Artificial christmas tree with slanted needles

Claim 2

IN COMBINATION, A TUBULAR HAVING MEMBERS UNOBSTRUCTED INLET AND OUTLET ENDS, AN INSERTABLE AND REMOVABLE PREFABRICATED SELF-CONTAINED BRUSH, SAID BRUSH COMPRISING AN ELONGATED STEM-LIKE MADE UP OF A PAIR OF LIKE INTERWISTED CORE WIRES AND COMPLEMENTAL PLIANT BRISTLES OF THERMOPLASTIC PLASTIC MATERIAL WHICH HAVE MEDIAN PORTIONS NESTED AND RETENTIVELY CLENCHED BETWEEN THE TWISTED CONVOLUTIONS OF SAID CORE WIRES, THE DIAMETER OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER BEING LESS THAN THE BRUSH WHEREBY FLEXIBLE BRISTLE HALF-PORTIONS PROJECTING RADIALLY FROM THE LOCALE OF SAID CORE WILL BE OBLIQUELY ANGLED WHEN THE BRUSH IS INSERTED THROUGH THE TUBULAR MEMBER, AND ELECTRIC CURRENT CONDUCTING WIRES CONNECTED TO THE END PORTIONS OF THE CORE WIRES OUTWARDLY OF THE ENDS OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER FOR HEATING SAID CORE WIRES AND SUBJECTING THE CLENCHED MEDIAN PORTIONS OF SAID BRISTLES TO HEAT AND CAUSING THE SAME TO BE RESET WHILE OBLIQUELY ANGLED AND IN SO DOING SETTING THE HALF-PORTIONS WITH A SLANT FROM THE CORE TOWARD ONE END OF SAID CORE.

Claim 5

The method as defined in claim 2 wherein the step of deflecting the needles includes the step of passing the twisted wire pair and needles through means to deflect said needles at a predetermined angle to the axis of said wires prior to passing electric current through the wires.

Claim 6

Apparatus for fabricating artificial branches consisting of a pair of central wires twisted together to frictionally hold a plurality of short thermoplastic needles positioned between said wires comprising means to bend said needles at a predetermined angle to said wires and means to heat said wires to sufficiently soften said needles by heat transfer from said wires to said needles, said heating means including electric conducting wires connected to the central wires at longitudinally spaced ends to pass electricity through the central wires for heating the central wires, said means to bend said needles including a tubular member having an unobstructed inlet end and an unobstructed outlet end at a substantially uniform internal bore of less diameter than the needles for deflecting the needles when the branch is inserted longitudinally through the tubular member, said electric wires being connected to the central wires outwardly of the inlet end and outlet end of the tubular member thereby requiring the needles to be bent to a predetermined angle prior to heating of the central wires and requiring disconnection of the electric conducting wires prior to removal of the branch from the tubular member.

Claim 7

Apparatus for fabricating artificial branches consisting of a pair of central wires twisted together to frictionally hold a plurality of short thermoplastic needles positioned between said wires comprising means to bend said needles at a predetermined angle to said wires and means to heat said wires to sufficiently soften said needles by heat transfer from said wires to said needles, said heating means including electric conducting wires connected to the central wires at longitudinally spaced ends to pass electricity through the central wires for heating the central wires, said means to bend said needles including a tubular member having an unobstructed inlet end and an unobstructed outlet end at a substantially uniform internal bore of less diameter than the needles for deflecting the needles when the branch is inserted longitudinally through the tubular member, said electric wires being connected to the central wires outwardly of the inlet end and outlet end of the tubular member thereby requiring the needles to be bent to a predetermined angle prior to heating of the central wires and requiring disconnection of the electric conducting wires prior to removal of the branch from the tubular member.