US3123510A

US3123510A - Removable label tabs for attachment to

Info

Publication number: US3123510A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1964-03-03
Anticipated expiration: 1981-03-03

Description

March 1964 H. J. DOLMAN .ETAL 3,

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING HEAT SEALABLE AND REMOVABLE LABEL TABS FOR ATTACHMENT To V TEXTILE ARTICLES File d June 18, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet l Attorney:

March 1964 H. J. DOLMAN ETAL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING HEAT SEALABLE AND REMOVABLE LABEL TABS FOR ATTACHMENT T0 TEXTILE ARTICLES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 18, 1959 3' m w y 2 A 1 I 2 7/ #Z March 3, 1964 H. J. DOLMAN ETAL 3,

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING HEAT SEALABLE AND REMOVABLE LABEL TABS FOR ATTACHMENT TO TEXTILE ARTICLES Filed June 18, 1959 5 Shets-Sheet :s

A ttorneys March 3, 1964 H. J. DOLMAN ETAL 3,123,510

. METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING HEAT SEALABLE AND REMOVABLE LABEL TABS FOR ATTACHMENT To TEXTILE ARTICLES 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 18, 1959 M 3, 1964 H. J. DOLMAN ETAL 3,1

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING HEAT SEALABLE AND REMOVABLE LABEL TABS FOR ATTACHMENT TO TEXTILE ARTICLES Filed June 18, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I nventor Attorney United States Patent 3,123,510 METHDD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING HEAT SEALABLE AND REMOVABLE LABEL TABS FOR ATTACHMENT T0 TEXTILE ARTICLES Henry James Dolman, Pennywell Road, Bristol 5, England, and Hans Meyer, 63 Jeddo Road, London W. 12, England Filed June 18, 1959, Ser. No. 821,298 Ciaims priority, application Great Britain June 23, 1958 Claims. (Cl. 156-204) The present invention relates to heat sealable tabs or labels intended to be attached to textile articles by the application of heat and pressure, and it particularly relates to removable tabs or labels adapted to be removed from the marked articles when required.

The present invention also relates to methods and devices for producing such tabs or labels and to methods of marking articles employing such tabs or labels. Such tabs or labels may for example be employed for marking articles to be subjected to laundry or dry-cleaning operations; they serve for identification purposes and are intended to be removed on completion of such operations. The use of such tabs or labels for the temporary marking of textile articles has been described in US. Patents Nos. 2,639,255, 2,639,256 and 2,828,776 and suitable machines for use in conjunction with such tabs or labels have been described in British Patent No. 644,119 and US. Patent No. 2,654,496 and co-pending application Serial No. 667,653, now Patent No. 2,986,298.

All these proposals are based on the use of a thermoplastic component in the tab or label which component is capable of being softened so as to render it adhesive to a textile article at a temperature below the scorching point of said article. Further in U.S. Patent No. 2,639,256 it has been suggested that a solvent should be applied to the tab or label prior to its application to a textile article under heat and pressure for the purpose promoting softening of the thermoplastic component so that the tab or label can be caused to adhere to a textile article. For reasons of economy in production such tabs or labels are preferably formed by cutting pieces from a strip of material having a width corresponding to the length of the tab or label, and produced by slitting from a relatively wide fabric.

It is necessary in the case of a removable tab to provide an edge portion which is not liable to adhere to the article and thus is adapted to serve as a finger grip to enable the tab or label to be gripped and pulled off the article when required. The finger grip may be formed by subjecting the tab or label to heat and pressure in such manner trat one edge part of the tab or label is not subjected to heat and pressure and thus does not adhere to the article.

It is of course important that the finger grip shall not be caused to adhere to the article in the course of subsequent handling operations involving heat and pressure, to which the article may be subjected. If the thermoplastic component used is of such a nature that a solvent must be present to promote softening during the application of the tab or label, there is no danger that the edge part forming the finger grip will later adhere to the article, as, with the evaporation of the solvent, the thermoplastic component is not liable to be softened again in handling operations such as ironing, pressing or calendering.

