CA1154575A - Slidering method and apparatus - Google Patents
Slidering method and apparatusInfo
- Publication number
- CA1154575A CA1154575A CA000353798A CA353798A CA1154575A CA 1154575 A CA1154575 A CA 1154575A CA 000353798 A CA000353798 A CA 000353798A CA 353798 A CA353798 A CA 353798A CA 1154575 A CA1154575 A CA 1154575A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- slider
- stringer
- flanges
- slide fastener
- guiding means
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
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- Slide Fasteners (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
Sliders are installed on separated ends of slide fastener stringers by positioning the slide fastener stringers on an upper surface of a stringer guiding means which has converging flanges for guiding and directing slider engaging means of the stringers into the converging openings of the slider.
Sliders are installed on separated ends of slide fastener stringers by positioning the slide fastener stringers on an upper surface of a stringer guiding means which has converging flanges for guiding and directing slider engaging means of the stringers into the converging openings of the slider.
Description
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TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to methods and apparatus for aid-ing in the installation of sliders on slide fastener chains.
BACKGROI~ND ART
The prior art, as exemplified in U.S. Patents No.2,838,831, No. 2,879,588, No. 2,949,666 and No. 3,116,544, contains a number of methods and apparatus for installing sliders on slide fastener chains, either manually or automatically. Flush cut or gapped chain sections are gripped and guided into either the slider throat or slider mouth openings to install the sliders on the slide fastener chains. When sliders are installed by guiding separated slide fastener stringers into the respective converging slider throat openings, it is difficult to insert the ir.ner coupling por-tions of the ends of the separated stringers into the slider throat openings, particularly where the slider chain has relatively large coupling elements such as large spiral coil coupling elements or where the slider contains projections for retarding opening move-ment of the slider.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is summarized in a method of installing a slider on a pair of slide fastener stringers having respective end sections which are separated, the method including the steps of positioning a slider next to a stringer guiding means which has an upper surface and a pair of converging flanges with inner surfaces aligned with and adjacent to respective inner surfaces of diverging ends of slider flanges; placing inner portions of the end slide fastener stringer sections, including sections of coupling element trains with respective slider flange engaging means of the slide fastener stringers, on the upper surface of the stringer guiding means; engaging the slider flange engaging means of the end slide
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to methods and apparatus for aid-ing in the installation of sliders on slide fastener chains.
BACKGROI~ND ART
The prior art, as exemplified in U.S. Patents No.2,838,831, No. 2,879,588, No. 2,949,666 and No. 3,116,544, contains a number of methods and apparatus for installing sliders on slide fastener chains, either manually or automatically. Flush cut or gapped chain sections are gripped and guided into either the slider throat or slider mouth openings to install the sliders on the slide fastener chains. When sliders are installed by guiding separated slide fastener stringers into the respective converging slider throat openings, it is difficult to insert the ir.ner coupling por-tions of the ends of the separated stringers into the slider throat openings, particularly where the slider chain has relatively large coupling elements such as large spiral coil coupling elements or where the slider contains projections for retarding opening move-ment of the slider.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is summarized in a method of installing a slider on a pair of slide fastener stringers having respective end sections which are separated, the method including the steps of positioning a slider next to a stringer guiding means which has an upper surface and a pair of converging flanges with inner surfaces aligned with and adjacent to respective inner surfaces of diverging ends of slider flanges; placing inner portions of the end slide fastener stringer sections, including sections of coupling element trains with respective slider flange engaging means of the slide fastener stringers, on the upper surface of the stringer guiding means; engaging the slider flange engaging means of the end slide
- 2 - ~
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~astener stringer sections with the inner surEaces of the respect-ive guiding means flanges; and simultaneously advancing the end slide fastener stringer sections along the guiding means flanges while maintaining engagement of -the slider flange engaging means with the respective guiding means flanges to simultaneously insert the end slide fastener stringer sections into the slider and to interlock the trains of coupling elements on such end slide fastener stringer sections by means of the slider.
An object of the invention is to reduce the difficulty of insertion of separated end portions of slide fastener stringers into the converging openings of a slider throat.
Another object of the invention is to increase the produc-tion quantity and to reduce operator fatigue by providing a mechani-cal aid to make slidering of slide fastener stringers easier.
One advantage of the invention is that converging flanges on guiding means are used to funnel separated slide fastener string-ers into slider throats.
