Patent ID: 8790475

Claim:
A method for making a loop member of a hook-and-loop fastener assembly, comprising the steps of: continuously providing a web of substrate to a working platform in a machine direction; providing a plurality of yarns over the substrate lying on the platform in a wave form, wherein each of the wave-form yarns has a plurality of wave peak portions and wave trough portions defined on opposing sides of a waveform centerline; and performing a fusing process to each of the wave-form yarns along a longitudinal axis of each of the yarns parallel to the machine direction wherein each of the yarns is fused to the substrate at intervals along the waveform centerline between wave peak and wave trough portions to cause the wave peak portions and wave trough portions of each of the yarns to be formed as upstanding free loops of the yarns, wherein each of the upstanding free loops defines a space between the yarn and the substrate, while the yarns are secured to the substrate along the waveform centerline, wherein the upstanding free loops are adapted to receive and retain hooks of a hook-and-loop fastener assembly; wherein the fusing process comprises melting spaced apart portions of the yarns to weld the portions of the yarns to a surface of the substrate and is carried out by a rotatable cylinder having a number of teeth portions circumferentially formed on a peripheral surface thereof configured to cause the wave peak portions and wave trough portions of the yarns to stand UP from the substrate along surfaces of the teeth portions.