Abstract: Ribbons with embossed side edges are produced from a length of thermoplastic material by pulling the material through a cutting station having side-by-side circular knives mounted for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to the plane of the material at the cutting station and substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the material through the cutting station. Each circular knife has a peripheral cutting edge and the knives are drivingly rotated and heated while the material is being pulled through the cutting station to cause the cutting knives to cut the material into a series of ribbons. Heated circular embossing members mounted on opposite sides of each circular knife are freely rotatable relative to the associated circular knife so that they are rotated by contact with the material and emboss the side edges of the ribbons.

Abstract: A shoulder strap has upper and lower outer portions extending from one side edge of the strap to the other, the upper and lower portions having laterally inturned side positions at at least one side edge of the strap, and a double layer of filler strip located between the upper and lower outer portions. The upper filler strip layer has a side edge portion located between the upper outer portion and an adjacent laterally inturned side portion thereof, and the lower filler strip layer has a side edge portion located between the lower outer portion and an adjacent laterally inturned side portion thereof. Each adjacent laterally inturned side portion is short compared to the width of the strip so as to leave substantial portions of the width of the filler strip layers adjacent each other.