A fixturing apparatus that includes a housing defining an interior space and having a trapezoidal cross-section, a first end, and an opposing second end, and is formed to include an aperture extending therethrough from the first end to said second end. The fixturing apparatus further comprises a flexible strap and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip to allow identifying and tracking the fixturing apparatus.

A method of making a mechanical fastening strip and a reticulated mechanical fastening strip are disclosed. The method includes providing a backing having upstanding posts; providing interrupted slits through the backing, the interrupted slits being interrupted by at least one intact bridging region; spreading the slit backing to provide multiple strands separated from each other between at least some of the bridging regions to provide at least one opening; and fixing the multiple strands of the backing in a spread configuration. The reticulated mechanical fastening strip includes multiple strands of a backing attached to each other at bridging regions in the backing and separated from each other between the bridging regions to provide openings. Upstanding posts on each of the multiple strands have bases attached to the backing, and each of the multiple strands has a width that is greater than that of the bases of its attached upstanding posts.

A self-engaging fastener has a flexible base sheet and an array of discrete fastener elements projecting from a broad side of the base sheet. Each fastener element has a stem extending from the base sheet and a head at a distal end of the stem, the head overhanging the base sheet on multiple sides of the stem. The heads of the discrete fastener elements are arranged in a pattern of hexagonal groupings of fastener element heads bordering central regions void of fastener element heads, with each fastener element head spaced from edges of the array being part of three adjacent groupings. The product features a particularly high separation resistance for the area of the product covered by the heads.

A system for fastening a covering on a surface includes a first assembly comprising a first retaining element; and a second assembly comprising a second retaining element; the first and second retaining elements being configured to engage each other so as to form a reversible bond; the system being characterized in that the first retaining element comprises an array of retaining elements comprising hooks having a height (Hc) lying in the range 0.05 mm (0.0020 in) to 1 mm (0.039 in), and the second retaining element comprises an array of retaining elements comprising loops having a height (Hb) lying in the range 0.1 mm (0.0039 in) to 3.0 mm (0.12 in).

Provided is a molding hook and loop fastener, in which a barrier erected near left and right side edges of a substrate includes at least two rows of vertical wall arrays, and the vertical wall array positioned on the outermost side includes a plurality of gaps provided at a predetermined pitch in a length direction. At least two of the gaps are provided on the vertical wall array positioned on the outermost side with respect to a region between the engaging elements adjacent in the length direction of the substrate. Due to this, in the molding hook and loop fastener, an outer side and an inner side of the barrier can be divided by the vertical wall array, and flexibility of the molding hook and loop fastener can be improved.

A self-engaging fastener has a flexible base sheet and an array of discrete fastener elements projecting from a broad side of the base sheet. Each fastener element has a stem extending from the base sheet and a head at a distal end of the stem, the head overhanging the base sheet on multiple sides of the stem. The heads of the discrete fastener elements are arranged in a pattern of hexagonal groupings of fastener element heads bordering central regions void of fastener element heads, with each fastener element head spaced from edges of the array being part of three adjacent groupings. The product features a particularly high separation resistance for the area of the product covered by the heads.

A method of forming a retaining device with hooks, wherein: a molding strip is provided that presents an inside face and an outside face, and that has a plurality of cavities, each cavity defining a stem extending from the outside face towards the inside face and including an end forming a head that extends from the stem towards the inside face of the molding strip; the molding strip is positioned on rotary drive means, the inside face of the molding strip being arranged to bear against the drive means; and molding material is dispensed against the outside face of the molding strip.

A method of making a mechanical fastener. The method includes providing a slit web having mechanical fastening elements, applying tension to the slit web in the machine direction, and spreading the slit web in the cross-machine direction by moving the slit web over a crowned surface to provide a spread mechanical fastening web. The slit web includes a plurality of interrupted slits that are interrupted by intact bridging regions of the web. The crowned surface may be an air bearing, or at least a portion of the crowned surface is a low-friction surface, and the crowned surface and the slit web are not moving at the same speed in the same direction. The crowned surface may be provided with at least one ridge.

Provided is a molding hook and loop fastener, in which a barrier erected near left and right side edges of a substrate includes at least two rows of vertical wall arrays, and the vertical wall array positioned on the outermost side includes a plurality of gaps provided at a predetermined pitch in a length direction. At least two of the gaps are provided on the vertical wall array positioned on the outermost side with respect to a region between the engaging elements adjacent in the length direction of the substrate. Due to this, in the molding hook and loop fastener, an outer side and an inner side of the barrier can be divided by the vertical wall array, and flexibility of the molding hook and loop fastener can be improved.

A molding apparatus (10) for forming a retaining device. The molding apparatus (10) comprises a molding strip (12) and a molding support (24). The molding strip (12) has an inside face (14), an outside face (16), and a plurality of through cavities (18) extending from the outside face (16) to the inside face (14), the molding strip (12) extending in a longitudinal direction (X) and presenting both a transverse direction (Y) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X), and also a height direction (Z) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X) and to the transverse direction (Y). The inside face (14) is configured to press against a molding face (26) of the molding support (24), wherein the inside face (14) of the molding strip (12) and/or the molding face (26) of the molding support (24) includes an array of passages, the array of passages forming vents and connecting together the cavities (18) when the molding strip (12) is pressed against the molding support (24).