US2014259A - End stop for slide actuated fasteners - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 10, 1935 R, Q LEGAT 2,014,259

END STOP FO R SLIDE ACTUATED FASTENERS Filed June 2, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 10, 1935.

.7 END STOP FOR SLIDE ACTUATED FASTENERS Filed June 2-, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. c. LEGAT 2,014,259

Patented Sept. 10, 1935 FOR SLIDE 'ACTUATED FASTENERS END STOP PATENT orr es.-

Robert C. Legat, New Britain, Conn., assignor to k G. E. Prentice Manufacturing Company, New Britain, Conn., a'corporation of Connecticut Application June 2, 1933, Serial No. 674,031

19 Claims.

This invention pertains to slide-actuated fasteners of the kind in which series of complementary interlocking elements are arranged along the opposite edges of a gap or opening in a garment, receptacle or other article of flexible material, and relates more particularly to a separable bottom stop for such a fastener adapted to permit complete separation of the opposite edges of the gap or opening. I In my Patent No.-

l,893,823, dated January 10,1933 I have disclosed and claimed one very desirable form of separable bottom stop for fasteners ofthis class wherein each of the complemental interlocking stop memhers is of one piece unitary construction and made preferably by bending a sheet metal blank. These one piece stop members of my said patent are desirable, not only from the standpoint of economy and ease of manufacture, but also by reason of their permissive: small dimensions, while at the same time providing-secure anchorage to the stringers and affording the desired slider limiting function. However, .in practice, I have found that in the hands of unskilled or unthinking perso'ns these end stops are sometimes subjected to such abnormal stresses, for example, in the endeavor to separate the lower ends of the stringers by direct pull without proper preliminary actuationof the slider, that the socket member of thevstop is sprung apart or otherwise permanently distorted so that its normal functon is destroyed. With the object of overcoming this difficulty, I have further improved'the stop device of my prior patent so as effectively to prevent such springing of the walls of the socket member. In accomplishing this result I preferably provide the lower end of the pin member of the stop with a tooth adapted to enter an opening or recess in the bottom wall of the socket member of the stop, such tooth, when seated in this opening or recess, positively opposing lateral stress tending to pull the pin 'member sidewise out from between the front andrear walls of the socket. As a further safeguard, I may also extend the bottom wall of the socket upwardly and rearwardly so as to overlap the rear wall of the socket, and thus produce a clamp or reinforce element which assists in preventing the walls of the socket from being spread or sprung apart.

Experience with the use of my separable stop, as proven in my patent above referred to, has disclosed to me that the entry of the pin through the channel of the slider and downwardly into interlocking engagement with the socket member of the stop is facilitated if the pin, or at least the lower portion thereof, be longitudinally curved. It may be noted that the channel in the slider is not straight'and thus if a pin member of substantial length be employed lwhich is desirable in order to obtain the proper anchorage to the stringer without undesirably widening the pin member) it is sometimes cramped in passing it through the slider channel. Thus, in accordance with the present invention I curve the pin to some extent, as above stated, and find that it. enters the slider channel very easily and may be pushed down to its furthest limit 'Where it properly seats in the socket without undue eifo'rt.

' In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated certain desirable embodiments of the in-' vention by way of example, and in the drawings have shown my improved separable end stop as i made from sheet material. However, it is to be understood that in its broader aspects the invention is not limited to the type of material employed or to the exact mode of procedure inm'aking and applying the end stop but tha-t all desirable changes in shape, f0rm,- material and arrangement of parts, and the substitution of equivalents are to be'considered as falling within the purview of the invention as expressed in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation illuscrating the lower portion of a'slide-actuated fas tener having my improved end stop applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a blank useful in forming the socket member of the stop shown in Fig.1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation to larger scale of the socket member made from the blank of Fig. 2

Fig. 4 is a vrear elevation of the same socket member; i

Fig. 5 is an edge elevation of said socket member;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of thesocket member before application to the stringer;

Fig. '7 is a front elevation of a blank useful in making the pin member of the stop of Fig.1

Fig. 8 is'a rear elevation of the'pin member made from the blank of Fig. 7; V

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the pin member before'application to the stringer;

Fig. 11 is a vertical section substantially on the line I i-| I of Fig. 6, showing the socket member with the pin member associated therewith and indicating the position of the parts relative to the fastener elements and the slider;

elements 3 and I,

Fig. 11' is a fragmentary section through the edge portion of a garment, showing a stringer and end stop secured thereto, and indicating a novel way of anchoring the garment to the end stop;

