Abstract: A method of forming a mold having cavities for molding loop-engageable, hook-shaped fastener elements, includes: supporting a first plate having an outer surface that defines a plane; manipulating a material-cutting beam of a laser along a predetermined curved profile to cut a cavity into the outer surface of the first plate, the predetermined curved profile being generally hook-shaped, the cavity defined by a wall extending into the first plate from the outer surface; in a series of subsequent actions, repeatedly indexing the first plate relative to the laser to direct the material-cutting beam at further positions on the first plate and repeating the step of manipulating the material-cutting beam of the laser relative to the first plate to form a series of cavities, each having a hook-shaped profile; and positioning a second plate adjacent the outer surface of the first plate, the second plate providing a side wall surface for each of the cavities of the first plate, the first plate and the second plate in

Abstract: A faster tape is provided including (a) a molded resin base sheet with an array of integrally molded fastener elements extending from a first side of the base sheet; and (b) a substrate permanently secured to a second side of the base sheet, the substrate comprising first ad second yarns or fibers, the first yarn or fiber comprising a first polymeric material and the second yarn of fiber comprising a second, different polymeric materials, one of the polymeric materials being capable of adhesion to the resin of the base sheet.

Abstract: A fastening tape has a sheet-form base carrying an array of hooking members (10,22,24,34) each having a height (h) of about 0.008 inch (0.2 millimeter) or less, as measured from the base, and fiber-engaging features, such as re-entrant tips (18,32), disposed less than about 0.003 inch (0.08 millimeter) from their upper surfaces, as measured normal to the base. Such hooking members are employed to releasably engage directly into foams and fine denier non-woven materials, such as those of insulation, filters, construction moisture barriers, disposable gowns and diapers.

Abstract: A running length of fastener product is formed of longitudinally pre-oriented synthetic resin. The product is characterized by a base web and an array of discrete fastener elements protruding from at least one side of the web, the web being in a laterally stretched molecular oriented condition. After forming a preform having discrete fastener elements integral with a base web in a stretchable state, the preform is stretched in a manner that substantially increases the fastener element spacing and reduces the thickness of the base web. A machine is shown that is capable of lengthwise orienting before forming and widthwise stretching after forming, which employs controlled heating to render the product widthwise stretchable while preserving or achieving a desired shape of the fastener elements.

Abstract: Touch fasteners with different portions having different material properties, and methods and apparatus for making such a product. In one embodiment, the fastener includes a cross-linkable polymer, and a first portion of the fastener is cross-linked and a second portion of the fastener is not cross-linked or is cross-linked to a degree less than said first portion. In another embodiment, the fastener is made in a continuous process on a rotating mold roll having a plurality of fastener element mold cavities extending into the mold roll from its outer circumferential surface.

Abstract: Lightweight, non-woven loop products for hook-and-loop fastening are disclosed, as are methods for making them and end products employing them. The products are non-woven webs of entangled fibers of substantial tenacity, the fibers forming both a sheet-form web body and hook-engageable, free-standing loops extending from the web body. The product is stretched and stabilized to produce spaced-apart loop clusters extending from a very thin web of taut fibers. In some embodiments, the fibers include low denier fibers and/or bicomponent fibers.

Abstract: A hook fastener member having rows of molded hook-shaped fastener elements that lie in planes aligned with the rows, with generally planar plate portions at the outermost ends of at least some of the fastener elements, the plate portions lying generally parallel to the base of the fastener member. The plate portions can enhance engagement of the hook fastener members with mating loop fastener members, particularly with low loft non-woven loop fastener members. A method of making fastener members is provided. Molten resin is extruded and applied to a molding roller, creating preforms. The outermost portions of at least some of the preforms are flattened, thereby forming generally plate shaped portions. Disposable absorbent garments advantageously incorporate the hook fastener members.

