PROCESS FOR MAKING ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS

Abstract: A process for making artificial flowers for decorative, pious and other purposes, in course of which the single components of the natural flower are imitated and the components thus obtained are united. The essence of the invention lies in that for forming the constituents of the flowers cleaned feathers of poultries are used. The feathers are placed into an acidious dyestuff, the concentration of which being in compliance with the desired shades. The dyestuff and the feathers therein are heated to the boiling temperature, and kept expediently at boiling temperature for three minutes. When cooking is completed, excess dyestuff is rinsed out from the feathers, the feathers are dried and in accordance to the application intended classified according to shape, size, texture and in a given case in consideration of special characteristics, at last the desired flowers are formed.

Description: Process for making arti.ficial flowers The invention relates to a process for making artificial flowers for decorative, pious and other purposes. In course of the process single componets of natural flowers are imitated and thereafter the single components are united. Making of artificial flowers goes back to the very far past. Long ago, in Far-Eastern empires, so e.g. in China and Oapan artificial flowers used to be made in a large variety and with artistical phantasy, however, since centuries "cult of artificial flowers" goes an in Europe too. On the lastmentioned filed artificial flowers are mostly used as complementary means of clothing, so e.g. as pinned-up decoration, hat-decorations etc. or for so-called pious purposes, ornamenting graves. All the applications are well motivated by the often almost unrestricted useful . life of the artificial flowers, in contrast to wither¬ ing of natural flowers. In the past most several materials have been used for making artificial flowers, so papers, textiles, wax, the combination thereof, a plurality of threads, adhesives and other fixing devices, so e.g. hooks, needles etc. Recently synthetic materials came in general use, because these can be produced with a con¬ siderable freedom in respect to shape, with a high productivity and cheaply. Unambiguous durability and-in particular, since pro¬ pagation of synthetic materials - high productivity are well known facts, however, inspite of these, essential objections are raised against application, mostly of aesthetic character. - 2 Artificial flowers are not made by skilled and expert hands, so in common knowledge artificial flowers were almost treated as "garden dwarfs" and considered as trash. As a consequence for purposes of higher level artificial flowers are not conside¬ red as suitable at all. The aim of the invention was to develop a process, which enables the production of artificial flowers being unobjectionable from the point of view of aesthetics, reflecting reality with a high fidelity, and compared to known formations yielding a high variety, which can be used instead of the unattractive artificial flowers satisfying only low-level taste. The invention is based on the recognation in so far as aesthetic value, variety and true imitation - rep¬ resenting the aim set - can be achieved, if instead of the traditional basic materials and technology of artificial flower production as a basic material of the artificial flowers feathers of birds are used and the single flowers are formed with a proper technology- Animal feather, although it is an organic substance, has a cellulose character, which after having removed from the body of the animal preserves its original structure practically for an unrestricted time. Arche- ologic funds confirmed, that when excavating several thousand years old graves, feathers were found. Excel- lent characteristics of animal feather are confirmed by its utmost fine structure, and due to its natural¬ ness it is keeping original features of nature. Ori¬ ginal features ab ovo awake relaxing and delightful images, delicious to the eye, in human knowledge, which can be even increased e.g. by colouring, i.e. by finishing, not disturbing original structure. In accordance with the invention for making artifi¬ cial flowers different parts of the feathers of different birds are used. Most advantageous experi¬ ences could be gained with the small, mediocre and large pinious o'f the goose, with the femoral pinious of the geese and turkeys. Principally, every type of feathers can be applied for a given purpose. In accordance with the aim set, the invention relates to a process for making artificial flowers for de¬ corative and pious and other puposes, in course of which single parts of the natural flower are imitated and the components united, based on the recognation, that for forming the components of flowers cleaned feathers of winged are used, the feathers are placed into an acetous dyestuff, the concentration of which is in compliance with the desired shades of colours, the dyestuff with the feathers therein are heated up to boil, thereafter it is kept for so