Synthetic decorative grass simulating spanish moss and method for making same

Abstract

Curled decorative grasses and methods for producing same are disclosed wherein the curled decorative grasses have improved bulk and simulate Spanish moss in color and appearance.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for forming decorative grass assimilating Spanish moss, comprising: 
 providing a first web of material;    providing a second web of material;    stretching the first web of material;    maintaining the first web of material in the stretched condition while laminating the stretched first web of material to the second web of material to form a web of laminated material having a preset curl therein, the web of laminated material having a grayish green color substantially corresponding to the color of Spanish moss; and    cutting at least a portion of the web of laminated material having a preset curl therein to form decorative curled grass, which in cluster form, simulates Spanish moss in appearance.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of cutting the web of laminated material having a preset curl therein to form decorative curled grass simulating Spanish moss in appearance is further defined as slitting the web of laminated material having a preset curl and a grayish green color corresponding to the color of Spanish moss to provide a slit web of curled laminated material having a plurality of strips of a predetermined width and thereafter cutting the plurality of strips of the slit web of curled laminated material into segments to form curled decorative grass which, in cluster form, simulates Spanish moss in appearance.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the first web of material is provided with a thickness in a range from about 0.1 mil to about 10 mils, and wherein the second web of material is provided with a thickness in a range from about 0.1 mil to about 10 mils.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the first and second webs of material are polymeric film.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the first web of material is polymeric film and the second web of material is paper.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the first web of material is laminated to the second web of material with a bonding material tinted to simulate the grayish green color of Spanish moss.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first and second webs of material are polymeric films.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first web of material is formed of polymeric film and the second web of material is paper.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first web of material is laminated to the second web of material with a bonding material tinted to simulate the color of Spanish moss.  
     
     
         10 . A method for forming decorative grass simulating Spanish moss in appearance, comprising: 
 providing a web of laminated material having a color substantially corresponding with the color of Spanish moss and capable of having a curl imparted thereto;    contacting the web of laminated material with a surface capable of providing a curl in the web of laminated material and applying sufficient pressure to the laminated material to set the curl in the laminated material; and    cutting at least a portion of the web of laminated material having a curl set therein to form decorative curled grass simulating Spanish moss in appearance.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the step of cutting the web of laminated material having a curl set therein to form decorative curled grass simulating Spanish moss is further defined as slitting the web of laminated material having a curl set therein and a color corresponding with the color of Spanish moss to provide a slit web of curled laminated material having a plurality of strips of a predetermined width and thereafter cutting the plurality of strips of the slit web of curled laminated material into segments to form curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss in appearance.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the web of laminated material capable of having a curl imparted thereto comprises a first web of material having a thickness in a range from about 0.1 mil to about 10 mils and a second web of material having a thickness in a range from about 0.1 mil to about 10 mils.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the first and second webs of material are formed of polymeric film.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the first web of material is formed of a polymeric film and the second web of material is formed of paper.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the first web of material is laminated to the second web of material with a bonding material tinted to simulate the color of Spanish moss.  
     
     
         16 . A method for making curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss comprising the steps of: 
 drawing a web of laminated material having a color substantially corresponding with the color of Spanish moss and capable of having a curl imparted thereto over at least one curl bar while maintaining the web of laminated material under tension so as to form a curled web of laminated material having a color substantially corresponding with the color of Spanish moss;    slitting the curled web of laminated material to provide a slit web of laminated material containing a plurality of strips having a predetermined width; and    cutting the slit web of laminated material to provide decorative curled grass simulating Spanish moss in appearance.    
     
     
         17 . The method for making curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss of  claim 16  wherein the curl bar is provided with a curling edge over which the web of laminated material is drawn to form the curled web of laminated material and wherein the curling edge of the curl bar is disposed at an angle of from about 15 degrees to about 180 degrees relative to the direction of travel of the web of laminated material.  
     
     
         18 . The method for making curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss of  claim 17  wherein the web of laminated material having a color substantially corresponding with the color of Spanish moss and capable of having a curl imparted thereto comprises a first web of material having a thickness in a range from about 0.1 mil to about 10 mils and a second web of material having a thickness in a range from about 0.1 mil to about 10 mils.  
     
     
         19 . The method for making curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss of  claim 18  wherein the first and second webs of material are polymeric film.  
     
     
         20 . The method for making curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss of  claim 18  wherein the first web of material is polymeric film and the second web of material is paper.  
     
     
         21 . The method for making curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss of  claim 18  wherein the first web of material is laminated to the second web of material with a bonding material tinted to simulate the color of Spanish moss.  
     
     
         22 . A method for making curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss comprising the steps of: 
 providing a web of laminated material having a distortion preset therein, the web of material having a color substantially corresponding with the color of Spanish moss;    slitting the web of laminated material having a distortion preset therein to provide a slit web of laminated material containing a plurality of strips having a predetermined width; and    cutting the slit web of laminated material to provide decorative curled grass which, in cluster form, simulates Spanish moss in appearance.    
     
