Apparatus for folding a paper strip into a yarn

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY FORMING FLAT, TWISTLESS FOLDED PAPER YARN FROM A PAPER STRIP COMPRISING: A FIRST ROTATABLY MOUNTED ROLL HAVING A CURVED BOTTOMED ANNULAR GROOVE IN ITS PERIPHERAL SURFACE TO SHAPE THE UNFOLDED PAPER STRIP INTO A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED CONFIGURATION, A SECOND ROTATABLY MOUNTED ROLL HAVING A FLAT BOTTOMED ANNULAR GROOVE THEREIN WITH A WIDTH LESS THAN THE UNFOLDED WIDTH OF THE PAPER STRIP, GUIDE MEANS TO CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLY SAID PAPER STRIP TO SAID FIRST ROLL TO SHAPE SAID PAPER STRIP INTO A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED CONFIGURATION AND THEN TO GUIDE THE PAPER STRIP A PARTIAL WRAP AROUND SAID SECOND ROLL, TENSION MEANS TO DRAW THE SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED PAPER STRIP FIRMLY INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE GROOVE IN SAID SECOND ROLL, THEREBY CAUSING THE EDGES OF THE PAPER STRIP TO FOLD INWARDLY TOWARD EACH OTHER ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE PAPER STRIP AS THE PAPER STRIP TAKES THE PARTIAL WRAP AROUND