Textile tape and method of forming same

Claim 1

AN ELONGATE, NARROW TEXTILE TAPE CHARACTERIZED BY INCREASED BULK AND SUBSTANTIAL STRECHABILITY AND RECOVERABILITY AND COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF THERMOPLASTIC YARN ENDS SUCCESSIVELY EXTENDING FROM ONE SIDE OF THE TAPE TO THE OTHER IN A SINUOUS PATH AND BEING BRAIDED TOGETHER, SAID TAPE BEING CRINKLED AND HAVING RANDOMLY DISPOSED AND IRREGULARLY RAISED AND DEPRESSED AREAS HEAT-SET THEREIN, SAID RAISED AND DEPRESSED AREAS IMPARTING SUBSTANTIAL STRETCHABILITY AND RECOVERABILITY TO SAID TAPE, AND SAID TAPE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT AND FLAT AND BEING WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 1/8" TO 1/4" WIDE WHEN EXTENDED TO SUBSTANTIALLY ITS LIMIT OF STRETCHABILITY, BUT RETURNING TO ITS CRINKLED CONDITION WHEN RELAXED.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF FORMING AN ELONGATED, NARROW TEXTILE TAPE CHARACTERIZED BY INCREASED BULK AND SUBSTANTIAL STRETCHABILITY AND RECOVERABILITY, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF BRAIDING A PLURALITY OF THERMOPLASTIC YARN ENDS AND FORMING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT, NAROW TEXTILE TAPE THEREFROM, FEEDING THE PATE INTO A CONFINED AREA AND FORMING RANDOMLY DISPOSED AND IRREGULARLY RAISED AND DEPRESSED AREA IN THE TAPE, AND HEAT-SETTING THE RANDOMLY DISPOSED AND IRREGULARLY RAISED AND DEPRESSED AREAS IN THE TAPE TO CRINKLE THE TAPE AND IMPART SUBSTANTIAL STRETCHABILITY AND RECOVERABILITY THERETO, THE TAPE ASSUMING A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT AND FLAT CONDITION WHEN EXTENDED TO SUBSTANTIALLY ITS LIMIT OF STRETCHABILITY, BUT RETURNING TO ITS CRINKLED CONDITION WHEN RELAXED.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF FORMING AN ELONGATED, NARROW TEXTILE TAPE CHARACTERIZED BY INCREASED BULK AND SUBSTANTIAL STRETCHABILITY AND RECOVERABILITY, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF BRAIDING A PLURALITY OF THERMOPLASTIC YARN ENDS AND FORMING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT, NAROW TEXTILE TAPE THEREFROM, FEEDING THE PATE INTO A CONFINED AREA AND FORMING RANDOMLY DISPOSED AND IRREGULARLY RAISED AND DEPRESSED AREA IN THE TAPE, AND HEAT-SETTING THE RANDOMLY DISPOSED AND IRREGULARLY RAISED AND DEPRESSED AREAS IN THE TAPE TO CRINKLE THE TAPE AND IMPART SUBSTANTIAL STRETCHABILITY AND RECOVERABILITY THERETO, THE TAPE ASSUMING A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT AND FLAT CONDITION WHEN EXTENDED TO SUBSTANTIALLY ITS LIMIT OF STRETCHABILITY, BUT RETURNING TO ITS CRINKLED CONDITION WHEN RELAXED.