Fanfold mop heads

Abstract

Disposable and semi-disposable cleaning devices use lengths of fanfold or z-fold non-woven fiber material. These fabrics are an alternative to yarn in the manufacture of inexpensive, disposable and semi-disposable mopheads. A particular embodiment is disclosed wherein a wet mophead or mop swab is made from the disclosed yarn substitute to provide a mop which is priced to discard after one time or several times use depending on the type of material used in the construction process. The mop swab is formed from a length of non-woven, moisture absorbent synthetic fiber material which is folded lengthwise into a continuous pleated pattern, or fanfold or z-fold arrangement. The folded material is wound on a reel from which the material maybe unreeled and run through a mop winding machine which forms helical coils wrapped about a pair of traveling arms. Alternatively, the folded material maybe fed directly from a folding device to the mop making machine. Sections of the coils are severed in predetermined lengths from the arms and the sections are arranged to provide a head for attachment to a fixture attachable to a mophead and with the remainder of the section falling downwardly in a depending skirt of multiple pleated length strands for mopping contact with a floor.

What is claimed and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:  
     
         1 . A mop head comprising: 
 a) a length of non-woven, moisture absorbent synthetic material;    b) said material folded longitudinally into a multiple pleated configuration and formed into a head for attachment to a fixture attachable to a mop handle and with a depending skirt for mopping contact with a floor.    
     
     
         2 . The wet mop head set forth in  claim 1  wherein said material is formed into a plurality of strands of said multiple pleated configuration which depend from said head.  
     
     
         3 . The wet mop head set forth in  claim 1  wherein said material is a single thickness folded into a multiple pleated configuration.  
     
     
         4 . A method of making a mop head comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing a length of non-woven moisture absorbent synthetic material;    b) running said length of material through a folder so as to form multiple pleats to create a pleated strand;    c) wrapping said pleated strand in multiple helical coils about a pair of spaced apart arms;    d) severing sections of said coils in predetermined lengths from said arms; and    e) arranging said sections of said coils so that each has a head for attachment to a fixture attachable to a mop handle and with a depending skirt of said strands for mopping contact with a floor.    
     
     
         5 . The method set forth in  claim 4  wherein said sections of said coils are arranged so that the head is at the portion of the wrapping taken from each of the arms and the wrapping section is cut longitudinally in the center so that two mop heads are made from each severed section of coiled wrapping.  
     
     
         6 . The method set forth in  claim 5  wherein the length of material is in the order of three to seven inches wide and is folded into multiple pleats.  
     
     
         7 . The method set forth in  claim 5  including the step of forming a reel of said pleated strand and unreeling said reel during the step of wrapping.  
     
     
         8 . The method set forth in  claim 5  wherein said sections of severed coils are gathered in a longitudinal middle to form said head for attachment to said mop fixture, with said strands depending therefrom.  
     
     
         9 . A method of making a mopping implement comprising: 
 a) providing a strip of non-woven moisture absorbent synthetic material;    b) running said strip of material through a folder as to form multiple pleats therein to form a pleated strip;    c) affixing said pleats in said pleated strip so as to make them long lasting, the affixing of said pleats occurring while said strip of material is being folded or in a separate step thereafter;    d) wrapping said pleated strip in multiple helical coils about spaced arms so as to create a length of mop material; and    e) severing said length of mop material into predetermined lengths to create a mopping implement having multiple pleated strips for enhanced mopping contact.