For certain purposes however it is not convenient or desirable to utilise a solvent for the thermoplastic component of the tab or label, for example where articles are to be marked which are formed from fabric which would be liable to be adversely affected by the solvent employed and at an elevated temperature. Thus for example garments intended to be dry-cleaned are often 3,123,510 Patented Mar. 3, 1964 formed at least in part from synthetic yarns which may in some cases be of a thermoplastic character which would be adversely affected by the solvent at an elevated temperature.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a tab or label comprising a thermoplastic component, which is adapted to be applied and fixed to a textile article while leaving a finger grip which is incapable of adhering to the article, the application being effected with heat and pressure but without involving the use of a solvent.

In British specification No. 668,305 it has been proposed to form tabs or labels by subjecting a strip of backing material having thermoplastic adhesive material as sociated with one face thereof, to a folding-over operation along one edge to enclose or overlap 2. corresponding portion of the said thermoplastic material and then cutting tabs from this edge-folded strip of material by successive transverse cutting operations. In this case the adhesive material may be a coating upon the backing or alternatively thermoplastic filaments may be included with the backing material.

In accordance with one feature of the present invention a tab or label is provided which comprises a Woven or other fabric produced partly from thermoplastic yarns and partly from non-theromplastic yarns designed in such manner that the thermoplastic yarns are exposed mainly or exclusively on that face of the fabric which is to be caused to adhere under heat and pressure to an article to be marked and is provided with an edge portion which is folded under on to the face intended to be adhered to the article so that said folded under portion is substantially incapable of adhering to the article and thus forms a finger grip permitting the tab or label to be peeled off when required.

The present invention also comprises a method of forming a tab or label which consists in partially severing a tab or label transversely from a supply strip having a thermoplastic component on one face thereof, folding under a severed part of said strip with said face inwards of thefolding and thereafter completing the severance of said strip The present invention also comprises a device for carrying out this method comprising cutting elements adapted to sever a portion of a supply strip of tab or label material having a thermoplastic component on one face thereof and means to fold under a section of said severed portion with said face inwards of the folding to form a folded edge part of the tab or label, said severance means then continuing to operate to sever the tab or label completely from the supply strip.

Such device may form part of a marking machine similar to that described in copending application Serial No. 667,654, now abandoned, incorporating a gripper adapted to engage the folded under end of the tab or label and then to carry said tab or label after severance and while gripped at the folded under portion with the remainder of the tab or label trailing behind the gripper, first to a marking station where an identification marking is printed on the upper face of the tab or label, i.e., the face not comprising the thermoplastic component, and subsequently to transfer the marked tab or label to a position overlying an article to be marked at which position the label and the article are subjected to the action of heat and pressure to cause the tab or label to adhere to the article while leaving the finger grip unattached to permit subsequent removal of the tab or label when required.

The material used for forming the tab or label in accordance with the methods and by the apparatus described above should be adhesive under the .action of heat and pressure primarily or essentially on one face only and for this purpose the tab or label may comprise a suitable base material such as a fabric or paper-like material coated with a layer of thermoplastic material on one face or alternatively it may comprise a woven fabric consisting in part of thermoplastic yarns and in part of non-thermoplastic yarns, but woven in such manner that the thermoplastic material is exposed to a greater extent 011 that face which is to be applied and adhered to an article to be marked, than on the opposite face which is intended primarily to bear an identification marking. Fabrics of this character are described in U.S. specification No. 2,828,776 although other types of fabric may be used which are such as to expose one set of yarns, i.e., the thermoplastic yarns, to a preponderant extent on one face of the fabric, i.e., the face which is to be stuck to the article to be marked.

With this arran ement and by folding under one edge part of the tab or label with the face of the tab or label bearing the thermoplastic component folded upon itself for an edge portion thereof, it will be understood that when such tab or label is caused to adhere under heat and pressure to an article to be marked the folded under portion is not liable to adhere (under heat and pressure) to the marked article and thus forms a free and substantially non-adhering finger grip when it is applied to the article under heat and pressure and further is not liable to become unintentionally attached or adhered to the article during the course of handling operations to which the article may be subjected.

