US2639524A - Marker - Google Patents

Description

'May 26, 1953 |Rv|NG 2,639,524

MARKER Filed Jan. 4, 1950 Arrow 5y Patented May 26, 1953 STATES OFFICE MARKER Albert J. irv ing, Brewster, N. Y; assignor to dermark Gompany, Inc, New York, N. "Y., a cnrporation of New York Application January 4, 1950,, Serial not 136,753

'8 Claims. (01. 40-

This invention relates to marking or identifying devices and more" particularly to such devices which are adapted for use, by way of example, in gardens, flower boxes and the like as identifying markers for plants.

'One of the "objects of "the'prescnt invention is to provide an identifying tag or label combined in a novel manner with a supporting standard of :novel construct-ion.

Another object is to provide a novel device of the above character which is of simple and inexpensive construction and yet extremely reliahlc and durable for both outdoor and indoor use.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an identification card and holdertherefor which may be used in gardens and the like fully exposed to the elementsfor long and indefinite periods without appreciable or detrimental deterioration or other ill effects.

A further object is to provide "a garden label or marker which is novelly constructed in such a manner as to obviate the numerous'disadvantages inherent in "known types of devices used for the same and similar purposes, such as in the type shown in Smith Patent N 0. 1,372,205;

A still further object is to provide a card and support therefor which are novelly constructed and combined so "that the card or even several cards may be readily installed or removed at will from the support, the novel combination thereof being such that accidental removal of the cards is substantially impossible.

The above and further objects and novel features of the present invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with theaccompany'ing drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended asra definition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein like reference char-- acters refer to like parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of one embodiment of the present invention, the same being shown mounted in the1soil1;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of the device of Fig. .1;

Fig; 8 is a front view of the face of the card or label embodied'in the device :of 1.;

Figs. 4 .and 5 are ifrontzandrside elevation views, respectively, showing a .difierent type of card or label mounted on the supporting standard; and

Fig. dis :a front view on an enlarged scale showing the face of the modified card embodied in the deviceof 4..

Only two embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example, in thB1fO1'II1 of identification markers adapted for use in gardens, flower boxes and the like. The novel device as shown comprises only two essential elements, both of which are of utmost structural simplicity and adapted for large scale manufacture at relatively low cost from materials which have excellent weather-resisting characteristics;

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the novel standardor support it for the data-bearing card or tag ll consists of a relatively stiff wire suitably bent at one end and intermediate its ends in' a manner and for-purposes to be hereinafter fully described. In one suitable form for outdoor garden'use, the wire support Hi is made of aluminum and is about inch in diameter. Such a wire has adequate stiffness, is weatherresistant, and is sufficiently malleable to facilitate the necessary bending thereof.

Starting with a straight length of wire or equivalent material, the standard In is formed by bending'the wire intermediate its ends to provide a semi-loop or bulge 12 which preferably, but not necessarily, comprises an upper horizontal loar i4 and an inclined lower bar l5. This provides a bend or bulge having a shape which tends to reduce the force required to insert the standard into the ground "iii while increasing the force required to accidentally dislodge it after it is in pos'ition; The 'bulge or bend 12 also serves to prevent the standard from being hove out of the ground-during frosts or freezing weather. The bend serve the further purposes of indicating how far the standard should be inserted into the ground, and it also tends to prevent turning of the device.

The card holding part at the upper end of the standard or stake 1-0 is formed by bending the wire rearwardly at 11 through an angle of approximately 135 and then executing a reverse bend at 18 through an angle of about or slightly more than An inclined shelf comprisingarms Ill and 2t 'i-s'thus for-med for supporting the datab'eari ng tag or label H. The tip end of the wire support, i. e, the upper end of shelf arm 2!), is then bent forwardly to approximate .a semi-circle and form a hook ll to position and hold the upper end of the label.

