Velcro Industries B.v.

Bentley-harris Inc.

The Bentley-harris Manufacturing Company

Uniroyal Plastics Co., Inc.

Martin I Jacobs

Randall B Kenney

Brian J Routhier

Richard A Barlow

Michael A Ford

Howard A Kingsford

Gerald F Rocha

Clinton Dowd

Donald L Banfield

George A Provost

Andrew Cecil Harvey

Christopher M Gallant

William P Clune

William H Shepard

Stephen C Jens

Scott M Filion

Paul R Erickson

Keith G Buzzell

Samuel White Pollard

Gilbert G Fryklund

James W Babineau

Shawn C Banker

Joseph K Parshley

Fredric L Schrock

David P Derse

K Theodor Krantz

John L Boucher

Fastenings, including stretchy or flexible 'zebra-like' and 'leopard-like' appearing materials, are disclosed having spaced bands or a distribution islands of molded loop-engageable hooks or molded pre-forms for hooks, between which are bands or regions of different character. Molding is by rigid molds filled from the base region of the stems. In embodiments, linear bands or islands of fastener elements are themselves inextensible in the direction of their extent and comprise multiple rows of fastener elements. For ease of forming a uniform, elastically stretchy or flexible product, the bands or islands of fastener elements extend in the machine direction during manufacture. Embodiments shown employ a widthwise continuous carrier of uniform character to which multiple spaced bands or islands of hooks have their molded stems in situ bonded, and in other embodiments, over-lapping margins of the bases of hook bands are in situ laminated to surface structure of adjacent bands of carrier using a laminating nip in which one of the rolls is a mold roll. For a preferred mode of manufacture of an elastically stretchy product, stretchy carrier material is stretchy only in the widthwise (cross-machine) direction. In composite hook and loop fastener products, the bands or regions of material between adjacent bands or islands of hooks comprise loop-engageable material, that is uniform in construction widthwise, the loop-forming material itself being an elastically stretchable or a flexible component. In useful product categories, the hook bands or islands and intervening regions of material have importantly different width ranges. Novel elastically stretchable and flexible loop-defining materials, and their methods of manufacture are shown. In situ lamination of hook, bands or islands on surfaces of materials held in a planar orientation or presenting a planar surface are also shown, flexible materials on tenter frames and rigid materials.

Hook and loop fastening

A fastening component of a separable fastener is molded out of two separate flows of resin joined under pressure in a nip as the fastening elements are molded in cavities of a cavity roller. The joined flows of resin travel about the cavity roller while being cooled, and are then passed about a stripping roller to pull the formed fastener strip from the cavity roller.

Forming fastener components of multiple streams of resin

A fastening component of a separable fastener has some portion that is necessary for its fastening function, such as the hooks, the base to which the hooks are attached or a substrate that is used for another purpose, comprised of a magnetically attractive constituent. Another portion of the fastening component is comprised of a magnetically inert constituent. The fastening element may be the hook portion or the loop portion of a typical fastener. The fastening elements and the base may be unitary, or of different precursors, such as in a woven fastener component. The magnetically inert constituent may comprise a polymeric plastic or a thermoplastic elastomer. The magnetic attractant may impregnate the magnetically inert constituent, or it may coat or be coated by the magnetically inert constituent. The magnetic attractant may comprise a metal powder. The metal may be selected from the group consisting of iron powder. The magnetic attractant may be an organo-iron or a rare earth metal. In a woven fastener, either the base structure or the hooks may include the magnetic attractant, or both may do so. The material that forms the hooks may be entirely of a magnetically attractive material, with the material that forms the woven base being magnetically inert. Rather than the magnetically attractive material being incorporated into the fastening elements or the base, it may be incorporated into the substrate that is formed from a precursor element that is separate from the base, and that is joined to the base.

Touch fastener with magnetic attractant

A method for producing a multiplicity of fastener element molding cavities extending from a mold surface, for molding a plastic product having fastener elements integrally molded with and extending from a product base, and a mold so produced. The mold cavities are formed by depositing multiple layers of plating material on a workpiece in a predetermined pattern selected to produce a desired mold cavity shape, or by depositing a thick stratum of plating material over an array of fastener elements and then removing the fastener elements to leave shaped cavities within the plating material. The mold may be in the form of a roll or belt for continuous processing, or in any form for discrete injection molding. Molds having fastener element cavities defined by rigid cast materials are also disclosed.

