May 24, 1932.
1,859,352
F. H. ALBEE
ROTARY PLANT SUPPORT
Filed Dec.
20 , 1950
I
'
113F122 76g
Patented May 24, 1932
1,859,352
UNITED STATES
ATEENT
FEE
FIRED H. ALBEE, 0F WINCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS
ROTARY PLANT sUrroRr
Application ?led December 20, 1930. Serial No. 503,704.
This invention relates to a rotary plant tary plant support of the character herein
support, the object of the invention being before set forth and particularly of the con
to provide a support for a ?ower pot, fern struction and combination of parts set forth
j ardiniére, or the like.
5
10
in the following speci?cation and particue
‘
It is well known that a plant in order to larly pointed out in the claims.
thrive should be turned from time to time
Referring to the drawings :——
when positioned in a window, so that the sun
Fig. 1 is a plan view of my'improved ro
can shine upon different sides thereof. In tary plant holder.
cases where the plant and its pot, or a j ardi
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on an en
55
niere, are very heavy this act of turning the larged scale taken on line 2—2, Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the ball-bearing
'
sides of the ?ower, fern, or the like, is neg member.
lected and consequently the plant does not
Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation, broken away,
60
pot so that the sun will shine upon different
thrive.
15
‘
of a modi?ed form of the plant holder.
It is the object of this invention, therefore,
Like numerals refer to like parts through
to provide a support for the plant and its out the several views of the drawings.
pot, which can be easily rotated and which
In the drawings, Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive,'5
at the same time is adapted to perform the is a saucer formed of sheet metal and com—
functions of a ?ower pot saucer, that is, to prising a disc 6 constituting the bottom of >
hold water which may be drawn up into the the saucer, a cylindrical flange 7 on said disc
0
pot through the hole in the bottom thereof projecting upwardly therefrom and ?ared
for the purpose of irrigating the same.
outwardly at 8 to form a concavo-conveX por
In some cases it is desirable to use the tion. The bottom 6 of the saucer‘ has a boss
plant support as a saucer for the pot, in other 9 thereon which has screw-threaded engage
" cases where a large jardiniere is used it is de ment with a screw 10, the said screw being
sirable to have the same positioned upon a interiorly screw-threaded at 11 and project
30
75
?at disc-like member and it is therefore the ing through a recessed portion 12 0f the bot
object of this invention to provide a plant tom 13 of a holder 14.‘ The holder 14 is made
holder which may be used either as av saucer of sheet metal and has a cylindrical ?ange 15
for a ?ower pot, or which may be reversed thereon into the upper portion of which the
and the face opposite the saucer be used to cylindrical ?ange 7 on the saucer 5 projects. no
support a jardiniere. In the one case the
?ower pot saucer is rotatable on a base, in the
other case the device is reversed and the
' ?ower pot saucer becomes a base and the base
becomes a direct support for a j ardiniere.
The invention further consists in an im
A ball-bearing member 16 is interposedbe
tween‘ the two discs 6 and 13 constituting the
bottoms of the saucer 5 and the holder or
base 14. The ball-bearing member’ 16 0011
sists of a disc having a series of ball sockets
17 and 18 therein projecting alternately from
proved ball-bearing member interposed be— opposite faces of the disc 16, the sockets 17
tween the saucer and the base and so con
projecting upwardly from the disc 16 and the ..
structed that the ball-bearing member'will sockets 18 projecting downwardly from the
be equally e?icient whether the saucer of the disc 16. A series ‘of balls 19 are positioned
holder is uppermost or Whether the basev is in the sockets 17 and 18 and these balls bear '
uppermost and, furthermore, the construc against adjacent faces 21 and 22 of the bot- _
.45
50
tion of the ball-bearing member is such that toms 6 and 13 respectively of the saucer 5 '
there is no rattling or joggling possible be and the base or holder 14. The sockets 17
tween the saucer and the base, while at the are open to the passage of a ball thereinto
same time the saucer can be readily rotated from the under face of the disc 16 and are
upon the base and when reversed the base can closed to the passage of a ball therethrough
be readily rotated upon the saucer.
_
on that face of the disc 16 from which they
The invention consists, therefore, in a ro project, and the sockets 18 are open to the
2.
1,859,352
passage of a ball thereinto from the upper
face of the disc 16 and closed to the passage
of a ball therethrough on the opposite face
of said disc, or lower face of said disc 16.
