US2818625A

US2818625A - Tape closer for slider fasteners

Info

Publication number: US2818625A
Application number: US425350A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sinderman Monte
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-04-26
Filing date: 1954-04-26
Publication date: 1958-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 1975-01-07

Description

Jan. 7, 1958 M. summzmmmu TAPE CLOSER FOR SLIDER FASTENERS Filed April 26, 1954 A INVENTOR. Mom's $INDEBMAN W Wq'W Jzforne a TAPE CLOSER FER SLHDER FASTENERS Monte Sinderman, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application April 26, 1954, Serial No. 425,350

2 Claims. (Cl. 24205.11)

specified size, or for other similar use. Due to the inherent construction of the slide fastener, it is impossible to secure together the extreme end portions of the tapes on which the teeth racks are formed with the result that the tapes tend to separate or gap and form a small opening at this point. Such a gap or bulge is quite unsightly, and to securely fasten the garment together at this point it is conventional to hand sew a hook and eye or equivalent fastening means to the body of the garment directly above the free ends of the slide fastener. This practice is almost universal in garment construction and can be observed in any type of womens apparel.

Both from a standpoint of appearance and production, the hand sewing of a hook and eye to the garment is unsatisfactory. it is very difiicult to properly place the hook and eye in exact registration, and the time involved is such as to materially increase the cost of the garment. In any event the resulting appearance is makeshift, and is particularly bad on bathing suits and the like where the hook and eye is left fully exposed.

It will be appreciated also that in the construction of a slide fastener it is necessary to provide means for preventing the slide of the slide fastener from being accidentally pulled off one or both of the teeth racks. Conventionally, such means take the form of stop elements which are larger than the rack teeth and positioned adjacent the end teeth so as to limit the travel of the slide.

These stop elements are attached to the slide fastener during its construction which is'of course a completely separate operation from the production of the garments, the completed slide fastener being merely sewn into the garment by stitching the tapes of the slide fastener to the cloth of the garment.

With the foregoing in mind, it is the major object of this invention to eliminate the necessity for hand sewing of a hook and eye to the garment by modifying the stop elements on the tooth racks of the slide fastener. Viewed in another aspect, the invention provides a combination stop and lock element which functions to limit the travel of slide and fastens the tapes together to prevent any gap or opening therebetween.

An equally important object of the invention is the provision of a locking element of the character described which is installed directly to the tapes of the slide fastener during its construction and is so designed that it does not interfere with the installation of the slide fastener on the garment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a locking 2,8l8,625 Patented Jan. 7, 1958 element which improves the appearance of the garment by holding the tapes together in proper alignment, and eliminates an unsightly hook and eye attached directly to the body of the garment.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a locking element formed for direct attachment to the beading of the slide fastener, and which is adapted to be installed by automatic machinery of the type presently used to attach the stop elements of the teeth racks.

An "additional object of the invention is the provision of a stop and lock element which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred form thereof, and from an inspection of the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of the stop and lock element of the present invention in combination with a slide fastener which is shown in its position with respect to a garment, only a portion of which is visible, the stop and lock mechanism being in its unlocked position and the slide fastener being in a partially open position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the slide fastener in its closed position and the stop and lock element in its interlocking position;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken in the line 3-3 of Figure 2, slightly enlarged; and

Figure 4 is a top front view of the stop-and-lock element showing the element in its unlocked position and portions of the slide fastener in dotted lines, slightly enlarged.

Referring to the drawings, the number 10 designates a slide fastener of any suitable or well-known construction positioned for drawing together the opening flaps of a garment 11, the garment 11, for example, being a Womans skirt or similar garment, and the slide fastener being effective for drawing together the waist band of the skirt or similar garment to the specified size. The slide fastener comprises in the present instance the customary teeth racks 12 and 13 which are forced into interlocking relationship by a slide 14, a suitable pull tab 15 being swingably connected to the slide for facilitating movement thereof in opening and closing directions. The teeth racks 12 and 13 are each formed of a plurality of teeth 16 which are positioned in gripping relationship to a bead 17, the bead 17 including a center cord 18 enclosed by suitable cloth material 19 of a tape 20.

It will be appreciated that in the type of slide fastener above described it is impossible to interlock the end portions of tapes 20 with the slide 14. Consequently even when the slide 14 has been moved to the fully closed position, the tapes 2i) tend to separate or gap apart at the upper end of the slide fastener. To avoid such an opening, it has heretofore been the practice to hand sew a hook and eye to the body of the garment above the ends of tapes 20. Thus, in a makeshift manner it has been possible to prevent the opening of tapes 20.

It Will also be understood that with the slide fastener as described above, it would be very easy to run the slide 14 off the teeth racks 12 and 13 when closing the fastener and prevent the slide from again being opened. This has heretofore been avoided by attaching stop elements adjacent the end teeth of the

racks

12 and 13.

