US2681491A - Separable slider for slide fasteners - Google Patents

Description

J 1954 a. SNYDER SEPARABLE SLIDER FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Filed Sept. 8, 1949 INVENTOR Belg 4min Z. fdcr' v 4/ ga teners.

Patented June 22, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEPARABLE SLIDER FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Benjamin L. Snyder, Roxbury, Mass.

Application September 8, 1949, Serial No. 114,535

3 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to a slider for interlocking stringer fasteners more commonly known as zippers and more particularly to a slider which may readily be removed from the fastener at any point on the stringer where it may happen to be.

It frequently happens in using slide fasteners that things get caught between the interlocking fasteners or between the slider and stringer as the slider is being moved for opening or closing the fasteners, causing the slider to get stuck or "frozen and often making it necessary to tear or break either the slider, fastener, or elements which happen to get caught by the slider or its It is recognized that a number of removable sliders have been designed to overcome this objectionable feature in slide fasteners with more or less degrees of success. The present arrangement is an improvement in this type of device in construction, utility, operation and cost.

; position of a fastening screw, fastening the two slider parts which can be positively held together i with the desired tolerance between parts.

A further feature of the present invention is that the slider is so held together that while it has the same general size as sliders commonly used for the same purposes, it is far stronger and more durable because of its physical construction. Other and further advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the description in the specification set forth below when taken in connection with the drawings showing embodiments of the invention in which:

Figure 1 shows a plap view of the slider of the present invention.

Figure 2 shows a side view of the slider shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the front piece of the slider as it appears from the opposite side shown in Figure 1.

slider as viewed facing the inner side.

Figure 6 is a modification of the element shown in Figure 4 in similar position.

Figure 7 is a modification of the element shown in Figure 5 in similar position, and Figure 8 is a perspective view of the element shown in Figure 4 looking down on the inner face and side edge.

In the arrangement indicated in the figures, the slider comprises two main parts, a front element l and a rear element 2 which form substantially interlocking but separable halves of the slider. The element I which is shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, i, and 8 has a front planar section or wall 3 which may be rounded at the top as indicated at i, and tapered at the sides 5 and 5 to a bottom transverse end 7. In the description to follow, the top of the slider and of the halves is the end of the slider from which the opened stringer emerges. Projecting normally from the front wall 3 at the side edges 5 and t are the flanges 8 and 9 respectively which when. the halves l and 2 are locked are spaced as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The sides 1 and 8 with the inner surface of the wall 3 provide the guide ways by which the fasteners are interlocked one with the other. This front half may be provided with any of the usual types of handles I!) which is pivoted or hinged as indicated by the loop or eyelet H mounted on the front of the case. The handle it may also be provided with the usual arm ll! projecting through a slot [3 in the wall 3 whereby the slider may be locked in place when the handle is down, so that it cannot be moved until the handle has been raised to bring the projection 12 out of its position in the slot.

The back half 2 of the slider has a shape corresponding to the shape of the front half I, and also is provided at its side with two normally projecting flanges id and i5 from the side edges it and il matching the flanges 8 and 9 of the piece i. While the flanges 23, 9, M, and it may all be of the same height, all that is needed in fact is to have these complementary and so also other projections which will be described later, so that the same size and shape of opening is provided at both ends of the slider to permit the fasteners to be passed through and locked in position with one another.

In the present invention, the front and back halves are each individual elements and not sub- .l'ect to be pried apart to lessen tension, as in one piece slider with walls bent in parallel relation. These are, however, held together with interfitting members located along a central median line in the slider. As indicated in Fig ure 4, on the inside of the front half of the (=5 slider there is provided a T-shaped boss or projection l8 symmetrical with the center line of the slider. This boss comprises a top cross member 19 at the edge of the slider and a member 21% joined to it extending in the direction of the center line of the slider. These two elements form the T-shaped projection from the inner face of the front element I. It will be noted that the top member it extends to the upper edge of the slider and is symmetrically located on both sides of the center line which is indi cated in Figure 4 by the dotted line A. On each side of the end of this cross element the open fasteners are drawn and then enter the guide way bounded on the inner side first by the outer edges of the member it and by the end corners of the element into which the stem is of the T fit. Spaced just below the end of the stern member 2!} of the T is a shield-like element 2! which also projects from the inner face of the front member i.' This shield-like member 25 is positioned symmetrically along the line A. and forms the continuation. of the inner sides of the guide Way or channel just mentioned through which the open fasteners pass to be joined together just below the vertex 22 of this shield member. The flanges 8 and 9 which begin just slightly above the Vertex 22 of the shield form the other side of the channel guides. The shieldlike element 22 has a hole 23 centrally located in it through which the fastening element for the two halves of the slider extends as will be presently explained. The top edge 2% of the shield 2i is straight and parallel with the lower cross edge 25 of the stem element 28 thereby forming a recess 26 between the side edge or walls in any position with respect to the vertical, horizont-al, back or front.

