Aspects disclosed herein relate to forming on a substrate fastener elements suitable for use in touch fastener by employing vibration forming methods. The processes described provide for a greater flexibility in manufacturing than prior methods and overcome certain limitations in prior forming techniques. Further, the product made can embody a variety of different configurations suitable for a given application. Employing vibration forming methods, such as ultrasonic forming methods, allows for the use of a wider variety of substrate material than materials used with convention methods of touch fastener formation.

Arrays of male fastener elements are formed by molding preforms in cavities defined in one or more adjacent plates and shaped to mold preform arms that extend to a plate side, such as in a cross-machine direction of a continuous molding process. The preforms may be deformed to flatten their upper surfaces and lengthen the arms. Stems of preforms have molded side surfaces and each have width, measured in the longitudinal direction of the strip, that narrows with distance from the strip surface, and also narrows with distance from a parting line extending from the strip surface to the head between the arms.

Described herein are a method for transferring an embossed structure, which includes at least the steps (1-i) and (2-i) or (1-ii) and (2-ii), where steps (1-i) and (2-i) or (1-ii) and (2-ii) are carried out using an embossing tool (P1) including at least one embossing die (p1), where the embossing die (p1) of the embossing tool (P1) is pretreated, before the implementation of step (2-i) or before the implementation of step (1-ii), with at least one organic solvent and/or at least one reactive diluent, and also a method of using a corresponding pretreated embossing tool (P1) including at least one embossing die (p1) for the purpose of transferring an embossed structure in such a way.

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.

The invention relates to an apparatus for cross-sectionally shaping a multiplicity of plastics strands guided in parallel alongside one another over at least one rotatable shaping roller (18, 19, 20), in which the shaping roller is provided on its surface with a plurality of encircling shaping recesses which are arranged in parallel and in which the cross section of the plastics strands is shapeable in accordance with the cross-sectional shape of the shaping recesses, wherein preferably three shaping rollers (18, 19, 20) of the same type for sequentially shaping the plastics strands are arranged transversely to the running path of the plastics strands, wherein the plastics strands are guided between a pair of two successive shaping rollers (19, 20) on a first side of the plastics strands and a third shaping roller (18), which is arranged, between the first (19) and second shaping roller (20) of the pair of shaping rollers, on the second side of the plastics strands in the running direction of the plastics strands, and the shaping rollers are mounted in lateral guide plates by means of quick-change apparatuses.

A system (10) for butt-joining two or more rubber strips (B1, B2) selected in accordance with a predetermined rubber mixture recipe in order to feed at least one extruder with a complex strip of rubber material (B12) made from the butt joined rubber strips is disclosed. The system includes at least one conveyor that transports the rubber strips from an inlet (12) of the system to an outlet (14) of the butt-joining system; a frame (18) that operationally supports the conveyor to allow the continuous transport of the rubber strips and also to allow the simultaneous butt-joining of the rubber strips fed to the system; and a roller system (20) that butt-joins the rubber strips without penetration. The invention also relates to a process for butt-joining rubber strips that is performed by the system.

The invention describes a method for manufacturing a plastic drain sheet, and a plastic drain sheet. For the purpose of manufacture, a sheet-like main body having a first surface and a second surface, spaced apart therefrom by a base sheet thickness, is provided. Grooves are introduced into the first surface and mating grooves are introduced into the second surface. The mating grooves and the grooves cross one another at crossing points. Through-openings between the grooves and the mating grooves are formed at the crossing points.

Discrete male touch fastener elements are molded of thermoplastic resin extending from a common, flexible base sheet, by introducing molten resin to a molding nip between two counter-rotating rolls consisting of a mold roll and a pressure roll arranged such that their rotation axes are parallel and together define a common plane containing each of the rotation axes. Solidified resin is stripped from molding cavities of the mold roll after the cavities have passed a rotating reaction roll forming a pressure nip with the mold roll. The reaction roll is spaced from the pressure roll by a distance less than an outer diameter of the mold roll, and the mold roll is simultaneously held against both the pressure roll and the reaction roll in a non-planar roll stack.

The present invention relates to a method of embossing a glove film comprising the step of passing the glove film between a pair of rollers which are a metal roller and a rubber roller, such that the film has an overlapping texture derived from the metal roller and the rubber roller, wherein the metal roller has a textured surface and the rubber roller has a rough surface.

Aspects disclosed herein relate to forming on a substrate fastener elements suitable for use in touch fastener by employing vibration forming methods. The processes described provide for a greater flexibility in manufacturing than prior methods and overcome certain limitations in prior forming techniques. Further, the product made can embody a variety of different configurations suitable for a given application. Employing vibration forming methods, such ultrasonic forming methods, allows for the use of a wider variety of substrate material than materials used with convention methods of touch fastener formation.