The data-bearing card or label is preferably, but not necessarily, made of a tough yet flexible resilient plastic in sheet form. The necessary thickness of these labels is somewhat exaggerated i-n'thedr-awings in itheinterest of clarity. Various known types of plastics, such as vinyl plastics,

wishes his markers to be relatively inconspicuous,

the card may be of a clear green plastic which blends with the foliage and on which the desired data may be written with a yellow or other colored pencil, such as those known commercially as Eagle prismacolor pencils. If a more conspicuous marker is required, a brilliant orange plastic can be used and the writing may be done with a black weather-proof pencil. These are merely examples of relatively extreme possibilities.

The data-bearing card shown in Figs. 1 to 3 forms a novel and advantageous combination with the standard or support above described. The card, shown as being rectangular, may be of any other suitable shape and is provided with a hole 22 at the center thereof near the top edge and an oppositely disposed notch 23 in the bottom edge thereof. The hole 22 is just large enough to slidably receive the hook 2|, and the width or height of the card is such that when the hook is i If desired, the card may be slightly bent and hence under compressed condition when installed so that its edges will be yieldably pressed against the bend of hook 2| and shelf arm I9 by the resiliency inherent in the card. An appreciable effort is then required to snap the bottom edge of the card or label into and out of mounted position. The radius of notch 23, which is shown as being semi-circular, may be somewhat less than the radius of wire It so that it will frictionally grip the latter.

In order to install the card or label I I of Fig. 3 on the wire standard In, the card is held in dotted line position a with the data-bearing face thereof to the left as viewed in Fig. 2 and moved rearwardly to cause the hook 2| to enter hole 22. The card is then tilted rearwardly to dotted line position I? (Fig. 2) and thereafter pivoted about the hook through an angle of 180 in the plane of the card as indicated by dotted lines and the arrows in Fig. 1. When the notch 23 is adjacent bend I'I, the bottom edge of the card is snapped into final position over the slight hump 24. The extent of this hump may be increased by making the angle between arms l9 and 2E) slightly less than a right angle. It is literally impossible to accidentally remove from the standard a card or label thus installed. Even if the bottom edge of the label iS dislodged, the card will almost invariably fall to the hanging position A (Fig. 2) with the wire extending through the hole 22 for loosely support ing the label. If desired, one or more extra labels may be depended from the standard in this manner even when one is mounted in the usual manner above described.

If desired, the label may be installed in in.- verted position from that heretofore described. In other words, the hole 22 may be near the bottom edge of the label and surround the shelf arm I9 while the notch 23 engages hook 2|. To install the label in this manner, the same must be bent 4': slightly to get the upper edge of the card, and hence notch 23, into the hook 2|. This renders installation and removal slightly more difficult, but by the same token the possibility of accidental dislodgment is greatly reduced.

In the embodiment of Figs. 4 to 6, the standard or stake I0 is substantially the same as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, but a modified form of card or label 25 is employed. This card is provided with two oppositely disposed notches 26 and 2'! in the upper and lower edges thereof, respectively. The upper notch 26 engages the inner surface of the bend of the hook 2 and the lower edge is snapped into position over hump 24 for engagement with shelf arm IS in the same manner described above for the mounting of card There is thus provided a novel garden label or marker which is practically indestructible by either human misuse or by the elements under the most adverse weather conditions. The device is constituted by only two weather-proof elements or parts which may be separately constructed and readily combined in a simple and inexpensive manner. The label is capable of carrying data in a legible condition through all kinds of weather and for long periods of time without smudging or weathering away, and is so supported as to be readily visible to an observer standing erect. The novel mounting of the label is also such that the face thereof is not apt to be spattered with mud, but any dirt collecting thereon will be easily washed off by falling rain or water from a sprinkler. The label per se may be used and re-used an indefinite number of times on the same or different standards, and new labels may be readily and quickly installed. The cards or labels shown in Fig. 3 may be attached to plants by means of a wire or string extending through the hole 22 or to flower boxes and the like by means of a tack through said hole. Additionally, the novel support and combination provided by the invention is such that substantially the entire face of the card is unobstructed by the support.