On the back half 2 of the slider, there is a similar shield-shaped member 32 which is substantially the same shape and size as the shieldshaped member 3i, and fits over this member when the two halves are brought together. Above the shield-shaped member is a square cornered U-shaped projection 53 formed with a cross bar member 34 and two upwardly extending arms 35 and 36 forming a recess 3'5. The heighth of the shields 2| and 32 may be the same or complementary but the bar element 3d of the U-shaped member 33 must fit into the recess 26 between the walls 24 and 25 in a snug fashion. The lower edge 38 of the bar defines the upper side of the shield 32 and projects upward beyond the shield the distance necessary for the U-shapec member to seat itself fully against the inner face of the wall 3 of the front member. The cavity 3'! formed by the three sides of the U-shaped member will snugly fit around the projecting stem 2!] of the T and the top cross element iii of the T will also fit snugly over the ends 3t of the side arms of the U-shaped member.

In the structure just described, it will be noted particularly from Figure 3 that the two sections of the slider at the top central portion contact one another from the tip 22 of the shield to the very top of the slider which is practically the entire distance in which the fasteners are apart from each other. The two halves are held together by threading with a comparatively fine thread the hole ii) in the shield element 32 which aligned with the hole 23 in the shield element 2 i, and inserting a thread stud which has an enlarged head 52 to which is pivoted a handle .3 by which the stud may be screwed into the threaded hole 43 to hold or clamp the two halves of the slider together. The threaded shield 32 may be thicker than the shield 2| to permit a greater number of threads for the two halves of the slider to be separated without the slider coming apart. The handle 43 is provided with arcuate recesses 4i so that when the handle 43 is laid down as indicated in Figure 1 against the face of the slider, it will lock in position around the eyelet l I so that it cannot be further turned. The handle 43 is not exactly semi-circular but the distance across the end from the point 45 to lie is short enough so that when the handle is turned, it will just about clear the eyelet I I. The turning will of course take place with the handie raised normal to the face of the sliderso that clearance only need to be considered with regard to the points if and @5 which are close to the surface of the face of the slider whether the handle is down or up.

In the use of the device as described above, the slider is applied to the line of fasteners in the normal fashion. When it becomes necessary to free the slider because of some material catching in between the fasteners and the slider, or because of the fasteners not being properly closed, the screw handle 33 is raised and the screw 4i thereby turned in a direction to separate the slider. It is not necessary for the screw to be removed in most cases, since a turning of four or five turns will permit the two halves of the slider to be separated suificiently so that the slider can be entirely removed from the fastener. The defect causing the binding of the slider may then be removed and the slider replaced. In replacing the slider, it is desirable to turn the screw 4| to a position where the two elements are not tightly held together which may be half a turn or a turn short of the ultimate desired position. In this position, the slider will still close the fasteners. The slider should be slid a little along the fasteners so as to permit it to line itself up properly. The slider should then be completely closed and the handle placed down fiat in a position shown somewhat in Figure 1. It will, of course, be appreciated that the handle can be laid down on either side of the head so that very carefully adjustment of the clamping of the two halves may be made. In Figure 1, the handle shows five arcuate grooves so that there are therefore ten possible positions for one turn of the screw. By this the halves of the slider may be very accurately and carefully adjusted to position and tightened without any difliculty whatsoever and this has been found of great practical value in the smooth operation of the slider on the fastener.

