Patent ID: 7011584

Claim:
A method of forming self-attaching female fastener elements, comprising the following steps: forming a body portion of said self-attaching female fastener elements by rolling a continuous metal strip including radial flange portions on opposed sides of said strip having a crosssection of the flange portions of said self-attaching female fastener elements and a mid-portion between said flange portions; cutting said strip into discrete segments of equal length each having a length equal to a length of said self-attaching female fastener elements, including end faces; piercing an opening through said midportion equally spaced between said end faces; and separately forming generally cylindrical pilot portions having a diameter greater than said opening through said midportion and a length greater than a width of said midportion and press fitting one of said pilot portions in each of said openings, wherein each of said pilot portions has an end face spaced above a plane of said midportion.