US 5,656,233 AGranted

Method for making low-density decorative grass

AssigneeSouthpac Trust International, Inc.

InventorsDonald E. Weder, Marc A. Brockhaus

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for producing and bagging decorative grass, such as Easter grass. The apparatus includes an extruder, a godet, a slitter, a cutter, a bagging assembly and a programmable logic controller. The extruder produces a continuous sheet of material, which is fed by the godet into the slitter and cutter. A thickness gauge is provided between the extruder and slitter to measure the thickness of the sheet of material. The slitter has a row of blades which slit the sheet into a continuous length of slitted material. The cutter includes a rotatable blade which transversely cuts the slitted material into a number of individual filaments. The sheet of material is urged through the slitter and cutter by the godet and an air flow produced by a blower. A foaming agent is injected into the extruder to produce low-density decorative grass.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method for continuously producing and bagging reduced density filaments of material in uniform quantities, the method comprising:

a. providing a plurality of magazines selectively movable between a filament-receiving position and a filament-discharging position;
b. producing filaments of material having a reduced density at a predetermined rate;
c. transferring a substantially uniform quantity of filaments continuously into a magazine positioned in the filament-receiving position;
d. moving the magazine filled with the substantially uniform quantity of filaments to the filament-discharging position and another one of the magazines into the filament-receiving position at a rate corresponding to the predetermined rate that the filaments are being produced;
e. providing a mold positioned to communicate with the magazine positioned in the filament-discharging position, the mold having an open first end, a second end and a side wall cooperating to define a mold opening;
f. positioning a sheet of material capable of being formed into a bag adjacent the mold opening of the mold;
g. drawing the sheet of material into the mold opening of the mold so as to form the sheet of material into a bag wherein the bag is positioned to receive the substantially uniform quantity of filaments transferable from the magazine filled with the substantially uniform quantity of filaments and positioned in the filament-discharging position;
h. discharging filaments from the magazine filled with the substantially uniform quantity of filaments and positioned in the filament-discharging position so that the substantially uniform quantity of filaments are discharged into the bag;
i. removing the bag containing the substantially uniform quantity of filaments;
and
j. repeating steps b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i and j.

8 more elements

A method for producing and bagging uniform quantities of reduced density filaments of material in a continuous process, the method comprising:

a. providing a continuous sheet of material having a thickness, a width, a reduced density and a predetermined travel speed;
b. providing a plurality of magazines selectively movable between a filament-receiving position and a filament-discharging position;
c. providing a mold positioned to communicate with the magazine positioned in the filament-discharging position, the mold having an open first end, a second end and a side wall cooperating to define a mold opening;
d. slitting the continuous sheet of material to produce continuous strands of material having a predetermined width;
e. passing the continuous strands of material through a cutter comprising a rotatable blade rotating at a predetermined rotational rate corresponding to the travel speed of the continuous sheet of material so that filaments are produced having a predetermined length;
f. determining from the width, thickness and density of the continuous sheet of material, and the predetermined length of the filaments, the number of revolutions of the rotatable blade needed to produce an amount of filaments to approximately equal the uniform quantity of filaments to be bagged;
g. counting the revolutions of the rotatable blade;
h. transferring a substantially uniform quantity of filaments continuously into a magazine positioned in the filament-receiving position;
i. moving the magazine filled with the substantially uniform quantity of filaments to the filament-discharging position and another one of the magazines into the filament-receiving position based on a predetermined number of revolutions of the rotatable blade;
j. positioning a sheet of material capable of being formed into a bag adjacent the mold opening of the mold;
k. drawing the sheet of material into the mold opening of the mold so as to form the sheet of material into a bag;
l. discharging filaments from the magazine filled with the substantially uniform quantity of filaments and positioned in the filament-discharging position so that the substantially uniform quantity of filaments are discharged into the bag;
m. removing the bag containing the substantially uniform quantity of filaments;
and
n. repeating steps d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m and n.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/473,478Filed 7 Jun 1995
Granted: 12 Aug 1997
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

B65B 1/16
Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles: by pneumatic means, e.g. by suction
A41G 1/02
Artificial flowers, fruit, leaves, or trees ; Garlands: implements, apparatus, or machines for making artificial flowers, or the like
B29C 51/10
Shaping by thermoforming , i.e. shaping sheets or sheet like preforms after heating, e.g. shaping sheets in matched moulds or by deep-drawing;…:…
D01D 5/26
Formation of filaments, threads, or the like: formation of staple fibres