GB2283667A

GB2283667A - Stabilised hanging basket

Info

Publication number: GB2283667A
Application number: GB9323446A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Christopher Kitchen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-11-13
Filing date: 1993-11-13
Publication date: 1995-05-17
Also published as: GB9323446D0

Abstract

A hanging basket system comprises a basket 10, a support 24 for the basket and suspension means 18, 20, 22 for suspending the said basket from the said support, wherein a stabilizer 36 extends from the said basket or suspension means to an adjacent wall to thereby stabilize the said hanging basket. The invention avoids the problem of hanging baskets swaying in response to wind movements and reduces the risk of the basket becoming disconnected from the wall bracket or colliding with an adjacent wall causing damage to both the hanging basket and its contents. The stabilizer may comprise two parts 48, 50 to be joined by a nut-and-bolt 62 via one of several holes 52 - 58 whereby the required length may be adjusted. <IMAGE>

Description

A HANGING BASKET STABILIZER This invention relates to a hanging basket stabilizer.

Conventional hanging baskets are suspended from a support such as a wall bracket which extends horizontally from an adjacent wall. The suspension means usually comprise three elongate supports such as rope or cable or chains spaced equidistantly around the circumference of the hanging basket and each rising inwardly therefrom to join a single loop, which loop is suspended from an arm of the said support that extends at right angles from the adjacent vertical wall.

Thus in use the hanging basket is typically suspended from a wall bracket and sways in response to wind movements. Unfortunately, strong winds often result in the basket being disconnected from the wall bracket or colliding with an adjacent wall causing damage to both the hanging basket and its contents.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome this problem.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a hanging basket comprising a basket, a support for the basket and suspension means for suspending the said basket from the said support, wherein a stabilizer extends from the said basket or suspension means to an adjacent wall to thereby stabilize the said hanging basket.

Preferably, the stabilizer extends from the said basket.

Typically, the said stabilizer is a two piece stabilizer and preferably comprises a wall securing piece and a stabilizing member.

The said wall securing piece may be secured to a single wall or to two walls by extending along the two walls from the corner thereof.

Preferably, the length of the stabilizer can be varied to suit the distance from the wall to the hanging basket.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a hanging basket stabilizer comprising an elongate securing member having at one end thereof a wall securing portion and at the other end thereof a hanging basket securing portion so that the said elongate securing member is operable to stabilize the said basket.

Preferably, the elongate securing member comprises two separate pieces, a wall securing piece and a hanging basket securing piece the two said pieces operable each at one end thereof to be respectively secured to a wall or to a hanging basket and at the other end thereof to be secured to each other and to respectively provide the aforementioned wall securing portion and hanging basket securing portion of an elongate securing member.

Preferably, the length of the elongate securing member may be varied.

Typically, the two pieces may be fitted together at a plurality of positions along the lengths thereof, so as to provide the required overall length of the said elongate securing member.

Preferably, the means by which the said length of the said elongate securing member may be varied is by way of cooperating apertures disposed at intervals along the length of at least one of either the wall securing piece or hanging basket securing piece and with at least one cooperating aperture on both of the said pieces.

Typically, there are a plurality of the said apertures in the said hanging basket securing piece and one said aperture on the wall securing piece.

Typically, the two pieces are secured together by a nut and bolt extending through the two apertures chosen to cooperate to produce the required length of elongate securing member.

All parts of the stabilizer are preferably made of metal but they may also comprise plastic or epoxy resin or other suitable materials.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1. shows a perspective view of a hanging basket and stabilizer.

Referring to fig. 1 a hanging basket 10 comprises a circular upper wire rim 12 having at equally spaced intervals around the circumference a plurality of elongate wire rods, e.g. 14 depending downwardly therefrom which rods converge on a circular lower wire rim 16 at equally spaced intervals around the circumference thereof which lower wire rim is disposed below and centrally of the upper wire rim 12 and parallel therewith. The hanging basket is suspended on three lightweight chains 18,20,22 which are connected to the circular upper rim at equally spaced intervals around the circumference thereof and extend upwardly and convergingly to hang from an L' shaped wall bracket 24.

