Molded surface fastener and method for manufacturing the same

A method of manufacturing a synthetic resin surface fastener including a unitary molded substrate sheet having a multiplicity of male-engaging elements projecting from a surface thereof, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a rotatably mounted die wheel including a circumferential surface having a multiplicity of engaging element-forming cavities disposed in rows and a rotatably mounted pressure roller disposed adjacent the die wheel and spaced from the die wheel so as to form a gap therebetween having a predetermined gap width, the pressure roller being mounted for synchronous opposite rotation with respect to the die wheel;
• rotating the die wheel;
• continuously extruding molten resin from an extrusion die into the gap;
• continuously introducing a plurality of yarns between said circumferential surface and molten resin in said gap and between desired adjacent pairs of rows of said engaging element-forming cavities;
• pressing the yarns with the pressure roller into the molten resin and integrally molding said substrate sheet and male-engaging elements on the circumferential surface;
• positively cooling the circumferential surface;
• and
• continuously removing molded and cooled surface fastener thus formed from the circumferential surface, said predetermined gap being selected so that a thickness dimension of said substrate sheet intermediate adjacent rows of male-engaging elements having embedded yarn therein is less than about 0.3 mm exclusive of said yarn.