Method and apparatus for winding spooled materials

Abstract

A method and apparatus for winding conditioned material onto a spool so as to maintain its desirable properties. In one embodiment, decorative ribbon is conditioned using a curling device and wound onto an elongated spool having a predetermined radius in an alternating, helical lay pattern so as to maintain the curl of the ribbon, and permit easy removal and storage thereof. In a second embodiment, two or more different types or colors of ribbon are wound either concentrically or in juxtaposed orientation onto the same spool. An apparatus for winding one or more of the aforementioned spools is also disclosed. A multi-spool dispenser for the curled ribbon is further described.

1 .- 31 . (canceled)  
   
   
       32 . A dispenser for spooled materials, comprising: 
 a housing element having a recess formed therein;    a plurality of spools of material disposed substantially within said recess of said housing element, said spools each have first and second ends, the distal portions of said ends not having any material wound thereon, said material comprising material curled by a curling mechanism prior to being disposed on said plurality of spools; and    a plurality of apertures disposed in proximity to respective ones of said spools, said apertures being adapted to pass said material from said respective ones of said spools therethrough;    wherein said housing element is substantially planar in shape, said substantially planar shape comprising a depth which is less than both a width and a length of said housing, and has at least first and second faces, said plurality of spools comprising at least a first group of spools disposed within a first row in substantially parallel juxtaposed orientation within said recess, and at least a second group of spools disposed within a second row in substantially parallel juxtaposed orientation within said recess, said first and second rows being at least partly offset from one another, said plurality of apertures being formed within at least one of said first and second faces.    
   
   
       33 . The dispenser of  claim 32 , wherein said material comprises quantities of pre-curled ribbon each having a plurality of individual turns, said quantities of pre-curled ribbon being disposed on respective ones of said spools in a helical lay pattern, the radius of said spools further being selected so as to be substantially similar to that of said turns of said pre-curled ribbon.  
   
   
       34 . The dispenser of  claim 33 , wherein said apertures are substantially elongate and co-extensive with said spools.  
   
   
       35 . The dispenser of  claim 33 , wherein said apertures are substantially elongate and co-extensive with said spools such that said ribbon can be drawn through respective ones of said apertures, said ribbon traversing substantially all of the length of said respective apertures during said act of drawing.  
   
   
       36 . The dispenser of  claim 35 , wherein the radius of said spools is selected so as to be substantially similar to that of said turns of said pre-curled ribbon.  
   
   
       37 . The dispenser of  claim 32 , wherein said housing element is substantially planar in shape, with said plurality of spools disposed in substantially juxtaposed and parallel orientation within said recess has a length and width and depth, each of said length and width and depth being unequal.  
   
   
       38 . The dispenser of  claim 32 , wherein said housing has a depth, said offset in said rows permitting said depth to be less than the sum of the diameter of two of said spools.  
   
   
       39 . Curled ribbon dispensing apparatus, comprising: 
 a housing having at least first and second housing elements, said first and second housing elements forming a recess when mated together;    a plurality of elongate spools of curled ribbon disposed substantially within said recess, said ribbon wound onto said spools in a substantially helical pattern after at least a portion thereof has been curled; and    a plurality of elongate apertures disposed in proximity to and substantially parallel to longitudinal axes of respective ones of said spools, said apertures being adapted to pass said ribbon from said respective ones of said spools therethrough;    wherein at least one of said housing elements has at least a portion thereof which is substantially transparent, such that a user may view said spools therethrough.    
   
   
       40 . The apparatus of  claim 39 , wherein each of said plurality of elongate spools comprise at least one of: (i) a different color; and (ii) a different texture.  
   
   
       41 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein said plurality of elongate spools are disposed in a juxtaposed and substantially co-planar orientation within said recess.  
   
   
       42 . Curled ribbon dispensing apparatus manufactured according to the method comprising: 
 providing a quantity of uncurled ribbon;    curling at least a portion of said ribbon;    disposing at least a portion of said ribbon on a substantially elongate spool after said at least portion has been curled;    forming a housing from a plurality of elements which, when mated, form a recess, at least one of said elements having an aperture formed therein;    after substantially all of said uncurled ribbon had been curled and disposed on said spool, disposing said spool with said curled ribbon within said recess;    threading a free end of said ribbon through said aperture; and    mating said at least two housing elements.    
   
   
       43 . The apparatus of  claim 42 , wherein said acts of curling and disposing the curled ribbon are performed substantially at the same time, said ribbon being curled immediately prior to being wound onto said spool.  
   
   
       44 . The apparatus of  claim 42 , wherein said spool has a radius, said radius being selected to be substantially similar to a desired radius of the curl of said ribbon.  
   
   
       45 . The apparatus of  claim 42 , wherein said act of disposing said ribbon on said spool comprises winding said ribbon onto said spool in a helical lay pattern.  
   
   
       46 . Apparatus for dispensing heterogeneous curled ribbons, comprising: 
 a housing having a plurality of housing elements, said housing having a recess formed therein;    a plurality of spools of curled ribbon disposed substantially within said recess in substantially parallel orientation, said ribbon having a curl radius before winding onto said spools and being wound onto said spools in a substantially helical pattern, said spools having a radius similar to said curl radius; and    a plurality of elongate apertures disposed in proximity to and substantially parallel to longitudinal axes of respective ones of said spools, said apertures being adapted to pass said ribbon from said respective ones of said spools therethrough;    wherein at least a portion of said spools carry ribbon different in at least one attribute from that on any other of said spools.    
   
