Patent ID: 7364111

Claim:
A clip reel for use in packaging equipment, the reel comprising: a spool; a metal strip having a length and a plurality of loops spaced along the length of the metal strip, the metal strip having several coils spiral wound about the spool and a free end of the metal strip extending from one of said several coils into a direction of unwinding of the metal from the spool, and a retaining device which forms a releasable connection between two points on the metal strip, a first end of the retaining device engaging the metal strip close to the free end of the metal strip and a second end of the retaining device engaging one of the plurality of loops in a metal strip segment which is part of a different coil than the coil from which the free end of the metal strip extends, wherein the formed connection has a shape-mated design which secures the reel against unwinding at the free end.