US1832945A - Separable fastener - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 24, 1931. I PRENTlCE 1;832,945

SEPARABLE FASTENER Filed March 1, 1930 Patented 7 Nov. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE QEOBGE E. PBENTIGE, OI? BER-L111, CONNECTICUT SEPARABLE EASTENER Application filed March 1, 1930. Serial -No. 432,338.

tape or stringer, the units of one series having projecting tongues or hooks which enter suitable sockets in the units of the opposite series, each socket being defined partly by the wall of the unit and partly by the edge of the enclosed stringer. In the Judson. fas-' tener the tongues or hooks thus directly engage the edge of the stringer of the opposite series, and this tends to cause wear and roughening of the stringer. Moreover, the

, tongues and sockets are of such shape that the fastener is not as fiexible as could be desired, and the units must be made of unduly heavy material and of undesirable thickness 2 from front to rear in order to insure a firm grip on the. edge of the stringer. In the Judson construction the units are of two distinct types, one type having the socket and the other type having the tongue for engagement 39 therewith, which is a disadvantage from the manufacturing standpoint, and the units are of such shape that when out from sheet material, a large percentage of waste results.

I am aware that various attempts have been made to improve upon the Judson type of fastener, but do not know of any fastener employing sheet metal units in which all of the above noteddefects have been successfully overcome. For example, as respects certain methods of manufacture now in use,

a wastage of as much as 75% of the sheet material results. 1

In a'ccordancewith the present invention I provide a fastener unit which may consist of relatively thin sheet material, but which at the same time is capable of gripping the edge of the stringer securely and permanently which, in a preferred embodiment, provides protection for the inner edge of the stringer so that the tongue or retaining element of the The patent to.

cooperating unit does not wear or abraid the stringer (being received within a socket having'rigid walls); which provides? tongue and socket of such shape that the fastener is flexible when the opposed series of units are joined; which may be used with sliders of.

usual construction which is not unduly thick so as to cause a bulky seam; and which may be made from sheet material without appreciable waste.

In the accompanying drawings I have il'- lustrated certain desirable embodiments fof my invention by way of example, as 'wellias certain steps which'may usefully be employed in'the productionof this improved fastener unit,and in the drawings: a Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation to large scale illustratin a fastener comprising units embodying my invention and showing an actuating slider of conventional form, in

section;

Fig. completed unit, but without the stringer;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the mode of cutting sheet material without waste to produce blanks for use in making the improved fastener;

1 is a perspective view showing a ig. 3 is a plan view of such a blankto larger scale;

Fig. 4. is an edge view, to smaller scale, the blank of Fig. 3; y

Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 illustrate various steps in the process of bending the blank to form the complete unit;

Fig. 10 is a view showing a blank of substantially the same shape as that of F1g. 3; Figs. 11, 12, 13 and 14 are views showing a desirable sequence of steps in forming the fastener unit of slightly modified construction, starting with the blank of Fig. 10; and Fig. 15 is a fragmentary section to large scale illustrating one type of material which may, if desired, be employed in making fastener units.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, the numerals 1 and'2 designate pieces of flexible material such as the tapes or stringers commonly employed in devices' of this character for attaching the fastener units to the edges of the article having the beaded edges 3 to which are secured the fastener units 4. A slider 5, which may be of any usual type having convergent channels 6 for the rece tion and guidance of the opposed series 0 fastener elements, is mounted to slide longitudinally of the series for moving the units into and out of engagement in usual manner.

Referring to Fig. 1*, a preferred embodiment of my invention consists of a unitary piece of sheet metal bent to form a more or less rectangular structure having the wall 7 and the substantially parallel, spaced side walls 8 and 9. For convenience in description I shall hereinafter refer to the wall 7 as the front wall, this being the surface of the fastener unit which is opposed to the units of the opposite series, although when'in actual use one of the walls 8 or 9 would ordinarily be considered as the front wall. As here shown, the front wall 7 is substantially flat and perpendicular to the walls 8 and 9, although I contemplate that the wall 7 may, if desired, be curved either convexly or concavely, or otherwise suitably shaped for cooperation with the opposed units. The wall 7 is 'provided, as here shown, at its lower edge with an integral extension or projection 10 which constitutes a tongue, hook, or retaining element for engagement with a unit of the op-- posite series. In referring to this hook memer 10 as projecting from the lower edge of the wall 7, I employ the term lower in a relative sense only, since under various conditions of use the hook may not always project vertically down.

