CLOSURE STRAP FOR FLEXIBLE CONTAINERS AND APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TENSIONING THEREOF

摘要

A one-piece tamper-proof bundling strap having a head-end portion defining an aperture therethrough and connected to an elongated narrow body portion, the aperture corresponding generally to the cross-sectional configuration of the body. The head-end portion and the body portion have a locking means integrally associated therewith for preventing reverse movement of the body portion relative to the head-end portion when the body portion is looped upon itself and disposed within the aperture of the head-end portion. The strap is a one-piece unit constructed of a single, preferably brittle material which will fracture when exposed to tampering forces. The strap is drawn taut about the neck of a flexible container such as a bank bag, utilizing an automatic bundling strap tension apparatus which loops the bundling strap about the open neck of the flexible container; inserts the tail end of the strap through the aperture defined by the head-end portion of the strap; pulls said tail-end of the strap completely through the aperture until at least a first set of serrations of the strap body are engaged by teeth members projecting upwardly into the interior of the aperture, thereby locking the strap body against reverse movement relative to the head-end portion; inserts the tail-end portion of the strap in the means for gripping and the apparatus then pulls the strap body further through said aperture and closes the neck of the flexible container.