# US 5,699,634 A · Christmas tree waterer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,699,634 A - Document ID: US5699634A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/613,471 - Filed: 1996-03-11 - Granted: 1997-12-23 - Earliest claimed: 1996-03-11 - Inventors: Lowell O. Erdahl - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5699634A ## CPC - A47G 33/12: Christmas tree stands {(sockets or holders for poles or posts E04H12/2238)} - A47G 2033/1286: {comprising watering means, e.g. a water reservoir} - A47G: HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT (book-ends A47B5/00; knives B26B) ## Abstract A waterer for supplying water to the basin of a device in which a plant is contained, such as to a tree stand for supporting a Christmas tree. The waterer includes a bottle having a neck with the bottle capable of being inverted such that the neck is received within the basin. The neck includes a cap that may be easily opened and closed. The cap is kept closed while the bottle is being inverted and installed, and is then easily opened to allow the water in the bottle to communicate with the basin. A hook and an adjustable strap are carried on the other end of the bottle for suspending or hanging the bottle from one of the branches of the tree or from another similar object. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A waterer for automatically adding water to a basin to replace water drawn from the basin by a water consuming object, which comprises: (a) a bottle for holding a supply of water, the bottle having a neck at one end; (b) a water outlet provided on the neck of the bottle; and (c) means located on an end of the bottle opposite to the neck for suspending the bottle from above the basin in an inverted position with the neck of the bottle extending down into and being received inside the basin such that the water outlet on the neck of the bottle is beneath a top edge of the basin, wherein the suspension means has an extendible length to allow the suspension means to engage supporting objects located at different heights from the basin. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The waterer of claim 1, wherein the suspension means is flexible relative to the bottle so that its vertical orientation can be changed relative to the bottle when required. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The waterer of claim 2, wherein the suspension means includes a flexible strap. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The waterer of claim 1, wherein the one end of the bottle on which the suspension means is located has a plurality of attachment points for the suspension means. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The waterer of claim 1, further including a cap located on the neck for opening and closing the water outlet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The waterer of claim 5, wherein the bottle is integrally molded from plastic, the cap further being molded from plastic. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The waterer of claim 5, wherein the water outlet is provided in the cap, wherein the cap is made of multiple pieces at least one of which is movable to cover and uncover the water outlet. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The waterer of claim 7, wherein the cap is removably attached to the neck so that the cap can be completely removed from the neck for filling the bottle with water. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The waterer of claim 1, wherein the bottle is made from a transparent material so that the water level within the bottle can be viewed by the user. ### Claim 10 A waterer for automatically adding water to a basin to replace water drawn from the basin by a water consuming object, which comprises: (a) a bottle for holding a supply of water, the bottle having a neck at one end; (b) a water outlet provided on the neck of the bottle; and (c) means located on the bottle for suspending the bottle in an inverted position with the neck of the bottle extending down into and being received inside the basin such that the water outlet on the neck of the bottle is beneath a top edge of the basin, wherein the suspension means includes a hook or hangar received on a member whose length can be adjusted. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The waterer of claim 10, wherein the length adjustable member comprises a flexible strap. ### Claim 12 A waterer for automatically adding water to a basin to replace water drawn from the basin by a water consuming object, which comprises: (a) a bottle for holding a supply of water, the bottle having a neck at one end; (b) a cap on the neck of the bottle having open and closed positions for blocking and permitting water flow through the cap and hence through the neck and from the bottle; and (c) means for suspending the bottle from above the basin in an inverted position with the neck of the bottle extending down into and being received inside the basin, whereby the cap can be placed into its open position after installation of the bottle in its inverted position to allow the water inside the bottle to communicate with the basin, wherein the suspension means has an extendible length to allow the suspension means to engage supporting objects located at different heights from the basin. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The waterer of claim 12, wherein the suspension means includes a hook or hangar received on a strap whose length can be adjusted. ### Claim 14 A waterer for automatically adding water to a basin to replace water drawn from the basin by a water consuming object, which comprises: (a) a bottle for holding a supply of water, the bottle having a neck at one end; (b) a cap on the neck of the bottle having open and closed positions for blocking and permitting water flow through the cap and hence through the neck and from bottle, (c) means for suspending the bottle from above the basin in an inverted position with the neck of the bottle extending down into and being received inside the basin to allow the water inside the bottle to communicate with the basin, wherein the suspension means comprises at least one attachment point located at one end of the bottle that is opposite from the neck; and (d) wherein the neck of the bottle is offset to one side of the bottle such that it can be located at different distances from a predetermined spot in the basin by rotating the bottle 180.degree. about a central vertical axis of the bottle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The waterer of claim 14, wherein one end of the bottle has a plurality of attachment points for the suspension means, and wherein the attachment points are so located relative to the one end of the bottle that at least one attachment point is located proximate the predetermined spot in the basin regardless of whether the bottle has been rotated about its central vertical axis or not. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The waterer of claim 15, wherein the attachment points comprise external vertical projections on the one end of the bottle each having a slot for receipt of the suspension means, and wherein the vertical projections terminate in a common horizontal plane to allow the bottle to be supported by the vertical projections on a flat surface with the bottle being placed in an upright condition for filling the bottle with water.