The material forming the walls 8 and 9 is bent at the rear ends of said walls, as shown at 11 and 12, preferably to form open bends, the material then extending inwardly, as shown at 13 and 14, to form jaws for engaging the beaded edge of the stringer. As shown, these jaws 13 and 1e diverge in a forward direction and their forward extremities arebent to provide the shield members 15 and 16 which, with the jaw members 13 and 14, define a pocket or recess 17 in which the beaded edge of the stringer is disposed. By reason of the open bends at 11 and 12. the entrance 18 to this recess forms a restricted neck through which it is practically impossible to pull the thickened or beaded edge of the stringer. The members 15 and 16 also cooperate with the front wall 7 and the forward portions of the side walls 8 and 9 to form a socket 19 of substantially rectangular section for the reception of the hook member 10 of the cooperating unit of the opposite series. The members 15 and 16 thus separate the cooperating hook member from the edge of the stringer and shield the latter from abrasion and wear.

In constructing this improved unit I may employ any suitable. sheet material which i may, for example, be metal, or metal combined with other materials, or in fact, any substance capable of retaining its shape permanently after bending. In Fig. 15 I have indicated a material which might well be used for the purpose, consisting of a base sheet M of strong, stiff material such as metal. and a coating or covering layer C, which may, for example, be a suitable enamel, a phenolcondensation product, a lacquer, a rubber compound, or, in fact, any suitable coating substance adapted to rotect or ornament the basematerial, and wh1ch may be caused to adhere firmly and permanently to the base material in any roper way, as by the interposition of a unlting layer U. This sheet material, of whatever kind, may now be cut into blanks 21 (Fig. 2) of the shape more particularly shown in Fig. 3. Each blank, as shown, comprises an elongate trapezoidal body portion 22 having the long base 23 and the short base 24, and from the central part of its short base 24, a trapezoidal hook-forming member 25 projects, the longer base of the member 25 being integrally united with the body member 22. As shown, the longer base of the projection 25 is approximately oneseventh the length of the longer base 23 of the body portion, although this proportion is not essential, but it will be noted that the altitude of the projection 25 is substantially equal to the altitude or transverse width of the body portion 22, and that corresponding angles, as for example the angles A and A, of the projection and body portion are equal to each other. Blanks of this general shape may, as indicated in Fig. 2, be cut from sheet material with no waste whatever.

Having produced a blank as above described, this blank is now bent (as shown in Fig. 5) transversely along lines such as 26 and 27 (Fig. 3) to form the shield members 15 and 16. The blank is also bent, but in re verse direction, along the transverse lines 28 and 29 to produce the open bends 11 and 12. thereby defining the aws 13 and 14 and the rear ends of the walls 8 and 9, the open bends at 11 and 12 greatly stiffening the unit. The

blank also is bent transversely at opposite edges of the base of the projection 25 to define the junctions of the side walls 8 and 9 with the front wall 7. These several bending operations may be performed in any desired sequence, although the sequence indicated in Figs. 4 to 9 is preferred. When the blank has been brought to the shape shown in Fig. 8, the beaded edge of the stringer is introduced between the jaw members 13 and 14,

and then as the walls 8 and 9 are brought into substantially parallel relation the beaded edge is securely jammed between the jaw members so that it is, to some extent, deformed and crushed, and is thus very securely retained by the jaws so that it can not be no i series. By reason of the substantially rec-' tangular sha e ofthese units, they maybe employedwit slidersofatypecommonlyused at present, and by reason of the trapezoidal sha e of the hookmembers, they are able to roc slightly in a lateral direction in their receiving sockets, so that the fastener as a whole is flexible and capable of bending without disengagement of the interlocking units. 'As already pointed out, these units ma be' made without waste from sheet materlal by a simple series of bending operations such as may be produced by proper dies, and thus the units may be formed very cheaply and with great rapidity and may be secured to the edge of the fabric by hand or by the use of automatic mechanism of simple type.

