Sheet having fastening elements, comprising a base strip made of thermoplastic material and at least one element made from the strip, the element consisting of a stem extending in a transverse, in particular vertical, direction to the plane of the base strip, and having a cross section which is substantially uniform or decreases from the base strip towards the apex of the stem, in particular as far as the apex of the stem, and a part forming a head which protrudes laterally from the apex of the stem.

Extrusion-to-sheet production line and method comprise first and second rolls set to a predetermined gap through which a continuously-extruded sheet of molten plastic material passes to calender the sheet to a predetermined thickness. The sheet passes through a nip formed between the second roll and a continuous belt looped around a third roll and a fourth roll. The belt comprises an embossing pattern of optical element shapes that is an inverse pattern of optical element shapes to be embossed at a first major surface of the sheet. The sheet remains in contact with the second roll until the sheet passes through the nip, where the pattern of optical element shapes on the belt is embossed into the first major surfaces of the sheet. Downstream of the third roll is a cooling area through which the belt passes.

An apparatus for producing a web of fibrous material includes a roll having incisions with a depth of 0.01-2.00 mm, a width of 0.01-2.00 mm, and a pitch 0.01-10.00 mm, and rotated at a peripheral velocity v.sub.1 equal to the velocity of an upstream apparatus unit; a belt stretched between transmission rollers that advances at a velocity v.sub.2 less than v.sub.1, wherein v.sub.1/v.sub.2 lies between 1.05 and 1.40; a presser roller rotating at a peripheral velocity v.sub.2, associated with a presser system acting to press the belt against the metal roll with a pressure of 1-200 kg per centimeter; and a system that feeds a sheet of pliable fibrous material between the belt and the roll, the belt having a longitudinal elongation of no more than 5%, dimensional stability along its entire length, a thickness of 1-10 cm, and a hardness 24-70 Shore A.

A molding apparatus includes a movable molding surface with molding cavities, a pressure shoe with a stationary outer surface that defines in cooperation with the molding surface a pressure zone, and a resin source configured to introduce molten resin into the pressure zone to be forced into the molding cavities by pressure in the pressure zone. The molding surface is movable with respect to the pressure shoe to introduce molding cavities to the pressure zone to be filled with resin while the outer surface of the pressure shoe and the molding surface define in between an entrance gap of decreasing width upstream of the pressure zone. The outer surface of the pressure shoe is spaced from the molding surface in the pressure zone to define a minimum gap at which the outer surface of the pressure shoe has a slope parallel to the molding surface. The pressure shoe is adapted to be held in a flexed condition against resin in the pressure zone while forcing resin into the cavities, with the outer surface of the pressure shoe curved upstream of the pressure zone.

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).

Extrusion-to-sheet production line and method comprise first and second rolls set to a predetermined gap through which a continuously-extruded sheet of molten plastic material passes to calender the sheet to a predetermined thickness. The sheet passes through a nip formed between the second roll and a continuous belt looped around a third roll and a fourth roll. The belt comprises an embossing pattern of optical element shapes that is an inverse pattern of optical element shapes to be embossed at a first major surface of the sheet. The sheet remains in contact with the second roll until the sheet passes through the nip, where the pattern of optical element shapes on the belt is embossed into the first major surfaces of the sheet. Downstream of the third roll is a cooling area through which the belt passes.

A laminating station comprises a chill roll (8), a press roll (4) parallel to the chill roll (8), a back-up roll (10) for biasing the press roll (4) towards the chill roll (8), an extrusion arrangement which serves to deposit a layer entering a nip between the rolls (4) and (8), a belt-guiding arrangement (14,16) extending parallelly to the roll (4), leftmost and rightmost endless belts (12) extending over the roll (4) and the belt guiding arrangement (14,16) and through the nip, and, between the leftmost and rightmost endless belts (12), intermediate endless belts (24) extending over the roll (4) and the belt guiding arrangement (14,16) and through the nip. The belts (12) serve to deter contact, with the press roll (4), of the layer being deposited. The belts (14) and (16) have that function and/or the function of pressing an outer tie layer of the laminate being produced into holes through a core layer of the laminate and so into contact with an outermost layer of the laminate.

In the process for producing a rubber for manufacturing a tire: a calender forms a ply with a mixture of ingredients of the rubber while a conveyor moves the ply in a first direction, a mass of product other than the rubber is deposited on the ply, and the conveyor displaces the ply in a second direction, such that the mass is arranged between two faces of the ply extending one against the other.

A molding device including a molding strip formed of a first material and extending along a machine direction, having a width defined along a transverse direction perpendicular to the machine direction, and a thickness measured along a direction perpendicular to the machine direction and to the transverse direction, and an inner face and an outer face, the molding strip including a plurality of cavities, characterized in that part of the cavities are at least partially obturated by a plugging material, so as to define molding cavities for forming retaining elements and/or preforms of retaining elements, and non-functional cavities.

A device including a support, having a lower face and an upper face, the support forming a strip extending along a longitudinal direction, a base extending along the longitudinal direction between a first end and a second end, the base having a lower face facing the upper face of the support, and an upper face, the base having a constant thickness between its lower face and its upper face, a plurality of retaining elements extending from the upper face of the base, wherein the base is secured to the support in a non-uniform manner, and includes at least one segment secured to the support, and at least one portion not secured to the support.