Wrapping materal with fastener

Abstract

A wrapping material for wrapping an item about its circumference having a plurality of wrapping portions forming a continuous roll. Each wrapping portion has a length that is greater than the circumference of an item to be wrapped with a width that is transverse to its length. Each of the wrapping portions include at least one fastener secured in an area there such that the continuous roll includes a plurality of serially disposed fasteners that are spaced from one another along the continuous roll. Each fastener includes a plurality of engaging elements for engaging a plurality of fiber elements of an underlying or overlying segment of a respective wrapping portion during a wrapping cycle. With this arrangement, the tail end of a respective wrapping portion will be secured by the plurality of engaging elements to the underlying or overlying segment at the end of a wrapping cycle.

1 . A bale wrapping for use in an automated baling apparatus for the forming and securing of agricultural produce into a substantially cylindrically-shaped bale, said bale wrapping comprising:
 a wrapping material having a length dimension at least equal to the circumference of a bale to be wrapped and a width dimension substantially equal to the width dimension of a bale to be wrapped;   wherein, the bale wrapping material:
 (a) is sufficiently liquid impermeable to provide the circumferential extremity of the agricultural produce with a water impervious barrier between the wrapped agricultural produce and bale exterior surface; 
 (b) possesses a stiffness sufficient to ensure that the bale wrapping travels intact into and through the automated baling apparatus; and 
 (c) possesses sufficient strength to secure and maintain the integrity of the bale. 
   
   
   
       2 . The bale wrapping of  claim 1 , further comprising a fastener for securing a wrapped bale, said fastener adapted to attach a first portion of the bale wrapping to a second portion of the bale wrapping. 
   
   
       3 . The bale wrapping of  claim 2 , wherein said first portion is a tail portion of the bale wrapping. 
   
   
       4 . The bale wrapping of  claim 2 , wherein said fastener is one of J-shaped and mushroom-shaped. 
   
   
       5 . The bale wrapping of  claim 1 , wherein the agricultural produce is cotton. 
   
   
       6 . The bale wrapping of  claim 1 , wherein said bale wrapping is vapor permeable. 
   
   
       7 . The bale wrapping of  claim 1 , wherein its length is greater than its width. 
   
   
       8 . The bale wrapping of  claim 1 , wherein said bale wrapping is capable of preventing undesirable unraveling after securing the agricultural produce into a substantially cylindrical bale. 
   
   
       9 . The bale wrapping of  claim 1 , further comprising indicators to permit the bale to be seen from a distance. 
   
   
       10 . A baled agricultural product in which agricultural produce is formed and secured by a wrapping material, said product comprising:
 a wrapping material having a length dimension at least equal to the circumference of the bale and a width dimension substantially equal to the width dimension of the bale;   agricultural produce formed into a substantially cylindrical shape with its circumferential extremity covered by the wrapping material and its two opposite substantially circular sides substantially uncovered by the bale wrapping;   wherein the wrapping material that covers the circumferential extremity of the produce, secures the bale, possesses sufficient strength to maintain the integrity of the bale, maintains the agricultural produce in a compressed state, and provides the circumferential extremity of the agricultural produce with a water impermeable barrier from the exterior surface of the bale wrapping.   
   
   
       11 . The baled agricultural product of  claim 10 , wherein said wrapping material further comprises a fastener for securing the wrapped bale, said fastener adapted to attach a first portion of the wrapping material to a second portion of the wrapping material. 
   
   
       12 . The baled agricultural product of  claim 11 , wherein said first portion of the wrapping material is a tail portion of the wrapping material. 
   
   
       13 . The baled agricultural product of  claim 11 , wherein said fastener is one of J-shaped and mushroom-shaped. 
   
   
       14 . The baled agricultural product of  claim 10 , wherein the agricultural produce is cotton. 
   
   
       15 . The baled agricultural product of  claim 10 , wherein said wrapping material is water impermeable and vapor permeable and said wrapping material provides the circumferential extremity of the agricultural produce with a covering that is water impermeable and vapor permeable. 
   
   
       16 . The baled agricultural product of  claim 10 , wherein said wrapping material secures said agricultural product in part by preventing its undesirable unraveling. 
   
   
       17 . The baled agricultural product of  claim 10 , further comprising indicators to permit the bale to be seen from a distance. 
   
   
       18 . The baled agricultural product of  claim 10  wherein said wrapping material possesses a stiffness sufficient to ensure that the bale can withstand the operation of an automated baler. 
   
   
       19 . A roll of bale wrappings suited for forming and securing agricultural produce into a plurality of substantially cylindrically-shaped bales through the use of an automated baling apparatus, the roll comprising:
 a plurality of bale wrapping portions, each bale wrapping portion having a length dimension at least equal to the circumference of each bale to be formed and secured and a width dimension approximately equal to the width of each bale to be formed and secured, said plurality of bale wrapping portions being serially connected and rolled to form said roll;   wherein each bale wrapping portion for covering the circumferential extremity of the agricultural produce is water impermeable to provide the circumferential extremity of the baled produce with a water impermeable barrier from the bale wrapping exterior surface;   and wherein said the bale wrapping portions possess a stiffness sufficient to ensure that each bale wrapping portion travels intact into and through an automated baling apparatus.   
   
   
       20 . The roll of bale wrappings of  claim 19 , wherein each bale wrapping further comprises a fastener for securing a wrapped bale, said fastener adapted to attach a first portion of the bale wrapping to a second portion of the bale wrapping. 
   
   
       21 . The roll of bale wrappings of  claim 20 , wherein said first portion is a tail portion of each of the bale wrappings. 
   
   
       22 . The roll of bale wrappings of  claim 20 , wherein said fasteners are one of J-shaped and mushroom-shaped. 
   
   
       23 . The roll of bale wrappings of  claim 19 , wherein the agricultural produce is cotton. 
   
   
       24 . The roll of bale wrappings of  claim 19 , wherein each of said bale wrapping portions is water impermeable and vapor permeable. 
   
   
       25 . The roll of bale wrappings of  claim 19 , wherein each of said bale wrapping portions secures said agricultural produce in part by preventing undesirable unraveling of the bale wrapping portion. 
   
   
       26 . The roll of bale wrappings of  claim 19 , wherein each bale wrapping portion further comprises indicators to permit the wrapped bale to be seen from a distance. 
   
   
       27 . The roll of bale wrappings of  claim 19 , wherein each of said bale wrapping portions has sufficient longitudinal strength to secure the substantially cylindrically-shaped bale of agricultural produce.