19’. The rotary member 5’ di?ers from the
saucer illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 in that
the disc 6’ is surrounded by a ?ange 7’ which
is turned downwardly within a cylindrical
It will be understood that the screw 10 has ?ange 15’ on the holder 14'. The disc 6’ is 70'
screw-threaded engagement with the boss 9 reinforced at 9’ and has screw-threaded en
and bears against the bottom disc 6 of the gagement with a screw 10’ which is internal
saucer 5, so that said screw is rigidly fas ly screw-threaded to be engaged by a screw
tened to the saucer and rotates with it, while 20 which projects through a plate 21. A
the holder 14, or base, and the ball bearing sleeve 22 is interposed between the head 23 of 75
disc 16 are both rotatably mounted upon the » the screw 20 and the bottom 6’ of the'rotary
member 5’ so that by screwing down upon
screw 10.
The balls 19 bear against the adjacent faces 7 the screw 20 the plate 21 will be firmly fas
of the discs 6 and 13 constituting the bottoms tened to the disco6’ and will rotate with it,
of the saucer 5 and of the holder 14. The that is, the member 5’ will rotate with the 80
15
disc 16 is positioned midway between the two
discs ,6‘ and 13.
When the plant support is utilized in the
position illustratedin Fig. 2 then the ?ower
screws 20 and 10’ while the ball-bearing _
be poured into the saucer in the usual man
portion 12’ of the holder 14';
V
in said sockets bearing against the adjacent
member 16’ and the holder 14’ are pivoted
upon the screw 10’ which, when the member
5’ is rotated, is free to turn within the ball
pot is placed in the saucer 5 and water can bearing member 16’ and within the recessed 85
20
~
By the construction illustrated in Fig. 4
ner, the same being watertight, as the piv~
otal screw or stud 10 does not project through a saucer or plate 5’ of glass, or any other de
the bottom disc 6 of the saucer and the saucer sirable material, may be attached to the ro
25 being supported upon the balls 19 can be tary disc 6' and thus be rotatably mounted 90
upon the holder 14' through the medium of
readily rotated upon the holder 14.
It will be seen that the disc 16 is posi the screws 20‘ and 10’ and the ball-bearing
.
'
tioned midway between the bottom 6 of the member 16’ and balls 19’.
I claim:
.
saucer 5 and the bottom 13 of the holder 14
1. A rotary plant support having, in com 95
30 and it will retain that position whether the
device is placed with the saucer uppermost bination, a pair of discs pivotally mounted
or with the support 14 uppermost because the one on the other, a third disc constituting a
sockets 17 prevent the disc 16 from moving spacer pivotally mounted therebetween, said
away fromthe bottom 6 toward the bottom third disc having a series of ball sockets
35 13 and the sockets 18 prevent the disc 16 from therein projecting from each face respective 100
moving away from the bottom 13 and toward ly thereof, the vsaid sockets being open to
the bottom .6, so that in either position the the passage of a ball thereinto from that face
ball-bearing member is held in the same po of said disc opposite ' to that from which
sition relatively to the adjacent discs 6 and they project, and closed to the passage of a
40 13 which constitute the bottoms of the saucer ball therethrough on that face of said disc 105
from which they project, and a series of balls
' ~ .5 and the holder 14 respectively.
The disc 16 constitutes a spacer for the
balls 19 to keep them in the same positions faces of said two ?rst-named discs.
2. A rotary plant support having, in com
relatively to each other and as the disc 16
cannot move toward or away from the discs bination, a sheet metal base comprising a disc 110
45
6 and 13 it follows that the whole device of and a cylindrical ?ange on its periphery, a
the ball-bearing member will be very e?icient saucer comprising a disc‘and a cylindrical
and will prevent at all times any joggling ?ange on its periphery, one of said ?anges
or rattling of the saucer relatively to the hold projecting within the other, the ?ange on the
‘er 13, or vice versa, whether the saucer be up saucer being ?ared outwardly above the 115
permost in use, or whether the holder be up flange on the base to form a concave-convex
upper portion therefor, a ball-bearing mem
permost in use.
' '
The device is operated by rotating the ber and balls interposed between said base
saucer 5 when the device is in the position and saucer, and a pivot upon which said base,
illustrated in Fig. 2, or by rotating the hold— saucer and ball-bearing member are mounted. 120
3. A rotary plant support having, in com
er 14 when the device is in a reversed posi
50
55
tion, that is, with the holder uppermost and bination, a sheet metal base comprising a disc
the saucer underneath and resting upon a and a cylindrical ?ange on its periphery, a
saucer comprising a disc and a cylindrical
’ suitable table or other support.
