Method and apparatus for making curled decorative grass
AssigneeSouthpac Trust International, Inc.
InventorsDonald E. Weder, William F. Straeter, Joseph G. Straeter, Franklin J. Craig, Michael J. King, Michael R. Klemme, Sonny K. Burnside
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Curled decorative grass having a variety of configurations and methods for making such decorative grass is provided which, because of its increased bulk, can also be used as a packing material, an animal bedding, cat litter, mulch for soil and a media for plants. The curled decorative grass is produced by curling a substantially flat sheet of material and thereafter cutting the resulting curled sheet of material, or by cutting a pre-curled material.
Claims16
A method for making curled decorative grass for use as a packing material, an animal bedding, cat litter, mulch for soil and as a media for plants, the curled decorative grass produced from a substantially flat sheet of material wherein the curled decorative grass has a multi-sided cross section, a length and a width, and wherein the method comprises the steps of:
- providing a substantially flat sheet of material capable of having a curl imparted thereto;
- drawing the substantially flat sheet of material over at least one curl bar so as to produce a curled sheet of material, the substantially flat sheet of material being maintained under tension while drawn over the at least one curl bar to ensure proper angular disposition of the substantially flat sheet of material over the at least one curl bar;
- slitting the curled sheet of material to provide a slit curled sheet of material containing a plurality of curled, side-by-side strips of material wherein each of the plurality of curled, side-by-side strips of material has a predetermined width;
- and
- cutting the slit curled sheet of material to provide curled decorative grass having a substantially clock spring configuration.
A method for making curled decorative grass for use as a packing material, an animal bedding, cat litter, mulch for soil and as a media for plants, the curled decorative grass produced from a substantially flat sheet of material wherein the curled decorative-grass has a multi-sided cross section, a length and a width, and wherein the method comprises the steps of:
- providing a substantially flat sheet of material capable of having a curl imparted thereto;
- drawing the substantially flat sheet of material over at least one curl bar so as to form a curled sheet of material, the substantially flat sheet of material being maintained under tension while drawn over the at least one curl bar to ensure proper angular disposition of the substantially flat sheet of material over the at least one curl bar;
- oscillating the curled sheet of material in a lateral direction relative to the direction of travel of the curled sheet of material;
- slitting the oscillating curled sheet of material to provide a slit curled sheet of material containing a plurality of curled, side-by-side strips of material wherein each of the plurality of curled, side-by-side strips of material has a predetermined width;
- and
- cutting the slit curled sheet of material to provide curled decorative grass having a substantially compression-tension spring configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.