Fig. 12 is a front elevation of a blank useful in making a socket member of modified construction; 1 i

Fig. 13 is a. plan view of the socketmember made from the blank of Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a plan view of a blank useful in making a modified form of pin member;

Fig. 15 is a front elevation of the pin member made from the blank of Fig. 14 and shown assembled on the stringer;

Fig. 16 is a vertical section showing the socket member of Fig. 13 assembled with the pin member of Fig. 15; and g Fig. 17 is a front elevation illustrating the operation of entering the pin of Fig. 15 through the slider channel for engagement with the socket member of Fig. 13.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeralsl and 2 designate flexible stringers such as are commonly employed for supporting the opposed series of fastener elements in a fastener of the type under consideration, such stringers, as shown, carrying the series of fastener elements 3' and 4 respectively. The fastener elements of the opposed series'are moved into and out of engagement by 5 which may be of any ap- As illustrated, special guide means 'of a slider proved construction.

patent to Prentice, No. 1,899,479, are disposed at the lower ends of the series of fastener elements 3 and 4 respectively. My improved bottom stop is applied to the lower ends of the stringers I and 2 and comprises the socket member 6 and the cooperating pin member 1. Referring to. Figs. 2 to 6 inclusive, 'thesocket member preferably consists of a unitary piece of sheetmetal comprising the elongate portions 8 and 9 integrally joined to the central portion ill, the latter having the upwardly extending part III. Preferably the portions are integrally united by neck members I4 and I 5, respectively, to curved end portions ofouter members I6 and I1, respectively.

the socket I8, the latter being open at its upper end, and their free edges are turned inu 'ardly to form the flanges l9 and 20 Fig/6) leaving a slot such as disclosed in the 2| between them for the passagev of a narrow neck portionof the pin member hereafter described. The tongue 23 is bent at substantially right angles ,to the vertical plane of the part Ii so as to form a substantially horizontal bottom 5 closure for the socket lildefined by the parts "I; l6, l1, and theflanges l9 and 20, such socket being shaped to receive the pin member by downof the latter.

Upper part of the center of this blank is desirably 25 tion,

immediately adjacent'to the pin so as to forma 35' secured to the respectivestringers I and 2' by in- 55 21 and 34 are now passed through" the openings of the sockets and pin members, re.-

, If desired, in order to anchor 65 the metalto the fabric more firmly, the walls of the socket and. pin members may be struckv inwardly or indented as indicated at 7 r ment material M (Fig. l1) is stiif or heavy, for 7 example leather, a secondary, but smaller, rivet 34 headed over against the garment material, a

similar rivet being associated with the rivet 21",

to 10' inclusive, the'pin 20' may be passed through the rivet 34 and Inthe operation 'oi-thls separable stopmember, .curvedshape of the pin'member i'acilitatesits and assuming th&t1=1t is desired. to. assemble the parts preparatory totheclosing 01. the g,ap, .the

slider; is brought down into" the position indicated 1 in broken lines in; Fig. 11,. so that:its; l'ow.er end rests, for example, on the upperedges of the jaws ofthe socket ll. Thepinmember-of the. stringer 2 is now'passed downzthrough the channel in the right-hand side of theslider, as viewedin Fig. 11, andiscaused to move downwardly into the socket IB-untilIthe tooth Lprojects-through'the opening 24 in. the bottom wall'23 of the-socket. The parts are now properly assembled and the slider may be actuated in. usual; manner. to bring-the. op'-- posed seriesof fastenerelements into engagement. When the stop members are thus associate-d, the engagement of the tooth 35 with the opening 24 provides a positive anchorage suchthat direct lateralstress applied to the lower portions of the stringers can not pull'the pin' member from between the flanges -.I9,.and 20. of the socket l8' by springing the latter apart, and thusthe stringers can not be improperly separated atapoint below the; slider asis sometimes "accomplished. by the application. of severe pull applied .to thelower. portions-of the stringers. Obviously the arrange.- ment of the clamping member 23* overlapping the rear wall of the socket furtherassists in preventing separation of 'theflanges l9 and 20.

