Patent ID: 7074120

Claim:
A method for winding or looping an elongated item onto a stick member, comprising: receiving a contiguous length of an elongated product onto an elongated arm, the elongated arm having opposing receiving and releasing end portions; moving the elongated arm to cause it to travel repetitively along a first path; directing the elongated product to travel forward a desired distance along the elongated arm during the moving step; positioning a transfer support member in alignment with the elongated arm during the moving step; then translating the transfer support member along a second path that travels adjacent the first path as the elongated product is released from the releasing end portion of the elongated arm thereby winding the elongated product directly onto the transfer support member so that one or more elongated products are looped or draped about a suitably positioned transfer support member to define a plurality of suspension contact regions that are axially and generally horizontally spaced apart on a respective single transfer support member.