One construction of tabs or labels and methods and means for producing them according to the present invention are shown by way of example on the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates the tab or label according to the present invention and also shows the supply strip from which it is formed,

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are diagrammatic views illustrating successive steps in the formation of the tab or label,

FIGS. 5 and 6 are detail views plan and in section respectively showing the formation of the tab or label,

FIG. 7 is an elevation of the mechanism for producing such tabs or labels, this figure corresponding in direction to FIG. 6,

FIG. 8 is a plan showing the application of the mechanism of FIG. 7 to a marking machine.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views showing the arrangement of the cams for operating the mechanism shown in FIG. 7, FIG. 10 also showing partially in section the top table of the machine and the general location of the tab-forming mechanism of FIG. 7; FIGURE 11 is a part sectional elevation from the rear of the machine showing the cooperative relation of the various parts.

The tab or label shown at T in FIG. 1 is provided with one edge part which is folded under on itself as indicated at F, the folded under portion providing a finger grip which is not liable to adhere when the tab or label is applied under heat and pressure to an article to be marked. The tab or label T is formed from a woven or other fabric comprising heat scalable thermoplastic yarns and non-thermoplastic yarns in repeated sequence and of which the face a is intended to receive a printed or other identification marking, while the opposite face b is intended to be applied in contact with an article to be marked, the thermoplastic yarns being exposed on one face to permit the tab or label to be fixed by heat scaling to a textile article. The folded edge F is folded under on to the under face b of the tab or label with said face I) inwards of the fold.

The fabric is woven or otherwise produced in such manner that the thermoplastic yarns are exposed mainly on the face 12 of the fabric while the face :1 contains a smaller proportion or substantially no exposed thermoplastic yarns. Such fabric may be for example of the character disclosed in U.S. specification No. 2,828,776 although other types of fabric may be adopted.

Such tab or label is produced from a supply strip S of a suitable fabric which is conveniently produced by slitting a comparatively wide loom fabric, the strips so out being supplied as reels to the marking machine for producing such tabs or labels and for applying them to an article to be marked, the width of the strip corresponding to the length of the tab or label minus the length lost by folding under the edge part F. It will be seen that the folded under edge part F is formed in the course of producing the tab or label T whereas the supply strip S consists of a plain, i.e., non-folded, strip of suitable width. FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 illustrate successive stages in the production of this tab or label T. The first such stage illustrated in FIG. 2 consists in forming an incision in one edge to partially sever a tongue t from the leading edge of the supply strip S, the cut made extending for example from one edge to the distance indicated at d. The tongue t so formed is then engaged by a folder memher 8, conveniently of angle shape, which is initially moved in the downward direction indicated by the arrow P until the tongue 1? is turned down approximately at right angles as shown in FIG. 3. Then the member 8 moves at right angles to the former movement, i.e., in the direction of the arrow Q, to fold the tongue 1 beneath the part severed portion of the strip S as indicated in FIG. 4 thus forming the folded under edge portion F. Thereafter or as the final operations indicated are completed, severance of the tab or label T is completed and the tab or label is transferred to an applying position. For example the transfer member 50 of FIG. 5 may move into position to grip the folded under portion F and then said gripper means may move the severed tab or label T away from the cutting position and transfer it successively to a marking position and to a position where it is applied to an article to be marked.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings, it will be seen that the portion of the supply strip S which is to form the tab or label T is supported on a table 9 one edge 10' of which is thinned to a fine point, the thickness of these parts being however exaggerated on the drawing to show the construction more cleanly. FIG. 6 shows in cross section the parts shown in FIG. 4 with the folder member 8 underlying the leading edge portion of the table 9 and thus completing the formation of the folded under portion P, which is folded in V-form around the edge of the table 9.

The transfer member 50 preferably moves in a rotary path and forms part of a label applying machine one example of which is indicated in outline form in FIG. 8 in plan, showing the top face or table 127 of the machine whereas the front wall provides the support for an article support member 13 movable from a forwardly inclined loading position shown in full lines to a vertical label applying position shown in chain-dot lines. The transfer member 5! comprises a lower jaw 501 and an upper jaw 502. An upwardly movable presser member 18 mounted slidably in the member 13, presses the article and the labelin the position B-upwarclly against a heated platen not shown.