Referring to'Figs. 12 and 13', a slightly modified formof socket member is shown, such socket member beingsubstantially like that shownin my prior patent above referred tobut with provision for reception of 'a retaining tooth on the pin mem- 356 socket. 46 for the reception of the edge of the stringer, andalso jaw members defining between them! the socket 4T for'ithe reception of=v the pin member of the stop. The. tab 44 isturned inwardly so as to form abottom wall for the socket 41, such wall having the opening 45 therethrough. The-free edges of'the jaws which form the socket "are turnedinwardlyto provide the retaining The pin. member. is. conveniently made fromra. blank such as showniinFig: 14 comprising a central part 50. and'lateral portions 5| and 52', the

' central .parthaving a downwardly projecting tab 53. This blank is bent'to provide a socket adapted pie.

flat substantially asshown'inxFig. '15.. Preferably the pin memberv thus -formed is longitudinally curved. so that the exposed oryouter surface 54*0! this pin-member is curved 'from end toen'd;

The socket member'and the pin member thus provided are securedto edges of their. respective stringers by pressure or otherwise so as to anchor them firmly in position; and these parts may beindentedas shownv at 55 'so as to anchor them securely-inzplace.

In Fig.v 16 I have illustratedthe arrangement of.

the socket member of Fig. 13 and thepin: member of Fig. 15 when assembledin position for operative engagement. It may be noted. that the This. blank is so bent as to provide two ply jaws (Fig. 13) defining between them the passage downwardly through the slider channel (Fig. 17) and that the'tooth member .53, when the "parts. are: assembled,.passes down through the opening'45l in thebottom wall 44 of the socket member; thus positively anchoring the parts together and thereby preventing them from being pulled apart latera'lly by improperly applied and abnormalstress.

Whenherein Ihave employed the terms top", bottom, horizontal, vertical", etc., I have done so for convenience in description and with reference tothe disposal of the parts as illustrated in the drawings. but without intent thereby to imply that the improved structure may not be differently disposed when in use. i I claim:

1. A separable end stop for slide actuated fasteners, said stop comprisinga socket member and a pin member, the socket member having an elongate socket provided with a bottom closure and with an elongate slot in its wall, the pin member 'havingapin adaptedto fit within the socket, the pin member and the bottom closure of the socket having complemental interfitting parts which engage each other when the pin is seated in the socket and which thereby act to oppose stress tending to pull the pin laterally out through the slot in the socket wall.

2. A separable end stop for slide actuated fasteners, said stop comprising a socket member and a pin member, the socket member consisting of a unitary piece of sheet metal bent to form an elongate socket provided with a bottom closure and having an elongate slot in its wall, said bottom closure having an aperture therein, the pin member having ahead portion adapted to fit within the socket and to seat on the bottom closure of the latter, the pin also having a narrow neck portion adapted to slide in the slot in the wall of the, socket member, the pin having a tooth at its lower end adapted to project into the aperturein the bottom closure of the socket.

3. A separable end stop for slide actuated fasteners of 'the-kin'din which opposed series of fas- 45 tener elements are carried by flexible stringers and aremoved into and out'of engagement by a slider, said stop comprising a socket member and a pin member, thesocket member having an elongate socket closed at its bottom and having a longitudinally extending slot in its wall, the bottom closure of the socket having an opening therein, the pin member consisting of a unitary piece of sheet metal bent to provide a head portion adapted to fit within. thesocket and to seat on the'bottom closure of the latter, the pin member' having a portion. adapted to slide in the slot in the socket member, and a tooth projecting fromthelower end of .the'head portion of the pin for engagement with the opening in the bottom closure of the socket.

4.- A separable end'stop for slide actuated fasteners of the kind in which opposed series of fastener elements are carried by flexible stringers andare moved into and'out of engagement by a slider; said step comprising a socket member and a pin member, the socket member having side walls terminating in. opposed flanges spaced to leavean elongate slot between them, said walls defining-a socket, and means providing a bottom closure fo'r the socket, the pin member compris-- through the slot between the flanges oi the socket wall.

kind having a pair a slider for moving the opposed series of elements into and out of operative engagement, said stop comprising independent separable members each secured to one of the stringers, respectively, adjacent to the lower end of the corresponding series of fastener elements, one of said stop members being a socket member and the other a pin member, each of said members consisting of a single'unitary piece of sheet material, the socket member having a socket provided with spaced walls having free edge portions spaced from each other, the socket member tured bottom closurefor the socket, said closure being integrally joined to one wall of the socket and having a tongue projecting upwardly substan-' tially parallel to the outer surface of the, other wall of the socket, and the pin member having a part shaped to fit within the socket of 'the socket member and to seat on the bottom of the latter, the pin having a tooth which projects into the opening in the bottom of the socket when the pin is seated in the latter.

