Confetti discharge methods and machines
Confetti is discharged by machine from a stack by engagement of a rotating drum 6 with the bottom of the stack. The stack is retained within a tubular cassette 2 by a pin 4 which obstructs the open bottom of the cassette 2 and which is removed to release the stack onto the drum 6 once the cassette 2 is entered into the machine 1. The rate of discharge of confetti from the stack through a mouth 7 of the machine 1 is regulated by control of the speed of an electric motor 8 that drives the drum 6. The drum 6 may have a rubber or grit surface 14 and may have a projecting blade 15 for removal of the packaging of billets or wads of confetti that are fed onto the drum 6.
This invention relates to confetti discharge methods and machines.
The discharge of confetti is used for artistic and other effects in theatre productions and in other entertainment and festive events and for celebration purposes. The confetti is commonly in the form of circular discs of paper, but may be of rectangular-strip or other configuration, and may be of metal or plastics foil.
Various methods and machines are used to effect the discharge of the confetti, but they generally fall short of providing a fully-controlled discharge. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and machine in this regard.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for discharge of confetti wherein discharge takes place from a stack of the confetti by engagement of a rotating member with the confetti at the bottom of the stack.
According to another aspect of the invention a machine for discharge of confetti comprises means for holding a stack of confetti, a rotatable member for engaging the confetti at the bottom of the stack, and means for rotating the rotatable member to discharge the confetti piece by piece from the bottom of the stack.
The rotating rotatable-member of the method and machine of the invention may have a rubber or grit surface for engagement with the bottom of the stack. Alternatively, or in addition, the surface may be grooved, or may have radially-projecting teeth, for engaging the bottom of the stack to effect discharge of the confetti.
The rotatable member may be a rotatably-mounted drum, but may be a wheel or endless belt, and the rate of discharge of the confetti may be regulated simply by control of the rate of rotation of this member.
Loading of the stack of confetti may be carried out using a tubular cassette that is open at both ends but has a removable pin or other retaining member that projects across the bottom of the cassette for retention of the confetti in the stack. The pin or other retaining member may be removed when the stack is established ready for engagement with the rotatable member.
When the confetti is packaged in billets or wads (as normally the case where rectangular strips of material, such as sold under the registered trade mark FLUTTER FETTI, are involved), the billets or wads may be fed directly onto the rotatable member. Rotation of the rotatable member in this case may be effective, for example, by means of one or more blades or other projections on it, to split open the packaging and thereby release the contained confetti for discharge piece by piece under the action of the rotating member.
A method and machine for discharge of confetti, all in accordance with the present invention, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a column of confetti is loaded into the confetti-discharge machine 1 using a tubular cassette 2 inserted into a receiving tube 3 of the machine 1. The cassette 2 is open at both ends and a pin 4 extends across its bottom end so as to retain the confetti as a stack within the cassette 2, as illustrated in
Withdrawal of the pin 4 releases the stack onto a rotatably-mounted drum 6 immediately under the tube 3 at the base of the machine 1. Rotation of the drum 6 as indicated in
As shown in
Where packaged billets or wads of confetti are to be used, they can be loaded individually by hand one upon the other directly into a receiving tube (not shown) corresponding to the tube 3. The receiving tube in this case may have a longitudinal slot that is wide enough to facilitate loading using the fingers.
The drum 6 of the machine 1 may, as illustrated in
A rotating wheel or endless belt may be used in place of the rotating drum 6.
Claims
1. A method for discharge of confetti wherein discharge takes place from a stack of the confetti by engagement of a rotating member with the confetti at the bottom of the stack.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rate of rotation of the rotating member is controlled for regulating the rate of discharge of the confetti from the bottom of the stack.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rotating member is driven in rotation by an electric motor.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rotating member has a rubber or grit surface for frictionally engaging the confetti at the bottom of the stack to effect its discharge.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rotating member is a rotating drum.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rotating member carries a projecting blade for removal of packaging from the stack.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the stack of confetti is contained within a tubular cassette, and wherein the rotating member engages the bottom of the stack beneath the cassette.
8. A machine for discharge of confetti, comprising means for holding a stack of confetti, said stack having a bottom and a top, a rotatable member for engaging the confetti at the bottom of the stack, and means for rotating the rotatable member to discharge the confetti piece by piece from the bottom of the stack.
9. The machine according to claim 8, including means for controlling the rate of rotation of the rotatable member so as to regulate the rate of discharge of the confetti from the bottom of the stack.
10. The machine according to claim 8, wherein the means for rotating the rotatable member is an electric motor.
11. The machine according to claim 8, wherein the rotatable member has a rubber or grit surface for frictionally engaging the confetti at the bottom of the stack to effect its discharge.
12. The machine according to claim 8, wherein the rotatable member is a rotatably-mounted drum.
13. The machine according to claim 8, wherein the rotatable member carries a projecting blade for removal of packaging from the stack.
14. The machine according to claim 8, wherein the means for holding the stack of confetti is a tubular cassette, and wherein the rotatable member engages the bottom of the stack beneath the cassette.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 26, 2005
Publication Date: Mar 2, 2006
Inventor: Paul Mann (Farnham Common)
Application Number: 11/213,669
International Classification: A63H 37/00 (20060101);