Ultrasonic method for manufacturing brassiere tapes

The method of fabricating brassiere tapes from an elongated continuous strip of material formed of flexible layers capable of being ultrasonically welded and having opposite width-defining edges, one for terminating in a pair of overlapping tabs and a plurality of elements longitudinally spaced along an outer one of said layers of said strip between said edges, the method comprising the steps of:

• A. interposing between said tabs an insulation element capable of being readily severed and transmitting therethrough ultrasonic vibratory energy for permitting individual layers of material in each of said tabs to be simultaneously welded together, while preventing said tabs from being welded together,
• B. positioning said strip between ultrasonic welding means comprising a horn for vibrating at an ultrasonic rate with a forward end for engaging one side of said strip, and anvil means having a surface for opposing and cooperating with said forward end for engaging the opposite side of said strip when said horn and anvil means are in an operative position, said horn and said anvil means being further adapted to simultaneously sever and weld said strip transversely across the entire width of said strip between said edges when brought into said operative position,
• C. effecting relative movement by reciprocating means between said anvil means and said horn from an open position in which said anvil means and said horn are spaced apart for said positioning of said strip therebetween to said operative position in which said surface of said anvil means and said forward end of said horn are moved together for engaging said strip on opposite sides thereof as said horn in said operative position is ultrasonically vibrated to effect said severing and welding together of said layers of said strip transversely across the entire width thereof between said edges while preventing said tabs from being welded together with said insulation element, whereby the trailing end of one tape and the leading end of another tape are formed,
• D. advancing the leading end of said strip a predetermined distance by means of one of said elements and feeding means movable from a retracted to an extended position intermittently in timed relationship to said reciprocating means,
• E. retracting said feeding means from said extended position to said retracted position for subsequently again advancing said strip in said timed relationship to said reciprocating means for forming said tape, and
• F. controlling the length of linear travel of said feeding means during said advancing and retracting thereof relative to the number of said longitudinally spaced elements advanced during each reciprocation of said feeding means.