Abstract: A reclosable closure consists of two longitudinally continuous strips and which, when facially engaged, are held together by hook and loop fastening principles. The inner side of one strip has two fields of hook-engageable loops, separated by a female seal profile portion. The inner side of the other strip has two fields of molded hook elements arranged to engage the loops to hold the closure in its closed condition, and a central male seal profile portion for engaging the female seal profile portion to form a seal when the closure is closed. Another reclosable closure is held together by hook and loop fastening principles and includes a resilient bead that is compressed between opposing sides of the closure, or between spaced rails of an opposing side of the closure, when the hooks and loops of the closure are engaged. The closure is useful, for example, as a bag closure.

Abstract: Fastener products having a multiplicity of fastener elements extending from a strip-form base, the base including first and second attachment members for attachment of a substrate therebetween, are formed by continuously introducing molten resin to a gap defined adjacent a peripheral surface of a rotating mold roll. The resin forms part of the strip-form base of the product at the peripheral mold roll surface and fills an array of fixed cavities defined in the rotating mold roll to form portions of the fastener elements as projections extending from a first side of the sheet-form base. While the resin is on the mold roll, a sheet material is introduced.

Abstract: Improvements are disclosed for an apparatus for continuously molding small fastener elements integral with a base web from a flowable resin. The apparatus comprises a cylindrical mold roll rotatable about an axis and defining small fastener element-shaped mold cavities in the surface thereof, and pressure-applying means to apply operating pressure to force the resin into the cavities at a pressure zone. The pressure-applying means and mold roll define a mold gap therebetween for forming the base web. The advantageous use of relatively long mold rolls, to produce a correspondingly wide web, and the use of higher molding pressures, e.g. to form very small fastener elements, is enabled by various improvements, including means to maintain the mold gap at a desired thickness profile across the length of the molding region of the mold roll under operating pressure. In some cases the pressure-applying means includes a pressure roll, in other cases it includes a resin nozzle assembly or pressure head.

Abstract: A method of making a segmented hook and loop type fastener which accommodates molding contours. Several different methods for fabricating such a fastener are disclosed. A plurality of mold plates include a fastener forming zone, having similar arcuate edges. The fastener forming zone further comprises fastening element mold cavities intersecting these edges and one face of the mold plate, the mold cavities being arranged into a plurality of segment forming regions. Circumscribing each of the segment forming regions, is a gasket mold cavity; and between each adjacent pair of segment forming regions, is a hinge forming region. The mold plates form a cylindrical mold wheel having a circular surface formed by the arcuate edges of the mold plates such that the segment forming regions are spaced apart circumferentially around the cylindrical surface. The apparatus further comprises an extruder having a die whose surface is disposed close to the cylindrical surface.

Abstract: An extruded hook fastener strip is created on a roll having hook forming cavities in its surface by extruding plastic material into the interface between the forming roll and a second strip carried by a backing roll. The second strip is firmly bonded to the fastener strip on that side opposite the formed hooks.

Abstract: Lightweight, non-woven loop products for hook-and-loop fastening are disclosed, as are methods for making them and end products employing them. The products are non-woven webs of entangled fibers of substantial tenacity, the fibers forming both a sheet-form web body and hook-engageable, free-standing loops extending from the web body. The product is stretched and stabilized to produce spaced-apart loop clusters extending from a very thin web of taut fibers. In important cases a binder is added to stabilize the product in its stretched condition. An example of the loop product is produced by needle-punching a batt of staple fibers in multiple needle-punching operations, applying a foamed acrylic binder, and then stretching the needled batt and curing the binder with the batt stretched. Other forming techniques are disclosed and several novel articles and uses employing such loop products are described, such as for filters and fasteners.

Abstract: Improvements are disclosed for an apparatus for continuously molding small fastener elements integral with a base web from a flowable resin. The apparatus comprises a cylindrical mold roll rotatable about an axis and defining small fastener element-shaped mold cavities in the surface thereof, and pressure-applying means to apply operating pressure to force the resin into the cavities at a pressure zone. The pressure-applying means and mold roll define a mold gap therebetween for forming the base web. The advantageous use of relatively long mold rolls, to produce a correspondingly wide web, and the use of higher molding pressures, e.g. to form very small fastener elements, is enabled by various improvements, including means to maintain the mold gap at a desired thickness profile across the length of the molding region of the mold roll under operating pressure. In some cases the pressure-applying means includes a pressure roll, in other cases it includes a resin nozzle assembly or pressure head.

