Single station covering and fastening system

Abstract

A method for forming a decorative cover about a flower pot wherein a customer forms a sheet of material about the flower pot utilizing a cover forming apparatus to provide the decorative cover for the flower pot. The method may include automatically fastening the decorative cover to the flower pot, and optionally automatically placing a label on the covered flower pot.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for forming a decorative cover about a flower pot wherein a customer forms a sheet of material about the flower pot utilizing a cover forming apparatus to provide a decorative cover for the flower pot, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a sheet of material having an upper surface and a lower surface;    selling and delivering the sheet of material to a customer for use by the customer in forming the sheet of material about a flower pot utilizing a cover forming apparatus to provide a decorative cover for the flower pot.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein in the step of providing a sheet of material, the sheet of material comprises a material selected from a group of materials consisting of paper, metal foil, cloth (natural or synthetic), denim, burlap or polymer film or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein in the step of selling and delivering the sheet of material to a customer for use by the customer in forming the sheet of material about a flower pot utilizing a cover forming apparatus, the method further comprises the steps of: 
 providing a platform having a support surface formed thereon and an opening extending through the support surface, the opening sized to receive the flower pot;  
 placing the sheet of material in a cover forming position over the opening and on the support surface wherein the sheet of material, in the cover forming position, is positioned over the opening;  
 positioning the flower pot in a position over the sheet of material and in a position wherein the lower end of the flower pot is disposed generally above and near the portion of the sheet of material which is above the opening;  
 forming a covered flower pot by moving the flower pot in a direction which causes the lower end of the flower pot to engage a portion of the sheet of material, the flower pot and portions of the sheet of material passing through the opening causing the sheet of material to contact or nearly contact both the outer peripheral surface of the flower pot and the platform as the flower pot is moved wherein the sheet of material is pressed about the outer peripheral surface of the flower pot to form a decorative cover about the flower pot, the decorative cover having an inner surface facing the outer peripheral surface of the flower pot and an exposed outer surface;  
 automatically applying a fastener about a portion of the outer surface of the decorative cover of the flower pot for fastening the decorative cover about the flower pot; and  
 removing the covered flower pot from the platform.  
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising moving the platform to a site where the flower pot is provided.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein in the step of automatically applying a fastener, the fastener is selected from a group consisting of elastic or non-elastic string, wire, thread, elastic, ribbon, wire and tape.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the fastener is applied about the decorative cover of the flower pot to a portion of the decorative cover which is above the platform.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the fastener is applied about the decorative cover of the flower pot to a portion of the decorative cover which is below the platform.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the step of removing the covered flower pot from the platform is performed automatically.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3  wherein a label is applied to a portion of the decorative cover secured about the flower pot.  
     
     
         10 . A method for forming a decorative cover about a flower pot wherein a customer forms a sheet of material about the flower pot utilizing a cover forming apparatus to provide a decorative cover for the flower pot, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a sheet of material having an upper surface and a lower surface;    selling and delivering the sheet of material to a customer for use by the customer in forming the sheet of material about a flower pot utilizing a cover forming apparatus and automatically applying a fastener about a portion of the sheet of material to provide a decorative cover for the flower pot, wherein the decorative cover is secured about the flower pot by the fastener.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein in the step of providing a sheet of material, the sheet of material comprises a material selected from a group of materials consisting of paper, metal foil, cloth (natural or synthetic), denim, burlap or polymer film or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein in the step of selling and delivering the sheet of material to the customer, the fastener is selected from a group consisting of elastic or non-elastic string, wire, thread, elastic, ribbon, wire and tape.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein in the step of selling and delivering the sheet of material to the customer, the fastener is applied about a portion of the sheet of material at a position above the flower pot.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  wherein in the step of selling and delivering the sheet of material to the customer, the fastener is applied about a portion of the sheet of material at a position about the flower pot.  
     
     
         15 . A method for forming a decorative cover about a flower pot wherein a customer forms a sheet of material about the flower pot utilizing a cover forming apparatus to provide a decorative cover for the flower pot, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a sheet of material having an upper surface and a lower surface to a customer for use by the customer in forming the sheet of material about a flower pot utilizing an automatic cover forming apparatus to provide a decorative cover for the flower pot.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein in the step of providing a sheet of material, the sheet of material comprises a material selected from a group of materials consisting of paper, metal foil, cloth (natural or synthetic), denim, burlap or polymer film or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein in the step of providing a sheet of material to a customer for use by the customer in forming the sheet of material about a flower pot utilizing an automatic cover forming apparatus, the method further comprises the steps of: 
 providing a platform having a support surface formed thereon and an opening extending through the support surface, the opening sized to receive the flower pot;  
 placing the sheet of material in a cover forming position over the opening and on the support surface wherein the sheet of material, in the cover forming position, is positioned over the opening;  
 positioning the flower pot in a position over the sheet of material and in a position wherein the lower end of the flower pot is disposed generally above and near the portion of the sheet of material which is above the opening;  
 forming a covered flower pot by moving the flower pot in a direction which causes the lower end of the flower pot to engage a portion of the sheet of material, the flower pot and portions of the sheet of material passing through the opening causing the sheet of material to contact or nearly contact both the outer peripheral surface of the flower pot and the platform as the flower pot is moved wherein the sheet of material is pressed about the outer peripheral surface of the flower pot to form a decorative cover about the flower pot, the decorative cover having an inner surface facing the outer peripheral surface of the flower pot and an exposed outer surface;  
 automatically applying a fastener about a portion of the outer surface of the decorative cover of the flower pot for fastening the decorative cover about the flower pot; and  
 removing the covered flower pot from the platform.  
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising moving the platform to a site where the flower pot is provided.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein in the step of automatically applying a fastener, the fastener is selected from a group consisting of elastic or non-elastic string, wire, thread, elastic, ribbon, wire and tape.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the fastener is applied about the decorative cover of the flower pot to a portion of the decorative cover which is above the platform.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the fastener is applied about the decorative cover of the flower pot to a portion of the decorative cover which is below the platform.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the step of removing the covered flower pot from the platform is performed automatically.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17  wherein a label is applied to a portion of the decorative cover secured about the flower pot.