US3355778A

US3355778A - Locking slider for slide fasteners

Info

Publication number: US3355778A
Application number: US600810A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles W Elsenheimer
Original assignee: PRENTICE CORP
Current assignee: PRENTICE CORP
Priority date: 1966-12-12
Filing date: 1966-12-12
Publication date: 1967-12-05
Anticipated expiration: 1984-12-05

Description

Dec. 5, 1967 w. ELSENHEKMER 3,

LOCKING SLIDER FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Filed Dec. 12, 1966 M2 aw ma FIG.'7

FIG. 6

FIG-.5

INVENTOR CHARLES H! EL SENHE/MER 6T TORNE Y United States Patent M 3,355,778 LOCKING SLIDER FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Charles W. Elsenheimer, Merid'en, C0nn., assignor to Prentice Corporation, Kensington, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Dec. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 600,810 Claims. (Cl. 24205.14)

This invention relates to separable fasteners of the slide operated type and more particularly to an improved automatic lock slider for such fasteners.

In automatic lock sliders or the type of the present invention, the slider has in the past been automatically locked by a cam, or a loose pawl, or a spring biased locking member, all of which are usually controlled by a pull tab for moving the slider in the opening or closing directions. These various types of locking means are often complicated in structure and therefore costly to make. If the locking member is spring operated, or of the loose lug type, there are usually required additional parts on the lug to which the pull tab is attached, thereby providing the slider structure with a high silhouette. On the other hand, certain loose lug types are located on the exteriors of the slider bodies, and the cams in cam operated locks are usually provided on the pull tabs. All of such types of slide structures are destructive of the material of the garments to which they are attached during the pressing of such garments. This is especially true with respect to pants and uniforms provided with fasteners having automatic lock sliders. These automatic lock sliders have therefor been a serious problem to the industrial laundry field and while the art has endeavored to provide automatic sliders which would be free of the aforesaid disadvantages, it has not been able as yet to produce such a slider which is completely satisfactory both to the slide manufacturer, to the laundry company and to the user.

The primary purpose of the instant invention is to provide an improved automatic lock slider which is free of the aforesaid disadvantages.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic lock slider which has a silhouette of minimum height and which has no protruding parts capable of damaging clothing during pressing operations.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic lock slider which is of such exceedingly simple design that it can be made at cost not substantially greater than a non-locking slider.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved slider which can be utilized etiher as a nonlocking slider, or an automatically locking slider, and

which can be readily made as one type or the other during the assembly of the parts thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the novel features of construction thereof, will appear from a perusal of the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a fastener equipped with the slider of this invention and with the pull tab in raised position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the body of the slider;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the locking member of the slider;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the pull tab of the slider;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the slider with the pull tab in the down or depending position;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are views similar to FIG. 5 and show the condition of the parts when the pull tab is in the position in which it is gripped for moving the slider, and when the pull tab is in its fully raised position, respectively.

3,355,778 Patented Dec. 5, 1967 In FIG. 1 of the drawings there is shown a portion of the fastener stringers 10 having the usual interlocking members 11 secured to the opposed edges thereof. As is conventional, the members 11 have projections 12 which engage recesses thereon (not shown) to lock such members in interfingered relation. The engagement and disengagement of the interlocking members 11 are controlled in the usual manner by the longitudinal movements of a slider body composed of a front plate 14, a rear plate 15 and a connecting separator 16 (note FIGS. 5-7). The

plates

14 and 15 have the usual

side guide flanges

17 and 18, respectively. As is shown in the drawings, the slider body is also provided with a pull tab lug 19 to which a pull tab 20 is movably and pivotally connected by means of inwardly disposed, opposed, retaining projections 21 provided on the pull tab, as is conventional. Straddling the lug 19 and located between the attached end of the pull tab 20 and the front plate 14 of the slider, is a locking pawl or rocker member 22 having a locking tooth 23 which interlocks with the members 11 to secure the slider against movement on the stringers 10.