The 'L' shaped wall bracket 24 comprises a vertically extending wall securing piece 26 and an overhanging piece 28 extending substantially at right angles to the wall from the upper edge of the securing piece and a multi-curved supporting piece extending from the lower end of the wall securing piece to the distal portion of the overhanging piece and defining an elongated 'S' shape in cross section which supporting piece is formed at either end thereof into inwardly spiralled ends 32 and 34, the distal end 32 conveniently forming a support from which the upper ends of the lightweight chains 18,20 and 22 are hung.

A 'T' shaped two piece stabilizer 36 has at the proximal end thereof an elongate horizontally extending wall securing piece 38 and a stabilizing piece 40 extending centrally from the said wall securing piece and at right angles to the wall which is connected at the distal end thereof to the upper rim of the hanging basket by way of hanging basket securing means fitted to the distal end of the said securing piece and comprising two tongues 42 and 44 adapted to pass beneath the upper rim 12 of the hanging basket and further adapted to curve back to thereafter pass back over the rim. Each tongue 42 and 44 being disposed on either side of one of the downwardly extending wire rods 46.

The stabilizing piece 40 consists of a proximal piece 48 and a distal piece 50 which distal piece has spaced at intervals along the length thereof slots 52,54,56 and 58 for cooperating with a slot 60 in the proximal piece 48 by way of a nut and bolt 62. A bolt is provided for securing the two stabilizing pieces together by passing through cooperating slots in the distal and proximal pieces. The choice of cooperating slots to be aligned can be varied in accordance with the length of stabilizer required.

It is envisaged that various modifications and alterations to the invention are possible for instance the stabilizer wall securing piece can be adapted to be secured to a corner of a wall by being formed into an 'L' shape. The tongues forming the wall basket securing means may also be varied for instance a different type would be required for moulded hanging baskets and in this instance a clamp type securing means may be used for passing over and under the rim of the moulded hanging basket and thereafter secured in position.

Claims

1. A hanging basket comprising a basket, a support for the basket and suspension means for suspending the said basket from the said support, wherein a stabilizer extends from the said basket or suspension means to an adjacent wall to thereby stabilize the said hanging basket.

2. A hanging basket according to claim 1 wherein the stabilizer extends from the said basket.

3. A hanging basket according to any preceding claim wherein the said stabilizer is a two piece stabilizer.

4. A hanging basket according to claim 3 wherein the two piece stabilizer comprises a wall securing piece and a stabilizing member.

5. A hanging basket according to claim 4 wherein the said wall securing piece is secured to a single wall.

6. A hanging basket according to claim 4 wherein the wall securing piece is secured to two walls by extending along the two walls from the corner thereof.

7. A hanging basket according to any preceding claim wherein the length of the stabilizer can be varied to suit the distance from the wall to the hanging basket.

8. A hanging basket stabilizer comprising an elongate securing member having at one end thereof a wall securing portion and at the other end thereof a hanging basket securing portion so that the said elongate securing member is operable to stabilize the said basket.

9. A hanging basket stabilizer according to claim 8 wherein the elongate securing member comprises two separate pieces, a wall securing piece and a hanging basket securing piece the two said pieces operable each at one end thereof to be respectively secured to a wall or to a hanging basket and at the other end thereof to be secured to each other and to respectively provide the aforementioned wall securing portion and hanging basket securing portion of an elongate securing member.

10. A hanging basket stabilizer according to claims 8 or 9 wherein the length of the elongate securing member may be varied.

11. A hanging basket stabilizer according to claims 9 or 10 wherein the two piece may be fitted together at a plurality of positions along the lengths thereof, so as to provide the required overall length of the said elongate securing member.

12. A hanging basket stabilizer according to claims 10 of 11 wherein the means by which the said length of the said elongate securing member may be varied is by way of cooperating apertures disposed at intervals along the length of at least one of either the wall securing piece or hanging basket securing piece and with at least one cooperating aperture on both of the said pieces.

13. A hanging basket stabilizer according to claim 12 wherein there are a plurality of the said apertures in the said hanging basket securing piece and one said aperture on the wall securing piece.

14. A hanging basket stabilizer according to any of claims 9 to 13 wherein the two pieces are secured together by a nut and bolt extending through the two apertures chosen to cooperate to produce the required length of elongate securing member.

15. A hanging basket stabilizer according to any of claims 8 to 14 wherein the parts may be made of metal, plastic, epoxy resin or other suitable materials.

16. A hanging basket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. A hanging basket stabilizer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.