A vertical fixed shaft 65 projecting into a parti-circular housing in the table top rotatably carries the drive wheel element 52 of a Geneva wheel intermittent drive, which is actuated in the usual way by means of a Geneva wheel driver disc 53 having driver pins 54 which enter the radial slots of the wheel 52. Free rotation of the wheel 52 during the non-driving periods is prevented by the engagement of the cylindrical surface portions 56 of the disc 53 with curved face portions 55 of the Geneva wheel 5-2.

The transfer member 50' is carried by a projecting arm 504 on a bushing 651 rotatable on the shaft 65 and comprises the lower jaw member 501 which is of a yielding character. The arm 504 carries bearings for a spindle 503 carrying the upper gripper jaw 502 at one end and a follower 505 riding on a fixed cam 69 mounted on the 5 shaft 65 to open and close the topjaw 5112 to grip and release the label T as required.

The driver disc 53 is driven from the main shaft 42 of the machineFIGS. 9 and lwhich is operated for one complete marking cycle and then stops. FIG. 8 shows the respective parts in the normal or rest position. It will be seen that the transfer member 51 holds the previously formed label in the position A where it is ready to receive an identification marking by printing means not shown. In FIGURE 11 identical numbers are employed to designate identical parts, the numeral 531 designates a bevel gear for driving the Geneva wheel 53 and numeral 971 designates cam rollers mounted on the rocker arm 97. These rollers are also shown in FIGURE 9.

The marking cycle is initiated by inward movement of the member 13 to the chain-dot line position whereupon the following cycle of events occurs:

(1) The Geneva wheel 52 rotates through one-quarter revolution to place the label over the article on the member 13; this is the position B shown. Pressure is exerted on the article and the label by the presser member 13, pressure being maintained for nearly the whole of the rest of the cycle.

(2) The Geneva wheel moves through one-quarter revolution to position the transfer member opposite the position A; this is an idle position,

(3) During the next quarter revolution the label is formed as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and is engaged by the transfer member 50; this is position C of FIG. 8, and finally,

(4) The label is carried by the transfer member 50 to the starting position A ready for the next cycle of the machine, the machine then stopping and the member 13 being released so that it moves forward to the unloading and re-loading position shown in full lines.

It will be seen that the strip material S enters from a cutter unit at the rear of the machine in a direction towards the axis of the shaft 65, and that the label is moved through an angle of 180 to the label applying position B which lies at the front of the machine. Dealing now with the mechanism for forming the label T, in the position shown in chain dot lines in FIG. 8, the folded edge part F shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 is engaged between the gripper jaws with the latter clear of the angled end part of the member 8, as shown in FIGURE .5. Thereafter the member 3 continues its downward movement and then moves in the opposite direction to the arrow Q (see FIGURE 6), before it returns to the starting position shown in FIGS. 2 and 7. The under face of the table 9 may be provided with a humped guide surface 11 and the lower jaw 501 of the transfer member 51), being of spring material, is guided by the guide surface 11 smoothly into engagement with the under face of the folded under edge part F while the upper jaw &12 of the transfer member presses against the upper face of the tab or label T beneath which is disposed the folded under edge part F.

At or shortly before this stage the severance of the tab or label T is completed and on continued movement of the transfer member 50 the tab or label is carried away from the table 9, conveniently in a rotary path, towards the marking and applying stations A and B. Thereafter a further length of the supply strip S is delivered by suitable feed rollers one of which is shown at 24 in FIG. 11 ready for forming the next tab or label T.

One form of apparatus for producing the tabs or labels is shown in detail in FIGS. 7 and 11, where a main support 12 is adapted to be supported on the machine and said support is arranged in front of the feed rollers, which are adapted to supply the strip S in successive lengths at successive operations of the machine to a point between upper and

lower cutter blades

19, 20, which have a shearing action and on to the table 9 standing forwardly from the lower cutter blade 21 The cutter blade 20 is fixed, whereas the cutter blade 19 is pivotally movable. The main support 12 carries guide means 23 for a vertically reciprocatory' rod 21. The rod 21 is also guided towards its upper end in a guide 35 associated with an angle-shaped bracket 45 extending over the cutter blade 19. The rod 21 is adapted to be actuated by linkage means 25 from a rocker 97 having spaced rollers 971 engaging double earns 96 on the main shaft 42 (FIGS. 9 and 11) said cams being arranged so that the movable cutter blade 19 carried by a holder 22 fixed to the rod 21 is opera-ted in successive steps, the first step being the cutting of the edge part or tongue t which is to be folded beneath the tab or label as already explained. The rod 21 is continued above the guide 35 and is subjected to the action of a spring 26 which tends to lift the slide rod 21.

