US3005247A

US3005247A - Sliding clasp continuous fasteners

Info

Publication number: US3005247A
Application number: US755755A
Authority: US
Inventors: Doelter Gandolph
Original assignee: Omnifor S A
Current assignee: Omnifor S A; OMNIFOR SA
Priority date: 1958-01-08
Filing date: 1958-08-18
Publication date: 1961-10-24
Anticipated expiration: 1978-10-24
Also published as: GB879771A; BE574509A; FR1220935A; DE1139803B; CH370376A

Description

Oct. 24, 1961 G, DOELTER 3,005,247

SLIDING CLASP CONTINUOUS F'ASTENERS Filed Aug. 18, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 QB-P Oct. 24, 1961 G. DoELTl-:R 3,005,247 SLIDING CLASP CONTINUOUS FASTENERS Filed Aug. 18, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/g @fg g5 Oct. 24, 1961 G. DOELTER SLIDING CLASP CONTINUOUS FASTENERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 18, 1958 3,005,247 Patented Get. 24, 1961 Claims The invention relates to sliding clasp continuous -fasteners of the kind (herein referred to as the kind described) in which each part of the fastener to be joined has a succession of elements held within a fold in a sheet or tape of fabric, plastic, rubber coated fabric or like flexible material and arranged to intercalate and interlock with the elements of the other part, the faces of the flexible material of the two parts on at least one side, and usually both sides, of the folds being held in abutting face-to-face relation at the joint when the fastener is closed and in which the clasp includes a plough or stripper between the two parts which is operable to effect separation of the parts on movement of the clasp in the opening direction along the :fastener and guide means for bringing the two parts together on movement of the clasp in the closing direction. `Usually the interlocking elements in `fasteners of this kind are held within the `folds by outer elements which clamp the flexible material around root portions of the inner, interlocking, elements and the claspV usually embraces the outer elements of the two parts and slides along the succession thereof. The folds are usually, but not necessarily, adjacent free edges of the exible material. Examples of fasteners of this kind are disclosed in Patents Nos. 2,775,- 012 and 2,791,017.

Fasteners of the above rkind have the advantage that, by reason of the abutting relation of the flexible materials they may be arranged to make a joint which is uidtight even under appreciable fluid pressure. Difficulties have however been found in rendering fluid-tight the closing end of the joint (i.e. the end to which the clasp is moved in closing the fastener) on account of the presence of the plough. between the fastener parts and the opening between the parts caused thereby. j

The invention provides a sliding clasp continuous fastener of the kind described having means for sealing the opening in the joint at the closing end caused by the plough, comprising a cover over the opening and secured to the flexible material around the opening but leaving a passageway along the joint to permit passage of the plough, said cover including a sealing member for said passageway adapted to be pressed into sealing engagement with the flexible material at each side of the joint so as to act as a seal for the passageway when the plough is in the closed position. j

The usual applications (eg. for pressure containers) of fasteners of the kind described require that the two pieces of flexible material are opened out to lie in substantially the same plane on opposite sides of the joint, the joint being in the form of a rib on one face of the fastener (herein called the outer face) which projects from the plane. On the inner face of the fastener there is formed a groove (usually of cusp shape in section) between the two pieces of flexible material which leads along the joint to the opening aforesaid and may form a leakage path.

The invention further provides a sliding clasp continuous. fastener of the kind described in which the two pieces of flexible material are opened out as just described and which has means for sealing the opening in the joint caused by the plough and the portion of the groove leading to the closing end of the fastener comprising at the closing end a cover on the inner face of the fastener over the opening and secured to the flexible material around the opening but leaving a passageway, including the aforesaid portion of the groove, along the joint to permit passage of the plough, said cover including a sealing portion or member for said passageway which is shaped to iit into the groove and is adapted to` be pressed into sealing engagement with the flexible material in the groove and at each side of the joint so as to act as a seal for the passageway when the plough is in the closed position.

