Streamers with confetti

Streamers containing confetti rolled inside the streamer are disclosed in which the confetti is released from the streamer as the streamer unwinds in the air. The preferred embodiments include PVC film for the wound streamer, a soft cushioned core to enable cutting without jagged edges to impede unwinding of the streamer, and a high-slip coating on the film.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to streamers, and more particularly, to 
streamers containing confetti such that the confetti is released from the 
streamer as the streamer unwinds in the air. 
BACKGROUND 
Streamers comprising rolls of paper or tissue paper strips have long been 
popular amusement devices at conventions, celebrations and sporting events 
where the participants throw the streamers and they fly through the air in 
the form of comets with long tails which progressively unwind from the 
rolls. Suggestions have been made to manufacture such streamers from Mylar 
brand plastic film. However, such film poses a fire hazard in crowds 
because it is flammable, and it also poses a risk of injury in that such 
film has a relatively high tensile strength which can trip a person if 
entwined about the feet, or even choke a person if entwined about the 
neck. In addition, streamers alone lack the high degree of visual appeal 
which can be produced by a large plurality of falling pieces of confetti 
since the eye sees only one object when a streamer flies through the air. 
The present invention provides a streamer, which also contains confetti, so 
that the eye sees multiple objects in the air, and the present invention 
provides for the use of plastic film in a unique manner which avoids all 
of the above-indicated objections. In addition, the present invention 
provides a streamer which produces a display of confetti which remarkably 
simulates softly falling snowflakes as the confetti pieces are released by 
the streamer unwinding in the air. 
These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the 
following description of several preferred embodiments of the invention as 
illustrated in the following drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
One embodiment of the streamer and its mode of operation will be described 
first with reference to FIGS. 1-3, followed by a description of one 
preferred method of manufacture of the streamer with reference to FIG. 4, 
followed by a description of a second embodiment of the streamer. Numeral 
10 designates the manufactured streamer which is a roll of plastic film 11 
with a large plurality of confetti pieces rolled inside. Preferably, 
streamer 10 is a roll of metalized PVC film, as opposed to other plastic 
films, since PVC film is flameproof. While a standard film thickness of 
1.4 mils may be used, it has been discovered that markedly superior 
results are obtained with a film thickness in the order of 0.8 mils, and 
that the use of a high-slip coating, such as Sun-Slip brand coating, 
further improves the unwinding action of the streamer as it flies through 
the air. 
It has also been discovered that the size of the streamer, in terms of its 
width and diameter, are important factors in the overall performance. For 
example, it has been discovered that the width of the streamer has a 
substantial effect on the ability of the streamer to unroll rapidly and 
completely. More specifically, it has been discovered that the width of 
the streamer should be in the order of 0.25 to 0.6 inches with a preferred 
width in the order of 0.3 to 0.5 inches. Within this range, and with a PVC 
film in the order of 0.8 mils thick, it has been discovered that the 
streamer unwinds rapidly and essentially completely in the air. Also, with 
the film in the order of 0.25 to 0.6 inches wide and only 0.8 mils thick, 
the film breaks very easily such that the spent film does not pose a risk 
of tripping or choking a person before it is easily picked up and 
discarded. 
With respect to the diameter, it has been found that a streamer for hand 
throwing should preferably have a length in the order of 12 to 20 feet 
such that, for a streamer composed of metalized PVC film having a 
thickness in the order of 0.8 mils, and with the pieces of confetti 
wrapped therein, the preferred diameter of the streamer is in the order of 
0.4 to 1.0 inches, and preferably in the order of 0.5 to 0.875 inches. 
As previously indicated and shown in FIG. 1, streamer 10 includes a large 
plurality of pieces of confetti which are indicated by numeral 12. 