The holder 22 is also arranged to act as a slide mounting for a member 2'7 carrying the angled folder member 8, and said member 27 is provided on the opposite side of the holder 22 with an enlarged head part 28, which is subjected to the action of a spring 29 adapted to engage an extended face portion 36 on a bell crank 31, one arm of which is linked to a push rod 32 operable by a rocker 44 having a follower 43 engaging a further cam 8 associated with the main machine shaft 42, said cam 98 being designed and timed so as to cause the folder member 8 to execute the required movements.

The free end of the cutter blade 1? is guided in a guide element 33 in FIG. 11 associated with the bracket 45 carrying the guide 35. The table 9 is arranged to project forwardly (as seen in FIG. 7) adjacent the lower cutter blade 21 so that a length of the strip S fed forward to form the tab T lies upon the table 9 in the manner indicated on FIG. 5 so that the two successive stages of severing the tab T are performed with the end part of the strip which is to form the tab T lying upon the table 9 adjacent the line of severance effected by the

cutting blades

19, 20, suitable spring means 36 being provided to ensure that the shear cutting blade 19 is pressed against the other blade 20' during cutting. 'In the structural arrangement shown on the drawing the main sup port 12 carries or has attached to it the cross bearer 34 to which the bracket 45' carrying the guide 35 is attached at its free end.

The manner of operation of the mechanism shown will be readily understood. Assuming that a sufficient length of the strip S has been fed forwardly to form a tab T, the cam 96 being shaped to operate the rod 21 and then to cause the cutter blade 19 to execute the first part of its movement to sever the tongue portion 1 from the so ply strip S. During the initial part of the downward movement of the slide rod 21 the angled folding member 8 moves from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 3 to initiate the folding of the edge part t of the tab T. Thereafter the cam 93 actuating the push rod displaces member 2'7 and moves the folding member 8 to the position shown in FIG. 4, thus pressing the edge part t against the under face of the leading edge of the table 9 towards the position shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. The face portion 30 of the bell crank 31 is now substantially vertical, and, on the continued downward movement of the slide rod 21, the folding member 3 continues its downward movement but without any substantial auxiliary component. Before the slide rod 21 continues its downward movement the transfer member 59 has however engaged the folded under part of the tab T so that the folded under edge is retained in position. As the slide rod 21 continues its downward movement, the tab T is completely severed; and, at any suitable stage, the transfer member continues its movement withdrawing the formed tab or label from the table 9 and thus carries it to the successive working stations.

What we claim is:

1. The method of producing a tab for temporary marking of textile articles comprising the steps of feeding a portion of a strip of fibrous tab material, having a heatscalable thermoplastic component exposed predominantly on one face of the material, through severing means adapted to sever said tab from said strip of fibrous tab material; partially severing a portion of said strip transversely from one edge; folding under on itself the partially severed portion of the strip of tab material with portions of said one face in mutually facing positions and thereafter completing the severing of said portion of the strip.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the Width of said strip of fibrous tab material corresponds to the length of the finished tab.

3. The method of marking articles comprising the steps of feeding a length of supply strip of fibrous tab material having a heat-scalable thermoplastic component exposed predominantly on one face and having a width corresponding to the length of the finished tab, the amount fed corresponding to the 'width of the tab, partially severing a portion of said strip transversely from one edge, folding under on itself the partially severed portion of the strip of tab material with portions of said one face in mutually facing position, gripping said portion, completing the severing of said portion of the strip whereby a finished tab is formed, and thereafter displacing the severed tab to a pressing zone where said tab will be secured to an article.