Forming mold cavities

Touch fastener with magnetic attractant and molded article containing

Method of making and using a touch fastener with magnetic attractant

A fastener of the hook and loop type intended to be incorporated into plastic articles by plastic molding processes is formed of a known separable fastener member having a base member and a plurality of engaging elements upstanding from one surface thereof. A vinyl plastisol, thermoplastic, or rubber encasement which intimately surrounds the individual engaging elements protects the elements when they are exposed to the harsh environment of a molding process. The fastener is placed in a mold and molded into, as an integral part thereof, a plastic part. The encasement is removable from the engaging elements after the molding process, to expose the engaging elements, without permanently deforming or substantially destroying the fastening performance thereof.

Die cut mold-in

Disclosed are flexible, kink-resistant shaped fabric products which are particularly well adapted for protecting and/or covering elongate substrates, such as cables, conduits, wiring and the like. The shaped fabric products include a wall portion comprising a filament resiliently set in a spiral configuration with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaped product. The wall portion may also preferably comprise a filament in the form of circumferential hoops substantially conforming in shape and size to the cross-sectional configuration of the shaped product.

Shaped fabric products

A separable fastener component for use with a complementary separable fastener component has a base member, having a nominal fastening face and a non-fastening face. Carried on the fastening face is a pattern of fastening elements, comprising a main region carrying fastening elements. Substantially surrounding the main region is a bald region that is substantially free of fastening elements; and substantially surrounding the bald region, is a perimeter region that carries fastening elements. The bald region may be a rectangular annulus, as may be the perimeter region of fastening elements. The bald and perimeter regions may also be non-rectangular. The sacrificial perimeter fastening elements may be hooks or loops. Anchoring elements may be provided on the non-fastening face of the base. Rather than the bald region being one that surrounds the main region, it may bound a portion of the main region and may be a pair of bald regions that are substantially free of fastening elements. Adjoining each of the bald regions is a bounding region that carries hook-type fastening elements, arranged such that each bald region is sandwiched between said main region and a respective bounding region. The fastening component may be incorporated into a molded product, with minimal intrusion of the molding material into the fastening elements of the main region. A method of making the fastening component and molded article, as well as a mold are also disclosed.

Separable fastener having a bald perimeter rib bounded by fastening

Disclosed are methods for forming flexible, kink-resistant shaped fabric products which are particularly well adapted for protecting and/or covering elongate substrates, such as cables, conduits, wiring and the like. The shaped fabric products include a wall portion formed from a filamentary material which is resiliently set in a spiral configuration with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaped product. The wall portion may also preferably formed with a filamentary material in the form of circumferential hoops substantially conforming in shape and size to the cross-sectional configuration of the shaped product.

Methods of making shaped fabric products

Disclosed are flexible, kink-resistant shaped fabric products which are particularly well adapted for protecting and/or covering elongate substrates, such as cables, conduits, wiring and the like. The shaped fabric products include a wall portion comprising a filament resiliently set in a spiral configuration with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaped product. The wall portion may also preferably comprise a filament in the form of circumferential hoops substantially conforming in shape and size to the cross-sectional configuration of the shaped product. Also disclosed are methods for forming such shaped product.

Shaped fabric products and methods of making same

A flame-retardant coated fabric article of a single layer of fabric containing glass fibers and natural or synthetic fibers one side of which is covered by a thermoplastic polyvinyl halide composition to impart the desired diapability, hand, and tailorability properties to the article. The glass fibers provide strength to the article so that, when the article placed under tension forces and exposed to fire or a flame, it does not tear apart due to the tension forces as the coating burns, thus providing a barrier to the penetration of flame through the article. The coating also is capable of forming a char which contributes to the effectiveness of the flame barrier.

Flame retardant fabric structure

Growing community of inventors

Bedford, NH, United States of America

Martin I Jacobs