Releasable strap

Abstract

A releasable elongated strap of hook material. The strap has a hook side with hooks formed of synthetic resin. The hook side includes an area devoid of hooks formed of synthetic resin that is integral with a base layer from which the hooks extend. At least part of the area devoid of hooks has a molded matte surface suitable for being written upon.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of forming releasable strap of hook and loop material, the strap having a hook side and a loop side, the hooks being formed of synthetic resin on a mold roll defining a multiplicity of hook mold cavities, the method comprising providing a mold roll having at least one relatively wide hook molding region over which hook mold cavities are distributed, and utilizing the mold roll to form a continuous sheet of material having on one side a wide band of loop-engageable hooks, while loops are on the opposite side of the material, and repeatedly cutting the material at a substantial angle to the machine direction, the cuts extending across said wide band, to define a series of straps of constant pre-selected length having hook-engageable loops on one side and, on the other side, a main length portion covered with hooks.  
     
     
         2 . A method of forming a releasable strap of hook and loop material, the strap having a hook side and a loop side, the hooks being formed of synthetic resin on a mold roll defining a multiplicity of hook mold cavities, the method comprising providing a mold roll having at least one relatively wide hook molding region over which hook mold cavities are distributed and, at least at one side thereof, a relatively narrow region devoid of hooks, and utilizing the mold roll to form a continuous sheet of material having on one side a wide band of loop-engageable hooks and an adjacent relatively narrow band devoid of hooks, while loops are on the opposite side of the material, and repeatedly cutting the material at a substantial angle to the machine direction, the cuts extending across said wide and narrow bands, to define a series of straps of constant pre-selected length having hook-engageable loops on one side and, on the other side, a main length portion covered with hooks and at least one end portion devoid of hooks.  
     
     
         3 . A method of forming a releasable strap of hook and loop material, the strap having a hook side and a loop side, the hooks being formed of synthetic resin on a mold roll defining a multiplicity of hook mold cavities, the method comprising providing a mold roll having at least one relatively wide hook molding region over which hook mold cavities are distributed and, at least at one side thereof, a relatively narrow region devoid of hooks, exposing both regions to plastic resin and utilizing the mold roll to form a continuous sheet of material having on one side a wide band of loop-engageable hooks and an adjacent relatively narrow band devoid of hooks, while loops are on the opposite side of the material, and repeatedly cutting the material at a substantial angle to the machine direction, the cuts extending across said wide and narrow bands, to define a series of straps of constant pre-selected length having hook-engageable loops on one side and, on the other side, a main length portion covered with hooks and at least one end portion devoid of hooks and stiffened by resin.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  in which the mold cavities for the hooks are aligned in circumferential rows, resulting in rows of hooks on the strap that lie at a substantial angle to the axis of extent of the resultant straps.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2  or  3  in which there are relatively narrow regions devoid of hooks on both sides of the hook-molding region of the mold roll, and the method is so conducted that it provides straps having end portions devoid of hooks on both ends of the strap.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2  or  3  in which the end portion of the strap devoid of hooks is sized to enable grasping to pull the strap to peel the hooks from engagement with the loops.  
     
     
         7 . The method of claims  1 ,  2  or  3  in which the straps are cut by a rotary cutter having elements arranged to form cuts or perforations at a substantial angle to the machine direction.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  in which the elements are helically arranged on the rotary cutter to form diagonal cuts or perforations in lines at a substantial acute angle to the machine direction, to produce strap end portions that taper to points.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  in which the elements are arranged in lines parallel to the axis of the rotary cutter and at a right angle to the machine direction, to produce strap end portions that are square.  
     
     
         10 . The method of claims  1 ,  2  or  3  in which the mold roll has at least two of said relatively wide hook molding regions over which hook mold cavities are distributed, including the step of making a cut located between said molding regions to form a plurality of end-to-end straps, which extend at said substantial angle to the machine direction.  
     
     
         11 . The method of claims  1 ,  2  or  3  in which the cutting is controlled to partially sever or perforate the straps to form lines of weakening, leaving adjacent straps connected to each other sufficiently to enable the material to be rolled into the form of a supply roll from which individual straps or groups of straps can be detached by breaking away at selected lines of weakening.  
     