One feature of the invention is that a slide fastener stringer guiding means includes both an upper surface and converg-ing flanges for abutting and engaging slide fastener stringer flangeengaging means during advancement of the slide fastener stringers into converging slider openings.
Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view taken from the front upper right corner of a slidering apparatus for aiding in the installation of a slider on a slide fastener chain in accordance with the inven-tion.
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Fig. 2 is a plan view of a slider installed on a pair of slide fastener stringers.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a slider to be positioned in the apparatus of Fig. l for installation on a slide fastener chain.
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the slider oE Fig. 3 taken along a horizontal plane midway between the upper and lower wings of the slider.
Fig. 5 is elevational cross-sectional view taken from the right of the apparatus of Fig. 1 particularly illustrating a step of positioning the slider of Fig. 2 in the apparatus.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the relative posi-tionsof a slide fastener stringer guide tray and a slider in the apparatus in Figs. l and 5 after the slider has been positioned in the apparatus of Fig. l.
Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the tray and slider of Fig.
6 during one step in the installation of a slider on a pair of slide fastener stringers.
Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a broken-away portion of the slide fastener chain guide tray during the step of Fig. 7.
Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a modification of the apparatus for installing a slider on a slide fastener chain in accordance with the invention.
Fig. 10 is a perspective view of an upper guide member in the modification of Fig. 9.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A slidering apparatus, illustrated in Fig. l, for aiding in the installation of a slider on a pair of slide fastener string-ers to form a slide fastener assembly, shown in Fig. 2, in accord-ance with the invention includes a slider holding mechanism indi-115457~
cated generally at 20 and a ~l~de-~~astener stringer guiding mecha-smindicated ~enerally at 22 mounted on supportiny means such as a vertical support 24 with table mounting means. The slide fastener assembly includes a slider 26 and a pair of stringers indicated generally at 28 and 20 which have respective carrier tapes 32 and 34 and respective trains of coupling elements 36 and 38 upon which the slider 26 is slidably mounted for opening and closing the slide fastener. In the installation of the slider 26 on the slide fas-tener stringers 28 and 30, the slider 26 is positioned in the slider holding mechanism 20, and the inner-edge portions of the stringers 28 and 30 with the coupling elements 36 and 38 are inserted into the slider 26 using the stringer guide member 22 as an aid to form the slide fastener assembly.
The coupling elements 36 and 38 of the stringers 28 and 30 are illustrated as spiral coil coupling elements formed by con-volutions of a continuous thermoplastic monofilament shaped in a conventional manner and supported by respective beads 40 and 42 on the inner-edges of the tapes. The tapes 32 and 34 are woven, with the weaving being made simultaneously with the attaching of the spiral coil coupling elements and the formation of the beads 40 and 42 in a conventional manner. However, the present sliding method and apparatus could be employed on any other type of slide fastener stringers in place of the illustrated woven spiral string-ers.
The slider 26, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, includes an upper wing member 44 and a lower wing member 46 which are joined and held in parallel spaced relationship by a divider post 48 ex-tending between rounded ends of the wing members 44 and 46. The wing members 44 and 46 have respective pairs of flanges 50 and 52 which extend from corresponding opposite laterial portions of the wing members 44 and 46 toward the flanges of the opposite wing 1~545~7~
member. These flanges 5Q and 52 and the divider post 48 together with the inner walls of the wing members 44 and 46 form a generally Y-shaped channel indicated generally at 54 and shown upside down in Fig. 4. The channel 54 has a common channel portion 56 extending between parallel portions of the flanges 50 and 52 and has branch portions 58 and 60 extending between respective diverging portions of the flanges 50 and 52 on opposite sides of the divider post 48.
In operation of the slider on the stringers 28 and 30 of Fig. 2, the beads 40 and 42 form flange engaging means which engage inner surfaces of the flanges 50 and 52 to bring about closing movement of the coupling elements 36 and 38 as the inner portions of the stringers 28 and 30 proceed through the branch channel portions 58 and 60 into the common channel portions 56 during closing movement of the slider while the divider post 48 engages the head portions of the coupling 36 and 38 to spread and separate the coupling ele-ments during movement of the coupled inner edge portions of the stringers 28 and 38 through the common channel portion 56 into the respective branch channel portions 58 and 60. It is noted that some types of slide fastener stringers other than the illustrated woven spiral type of slide fastener stringer may include other means for engaging the slider flanges 50 and 52 in place of the illustra-ted beads 40 and 42.
