Method and apparatus for the high speed application of hook and loop fasteners

An apparatus for applying hook and loop fasteners to carton blanks that are being conveyed by a conveyor assembly, comprising:

• a web assembly having a storage member that stores a web containing up to and including 49,000 hook and loop fasteners,
• a distribution assembly that is operatively connected with the web assembly, the distribution assembly having a discharge member that connects with a portion of the web, the discharge member being configured to reciprocatably distribute the portion of the web from the storage member;
• a transfer assembly that is configured to receive the portion of the web from the discharge member and to transfer the portion of the web at a desired angle;
• an applicator that is configured to receive the angled portion of the web from the transfer assembly, the applicator having a stepper motor and a wipe-on applicator, the stepper motor being configured to pull the portion of the web through the wipe-on applicator at a high speed rate up to and including 5000 inches per minute and the wipe-on applicator being configured to remove at least one hook and loop fastener from the portion of the web and deposit the at least one hook and loop fastener onto one of the carton blanks;
• and
• a control assembly that is operatively connected to the applicator, the control assembly having a sensor and an encoder wherein the sensor communicates to the encoder the position of each carton blank as the carton blank moves toward the wipe-on applicator such that the encoder, which is operatively connected with the stepper motor, directs the stepper motor to pull the portion of the web through the wipe-on applicator at the high speed rate such that the wipe-on applicator deposits the at least one hook and loop fastener at a predetermined position on the carton blank.

A method of high speed application of hook and loop fasteners to products, comprising:

• storing a web which contains a plurality of hook and loop fasteners;
• distributing a portion of the web in a reciprocating pattern to an applicator;
• driving the portion of the web though the applicator at a high speed rate;
• moving the products toward the applicator;
• and
• removing at least one hook and loop fastener from the portion of the web and depositing the at least one hook and loop fastener on one of the products at the high speed rate.