Other comparable designs of the two slider halves may be made. The U-shaped member and its insert may have parallel sides or the sides may be inclined slightly at an angle say 10 or 15 as long as the sides fit snugly and other comparable interlocking arrangements may be used. In Figures 6 and 7, such a modification is shown. Here the shield and interlocking T arrangement shown in the other figures are not used. Instead a cross bar 59 corresponding to the cross bar l9 projects from the inner face 5| of the front half of the slider. This cross bar will be the heighth that the two inner faces of the two halves of the slider 51 and 52 (Figure 7) are separated from each other. The cross piece 50 which is at the edge of the half 5! will match or conform to the shoulder 53 formed at the top section of the half 52. On the front half 5| (Figure 6) between the top cross piece 50 and the shield element 54 is a recess 55 which is of such a size as to receive the projecting flange 56 running across the top of the shield element 5'! in the back half section 52 of the slider. The hole 58 is threaded while the hole 59 is not threaded, both holes being aligned with each other when the two halves of the slider are put together. The shields 54 and 51 and the top cross pieces 50 and 56 form one edge of the channel while the side flanges t and GI form the other sides. The lockin means in Figures and 6 in many cases will serve sufliciently. These locking means of Figures 5 and 6 will prevent disengagement along the center line of the slider but may not be quite as effective as the arrangement of Figures 1 to 5 in preventing disengagement along a transverse direction when the fastening or clampin screw is not in place. This, however. may be overcome by putting a boss on the top side edge of 56 to engage in a corresponding recess in the side of bar 50. The structure of Figure 1 to Figure 5 will provide alignment in two directions and therefore always locate the screw holes in alignment so that there will be no diliiculty of putting the two pieces together and clamping them in place.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A slider for interlocking stringer fasteners comprising two plate members forming front and back walls with inwardly extending side flanges forming the sides of the slider guide way through which the stringers thread from a separated position at the top of the slider to an interlocking position at the bottom of the slider, means projecting from the inside of said plates in the central region thereof at the top of the slider having complementary interengaging elements spacing and interlocking said plates and forming the inner side walls of the entering guide way for the separate stringer parts and a clampin screw having a threaded shank passing through one of said plates in said central region and engaging an aligned threaded hole in said projecting means in the central region of the other plate holding said plates together, said clamping screw having a pivoted flat arcuate handle pivoted in an axis parallel to said plate and with spaced recesses in the edges of the handle and fixed means projecting from one of the plates adapted to be engaged in any of the recesses in the edge of the handle for preventing the clamping screw from turning.

2. A slider for interlocking stringer fasteners comprising two plate members forming front and back walls with inwardly extending side flanges forming the sides of the slider guide way through which the stringers thread from a separated position at the top of the slider to an interlocking position at the bottom of the slider, means projecting from the inside of said plates in the central region thereof at the top of the slider hav-- ing complementary interengaging elements spacing and interlocking said plates and forming the inner side walls of the entering guide way for the separate stringer parts comprising a shieldshaped boss on one plate having a threaded hole centrally located therein aligned with a hole through the other plate and a clamping screw having a threaded shank engaging said holes, said clamping screw having a pivoted fiat arcuate handle pivoted in an axis parallel to said plate and with spaced recesses in the edges of the handle and fixed means projecting from one of the plates adapted to be engaged in any of the recesses in the edge of the handle for preventing the clamping screw from turning.

3, A slider for interlocking stringer fasteners comprising two plate members forming front and back walls with inwardly extending side flanges forming the sides of the slider guide way through which the stringers thread from a separated position at the top of the slider to an interlocking position at the bottom of the slider, means projecting from the inside of said plates in the central region thereof at the top of the slider having complementary interengaging elements spacing and interlocking said plates and forming the inner side walls of the entering guide way for the separate stringer parts and a clamping screw having a threaded shank passing through one of said plates in said central region and engaging an aligned threaded hole in said projecting means in the central region of the other plate holding said plates together, said clamping screw having a pivoted fiat arcuate handle pivoted in an axis parallel to said plate and with spaced recesses in the edges of the handle, a fixed support projecting from the plate on the side where the arcuate handle is pivoted, said support being positioned to engage any of said spaced recesses when the pivoted handle is turned down in a fiat position on said plate and a pull tab element engaging said fixed support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 861,627 Logan July 30, 1907 2,082,988 Taskila June 8, 1937 2,304,082 Gerstman Dec. 8, 1942 2,405,509 Marinsky Aug. 6, 1946 2,486,401 Gerstman Nov. 1, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 209,053 Germany of 1909

Images