Abstract: The invention is also a method of making adhesive tape. The coating step includes drop die coating the plurality of adhesive stripes on the backing without causing any “necking-down” problems of the adhesive stripes. The invention is also a drop die for stripe coating a substrate. A face plate is removably and replaceably mounted across the fronts of die blocks. The face plate has a plurality of orifices such that fluid flowing in the die through the first slot exits through the orifices in the face plate in a plurality of stripes.

Abstract: Tape reinforced by means of filaments comprising a backing and a plurality of yarns comprising a multiplicity of filaments adhered to at least one major surface of said backing by means of a layer of an adhesive. The yarns are disposed essentially parallel to each other along the machine direction of the tape. The yarn-bearing surface of the backing is coated with a polymeric material that both overcoats the filaments and detackifies the residual adhesive between the yarns. The yarns are preferably elliptical in cross-section, with the major axis thereof being essentially parallel to the plane of said backing. In a second embodiment, the tape is reinforced by individual filaments adhered to the backing by means of a layer of adhesive.One advantage of the tape of this invention is that the polymeric material makes it possible for the tape to be applied to optical fiber cable from conventional apparatus without having adhesive from the tape stick to the apparatus.