US2683911A

US2683911A - Automatically locking slider for slide fasteners

Info

Publication number: US2683911A
Application number: US286995A
Authority: US
Inventors: Backer Joachim
Original assignee: Aero Zipp Fasteners Ltd
Current assignee: Aero Zipp Fasteners Ltd
Priority date: 1949-01-18
Filing date: 1952-05-09
Publication date: 1954-07-20
Anticipated expiration: 1971-07-20

Description

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July 20, 1954 J. BACKER 2,683,911

AUTOMATICALLY LOCKING SLIDER FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Filed May 9, 1952 INVENTOR yoacflz'm JACKEA ATTORN EY Patented July 20, 1954 man AUTOMATICALLY LOCKING SLIDER FGR SLIDE FASTENERS Joachim Backer, Whitchurch, Glamorgan, Wales,

assignor to Aero Zipp Fasteners Limited, London, England, a British company Original application January 18, 1949, Serial No. 71,449, now Patent No. 2,599,536, dated lane 10, 1952. Divided and this application May 9, 1952,

Serial No. 286,995

Claims priority, application Great Britain May '7, 1948 9 Claims. 1

This is a divisional application divided out of the U. S. Patent application Ser. No. 71,449 filed on January 18, 1949, by Joachim Backer, for A Slider for a Slide Fastener, which matured into Patent No. 2,599,536 granted on June 10, 1952.

The present invention relates to sliders for slide fasteners of the automatically locking type, that is to say each slider comprises means for automatically looking it in position on the slide fastener to prevent unintentional movement of the slider, for example, when a lateral pull is exerted on the end of the tapes carrying the interlocking members of the slide fastener.

It is an object of the invention to provide an automatically locking slider which i simple, is easy to manufacture, and is yet reliable in use.

It is another object of the invention to provide an automatically locking slider which, as compared with known sliders, comprises a reduced number of separate parts that have to be assembled.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the invention when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is, on an enlarged scale, a perspective view of a slider of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the slider of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, 30 generally indicates a slider body comprising an upper shield I and a lower shield 2 opposing each other and being joined in spaced parallel relationship from each other by a neck portion 5 in the shape of a wedge or the like to form a Y-shaped channel 8 for the passage of opposing scoop carrying stringers of a slide fastener. The upper shield I has a flange 3, and the lower shield 2 has a flange 4. An upstanding connecting lug i8 is arranged at one end of the slider body 30 and an upstanding abutment lug is arranged at the other end of said slider body. Both lugs are integral with the slider body and project upwardly from the upper hield l.

A one-piece locking-unit, generally indicated by Ill, comprising an open ended channel shaped attaching portion 32, a flat spring portion is and a locking finger ll is arranged on the upper shield I. Said attaching portion 32 comprises two side walls [2 extending in the longitudinal direction of the slider body 30 and an upper transverse wall H connecting said side walls. Furthermore,

said attaching portion 32 has extensions 2! at one end of each side wall it. The end of each extension 2| engages a surface of the connecting lug for providing a pivotal or rocking mounting of the locking unit relative to the upper shield l.

Each side wall l2 has at or near its center a recess l3 extending from the lower edge of the respective side wall upwards for hinging a pull member 6 to the unit It. According to the embodiment shown in the drawings the pull member G has a lower transverse bar or pivotal portion [9, which is engaged with said recesses it of the unit ill. The slider may be moved along the rows of scoops or fastening members of the slide fastener for closing or opening the latter.

According to the embodiment shown in the drawings, the unit if] is made of a single piece of material. Preferably a piece of material is punched out from a suitable shaped blank metal, whereupon it is bent so as to assume the shape of a cap-like unit it] shown in the drawings.

An extension 3d of the upper transverse wall l I being integral with the latter is bent relatively to said transverse wall so as to form a fiat spring portion [6, which bears under tension against a surface of the slider body by virtue of the abutment of its end 25 against the abutting lug 28 forming a part of said slider body. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in the drawing, the flat spring portion I6 is bent downwardly and inwardly and upwardly again, being housed between the side walls l2. Said extension t l is of reduced thickness at 36 whereby it is rendered resilient relative to the remaining portions of the locking unit ID. If desired, however, the extension 3% could be made of resilient material having uniform thickness throughout. In such a case, preferably the entire unit It is made of resilient material. Each side wall l2 has at one of its ends the extension 2| and at its other end a projecting abutting element or lug 22. Furthermore, a locking finger ll projects from one of said side walls I2. The extension 2!, the abutting element 22 and the locking finger ii are integral with the respective side wall l2.

