Floral water tube holder

Abstract

A method and apparatus is included for retaining a grouping of floral water tubes in a vertical level manner. The retaining mechanism comprises a thin semi-rigid foam sheet with a plurality (e.g. twelve) holes for retaining the floral water tubes. The individual foam sheets can come in large collections of sheets or rolls and may be individually separated (perforations) into sections of twelve. The foam sheets are loaded with floral water tubes and then filled together as a group. The tube covers are added and then the foam sheets with filled tubes are stacked together. The twelve tube sections may also be interconnected by male/female geometric shapes located on each end/side.

1 . A floral water tube retaining apparatus, said apparatus comprising:
 a geometric shaped floral water tube receiving sheet, and   a plurality of floral water tube receiving holes located within said sheet.   
   
   
       2 . A floral water tube retaining apparatus, as per  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of floral water tube receiving holes is twelve. 
   
   
       3 . A floral water tube retaining apparatus, as per  claim 1 , wherein said geometric shaped floral water tube receiving sheet comprises a semi-rigid material. 
   
   
       4 . A floral water tube retaining apparatus, as per  claim 3 , wherein said semi-rigid material comprises compressed foam. 
   
   
       5 . A floral water tube retaining apparatus, as per  claim 1 , wherein said geometric shaped floral water tube receiving sheet comprises a rigid material. 
   
   
       6 . A floral water tube retaining apparatus, as per  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of floral water tube receiving holes receive said water tubes in a circumferentially compressive fit. 
   
   
       7 . A floral water tube retaining apparatus, as per  claim 1 , wherein said geometric shaped floral water tube receiving sheet further comprises geometric mating sections on one or more ends/sides of said sheet, said mating sections for interconnecting multiple floral water tube receiving sheets in a coplanar arrangement. 
   
   
       8 . A floral water tube retaining apparatus, as per  claim 1 , wherein said geometric shaped floral water tube receiving sheet is manufactured in multiple water tube receiving sheet sections connected by perforations. 
   
   
       9 . A floral water tube retaining apparatus, as per  claim 1 , wherein said multiple water tube receiving sheet sections connected by perforations are large sheets or rolls. 
   
   
       10 . A floral water tube retaining apparatus, as per  claim 1 , wherein said multiple water tube receiving sheet sections are preloaded with floral water tubes. 
   
   
       11 . A floral water tube retaining apparatus, said apparatus comprising:
 a semi-rigid floral water tube receiving sheet,   a plurality of floral water tube receiving holes located within said sheet, and geometric mating sections on one or more ends/sides of said sheet.   
   
   
       12 . A floral water tube retaining apparatus, as per  claim 11 , wherein said semi-rigid material comprises compressed foam. 
   
   
       13 . A floral water tube retaining apparatus, as per  claim 11 , wherein said mating sections enable interconnecting of multiple floral water tube receiving sheets. 
   
   
       14 . A floral water tube retaining apparatus, as per  claim 11 , wherein said geometric shaped floral water tube receiving sheet is manufactured in multiple water tube receiving sheet sections connected by perforations. 
   
   
       15 . A floral water tube retaining apparatus, as per  claim 14 , wherein said multiple water tube receiving sheet sections connected by perforations are large sheets or rolls. 
   
   
       16 . A floral water tube retaining apparatus, as per  claim 14 , wherein said multiple water tube receiving sheet sections are preloaded with floral water tubes. 
   
   
       17 . A method of preparing floral water tubes, said method comprising:
 selecting a specific size floral water tube receiving sheet, said sheet preloaded with a plurality of capless floral water tubes, said tubes retained within receiving holes located within said sheet,   filling the tubes with water as a group, and   placing the caps on the filled tubes.   
   
   
       18 . A method of preparing floral water tubes, as per  claim 17 , wherein said floral water tube receiving sheets are vertically stacked for storage. 
   
   
       19 . A method of preparing floral water tubes, as per  claim 17 , wherein said floral water tube receiving sheets are horizontally interconnected for storage. 
   
   
       20 . A method of preparing floral water tubes, as per  claim 18 , wherein said step of horizontally interconnecting the sheets comprises pressing geometric shapes together along one or more ends/sides of said sheets.