     
         23 . The method for making curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss of  claim 22  wherein the web of laminated material having a distortion preset therein and a color substantially corresponding with the color of Spanish moss comprises a first web of material having a thickness in a range from about 0.1 mil to about 10 mils and a second web of material having a thickness in a range from about 0.1 mil to about 10 mils.  
     
     
         24 . The method for making curled decorative grass assimilating Spanish moss of  claim 23  wherein the first and second webs of material are polymeric film.  
     
     
         25 . The method for making curled decorative grass assimilating Spanish moss of  claim 23  wherein the first web of material is polymeric film and the second web of material is paper.  
     
     
         26 . The method for making curled decorative grass assimilating Spanish moss of  claim 23  wherein the first web of material is laminated to the second web of material with a bonding material tinted to simulate the color of Spanish moss.  
     
     
         27 . A curled decorative grass formed of a laminated material having a predetermined color and a curl or distortion imparted thereto which, when cut into strips having a predetermined width, provides a cluster of segments which simulate Spanish moss.  
     
     
         28 . A method for making curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss comprising the steps of: 
 drawing a web of material selected from the group consisting of paper, polymeric film and combinations thereof and having a color substantially corresponding to the color of Spanish moss and which is capable of having a curl imparted thereto over at least one curl bar while maintaining the web of material under tension so as to form a curled web of material having a color substantially corresponding with the color of Spanish moss;    slitting the curled web of material to provide a slit web of material containing a plurality of strips having a predetermined width; and    cutting the slit web of material to provide decorative curled grass simulating Spanish moss in appearance.    
     
     
         29 . The method for making curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss of  claim 28  wherein the curl bar is provided with a curling edge over which the web of material is drawn to form the curled web of material and wherein the curling edge of the curl bar is disposed at an angle of from about 15 degrees to about 180 degrees relative to the direction of travel of the web of material.  
     
     
         30 . The method for making curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss of  claim 29  wherein the web of material having a color substantially corresponding to the color of Spanish moss and which capable of having a curl imparted thereto has a thickness in a range from about 0.1 mil to about 10 mils.  
     
     
         31 . The method for making curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss of  claim 28  wherein the web of material having a color substantially corresponding to the color of Spanish moss and which is capable of having a curl imparted thereto has a thickness in a range from about 0.1 mil to about 10 mils.  
     
     
         32 . A method for making curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss comprising the steps of: 
 imparting a curl to a web of paper having a color substantially corresponding with the color of Spanish moss so as to form a curled web of paper having a color substantially corresponding with the color of Spanish moss;    slitting the curled web of paper to provide a slit web of paper containing a plurality of strips having a predetermined width; and    cutting the slit web of paper to provide decorative curled grass which, in cluster form, simulates Spanish moss in appearance and color.    
     
     
         33 . The method for making curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss of  claim 32  wherein the web of paper having a color substantially corresponding with the color of Spanish moss has a thickness in a range from about 0.1 mil to about 10 mils.  
     
     
         34 . A method for making curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss comprising the steps of: 
 imparting a curl to a web of polymeric film having a color substantially corresponding with the color of Spanish moss so as to form a curled web of polymeric film having a color substantially corresponding to the color of Spanish moss;    slitting the curled web of polymeric film to provide a slit web of polymeric film containing a plurality of strips having a predetermined width; and    cutting the slit web of polymeric film to provide decorative curled grass simulating Spanish moss in appearance.    
     
     
         35 . The method for making curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss of  claim 34  wherein the web of polymeric film having a color substantially corresponding with the color of Spanish moss has a thickness in a range from about 0.1 mil to about 10 mils.  
     
     
         36 . A method for making curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss comprising the steps of: 
 providing a web of paper having a color substantially corresponding to the color of Spanish moss, the web of paper having a curl set therein;    cutting the web of paper into a plurality of intertwined strips which, in cluster form, provide decorative curled grass simulating Spanish moss in appearance.    
     
     
         37 . The method for making curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss of  claim 32  wherein the web of paper has a thickness in a range from about 0.1 mil to about 10 mils.  
     
     
         38 . A method for making curled decorative grass simulating Spanish moss comprising the steps of: 
 providing a web of polymeric film having a color substantially corresponding to the color of Spanish moss, the web of polymeric film having a curl set therein;    cutting the web of polymeric film into a plurality of intertwined strips which, in cluster form, provide decorative curled grass simulating Spanish moss in color and appearance.    
     
     
         39 . The method for making curled decorative grass assimilating Spanish moss of  claim 38  wherein the web of polymeric film has a thickness in a range from about 0.1 mil to about 10 mils.  
     
     
         40 . A curled decorative grass formed of paper having a predetermined color and a curl or distortion imparted thereto which, when cut into strips having a predetermined width, provides a cluster of segments which provides a decorative grass simulating Spanish moss in appearance.  
     
     
         41 . A curled decorative grass formed of a polymeric film having a predetermined color and a curl or distortion imparted thereto which, when cut into strips having a predetermined width, provides a cluster of segments which provides a decorative grass simulating Spanish moss in appearance.