Cotton swabs with expanded tips

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Now it has been discovered that a cotton swab can be provided with expanded ends to benefit consumers through a wider, softer tip.
Manufacturing costs are also reduced because of less cotton and paper necessary in the manufacture of the swab.
By using a spinning mandrel to widen the end of the stick, a conical shaped member results.
Cotton is applied to that member.
A soft hollow tipped cotton swab results.
FIG.
1 illustrates an elongate stem 2 with first and second ends 4, 6 at opposite extremities from one another.
A conical member 8 is formed at each of the first and second ends 4, 6.
Each of the conical members has a hollow center 10.
FIG.
2 illustrates the complete swab structure.
An absorbent covering 12 surrounds each of the conical members 8.
Cotton is the most preferred absorbent covering.
However, synthetic or other natural materials of flexible and absorbent properties can also be utilized.
For example, the absorbent covering could be formed of rayon fibers, polyurethane or other foamed or fibered synthetic polymers.
FIG.
3 best illustrates hollow center 10 and its full outwardly flaring structure.
The hollow conical member permits a larger, softer tipped cotton absorptive covering.
Much less cotton is necessary along the flared surface 13 to achieve a cotton end having a size equivalent to that of a swab without the hollow center.
Yet, safety and performance are not compromised because most of the cotton absorbent covering is concentrated at tip 14.
FIG.
4 illustrates a die-cut paper 15 from which is formed the stem and conical members of the swab.
The die-cut paper is fashioned from a flat cellulosic sheet 16 with mirror image curved left and right edges 18a, 18b cut down a length thereof.
At opposite ends of the die-cut paper are upper and lower edges 20, 22 straight cut and parallel to one another.
Stem and conical members are unitarily formed as a swab stick in a process beginning with the preparation of the die-cut paper shown in FIG.
4.
Upon preparation, the die-cut paper 15 is tightly rolled