Retainer for preventing flower pot from tipping

Abstract

A retainer is provided to prevent a conventional flower pot, which is supported upon the ground and which may be tipped over by wind forces or other lateral forces. The retainer is formed of an elongated, thin metal wire bent into an elongated stem portion with a downwardly opening hook on one end. The hook is engaged over the upper edge portion or rim of the pot with the stem extending downwardly along the side of the pot and into the ground beneath the pot. The stem is curved along its length so that when the retainer is manually attached to the pot, the stem enters the ground adjacent the bottom edge of the pot and moves underneath the pot bottom radially inwardly from the wall of the pot. The wire may be coated with a roughening paint-like material so as to increase the frictional grip between the stem and the ground.

1 . A method for preventing tipping of a flower pot formed of an open top container having an approximately vertical wall formed with an upper edge portion and having a substantially closed bottom, joined to the wall, for resting the pot upon the ground in an area where the pot may be subjected to lateral forces which may tip the pot, comprising: 
 providing a retainer formed of a thin, stiff wire bent into the shape of a vertically elongated stem which is curved along its length and with an upper end of the stem bent into a downwardly opening, inverted U-shaped, hook portion having a short leg for extending downwardly adjacent the stem and being spaced apart from the stem for holding the container wall upper edge portion within the hook portion while the short leg extends downwardly into the pot and into any potting material contained in the pot while the stem extends downwardly closely along the side of the pot for extending into the ground;    positioning the retainer along the side of a pot and pushing it downwardly adjacent the pot and into the ground;    engaging the hook portion over the upper edge portion of the pot while moving the stem downwardly closely adjacent to the outside surface of the pot wall while pushing the stem into the ground so that the lower part of the stem portion moves into the ground beneath the bottom of the pot and radially inwardly of the bottom of the pot.    
   
   
       2 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , and said wire being formed of a relatively resilient metal material, and receiving and resiliently gripping the upper edge portion of the pot wall with the hook portion.  
   
   
       3 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , and including providing a second retainer, similar in shape to said first mentioned retainer, and engaging the hook portion of the second retainer with the upper portion of the pot at a location spaced from the first mentioned retainer and into the ground beneath and radially inwardly of the bottom of the pot for temporarily holding the pot at spaced-apart locations in a fixed position upon the ground.  
   
   
       4 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , and including arranging the stem in substantial contact with the pot at the junction of the side wall of the pot and the bottom of the pot while pushing the stem into the ground so that the stem moves endwise in a curved direction underneath the pot bottom for positioning a lower portion of the stem underneath the pot bottom.  
   
   
       5 . A retainer for preventing tipping of a flower pot which is formed with an approximately vertically arranged pot wall having a rim formed on an upper edge portion of the pot wall and a lower edge portion of the pot wall joined to a pot bottom for arranging the pot upon the ground in a location where the pot may be subjected to laterally-directed forces which tend to tip the pot, comprising: 
 an elongated, thin, stiff wire stem of a length substantially greater than the height of the pot for arranging the stem generally vertically adjacent the pot wall;    the stem having an upper portion bent into a downwardly opening hook portion of a size to fit over and to hold a corresponding portion of the pot rim and upper edge portion;    the stem being curved along its length generally in the shape of a segment of a circle and the stem having a lower part of sufficient length for extending beneath the pot starting at the junction of the pot wall and pot bottom and continuing into the ground radially inwardly of the junction and at a sufficient distance to hold the stem and the pot against tipping due to said laterally-directed forces.    
   
   
       6 . A retainer for preventing tipping of a flower pot as defined in  claim 5 , and said stem being substantially coated with a roughening material for providing a rough, frictionally-enhanced, surface thereon for frictionally engaging the ground to resist disengagement of the stem from the ground when the stem lower part is extended into the ground.  
   
   
       7 . A retainer for preventing tipping of a flower pot as defined in  claim 5 , wherein said pot is formed with its upper edge portion forming an upper, outwardly extending band encircling the upper rim, and with the curvature of the stem being sufficient for the stem to extend from the rim of the pot outwardly around the band and then inwardly into contact with the junction between the lower edge of the pot wall and the pot bottom and continuing into the ground beneath the pot bottom.  
   
   
       8 . A retainer for preventing tipping of a flower pot which is formed with an approximately vertically arranged pot wall having an open rim provided by an upper edge portion and the wall having a lower edge portion joined to a pot bottom for arranging the pot upon the ground in a location where the pot may be subjected to laterally-directed forces that tend to tip the pot, comprising: 
 an elongated, thin, stiff wire stem of a length substantially greater than the height of the pot for arranging the stem generally vertically adjacent the pot wall;    the stem having an upper portion bent into a downwardly opening hook of a size to fit over and hold a corresponding part of the pot rim and upper edge portion of the pot; and    said stem being of sufficient length for extending beneath the pot and into the ground a sufficient distance to hold the pot against tipping due to said laterally directed forces.    
   
   
       9 . A retainer for preventing tipping of a flower pot as defined in  claim 8 , and including said wire being coated with a roughening coating material which enhances the frictional contact of the surface of the wire between the ground material contacted by the stem and between the hook and the contacted portion of the pot for resisting separation of the retainer from the pot and from the ground.  
   
   
       10 . A retainer for preventing tipping of a flower pot as defined in  claim 8 , and including the stem being bent into the general shape of a segment of a circle, whereby the stem extends downwardly from said hook portion along the side of the pot wall to and past the juncture of the side wall and the pot bottom and into the ground beneath the bottom of the pot and inwardly of the area defined by the pot wall.  
   
   
       11 . A retainer for preventing tipping of a flower pot which is formed with a generally vertically arranged pot wall having an upper edge portion defining the rim of the pot and a lower edge portion joined to a substantially closed pot bottom for arranging the pot upon a surface formed of parallel boards which are arranged side-by-side and slightly spaced apart, and in a location where the pot may be subjected to intermittently applied laterally-directed forces which tend to tip the pot, comprising: 
 an elongated, thin, stiff wire stem of a length greater than the height of the pot for arranging the stem generally vertically alongside the side of the pot;    the stem having an upper portion bent into a downwardly opening hook of a size to fit over and hold a corresponding part of the pot upper edge portion;    said stem normally extending from the hook portion along the side of the pot and through a space between a pair of adjacent boards and beneath the pot bottom and being bent laterally for underlying the portion of the board upon which the pot rests to provide a lateral holding member located beneath the pot bottom for securing the pot upon said board against tipping.    
   
   
       12 . A retainer for preventing tipping of a flower pot as defined in  claim 11 , and wherein said wire is coated with a paint-like roughening material that provides an enhanced frictional surface upon the wire for frictionally engaging the surface of said board.