Patents Examined by Joanne C. Downs
  • Patent number: 6389744
    Abstract: A support for articles having an elongated portion has a single shaft and a head made of wire. The head is attached to one end of the shaft. The head consists of a single wire formed into loops. The loops are formed at an angle with the shaft. The form of the support can resemble a flower, with the shaft representing the flower stem, the head representing the flower head and the loops representing the shape and arrangement of the flower petals. The support can be made from a single piece of wire. The invention can be used to support plant stems, arrange cut flowers in a bouquet or store writing implements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Inventor: Jerry Thomas Pugh
  • Patent number: 6311427
    Abstract: A hollow decorative cover for outdoor plants and shrubs having a weather resistant sheath of lower and upper portions and an inner supporting frame attached to an upper sheath portion anchoring said sheath portion to the ground, the upper sheath portion optionally including a lid portion adapted to contain weighty material and being optionally removable for ventilation and sunning purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Inventor: Sally A. McNally
  • Patent number: 6308460
    Abstract: A plant cover, comprising a base formed from a sheet of material, the base having an upper end, a lower end, and an outer peripheral surface, an opening intersecting the upper end forming an inner peripheral surface and a retaining space, a skirt formed from a sheet of material, the skirt connected to the upper end of the base, and an expansion element formed integrally with the base, the expansion element comprising an excess of material, the expansion element permitting the base to expand and contract to both closely encompass and follow the contours of a pot. Methods of using a plant cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Assignee: Southpac Trust International, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald E. Weder
  • Patent number: 6260303
    Abstract: A new and useful device for the watering, in a continuous basis, with great physical ease, of a Christmas tree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Inventor: George Lewis Sappenfield
  • Patent number: 6230437
    Abstract: Plant stand which consists of a planter 21, a water reservoir 15 and an elastic seal 24, air intake pipes 16, an air pipe 9 with a fan 18. The planter has water holes 25 on the bottom, and air holes 26 on the side. The reservoir has an opening to hold the planter, and once the planter is in place a space is made between the reservoir and planter. The seal is flexible making it airtight between the reservoir and planter. The air intake pipes have their inlets at the upper part of the water reservoir. The air pipe is connected to the air intake pipe and has a fan to circulate air. It is effective for the plant stand to be equipped with a light source for illuminating plant and promoting photosynthesis. The light source also serves as a sterilizer of indoor air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Inventors: John D. Wolverton, Billy C. Wolverton, Hiroharu Mizukoshi
  • Patent number: 6219967
    Abstract: A rock planter apparatus includes a receptacle made from rock material. The receptacle includes a top receptacle portion and a bottom receptacle portion. A plant-reception well opens at the top receptacle portion and extends downward toward the bottom receptacle portion. The plant-reception well has a well diameter. A drainage channel extends from a bottom portion of the plant-reception well through the bottom receptacle portion. The drainage channel has a channel diameter, and the well diameter is greater than the channel diameter. Preferably, the receptacle is made from natural rock material. The plant-reception well can be cylindrical in shape, and the drainage channel can also be cylindrical in shape. The rock planter apparatus of the invention can be used for receiving plants directly or for receiving potted plants. A base member can be provided upon which the receptacle can be placed. The base member can include a drainage bevel in registration with the drainage channel of the receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Inventor: Donald R. Powell
  • Patent number: 6209257
    Abstract: A spraying apparatus for spraying agricultural chemicals over shrubbery and small size arborous trees and plants in early stages of their growth positioned in arrays with empty areas therebetween, the spraying apparatus has a storage for an agricultural chemicals to be sprayed, a spraying assembly having the shape of an upside down U and provided with a plurality of spraying nozzles, a detector for detecting the presence of a plant, and an activator for activating the spraying nozzles, after the detector detects a plant to spray the plants inside the spraying assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: Maquinas Agricolas Jacto
    Inventor: Shiro Nishimura
  • Patent number: 6205706
    Abstract: A self-watering reservoir (21) which is placed in a planter (31) and buried in soil (32) of the planter. The reservoir consists of a container (23) that holds water in a chamber (27) and a lid (22) to cover the container. The lid has an opening (24) through which a tube (30) can be inserted, the tube runs up to the surface of the soil in the planter and allows the addition of water to the reservoir as needed. The reservoir also includes a well (26) that projects down into the container. The well is open at its top and the bottom of the well has a first section (28B) which rests on the bottom surface of the container and a second section (28A) which projects up and away from the first section at an angle. The second section has an opening (29). When the reservoir is buried in a planter, soil in the planter fills the well and comes in contact with water in the chamber through the opening in the second section of the well, and thus water is transported through soil in the well to soil surrounding the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: America's Gardening Resource, Inc.