about three mi¬ nutes on boiling temperature after having completed cooking, excess of dyestuff is dissolved by flushing, the feathers are dried and according to the intended applicatoon, with the observance of shape, size, tex¬ ture and in a given case other characteristics, the feathers are classified and used for forming the dif¬ ferent flower components. According to a further characteristic of the invention the feathers are selected from the feathering of do¬ mestic poultry, so e.g. preferably of small, mediocre and large pinious of geese, femoral-plumes of geese or turkeys; prior to colouring cleaning is performed at 50 C the most, using clean water or water and a detergent being inactive in respect to the feathers. To the solution of the dyestuff vinegar is admixed, in a quantity between 2 and 10 grammes/liter. Drying after flushing is performed artificially, e.g. by weak centrifuging. Instead of cen rifuging , or thereafter the feather-pieces are spread so, as not being in contact with one another as long as moisture is removed. For forming the single parts of the flo- wers, in addition to feathers as basic material auxi¬ liary materials are also used. Feathers and/or auxili- ary materials are subjected to an after-treatment fo modify clour and/or consistency. In a possible case after-treatment is performed by singing over a flame. Components of the flowers are united with a thin thread and/or a metal thread. The advantage of the process according to the invention lies in that by using most simple means, available easily in commerce and using easily accessable auxili¬ ary materials, in technological steps to be performed without any difficulty artificial flowers can be made in an utmost good quality and with a high productivity from feathers of poultries, which - when compared to artificial flowers made according to known methods - are reflecting with increased lifelikeness the shape, colour and texture of the flowers to be imitated. As a consequence of the process performed a product of much higher level can be produced, than with traditional methods. The invention will be described in details by preferred embodiments, by presenting partly the results of expe¬ riments having been performed. Example 1 The task was to imitate gladiolus /gladiolus lan- ceolatus/. To perform the process, the plumes of the goose, the so-called pinious were chosen. Out of the small, mediocre and large pinious the "velvety" specimens with an advantageous aesthetic appearance were intended for petals. The pinious were washed with clean water of the temperature of 45 C°, colo¬ uring was performed with a dyestuff known under the name "Ostacitgelb" , by the aid of which yellow-colo¬ ured petals were produced. In course of boiling the dyestuff 4 g vinegar was added, related to one litre. Vinegar was added five minutes after having reached boiling temperature. Thereafter the plumes chosen were placed into the hot dyestuff solution, which were kept in the hot dyestuff for a further 5 minutes. The plumes thus coloured were rinsed with lukewarm water /30 C / with utmost care, thus re¬ moving excess dyestuff from their surface. Rinsing was repeated as long as rinsing water was quite clean. The plumes were "filtered" and spread on a hygroscopic paper e.g. old new papers and so dried. In course of drying the feathers got back their original shape. Now out of the feathers thus treated, after careful selection proper pieces were taken out and by cutting imitations of the petals of gladiolus were prepared. From the single petals groups of petals were formed and using the groups a garland of petals being charac¬ teristic for the gladiolus was made. Parts of the flo- wer were fixed to each other by using thread of "in¬ visible" threads made of synthetic. Example 2 We proceeded according to Example 1. The difference lies in that rinsing water also contained vinegar. namely 3g/l. By this measure pe iod of rinsing could be shortened. Example 3 We repeated all the steps having been performed in Example 1, however, prior to natural drying, care¬ fully rinsed feathers were centrifuged for about 20 seconds. In such a manner duration of natural drying could be reduced so about the fourth part. Exampie.'4 The t ' a_sk was * tq imitate gladiolus lanceolatus, however, with * crimson petals. For this purpose the dyestuff "Nylosanrubin" was used. Drying was enhanced so, that filtered feathers were put in thin foil-bags and shaken, In such a manner the feathers' velvety character was restored within a very short time, Stem of the flowers were made of tightly wound strips of crinkled paper, while the feathers not having been used for the flowers of not too perfect shape and coloured in green were in¬ serted between the crinkled paper. Exmaple 5 Similarly to the previously described examples, gladi- olus lanceolatus were prepared, having not only more or less blossomed petals, but starting from the part over the blossomed petals, from the buds, going up to the complete blossomed flowers in the different stages of blossoming were prepared. For the buds being in the still folded state green coloured