The illustrated sliders 26 have pyramidal shaped locking projections 62 extending from the inside surfaces of the flanges 50 and 52 for engaging the flange engaging means of the stringer 28 and 30 to retard opening movement of the slider. Additonally the slider 26 has a handle 65 mounted on the upper wing member 44 for being engaged by a suitable tool (not shown) to move the slider 26.
Because the slider 26 is not provided with a standard pull for being gripped by conventional slider holding mechanisms, the slider 26 is .~ - .
~ ovided with tabs 64 extending from the lower wing mel~er 46 out-wardly from the parallel portions of the flanges 52 for providing means by which the slider may be held in the slider holding mechanism 20 during the insertion of the stringers 28 and 30 into the slider 26. Howeverl other conventional type sliders which do not have locking projections or holding tabs and which have standard pulls can be installed on slide fastener stringers in accordance with the present invention. The locking projections 62 of the slider 26 renderconventional slidering techniques more difficult and thus the present invention is particularly useful on sliders containing similar locking projections.
The slider holding mechanism 20 in one relatively simple form is formed by an upraised portion 66 of the support 24 and a holding tab engaging member 68 mounted on the rear of the portion 66. The raised portion 66 has an upper flat surface 70 upon which the bottom of the slider 26 rests with the front edge 72 of the portion 66 being rounded to conform to the rounded end of the slider 26. The tab engaging member 68 has a pair of holding prongs 74 extending forward over opposite side edge portions of the surface 70 spaced above the surface 70 for engaging the outside surfaces of the flanges 52 as well as the tabs 64 to hold the slider 26 in the slider holding mechanism 20 during insertion of the slide fastener stringers. Any other slide fastener holding mechanism can be employed in place of the holding mechanism 20 including automatic mechanisms which sequentially and automatically feed sliders from a slider supply to a position for installation on slide fastener stringers.
The stringer guide mechanism 22 includes a guide tray 80 which has the general shape of a sector of a flat annulus. The inner rounded edge 82 of the tray 80 is formed to closely fit with the 1~5457~
~ ~nded end of the slider 26. The tray 80 is normally supported at a hei.ght relati.ve to the slider holding mechanism 20 50 that the upper surface of the tray 80 is aligned with the inside floor sur-face of the lower wing member 46 bordering the branched channel portions 58 and 60. The tray 80 has flanges 84 and 86 extending upward from the radial edges to a height above the upper surface of the tray about egual to the height of flanges 52 above the inside floor surface of the wing member 46. The angular convergence of the flanges 84 and 86 is selected to align the inner surfaces of the flanges with the inner surfaces of the outer diver~ing portions of the flanges 52.
In the specifically disclosed embodiment of the stringer guide mechanism 22 of Figs. 1 and 5 the tray 80 is mounted for verti-cal sliding movement relative to the vertical support 24 in order to enable the sliders 26 to be positioned in the slider holding . mechanism 20. A vertical slidP bar 90 is slidably contained within : a channel 92 in the support 24 by means of a cover plate 94. A
compression spring 96 extends between the lower end of the slide bar 90 and the wall of the support at the lower end of the channel 92 . 20 for normally biasing the slide bar 90 upward. A second vertically :. movable bar 98 is mounted in front of the cover plate 94 on the slide bar 90 by means of a block 100 extending through a ~ertical slot 102 formedin the cover plate 94. The tray 80 has a downward ; extending block 104 which is secured to the upper end of the outer bar 98 while the inner portion of the tray 80 is supported on an upper portion 106 of the bar 90 bent at a 90 angle with the end contoured to mate with the rounded surface 72 of the upper portion 66 of the support 24. A thumb handle 108 is mounted on the bar 98 : for enabling the bars 90 and 98 to be depressed against the bias of the compression spring 96 to lower the tray 80 and permit the inser-~; - 8 -., i~no~ a slider in the slider holding mechanism 20. The uppermostposition of the tray 80 is determined by the upper end oE the block 100 engaging the cover plate 94 at the upper end of the slot 102.
~t is noted that for alternative types of slider holding mechanisms not requiring lowering of the tray 80 to position a slider on the slider holding mechanisms, the tray 80 may be station-arily mounted.
