Continuous supply of preformed reclosable fasteners

Abstract

A continuous supply of preformed reclosable fasteners suited for use in combination with an apparatus for attaching a reclosable fastener to a web of flexible material primarily intended for use with a host packaging machine to form a reclosable container. Strips of reclosable fasteners are arranged in side-to-side relation to each other, and the distal ends of each fastener strip are flattened by the application of heat and pressure whereby the distal ends are not only reduced in thickness, but also fused one to the other, thereby resulting in a continuous length of preformed reclosable fasteners. In a preferred form, the continuous length is wound around a core to create a roll of fasteners. This roll is suited for use in combination with an apparatus for attaching reclosable fasteners to a web of flexible material used by a form, fill, seal, and separate machine making reclosable containers.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A continuous supply of preformed reclosable fasteners, said supply comprising: a plurality of reclosable fasteners, each of said fasteners having opposed distal ends defining a predetermined longitudinal dimension between said ends; said fasteners being disposed in side-to-side relation to each other such that each of said longitudinal dimensions is parallel to another of said longitudinal dimensions; adjacent ones of said distal ends being flattened, and adjacent ones of said fasteners being welded together, thereby providing the continuous supply.  
     
     
         2 . A continuous supply of preformed reclosable fasteners in  claim 1  wherein said distal ends are flattened as they are welded and fused together.  
     
     
         3 . A continuous supply of preformed reclosable fasteners as in  claim 2  wherein the longitudinal dimension between said fused ends of each of said side-to-side fasteners is free of any connection therebetween.  
     
     
         4 . A continuous supply of preformed reclosable fasteners as in  claim 1  wherein said continuous supply is wound onto a supply roll.  
     
     
         5 . A method for making a continuous supply of preformed reclosable fasteners, said method comprising the steps of: 
 a. selecting a supply of reclosable fastener material comprising a pair of mated reclosable sealing strips, one of said strips being a male fastener part and the other of said strips being a female fastener part;    b. cutting said supply into a plurality of reclosable fastener strips, each of said plurality defining a like longitudinal dimension defined by the distance between opposed distal ends of each of said strips;    c. arranging said plurality of strips in side-to-side relation to each other such that said longitudinal dimensions are substantially parallel;    d. flattening adjacent ones of the distal ends of each of said strips by the application of heat and pressure; and,    e. welding adjacent ones of said strips to each other by the application of heat and pressure, whereby adjacent ones of said strips are joined to each other along said longitudinal dimension.    
     
     
         6 . A method as in  claim 5  wherein said welding comprises the step of fusing said adjacent flattened distal ends.  
     
     
         7 . A method as in  claim 5  further comprising the step of winding said joined strips onto a core to form a roll.