waste feathers were used, while for the flowers being in different stages of blossoming these green waste feathers were combined with waste feathers dyed in red. Example 6 Essentially by following the earlier method, purp¬ lish pansies /viola vitrockiana/ were prepared. After having dyed and flushed with vinegar the feathers, they were slightly centrifuged, spread on hygroscopis paper and after-dried. For preparing the petals, we used the small-sized "pinious" of geese, which were cut with scissors to the proper size. Stig ae and stamina were made of thin metal wire ^ 0,8 mm wound with crinkled paper. Om the parts of stigmae of in¬ creased width padsof cotton-wool were inserted under the crinkled.paper, thereafter around the stigma-body a so-railed artificial fibris was wound. The pa.rts forming the ends of the stigmae were made sooty - .and thus dark - by holding them over the flame of the candle, accordingly, realistic colour of the stigmae could be achieved. Example 7 Similarlyi as the method of making pansies, orchids were prepared, making so-called piπned-up decoration to be put on clothes. Petals of the pinned flowers were made of small "pinious", while complementary "ornament¬ ing elements" were made of the leg-plumes of a turkey coloured to light-green. The loose appearance of this plume enables aesthetic combination with other flower petals. It seems to be expedient to sell the pinning flowers in transparent decorative boxes made of a synt¬ hetic material. The significance of the process according to the inven¬ tion lies in that from the feathers of domestic poult¬ ries - considered as a waste up to now - a most valu— ** able product can be produced. This is valid in parti- cular for the "pinious" of geese staying in a relative- ly large quantity at disposal, which in course of plucking are left on the geese, the animals let fall these plumes spontaneously, accordingly they got ab¬ solutely lost. Economicalness of the process may be emphasized by the fact that single steps of operation can be realized with a most simple technology, with¬ out any special investments.

Claims: What we claim; 1. Process for making artificial flowers for deco¬ ration, pious or other purposes, with which single components of the natural flowers are imitated and the components thus obtained are united, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that for producing the com¬ ponents of the flowers cleaned feathers of winged are used, the feathers are put in a preferably acetous dyestuff, the conctenration of which being in comp¬ liance with the colour shade desired, the dyestuff with the feathers therein are heated to the boiling remperature, thereafter the mixture is kept preferab¬ ly at the boiling temperature at least for three minutes and after having completed cooking, excess dyestuff is rinsed out from the feathers, which are dried and according to the intended application clas¬ sified with the observance of shape, size, texture and other characteristic features and at last formed into the desired flower-form. 2. Process as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that feathers are selected from the feathers of domestic poultries, so small, mediocre and large "pinious" of domestic geese, femoral-plumes of geese and turkeys. 3. Process as claimed in any of the claims 1 to 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that cleaning prior to colouring is performed by washing, at 50 C° the most. 4. Process as claimed in claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that washing is performed with clean water containing detergent being inactive in respect to the feathers. 5. Process as claimed in any of the claims 1 to 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that Lo the solution of dyestuff vinegar is admixed, preferably 2 to 10 g/liter. 6. Process as claimed in any of the claims 1 to 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that after completed rinsing drying is enhanced artificially, e.g. by slightly cen rifuging. 7. Process as claimed in claim 6, c h a r a c t e r i - z e d in that instead of centrifuging or thereafter feather pieces are spread so as not being in mutual contact up to complete removal of moisture. 8. Process as claimed in any of the claims 1 to 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that for forming the single parts of the flowers in addition to the basic material auxiliary materials are also used. 9. Process as claimed in claim 8, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that feathers and/or auxiliary materials are subjected to an after- reatment modifying their colours and/or consistency. 10. Process as clia ed in claim 8 or 9, c a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that after-treatment is performed by singing over a flame, 11. Process as claimed in any of the claims 1 to 10, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that components of the flowers are united with a thin thread and/or metal yarn.

Inventors: SIPOS SANDORNE, SIPOS, SANDORNE
Applicants: LENIN MGTSZ
Application year: 1985
Main classification: A41G1
IPC codes: A41G1