Abstract: Protective coverings herein have a coated woven material with a first edge parallel with a warp direction and a second edge opposite the first edge, and have a first edge band proximate the first edge and a second edge band proximate the second edge. The coated woven material has a woven scrim made of a plurality of weft tapes and a plurality of warp tapes, but the warp tapes positioned in the first and second edge bands are high-shrinkage warp tapes and the warp tapes positioned in between the first and second edge bands have a shrinkage that is less than a shrinkage of the high-shrinkage warp tapes, and has a coating on at least one major surface of the woven scrim. The plurality of high-shrinkage warp tapes shrink upon application of heat. Methods of covering a load, such as stacked lumber, with the protective covering are also disclosed.

Abstract: A multilayer shrink film composite is disclosed and described the shrink film comprising a first shrink film, at least one other shrink film, the at least one other shrink film being adjacent the shrink film, and a plurality of spaced apart welds between the shrink film and the at least one other shrink film. Methods of producing the multilayer shrink film are also provided.

Abstract: A member for use in undersea applications comprising a plurality of conduits assembled into a bundle; the bundle being wrapped with a pressure-sensitive tape comprising a backing, a layer of corrosion-resistant filaments on one surface of the backing, and pressure-sensitive adhesive layer that coats the filaments and binds them to the backing.

Abstract: A member for use in undersea applications comprising a plurality of conduits assembled into a bundle; the bundle being wrapped with a pressure-sensitive tape comprising a backing, a layer of corrosion-resistant filaments on one surface of the backing, and pressure-sensitive adhesive layer that coats the filaments and binds them to the backing.

Abstract: A tape applicator including a main frame, and a knife arm assembly. The knife arm assembly may include a magnet mounted in a stationary position relative to the main frame, and a knife arm pivotally mounted to the main frame. A blade may be mounted to the knife arm. A guard may be rotationally connected to the knife arm and configured to rotate between a closed position covering the blade and an open position exposing the blade. A spring may bias the guard toward the closed position. A catch may be associated with the guard comprising ferromagnetic material. The catch may be attracted to the magnet to open the guard as the knife arm swings to a cutting position.

Abstract: Various carton sealing tapes are disclosed that have a plurality of security features, at least two of which include nanomarker particles having identification indicia visible under about 100 to about 400 times magnification and taggants visible upon exposure to a pre-selected wavelength outside the visible spectrum included in the same or different layers of the tape structure depending upon the selection of the backing material for the substrate of the tape. The carton sealing tapes are also printable for inclusion of a consecutive sequence of coded identification information in the form of a barcode or a 2D code.

Abstract: Security tapes are disclosed that include a first substrate having a first major surface covered with a first PSA, a plurality of discrete pieces of second substrate laminated to the first major surface of the first substrate by the first PSA, and a second PSA applied to each of the plurality of discrete pieces of second substrate on a first surface opposite the first substrate. The first substrate is continuous in both the machine and transverse directions. Each discrete piece of second substrate has a length oriented in the transverse direction and may be spaced a distance apart, in the machine direction, from each adjacent piece of second substrate. The first adhesion of the first PSA for each of the discrete pieces of second substrate is less than a second adhesion of the second PSA for a packaging material or packaging carton.

Abstract: Protective coverings are disclosed that have a scrim made up of warp and weft members that define a plurality of interstices coated on only a first major surface thereof by a multi-layer coating with a first layer of the multi-layer coating juxtaposed to the first major surface, and penetrating into the interstices of the scrim to co-define, with the warp and weft members, an opposing second major surface of the scrim. The first layer of the multi-layer coating has a melting point below 100° C. and comprises a copolymer of ethylene, and provides the co-defined opposing second major surface of the scrim with a coefficient of friction of at least 0.5 when tested with dry leather and at least 0.7 when tested with dry rubber.

Abstract: Tape dispensers with an improved wetting system are disclosed. The tape dispensers include a holder for a roll of liquid-activatable tape, a wetting system that has a reservoir of liquid and a roller having an absorbable outer surface to absorb and dispense liquid, and a manually operated feeding mechanism. The roller is at least partially immersed in the reservoir of liquid and the wetting system includes a roller adjustment mechanism to simultaneously adjust an upward force applied by the roller to the liquid activated tape and an immersion depth of the roller into the reservoir of liquid. The wetting system may also include a pressure mechanism to adjust a downward force applied to the liquid activated tape as it passes over the roller.