The fluid pressure acting on one `face or the other of the fastener may be relied upon, wholly or in part, to effect the sealing engagement of the sealing member as aforesaid. It is however preferred that the sealing pressure is obtained or augmented by the means about to be described.

in this preferred` construction the joint is held a sho-rt distance out of the `plane of the flexible material on one side thereof and the sealing member or portion projects from the plane on the same side to engage with the groove in the joint so that a tensile load onthe exible material transverse to the joint (c g. the so-called hoop stress resulting `from internal fluid pressure) tends to draw the joint and groove towards the plane into pressure engagement with the sealing member or portion. The cover may, for example, have a cross-section which projects from the other side of the plane of the flexible material opposite to the sealing member or` portion and there may be a piece of substantially Ainextensible material around the projecting portion of the cover and secured to the flexible material on each side of the joint.

A specific construction of a fastener according to the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE l is a view of the closing end of the fastener looking on the outer `face, the sliding clasp being shown a short distance away from the closed position,

FIGURE 2 is a view corresponding to FIGURE-1 but showing the sliding clasp in the closed position,

FIGURE 3 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 1 but showing the inner face of the fastener, i

FIGURE 4 is a side view of the fastener; the sliding clasp being in the closed position, t

FIGURE 5 is a section through the fastener taken on theline 5 5 in FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 6 is a section through the fastener taken on the line `6 5 in FIGURE 1 but showing the sliding clasp as it passes over the sealing member,

FIGURE 7 is a side View of the sliding clasp,

FIGURES 8 and 9 are opposite end views of the clasp,

FIGURE 10 is a view of `the under or inner face of the clasp, and

FIGURE 11 is a section through the clasp on the line 11-11 in FIGURE 9.

Each part of the fastener comprises a

flexible tape

10, 11 of rubber impregnated fabric, the two tapes being permanently united at the closing end 12 of the fastener as later described. Each part also comprises, in known manner, a row of inner elements 14 which are held in folds of the tapes by outer elements 15, the inner elements of each row having heads 14a which interlock with the heads of the other row when the fastener is closed.

The sliding fastener clasp 16 incorporates a plough 17 for separating the inner elements, and guides 1S which, in co-operation with the plough, serve to bring the inner elements into their interiitting interlocking relation as the clasp is moved to the closing end. Top and bottom projections 19' and 20 serve to lead the fastener parts to the guides 18 and plough 17.

At the closing end the two parts of the fastener are 3 v permanently secured together by moulding a block 21 of rubber or plastic around the last few elements as well as by means later described.

, When the clasp is at the closing end the plough -17, as seen in FIGURE 2, maintains an opening 22 between the fastener parts. The remainder of the fastener has the form best seen in section in FIGURE 5, that is the

exible tapes

10 and 11 are held tightly in face-to-face relation at 23 and 24 and are opened out away from one another to lie in substantially the same plane with a cusp shaped groove 26 between them. This groove leads into the opening 22.

Adjacent the closing end there is secured to the flexible parts 10, 11 (e.g; by welding, vulcanising or adhesive) a cover pad .28 of hard but liexible rubber. The pad is backed by a sheet 29 of rubber impregnated fabric secured to the tapes 10` and 11, and also to the pad. The pad and sheet serve further to secure the ends of the tapes together.

Secured within a rectangular socket moulded in the pad 28 there is a sealing bar 30 of soft rubber of which the upper surface is formed to t. into the cusp-shaped groove 26. Whereas the side portions of the pad are secured to the

tapes

10 and 11, the bar 30 and the

portions

31, 32 of the pad aligned therewith are not so secured, thereby to provide a passageway for the plough 17 during the opening and closing of the fastener. As seen in FIGURE 9, the underface 34 of the plough is grooved to clear the top of the bar 30'.