6. A separable end stop for slide actuated fasteners of the kind in which opposed series of fastener elements are carried by flexible stringers and are moved into and outof engagement by a slider, said stop comprising a socket member and a pin member, the socketmember having walls terminating in opposed edges spaced to leave an elongate vertically extending slot between them, said walls defining a socket, and a bottom closure for the socket, said bottom closure being provided with a tongue por ion substantially perpendicular to the plane of the bottom closure proper and united to one edge of thelatter, said tongue extending upwardly in substantially parallel relation to the outer surface of one wall of the socket member. v

7. A separable end stop for slide actuated fasteners of the kind in which opposed series of fastener elements are carried by flexible stringers and are moved into and out of engagement by a slider, said stop comprising a socket member and a pin member, the socket member having vertical walls terminating in opposed flanges spaced to leave an elongate slot between them, said walls defining a socket, and a bottom closure for the socket, said bottom closure being integrally united to the socket wall at one side of the slot and overlapping the outer surface of the socket wall at the opposite side of the slot, thereby so connecting said walls as t prevent separation of the flanges.

' 8. A separable end stop for slide actuated fasteners of the kind -in which opposed series of fastener elements are carried by flexible stringers and are moved into and out of engagement bya slider, said stop comprising a socket member and a pin member, the socket member consisting of a single piece of sheet metal'bent to provide walls arranged to define a vertically elongate socket,,

said walls having free lateral edge portions formed as flanges directed'toward each other but spaced apart to provide a slot leading laterally into'the socket, and a closure for the bottom of the socket, said closure comprising a part integrally united to the socket wall at one side of the slot and extending upwardly at the outer side of 5. A separable bottom stopior a fastener of the,

of stringers carrying opposed series of interengageable fastener elements, and,

also having an aper-- the socket wall at the other side of the slot, thereby to prevent the flanges from spreading apart.

9. A separable end stop for-slide actuated fasteners or, the klndin which opposed series of fastener elements-are carried by flexible stringers 5 and are moved into and'out oiengagement by a sliderfisaidstop comprising a socket member and a pin member, the socket member having opposite side walls defining a" vertically elongate socket, the edge portion of said walls being'spaced to provide an elongate slot leading laterally into the socket, and a closure memberfor the bottom of the socket, said closure member being integrally united to one side wall and being turned up at its free extremity to overlap the outer'surface' of the other side wall, thereby to prevent abnormal spreading of the spaced edge portions of said wall, said closure member having an opening at the lower end of the socket, and the pin member having a tooth forengagement with said opening inthe closure member.

10. A separable bottom stop for use in'a slide actuated fastener, of the kind in which a pair of stringers carries opposed series of interengageable fastener elementspand having a slider for moving said elements into and out of engagement, said end stop comprising independent members attached to the opposite stringers respectively, one

of said members consisting of a piece of sheet metal bent to provide a socket'having spaced walls provided with oppositely directed flanges. at their outer edges, respectively, the inner edges of said walls being integrally united by the fold of the material disposed between said walls to define a pocket for the reception of the beaded edge of the stringer, o'ne ofsaid wallshaving an integral extension constituting a bottom closure for the socket and the pocket, said bottom closure having an aperture therein, and the other of said stop members comprising a' pin adapted to fit 40 within the socket of the other member,-said pin having a tooth at its lower end for engagement with the aperture in the bottom'closure of the socket, the pin being curved longitudinally subunited by a fold thereby providing'spaced'jaws,

each of double the thickness of the metal, for engagement with the stringer, said jaws having openings therethrough, an eyelet passing through the spaced jaws and the stringer, the opposite ends of said eyelet being headed over against the outer surfaces of the respective jaws thereby permanently to secure the socket member to the stringer,

a garment member engaging the outer surface 0 of one jaw and overlying the corresponding head of the eyelet, and a fastening member passing through the eyelet and garment member and uniting-the stringer to said garment member.