The slider body in addition to having the conventional features above described, is provided. in the lower narrow end of its front plate 14, below the lug 19, with two rectangularly-shaped, transversely aligned, spaced cutouts or

openings

25, 26. The locking tooth 23 of the pawl 22 extends through the opening 25, and a guide member 27 projecting from the lower end of the pawl 22 in spaced parallel relation to the locking tooth 23, extends into the opening 26. The guide member 27 is shorter than the locking tooth 23, being only long enough to remain engaged with the opening 26 throughout the range of movements of the locking tooth 23 without coming into locking engagement with the interlocking members 11. The guide member 27 has a configuration similar to the corresponding portion of the locking tooth 23.

The lug 19, which is located above and centrally of the two transversely spaced

openings

25, 26, is formed from the material of plate 14 so that it is integral there With, and has a lower outwardly projecting U-shaped portion which receives the retaining portions 21 of the pull tab. The upper portion 28 of the lug 19 is located between the outer and inner surfaces of the plate- 14, and is reduced in thickness by removal of the material on its outer sur face so that there is formed a seat 29 of a depth approximating the thickness of the material in the pawl 22. The plate 14 is pierced on each side of the lug 19 to form two elongated, rect-angularly-

shaped openings

30, 30 which extend longitudinally of the plate 14 from the upper end of lug portion 28 to a place past the midpoint of the lower U-shaped projecting lug portion. The lower ends of the

openings

30, 30 are defined by the upper ends of two square-shaped coined

areas

31, 31 which are as wide as the

openings

30, 30 and extend to the lower end of the lug 19. The two areas have each been worked to provide therein an outer inclined surface 32 which extends inwardly and upwardly from the outer surface of the plate 14 at the lower end of the lug 19 to the lower end of an opening 30. The coined

areas

31, 31 and the

openings

30, 30 are substantially aligned with the

openings

25 and 26 for the locking tooth 23 and the guide member 27 (note FIG. 2)." p

The rocker member or locking pawl 22, as is shown more clearly in FIG. 3, is a rectangular, ring or frameshaped member made from a thin sheet of resilient metal, such as spring steel, that has been punched to provide a central opening through which extends the U-shaped projecting portion of the lug 19. This central opening is bordered by an upper transverse bar 35, two longitudinally extending

side bars

36, 36 and a lower transverse bar 37 from which depend the locking tooth 23 and the guide member 27. The upper bar 35 extends across the upper Q ends of the openings 30, 3'0 and sits in the seat 29 provided on the outer side of the lug portion 28. The two

side bars

36, 36 extend lengthwise of

theopenings

30, 30 and o've'r the inclined

outer surfaces

32, 32 of the coined

areas

31, 31. The two

side bars

36, 36 are arcuatelyshaped 'sothat they are enabled to rock on such

inclined surfaces

32, 32. The pawl 22 is bent in a convex fashion in the region of the lower bar 37 so that the locking tooth 2 3 and guide member 27 are directed inwardly through the openings 25 and 26-, respectively. It will be noted from FIG. 7 of the drawings, that the configuration "of the locking pawl 22 is such that 'when the upper bar 35 thereof is positioned in the seat 29 and such pawl is hanging on the upper end of the U-shaped projecting portion of lug 19, the locking tooth 23 and guide member 27 will be in their fully withdrawn positions, thereby enabling the slider to move freely down the stringers The locking pawl 22 is permanetly retained in position on the slider by the pull tab 20 which is provided with two longitudinally extending projections 40, 40 at its attached end that are engageable with such pawl during the manipulation of the pull tab in the use of the device. When the slider is to be in a condition in which it can readily be fed onto the stringers 10, It), or in which it is readily strippabl'e, i.e., freely movable in the down or opening direction on the

stringers

10, 10, as during laundering operations, the pull tab should be in the up or unlocked position shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings. In this position of the pull tab, its outer surface is substantially in engagement 'with the outer surface of the fiont 'plate 14 and bears against the top bar 35 of the pawl 22 to maintain the locking tooth 23 fully withdrawn as previously explained. When the slider is in the upright position, as when the garment is being worn, the pull tab will be maintained in thisu'p position by the engagement of the projections 10, 40 thereof with the lower portions of the

pawl sides

36, 36 and can only be moved from such position by a positive movement thereof against the spring-like resilience of the pawl 22.