As shown in Fig. 1, a horizontal bar 110 may be mounted on one end of an arm 112 which has its other end mounted to the sup-port 24. The bar 110 is held in a position suitable to support article portions to which slide fastener stringers are attached in front of the slidering apparatus.
In an installation of a slider on slide fastener stringersin accordance with the invention, the tray 80 is lowered by depres-sing the thumb handle 108 to lower the tray below the upper surface70 of the slider holding mechanism 20 as shown in Fig. 5. A slider 22 is positioned on the surface 70 with the holding prongs 74 engag-ing the flanges 52 and holding tabs 64 of the slider 26. Thereafter the thumb handle 108 is released permitting the tray 80 to be re-turned upward by the bias of the spring 96 whereupon the front edge82 of the tray 80 prevents removal of the slider 26 from the holding mechanism 20 and to bring about alignment of the upper surface of the tray 80 with the upper floor surface of the wing member 46 in the channels 58 and 60 as shown in Fig~ 6. The flanges 84 and 86 have their inner surfaces aligned with the inner surfaces of the flanges 52 of the slider 26. Inner portions of separated end por-tionsof the stringers 28 and 30 are positioned on the tray 80 and moved outwardly, as shown in Fig. 7~ to engage the beads or flange ' engaging means 40 and 42 of the stringers with the flanges 84 and 86 with the tapes 32 and 34 extending over the flanges 84 and 86 _ g _ 5~
-ast the radial edges of the tray 80. Sligh-t thumb pressure by the operator downward against the inner end portions of the stringers 28 and 30 insures engagement of the beads 40 and 42 with the flanges 84 and 86. Then the separated end portions of the stringers 28 and 30 are moved as indicated by the arrows 114 and 116 to insert the inner portions of the stringers 28 and 30 into the respective channels 58 and 60 of the slider 26. The operator by gripping the tapes 32 and 34 between the thumbs 120 and 122 and forefingers 124 and 126 of the respective hands on opposite sides of the tray 80 and slider 26 and by forcing the stringers 28 and 30 rearward can bring about move-ment of the coupling elements 36 and 38 and the beads 40 and 42 through the branch channels 58 and 60 into the common channel portion 56 resulting in interlocking of the coupling elements 36 and 38 and installation of the slider 26 on the slide fastener stringers 28 and 30 as shown in Fig. 2. The slider 26 is released by depressing the thumb lever 108 and moving the slider forward.
Installation of sliders on separated ends of slide fastener stringers is rendered substantially easier by the present invention.
' The employment of a tray or stringer guide member 80 having converg-ing flanges 84 and 86 aligned with diverging portions of flanges 52 ~, of a slider and having an upper surface of the tray aligned with ;, the floor surface in the slider renders the installation of the slider substantially easier by enabling the flange engaging means of the stringers to be engaged and guided by the tray flanges during ' 25 the insertion of the coupling elements of the separated ends into the slider. The tray flanges operated as a funnel -to direct the -~ slider coupling elements into the appropriate slider channels. In the prior art the smallness of the slider channels as well as the critical range of angles at which the coupling elements must enter the converging channels of the slider render insertion of separated S4~7~
end portions of stringers into sllder branch channels difficult to reliably perform by an operator at high production rates.
In a modification of the invention as shownin Figs. 9 and 10, the tray 80 is mounted upon a block 120 slidable within a slide 122 for vertical movement and is biased upward by a spring 123 be-neath the block 120. An upper member 124 is mounted upon a post 126 which extends from a mount on the support upward through vertical openings through the block 120 and tray 80 to support the upper mem-ber above the tray 80. The upper member 124 has a rear edge 128 mating with the contour of the upper wing member 44 of the slider 26 and has converging flanges 130 and 132 which are aligned with flanges 50 of the upper wing member 44. The upper member 124 in the modification is used to hold the flange engaging portions of the stringers in engagement with the flanges 84 and 86 of the tray 80.
The tray 80 may be pushed downward against the force of the spring ' 123 for releasing the slide fastener stringers from between the mem-bers 124 and 80.