Although only a limited number of embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated in the drawings and described in the foregoing specification, it is to be expressly understood that the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the label or tag may be formed in other shapes and may be made of other materials, such as metal, wood, fibre board, etc. If desired, the required data may be permanently embossed on or otherwise applied to the tag. Also, the stake or standard may be made of materials other than aluminum. The shape thereof need not be cylindrical, and the angles which arms I9 and 20 make with the vertical may be varied as desired. Vari ous other changes may also be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inven-v tion as will now be understood by those skilled in the art. For a definition of the limits of the invention, reference is had primarily to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

identifying marker and the like comprising a standard made from a unitary length of rod-like material having an end portion thereof bent to form a hook and having spaced reverse bends intermediate its ends to form a laterally extending arm with a surface facing the inner surface of said hook and a laterally offset portion connecting said hook and bends, the longitudinal axis of said bent end portion of the standard bemgin a common plane and a card of sheet material having a hole adjacent one edge thereof through which the standard extends, said card being supported edgewise between said surfaces with the periphery of said hole engaging one of said surfaces and the remote opposite edge of said sheet engaging the other of said surfaces.

2. An identifying marker as defined in claim 1 wherein said remote opposite edge of the card has a notch therein engaging said other surface.

3. An identification marker or the like comprising a standard made from a unitary bar of stiff but bendable material having a supporting leg and an end portion bent to form a shelf comprising a first arm extending rearwardly and downwardly from the upper end of said leg when the latter is vertical, a second arm extending upward- 1y from the lower end of said first arm and a forwardly extending hook at the upper end of said second arm, the open side of said hook facing said first arm and the longitudinal axis of said leg, arms and hook being in a common plane, and a stiff resilient data bearing sheet interposed edgewise between the adjacent surfaces of said hook and said first arm for support by said shelf, said sheet and bar cooperating to hold the sheet against edgewise movement relative to said shelf.

4. An identification marker comprising a standard constituted by a single stiff Wire having bends in an end portion thereof constituting means for supporting a data bearing card, said wire comprising a first portion adapted to extend into the ground, a portion offset laterally from said first portion, one end of said offset portion being connected to said first portion by reverse bends in said wire, and a bend at the other end of said offset portion forming a hook, the open side of which faces said reverse bends, the longitudinal axis of the wire constituted by said portions and bends being in a common plane.

5. An identification marker comprising in combination a standard as defined in claim 4 and a resilient data bearing card supported edgewise under compression between the bights of said hook and one of said reverse bends, said standard and card cooperating to hold said card against edgewise movement.

6. An identification marker as defined in claim 6 5 wherein said wire is cylindrical and the edge surfaces of the card engaging the wire are arcuate to partially surround and closely engage the curved surface of the wire.

7. A standard for an identification marker eonstituted by a singe stiff wire comprising a first portion, an intermediate portion bent back upon said first portion so that the angle therebetween is less than a right angle, a second portion joined to said intermediate portion by a reverse bend, and a bend forming a hook at the free end of said second portion, said hook being on the same side of the latter as said intermediate portion and the open side of the hook facing said intermediate portion, whereby edge surfaces of a data bearing card may engage the bight of said hook and said intermediate portion for support, the longitudinal axis of the part of said wire constituted by said portions and bends being in a common plane.

8. An identification marker comprising a standard as defined in claim 7 and a data card. extending edgewise between said bight and said intermediate portion, said card having a hole adj acent one edge thereof through which the standard extends, a portion of the periphery of said hole and the remote opposite edge of the card being engaged with said bight and said intermediate portion and said hole and wire being shaped to permit the card to revolve on the wire.

ALBERT J. IRVING.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 343,365 Daniels June 8, 1896 2,052,030 Holzer Aug. 25, 1936 2,155,992 Menachof Apr. 25, 1939 2,168,912 Meyer Aug. 8, 1939 2,556,825 Smith June 12, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 26,131 Great Britain Nov. 19, 1896 303,249 Great Britain Jan. 3, 1929 593,236 Great Britain Oct. 10, 1947

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