While the slider is being positively moved on the

stringers

10, 10, either upwardly or downwardly, the pull tab is gripped by the user aud is disposed transversely to the slider body'as shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings. In this position of the pull tab, the projections '40, 4tl there of will bear down on the "

sides

36, 36 of the pawl and press them againstthe inclined outer "surfaces 32 of the coined areas 31, thereby tending to retain the top bar 35 of the pawl 22in its seat 29 and the locking tooth 23 retracted. Because ofthe contour of the

pawl sides

36, 36, the slope of the inclined "surfaces 32 and the

openings

30, 30, the projections 40, 10 will hold the locking pawl positioned so that the locking tooth cannot move into locking relation with th'e interlocking members 11 throughout the pivotal movement of the pull tab 20 from its up position shownin FIG. 7 to ado'wn position in which the under surface of the pull tab comes to rest on the convex portion of the locking pawl 22 in the region of the lower bar 37 thereof.

is shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings, in the down posltion of the pull tab 20, its pivotal axis will be shifted outwardly within the U-shaped projecting portion of the 19 so that while such pull tab is parallel- 1y disposed with relation to the front plate 14, its under surface will be spaced from the outer sruface of such plate. This shifting of the axial position of the pulltab is rendered possible by reducing the thickness of the retaining projections 21 on their outer surfaces so that the latter are recessed with respect to the outer surface of the pull tab and are unlike the under surfaces thereof which are flush with the under surface of the pull tab. It will also be noted from FIG. 5 that in this position of the pull tab, the latter will under the gravity of its weight, rock the locking pawl 22 on the inclined surfaces 32 to cause the top bar 35 thereof to move out of its seat '29 and enable the locking tooth 23 to move into locking engagement with the interlocking members 11, thereby locking the slider in a fully or partially interlocking position on the stringers 1t 10. The pull tab will be prevented from being inadvertently jiggled out of its depending locking position and until positively removed therefrom by the coaction of the projections 40 thereof with the stainless steel rocker member. Due to the fact, however, that the rocker member 22 is made of a resilient, spring-like thin metal it is possible to strip the slider, or cause it to ride down on and separate the interlocked members 11 of the closed stringers 1t 1t below the slider even though the pull tab 20 is in the aforesaid down position. This may be done by grasping the top portion of each stringer, one in each hand, and pulling in opposite directions with a force beyond that to which the stringers would be subjected to in the normal use of the garment to which the fastener is applied. When such a force is exerted, the locking tooth 23 which is in the nature of a spring finge'r having a blunt, or straight transverse terminal edge, will move out from its locking position and with a springing action skip from one spaced interlocking member to the other so long as such force is applied and until the slider reaches the bottom of the fastener. This strippable characteristic of the slider of this invention is of especial advantage when garments having fasteners equipped with this slider are carelessly handled in a commercial laundry during the performance of washing and pressing operations thereon. Many of the sliders or fasteners now being presently employed in garments must be replaced often because of the treatment they receive while the garments are being washed and pressed in commercial laund'ries. The slider of this invention will substantially overcome this replacement problem now caused by commercial launmember 22 is readily made a permanent part of the slider by properly assembling the pull tab 20 on the lug 19 using a squeeze operation 'to etfcct the connection of the retaining projections 21 thereof with the lug 19.

While I have herein'above described and shown in the accompanying drawings, 'a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled 'in the art that modifications thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims. Thus, instead of the

openings

30, 30 and the coined

areas

31, 31, the plate 14 may be configured in any other suitable manner to provide "an indentation of such depth and contour as to permit the locking pawl or rocker member 22 to move in relation to the pull tab 20 in the manner previously described as the latter moves arcuately to its fully open or unlocked position to disengage the locking tooth 23 from the inter locking members 11, or to its fully closed or locked .position to engage the locking tooth 23 with the interlocking members 11.