Since many modifications, variations and changes in detail ,:~
may be made to the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is intended that all matter described in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
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~astener stringer sections with the inner surEaces of the respect-ive guiding means flanges; and simultaneously advancing the end slide fastener stringer sections along the guiding means flanges while maintaining engagement of -the slider flange engaging means with the respective guiding means flanges to simultaneously insert the end slide fastener stringer sections into the slider and to interlock the trains of coupling elements on such end slide fastener stringer sections by means of the slider.
An object of the invention is to reduce the difficulty of insertion of separated end portions of slide fastener stringers into the converging openings of a slider throat.
Another object of the invention is to increase the produc-tion quantity and to reduce operator fatigue by providing a mechani-cal aid to make slidering of slide fastener stringers easier.
One advantage of the invention is that converging flanges on guiding means are used to funnel separated slide fastener string-ers into slider throats.
One feature of the invention is that a slide fastener stringer guiding means includes both an upper surface and converg-ing flanges for abutting and engaging slide fastener stringer flangeengaging means during advancement of the slide fastener stringers into converging slider openings.
Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view taken from the front upper right corner of a slidering apparatus for aiding in the installation of a slider on a slide fastener chain in accordance with the inven-tion.
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Fig. 2 is a plan view of a slider installed on a pair of slide fastener stringers.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a slider to be positioned in the apparatus of Fig. l for installation on a slide fastener chain.
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the slider oE Fig. 3 taken along a horizontal plane midway between the upper and lower wings of the slider.
Fig. 5 is elevational cross-sectional view taken from the right of the apparatus of Fig. 1 particularly illustrating a step of positioning the slider of Fig. 2 in the apparatus.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the relative posi-tionsof a slide fastener stringer guide tray and a slider in the apparatus in Figs. l and 5 after the slider has been positioned in the apparatus of Fig. l.
Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the tray and slider of Fig.
6 during one step in the installation of a slider on a pair of slide fastener stringers.
Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a broken-away portion of the slide fastener chain guide tray during the step of Fig. 7.
Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a modification of the apparatus for installing a slider on a slide fastener chain in accordance with the invention.
Fig. 10 is a perspective view of an upper guide member in the modification of Fig. 9.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A slidering apparatus, illustrated in Fig. l, for aiding in the installation of a slider on a pair of slide fastener string-ers to form a slide fastener assembly, shown in Fig. 2, in accord-ance with the invention includes a slider holding mechanism indi-115457~
cated generally at 20 and a ~l~de-~~astener stringer guiding mecha-smindicated ~enerally at 22 mounted on supportiny means such as a vertical support 24 with table mounting means. The slide fastener assembly includes a slider 26 and a pair of stringers indicated generally at 28 and 20 which have respective carrier tapes 32 and 34 and respective trains of coupling elements 36 and 38 upon which the slider 26 is slidably mounted for opening and closing the slide fastener. In the installation of the slider 26 on the slide fas-tener stringers 28 and 30, the slider 26 is positioned in the slider holding mechanism 20, and the inner-edge portions of the stringers 28 and 30 with the coupling elements 36 and 38 are inserted into the slider 26 using the stringer guide member 22 as an aid to form the slide fastener assembly.
The coupling elements 36 and 38 of the stringers 28 and 30 are illustrated as spiral coil coupling elements formed by con-volutions of a continuous thermoplastic monofilament shaped in a conventional manner and supported by respective beads 40 and 42 on the inner-edges of the tapes. The tapes 32 and 34 are woven, with the weaving being made simultaneously with the attaching of the spiral coil coupling elements and the formation of the beads 40 and 42 in a conventional manner. However, the present sliding method and apparatus could be employed on any other type of slide fastener stringers in place of the illustrated woven spiral string-ers.
The slider 26, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, includes an upper wing member 44 and a lower wing member 46 which are joined and held in parallel spaced relationship by a divider post 48 ex-tending between rounded ends of the wing members 44 and 46. The wing members 44 and 46 have respective pairs of flanges 50 and 52 which extend from corresponding opposite laterial portions of the wing members 44 and 46 toward the flanges of the opposite wing 1~545~7~
member. These flanges 5Q and 52 and the divider post 48 together with the inner walls of the wing members 44 and 46 form a generally Y-shaped channel indicated generally at 54 and shown upside down in Fig. 4. The channel 54 has a common channel portion 56 extending between parallel portions of the flanges 50 and 52 and has branch portions 58 and 60 extending between respective diverging portions of the flanges 50 and 52 on opposite sides of the divider post 48.
