Signode Corporation

William F Duenser

Barry R Angarola

A seal is provided for joining a pair of overlapping plastic strap portions. The seal includes a body of sheet material having a strap engaging surface which engages the strap portions when the seal is closed about the strap portions. The body has a plurality of teeth projecting from the strap-engaging surface. Each tooth is formed of material displaced outwardly from the strap-engaging surface to define a recess therein. Each tooth has a solid configuration defined by converging side surfaces and truncated along a top surface.

Toothed seal for hard thermoplastic strap

A sealless strap connection is provided between a first and second overlapped length of strap and comprises an array of longitudinally spaced joints with each joint comprising lengthwise opposed protuberances displaced from their respective planes of the overlapped lengths of strap and interlocked with each other. The protuberances on the first length of strap are longitudinally spaced in a first and second group with the protuberances of the first group equally spaced from each other and with the spacing of the adjacent protuberances of the second group progressively increased in the direction away from the first group. The protuberances on the second length of strap are longitudinally spaced in first and second groups with the protuberances of the first group equally spaced from each other and with the spacing of the adjacent protuberances of the second group progressively increasing in the direction away from the first group. The first and second group of protuberances on the first length of strap are interlocked with the second and first groups of protuberances, respectively, on the second length of strap whereby, when the connection is initially formed, the protuberances intermediate the ends of the connection interlock before the protuberances at the ends of the connection.

Sealless strap connection

Overlapping lengths of metal strap, or the like, are aligned and connected without the aid of an overlying supplemental seal or fastener by means of an array of longitudinally spaced joints which form a one-way interlocking relationship. The joints comprise juxtaposed protuberances formed by slits in the strap ends, integral with the overlapping strap segments, which override each other as the interlocking relationship is formed. A protuberance at an end of the array on one of the strap ends has a laterally extending projection which, upon shifting of the joined overlapping lengths of metal strap relative to each other in a direction tending to disengage the joints, wedges in the corresponding slit of the other strap to provide a stop preventing disengagement.

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Mount Prospect, IL, United States of America

William F Duenser