Referring to Figs. 10 to 14 inclusive, the blank 21 is bent transversely to form the jaws 13 and 14 and the extermities of these jaws are then angularly bent to form the inner members 15 and 16. In this construc-,

' by the unit shown in Fig. 1*, for example.

While the specific construction and the process steps above described in detail are desirable, I wish it to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to all of the particulars of such construction or process, but that various changes including omission of elements or process steps, as well as the substitution of equivalents, may be made without departing from the invention as set forth in the appended claims.- I claim;

1. A fastener unit consisting of a single 7 elongate piece of sheet metal having substantially parallel upper and lower edges with a hook member projecting from the central part of one of said edges for engagement-with a cooperating fastener unit the metal being so bent that the part from which e hook projects constitutes the front wal of a. socket for the reception of the hook member of a cooperating fastener unit of like construction,

and that those parts of the strip at opposite sides of said central portiondefine side and rear walls of said socket andvalso define a separate pocket for the reception of the edge of a stringer, said ocket having a restricted neck to accommo ate the material of the stringer.

' 2. A fastener unit for use with a stringer having a beaded edge, said unit consisting of sheet material and comprising a front wall and walls spaced to receive between them the beaded edge of the stringer and also the retaining element of a cooperating unit of similar construction, and means integral with the respective walls and disposed between the latter for embarcing the beaded edge of the stringer without penetration of the latter and means comprising parts having free extermities collectively acting to shield the edge of the stringer from the retaining element.

3. A fastener unit consisting of a single elongate piece of sheet material having its upper and lower edges disposed in parallel planes and having projecting from one of said edges a hook member for engagement with a cooperating fastener unit of similar construction, and parts bent to define a socket for the reception of the hook member of such cooperating fastener unit and also defining a smooth walled recess for the reception of the edge of a stringer, certain of said parts having free extremities collectively constituting shielding meansior the edge of the stringer to protect it from injury by the hook member of the cooperating unit.

4. A fastener unit of sheet material for use in separable fasteners. said unit comprising a front wall and substantially parallel spaced.

side walls integrally united therewith, and cooperating jaws, one secured to the rear edge of each of the side walls, said jaws extending inwardly between the side walls of the unitand defining a pocket for the edge of a fabric stringer. said jaws being free at their inner extremities.

.5. A fastener unit of subtantially rectangular contour consisting ofa unitary piece of sheet material bent toform front and side walls, the front wall having an integral hook extending therefrom, the material constituting the side walls being bent at the rear ends of said walls to form smoothly rounded clamping jaws for engaging and retaining the edge portion of a stringer the material of the respective jaws being continued forwardly between the side walls and forming a shield for the stringer and constituting the rear wall of a hook receiving socket.

6.v A fastener unit for use in separable fasteners, said unit comprising a single piece of sheet material shaped to provide a front wall, spaced side walls integrally united to the lateral edges respectively of the front wall, the side and front walls being of sub-.

I stantially the same height, and a hook intogrally united to the lower edge of the front wall and disposed in the same plane with the latter the hook projecting from said edge to a distance substantially equal to the depth of the front wall.

7. A fastener unit for use with a stringer having a beaded edge, said unit consisting of sheetmaterial and having spaced side walls and independent jaw members secured respectively to the rear ends of the two side walls and extending inwardly between the side walls, said jaws having free inner extremities, the jaws diverging forwardly to provide a recess relatively wide at its forward part for the reception of the bead of the stringer, and relatively narrow at its rear part to prevent withdrawal of the head from the recess. a

8. A fastener unit for use with a stringer having a beaded edge, said unit consisting of a piece of sheet material and comprising spaced side walls having integral continuations thereof bent to extend inwardly between the side walls to form stringer retaining jaws, said jaws having spaced inner extremities, said jaws being spaced further apart at their frontends than at their rear ends whereby to admit and retain the beaded edge of the strin er between them.

9. A fastener unit for use with a stringer having a head at its edge, said unit consisting of a piece of sheet material and comprising spaced side walls, the material at the rear end of each side wall turning inwardly with an open bend to form a retaining jaw, said jaws being free at their inner ends, the two jaws diverging to provide a bead receiv ing recess having a narrow neck.