In this invention a combination stop and lock element designated broadly by the number 21 is provided for preventing the slide from being accidentally pulled off or beyond the limits of the teeth racks and for fastening the upper ends of the tapes together in side to side relationship. The element 21 consists of interlocking engaging members comprising an eye member 22 and a hook member 23, the eye member being preferably formed of suitable sheet metal and bent U-shaped so as to provide a center portion 24 and end portions 25. The end portions 25 are each bifurcated in shape and receive therein a bead 17 of one of the teeth racks 112 and 13. The eye member 22 is locked orfastened to the beadby forcing the opposite sides .of the bifurcated end portions 25 toge'ther sufi'iciently to firmly grip the bead. It .Will be noted that the eye member 22 .is fastenedto the bead in the same manner .as the individualteeth 16 ofthe teeth rack and can be secured to .the tapes 2t) during thevconstruction of the slide fastener. The eye member is preferably fastened adjacent the last tooth 16 of teeth rack 12 and center portion .24 is spaced from the bead sufficiently to receive :hook member 23 in locking relationship as will be more fully appreciated hereinafter.

The hook member 23 is also formed of suit-able sheet metal and comprises a substantially flat center portion 26, which can be decorative in design if so desired, and having projecting therefrom prongs 27 and an arcuate hook 28. The hook member 23 is fastened to the bead of teeth rack 13 opposite eye member 22 by inserting the prongs 27 through the tape 20 adjacent the bead and bending the prongs backwardly and inwardly with respect to center portion 26around the bead. It will be appreciated, however, that bifurcated members similar to the bifurcated end members 25 of eye member 22 can be provided for fastenin the hook member to the bead. The hook 28 is bent backwardly with respectto center portion 25 and slightly inwardly adjacent its end and is formed of a size for permitting the same to be readily received between the center portion 24 of eye member 22 and its adjacent bead.

As previously suggested, the eye member 22 and the hook member 23 are located adjacent the upper tooth of each of the racks and are so spaced therefrom as to act as stops for limiting the upward travel of the slide 14. It will be appreciated also that the stop and lock element 21 with hook member 23 being received by eye member 22. holds the end portions of tapes 2t closely together in side-by-side relationship to prevent any separation at that point. The element 21 is also decorative and pleasing in appearance and does not detract from the appearance of the garment, as does the normal hook and eye sewn to the body of the garment.

it should be particularly noted that element 21 is secured directly to the beads 17 of tapes '20. Thus, the tapes 20 may be sewn to the cloth of the garment along a line extending closely adjacent the beads 17 without any interference from element 21. Even more important is the fact that once tapes 20 are so attached to the garment, the installation of the slide fastener is complete and no further hand sewing operations are required.

While I have thus shown and described in some detail a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that changes of design and construction may be made Without departing from the principles of the invention. Therefore, I do not Wish to be restricted to the foregoing except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a slide fastener having opposed teeth racks and a slide received by said teeth racks for moving the racks into interlocking relationship, each of said teeth racks having a flexible bead portion and a plurality of teeth fastened to said bead portion in spaced relationship, the improvement of a combination stop and lock mechanism for locking said teeth racks together adjacent the free ends thereof which comprises: a hook member fastened in gripping relationship to the flexible bead of one of said teeth racks adjacent the last tooth thereof, said hook member having a hook portion formed thereon, and a U-shapedeye member positioned opposite said hook them-- her having end portions and a central interconnecting portion, said end portions of said eye member being fastened in gripping relationship to the other of said flexible beads and positioned opposite said hook member, said eye member forming with the other of said flexible beads an expandable opening for readily receiving said hook portion of said hook member whereby to hold said flexible beads in locking side-to-side relationship, each of said hook and eye members being positioned in the path of movement of said slide for preventing movement of said slide in a closing direction beyond the last tooth of each of said tooth racks.

2. In a slide fastener having opposed teeth racks and a slide received by said teeth racks for moving the racks into interlocking relationship, each of said teeth racks having a flexible head portion and a plurality of teeth fastened to said bead portion in spaced relationship, the improvement of a combination stop and lock mechanism for locking said teeth racks together adjacent the free ends thereof which comprises: a metal hook member fastened in gripping relationship to the flexible bead of one of said teeth racks adjacent the last tooth thereof, said hook member having a hook portion formed thereon, and a metal U-shaped eye member positioned opposite said hook member having bifurcated end portions and a central substantially flat interconnecting portion, said end portions of said eye member being fastened in gripping relationship to the other of said flexible beads and positioned opposite said hook member, said eye member forming with the other of said flexible beads an expandable substantially rectangular opening for readily receiving said hook portion of said hook member whereby to hold said flexible beads in locking side-to-side relationship, each of said hook and eye members being positioned in the path of movement of said slide for preventing movement of said slide in a closing direction beyond the last tooth of each of said tooth racks.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,794,139 Blair Feb. 24, 1931 1,813,433 Sundback July 7, 1931 2,224,930 Roseman Dec. 17, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 533,578 Great Britain of 1941