Apparatus for packaging potted plants
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Potted plants are normally packaged for shipment by growers or retailers in protective, tapered, paper sleeves. To facilitate the packaging of smaller potted plants in the sleeves, a packaging device, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,079, can be employed. In accordance with that patent, the potted plant is placed on a support that is mounted on the top of a vertical column. A group of nested paper sleeves are located around the column beneath the plant and the innermost sleeve is then drawn upwardly around the plant to bring the lower end of the sleeve into engagement with the pot to enclose the plant. 
     While the packaging device as disclosed in the aforementioned patent, has proven very successful with smaller plants, or plants with light foliage, it has not been adaptable for plants having heavy foliage, or foliage that drapes downwardly around the pot. 
     Because of this, it has been the practice by growers and retailers to manually insert the potted plants with heavy foliage into the paper sleeves. The manual process is normally carried out by two people, with one person holding the plant and the second holding the sleeve in an open condition. The sleeve is then moved upwardly around the plant. The manual packaging of plants is a tedious and time-consuming operation and frequently the heavy or draping foliage is trapped between the rim of the pot and the sleeve, causing the foliage to be broken or damaged. 
     Therefore, there has been a need for a simple and effective packaging device, which can be employed to package potted plants with heavy foliage. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is directed to an apparatus for packaging potted plants and has particular application to the packaging of plants having heavy foliage, or plants having foliage the drapes downwardly over the pot. 
     The apparatus includes a base and a vertical column extends upwardly from the base and terminates in a generally flat plant support plate, which is adapted to support the potted plant. One or more open-ended, tapered paper sleeves are disposed around the vertical column and are located beneath the plant support. 
     A ring, having a diameter greater than the diameter of the rim of the pot, is aligned above the plant support, and is mounted for movement on a second vertical column that is parallel to the first column. The ring carries an open-ended, flexible, bag and the lower end of the bag has a smaller diameter than the upper end and contains an expandable elastic band. 
     To facilitate movement of the ring and bag on the second vertical column, a counterweight can be connected to the ring to counterbalance its weight and maintain the ring at any desired position along the length of the column. In addition, a frictional element can be interposed between the collar that carries the ring and the column to prevent free movement of the collar and ring relative to the column and retain the ring in a given position. 
     In operation, the bag is initially located at a lower position, in which the upper end of the bag and the ring are located slightly above the plant support. The potted plant is then positioned on the support and the ring is drawn upwardly around the pot and around the plant, folding the foliage inwardly. The smaller diameter lower end of the bag will expand as it moves upwardly around the pot, and the upward movement of the ring is terminated when the lower end of the bag is slightly above the rim of the pot. In this position, the foliage of the plant is fully contained within the bag. 
     The sleeve is then drawn upwardly around the bag until the lower end of the sleeve engages the pot, and the bag is then withdrawn upwardly from the sleeve to complete the operation. The foliage is thus fully contained within the protective sleeve. 
     As a feature of the invention, a second ring can be mounted on the second column and positioned around the first column. The sleeves are contained within the second ring and thus will be maintained in an open condition. 
     The apparatus of the invention greatly facilitates the packaging of potted plants having heavy foliage in the protective paper sleeve. The packaging can be done by a single operator. 
     As the foliage is drawn or folded upwardly as the bag is drawn around the pot, there is no possibility of the foliage being trapped between the rim of the pot and the protective sleeve. Thus, the apparatus provides an effective method of packaging plants with minimum damage to the plants. 
     Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of the following description. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention. 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus of the invention with the bag being shown in a lower position; 
     FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the bag in the upper position and containing the foliage on the plant; 
     FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the paper sleeve drawn upwardly around the bag; 
     FIG. 4 is a view taken along line 4--4 in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a horizontal section taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section showing the frictional engagement of the slide to the column. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT 
     The drawings illustrate an apparatus for packaging potted plants, and in particular to the packaging of potted plant having heavy or downwardly hanging foliage. The apparatus includes a base 1, which is to be mounted on a suitable foundation, and a tubular metal sleeve 2 extends upwardly from the base and receives the lower end of a vertical column 3. Bolt 4 extends through aligned openings in sleeve 2 and column 3 to maintain the column within the sleeve. 
     Mounted on the upper end of column 3 is a generally flat plant support 5 having an upper surface 6 of rubber or plastic material to support the pot 7 containing a plant 8. The upper rubber layer 6 provides a non-skid surface which will prevent the pot from sliding from the support 5. 
     Plant 8 is shown as having heavy, downwardly hanging foliage which drapes downwardly beyond the rim 9 of pot 7. 
     Located around column 3 is a group of nested, tapered, paper sleeves 10. The lower ends of sleeves 10 have a smaller diameter than the upper ends and are provided with a diameter, such that they will engage the outer tapered surface of the pot 7, as the sleeves are drawn upwardly around the pot during the packaging operation. 
