US3896587A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Nursery pot having improved drainage
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1973-06-25
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Granted: 1975-07-29
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Expires: 1993-06-25
Abstract
Abstract A nursery pot for use in growing, transporting and displaying plants or other flora is formed from a low density plastic material and is constructed to permit proper drainage of irrigating water and to prevent the formation of water spores particularly in the bottom thereof. The pot is characterized by a ridge about three-fourth inch from the bottom called a shadow block and impact shelf which both shades the drainage holes from direct sun, thus discouraging fungus growth, and also provides a shock absorber to protect the drainage holes from splitting as a result of abusive handling. The junction between the sidewalls and the bottom forms a smooth curve and contains four circumferentially spaced drainage holes, each hole encompassing a portion of the sidewall and extending partially into the bottom of the pot. The bottom of the pot includes a raised dome portion of sufficient diameter to cause excess irrigating water to drain from the center of the pot toward the drainage holes. The ports are color coded for efficient nursery management. The use of light color pots reduces destructive heat buildup within the pots.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles J Insalaco
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 22:45
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01G; A01G9/00; A01G9/02; A01G9/021
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
304 words
An open topped plastic nursery pot of circular cross section having a substantially vertical sidewall which is tapered slightly from the top thereof so that the top of said pot is of slightly larger horizontal cross section than is the lower portion thereof in order to permit convenient stacking of a plurality of said pots, a bottom portion of reduced diameter from the remainder of said pot, said bottom portion having a horizontally extending base member and a wall member joining said base member to the lowermost extension of said sidewall, said wall member being shaped so as to be concave with respect to the centerline of the pot adjacent said base member and convex with respect to the centerline of the pot adjacent said sidewall, a plurality of drainage holes circumferentially spaced about the bottom portion of said pot coextensive with the concave portion of said wall member, said drainage holes extending parTially into said wall member above the concave portion thereof and partially into said base member, each of said drainage holes being substantially quadrilateral in shape, the shape of said wall member, and said drainage holes, rendering said bottom portion more readily flexible than the remainder of said pot, the center portion of said base member being slightly elevated and extending a short distance into the inside of said pot with respect to the radially outer portion of said base member to form a circular dome which is joined to the radially outer portion of said base member by an outwardly sloping circumferential wall, the junction between the lowermost extension of said sidewall and the convex portion of said wall member forming a circumferential fillet which overhangs said drainage holes and shields said drainage holes from direct sunlight during the time of the day when the sun is near its zenith.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
304 words
An open topped plastic nursery pot of circular cross section having a substantially vertical sidewall which is tapered slightly from the top thereof so that the top of said pot is of slightly larger horizontal cross section than is the lower portion thereof in order to permit convenient stacking of a plurality of said pots, a bottom portion of reduced diameter from the remainder of said pot, said bottom portion having a horizontally extending base member and a wall member joining said base member to the lowermost extension of said sidewall, said wall member being shaped so as to be concave with respect to the centerline of the pot adjacent said base member and convex with respect to the centerline of the pot adjacent said sidewall, a plurality of drainage holes circumferentially spaced about the bottom portion of said pot coextensive with the concave portion of said wall member, said drainage holes extending parTially into said wall member above the concave portion thereof and partially into said base member, each of said drainage holes being substantially quadrilateral in shape, the shape of said wall member, and said drainage holes, rendering said bottom portion more readily flexible than the remainder of said pot, the center portion of said base member being slightly elevated and extending a short distance into the inside of said pot with respect to the radially outer portion of said base member to form a circular dome which is joined to the radially outer portion of said base member by an outwardly sloping circumferential wall, the junction between the lowermost extension of said sidewall and the convex portion of said wall member forming a circumferential fillet which overhangs said drainage holes and shields said drainage holes from direct sunlight during the time of the day when the sun is near its zenith.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
A nursery pot as in claim 1 and including a plurality of narrow, vertically extending ribs located about the outside of said pot on the sidewall thereof and extending from immediately adjacent the top of the pot to a point approximately between one-third and one-fourth of the vertical height of said pot.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
A nursery pot as in claim 2 in which there is formed at the bottommost point of said ribs a second circumferential fillet in the sidewall of said pot.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
62 words
A nursery pot as in claim 1 and including a circumferential lip portion extending horizontally from and in the plane defined by the topmost extension of said sidewall, a short ring shaped member extending vertically downward from the outermost periphery of said circumferential lip portion, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced support tabs joining the lip portion and the ring shaped member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
A nursery pot as in claim 1 in which said pot is constructed from polyethylene of a thickness of 0.055 inch.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
A nursery pot as in claim 1 in which said circumferential fillet is approximately 0.75 inch above said base member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
A nursery pot as in claim 1 in which the plurality of drainage holes consists of four trapezoidal shaped drainage holes evenly spaced about the circumference of said pot, the corners of said drainage holes being rounded to reduce splitting of said pot.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
A nursery pot as in claim 7 in which said trapezoidal shaped drainage holes extend about 1 inch in the horizontal direction and about three-eighths inch in the vertical direction.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-07-28 | 1979-01-27 | 1979-07-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-07-28 | 1983-01-27 | 1983-07-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-07-28 | 1987-01-27 | 1987-07-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |