Curly ribbon product making machine

Details Curly ribbon product making machine Curly ribbon product making machine

2000-05-30

2002-03-26

Vanatta, Amy B. (Department: 3765)

Textiles: manufacturing

Textile product fabrication or treatment

Of thread interlaced article or fabric

C223S046000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06360413

ABSTRACT:

DESCRIPTION
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a ribbon curling machine and more particularly to both a hand operated ribbon curling machine and an automatic ribbon curling machine for producing a multiple curled ribbon decorative product where the ribbons overlie each other and are attached together. In some embodiments the curled ribbons are attached to a self sticking backing card or a bow or a display holding card or the like.
2. Background of the Invention
As is known to those skilled in this technology, there are sundry ways in which to curl ribbon of the type that are typically used to decorate packages, flowers/cookie baskets and the like. One of the more arcane methods of curling is by sliding the ribbon over a knife-edge or any other object where the ribbon slides over a friction surface. For example the simple operation of sliding the ribbon over the edge of ordinary pair of scissors causes the ribbon, be it paper or plastic, to curl. This obviously has limitations, such as being slow, typically done for a single ribbon, and in the more common usage the practice was to curl the end portions of a typical decorative bow. Other types of curling has been done by hand-held curling tools as those described In U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,452 granted on Mar. 28, 1995; U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,145 granted on Oct. 25, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,417 granted on Apr. 18, 1995 to Fredric Goldstein, one of the joint inventors of this patent application. Obviously, like the scissors described above, the curling tools disclosed in the immediately aforementioned patents all would require tedious curling and assembly of the curled ribbon strands.
In more recent years, the curling of the ribbon has become automated where a drawing apparatus draws the ribbon to be in frictional engagement with an edge to impart a curl to the ribbon and stripping mechanism that permits the mass production of the curled ribbon which can then be utilized for different types of applications. Examples of this type of mass produced curled ribbon is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,492 granted on May 21, 1996, U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,752 granted on Jan. 27, 1998 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,081 granted on Jun. 29, 1999 to Fredric Goldstein, a co-inventor of this patent application.
Also, we are aware of other machines that has the ability of making a curled product that has certain similarities to the end product of this invention and is made by an entirely different method. In one instance, a reciprocal sliding mechanism includes a clamp that holds a ribbon while it is drawn over a stapling device. The ribbon is laid over itself to form a stack of curled ribbons and a stapling device staples the ribbon to a backing card and the cycle is repeated.
This invention is primarily concerned with the curled ribbon that is packaged in one or a number of configurations including the configuration as shown in
FIG. 1
of this patent application (curly ribbon). As noted therein, this curled ribbon ribbon product has four (4) curled ribbons
2
each of which are stapled in the center via staple
4
. This makes eight (8) strands of curled ribbons
3
emanating from staple
4
. Obviously, when a given length of ribbon is attached intermediate the ends of the ribbon by a staple, the portions of the ribbon emanating from the staple forms two (2) strands. In this end curly ribbon product card
5
and ribbons
2
are stapled together. The card which is designed to hang in a display rack may include one surface (not shown) coated with a glue and a paper cover that is removable to uncover the glued surface for sticking to a package and the front surface may include indicia, such as a logo, price, etc. Obviously, in other embodiments the card may be replaced by or made complementary to other devices or objects such as a bow, ribbon, sting etc. It obviously should be understood that the
FIG. 1
end product is simply one example of an end product of a curly ribbon product. The end product could include as many strands as desired, and it is typical that more than eight (8) strands are formed to make-up the end product.
In one embodiment of this invention, the apparatus for making this product is portable and hand-operated and in an other embodiment of this invention, the product is automatically produced. It will be appreciated that in both embodiments, the ribbon is wrapped around a drum or rotor as it is rotated about an axis either by hand or a motor and that at discreet locations on the drum are provided mechanism for clamping the ribbons onto the drum, stapling the ribbons and card together and cutting the ribbons in another appropriate location. Obviously, the curled ribbon for some decorative purposes are affixed at an intermediate portion and for others they are affixed at the end.
In one preferred embodiment of this invention, a hand operated drum, reel or disk (hereinafter referred to as a drum) mounted for rotation and includes a handle attached to the drum for causing the rotation. This embodiment also includes a number of posts for holding a number of spools of ribbon, an equal number of guide posts for each of the spools, an equal number of curling clamps where the ribbon is placed in frictional engagement or contact to impart the curl thereto and a single guide post where all the ribbons are accumulated in such a manner that a portion of the ribbon is laid over other portions to form a stack to allow clamping with a single clamp. The drum includes stations to hold the combined ribbons with the use of an alligator clamp, and predetermined stations, one to staple the ribbons together and another to cut the ribbons. A card holder mechanism may be employed at the stapling station where the ribbons and card are simultaneously stapled together.
In another embodiment of this invention, an automated machine mass produces the entire package automatically once the machine is initially threaded. In this embodiment and according to this invention, a clamping mechanism including a pair of jaws judiciously clamps the then curled ribbon to the drum after being curled, the clamp releases the processed ribbon once the drum grasps the ribbons and sequentially re-clamps the next to be processed ribbons to continuously and cyclically produce an entire finished product. Also in accordance with this invention, this automated machine judiciously staples and judiciously cuts the curled ribbons in the proper sequence to produce the end product.
The advantages of utilizing a drum as taught by this invention and without limitation are as follows:
1) the drum provides a compact drive system, more compact than heretofore known systems, making it possible to have a machine which requires minimal space, and in the portable unit, it can fit on an ordinary kitchen table or the like;
2) the strands are inherently stacked together in the process of being pulled, unlike sets of wheels which would have to guide the 12 strands, for example, upon each other, which is critical when stapling or attaching the ribbon strands to a card;
3) the drum obviates the need of sets of wheel or roller drive systems and the necessity of synchronizing the wheels and rollers in these types of systems and avoids the potential of “looping”;
4) the drum, obviously, can increase the number of strands simply by increasing the number of revolutions in a cycle;
5) because the ribbon wraps around itself on the drum the ribbon eventually secures itself to the drum and the clamp for originally clamping ribbon to the drum is released. This reduces the drag on the drum reduces as the rotation continues. This obviates the problems of adverse release and tearing of the ribbon in heretofore know systems. Also, the drum inherently requires less power in the drum and clamp to operate than these heretofore known systems; and
6) the system using the drum always ends in the starting position for the next set of strands avoiding the necessity of repositioning the mechanism to begin the process.
In another aspect of this invention, the amount of curl can be controlled by selecting the proper discharge angl

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