Elastic securement of an article with segments capable of being

Abstract

An article having a pliable portion which is to be elastically secured about the periphery of a member having a substantially predetermined cross-section by means of an elasticized fastening system. The pliable portion of the article has a first end portion and a second end portion located at opposite ends of the encircling portion of the article. The first end portion includes an elasticized fastening system having at least one segment which is capable of being elastically shirred along at least a portion of its length. The shirrable portion of the segment comprises an elastomeric member which, prior to the securement of the first and second end portions of the article to one another, is maintained in a prestretched and tensioned condition in the desired direction of shirring. The opposed ends of the shirrable segment in the article are interconnected to one another through the prestretched and tensioned elastomeric member. The prestretched and tensioned elastomeric member is maintained in tension by securing it in fixed relation to at least one rigidifying member to form a composite structure which is strong enough to resist collapse in a direction parallel to the tensile forces acting upon the prestretched and tensioned elastomeric member. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the rigidifying member has a fixed portion permanently secured to the first end portion of the article and a releasable portion which can be separated from the first end portion of the article. The releasable portion of the rigidifying member preferably includes means for securing it to the second end portion of the article, and the act of affixing the releasable portion of the rigidifying member to the second end portion of the article automatically releases the tension in the prestretched elastomeric member. Elasticized fastening systems of the present invention can be produced at high speed from continuous webs and cut into discrete segments which are transferred onto a continuously moving web at predetermined points along its length, all while the elastomeric member is maintained in its prestretched and tensioned condition by the rigidifying member. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the elastomeric member is prestretched in the cross-machine direction so as to cause shirring of the articles in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of web travel when the rigidifying member is separated from the prestretched and tensioned elastomeric member.