1323382 Pom-pom bow F CHRISTENSEN 19 April 1971 [26 Feb 1970] 22415/71 Heading B6G A pom-pom bow is produced from a continuous strip of ribbon material by (1) (a) holding a ribbon portion at a holding point located at the axis of the bow, (b) holding the ribbon at a first position spaced from said end portion to provide a length of ribbon sufficient for forming a loop, (c) twisting the ribbon 180 degrees about its longitudinal axis approximate said first position to provide the ribbon with a 180 degree twist at said first position and with a remaining uncreased portion, (d) securing the ribbon portion approximate the ribbon twist at the axial holding point to form a first bow loop, (e) holding the ribbon at a second holding position spaced from the secured portion to provide a length of ribbon sufficient for forming a second loop, (f) twisting the ribbon 180 degrees about its longitudinal axis approximate said second position to provide the ribbon with a 180 degree twist at said second position and a remaining second uncreased portion, (g) securing the ribbon portion approximate the second twist at the axial holding point to form a second loop falling on a bow radius spaced from that of the prior loop, and (h) repeating the aforesaid steps employed in forming said second loop to form a sequence of loops; or (2) (a) securing a ribbon end portion at a holding point located at the axis of the bow, (b) twisting the ribbon 180 degrees about its longitudinal axis approximate said ribbon end portion, (c) securing a ribbon portion remote from said prior secured portion at said holding point to form a first bow loop, (d) twisting the ribbon 180 degrees about its longitudinal axis approximate said latter secured portion, (e) securing a ribbon portion remote from said latter secured portion at said holding point to form a second bow loop falling on a bow radii spaced from that of the prior loop, and (f) repeating the aforesaid steps employed in forming said second loop to form a sequence of loops. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, holding means 10 includes a mandrel 11 rotatable in a tubular guide 12 and having impaling pins 14, 15 and 19 extending from the extremity thereof. The end 13 of guide 12 is flared and undercut. A ribbon feed mechanism 26 includes an upper plate 18 and a lower plate 23 defining ribbon guide at 21 therebetween. Mandrel 11 is arranged so that the impaling pins enter a bore 20 in the upper plate 18. Ribbon is fed through guide 21 and when the ribbon feed mechanism is moved in the direction of arrow 24 a length of ribbon 22 is extended from guide 21 while a push-bar 27 is thereafter moved to dash line position 27A in the direction of arrow 28. Ribbon feed mechanism 26 is then moved in the direction of arrow 30 and the end 22A of the ribbon is thereby impaled on the impaling pins. The ribbon feed mechanism is then moved away to pay out a further length of ribbon 32 and then moved towards the holding means 10 to form a loop 34 as shown in Fig. 5. Simultaneous with the action illustrated in Fig. 5, mandrel 11 rotates as shown in Fig. 6a together with the sheath 12, turning the impaling pins through a predetermined angle X in the direction of arrow 35, thereby twisting the ribbon 22 about its longitudinal axis at 37. Ribbon 22 is provided with areas of reduced width as at 36 at predetermined points along the ribbon length to enhance the twistability of the ribbon. The point of impalement may be on either side of the ribbon notches 36. The sequence of operation is repeated, for each cycle of oscillation of mechanism 26 the mandrel 11 rotating through predetermined indexing angle X to produce a pom-pom bow. When as many layers of loops as desired have been completed on the mandrel 11, it is moved with its bow thereon over a stapling gun (Fig. 12, not shown) which forces a staple through a label and through the centre of the bow. An automatic pom-pom bowmaking machine is described in detail and includes means for punching pairs of notches 36 at opposite edges of the ribbon at predetermined lengths along the ribbon and for impaling, looping and twisting the ribbon into the bows through any selected number of loops and layers of loops. The machine can be adjusted so as to produce bows of different diameters by changing the length of travel of an impaling table to increase the length of ribbon paid out as each loop is formed. The major components of the bow-making machine are the notcher, including a circular shear type of punching mechanism and a means for shuttling the notcher back and forth to re-position the notch separation along the length of ribbon during the machine operation in the preparation of each bow, an impaling and looping mechanism which during the successive loop formation indexes the impaling head thereon over a predetermined angle so that the adjacent loops are formed separated by that angle. Each completed bow is trimmed by the machine and cut from a continuous ribbon, following which it is automatically stapled to an adhesive card with the adhesive covered with a release paper.