Abstract: A method of forming a fastener is provided, including (a) forming, from a thermoformable material, a preform product having a sheet-form base and an array of preform stems integrally molded with and extending from the base to corresponding terminal ends; (b) heating the terminal ends of the stems to a predetermined softening temperature, while maintaining the sheet-form base and a lower portion of each stem at a temperature lower than the softening temperature; and (c) contacting the terminal ends with a contact surface that is at a predetermined forming temperature, lower than the softening temperature, to deform the terminal ends to form heads therefrom that overhang the sheet-form base. Fasteners and other methods of forming them are also provided.

Abstract: A dispenser for strip materials, e.g. hook and loop fastener material, which automatically finds formations in a continuous fastener strip during its dispensing and, at that point in the dispensing procedure, produces a resistance to the remaining supply, that enables parting of the lead unit from the remaining supply, thus dispensing a discrete unit. The dispenser has a receptacle to hold the supply of fastener strip material; it employs a retarding device to provide light drag against the motion of the strip as the leading strip unit moves from the dispenser in response to pull by a user. A detent downstream of the retarding device engages a corresponding formation in the strip material to resist movement of the remaining strip material, so that the strip ruptures along a line of weakness under a user's tension. Also disclosed are dispensable fastener strips of various forms, some advantageously formed by use of needled bat, and methods of forming the fastening strips.

Abstract: A segmented hook and loop type fastener accommodates molding contours. Each segment may be surrounded by a gasket barrier, or covered by another sort of cover, or left unprotected. The fastener component is a plurality of fastening segments. Carried on the fastening face of a base member are a plurality of fastening elements, either hook-type or loop-type. Located between and joining each adjacent pair of fastening segments is a flexible neck that is narrower than the fastening segment. The flexible neck region is typically flexible around two or three orthogonal axes. Each segment may have a barrier for use during an operation to incorporate the fastener into a molded body. The barrier would prevent any liquid foaming material from contacting the fastening elements if the fastener is placed in the mold with the fastening elements pressed against the wall of the mold. The cover may be enveloping or space filling.

Abstract: A segmented hook and loop type fastener accommodates molding contours. Each segment may be surrounded by a gasket barrier, or covered by another sort of cover, or left unprotected. The fastener component is a plurality of fastening segments. Carried on the fastening face of a base member are a plurality of fastening elements, either hook-type or loop-type. Located between and joining each adjacent pair of fastening segments is a flexible neck that is narrower than the fastening segment. The flexible neck region is typically flexible around two or three orthogonal axes. Each segment may have a barrier for use during an operation to incorporate the fastener into a molded body. The barrier would prevent any liquid foaming material from contacting the fastening elements if the fastener is placed in the mold with the fastening elements pressed against the wall of the mold. The cover may be enveloping or space filling.

Abstract: Several methods and machines for continuously forming a fastener product having an array of fastener elements extending from a continuous, sheet-form base, employing a mold belt on which the sheet-form base of the product is formed and from which it is subsequently stripped. The belt defines an array of cavities extending from its outer surface, for molding either the array of fastener elements or an array of preform stems that are subsequently reformed into the fastener elements. In some cases the cavities are blind, such as for forming hook-type fastener elements; in other cases, the cavities extend through the belt, such as for forming mushroom-type fastener elements. Various belt constructions and fastener element shapes are also disclosed.

Abstract: A plastic molded hook for use with a hook and loop fastening system especially adapted for use with low profile loops. The hook design includes a base, a stem and a crook whereby the volume of the portion of the hook penetrating into a pile of loops is defined as the displacement volume. Hooks especially adapted for use with low profile loops have a displacement volume of less than 6×10−6 cubic inches.