Process for forming a paper, burlap or cloth flower pot cover

• US 5,076,874 A
• Filed: 09/15/1989
• Issued: 12/31/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Highland Supply Corporation
• Original Assignee: Highland Supply Corporation
• Inventors: Weder, Donald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Simmons, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGEL, JAMES J
• Application Number:
  US07/407,871
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 428/36.1, 428/34.2, 428/35.6, 428/35.7, 47/66, 47/72, 156/212, 156/224, 156/245, 206/423
• US Class Current: 156/212
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 7/085 made of flexible sheets of non-resilient material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/08 Deep drawing or matched-mould forming, i.e. using mechanical means only
• CPC Class Codes: B31F 1/0077 Shaping by methods analogous to moulding, e.g. deep drawing techniques
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/52 for living plants; for growing bulbs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1028 by bending, drawing or stretch forming sheet to assume shape of configured lamina while in contact therewith
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1048 to form dished or receptacle-like product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1362 Textile, fabric, cloth, or pile containing [e.g., web, net, woven, knitted, mesh, nonwoven, matted, etc.]

Abstract

A flower pot cover made by placing a sheet of natural or synthetic burlap or combinations thereof, natural or synthetic fiber or combinations thereof, or paper over a material capable of being formed into a predetermined shape by forming a plurality of overlapping folds in said material and then forming at least the two materials simultaneously into the predetermined shape of the flower pot cover.

A flower pot cover comprising a sheet of natural or synthetic burlap or combinations thereof, natural or synthetic fiber or combinations thereof, or paper treated with a shape-sustaining agent to retain the predetermined shape of the flower pot cover.

Claims

1. A method for making a flower pot cover having an outer peripheral surface comprising:

placing a first sheet of material comprising a non-shape sustaining material selected from a group consisting of a natural or synthetic burlap or combination thereof, a natural or synthetic fiber or combination thereof, or paper over a second sheet of material selected form the group of materials consisting of a man-made processed organic polymer film or cellophane or combination thereof;

forming the first and the second sheets of material simultaneously into a predetermined shape of the flower pot cover with the first sheet of material forming the outer peripheral surface of the flower pot cover by forming overlapping folds in the first and the second sheets of material, the overlapping folds in the second sheet of material being interleaved with the overlapping folds in the first sheet and material for cooperating to connect the second sheet of material tot he fist sheet of material and the overlapping folds in the second sheet of material cooperating to maintaining the first and the second sheets of material in the predetermined shape of the flower pot cover, and

applying means, either before, during or after the forming of the first and the second sheets of material, to at least one of the first and second sheets of material whereby portions of the overlapping folds of the second sheet of material which contact other portions of the second sheet of material are substantially connected.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second sheet of material is further defined to comprise a material which substantially seals to itself when heat is applied thereto, and wherein the step of applying means to the second sheet further comprises:

applying a sufficient amount of heat to the second sheet of material while forming the first and the second sheets of material into the predetermined flower pot cover whereby the portions of the overlapping folds of the second sheet of material which contact other portions of the second sheet of material are substantially sealingly connected.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

connecting the first sheet of material to the second sheet of material prior to forming the first and the second sheets of material into the predetermined shape of the flower pot cover.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second sheet of material is defined further as being substantially waterproof.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the first sheet of material is defined further as being substantially non-waterproof.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second sheet of material is defined further as being substantially non-shaped sustaining.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first sheet of material is defined further as being substantially non-shape sustaining.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein a substantial portion of the overlapping folds in the second sheet are connected.

9. The method of claim 1 in which the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material are not secured together prior to the forming step.

10. The method of claim 5 in which the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material are not secured together prior to the forming step.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the shape-sustaining agent comprises starch.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the shape-sustaining agent comprises sugar.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the shape-sustaining agent comprises glue.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

placing the first sheet of material treated with the shape-sustaining agent over a second sheet of material before the material is formed into the flower pot cover and forming a flower pot cover from the first sheet of treated material and the second sheet of material.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the second sheet of material is waterproof.

11. A method for making a flower pot cover, comprising:

treating a first sheet of material selected from a group of materials comprising a non-shape sustaining natural or synthetic or burlap or combination thereof, a non-shape sustaining natural or synthetic fiber or combinations thereof, or paper with a shape-sustaining agent capable of imparting a dead fold characteristic to the firs sheet of material whereby the first sheet of material is capable of being formed into a predetermined shape of the flower pot cover by forming a plurality of overlapping folds in the first sheet of material wherein the overlapping folds cooperate to provide the structural integrity for cooperating to hold the first sheet of material in the predetermined shape of the flower pot cover; and

forming the first sheet of material into a predetermined shape of the flower pot cover by forming overlapping folds int he first sheet of material, the overlapping folds in the first sheet of material cooperating to maintain the first sheet of material int he predetermined shape of the flower pot cover.