Patent ID: 6311398
Filing Date: 2001-11-06
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
A dispenser with fully automated length control, comprising:a spool adapted to be mounted to a rotary drive element for rotation therewith;a consumable filament associated with the spool and having an extended portion that, during rotation, is substantially tangent to the spool, the extended portion having a length with a free end that defines a circular swath having a swath radius measured from the spool to the free end, wherein the extended portion maintains a linear orientation from the spool to the free end prior to contact with a target; and whereinthe spool has a cylindrical body with a generally radial hole through which the filament extends, andas the extended portion of the filament is consumed during rotation due to contact with the target such that the length of the extended portion is reduced to less than the swath radius, additional filament is automatically dispensed from the spool by centrifugal force until aerodynamic drag acting on the extended portion counterbalances the centrifugal force.