Abstract: Bales of filamentary material are separated into weighted charges of the material by disintegrating the bales in a rotating drum to produce tufts that are passed to a picking chamber wherein a toothed roll strips individual filaments from a supply roll formed from the tufts and passing the filaments to scales upon which the charges are accumulated. Each time a charge is accumulated on a scale, air is blown across the scale to discharge the scale. The charges are delivered to a magazine having a plurality of vertically stacked chambers, each chamber underlain by a movable gate, through which the charges are passed sequentially to be discharged at a fixed schedule from the lower most chamber.

Abstract: A method for treating Easter grass to a substantially reduced static charge on the Easter grass by coating a substantial portion of the Easter grass with an anti-static compound.

Abstract: An apparatus for receiving loosely aggregated filamentary material, such as Easter grass, and producing, at a substantially uniform rate, weighed charges of the filamentary material. The apparatus comprises scales to weigh the charges to preselected weights, blowers to provide a stream of the filamentary material to the scales, conduits to convey the material from the outlet of the blowers to the scales, and a magazine which receives material charges at irregular intervals and dispenses the same charges at a substantially uniform rate.

Abstract: Bales of filamentary material are separated into weighed charges of the material by disintegrating the bales in a rotating drum to produce tufts that are passed to a picking chamber wherein a toothed roll strips individual filaments from a supply roll formed from the tufts and passing the filaments to scales upon which the charges are accumulated. Each time a charge is accumulated on a scale, air is blown across the scale to discharge the scale. The charges are delivered to a magazine having a plurality of vertically stacked chambers, each chamber underlain by a movable gate, through which the charges are passed sequentially to be discharged at a fixed schedule from the lowermost chamber. Spikes mounted on the interior of the drum are shaped to loosen portions of bales entering the drum, tear tufts from such portions, and finally deposit the tufts into an air stream passing through the drum to expel the tufts.

Abstract: Bales of filamentary material are separated into weighed charges of the material by disintegrating the bales in a rotating drum to produce tufts that are passed to a picking chamber wherein a toothed roll strips individual filaments from a supply roll formed from the tufts and passing the filaments to scales upon which the charges are accumulated. Each time a charge is accumulated on a scale, air is blown across the scale to discharge the scale. The charges are delivered to a magazine having a plurality of vertically stacked chambers, each chamber underlain by a movable gate, through which the charges are passed sequentially to be discharged at a fixed schedule from the lowermost chamber. Spikes mounted on the interior of the drum are shaped to loosen portions of bales entering the drum, tear tufts from such portions, and finally deposit the tufts into an air stream passing through the drum to expel the tufts.

Abstract: Bales of filamentary material are separated into weighed charges of the material by disintegrating the bales in a rotating drum to produce tufts that are passed to a picking chamber wherein a toothed roll strips individual filaments from a supply roll formed from the tufts and passing the filaments to scales upon which the charges are accumulated. Each time a charge is accumulated on a scale, air is blown across the scale to discharge the scale. The charges are delivered to a magazine having a plurality of vertically stacked chambers, each chamber underlain by a movable gate, through which the charges are passed sequentially to be discharged at a fixed schedule from the lowermost chamber.