In operation of the slider on the stringers 28 and 30 of Fig. 2, the beads 40 and 42 form flange engaging means which engage inner surfaces of the flanges 50 and 52 to bring about closing movement of the coupling elements 36 and 38 as the inner portions of the stringers 28 and 30 proceed through the branch channel portions 58 and 60 into the common channel portions 56 during closing movement of the slider while the divider post 48 engages the head portions of the coupling 36 and 38 to spread and separate the coupling ele-ments during movement of the coupled inner edge portions of the stringers 28 and 38 through the common channel portion 56 into the respective branch channel portions 58 and 60. It is noted that some types of slide fastener stringers other than the illustrated woven spiral type of slide fastener stringer may include other means for engaging the slider flanges 50 and 52 in place of the illustra-ted beads 40 and 42.
The illustrated sliders 26 have pyramidal shaped locking projections 62 extending from the inside surfaces of the flanges 50 and 52 for engaging the flange engaging means of the stringer 28 and 30 to retard opening movement of the slider. Additonally the slider 26 has a handle 65 mounted on the upper wing member 44 for being engaged by a suitable tool (not shown) to move the slider 26.
Because the slider 26 is not provided with a standard pull for being gripped by conventional slider holding mechanisms, the slider 26 is .~ - .
~ ovided with tabs 64 extending from the lower wing mel~er 46 out-wardly from the parallel portions of the flanges 52 for providing means by which the slider may be held in the slider holding mechanism 20 during the insertion of the stringers 28 and 30 into the slider 26. Howeverl other conventional type sliders which do not have locking projections or holding tabs and which have standard pulls can be installed on slide fastener stringers in accordance with the present invention. The locking projections 62 of the slider 26 renderconventional slidering techniques more difficult and thus the present invention is particularly useful on sliders containing similar locking projections.
The slider holding mechanism 20 in one relatively simple form is formed by an upraised portion 66 of the support 24 and a holding tab engaging member 68 mounted on the rear of the portion 66. The raised portion 66 has an upper flat surface 70 upon which the bottom of the slider 26 rests with the front edge 72 of the portion 66 being rounded to conform to the rounded end of the slider 26. The tab engaging member 68 has a pair of holding prongs 74 extending forward over opposite side edge portions of the surface 70 spaced above the surface 70 for engaging the outside surfaces of the flanges 52 as well as the tabs 64 to hold the slider 26 in the slider holding mechanism 20 during insertion of the slide fastener stringers. Any other slide fastener holding mechanism can be employed in place of the holding mechanism 20 including automatic mechanisms which sequentially and automatically feed sliders from a slider supply to a position for installation on slide fastener stringers.
The stringer guide mechanism 22 includes a guide tray 80 which has the general shape of a sector of a flat annulus. The inner rounded edge 82 of the tray 80 is formed to closely fit with the 1~5457~
~ ~nded end of the slider 26. The tray 80 is normally supported at a hei.ght relati.ve to the slider holding mechanism 20 50 that the upper surface of the tray 80 is aligned with the inside floor sur-face of the lower wing member 46 bordering the branched channel portions 58 and 60. The tray 80 has flanges 84 and 86 extending upward from the radial edges to a height above the upper surface of the tray about egual to the height of flanges 52 above the inside floor surface of the wing member 46. The angular convergence of the flanges 84 and 86 is selected to align the inner surfaces of the flanges with the inner surfaces of the outer diver~ing portions of the flanges 52.
In the specifically disclosed embodiment of the stringer guide mechanism 22 of Figs. 1 and 5 the tray 80 is mounted for verti-cal sliding movement relative to the vertical support 24 in order to enable the sliders 26 to be positioned in the slider holding . mechanism 20. A vertical slidP bar 90 is slidably contained within : a channel 92 in the support 24 by means of a cover plate 94. A
compression spring 96 extends between the lower end of the slide bar 90 and the wall of the support at the lower end of the channel 92 . 20 for normally biasing the slide bar 90 upward. A second vertically :. movable bar 98 is mounted in front of the cover plate 94 on the slide bar 90 by means of a block 100 extending through a ~ertical slot 102 formedin the cover plate 94. The tray 80 has a downward ; extending block 104 which is secured to the upper end of the outer bar 98 while the inner portion of the tray 80 is supported on an upper portion 106 of the bar 90 bent at a 90 angle with the end contoured to mate with the rounded surface 72 of the upper portion 66 of the support 24. A thumb handle 108 is mounted on the bar 98 : for enabling the bars 90 and 98 to be depressed against the bias of the compression spring 96 to lower the tray 80 and permit the inser-~; - 8 -., i~no~ a slider in the slider holding mechanism 20. The uppermostposition of the tray 80 is determined by the upper end oE the block 100 engaging the cover plate 94 at the upper end of the slot 102.