When the slider is assembled, the extensions 2| are disposed in the area defined by a recess or recesses 24 of the connecting lug iii in bearing contact with a portion or portions of the adjacent wall of the lug l8 in the manner of a pivot so that the unit may be tilted or rocked about said pivotal connection. Furthermore, the abutting elements 22 extend into a recess 38 of the abutment lug 2d. Said recess 38 is wider than the height of said abutting elements 22. As mentioned above, the upwardly extending free end 25 of said flat spring portion is is engaged with the abutment lug 2t.

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The spring portion it so mounted as to be tensioned or preloaded that it normally urges that end of the cap-like unit IE! which lies adjacent the abutment lug 2Q downwards and causes the finger H, passing through a slot i of the upper shield i, to enter the Y-shaped channel 8 and to move toward the lower shield 2.

Preferably, prior to the assembling of the parts the recess or recesses 24 in the connecting lug 19 (or lugs, if the slider is provided with a pair of spaced connecting lugs) are open so as to allow the free ends of the extensions 2i to enter said recess or recesses. The connecting lug or lugs H3 is or are subsequently bent down whereby the recess or recesses 24 is or are closed around the ends of the extensions 25, thereby preventing, in cooperation with the cooperating abutment lug 20 and abutting elements 22, disengagement of the cap-like unit It from the upper shield I, vhile allowing the unit E to swivel as mentioned above.

When the entire cap-like unit I8 is made of resilient material, although being rigid in its longitudinal direction owing to its construction, it can be flexed laterally. Thus, in such a case, the lugs l8 and may be of the bent shape shown in the drawings prior to the assembling of the parts, and the cap-like unit l0 may be attached by flexing same laterally and, thus, snapping same on to the lugs.

When a pull is exerted on the manually actuatable pull member 6, the locking unit i9 is tilted about its pivots 26 against the biasing action of its spring portion l6, until the abutting elements 22 of the unit abut against the upper edge of the recess 38 of the abutment lug 2E3 of the upper shield l whereby the locking finger i3 is lifted out of the Y-shaped channel 8 and the slider is released for movement. Upon release of the pull member 6, the spring portion i6 returns the locking unit I6 into the locking position shown in the drawings for locking engagement of its finger ll with fastener elements of the slide fastener.

Although, after the assembling of the parts, the pivotal connection at N and the locking finger H engaged with the slot I prevent an unintentional lateral disengagement of the unit it, means, for example in the shape of ribs or webs or extensions, could be arranged at the lugs if and 20 for cooperation with portions of the unit it so as to avoid a lateral displacement and separation thereof from the slider body, once it has been mounted between the lugs.

As will be readily understood from above, a slider according to the invention comprises only three units engaged with each other, i. e. the first unit or the slider body including the upper shield, the lower shield and the neck portion joinin same, the second unit or locking unit including the attaching member in the shape of an open ended channel, the spring and the looking finger, and the third unit or pull member. second unit is in pivotal engagement with the first unit and is urged into locking position by the biasing action of its spring caused by a bearing engagement of said spring with said first unit.

It is an essential feature of this invention that the spring portion I6 is charged all the time to urge the locking finger ll of the locking unit l9 1% into locking position and that the spring por-- tion I6 is increasingly charged when a pull is exerted on a pull member 6 for rocking the locking unit into releasing position. The particular embodiment herein described provides a spring portion l8 which bears at its inner side with its end 25 against a surface of the slider body, for example the abutment lug 20.

It should be clearly understood that the terms upper, lower and the like have been used merely for the purpose of facilitating the description of the invention. The slider may, of course, be used in any suitable position.

