US3190521A - Zipper end stop stapling machine - Google Patents

Description

June 22, 1965 M. PERLMAN 3,190,521

ZIPPER END STOP STAPLING MACHINE INVEN TOR. MOSES FERLMAN 1 MAE 72 m ATTORNEYS June 22, 1965 M. PERLMAN 3,190,521

ZIPPER END STOP STAPLING MACHINE ,Filed June 14, 1960 s Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.9

FlG.ll 4 W613 llllllll ll INVENTOR.

Moses PERL MAN BYW M ATTORNEYS June 22, 1965 Filed June 14, 1960 M. PER

LMAN

ZIPPER END STOP STMPLING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR- Moses 131% Jit torney United States Patent 3,190,521 ZIPPER END STOP STAPLING MACHINE Moses Perhnan, 4410 14th Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed June 14, 196i), Ser. No. 35,965-

' 1 Claim. ((11. 2273) The present invention relates to improvements in the art of making slide fasteners. The usual way of manufacturing slide fasteners is to provide a pair of long stringers with interlocking elements so as to obtain a zipper tape of a length of about two hundred and fifty yards. An object of the present invention is the provision of new and improved end stop staples for zippers, and of a device which automatically makes and attaches the end stop staples to each end of each series of zipper teeth, so that a slider or a spacing member for interdigitating said zipper teeth or for disconnecting them cannot be moved beyond a series of teeth.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the character described which produces from a strip of metal the aforementioned staples of a higher quality than hitherto possible and without waste of material, and all this being done automatically during the operation of the device.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the character described which is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction, but which also is reliable in operation as well as sturdy, durable and well adapted for being handled by unskilled operators.

With the foregoing and other objects which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangements of parts of the embodiment disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing I have set forth an illustrative embodiment of my invention.

In said drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a piece of a zipper tape as it appears before it has been treated by a cutting machine;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the tape of FIG. 1 as it appears after the removal of some zipper teeth between rows of other zipper teeth;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the piece of tape after its treatment by my new and improved device has been completed;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of a strip of metal from which longitudinal blanks for forming my new and improved staple have been cut;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of a staple;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of a staple;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of a zipper teeth removing device used in connection with my invention;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of the device of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of a staple-making-and-inserting device used in connection with my invention;

FIG. 10 is a front elevation of the device of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a detailed enlarged front view of a slot engaging arrangement;

FIG. 12 is a side view of the arrangement of FIG. 11; and

FIG. 13 is a wiring diagram of a control circuit.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A piece of a long zipper tape 1 consisting of a pair of stringers 2 and 3, which are detachably fastened to each other by interdigitating elements or teeth 4, is shown in FIG. 1. After the tape 1 has left the device illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, some of the teeth 4 have been removed, so that edge portions 5 between rows of teeth 4 are disconnected from each other, forming open slots in the tape 1, as shown in FIG. 2. Finally, after the tape 1 has passed from the device of FIGS. 7 and 8 through the device of FIGS. 9 and 10, the :slots formed by the disconnected edge portions 5 are separated from the remaining teeth 4 by staples 7, so that then the tape appears as is illustrated in FIG. 3. The finished tape 1 can be cut along cutting lines It) (FIG. 3), to form individual zippers of a desired length.

Although any kinds of staples can be used for limiting the movement of a sliding member or of a spacing member (not shown), so that the sliding member will not leave the tape portions provided with teeth 4, I prefer to use my new and improved staples shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. There it will be seen that longitudinal blanks 12 are first cut off a strip I5 of metal or plastic material, and each blank 12 has two or three pointed extremities 17 each of which is formed substantially like a right-angled triangle having one side formed of, or parallel to an edge portion of the strip 15. In this way the extremities of the blanks 12 are in a perfect interdigitating relation to each other and no waste material will have to be cut out between them. I have found that this staple, which is finaliy clinched over to a formation as that shown in FIG.

6, is not only generally superior to the hitherto used staples, it also does not tear the material of the zipper stringers 2 and 3.

The zipper teeth removing device of FIGS. 7 and 8 has a longitudinal base 17, which preferably is shaped in cross-section like an inverted T, consisting of a horizontal base portion 28 and a vertical rail portion 21, and being supported by legs 22. A control carriage 23 is slidable on the rail portion 21 of the base 17 and has a bifurcated rail engaging lower portion 24- into which is laterally screwed a threaded bolt 25, that is operated as a set screw for securing the carriage in any chosen position in spaced relation to a power press 27 mounted on one end of the base 17. The power press 27 is driven by an electric motor 30 and is adapted for knocking zipper teeth 4 out from the tape 1, which passes through the press 27 from a drum 31. Any suitable power interrupter such as a micro switch 32 is mounted on the power press 27 and is switched on or off by the movement of an arm 33 or any other moving member, which may be moved by an excenter or by a cam member 34 (FIG. 8) or the like connected to a reciprocating knocking member (not shown) of the power press 27.

The tape 1 is pulled through the press 27 and through the control carriage by means of a roller 35 against which the tape 1 is pressed by a roller 37. The roller 37 is rotatably mounted on bearing members 40, which are slidable on upright bolts 41 that are extended from the other end of the horizontal portion Ztl of the base 17, and springs 42 are interposed between the bearing members and nuts 43 screwed upon the bolts 41. The roller 35 is driven by a pulley 44, and an electric clutch 45 is interposed between the roller 35 and the pulley 44. An electric motor 47 is connected to the pulley 44 by means of a belt 50.

A solenoid 5-1, or any other lifting mechanism is mounted on the control carriage 23 and is adapted for lifting a stop bolt 53 at predetermined intervals. Any suitable power interrupter such as a micro switch 54 is also mounted on the carriage 23 near the bolt 53 and is connected thereto by any suitable means so as to be actuated by the operation of the bolt 53. The motor 47 runs constantly during the operation of the device, but it drives the pulley 35 only when the electric clutch 45 is engaged, so that the tape 1 is being moved from the drum 31 through the carriage 23 only when the bolt 53 is lifted above the tape 1.

When starting operation on a tape 1 (FIG. 1), first the operator removes by hand some of the zipper teeth 4, so as to obtain a pair of toothless edge sections 5, forming a slot, as shown in FIG. 2. Then one end portion of the thus prepared tape 1, which usually is about two hundred and fifty yards long, is passed through the power press 27 and the control carriage 24, and between the rollers 35 and 37, as is indicated in FIGS. 7 and 8. When the stop bolt 53 is in its down-position, so that its lower end is extended into the slot formed by toothless edge sections in the tape 1, the micro-switch 54 opens an electrical circuit of the electric clutch 45 so as to disengage the same. Said circuit is shown in FIG. 13, where the numerals 111i and 111 denote terminals of a source of electrical current, and the numeral 112 denotes a main switch. The power press 27 is operating and forces a suitable reciprocating knocking member down upon some of the teeth 4 in the stringers 2 and 3 of the tape 1, so as to remove some of said teeth 4. Thereupon, while said knocking member in the power press 27 is being raised again, the cam member 34 connected thereto causes the arm 33 to swing into a position in which the micro switch 32 closes an electrical circuit energizing the solenoid 51, so that the stop bolt 53 is lifted out of engagement with the tape 1. The lifting of the stop bolt 53 actuates the micro switch 54, which causes a re-engagement of the electric clutch 45, so that the tape 1 will be pulled by the roller 35 until the next toothless edge sections 5 allow the stop bolt 53 to enter into the slot formed by these sections 5 in the tape 1, which also will cause a disengaging of the electric clutch 45, so that the movement of the tape 1 will be stopped until the removal of some teeth 4 thereof has been completed by the power press 27. This cycle of operation is repeated rapidly so that the tape 1, with zipper-toothed sections as shown in FIG. 2, will pass out of the device in the direction of the arrow 55 (FIG. 8), and will enter the stapler of FIGS. 9 to 12.

This stapler, which is a staple making and staple inserting device that basically may be of any suitable, wellknown construction, primarily consists of a base 57 supported by legs 60, a tape moving electric motor 61 and a staple press 62 mounted on the base 57, and a press motor 63 as well as a wire reel 66 mounted on the staple press 62. Wound upon the wire reel 66 is the metallic ribbon or strip referred to hereinbefore, from which are cut, by means of the stapler, the blanks 12, out of which are formed the bottom stop staples 7. The tape 1 is pulled through the press 62 in the direction of the arrow 64 (FIG. 9) by a roller 67, which is connected by an electric clutch 70 to a pulley 71 that is driven by a belt 72 passing round a pulley 73 secured to a shaft 74 of the motor 61. A roller shaft 75, which connects the clutch '70 to the roller 67, as well as an auxiliary roller 77, are rotatably mounted on a bracket arm 80 that is secured to the press 62. A power relay 81 as Well as rrucro switches 82 and 83 also are mounted on the press 62.

A staple press plunger 84, which is reciprocated when the press 62 is in operation, has a cam section 85, which is in engagement with a spring-biased lever 87, that switches the micro switch 83 on and off.

A disk roller 90 is rotatably mounted in alignment with the center of the tape 1, on an arm 91, which is pivoted at 92 (FIG. 10) to the press 62. The arm 91 is connected to the micro switch 82 and is adapted for switching it on and off.

The making of the staples 7 from the strip 15, which passes into the press 62 from the reel 66, that is carried by a bracket 93, is no part of my present invention. However, the reciprocating plunger member 84 is provided with a push member 94, which has a shoulder portion 95 (FIG. 12) for pushing the staples 7 down upon the tape 1, and which also has a pointed extremity 97. In opposite alignment with the extremity 97 there is provided a vertically movable stop bolt 98 in an upright housing 99,

4 which also contains a spring 100 that forces the bolt 98 upward.

While the device is in operation, the motor 61 is running constantly. The electrical circuit for the clutch 70 is controlled by the micro switch 82 and the power relay 81. As long as the clutch 70 is engaged, the roller 67 rotates and pulls the tape 1 in the direction of the arrow 64 (FIG. 9) between an anvil and the plunger 84 of the press 62. When the disk roller 90, which together with the arm 91 constitutes a sensing device, hits a slot in the tape 1, which slot has been made by the removal of some of the teeth 4 from the stringers 2 and 3, the lever arm 91 swings in a counter-clockwise direction on the pivot 92, and the switch 82 conductively connects a wire 123 (FIG. 13) over a contact 141, wires 124 and 125, contacts 145 and 148, a wire 162, an electric clutch solenoid 163 and a wire 164 to a wire 121. Thus, if the main switch 112 is closed, an electric current will pass from the first terminal 119 of a source of electrical current over the wires 121 and 164, the clutch relay 163, the wire 162, the contacts 14-8 and 145, the wires 125 and 124, the switch 82 and the wire 123 to a second terminal 111 of the aforementioned source of electrical current. This causes an opening, or a disconnecting, of the electrical clutch 70, so that the feed roller 67 no longer will be driven by the motor 61. At the same time, the bolt 98 is forced upwardly by the spring 100 into the afore mentioned slot in the tape 1 and definitely stops any fur ther movement of the rollers 67 and 77, which due to their inertia would still continue to rotate even after the disengagement of the clutch 70. While the tape 1 is thus made motionless, a staple 7 properly formed by the state pler is inserted at, and clinched and fastened to, an end of the aforementioned slot in the tape 1, and when the member 84 is close to its lower end position, the ex tremity 97 pushes the stop bolt 93 down and out of said slot, and simultaneously the cam portion 85 causes a swinging of the lever 87, so that the switch 83 will be closed momentarily, connecting the wire 124 to a contact 141). Thus an electric current will pass from the terminal over the wires 121 and 157, the relay solenoid coil 81, wires 155 and 127, the switch 83, the wire 124, the switch 82 and the wire 123 to the terminal 111. This will energize the solenoid 81, so as to cause a swinging of a double pole relay switch member 160, which has a pair of parallel switch blades that move in unison and are insulated from one another and pivoted conductively at 142 and 145, toward the solenoid 81, causing a conductive connection of contacts 144 and 146 to contacts 142 and 145 respectively, and a disconnecting of the contact 148 from the contact 145. Now an electric current will pass from the terminal 110 over the wires 121 and 157, the relay solenoid 81, the wire 155, the contacts 146 and 145, the wires and 124, the switch 82 and the wire 123 to the terminal 111. Simultaneously, an electrical current will pass from the terminal 110 over the wires 121, 164 and 170, the electric clutch '70, wires 151 and 154, the contacts 144 and 142 and wires 161 and 122 to the terminal 111. This will cause a re-engagement of the electric clutch 70, so that the feed roller 67 will be driven again by the motor 61, thus pulling the stringers 1 until the disk roller 90 is being forced out of the aforementioned slot by the next following connected stringer section. The forcing of the disk roller 90 out of the slot causes a swinging of the elements 82 and 91 in a clockwise direction on the pivot contact 92, so that a contact 150 will be conductively connected to the contact 92 by the switch 82. This will cause an interruption of the electrical circuit of the relay solenoid 81, so that the contact will be re-connected to the contact 148 and the contact 142 will be disconnected from the contact 144, as shown in FIG. 13. Now an electric current will pass from the terminal 110 over the wires 121, 164 and 170, the electric clutch 70, the wire 151, the switch 82 and the wire 123 to the terminal 111. When again a slot.

or an unconnected stringer portion, passes the sensing device (elements 90 and 91) the same will swing in a caunterclockwise direction, so that the contact pivot 92 will be conductively re-connected to the contact 141, and in the manner described above the same operation is repeated. Thus the swinging of the lever arm 91 and the reciprocating movement of the cam portion 85 with the plunger 84 of the staple press causes an alternating opening and closing of the switches 82 and 83, so that the clutch 70 will be disengaged and re-engaged, as referred to hereintobefore, during the operation of the machine. In this manner all the slots formed by toothless edge portions 5 of the stringers 2 and 3 are provided with staples 7 at each end of each slot, so that the tape 1 emanating from the device of FIGS. 9 and 10 will be that shown in FIG. 3, which then can be wound upon a reel 101 rotatably mounted on the lower side of the base 57 or on any other suitable object.

Since certain changes may be made in the above article and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claim is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A machine for attaching bottom stop staples to disconnected portions of a pair of stringers that have longitudinal edge portions connected to each other by interlocking elements, consisting of a stapler having an anvil and a reciprocating staple press plunger provided with a cam portion and being adapted for inserting staples at the bottom ends of the disconnected portions of said pair of stringers, a vertical push member extended from the lower extremity of said plunger, a vertical stop bolt slidably mounted beneath said plunger, resilient means tending to force said stop bolt toward said push member, a source of electric current, a feed roller mounted in alignment with the pair of stringers adapted for pulling the same through said stapler between the plunger and anvil thereof, an electric motor, an electric clutch interposed between said electric motor and said feed roller, a relay having a solenoid which, when energized, connects said electric clutch to said source of current so as to engage said electric clutch, a first switch operated by the cam portion of said staple press plunger interposed in the electric circuit of said relay solenoid for connecting and disconnecting the relay solenoid to the source of current according to the movement of said plunger, a sensing device pivoted to said stapler and directed toward the pair of stringers being located forward and adjacent said stop bolt and placed over those longitudinal edge portions of said stringers which are connected to each other and being adapted for dropping in between the disconnected portions of the stringers as they are passing by said sensing device, and a second switch operated by said sensing device for alternatingly connecting said electric clutch and said relay solenoid to said source of current whenever said sensing device is dropped between the disconnected portions of said stringers and forced out of the same by connected stringer portions as the plunger is being reciprocated, said stop bolt being forced by said resilient means against said push member through a portion of disconnected stringers while said second switch is causing a disengaging of said clutch, thereby said stapler fastening a staple to an end of the aforementioned disconnected portion of said stringers, and while said plunger in its movement is approaching its lowest end portion said push member pushing said stop bolt out of the disconnected stringer portion, thereby the cam portion of the plunger causing said first switch to close the electric circuit of the relay solenoid for energizing said electric clutch so as to cause said first roller to move a portion of said pair of stringers through said stapler.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,415,084 5/22 Berger 22645 1,488,512 4/ 24 Outrey 22645 2,302,084 11/42 Wintritz 1--68 2,445,179 7/48 Maynard 1-3 2,619,148 11/52 Camp 2934.1 2,719,299 10/55 Lach 1-84 2,778,266 1/57 Forrester a 49 2,887,004 5/59 Stewart 8549 FOREIGN PATENTS 743,432 3/33 France.

RICHARD H. EANES, JR., Primary Examiner.

THOMAS BEALL, WHITMORE A. WILTZ, Examiners.

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