12. An end stop device for slide actuated fas- 5 teners, saidstop device comprising independent separable members each of said members consisting of a single piece of sheet metal bentto provide clamping jaws'arranged to embrace the edge portion of one of the stringers respectively, the clamping jaws of each of said members hay-l ing aligned openings therethrough, an attaching eyelet passing through the openings in the jaws of each member and through a portion of the corresponding stringer interposed between saicl Jaws. the opposite ends of said eyelet being headed over against the outer surfaces of the respective jaws thereby permamently to unite said member to the stringer, a flexible part engaging the'outer surface of one jaw of each member and overlying the corresponding eyelet head. and a fastening member passing through the attaching eyelet of each of said stop members and the flexible part and uniting the stringer and corresponding stop member to said flexible part.

13. An end stop device for slide actuated fasteners of the kind in which opposed series of fastener elements are carried by flexible stringers, said stop device comprising a part mounted upon one of the stringers adjacent to the end of its series of fastener elements, an eyelet passing through said part and the stringer, said eyelet being headed over at each end, one head of the eyelet engaging an outer surface of said part, said eyelet securing said part to the stringer, another member overlying said outer surface of said part and the corresponding eyelet head, and an eyelet of smaller diameter passing through said first eyelet and through said other member and securing said part and the stringer to said other member.

14. A blank for use in making the socket member of a separable end stop for fasteners of .the class described, said blank consisting of a unitary piece of sheet material comprising the elongate portions 8 and 9 integrally joined to a central portion In, the latter having an upwardly extending part I0 the outer extremities of the parts 8 and 9 being curved and integrally united by neck members H and respectively to curved end portions of outermembers l6 and I1 respectively, the part 15 having a notch 22-in its upper edge and an apertured tongue 23 projecting from its lower edge. g

15. A blank as set forth in claim 14 in which the adjacent end portions of the parts 8 and I6 and of the parts 9 and I1 respectively are provided with openings 21.

16. In a multiple operated fastener installation adapted to be completely separated at both ends, a pair of stringers, opposed series of fastener members on said stringers, a slider movable on said stringers to engage and disengage said fastener members, separable end connections for said stringers comprising, in combination, a socket member on one stringer and a pin member on the other stringer for insertion into said socket member, said socket member having a portion adapted to attach said socket to one. of said stringers at one edge thereof and spaced top and bottom plates extending across the opposed stringer from said portion and receiving the pin, and an end plate integral with one of said plates and at the lower end thereof and bent toward the opposed plate thereby to close the end of said socket member, said end plate having an aperture therethrough and receiving a portion of the pin member to prevent separation of said socket and said pin member by transversestresses exerted on the stringers.

17. A separable end connection of the class described comprising. in combination, a pin memher and a box-like socket member. said box-like socket member formed from a single piece of sheet metal having an attaching portion and top and bottom plates extending outwardly from said 5 said socket member between said plates and having its end passing into the aperture in said end plate to retain said pin member within said socket member and to prevent accidental separation of said pin and socket by lateral stresses.

18. A separable end connection of the class described comprising, in combination, a pin member and a box-like socket member, said boxlike socket member formed from a single piece of sheet metal having an attaching portion and top and bottom plates extending outwardly from said por- .tion and thereafter inwardly toward each'other and an end plate formed integral with one of 25 said plates and bent against the opposed plate thereby to close the lower end of said socket, said end plate having an aptreure therethrough and said pin having a projection of less cross-sectional area than the pin member proper and passing into said aperture for the purposes described.

19. In a multiple operated fastener installation adapted to be completely separated at both ends,

a pair of stringers, opposed series of fastener members on said stringers, a slider movable on said stringers to engage and disengage said fastener, members, separable end connections for said stringers comprising, in combination, a box-like socket member on one stringer and a narrow pinlike member on the other stringer for insertion 40 into said socket member, said pin member being formed from a single piece of sheet metal having a plurality of projections at the inner face and a portion offset from the lower end of said pin member, said projections adapted to wedge a stringer against the opposed inner face of said member to aihx said member to said stringer, said box-like socket member being formed from a single blank of sheet metal and having a folded-in attaching portion at one side thereof and spaced top and bottom plates extending from said portion toward the opposed stringer a distance approximately the combined width of two fastener elements and thereafter inwardly toward each other and an end plate formed integral with one of said plates and bent against the opposed plate thereby to close the lower end of said socket, said end plate having an aperture therethrough and adapted to receive the said offset portion of said pin member thereby to retain said pin member within said socket member and to prevent accidental separation of said end connecting members when stresses are exerted thereon.

ROBERT C. LEGAT.

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