    Inventor: Melvin H. Buss
  • Patent number: 6202348
    Abstract: A plant-growing method and apparatus are provided. The apparatus includes an impermeable pot having a fabric liner closely received therein. The liner is formed of a porous fabric which catches plant roots and directs the roots into the wall of the pot thereby preventing root circulation. The apparatus stops the apical dominance of the roots by directing them into the wall of the pot and therefore induces root branching within the pot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Inventor: Ralph E. Reiger
  • Patent number: 6202347
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: Southpac Trust International, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald E. Weder
  • Patent number: 6195937
    Abstract: A floral sleeve having an upper portion, a lower portion and a medial portion. The floral sleeve can be placed about a plant container such as a potted plant such that the lower portion contains the pot, and the upper portion surrounds the plant. When desired, the upper portion and lower portion can be detached, leaving the medial portion which can be attached to the pot forming a skirt extending from the upper end thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Southpac Trust International, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald E. Weder
  • Patent number: 6185866
    Abstract: A plant waterer apparatus includes a water container which includes a top container portion and a bottom container portion. A valve assembly is connected to the bottom container portion and is in communication with an interior of the water container. A clamp assembly is connected to the bottom container portion and is used for clamping the apparatus onto a rim of a pot which contains a plant. The water container includes a transparent container wall, and the transparent container wall includes indicia of volume. A container cap is attached to the top container portion, and the container cap includes an access channel. A drip hose is connected to the valve assembly. The water container and the clamp assembly are located symmetrically around a longitudinal axis. The clamp assembly includes a first clamping member and a second clamping member connected to the bottom container portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Inventor: Abbas Enfaradi
  • Patent number: 6182395
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Southpac Trust International, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald E. Weder, Joseph G. Straeter, Paul Fantz
  • Patent number: 6178692
    Abstract: A lighting system for use with a vertical growing column (10) for optimally growing a plurality of plants in an indoor environment and enhancing the tonnage per unit area or per unit volume of product harvestable from plants positioned in these columns (10). The lighting system for use with a vertical growing column (10) includes a vertical growing column (11) having a plurality of modular planting units (12), a lighting system (104) and an apparatus (108) for carrying the lighting system (104). Each of the modular planting units (12) includes a center column (14) having a pair of lateral receptacles (16) projecting from opposed sides of the center column (14) and a mounting flange (18) extending downwardly from a lowermost portion of the center column (14) for being received within an uppermost portion of a center column (14) of another planting unit (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Agri-Grow Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert E. Graven
  • Patent number: 6176037
    Abstract: An aqueous gel medium for growing a plant which comprises an upper block and a lower block, wherein the lower block has a hole for growth of a root of the plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsuhide Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 6161329
    Abstract: An improved watering device is provided for automatically watering one or more potted plants with a predetermined volume or quantity of water, in response to the weight of the potted plant which indicates the moisture content of the plant soil. The watering device comprises a plant carrier for movably suspending the potted plant from a hanger assembly, with a main spring reacting between the plant carrier and hanger assembly for controlling the vertical position of the plant carrier in response to the weight of the potted plant. Upon upward displacement of the carrier as the plant soil dries, an adjustably set and spring-loaded pin engages and operates a control member such as an electrical switch for opening a water flow valve to deliver water to the potted plant, whereupon the carrier translates downwardly as water is added to the plant soil ultimately to result in sufficient disengagement with the control member to close the water flow valve and halt water flow to the potted plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2000
    Inventor: Jacob Spelt
  • Patent number: 6161330
    Abstract: A plant package comprising a flower pot and a sleeve, wherein the sleeve is provided with a base portion, a skirt portion and an upper portion. The base portion of the sleeve surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the flower pot, and the skirt portion of the sleeve extends from the base portion. The upper portion of the sleeve is detachably connected to the skirt portion of the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2000
    Assignee: Southpac Trust Int'l, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald E. Weder
  • Patent number: 6151831
    Abstract: A sheet of material having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an outer periphery, a plurality of indentations in the outer periphery, portions of the sheet of material surrounding the indentations overlapping to form an article having a substantially smooth outer peripheral surface. Methods of forming and using an article, such as a flower pot cover article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: Southpac Trust International, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald E. Weder, Lisa A. Straeter
  • Patent number: 6128851
    Abstract: An assembly for supporting a tree in an upright position includes an elongated tubular collar for receiving a tree branch that is separable into two half-portions allowing a user to easily attach or remove the device. The collar has a plurality of apertures thereon for receiving supplemental support legs to further support the collar when placed around the tree trunk. One or more secondary collars may be placed on top of the first collar to which additional supplemental support legs or tubular arms may be attached for supporting the tree's branches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Inventor: Danny J. Ralston
  • Patent number: 6122861
    Abstract: The growing room includes a closed loop track suspended above the floor and extending throughout the room. A plurality of racks are movably supported on the track by a motorized mover system. The racks include a frame for supporting a plurality of growing sheets for supporting and growing the plants. The growing sheets are made of a translucent material and include a plurality of growing cells formed by affixing a plurality of lengths of membrane material to the sheet at predetermined locations. The growing cells are gas permeable, liquid impermeable, and translucent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Inventor: Malcolm Glen Kertz