     Extending upwardly from base 1 is a second metal sleeve 10a, which receives the lower end of a second vertical column 11 that is parallel to column 3. Bolt 12 extends through aligned openings in the sleeve 10a and column 11 to maintain the column in engagement with the sleeve. 
     Columns 3 and 11 are preferably formed with a square cross section. A slide 13 of similar cross section is mounted for movement on column 11, and a ring 14 is removably connected to slide 13. As shown in FIG. 4, the axis of the ring is aligned with the plant support 5 and column 3. 
     To mount the ring 14 to the slide 13, a generally L-shaped arm 15 projects outwardly from the ring and the vertical section 16 of arm 15 is received within a socket 17 attached to slide 13. Both the section 16 and socket 17 have a non-circular cross section, such as a square cross section, to prevent rotation of the arm 15 relative to the slide 13 and maintain the ring in alignment with the plant support. 
     A flexible open-ended bag 18 is carried by ring 14. The upper edge of the bag 18 is secured to the ring, while an elastic cord or band 19, is secured to the lower end of the bag to provide the lower end of the bag with a smaller diameter than the upper end. The ring 14 and the upper end of bag 18 have a larger diameter than the rim 9 of pot 7, while the lower end of the bag, in its contracted state, has a smaller diameter than the rim 9 of pot 7. 
     To lock ring 14 at any given location on column 11, a threaded thumb screw 21 extends through an opening in slide 13 and is engaged with the column 11. 
     To counterbalance the weight of the ring 14 and slide 13, a counterbalancing system is employed. In this regard, one end of a cable 22 is attached to an eye 23 on the upper end of slide 13. The cable passes around a pulley 24 mounted on the upper end of column 11, and then downwardly within the interior of the column. The opposite end of the cable is attached to a counterweight which takes the form of an elongated rod 25. The counterweight acts to counterbalance the weight of the ring 14 and slide 13, so that the ring can be more easily lifted by the operator. 
     In order to hold the slide 13 and ring 14 at a given location on column 11, a frictional element or strip 26 is mounted within the slide and is engaged with the outer surface of column 11, as seen in FIG. 6. The upper and lower ends 27 and 28 of the strip 26 project outwardly of the respective ends of the slide and are bent outwardly to retain the strip within the slide. The strip 26 is provided with a series of undulations or bends which provide a biasing action to increase the frictional engagement of the slide 13 with the column 11 
     As a feature of the invention, the nest of sleeves 10, can be maintained in alignment beneath the plant support 5 by a second ring 30 which is mounted on column 11 and preferably has a rectangular shape, as shown in FIG. 5. An L-shaped arm 31 is connected to the ring and the vertical section 32 of the arm is received within a socket 33 attached to collar 34 that is secured to column 11 via a threaded thumb screw 35. The section 32, as well as the socket 33, have mating non-circular cross sections to prevent rotation of the arm 31 and ring 30 relative to the column 11 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the axis of ring 30 is aligned with column 3, thus maintaining the sleeves 10 in alignment with the plant support 5 and making it easier for an operator to grasp one of the sleeves and draw it upwardly. 
     FIG. 1 shows the initial stage of operation, with the nest of sleeves 10 disposed around the lower end of column 3 and the ring 14 positioned at a level slightly beneath the plant support 5. The lower end of the bag hangs downwardly to a position slightly above the upper end of the sleeves 10. 
     The pot 7 containing plant 8 is then positioned on support 5 and the ring 14, along with the bag 18, is moved upwardly around the plant, causing the foliage to be folded upwardly and inwardly as the bag is moved upwardly. The lower end of bag 18 will engage the outer surface of pot 7 and due to the elastic cord 19 will expand outwardly as it moves upwardly over the pot. The upward movement of the ring 14 and bag 18 is terminated when the lower end of the bag is slightly above the upper rim 9 of the pot 7, as illustrated in FIG. 2. In this condition the foliage has been drawn upwardly and is contained within the bag 18. 
     One of the nested sleeves 10 is then drawn upwardly around the pot 7 and around the bag 18, as shown in FIG. 3, until the lower end of the sleeve engages and is wedged against the outer surface of pit 7. In this condition, the bag 18 is fully contained within the outer sleeve, so that the bag can then be moved upwardly out of the sleeve, as shown in FIG. 3, resulting in the entire plant 8 being contained within the sleeve 10. 
     With the apparatus of the invention, the plant 8 can be packaged in the protective sleeve 10 without damage to the plant, for there is no possibility of the downwardly hanging foliage being trapped between the sleeve and the upper rim 9 of the pot 7. 
     As a further advantage, the plant can be packaged by a single operator, and in a much shorter period of time than that required for the manual packaging of plants, as done in the past. 
     Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.