6,0
In Fig. 4 a modi?ed form of the invention ?ange on its periphery,‘one of said ?anges
is illustrated in which the holder '14’ is sub projecting within the other, the ?ange on the
125
stantially the same as the holder 14 illus saucer being ?ared outwardly above the
trated in Fig. 2, the ball-bearing disc 16’ ?ange on the base to form'a concavo-convex
is the same as the ball-bearing disc 16 in upper portion therefor, a ball-bearing mem
65
Fig. 2, and the same isv true of they balls ber and ballsinterposed between said base
130
3
1,869,852
and saucer, and a stud fast to said saucer other two discs are rotatably mounted, a plate
upon which said base and ball-bearing mem
ber are rotatably mounted.
4:. A rotary plant support having, in com-'
bination, a sheet metal base comprising a
disc and a cylindrical ?ange on its periph
positioned upon the outer face of said ?rst
na-med disc, and a screw projecting through
said plate and into the end of said stud with
which it has screw-threaded engagement, 70
ery, a saucer comprising a disc and a cylin
first-named disc.
drical ?ange on its periphery, one of said
whereby said plate may be clamped to said
‘
7. A rotary plant support having, in com
?anges projecting within the other, the ?ange bination, a sheet metal disc and a cylindrical
10
on the saucer being ?ared outwardly above ?ange on its periphery, a second sheet metal 75
disc and a cylindrical ?ange on its periphery,
convex upper portion therefor, a third disc one of said ?angesprojecting within the
constituting a spacer positioned between said other, a third disc constituting a spacer posi
two ?rst-named discs and having a series tioned between said two ?rst-named discs and
of ball sockets therein projecting from each having a series of ball sockets therein pro 80
the ?ange on the base to form a concavo
15
face respectively thereof, the said sockets jecting from each face respectively thereof,
being open to the passage of a ball thereinto the said sockets being open to the passage
from that face ofsaid disc opposite to that of a ball thereinto from that face of said
from which they project and closed to the disc opposite to that from which they pro
20
passage of a ball therethrough on that face ject and closed to the passage of a ball
of said disc from which they project, a series therethrough on that face of said disc from
of balls in said sockets bearing against the which they project, a series of balls in said
adjacent faces of said two ?rst-named discs, sockets bearing against the adjacent faces
st
and a pivot upon which said discs are of said two ?rst-named discs, a stud fast to
25
mounted.
5. A rotary plant support having, in com
30
said ?rst-named disc upon which said other
90
two discs are rotatably mounted, a plate posi
bination, a sheet metal base comprising a tioned upon the outer face of said ?rst-named
disc and a cylindrical ?ange on its periphery, disc, a screw projecting through said plate
a saucer comprising a disc and a cylindrical and into the end‘ of said stud with which
?ange on its periphery, one of said ?anges ‘it has screw-threaded engagement, and a
projecting within the other, the ?ange on the sleeve interposed between the head of said
saucer being ?ared outwardly above the screw and the ?rst-named disc, whereby said
?ange on the base to form a concavo-convex plate may be fastened thereto.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set
upper portion therefor, a third disc consti
35
tuting a spacer positioned between said two
?rst-named discs and having a series of ball
sockets therein projecting from each face re
my hand.
-
100
FRED H. ALBEE.
spectively thereof, the said sockets being
open to the passage of a ball thereinto from
40
that face of said disc opposite to that from
which they project and closed to the passage
105
of a ball therethrough on that face of said
disc from which they project, a series of balls
in said sockets bearing against the adjacent
45
faces of said two ?rst-named discs, and a
stud fast to said saucer upon which said base
and spacer are rotatably mounted.
110
6. A rotary plant support having, in com
50
55
bination, a sheet metal disc and a cylindrical
?ange on its periphery, a second sheet metal
disc and a cylindrical ?ange on its periphery,
one of said ?anges projecting within the
other, a third disc constituting a spacer posi
tioned between said two ?rst-named discs
and having a series of ball sockets therein
projecting from each face respectively there
of, the said sockets being open to the pas
115
120
sage of a ball thereinto from that face of
said disc opposite to that from which they
60
project and closed to the passage of a ball
125
therethrough on that face of said disc from
which they project, a series of balls in said
sockets bearing against the adjacent faces
65
of said two ?rst-named discs, a stud fast
to said ?rst-named disc upon which said
130