Tapered planter box

Abstract

A tapered planter box includes a bottom surface extending in a plane and a plurality of sides extending upward from the bottom and defining an interior. Each of the plurality of sides tapers outward from the interior at a taper angle. Each of the plurality of sides includes a first plank extending along a longitudinal axis. The longitudinal axis extends generally parallel to the plane of the bottom surface. The first plank has a body and a tapered dovetail extending therefrom along the longitudinal axis. The tapered dovetail includes an outer trapezoidally shaped surface having a first size and an inner trapezoidally shaped surface having a second size, larger than the first size. The dovetail on the first plank on each side interconnects with the dovetail on the first plank on an adjacent side.

1 . A tapered planter box comprising:
 a bottom surface extending in a plane;   a plurality of sides extending upward from the bottom and defining an interior, each of the plurality of sides tapering outward from the interior at an oblique angle, each of the plurality of sides comprising:
 a first plank extending along a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis extending generally parallel to the plane of the bottom surface, the first plank having a body and a tapered dovetail extending therefrom along the longitudinal axis, wherein the tapered dovetail comprises an outer trapezoidally shaped surface having a first size and an inner trapezoidally shaped surface having a second size, larger than the first size, 
   wherein the dovetail on the first plank on each side interconnects with the dovetail on the first plank on an adjacent side.   
     
     
         2 . The planter box according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second plank located on top of the first plank, the second plank having a second plank body, the second plank body being longer than the first plank body by a distance of about 2 h(tan α), wherein his a distance from the top of the first plank to the top of the second plank and a is the oblique angle. 
     
     
         3 . The planter box according to  claim 1 , wherein the body of the first plank has an end and wherein the tapered dovetail and the end form an acute angle. 
     
     
         4 . The planter box according to  claim 1 , wherein the first plank body on one of the plurality of sides has the same length as the first plank body on an adjacent side. 
     
     
         5 . The planter box according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of sides comprises a bottom plank engaging the bottom surface, the bottom plank being about one half as high as the first plank. 
     
     
         6 . The planter box according to  claim 5 , wherein the one of the plurality of sides comprises a top plank, the top plank being about one half as high as the first plank. 
     
     
         7 . The planter box according to  claim 1 , wherein the dovetail has a free end extending at an angle of 90 degrees plus the oblique angle from the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         8 . A tapered planter box comprising:
 a bottom surface extending in a plane;   a first side extending upward at an oblique angle from the bottom surface, the first side tapering outward from the bottom surface, the first side comprising:
 a first plank extending along a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis extending generally parallel to the plane of the bottom surface, the first plank having a body and a tapered first dovetail extending therefrom along the longitudinal axis; and 
   a second side adjacent the first side and extending upward at the oblique angle from the bottom surface, the second side comprising:
 a lower plank having a body and a tapered lower dovetail extending therefrom, the lower dovetail being located below the first dovetail; and 
 an upper plank located above the lower plank, the upper plank having a body and a tapered upper dovetail extending therefrom, the upper dovetail being located above the first dovetail. 
   
     
     
         9 . The tapered planter box according to  claim 8 , wherein the tapered first dovetail is generally trapezoidally shaped and having a first side extending from the first plank body at a first angle relative to the longitudinal axis and a second side extending from the first plank body at a second angle to the longitudinal axis, different from the first angle. 
     
     
         10 . The tapered planter box according to  claim 8 , wherein the first plank body further comprises an outside surface and an end face, wherein the end face extends obliquely relative to the outside surface. 
     
     
         11 . The tapered planter box according to  claim 8 , wherein the maximum length of the top plank body is about 2 h(tan α) longer than maximum length of bottom plank body, wherein h equals the vertical height of the top plank and a equals the oblique angle. 
     
     
         12 . The tapered planter box according to  claim 8 , wherein the first plank body is trapezoidally shaped. 
     
     
         13 . A tapered planter box comprising:
 a first side constructed from a first plurality of planks lying in a first plane at an oblique angle α from a vertical, wherein one of the planks on the first side has a height h, a maximum body length L, and has a first side dovetail extending outwardly from each end of the body, and wherein an adjacent plank of the first side has the height h and a maximum length about (L+2 h(tan α)); and   a second side adjacent to the first side, the second side being constructed from a second plurality of planks, wherein the second plurality of planks is equal to the first plurality of planks plus one and wherein each of a lowest and a highest of the second plurality of planks has a height about h/2.   
     
     
         14 . The tapered planter box according to  claim 13 , wherein the first side dovetail further comprises a top surface extending obliquely relative to the first plane. 
     
     
         15 . The tapered planter box according to  claim 13 , wherein the second side lies in a second plane at the oblique angle α from the vertical. 
     
     
         16 . The tapered planter box according to  claim 15 , wherein the first side dovetail has an end that extends parallel to the second plane. 
     
     
         17 . The tapered planter box according to  claim 13 , wherein the second side comprises a second side plank having a maximum body length L. 
     
     
         18 . The tapered planter box according to  claim 17 , wherein one of the second side planks comprises a second side dovetail interlocking with the first side dovetails of the first plurality of planks and the adjacent plank. 
     
     
         19 . The tapered planter box according to  claim 13 , wherein each of the first plurality of planks have a trapezoidally shaped body. 
     
     
         20 . The tapered planter box according to  claim 19 , wherein each of the second plurality of planks have a trapezoidally shaped body.