As seen in FIGURE 5, when the two parts of the fastener are closed the tapes 10` and 11 are brought into pressure sealing face-to-face engagement with the top of the sealing bar 30and iiow of fluid along the groove 26 to the opening 22. is prevented. Moreover the opening 22 is covered by the pad 28 and sheet. The pad 23 and sheet 29 serve to back-up the bar. Fluid pressure applied to the inner face of the fastener (the underface as seen in FIGURE tends further to press the bar against the tapes and to improve the seal to an extent proportional to the applied uid pressure. Moreover a lateral tensile or hoop stress applied to the fastener as a result of such fluid pressureV tends to draw the tapes down onto the bar 30 and so to increase the elfectiveness of the seal. Similarly iiuid pressure applied to the outer face of the fastener tends to press the tapes into sealing engagement with the bar 30, the bar being supported by the pad 28 and sheet 29 which in turn are supported either by hoop stress applied to the sheet 29 or by direct contact between the sheet and an underlying solid support (e.g. the contents of a container of which the fastener forms a part).

The bar 30 and the parts of the tapes which cooperate therewith may tbe coated with grease or like viscous material to improve the seal still further.

The invention is not restricted to the constructional details of the above example. For instance the sealing bar 30 and the pad 28 may be formed integrally (eg. by moulding) and the pad 28 may `be moulded integrally with the sheet 29.

I claim:

1. A sliding clasp continuous fastener of the kind in which each part of the fastener to be joined has a succession of elements held within a fold of a piece of flexible material and arranged to intercalate and interlock with the elements of the other part to form a joint between the two pieces of flexible material, the faces of the flexible material of the two parts on at least one side of t-he folds being held in abutting face-to-face relation at the joint when the joint is closed, and in which the sliding clasp includes a plough between the two parts which is operable to effect.

separation of the parts on movement of the clasp in the opening direction along the fastener and guide means for bringing the two parts together on movement of the clasp in the closing direction, the plough maintaining an opening between the parts around the plough when moved to the closing end of the `fastener and said Ifastener having means for sealing the opening comprising a cover over the opening and secured to the flexible material around the opening but leaving a passageway along the joint to permit passage of the plough, said cover including a sealing member for said passageway which makes sealing engagement under pressure with the ilexible material at each side of the joint so as to act as a seal for the passageway when the plough is in the closed position.

2. A sliding clasp continuous fastener of the kind in which each part of the yfastener to be joined has a succession of elements held within a foldof a piece of flexible y material and arranged to intercalate and interlock with the elements of the other part to form a joint between the two pieces of flexible material, the faces of the flexible material of the two parts on at least one side of the folds being held in abutting face-to-face relation at the joint when the joint is closed, and the. arrangement being that on the other side of the folds of the two pieces of flexible material the two pieces may be opened out to lie in substantially the same plane on opposite sides of the joint, the joint then -being in the form of a rib on the face ofthe fastener which projects from the plane with a corresponding groove behind the rib which leads along the joint, and in which the sliding clasp includes a plough between the two parts which is operable to effect separationV of the parts on movement of the clasp in the opening direction along the yfastener `and guide means for bringing the two parts together on movement of the clasp in the closing direction, the plough maintaining an opening between theV parts around the plough when moved to the closing end 0f the fastener and said fastener having means for sealing the opening comprising a cover over the opening and secured to the flexible material around t-he opening but leaving -a passageway along the joint to permit passage of the plough, said cover including a sealing member for said passageway which is shaped to fit into the groove aforesaid and makes sealing engagement under pressure with the flexible material in the groove and at each side of the joint so as to act as a seal for the passageway when the plough is in the closed position.

3. A fastener as claimed in claim 2, in which the sealing member projects from the plane aforesaid on the same side thereof as the rib to engage with the groove in the joint so that a tensile load on the flexible material transverse to the joint tends to draw the rib and groove towards the plane into pressure engagement with the sealing member.

4. A fastener as claimed in claim 3, in which the cover has a cross-section which projects from the other side of the plane of the flexible material opposite the sealing member and there is a piece of substantially inextensible material around the projecting portion of the cover and secured to the flexible material on each side of the joint.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 `1,746,565 Sundback Feb. 1l, 1930 2,800,699 Armstrong July 30, 1957 A FOREIGN PATENTS 216,356 Australia Oct. 10, 1957 711,973 Germany e Oct. 9, 1941