Untitled record

Application filed February 27,1896. Serial No. 581,030. (No model,)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Theron N. Parker, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Im5 proved Stake for Plants or Flowers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to stakes comprising a plurality of separable members, one above io the other; and the object of the invention is to provide in stakes of this character increased efficiency, as well as to secure increased convenience in assembling the members and dismembering the stake, and also 15 to attain increased stability.

The invention consists in the novel features hereinafter particularly described, and defined in the' claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying 20 drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a broken perspective view of a stake embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a 25 plan view of the lowermost member of the stake. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing said lowermost member contracted to decrease the diameter of the top ring, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the topmost member.

. The lower member A of my improved stake is formed of wire, in two parts, each part consisting of a semicircular top a and leg a’ at one end, the leg being of a proper height to enter the ground and support the top at the desired elevation. The opposite end of each semicircular bend a is twisted a number of times around the similar bend of the second part, adjacent to the leg a' of such second part, as at a², the twisted portion thus form40 ing connections between the members and forming the same into an adjustable top ring or frame a. The ring or frame thus formed and hereinafter called a “ring” maybe contracted, as shown in Fig. 3, and the frictional 45 engagement afforded by the twisted ends a²will retain the parts in the adjusted position.

.The lower ends of the legs a' are formed with anchors a^s of substantially triangular form. A member B is provided very similar 50 to the member A, consisting of legs b of a greater height than the legs a', and a top ring b', formed in two parts, united by twisted portions b², as described in connection with the member A. The top ring b' is, however, of less diameter than the ring a of the mem- 55 ber A. In order to provide an efficient stay for the member B, the member A has in its top ring open loops a⁴, that open outward and receive the legs b. By reason of the difference in diameter between the two top rings 60 the legs b must be sprung sufficiently apart to enter the open loops. This arrangement provides an effective stay for the legs b, as readily will be understood, and the open loops also enable me to form anchors b^s on the 65 legs b without interfering with the adjustment or removal of the member Β. I also provide a member 0, which consists of a ring c and legs o'. Preferably this device is formed of two pieces of wire, bent in the 70 center to form half of the top ring or similar loop or frame c, the wires being extended downward at both ends and twisted together, as at c², and then continued downward to form the pairs of legs c'. Said legs are formed 75 at the bottom with hooked ends c³, the hooks projecting outwardly. The legs of each pair may be brought close together, if desired, when storing or shipping the stakes, but when the attachment C is to be applied the 80. legs are forced apart, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and the hooked lower ends c³ are engaged with the next adjacent ring below.

It will be seen the above-described stake is strong, durable, and cheap and its parts 85 are most readily adjusted as desired.

.1 am aware that I am not the first to provide a stake comprising, broadly, two members of different heights, affording an upper and a lower support, the lower member hav- 90 ing a top frame formed with loops for receiving and supporting the legs of the upper member, and such broadly I have not claimed, as prior to my invention stakes were formed of two members of different heights, but the 95 legs of the upper member were received in closed loops in the form of eyes formed in the lower member. My invention and claims relating to this feature are specific to the open loops, which Ide vised for two purposes—first, 100 to permit the legs of the upper member to enter the loops from the side of the lower member at any point in the length of the said legs, instead of requiring to be entered by their

587,231 ends, as is the case with eyes or closed loops, I and, second, to enable me to provide anchors on the legs of the upper member and still permit the stakes to be separated. Anchors on 5 the upper member cannot pass through the eyes or closed loops, and thus the members cannot be separated.