It). A fastener unit for use with a stringer having a bead at its edge, saidunit consisting of an integral pieceof sheet material and comprising a front wall and spaced substantially parallel side walls erpendicular to the front wall, the materia at the rear edge of the side walls turning inwardly and then extending forwardlv to form jaws defining a bead receiving recess having a narrow entrance neck, the front wall having{ an integral extension. constituting a hoo for engagement with a cooperating fastener unit.

11. A fastener unit for use in separable fasteners, said unit comprising front and side walls, jaw members extending inwardly and forwardly from the rear ends of the side walls, said-jaw members being shaped to re tain the edge of a strin er disposed between them, the inner ends 0 the jaws being free and being spaced from g the front wall of the unit to provide a socket for the reception of the retaining element of a cooperating unit, and a hook attached to the front wall. 12. A fastener united for use with a stringer having a bead at itsedge, said unit consisting of an integral piece of sheet-material and comprising a front wall and side walls, the side walls being spaced apart to admit between them the beaded edge of the stringer, the rear portions of the side walls turning inwardly toward each other and having extensions directed forwardly in divergent relation to define a pocket having restricted entrance passage through which the bead can not be withdrawn.

13. A fastener unit, for use with a stringer having a bead at its edge, said unit consisting of a piece of sheet material and comprising a front wall and spaced side walls, the material at the rear end of each side wall turning inwardly with an open bend to form a retaining jaw, the two jaws diverging toward the front of the unit, each jaw having a shield member at its forward end, said aws with their shield members defining a recess for the reception of the beaded edge of the stringer, the shield members with the front and side walls of the unit defining a socket for the reception of the retaining element of a cooperating unit.

14:. A fastener unit for use with a stringer having a bead at its edge, said unit consisting of sheet material and comprising front and side walls, the material at the rear ends of the side walls turning inwardly and then extending forwardly to form jaws defiining a bead receiving recess, the forward extremities of said jaws being directed toward each other to form shields for the bead disposed in said recess, and being spaced from the front wall of the unit to define a socket for the reception of the retaining element of a cooperating unit.

15. A fastener unit for use in separablefasteners, said unit comprising a piece of sheet material having an elognate trapezoidal body portion having substantially straight and parallel upper and lower edges and a hook member of trapezoidal shape having its longer base integrally united to the central part of one of the longer edges of the body portion, said hook member being disposed substantially in the plane of the central part of the body portion. the body portion being bent transversely to form a socket for the reception of'the hook member of a cooperating unit and to provide parts adapted to embrace and retain the edge portion of a flexible stringer and to protect said edge from contact with the book of a cooperating unit.

- 16. A fastener of'the class described comprising opposed series of fastener units, each series being mounted upon a flexible stringer having a bead-at its edge, all of the units including those of both series'being substanthe opposite series, said sheet material being so bent as to provide parts defining an enclosure for the reception of the beaded edge of the stringer andanother enclosure for the reception of the hook member of a cooperating unit, said parts including jaws so constructed and arranged as snugly to embrace and retain the edge of the stringer without penetration of the latter, and to shield said edge from the hook member of the cooperating unit.

17. Av fastener unit for use in separable fasteners, said unit comprising a piece of sheet material of elongate trapezoidal shape having a trapezoidal projection integrally united to the central part of the shorter base of the body portion, the altitude of the projection being substantially equal to the altitude of the body portion, said projection constituting a hook for engagement with a cooperating fastener unit, the body portion being bent transversely to form a socket for the reception of the hook of a cooperating unit and to provide parts which embrace and retain the edge of a fabric stringer.

18. A fastener unit for use in a separable fastener comprising a piece of sheet material having an elongate trapezoidal body portion with a trapezoidal projection integrally united at its longer base to the central part of the shorter base of the body portion, said projection constituting a hook for engagement with the cooperating fastener unit, the body portion being bent transversely at points spaced from its ends to provide opposite jaws adapted to receive the edge of a stringer between them, the ends of the body portion extendingforwardly beyond the jaws and forming the rear wall of ,a socket which receives the hook of the cooperatin unit.

- Signed by me at Berlin, @onn, this twentyseventh day of February, 1930.

GEORGE E. PRENTICE.

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