   
       47 . A dispenser for spooled ribbon, comprising: 
 a housing element having a recess formed therein;    a plurality of spools of pre-curled ribbon disposed substantially within said recess of said housing element; and    a plurality of apertures disposed in proximity to respective ones of said spools, said apertures being adapted to pass said pre-curled ribbon from said respective ones of said spools therethrough;    wherein said pre-curled ribbon has a radius associated with said curl, said pre-curled ribbon being disposed on said spools in a helical lay pattern, the radius of said spools further being selected so as to be substantially similar to that of said radius associated with said curl of said pre-curled ribbon before it is placed on said spools.    
   
   
       48 . The dispenser of  claim 46 , further comprising a plurality of spindle elements, said spindle elements facilitating rotation of respective ones of said spools around respective rotational axes such that each of said spools may rotate within said dispenser without interference from other ones of said spools disposed therein.  
   
   
       49 . The dispenser of  claim 46 , wherein said apertures are substantially elongate and co-extensive with said spools such that said ribbon can be drawn through respective ones of said apertures, said ribbon traversing substantially all of the length of said respective apertures during said act of drawing.  
   
   
       50 . The dispenser of  claim 46 , wherein said housing element is substantially planar in shape, with said plurality of spools disposed in substantially juxtaposed and parallel orientation within said recess.  
   
   
       51 . The dispenser of  claim 46 , wherein said housing element is substantially cylindrical in shape, with said plurality of spools disposed in substantially parallel orientation within said recess.  
   
   
       52 . The dispenser of  claim 47 , wherein said spools each have first and second ends, the distal portions of said ends not having ribbon wound thereon, said distal portions cooperating with respective ones of features formed in said housing to both substantially restrain said spools and allow their rotation within said features.  
   
   
       53 . A dispenser for spooled materials, comprising: 
 a substantially cylindrical housing element having a recess formed therein and at least one cap element;    a plurality of spools of material disposed substantially within said recess of said housing element, said spools each having first and second ends;    wherein said material is curled by a curling mechanism prior to being disposed on said plurality of spools;    a plurality of end-receiving elements disposed so as to rotatably engage respective ones of said ends of said spools; and    a plurality of apertures disposed in proximity to respective ones of said spools, said apertures being adapted to pass said material from said respective ones of said spools therethrough;    wherein said at least one cap element is retained on said housing without use of any structures projecting out of said recess.    
   
   
       54 . The dispenser of  claim 53 , wherein said housing and at least one cap element comprise a polymeric material.  
   
   
       55 . The dispenser of  claim 53 , wherein said plurality of spools comprises three (3) spools disposed in substantially parallel orientations and such that the first ends of said spools collectively form a triangular pattern.  
   
   
       56 . The dispenser of  claim 53 , wherein said end-receiving elements comprise elements formed as part of said recess.  
   
   
       57 . A dispenser for dispensing pre-curled ribbon which maintains at least some of said pre-curl after being dispensed, comprising: 
 a housing element comprising a transparent material and having a recess formed therein;    a plurality of spools of pre-curled ribbon disposed substantially within said recess of said housing element, said spools each having first and second ends, said ribbon on each spool being of different color than that of at least some of others of said plurality of spools;    a plurality of spindle elements formed within said recess and disposed so as to rotatably receive respective ones of said ends of said spools; and    a plurality of apertures formed in said housing element disposed in proximity to respective ones of said spools, said apertures being adapted to pass said ribbon from said respective ones of said spools therethrough;    wherein use of said pre-curled ribbon within said dispenser obviates the need for any curling apparatus on said dispenser.    
   
   
       58 . A curler-less apparatus for dispensing pre-curled ribbon that is curled by a curling mechanism before being placed on a spool, comprising: 
 a housing having at least first and second matable elements each comprising a polymer material and forming a substantially enclosed recess when mated;    a plurality of spools of pre-curled ribbon curled by said curling mechanism before being placed on said plurality of spools disposed substantially within said recess of said housing element, said spools each having first and second ends and being disposed in a substantially parallel within said recess; and    a plurality of apertures formed in said housing element disposed in proximity to respective ones of said spools, said apertures being adapted to pass said ribbon from said respective ones of said spools therethrough;    wherein said housing elements cooperate to maintain said spools in relative alignment within said recess without the use of a central partition within said recess.    
   
   
       59 . A dispenser for pre-curled ribbon, comprising: 
 a housing element comprising a polymer material and having a recess formed therein;    a plurality of spools of pre-curled ribbon disposed substantially within said recess of said housing element, said spools each having first and second ends;    a plurality of spindle elements disposed so as to rotatably engage respective ones of said ends of said spools; and    a plurality of apertures formed in said housing-element disposed in proximity to respective ones of said spools, said apertures being adapted to pass said ribbon from said respective ones of said spools therethrough;    wherein said pre-curled ribbon is disposed in a helical lay pattern on said spools, and the radius of at least one of said spools is selected so as to be substantially the same as the curling radius of said pre-curled ribbon, said curling radius being the radius of the curls of said pre-curled ribbon in a relaxed state; and    wherein use of said pre-curled ribbon obviates the need for any curling mechanisms on said dispenser.    
   
   
       60 . Apparatus for dispensing pre-curled ribbon, comprising: 
 a housing element comprising a polymer material and having a recess formed therein;    a plurality of spools of pre-curled ribbon disposed substantially within said recess of said housing element, said spools each having first and second ends;    a plurality of spindle elements disposed so as to rotatably engage respective ones of said ends of said spools; and    a plurality of apertures formed in said housing element disposed in proximity to respective ones of said spools, said apertures being adapted to pass said ribbon from said respective ones of said spools therethrough;    wherein said pre-curled ribbon is disposed in a helical lay pattern on said spools, and the radius of at least one of said spools is selected so as to be substantially the same as the curling radius of said pre-curled ribbon, said curling radius being the radius of the curls of said pre-curled ribbon in a relaxed state; and    wherein use of said pre-curled ribbon obviates the need for any curling mechanisms on said dispenser.