Abstract: The marking tag for banded merchandise has a resilient flat sheet with printed matter on at least one surface and an outer perimeter defining the outer limits of the body. Entirely within the outer perimeter is a pair of openings in spaced relationship and a slit connecting the pair of openings and forming a resilient bluntly pointed tongue in the body. The tongue has opposing straight side portions in an angular relationship greater than 40 degrees and less than 80 degrees and the opposing sides converge toward each other and are conjoined at the bluntly pointed tip. The bluntly pointed tongue is easily temporarily deflected from the plane of the body by finger pressure to readily insert the tip underneath a band about banded merchandise and slide the tongue fully under the band to seat the band in the pair of openings. The tag is thus placed in a substantially flush condition against the banded merchandise.

Abstract: This sheet material marking tag has a stiffly resilient header part united along a border to an information part for printed matter. A holding orifice in the header comprises a major recess divisible into substantially equal upper and lower halves. The orifice has an internal edge and the internal edge has a lower span consisting of all portions of the internal edge below the upper half of the major recess. A stub nose projects laterally from the orifice and terminates as a blunt tip. The lower edge of the nose tapers toward the border but terminates at an orifice entry slit on the lower span of the orifice internal edge. A V-shaped open mouth below the nose has an upper lip common to the lower edge of the nose and a lower lip tapering toward the orifice but terminating at a lower lip intersection along the lower edge of the nose at a location spaced from the orifice. A pinch entry channel extends as a length along the lower edge of the nose between the lower lip intersection and the orifice entry slit.

Abstract: The twist tie article permits simultaneous banding and tagging of merchandise and has a twist tie for banding about merchandise and a tag comprised of an information portion for displaying printed matter and an attachment portion for attaching the tag to itself after encircling the tag about a section of the twist tie. The tag is formed of water resistant sheet material folded along the boundary between the information and attachment portions with the portions extending from the fold in an approximately parallel orientation. The attachment portion is bonded to the information portion, with the twist tie situated between the information and attachment portions and between the fold and the bond. The tag is thereby securely and reliably attached about the twist tie without need for relying upon the formation of a bond between the tag and the twist tie.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying a twist-tie to a multiple serving, recloseable, flexible packaging container including a payout mechanism for holding a supply of twist-tie material. An extracting and cutting mechanism is configured to extract a continuous length of twist-tie material from the supply of twist-tie material and cut a twist-tie of a desired length. A magnetic application mechanism produces a magnetic force sufficient to remove the twist-tie (at least a portion of which is metallic) from the extracting and cutting mechanism. A dispensing mechanism dispenses a hot melt adhesive material on the twist-tie held by the magnetic application mechanism. The magnetic application mechanism then applies the twist-tie to a surface of a container. The adhesive material acts to secure the twist-tie to the container.