head 11 for continuously producing a rod like stock material 12 having the desired uniform cross sectional shape which in step b is quenched at least to substantial plastic state such as through a cooling environment 13 step c is a drawing step imparting molecular orientation which improves the physical characteristic of the stock and leads to a decrease of its cross sectional dimensions by suitably adjusting the drawing ratio additionally such dimensions can be selected at will according to the request and the production is increased relatively to the yield of the extruder as indicated by arrows originating at d the extruded and drawn stock can either by transferred in direction e to means designed for applying it as described below to the tape material upon providing it with a known reflective coating or further processed for providing it with more sophisticated and efficient reflective means also as examplified below in the occurrence that the stock rod like material will be provided with retroreflective means such as of the tape not limitatively illustrated in any of fig4 7 and 8 the method comprises a step f wherein the surface or part of the surface of the stock is coated with an adhesive such as by passing it in a bath 14 and then a step g wherein the adhesivated tacky surface is provided with any of said reflective means such as in a 34 fluid bed 34 apparatus 15 wherein the beads forming said means are suspended in an air stream into an environment through which the tacky stock is lengthwise progressed preferably said.