Abstract: A testing device for testing adhesion seal strength of a tape to a substrate. The testing device includes a body defining a chamber having a first port in fluid communication with the chamber, a platform sealingly attached to the chamber and having an elongate opening or a plurality of openings therethrough as a second port of the chamber. The testing device further includes a frame removably mounted to the platform. The frame defines a perimeter that surrounds the second port and, when mounted to the platform, secures a test substrate thereunder against the platform with a fluid-tight seal. Methods for preparing a test sample and methods of operating the testing device are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for continuous bulk polymerization is disclosed that includes providing a planetary roller extruder having a plurality of planetary roller zones, introducing an acrylate monomer, a di-vinyl monomer, and a hydroxyl functional acrylic monomer into the planetary roller extruder, introducing an initiator into the planetary roller extruder for initiation of a free-radical polymerization of the acrylate monomer, the di-vinyl monomer, and the hydroxyl functional acrylic monomer to form an acrylic polymer, maintaining the temperature of the free-radical polymerization in the planetary roller extruder below 240° C., and discharging a portion of the acrylic polymer from the planetary roller extruder, and returning the portion of the acrylic polymer to one or more of the plurality of planetary roller zones.

Abstract: Carrier films, adhesive tapes including the carrier film, hand tearable carton sealing tapes, and methods of making the same are described. The carrier films include a first layer of a polyethylene, and a second layer of a polypropylene coextruded therewith and biaxially oriented therewith. This carrier film has a first major surface and a second major surface. A pressure sensitive adhesive may be disposed on the first major surface of the carrier film to make an adhesive tape. The first major surface may be defined by the layer of polypropylene.

Abstract: Tape dispensers with an improved wetting system are disclosed. The tape dispensers include a holder for a roll of liquid-activatable tape, a wetting system that has a reservoir of liquid and a roller having an absorbable outer surface to absorb and dispense liquid, and a feeding mechanism that operatively feeds the liquid-activatable tape through the wetting system to wet the adhesive on the liquid-activatable tape. The roller is at least partially immersed in the reservoir of liquid and the wetting system includes a roller adjustment mechanism to simultaneously adjust an upward force applied by the roller to the liquid activated tape and an immersion depth of the roller into the reservoir of liquid. The wetting system may also include a pressure mechanism to adjust a downward force applied to the liquid activated tape as it passes over the roller.

Abstract: A device for testing adhesive tape including a sample holder located in a first plane and a movable platen having a major surface located in a plane perpendicular to the plane in which the sample holder is located. The platen and the sample holder each have an edge adjacent to the edge of the other, where the platen and the sample holder are moveable with respect to each other such that the movement of the platen with respect to the sample holder separates the adjacent edges and thereby applies a load to a length of tape that is secured to the surface of a sample in the holder and secured to the surface of the platen during testing.

Abstract: Methods for changing a strip of sealed bag precursors in to open bags are disclosed. The apparatus used in the method is referred to as a transforming machine and includes a separation station and may include a perforation station and a piercing station. The perforation station forms a plurality of end perforations in the multiple layers of a strip of sealed bag precursors. The separation station separates the plurality of end perforations in at least one film layer of the trip to form a plurality of bag openings. The plurality of end perforation are torn by the separation station, which includes manipulating the rotation of a main roller, a pressure roller and at least one separation roller.

Abstract: A continuous process for preparing a pressure sensitive adhesive using a planetary roller extruder is described. The continuous process includes introducing at least one non-thermoplastic elastomer into a planetary roller extruder and initially compounding the non-thermoplastic elastomer in the planetary roller extruder to form an initially masticated non-thermoplastic elastomer. Then, a solid raw material, a liquid material, or both are introduced into the initially masticated non-thermoplastic elastomer in the planetary roller extruder, and subsequent compounding of the initially masticated non-thermoplastic elastomer with these additional components occurs to form an adhesive composition.

Abstract: Disclosed is a tape that includes a substrate having an adhesive layer applied thereto, and an edge coating applied to a masking edge of the tape. The substrate and the adhesive, together, define a first and a second masking edge of the tape. The edge coating includes a flocculating agent that is a polyvalent metal salt or an ionic polymer. The edge coating improves the ability of the tape to provide a sharp mask line after a paint, a varnish, a paint stripper, or other coating composition is applied to a surface where the tape is adhered.

Abstract: Water activated tapes, in particular film laminated, water activated paper tapes and methods of making the same are disclosed. The film laminated, water activated paper tapes include a paper backing having a top surface and a bottom surface, a water activated adhesive applied to the bottom surface of the paper backing, and a film reinforcement structure applied to the top surface of the paper backing The film reinforcement structure includes an outermost oriented film, and a lamination layer.

Abstract: Transforming machines for changing a strip of unopened bag precursors into open bag precursors are disclosed that include a drive motor, a separation station, a sensor electrically connected to a controller that is electrically connected to components of the separation station. The separation station includes a first roller, a separation roller driven by the drive motor, and a pressure device having an actuator selectively activating the pressure device to apply pressure to the strip of unopened bag precursors passing over the first roller. In operation, the controller, based on a signal from the sensor, determines when perforations are located in a gap between the pressure device and the separation roller and at that time signals the actuator to activate the pressure device, with the drive motor driving the separation roller, thereby separating the perforations in a first film layer, but not the perforations in a second film layer.