Confetti pieces 12 are wrapped between the wound layers of the streamer, 
as will be more fully described hereafter, such that, as the streamer 
unwinds in the air, the confetti pieces are progressively released from 
the streamer. In order to provide the visual effect of softly falling 
snow, the size and shape of the confetti pieces have been found to be 
critical. For example, it as been found that fireproof and biodegradable 
tissue paper of 8-15 pound test performs best in simulating a snowfall, 
although paper, and alternate layers of tissue paper and plastic film may 
be used as will be further described hereinafter. With respect to the 
shape, each piece of confetti is four-sided, and preferably rectangular, 
and the length of each piece is in the order of 0.75 to 1.25 inches. The 
width of each piece of confetti is the same as the width of the streamer, 
which as previously stated, is in the order of 0.25 to 0.6 inches, and 
preferably in the order of 0.3 to 0.5 inches. Within these preferred 
lengths and widths, it has been discovered that each piece of confetti 
falls through the air with a particular tumbling motion which slows the 
rate of descent through the air such that the combined effect remarkably 
resembles softly falling snowflakes. 
It should also be noted that, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the curvature of a 
piece of confetti falling out of the unwinding streamer is different 
depending upon the radial distance of that piece from the core 14 of the 
streamer. For example, confetti piece 16 shown in FIG. 2 is less curved 
than piece 18 shown in FIG. 3. This is because piece 16 was located a 
greater radial distance from the core than piece 18 and, therefore, piece 
16 became less permanently curved while located in the streamer. This 
difference in the degree of curvature of the pieces of confetti has been 
discovered to have a surprising difference in the aerodynamics of the 
confetti pieces. For example, pieces of confetti having a relatively 
slight curvature, such as piece 16, rotate about their longitudinal axes 
A--A and the longitudinal axes remain essentially horizontal as the pieces 
fall through the air. While this aerodynamic effect is described with 
respect to flat or planar pieces of confetti in U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,148, 
the complete disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, it 
was not previously known that this aerodynamic motion could be achieved 
with non-flat, curved pieces as described herein. In addition, it has been 
discovered that, as the streamer continues to unwind and pieces of 
confetti closer to the core fall from the streamer, these more curved 
pieces, such as piece 18, do not fall with a rotating motion about their 
horizontal axes. Instead, they fall through the air with their convex 
sides remaining facing downwardly, and their concave sides remaining 
facing upwardly, and the majority of these more curved pieces twirl slowly 
about their vertical axes B--B thereby adding a second type of aerodynamic 
motion. This produces a unique overall visual image with some of the 
pieces rotating about their horizontally extending longitudinal axes, and 
other pieces twirling in the horizontal plane about their vertical axes. 
This produces an exceptionally realistic looking snowstorm of fluttering, 
twirling and slowly falling snowflakes. 
One preferred method of manufacture will now be described with reference to 
FIG. 4. One or more sheets of tissue paper 20 are first wound about a 
removable winding stick 22 to form a soft core 24 of tissue paper. For 
example, the tissue paper may be wrapped about the stick such that 8-60 
inches of tissue paper comprise the core. At the trailing edge of tissue 
paper 20, the leading edge of the metalized PVC film 26 is secured such as 
by pieces of adhesive tape 28, or merely overlapping the film over the 
tissue paper and winding the overlapped layers into the roll. Narrow 
strips of tissue paper 30 are then laid on top of the PVC film and the 
strips are wound into the roll between the layers thereof as the PVC film 
continues to be wound about the core. The lengths of strips 30 are 
preferably the same as the width of the PVC film, which may be 30 inches, 
for example, and the widths of strips 30 are preferably in the order of 
0.75 to 1.25 inches as previously described. The strips of tissue paper 30 
are shown in FIG. 4 as being spaced apart along the length of the PVC film 
for purposes of clarity. However, it is to be understood that the tissue 
paper strips may be butted together, or overlapped, or stacked in multiple 
layers where it is desired to provide more confetti pieces in a streamer 
of a given length. For example, it has been found that the number of 
confetti pieces, and therefore the number of tissue paper strips, should 
be in the order of 40 to 100 for a hand-thrown streamer. Alternatively, 75 
to 200 pieces may be provided when the streamer is to be launched from a 
compressed gas cannon. It has also been found that the amount of tissue 
paper strips in the completed streamer should comprise at least 40% of the 
total diameter of the streamer. This amount of tissue paper provides a 
necessary amount of cushioning and resiliency such that a clean cut may be 
made, as will be further described, and also makes the streamer pliable 
and relatively soft so as to prevent injury. 