It should further be understood that the embodiments described and illustrated are given by way of example only, and that many modifications, omissions, and additions are possible without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What I claim is:

1. An automatically locking slider for a slide fastener, comprising a slider body, a pull member for operating the slider, and a one-piece locking unit, the said slider body having opposing shields, at least one of which is apertured, connected in spaced relationship to each other to form a Y- shaped channel for the passage of opposing scoop carrying stringers of a slide fastener; longitudinally spaced abutments disposed at opposing ends of said one shield of said slider body, said locking unit at one end portion being rockably mounted on one of said abutments, the said locking unit comprising an open ended channel shaped attaching portion for linking said pull member to said slider body, a locking finger, and a fiat spring portion, said attaching portion extending along the one shield and comprising two side walls extending in the longitudinal direction of said slider body, and a transverse wall connecting said side walls, said locking finger being integral with one of said side walls and extending therefrom beyond said one shield, through the aperture thereof, towards said other shield, said fiat spring portion being integral with, and projecting from one end of, said transverse wall and being curvilinearly bent and extending longitudinally within the space between said side walls and bearing under tension at its free end against the other of said abutments, the said flat spring portion thereby being pre-loaded for normally biasing said locking unit about its rockable mounting and thereby urging the free end of said locking finger towards said other shield, and means operatively connecting said pull member with said attaching portion and actuatable, upon exertion of a pull on said pull member, to move the free end of said locking finger away from said other shield against the biasing action of said spring portion.

2. An automatically locking slider for a slide fastener, comprising a slider body, a pull member for operating the slider, and a one-piece locking unit, the said slider body having opposing shields, at least one of which is apertured, connected in spaced relationship to each other to form a Y'- shaped channel for the passage of opposing scoop carrying stringers of a slide fastener; longitudinally spaced abutments disposed at opposing ends of said one shield of said slider body, said locking unit at one end portion being rockably mounted on one of said abutments, the said locking unit comprising an open ended channel shaped attaching portion for linking said pull member to said slider body, a locking finger, and a flat spring portion, said attaching portion extending along the one shield and comprising two side walls extending in the longitudinal direction of said slider body, and a transverse Wall connecting said side walls, said locking finger being integral with one of said side walls and extending therefrom beyond said one shield, through the aperture thereof, towards said other shield, said fiat spring portion being integral with, and projecting from one end of, said transverse wall and being curvilinearly bent and extending longitudinally within the space between said side walls and bearing intermediate of its length against said one shield to provide a fulcrum and bearing under tension at its free end against the other of said abutments, the said flat spring portion thereby being pre-loaded for normally biasing said locking unit about its rockable mounting and thereby urging the free end of said locking finger towards said other shield, and means operatively connecting said pull member with said attaching portion and actuatable, upon exertion of a pull on said pull member, to move the free end of said locking finger away from said other shield against the biasing action of said spring portion.

3. An automatically locking slider for a slide fastener, comprising a slider body, a pull memher for operating the slider, and a one-piece looking unit, the said slider body having opposing shields, at least one of which is apertured, connected in spaced relationship to each other to form a Y-shaped channel for the passage of opposing scoop carrying stringers of a slide fastener, an upstanding abutment at one end and an upstanding connecting lug at the other end rigid with said one shield of said slider body, one

end portion of said locking unit being rockably mounted on said connecting lug, the said locking unit comprising an open ended channel shaped attaching portion for linking said pull member to said slider body, a locking finger, and a flat spring portion, said attaching portion extending along the one shield and comprising two side walls extending in the longitudinal direction of said slider body, and a transverse wall connecting said side walls, said locking finger being integral with one of said side walls and extending therefrom beyond said one shield, through the aperture thereof, towards said other shield, said flat spring portion being integral with, and projecting from one end of, said transverse wall and being curved to extend into the space between said side walls to bear intermediate of its length against a portion of said slider body and to bear under tension at its free end against said abutment, the said flat spring portion thereby being pre-loaded for normally biasing said locking unit about its rockable mounting and thereby urging the free end of said locking finger towards said other shield, and means operatively connecting said pull member with said attaching portion and actuatable, upon exertion of a pull on said pull member, to move the free end of said locking finger away from said other shield against the biasing action of said spring portion.

