Claims
- 1. An apparatus used to create a composition that contains strands and an emulsion, comprising:
- a housing with a passage and an outlet;
- cutting means for cutting a single thread into a group of short strands and a group of long strands, wherein each strand has a longitudinal axis; and,
- spray means operatively connected to said passage for spraying said strands through said passage and out of said outlet so that the longitudinal axis of said long strands is essentially perpendicular to said outlet.
- 2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said cutting means includes a cutting wheel with a plurality of blades, each blade having a notch of a different diameter, feeder means for feeding a thread having a plurality of fibers to said cutting wheel so that said blades can cut the fibers, and drive means for rotating said cutting wheel such that said blades cut the fibers of the thread into a plurality of strands.
- 3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein each blade has a different length.
- 4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said cutting means includes a cutting wheel having a plurality of blades, each blade having a cutting edge and a notch that defines an opening having an area, each blade having a different notch opening area, feeder means for feeding the thread to said cutting wheel so that said cutting edges of said blades can cut the threads, moving means for moving the thread along a length of said blades, and drive means for rotating said cutting wheel such that said blades cut the thread into a plurality of strands.
- 5. The apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein each notch is located at a point along the length of said blade, each notch being located at a different location on each blade.
- 6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said cutting means includes a cone shaped cutting wheel having at least one blade, feeder means for feeding the thread into said cutting wheel so that said blade cuts the thread, moving means for moving the thread along a length of said cutting wheel, and drive means for rotating said cutting wheel such that said blade cuts the thread into a plurality of strands.
- 7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said cutting means includes a first rotating blade that rotates relative to a second rotating blade and is adapted to come into close proximity to said second rotating blade, feeder means for feeding the thread between said first and second rotating blades such that the thread is cut when said first and second rotating blades are in close proximity to each other, variable drive means for rotating said first rotating blade at a varying speed and drive means for rotating said first rotating blade such that said first and second rotating blades cut the thread into a plurality of strands.
- 8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a pair of nozzles attached to said housing and coupled to a progressive cavity pump which supplies pressurized emulsion to said nozzles.
- 9. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said long strands have a length of up to 24 inches and said short strands have a length no greater than three inches.
- 10. An apparatus used to create a composition that contains strands and an emulsion, comprising:
- a housing with a passage and an outlet;
- a cutting wheel which has a plurality of blades, each blade having a cutting edge and a notch that defines an opening having an area, each blade having a different notch opening area;
- a feeder tube adapted to provide a single thread to said cutting wheel;
- a friction wheel adapted to rotate said cutting wheel and pull the thread from said feeder tube, said friction wheel being located adjacent to said cutting wheel such that said cutting wheel cuts the thread into a strand when said cutting edge of said blade is rotated into contact with the thread;
- cam means coupled to said friction wheel and connected to said feeder tube for moving said feeder tube and the thread along the length of said blades as said friction wheel and said cutting wheel are rotated;
- drive means for rotating said friction wheel; and,
- spray means operatively connected to said passage for causing said cut strands to flow through said passage and out of said outlet.
- 11. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said cam means includes an intermittent drive wheel rotated by said friction wheel, a cam wheel rotated by said idler wheel, and a follower that engages an oblique surface of said cam wheel, said follower being connected to said feeder tube and adapted to move along said oblique surface and move said feeder tube relative to said cutting wheel, said intermittent drive wheel being adapted to provide a speed reduction between said friction wheel and said cam wheel.
- 12. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein each notch has a different diameter.
- 13. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, further comprising a pair of nozzles attached to said housing and coupled to a progressive cavity pump which supplies pressurized emulsion to said nozzles.
Parent Case Info
This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/225,752, filed Apr. 11. 1994, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 07/931,144 filed on Aug. 17, 1992, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (16)
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
225752 |
Apr 1994 |
|
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
931144 |
Aug 1992 |
|