~t is noted that for alternative types of slider holding mechanisms not requiring lowering of the tray 80 to position a slider on the slider holding mechanisms, the tray 80 may be station-arily mounted.
As shown in Fig. 1, a horizontal bar 110 may be mounted on one end of an arm 112 which has its other end mounted to the sup-port 24. The bar 110 is held in a position suitable to support article portions to which slide fastener stringers are attached in front of the slidering apparatus.
In an installation of a slider on slide fastener stringersin accordance with the invention, the tray 80 is lowered by depres-sing the thumb handle 108 to lower the tray below the upper surface70 of the slider holding mechanism 20 as shown in Fig. 5. A slider 22 is positioned on the surface 70 with the holding prongs 74 engag-ing the flanges 52 and holding tabs 64 of the slider 26. Thereafter the thumb handle 108 is released permitting the tray 80 to be re-turned upward by the bias of the spring 96 whereupon the front edge82 of the tray 80 prevents removal of the slider 26 from the holding mechanism 20 and to bring about alignment of the upper surface of the tray 80 with the upper floor surface of the wing member 46 in the channels 58 and 60 as shown in Fig~ 6. The flanges 84 and 86 have their inner surfaces aligned with the inner surfaces of the flanges 52 of the slider 26. Inner portions of separated end por-tionsof the stringers 28 and 30 are positioned on the tray 80 and moved outwardly, as shown in Fig. 7~ to engage the beads or flange ' engaging means 40 and 42 of the stringers with the flanges 84 and 86 with the tapes 32 and 34 extending over the flanges 84 and 86 _ g _ 5~
-ast the radial edges of the tray 80. Sligh-t thumb pressure by the operator downward against the inner end portions of the stringers 28 and 30 insures engagement of the beads 40 and 42 with the flanges 84 and 86. Then the separated end portions of the stringers 28 and 30 are moved as indicated by the arrows 114 and 116 to insert the inner portions of the stringers 28 and 30 into the respective channels 58 and 60 of the slider 26. The operator by gripping the tapes 32 and 34 between the thumbs 120 and 122 and forefingers 124 and 126 of the respective hands on opposite sides of the tray 80 and slider 26 and by forcing the stringers 28 and 30 rearward can bring about move-ment of the coupling elements 36 and 38 and the beads 40 and 42 through the branch channels 58 and 60 into the common channel portion 56 resulting in interlocking of the coupling elements 36 and 38 and installation of the slider 26 on the slide fastener stringers 28 and 30 as shown in Fig. 2. The slider 26 is released by depressing the thumb lever 108 and moving the slider forward.
Installation of sliders on separated ends of slide fastener stringers is rendered substantially easier by the present invention.
' The employment of a tray or stringer guide member 80 having converg-ing flanges 84 and 86 aligned with diverging portions of flanges 52 ~, of a slider and having an upper surface of the tray aligned with ;, the floor surface in the slider renders the installation of the slider substantially easier by enabling the flange engaging means of the stringers to be engaged and guided by the tray flanges during ' 25 the insertion of the coupling elements of the separated ends into the slider. The tray flanges operated as a funnel -to direct the -~ slider coupling elements into the appropriate slider channels. In the prior art the smallness of the slider channels as well as the critical range of angles at which the coupling elements must enter the converging channels of the slider render insertion of separated S4~7~
end portions of stringers into sllder branch channels difficult to reliably perform by an operator at high production rates.
In a modification of the invention as shownin Figs. 9 and 10, the tray 80 is mounted upon a block 120 slidable within a slide 122 for vertical movement and is biased upward by a spring 123 be-neath the block 120. An upper member 124 is mounted upon a post 126 which extends from a mount on the support upward through vertical openings through the block 120 and tray 80 to support the upper mem-ber above the tray 80. The upper member 124 has a rear edge 128 mating with the contour of the upper wing member 44 of the slider 26 and has converging flanges 130 and 132 which are aligned with flanges 50 of the upper wing member 44. The upper member 124 in the modification is used to hold the flange engaging portions of the stringers in engagement with the flanges 84 and 86 of the tray 80.
