Decorative ribbon dispenser and method

Abstract

A dispenser for a roll of decorative ribbon secured removably to a backing strip and having design elements formed at spaced intervals along the length of the ribbon by incomplete cut lines and capable of being separated at said cut lines and bent outwardly from the plane of the ribbon to provide a 3-dimensional ribbon effect, includes a container for the ribbon roll and a housing for the container. The space between the back walls of the container and housing serve to guide movement of the ribbon from the roll upwardly to the top of the container where the ribbon is bent sharply forward and extended through an opening at the back end of the top wall of the container. The bending effects detachment of the design element along its cut lines and causes the design element to project upwardly from the plane of the ribbon. As the ribbon is moved forwardly under the top wall of the container toward the front wall thereof, the upstanding design elements are bent rearward. The ribbon is pulled forwardly through an opening at the front end of the top wall, where the backing strip is separated from the ribbon and directed downwardly through a guide channel at the front end of the housing. The decorative ribbon alternatively may be in the form of decorative stickers secured removably at spaced apart intervals on a backing strip and each having a design element formed therein.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.