     
         12 . The method of claims  1 ,  2  or  3  in which the mold roll provided comprises a series of mold-defining disks stacked together to define circumferentially arranged rows of hook molds.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2  or  3  in which the region of the mold roll devoid of hooks is defined by at least one cylindrical section having a selected surface.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  in which the region of the mold roll devoid of hooks is defined by a set of disks which are stacked together to effectively define said cylindrical section.  
     
     
         15 . The method of claims  1 ,  2  or  3  in which the mold roll is utilized by forming a nip between the mold roll and a pressure roll, and introducing, to the nip, molten resin from an extruder.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  in which preformed continuous sheet material defining said loops is introduced into the nip along with the resin in the manner that the sheet material is laminated in situ to a base layer of said resin while hooks are formed integrally by the mold roll on the other side of the resin.  
     
     
         17 . The method of claims  1 ,  2  or  3  in which a nozzle is shaped to define a mold region at a portion of the periphery of the mold roll and introducing to the mold region molten resin from an extruder.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  in which preformed continuous sheet material defining said loops is introduced to the resin following the nozzle while the resin remains or the roll in the manner that the sheet material is laminated in situ to a base layer of said resin while hooks on the other side of the roll remain in their mold cavities.  
     
     
         19 . A releasable elongated strap of hook and loop material, the strap having an axis of elongation, the strap having a hook side and a loop side, the hooks being formed of synthetic resin, the hooks being formed in rows extending in a given direction (termed the machine direction) on the strap, said given direction of said rows of hooks extending at a substantial angle to said axis of elongation of said strap, said straps having hook-engageable loops on one side and, on the other side, a main portion covered with said hooks.  
     
     
         20 . A releasable elongated strap of hook and loop material, the strap having an axis of elongation, the strap having a hook side and a loop side, the hooks being formed of synthetic resin, said strap having hook-engageable loops on one side and, on the other side, a main length portion covered with said hooks and at least one end portion devoid of hooks.  
     
     
         21 . The elongated strap of  claim 20  in which, on said other side, both end portions are devoid of hooks.  
     
     
         22 . The strap of  claim 20  or  21  in which said end portion or portions of said strap devoid of hooks is resin-stiffened.  
     
     
         23 . The elongated strap of claims  20  or  21  in which the end portion or portions of the strap devoid of hooks is or are sized to enable grasping by a gloved worker to pull the strap to peel the hooks from engagement with the loops.  
     
     
         24 . The elongated strap of  claim 20  in which the hooks are in rows extending in a given direction (termed the machine direction) on the strap, said given direction of said rows of hooks extending at a substantial angle to said axis of elongation of said strap.  
     
     
         25 . The elongated strap of claims  19  or  24  in which the given direction lies diagonally, at a substantial acute angle to the direction of elongation of the strap and the end portions of the strap taper to points.  
     
     
         26 . The elongated strap of claims  19  or  24  in which the given direction lies perpendicular to the direction of elongation of the strap and the end portions of the strap are square.  
     
     
         27 . A multiplicity of straps according to claims  19 ,  20  or  21  defined by partial cuts or perforations of a sheet of material, remaining portions maintaining the integrity of the sheet material while enabling a user to readily tear a strap from the remaining sheet material.  
     
     
         28 . A supply roll defined by the joined straps of  claim 27  rolled into a roll.  
     
     
         29 . The elongated strap of  claim 22  in which the resin providing the resin-stiffened feature has an exterior surface defining a surface roughness or projections that facilitate grasping.  
     
     
         30 . The elongated strap of  claim 22  in which the resin providing the resin-stiffened feature has an exterior surface defining a surface roughness or projections that is suitable for being written upon.  
     
     
         31 . A releasable elongated strap of hook and loop material, the strap having a hook side and a loop side, the hooks being formed of synthetic resin, the hook side having an area devoid of hooks defined by synthetic resin that is integral with a base layer from which the hooks extend, at least part of said area devoid of hooks having a molded matte surface suitable for being written upon.