Method and device for making wire baskets

A method for making a wire basket, comprising:

• a) providing a traverse apparatus comprising a traverse guide and a wire feed movable along a length of the traverse guide, for delivery of wire through the wire feed;
• b) providing a rotatable spinning fixture for winding wire thereon, the spinning fixture comprising a top plate with an outer periphery and at least three arms attached at a top end at the periphery of the top plate, the at least three arms projecting downwardly at an angle theta relative to the vertical, and positioning the spinning fixture such that the at least three arms are orientated parallel to the traverse guide;
• and
• c) winding a preselected pattern of wire onto the spinning fixture by rotating the spinning fixture while selectively moving the wire feed along the length of the traverse guide.

A wire basket for firmly securing the root ball of an agricultural product removed from the ground, the wire basket comprising:

• a continuous wire structure forming a basket-shape, the continuous wire structure formed from a single, continuous length of wire that forms diamond shaped openings in the continuous wire structure;
• the continuous wire structure having an open top configured to allow a stem of the agricultural product to extend outwardly through the open top and a closed bottom configured to encompass the root ball;
• the continuous wire structure configured to allow the continuous wire structure to be tightened around an interior lining of a material surrounding the root ball to hold the root ball intact;
• the continuous wire structure having an upper circumference formed from upper loops of the single, continuous length of wire, the loops forming the open top of the wire basket;
• a tie laced through the upper loops,
• wherein the upper circumference is configured to be reduced when the tie laced through the upper loops, is tightened, and
• wherein the upper loops are configured to bend as the upper loops are collectively pulled together around the agricultural product.

A method of using a wire basket to firmly secure a root ball of an agricultural product, the method comprising:

• providing a continuous wire structure forming a basket-shape, the structure formed from a single, continuous length of wire that forms diamond shaped openings between the single, continuous length of wire;
• the continuous wire structure having an open top configured to allow a stem of the agricultural product to extend outwardly through the open top and a closed bottom configured to encompass the root ball;
• the continuous wire structure configured to allow the continuous wire structure to be tightened around an interior lining of a material surrounding the root ball to hold the root ball intact;
• the continuous wire structure having an upper circumference formed from upper loops of the single, continuous length of wire, the loops forming the open top of the wire basket;
• providing a tie;
• lacing the tie through the upper loops of the continuous wire structure;
• placing the wire basket around the root ball of the agricultural product, wherein the wire basket has an exterior framework of a symmetrically patterned basket-shaped grid structure forming the diamond shaped openings;
• wherein the agricultural product extends through the open top of the continuous wire structure with the root ball within the closed bottom of the continuous wire structure;
• tightening the continuous wire structure around an interior lining of a material surrounding the root ball to hold the root ball intact
• wherein the tightening of the continuous wire structure is accomplished by tying an upper circumference formed from upper loops of the single, continuous length of wire, the loops forming the open top of the basket shape of the structure before any tightening of the structure around the lining and root ball, wherein the upper loops are configured to be tightened by pulling the tie laced through the upper loops, the tightening with the tie causing the loops to bend as they are collectively pulled together toward and around the top of the agricultural product at the point at which the stem of the product extends from the root ball, the tightening further causing the continuous wire structure to stretch and constrict around the lining and root ball to hug it tightly.