portion of the container such that the sheet of material encompasses the support member and at least a portion of the container, and securing means for securing the sheet of material about the support member and at least a portion of the container and method of assembling same.

Abstract: The present invention is a system which allows a personal computer system to be split into a local portion and a remote portion. The local portion of the split personal computer system is located in conjunction with the TV system located at homes or hotels. The remote portion of the split personal computer system is located in a remote location and normally maintained by a network service provider. The local portion includes a television display unit, and a television accessory unit in communication with the television display unit. An input unit is located adjacent the television display unit and is in communication with the television accessory unit to input data signals into the television accessory unit.

Abstract: A method of wrapping a floral grouping, preferably an orchid, with a wrapper which may be a sheet of material, a sleeve or a preformed pot cover. The wrapper is preferably constructed from a laminated material made up of at least a waxy layer and a support layer which are superposed upon each other and connected or laminated to each other. A second waxy layer may be connected or laminated to the other surface of the support surface. The waxy layer is made from a waxy material such as waxed paper, waxed tissue or high density polyethylene. The wrapped floral grouping may also contain a shredded material for cushioning the blooms of the floral grouping.

Abstract: A bloom support device for protecting a cut flower during shipping, the bloom support device having a concave body providing a substantially closed proximal end clearingly disposed about a stem of the flower and a substantially open distal end compressingly folding a bloom of the flower into a folded arrangement and retaining the folded arrangement in a secure shipping arrangement. The concave body has a stress intensification feature for tearing the bloom support device off of the bloom.

Abstract: A plant packaging and covering system comprising a floral sleeve having a base portion and skirt portion. The sleeve may have an upper protective sleeve portion which can surround a plant disposed in a pot and which can be detached once the protective function of the sleeve has been completed thereby allowing the skirt portion to extend angularly from the base portion. The sleeve has a plurality of folds comprising expansion for allowing portions of the base portion to expand, and portions of the skirt portion to extend angularly, when a pot is disposed within the sleeve.

Abstract: A cover for use with a flower pot having a floral grouping disposed therein. The cover includes a sheet of material having a sheet extension connected to an outer peripheral surface thereof. The sheet of material is formed into a pot cover for covering the flower pot and the sheet extension extends over the floral grouping.

Abstract: A flower pot cover having a base and preferably a skirt. The base has an upper end, a lower end and a pot receiving space. The skirt is connected to the upper end of the base and the skirt extends a distance outwardly from the base. A bonding material is disposed on the skirt. A flower pot is disposed in the pot receiving space and the portion of the skirt having the bonding material thereon is crimped to provide a bonded crimped portion in the skirt. The crimped portion may be formed after the pot is disposed within the cover.

Abstract: Compositions having improved stability which, when applied to a variety of substrates and cured, form transparent abrasion resistant coatings having improved adhesion, and improved resistance to crack formation. The coating compositions are aqueous-organic solvent mixtures containing a mixture of hydrolysis products and partial condensates of an epoxy functional silane and a disilane and a carboxylic acid component. Substrates containing the coating compositions and a process for applying the coating composite to a substrate are also disclosed.

Abstract: A plant packaging system comprising a combination of a protective sleeve portion and a decorative cover portion having a base and skirt for packaging a potted plant. The protective sleeve can be detached from the decorative portion of the package system once the protective function of the sleeve has been completed, thereby exposing the decorative cover and allowing the skirt portion to extend angularly from the base. The protective sleeve and decorative cover components may comprise a unitary construction or may comprise separate components which are attached together by various bonding materials.

Abstract: A decorative wrapper for a floral grouping or flower pot wherein a sheet of material having embossed and printed patterns thereon is wrapped about at least a portion of the floral grouping or flower pot. The printed pattern may be in or out of register with the embossed pattern, or a portion of the printed and embossed patterns may be in register with one another and a portion of the printed and embossed patterns may be out of register with one another. The sheet of material may be provided in the form of a pad containing a plurality of sheets of material or in the form of a roll wherein the sheets of material are separable from the roll of material.

Abstract: A plant packaging and covering system including a floral sleeve having a decorative pattern thereon. The sleeve may have a lower portion sized to cover a pot and an upper portion which can surround a plant disposed in the pot and which can be detached once the protective function of the upper portion is complete or which can be used to support the sleeve from a support device prior to use. The decorative pattern preferably has a non-linear upper boundary which gives the sleeve the appearance of having a non-linear upper edge or skirt extending from the lower portion.

Abstract: A decorative assembly for a floral grouping comprising a floral holding material and a sheet of material. The floral holding material is constructed of a material capable of receiving a portion of a floral grouping and supporting the floral grouping. The sheet of material is extended about a portion of the floral holding material and a crimped portion is formed in the sheet of material with the crimped portion cooperating to hold the sheet of material about the floral holding material to provide a decorative covering.

Abstract: A sleeve used to wrap items such as potted plants. The sleeve may have an open or closed bottom. When closed, the bottom may have a gusset for allowing expansion upon the depositing of the pot into the sleeve. The sleeve optionally has a detachable upper portion. The sleeve has a bonding material disposed upon an inner and/or outer portion of the sleeve for securing the sleeve adjacent the pot to hold the sleeve about the pot.

Abstract: An oilfield equipment identifying apparatus for tracking selected parameters for each of a plurality of pieces of oilfield equipment adapted to be inserted into a drill string supported by a drilling rig. The drilling rig also supports a drilling device for selectively rotating portions of the drill string to form a well bore. The apparatus comprises a computer loaded with an oilfield equipment database. A reader is provided for inputting into the computer a unique identification code for each piece of oilfield equipment added to the drill string so as to build a grid including a reference to each piece of oilfield equipment.