4. Apparatus for forming tabs bearing a heat-scalable thermoplastic component on one face for attachment under heat and pressure to a textile article comprising means to feed successive portions of a strip of fibrous tab material, means for initially partially severing said portions of the strip of tab material by incision from one edge, means thereafter for folding under said portions of said strip with said faces having said thermoplastic component in contact with each other, and means finally for completely severing the successive portions of the strip of tab material from each other, whereby a series of individual tabs is formed.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein both said means for partially and completely severing said successive portions of the strip of tab material comprise a single pair of relatively movable cutter blades.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 comprising a support table adjoining said cutter blades and over which the strip of tab material is fed and upon which said strip of tab material rests during movement of the cutter blades said table having a leading edge portion beyond which said strip of tab material projects, and said means for folding under said portions of said strip comprises a folder member movable transversely of said portions of the strip of tab material to cause successive portions of the strip to be bent downwardly against the edge of the table and movable inwardly to fold said successive portions of the strip of tab material beneath the table.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said pair of cutter blades comprises a pivotally movable cutter lade and a fixed cutter blade said apparatus ifurther comprising feed rollers disposed to one side of said movable and fixed cutter blades, and a support table lying on the opposite side of said movable and fixed cutter blades adapted to support the strip of tab material.

8. A machine for marking textile articles by the application of heat-sealable tabs to the article to be marked, comprising means to feed a length of fibrous strip material having a width corresponding to the length of the tab, a fixed blade and a pivotally movable blade having a mutual shearing action to cut a tab piece from the strip material, a support table adapted to support said length of strip material, means to operate said pivotally movable cutter blade to partially sever a portion from one side edge of the strip material, said table having a side edge lying inwardly of the side edge of said portion of strip material, a folder member movable downwardly from a position above said portion of the strip material to a point below the strip material to fold said portion first downwardly and then beneath the side edge of the table in U-form around said border edge, transfer means adapted to grip said folded edge of said portion while folded around the side edge of the table, means to actuate the pivotal'ly movable cutter blade to completely sever the strip material, whereby an individual tab is formed, and means to actuate said transfer means to convey the tab after severance and while held by said gripper to a position for heat-sealing contact with the article to be marked.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said table is provided with upper and lower surfaces, one said surface having a humped guide area, and the transfer member comprises upper and lower jaws adapted to pass over the upper and lower surfaces of the table, respectively, said guide area being a guide for one of said jaws while moving over a surface of the table and the folder member to engage the folded edge portion of said strip material.

10. The method of producing a tab for temporary marking of textile articles comprising cutting a portion of a strip of fibrous tab material transversely from one edge to an extent less than the full Width of the strip, said strip of tab material having a heat-scalable thermoplastic component exposed predominantly on one face of the material, folding under said portion of said strip with said face of said portion in contact with said face adjacent said portion and thereafter continuing the out along the same cutting direction for complete severance of the tab.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,779,241 Kohnle Oct. 21, 1930 2,303,346 Flood Dec. 1, 1942 2,360,973 Pedersen Oct. 24, 1944 2,639,256 Meyer May 19, 1953 2,654,496 Meyer et al Oct. 6, 1953 2,679,928 Bishop et al June 1, 1954 2,874,752 Brey Feb. 24, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 663,305 Great Britain Mar. 12, 1952

Claims

1. THE METHOD OF PRODUCING A TAB FOR TEMPORARY MARKING OF TEXTILE ARTICLES COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FEEDING A PORTION OF A STRIP OF FIBROUS TAB MATERIAL, HAVING A HEATSEALABLE THERMOPLASTIC COMPONENT EXPOSED PREDOMINANTLY ON ONE FACE OF THE MATERIAL, THROUGH SEVERING MEANS ADAPTED TO SEVER SAID TAB FROM SAID STRIP OF FIBROUS TAB MATERIAL; PARTIALLY SEVERING A PORTION OF SAID STRIP TRANSVERSELY FROM ONE EDGE; FOLDING UNDER ON ITSELF THE PARTIALLY SEVERED PORTION OF THE STRIP OF TAB MATERIAL WITH PORTIONS OF SAID ONE FACE IN MUTUALLY FACING POSITIONS AND THEREAFTER COMPLETING THE SEVERING OF SAID PORTION OF THE STRIP.