Patent ID: 7665669

Claim:
A method of separating individual straps from a continuous strap web including a continuous base web having a generally uniform thickness and an upper surface, said strap web extending along a length direction, and a plurality of superposed elements fixed to said upper surface of said base web and spaced along said base web in said length direction, each superposed element having a forward edge extending above said upper surface of said base web, said method comprising: feeding said strap web along the surface of a rotating vacuum cylinder; cutting said strap web into units of predetermined length with a rotating cutting cylinder having at least one blade extending outwardly of a cylindrical surface of said cutting cylinder, a cutting edge of said blade effecting a cut in cooperation with said vacuum cylinder when said cutting cylinder and vacuum cylinder are rotated, each cut of said strap web defining the start of a cut cycle, the path of said cutting edge of said blade defining a cut profile, each cut cycle further including the steps: after each cut of said strap web, reducing the feed rate of said strap web while maintaining tension on said strap web with said vacuum cylinder; controlling the feed rate of said strap web such that said blade advances between two adjacent superposed elements without cutting either of said elements; thereafter increasing the feed rate of said strap web such that for each successive cutting cycle, said blade cuts said strap web at a desired cutting position between adjacent superposed elements on said strap web.