4. An automatically locking slider for a slide fastener, comprising a slider body, a pull member for operating the slider, and a one-piece locking unit, the said slider body having opposing shields, at least one of which is apertured, connected in spaced relationship to each other to form a Y- shaped channel for the passage of opposing scoop carryin stringers of a slide fastener, an abutment at one end and an upstanding connecting lug at the other end rigid with said one shield of said slider body, said connecting lug having a recess, the said locking unit comprising an open ended channel shaped attaching portion for linking said pull member to said slider body, a pair of extensions, a locking finger, and a fiat spring portion, said attaching portion extending along the one shield and comprising two side walls extending in the longitudinal direction of said slider body, and a transverse wall connecting said side Walls, each of said extensions being integral with and forming a longitudinally extending continuation of one of said side walls and being disposed in rockable engagement with said connecting lug, said recess of said locking finger being integral with one of said side walls and extending therefrom beyond said one shield, through the aperture thereof, toward said other shield, said flat spring portion being integral with, and projecting from one end of, said transverse wall and being curved to extend into the space between said side walls to bear at an intermediate point of its curve against a portion of said slider body and to bear under tension at its free end against said abutment, the said flat spring portion thereby being pre-loaded for normally biasing said locking unit about its rockable engagement and thereby urging the free end of said locking finger toward said other shield, and means operatively connecting said pull member with said attaching portion and actuatable, upon exertion of a pull on said pull member, to move the free end of said locking finger away from said other shield against the biasing action of said spring portion.

5. In an automatically locking slider as claimed in claim 3, and abutting means arranged on said locking unit arranged for cooperation with said abutment so as to limit the end position of said locking unit upon exertion of a pull on said pull member.

6. In an automatically locking slider as claimed in claim 4, said locking unit, including its extensions, being made of resilient material and being flexible in its lateral direction while being rigid in its longitudinal direction.

'7. In an automatically locking slider as claimed in claim 4, abutting means arranged on said looking unit for cooperation with said abutment so as to limit the end position of said locking unit upon exertion of a pull on said pull member, and said locking unit including its extensions being made of resilient material and being flexible in its lateral direction while being rigid in its longitudinal direction.

8. An automatically locking slider for a slide fastener, comprising a slider body, a pull memher for operating the slider, and a one piece looking unit, the said slider having opposing shields, at least one of which is apertured, connected in spaced relationship to each other to form a Y- shaped channel for the passage of opposing scoop carrying stringers of a slide fastener; longitudinally spaced abutments disposed at opposing ends of said one shield of said slider body, said locking unit extending between said abutments and being rockably mounted on one of said abutments; the said locking unit comprising an attaching portion for linking said pull member to said slider body, a locking finger, and a fiat spring portion; said attaching portion extending along said one shield between said abutments, said locking finger being integral with said attaching portion and depending at one end thereof through the aperture of said one shield towards said other shield, and said flat spring portion being integral with the other end of said attaching member and being curvilinearly bent to extend between said abutments and bearing under tension at its free end against the other of said abutments, the said flat spring portion thereby being pre-loaded for normally biasing said locking unit about its rockable mounting, and urging the free end of said locking finger towards said other shield, and means operatively connecting said pull member with said attaching portion and actuable upon exertion of a pull on said pull member, to move a free end of said locking. finger away from said other shield against the biasing action of said spring portion.

9 An automatically locking slider for a slide fastener, comprising a slider body, a pull member for operating the slider, and a one piece locking unit, the said slider having opposing shields, at least one of which is apertured, connected in spaced relationship to each other to form a Y- shaped channel for the passage of opposing scoop carrying stringers of a slide fastener; longitudinally spaced abutments disposed at opposing ends of said one shield of said slider body, said locking unit extending between said abutments, and being rockably mounted on one of said abutments; the said locking unit comprising an attaching portion for linking said pull member to said slider body, a locking finger, and a fiat spring portion; said attaching portion extending along said one shield between said abutments,

said one shield to provide a fulcrum and bearing under tension at its free end against the other of said abutments, the said flat spring portion thereby being pre-loaded for normally biasing said locking unit about its rockable mounting,

and urging the free end of said locking finger towards said other shield, and means operatively connected said pull member with said attaching portion and actua'ble upon exertion of a pull on said pull member, to move a free end of said locking finger away from said other shield against the biasing action of said spring portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,591,732 Atch'ley July 6, 1926 2,018,948 Corner Oct. 29, 1935 2,280,968 Hewhall Apr. 28, 1942 2,296,825 Carlile Sept. 29, 1942 2,521,651 Poux Sept. 5, 19.50