Once the complete length of the PVC film has been wound about the core with 
the tissue paper strips wound therein, the winding stick is removed by 
pulling it out from the center of the tissue paper core, and the trailing 
edge of the PVC film is lightly taped to the roll to prevent unwinding. 
The wound roll is then placed in a cutting machine, and the elongated roll 
is cut perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the roll as indicated by 
cut lines C to produce individual streamers having widths as previously 
described. Because of the tissue paper layers, the PVC film may be cut 
with clean edges which are not jagged or fused together which otherwise 
occurs with plastic film and prevents the streamer from unrolling smoothly 
or completely. 
A second preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to FIGS. 
5-7. In this embodiment, streamer 10' is composed of a wound strip of 
plastic film 32, and preferably metalized PVC film of the preferred 
thickness previously described; the preferred dimensions of width and 
diameter of the streamer also being as previously described. However, 
instead of winding the confetti pieces into the streamer between wound 
layers of the film, the film 32 is wound about a stack 34 of narrow tissue 
paper strips 36. This may be facilitated by inserting the end edge 38 of 
the film between upper and lower portions of the stack, as shown in FIG. 
7, and then rotating the stack about its longitudinal axis. In effect, 
stack 34 acts as stick 22 of the first embodiment; however, stack 34 is 
not removed upon completion of wrapping the elongated roll. 
The elongated roll is then cut transverse to its longitudinal axis, as 
previously described, such that the individual streamers are formed with 
the confetti pieces at the center of the streamer instead of dispersed 
throughout the streamer. Of course, it will be understood that the widths 
of strips 36 become the lengths of the confetti pieces, and the widths of 
the confetti pieces are that of the widths of the cut streamers, and that 
these dimensions are as previously described. This second embodiment has 
several advantages in that, for example, the manufacturing process is 
quicker, and therefore less costly. Also, the confetti pieces do not 
become curved as previously described such that they all rotate about 
their longitudinal axes, all of which axes remain horizontal as they fall 
through the air. In addition, the visual effect is different in that all 
of the confetti pieces are released at once, upon completion of the 
unwinding of the streamer in the air, such that a sudden burst, or sudden 
shower effect, is achieved. Of course, the slow and fluttering descent of 
the pieces, which appear as softly falling snowflakes, is the same as the 
previously described with reference to FIG. 2. 
In the foregoing description, it has been stated that strips 30 in the FIG. 
1-4 embodiment, and strips 36 in the FIG. 5-7 embodiment, may be composed 
of tissue paper, and preferably white tissue paper in order to simulate 
the snowflakes. Alternatively, strips 30 and 36 may be stacks of alternate 
layers of tissue paper and metalized PVC film, such as silver metalized 
film for example, whereby the resultant confetti pieces are a combination 
of white and shiny silver pieces which give an ice and snow effect as they 
rotate, twirl and slowly fall to the ground. Of course, other colors may 
also be used to simulate other effects, such as fireworks. 
From the foregoing description of several preferred embodiments of the 
present invention, it will be understood that streamers of the present 
invention have markedly improved and unexpected characteristics including, 
for example, the ability to unroll completely in the air when hand-thrown, 
as well as the unexpected capability of creating a visual display which 
realistically appears as a large plurality of slowly and softly falling 
snowflakes. In addition, both the streamer and the confetti are fireproof, 
and the streamer poses no danger of injury because of its exceptionally 
frangible property. Of course, other embodiments and variations of the 
illustrated embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art. 
Therefore, it is to be understood that the foregoing description is 
intended to be purely illustrative of the principles of the invention, 
rather than limiting thereof, and that the legal scope of the invention is 
not intended to be limited other than as set forth in the following claims 
interpreted under the doctrine of equivalents.