The tray 80 may be pushed downward against the force of the spring ' 123 for releasing the slide fastener stringers from between the mem-bers 124 and 80.
Since many modifications, variations and changes in detail ,:~
may be made to the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is intended that all matter described in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
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Claims (12)
1. A method of installing a slider having flanges on a pair of slide fastener stringers having respective end sections which are separated, the method comprising the steps of positioning a slider next to a stringer-guiding means which has an upper surface and a pair of converging flanges with inner surfaces aligned with and adjacent to respective inner surfaces of diverging ends of flanges on said slider;
each of said stringers comprising a coupling-element train and a slider flange-engaging means, placing inner portions of the end slide fastener stringer sections, including sections of coupling-element trains with respective slider-flange-engaging means of the slide fastener stringers, on the upper surface of the stringer-guiding means;
engaging the slider-flange-engaging means of the end slide fastener stringer sections with the inner surfaces of the respective guiding means flanges; and simultaneously advancing the end slide fastener stringer sections along the guiding means flanges while maintaining engagement of the slider-flange-engaging means with the respective guiding means flanges to simultaneously insert the end slide fastener stringer sections into the slider and to interlock the trains of coupling elements on such end slide fastener stringer sections by means of -the slider.
each of said stringers comprising a coupling-element train and a slider flange-engaging means, placing inner portions of the end slide fastener stringer sections, including sections of coupling-element trains with respective slider-flange-engaging means of the slide fastener stringers, on the upper surface of the stringer-guiding means;
engaging the slider-flange-engaging means of the end slide fastener stringer sections with the inner surfaces of the respective guiding means flanges; and simultaneously advancing the end slide fastener stringer sections along the guiding means flanges while maintaining engagement of the slider-flange-engaging means with the respective guiding means flanges to simultaneously insert the end slide fastener stringer sections into the slider and to interlock the trains of coupling elements on such end slide fastener stringer sections by means of -the slider.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the engaging of the slider flange engaging means is performed by pressing the inner portions of the end slide fastener stringer sections against the upper surface of the stringer guiding means and against the inner surfaces of the stringer guiding means flanges.
3. A method as claimed in claim 2 including moving the stringer guiding means to a vertical position in front of the slider prior to the placing step.
4. A method as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein said positioning step includes the insertion of outwardly extending tabs of a slider beneath holding prongs of a slider holding means.
5. An apparatus for assisting in the installation of a slider on a pair of slide fastener stringers having respective end sections which are separated, the apparatus comprising slider holding means, stringer guiding means including an upper surface for being aligned with an upper floor surface of a lower wing member of the slider at converging channel openings in the slider, and said stringer guiding means also including a pair of converging flanges extending above the upper stringer guiding means surface for being aligned with slider flanges of the slider.
6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said stringer guiding means includes a tray having said upper stringer guiding means surface and said pair of converging flanges extending upward from the upper surface.
7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said tray has the general shape of a sector of a flat annulus.
8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein an edge of said tray disposed adjacent to the holding means is contoured to conform to an end of the slider so that said tray flanges are disposed adjacent to a slider when a slider is in position on the slider holding means.
9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said tray and said slider holding means are mounted on a vertical support.
10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said tray is mounted upon a vertically slidable bar and there is included spring biasing means for biasing the bar upward to a raised position.
11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein there is included a garment supporting bar mounted in front of the apparatus for supporting a garment.
12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said slider holding means includes a pair of members for engaging outwardly extending tabs on a bottom of the slider.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US79,940 | 1979-08-30 | ||
| US06/079,940 US4234552A (en) | 1978-10-18 | 1979-09-28 | Stabilization of sulphur |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1154575A true CA1154575A (en) | 1983-10-04 |
Family
ID=22153796
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000353798A Expired CA1154575A (en) | 1979-08-30 | 1980-06-11 | Slidering method and apparatus |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1154575A (en) |
-
1980
- 1980-06-11 CA CA000353798A patent/CA1154575A/en not_active Expired
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| MKEX | Expiry |