Vertically adjustable cantilever plant holder

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/962,921 filed Aug. 1, 2007, entitled “Cantilever Post Rack for Holding Plants or Other Objects,” which is incorporated by reference into the instant application in its entirety as if set forth verbatim.

The present invention relates generally to support racks, and more particularly to a fixture-free vertically adjustable cantilever support device for holding plants or other objects.

Many patios, porches, decks, gazebos and the like contain vertical structural posts that are bare and unattractive. One popular way to improve the appearance of these types of posts is to hang plants or ornamental objects on them. For example, many potted plants have wires that can be hung on screws, threaded hooks or other fixtures anchored to a wooden post. Similarly, there are many plant hangers and plant racks that can be anchored to a wooden post using fasteners such as screws or nails. Finally, it is also possible to attach one or more brackets to a post and use the brackets to support a shelf or rack on which plants or decorative objects are placed. Generally, holes must first be drilled before screws or other hardware are used to fasten the bracket to the post.

Unfortunately, all of these solutions suffer from several significant drawbacks. First, all of these solutions necessarily entail damaging the post by making permanent holes in it. Second, the location of the plant is not freely adjustable in the sense that new holes must be made each time the plant is moved. Once the plant is anchored in one location on the post, many people will be reluctant to move it because doing so would reveal the unsightly hole used to anchor the plant. Further, moving the plant would also require making a new hole at the new location to provide a new anchor point. A third significant disadvantage of these known solutions is that they only work on posts that are made of wood or other materials in which holes are easily made. Finally, a fourth drawback of these solutions is that the fixtures used to support the plant or plant rack/shelf are generally unattractive. For example, large metal hooks or sturdy metal brackets protruding from a wooden post can detract from the aesthetics the plant was intended to provide.

Accordingly, there is a long felt but unsolved need for a way to decorate a post with plants or other objects that does not require damaging the post by making holes in it, or the use of unattractive permanent fixtures. There is also a long felt but unsolved need for a device for supporting plants that can be used on posts in which holes cannot easily be made.

The present invention is directed to a vertically adjustable cantilever plant holder that satisfies these needs. The plant holder includes a cantilever bracket with two parallel planar braces, each having a raised rear portion extending upward from an elongated front portion. The raised rear portion of each brace has a horizontal aperture spaced above the elongated front portion and passing completely through the raised rear portion in a direction perpendicular to the elongated front portion. The elongated front portion includes a flat horizontal upper surface. A shelf is fastened to the upper surface of the elongated front portion of each brace. The shelf has a rear edge adjacent to the raised rear portions of each brace.

A transverse pin is removably mated with the horizontal aperture in each brace so that when the plant holder is installed on a vertical post, the transverse pin frictionally engages with a first rear surface of the post while the rear edge of the shelf frictionally engages with an opposite second front surface of the post. Due solely to this frictional engagement, which increases as weight on the shelf increases, the plant holder is secured in a stationary position on the post. The plant holder is thus vertically adjustable by tilting the elongated front portions of the braces upward to decrease or eliminate the frictional engagement between the plant holder and the post so that the plant holder can be moved along the post from a first position to a second position.

In a preferred embodiment, the plant holder is made entirely of wood and the shelf consists of three slightly spaced apart wooden slats fastened to the upper surface of the braces. The slats are perpendicular to the elongated front portion of the braces and extend substantially beyond the braces. The raised rear portion of each brace extends angularly upward and rearward from elongated front portion. The transverse pin is a round wooden dowel that mates with round apertures in the raised rear portion of each brace. The horizontal distance between the transverse pin and the rear edge of the shelf is equal to the width of the vertical post to which the plant holder will be secured. The distance between the parallel braces is equal to slightly more than the width of the post.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a vertically adjustable cantilever plant holder with a slatted shelf.

FIG. 2 shows a left elevation view of the plant holder of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a top plan view of the plant holder of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a right elevation view of the plant holder of FIG. 1.

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