Strapping band device and method of making the same

Claim 1

A BAND DEVICE FOR STRAPPING PACKAGES, INCLUDING AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE BAND, SAID BAND BEING OF A LENGTH ADAPTED TO ENCIRCLE A PACKAGE TO BE STRAPPED WITH ONE END PORTION THEREOF UNDERLYING THE OTHER END PORTION THEREOF, SAID BAND BEING FORMED IN ONE OF THE END PORTIONS THEREOF WITH LATERALLY SPACED ELONGATED STEPPED SLITS CONVERGING OVER AT LEAST PART OF THEIR LENGTH TOWARD ONE END PORTION OF SAID BAND, THE BAND PORTION BETWEEN SAID CONVERGING STEPPED SLITS BEING BEND OUT OF THE PLANE OF THE BAND SO AS TO FORM A RAISED BAND PORTION ARCUATELY CURVED THROUGHOUT ITS ENTIRE LENGTH AND HAVING EDGES CONVERGING OVER AT LEAST PART OF THEIR LENGTH TOWARD SAID ONE END OF SAID BAND, SAID BAND BEING FORMED IN THE OTHER OF SAID END PORTIONS WITH LATERALLY SPACED ELONGATED STEPPED SLITS DIVERGING TOWARD THE OTHER END OF SAID BAND, THE BAND PORTION BETWEEN SAID DIVERGING STEPPED SLITS BEING BENT OUT OF THE PLANE OF SAID BAND SO AS TO FORM A RAISED BAND PORTION ARCUATELY CURVED THROUGHOUT ITS ENTIRE LENGTH AND HAVING EDGES DIVERGING OVER AT LEAST PART OF THEIR LENGTH TOWARD SAID OTHER END OF THE BAND, THE ONE END PORTION BEING ADAPTED TO LIE BENEATH THE RAISED BAND PORTION OF THE OTHER END PORTION WHEN SAID END PORTIONS OVERLAP EACH OTHER AND BEING NARROWER THAN SAID RAISED BAND PORTION OF SAID OTHER END PORTION, THE STEPPED SLITS IN SAID ONE END PORTION BEING ARRANGED CLOSER TO EACH OTHER THAN THE STEPPED SLITS IN SAID OTHER END PORTION SO THAT SAID RAISED BAND PORTION IN SAID ONE END PORTION UNDERLYING SAID OTHER END PORTION IS NARROWER THAN SAID RAISED BAND PORTION IN SAID OTHER END PORTION SO AS TO HAVE ITS EDGES INWARDLY SPACED FROM THE EDGES OF SAID RAISED BAND PORTION OF THE OTHER END PORTION, WHEREBY WHEN SAID BAND IS ARRANGED ENCIRCLING THE PACKAGE WITH THE END PORTIONS THEREOF OVERLAPPING EACH OTHER, SAID NARROWER RAISED BAND PORTION OF SAID ONE END PORTION MAY BE MANUALLY PUSHED THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID STEPPED SLITS IN SAID OTHER END PORTION INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CURVED RAISED BAND PORTION THEREON AND SAID OVERLAPPING END PORTIONS MAY THEN BE PULLED IN LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION FOR INTERLOCKING SAID OVERLAPPING END PORTIONS, THE ARCUATE CURVATURE OF SAID RAISED BAND PORTIONS EXTENDING OVER THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE LATTER FACILITATING SMOOTH SLIDING OF SAID BAND PORTIONS INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT.