US3222768A - Method of applying end connectors to slide fasteners - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 14, 1965 T. M. WRIGHT 3,222,7fi

METHOD OF APPLYING END CONNECTORS TO SLIDE FASTENERS Original Filed Jan. 10, 1963 INV ENT OR. meadow/111619121 A I'TORIVEK United States Patent 3,222,768 METHOD OF APPLYING END CONNECTORS TO SLIDE FASTENERS Theodore M. Wright, 934 Haddon Ave., Camden, NJ. Original application Jan. 10, 1963, Ser. No. 250,610, new Patent No. 3,163,906, dated Jan. 5, 1965. Divided and this application Aug. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 392,451 Claims. (Cl. 29-410) This invention relates to slide fasteners, and particularly to a method of securing hook-and-eye type of end connectors to the tapes which carry the interlocking teeth of the slide fasteners, the present application being a division of my copending application, Serial Number 250,610, filed January 10, 1963, now Patent No. 3,163,- 906.

It is well known that most slide fasteners such as are used on garments suffer from the defect of tending to come apart at the top, especially under the influence of sidewise pulling forces, unless some means are provided for positively holding the teeth carrying tapes together at the normally free ends of the fasteners. To keep the slide fasteners from coming apart unintentionally, the tapes thereof are conventionally provided with hand sewn hooks and eyes beyond the teeth racks. The hooks and eyes, when interlocked, serve to hold the tapes in closely adjacent joined relation and thereby prevent the slide fasteners from opening unintentionally. However, hand sewn hooks and eyes are not only expensive to apply because of the labor involved, but they frequently come loose from the tapes when the cotton threads which hold them on the tapes become torn, as often happens.

The primary object of my present invention is to provide an improved method of applying to the tapes of slide fasteners ends connectors of the hook-and-eye type.

More particularly, it is an object of my present invention to provide an improved method of attaching to the tapes of slide fasteners wire hook and eye end connectors in such a manner that they will be held on the tapes securely without danger of coming loose from the tapes.

Another object of my present invention is to provide an improved method of applying staple-like wire hook and eye end connectors to tapes of slide fasteners in a manner that is not only highly effective, but quite simple to perform.

A further object of my present invention is to provide an improved. method as aforesaid which readily lends itself to high quantity production and which can be carried out with great efficiency.

In accordance with the present invention, I apply to each of the tapes of a slide fastener, at the opposed beaded edges thereof, one or the other of a pair of cooperating hook and eye elements made of relatively stiff wire. Each element is formed with a loop portion midway between its ends to provide, in one case an eye and in the other a cooperable hook. From each of the loop portions, there extend a pair of diverging legs which preferably terminate in sharp points for easy penetration through the cloth of which the tapes are customarily made. The legs of each element are given a first right angle bend into a plane normal to the loop portion thereof, after which they are driven through the tapes at positions aligned transversely of the tapes and with the loops of the respective elements lying against preferably the outer or front surfaces of the respective tapes. The loops extend slightly beyond the beads of the tapes so as to clear the beads. The legs of each element are then reversely bent back toward the loop thereof so as to lie firmly against the inner or rear surface of the associated tape. The legs are long enough to extend beyond the tape beads at this point. They are then given a second 3,222,768 Patented Dec. 14, 1965 ice reverse bend to bring them firmly around the beads and against the outer surface of their respective tapes. The legs are finally clinched against such outer surfaces in positions preferably snugly along the portions of the legs adjacent to the loops. Thus, the hook and eye elements are secured firmly to the tapes by being clinched thereto and without need for using thread or any other, external securing means. By afiixing the hook and eye fasteners to the tapes in proper locations just beyond the free ends of the teeth racks thereof, they also act as stop means for limiting travel of the slide member of the slide fastener beyond the teeth thereof.

The novel features of the present invention, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a length of wire from which either a hook element or an eye element can be formed according to this invention,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view showing the first step in the formation of either an eye element or a hook element from the wire of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a plan view showing the next step in the formation of a hook element,

FIGURES 4 to 7, inclusive, are sectional views taken transversely through tapes of a separable slide fastener and showing the various steps involved in the application of the hook and eye elements to the tapes in accordance with this invention, and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary plan view of a completed, combined slide and hook-and-eye fastener according to this invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is shown, in FIGURE 1, a length of stiff wire 1, such as piano wire, for example, having its ends 3 preferably tapered to terminate in sharp points 5 for purposes presently to be set forth. Such lengths of wire may be used for forming either an eye element 7 or a cooperable hook element 9 of a hook and eye fastener or connector 11. Such a connector 11 is affixed, in accordance with the present invention, to the fabric tapes 13a and 13b of a slide fastener 15. The tapes of conventional slide fasteners are usually formed along their opposed, longitudinal edges with beads 17 to which are secured cooperating racks of teeth 19. A slider 21 provided with a ull tab 23 serves to effect interlocking of the teeth 19 when it is moved in one direction to thereby join the tapes 13a and 13b, or to unlock the teeth 19 when it is moved in the opposite direction to thereby permit separation of the tapes. Since slide fasteners of this type are well known in the art, no further description thereof is believed to be necessary.

To insure maintaining the tapes joined when the slider 21 is moved in a direction to effect interlocking of the teeth 19 and thus prevent the slide fastener from opening unintentionally, the hook and eye elements of the present invention are applied to the respective tapes in opposed, transversely aligned relation just beyond the free ends of the racks of teeth. In this position, the hook and eye elements 9 and 7 cannot only be coupled to prevent accidental or unintentional separation of the tapes, but they also serve as stops for limiting the travel of the slider 21 in the direction to effect interlocking of the teeth 19'.

In forming either the eye element 7 or the hook element 9, the wire 1 is first given a substantially reverse bend midway between its ends to form a loop portion 25 and a pair of somewhat diverging legs 27 comprising an integral unit. If an eye element 7 is to be formed, the loop 25 is left entirely open, as in FIGURE 2, to provide an eye 29. However, if a hook element 9 is to be formed, the loop portion 25 is pinched to provide a bill 31 (FIGURE 3) which, when substantially reversely bent, as shown in FIGURE 7, provides a hook 33 for cooperation with the eye 29.

In either case, after the bend 25 is formed, the legs 27 are given a right angle bend 35. The bent legs of a pair of cooperable elements 7 and 9 are then driven clear through the respective tapes, preferably from the outer or front surfaces thereof to well beyond the inner or rear surfaces thereof and until the loop portions thereof lie firmly against the respective tape outer surfaces in transversely aligned relation. The sharp points 5 facilitate penetration of the legs 27 through the fabric of the tapes. The legs 27 are then bent back toward their respective loops 25 to provide first reverse bends 37 therein which extend through the tape bodies. The reversely bent leg parts, which then extend well beyond their respective beads 17 as shown by the dotted lines in FIGURES 6 and 7, are pressed firmly against the lower or inner surfaces of the respective tapes. They are then formed with a second reverse bend 39 snugly around the respective beads to provide terminal parts 41 which end in the tapered end portions 3 and which are clinched firmly to the outer surfaces of the tapes. The terminal parts 41 are so disposed that the tapered end portions 3 thereof snugly abut the loop portions of the respective fastener elements. Thus, the hook and eye fastener elements 7 and 9 are firmly secured to their respective tapes 13b and 13a without the need for external fastening means such as threads, rivets, or the like. It will be appreciated that each element 7 and 9 is a completely self contained, integral unitary element. By disposing the various tapered end portions 3 in snugly abutting relation with the sides of their respective loop portions, abrupt ends of the wires, on which threads, finger nails and the like might catch, are completely avoided.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that I have provided, for conventional slide fasteners, an improved auxiliary, hook and eye closure which is made of completely self-contained units, which can be formed easily and afiixed to the slide fastener tapes with facility and firmness, and which can cooperate not only to keep the tapes from separating unintentionally after they are joined, but which will also act as a stop for limiting travel of the slide fastener slider in the fastener closing direction. Although I have shown and described but a single embodiment of my invention, it will undoubtedly be apparent to those skilled in the art that other forms and modifications thereof, as well as variations in the method of forming the hooks and eyes and the manner of securing them to the tapes, all within the spirit of the present invention are possible. Hence, I desire that the foregoing shall be taken merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of applying to a tape member of a slide fastener a staple-like element of a hook-and-eye connector which comprises substantially reversely bending a length of stiff wire intermediate its ends to provide a loop and a pair of legs beyond said loop, bending each of said legs at substantially a right angle to the plane of said loop, driving said legs through said tape from one surface of said tape until said loop lies snugly against said one surface, then bending said legs back toward said loop until said legs snugly engage the opposite surface of said tape, said legs then extending beyond an edge of said tape to provide terminal portions therefor, then reversely bending said legs around said tape edge to bring said terminal portions back over onto said one tape surface, and finally clinching said leg terminal portions against said one tape surface to thereby affix said element to said tape.

2. The method of'applying to a tape member of a slide fastener a staple-like element of a hook-and-eye connector which comprises substantially reversely bending a length of stiff wire intermediate its ends to provide a loop and a pair of legs beyond said loop, bending each of said legs at substantially a right angle to the plane of said loop, driving said legs through said tape from one surface of said tape until said loop lies snugly against said one surface, then bending said legs back toward said loop until said legs snugly engage the opposite surface of said tape, said legs then extending beyond an edge of said tape to provide terminal portions therefor, then reversely bending said legs snugly around said tape edge to bring said terminal portions back over onto said one tape surface, and finally clinching said leg terminal portions against said one tape surface in abutting relation with said loop to thereby afiix said element to said tape.

3. The method of applying a staple-like element of a hook-and-eye connector to a tape member of a slide fastener, said tape member having a bead along one edge thereof, said method comprising the steps of (a) substantially reversely bending a length of stiff wire substantially midway between its ends to provide a loop and a pair of legs beyond said loop,

(b) bending each of said legs at substantially a right angle to the plane of said loop,

(c) then, while said loop is so related to said tape that it overlies and extends somewhat beyond the edge of said bead, driving said legs through said tape from one surface of said tape until said loop lies snugly against said bead at said one surface of said tape,

(d) then bending said legs back toward said loop until said legs snugly engage the opposite surface of said tape at said bead, said legs being of a length such as to then extend beyond said bead to provide terminal portions therefor,

(e) then reversely bending said legs snugly around the edge of said head to bring said terminal portions back over onto said one tape surface across said bead, and

(f) finally clinching said leg terminal portions against said head at said one surface of said tape to thereby affix said element to said tape.

4. The method defined in claim 3 wherein said legs are driven through said tape from said one surface thereof in proximity to said head.

5. The method defined in claim 3 wherein said leg terminal portions have tapered, pointed, ends, and wherein said terminal portions are clinched to said tape at said one surface thereof with the tapers at said ends in abutting relation to the sides of said loop.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 755,411 3/1904 Stricker 24-229 765,123 7/1904 Brown et al. 24203 1,966,256 7/1934 Marinsky 294l0 2,792,610 5/1957 Erdmann 24-205.ll 3,163,906 1/1965 Wright 24205.11

FOREIGN PATENTS 233,421 3/ 1959 Australia. 898,772 6/1962 Great Britain.

WI-IITMORE A. WILTZ, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. THE METHOD OF APPLYING TO A TAPE MEMBER OF A SLIDE FASTENER OF A STAPLE-LIKE ELEMENT OF HOOK-AND-EYE CONNECTOR WHICH COMPRISES SUBSTANTIALLY REVERSELY BENDING A LENGTH OF STIFF WIRE INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS TO PROVIDE A LOOP AND A PAIR OF LEGS BEYOND SAID LOOP, BENDING EACH OF SAID LEGS AT SUBSTANTIALY A RIGHT ANGLE TO THE PLANE OF SAID LOOP, DRIVING SAID LEGS THROUGH SAID TAPE FROM ONE SURFACE OF SAID TAPE UNTIL SAID LOOP LIES SNUGLY AGAINST SAID ONE SURFACE, THEN BENDING SAID LEGS BACK TOWARD SAID LOOP UNTIL SAID LEGS SNUGLY ENGAGE THE OPPOSITE SURFACE OF SAID TAPE, SAID LEGS THEN EXTENDING BEYOND AN EDGE OF SAID TAPE TO PROVIDE TERMINAL PORTIONS THEREFOR, THEN REVERSELY BENDING SAID LEGS AROUND SAID TAPE EDGE TO BRING SAID TERMINAL PORTIONS BACK OVER SAID ONE TAPE SURFACE, AND FINALLY CLINCHING SAID LEG TERMINAL PORTIONS AGAINST SAID ONE TAPE SURFACE TO THEREBY AFFIX SAID ELEMENT TO SAID TAPE.

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