What is claimed is:

1. A locking slider for a slide fastener comprising a body having front and rear plates, the front plate of which is provided with an opening at its lower end, a lug provided on the front plate of said body, a rocker member seated on 'said front plate and having an opening through which said lug extends, the portions of said front plate underlying said rocker member being configured to enable said rocker member to rock longitudinally on said front plate, a locking tooth on the lower end of .said

a) rocker member and extending inwardly through said front plate opening to enable it to come into locking engage ment with the interlocking elements of the slide fastener, a pull tab pivoted on said lug and permanently connecting said rocker member to the slider, said pull tab hav ing a portion bearing against said rocker member to maintain the latter positioned on said underlying plate portions so that said locking tooth is withdrawn from looking position when the pull tab is used to operate the slider, such bearing relation of said pull tab portion being discontinued and said pull tab pressing the lower end of said rocker member to cause said locking tooth to move inwardly to locking position when said pull tab is released in its down position.

2. A locking slider such as defined in claim 1, in which said rocker member is configured to hang on said lug with said locking tooth withdrawn to unlocked position when said pull tab is in fully raised position with the pressure of said bearing portion thereof on said rocker member discontinued, said pull tab in its down position disrupting such hanging relation of said rocker member on said lug.

3. A locking slider as defined in claim 1, in which said rocker member is a rectangular, ring-shaped member made from a sheet of resilient metal and having an upper transverse bar, two longitudinally extending side bars, and a lower transverse bar, said side bars being concavely shaped and constituting rocker bars on which said member rocks.

4. A locking slider as defined in claim 3, in which said locking tooth extends downwardly from said lower transverse bar of said rocker member, and including a guide member extending downwardly from said lower transverse bar in spaced parallel relation to said locking tooth, said front plate of said slider body having a second opening at its lower end arranged in transversely aligned, spaced relation to said first mentioned opening for receiving said guide member.

5. A locking slider as defined in claim 3, in which the portions of said front plate underlying said rocker member comprise an inclined surface on each side of said lug and extending upwardly and inwardly from the outer surface of said front plate at the lower end of said lug.

6. A locking member as defined in claim 5, in which the upper ends of said inclined surfaces form the lower edges of openings aligned with such surfaces and extending upwardly along the sides of said lug toward the upper end of said lug.

7. A locking member as defined in claim 3, in which the upper end of said lug is reduced in thickness to provide a seat for said upper transverse bar of the rocker member.

8. A locking member as defined in claim 3, in which said bearing portion of said pull tab comprise a pair of longitudinal extensions projecting from the attached end of the pull tab and engageable with said concavely shaped side bars of said rocker member.

9. A locking member as defined in claim 1, in which said pull tab is provided with a pair of opposed projections pivotally connecting said pull tab to said lug, said projections being reduced in thickness on the outer side thereof to enable the pivotal axis of said pull tab to be shifted relative to said front slider plate.

10. A locking member as defined in claim 7, in which the reduced upper end of said lug is located between the outer and inner surfaces of said front plate, said lug below said reduced upper end thereof being substantially U-shaped.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,734,750 11/1929 Sundback 24-20514 1,863,535 6/1932 PouX 24-205.14 2,520,496 8/ 1950 Deutsch 24-205.14

BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A LOCKING SLIDE FOR A SLIDE FASTENER COMPRISING A BODY HAVING FRONT AND REAR PLATES, THE FRONT PLATE OF WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING AT ITS LOWER END, A LUG PROVIDED ON THE FRONT PLATE OF SAID BODY, A ROCKER MEMBER SEATED ON SAID FRONT PLATE AND HAVING AN OPENING THROUGH WHICH SAID LUG EXTENDS, THE PORTIONG OF SAID FRONT PLATE UNDERLYING SAID ROCKER MEMBER BEING CONFIGURED TO ENABLE SAID ROCKER MEMBER TO ROCK LONGITUDINALLY ON SAID FRONT PLATE, A LOCKING TOOTH ON THE LOWER END OF SAID ROCKER MEMBER AND EXTENDING INWARDLY THROUGH SAID FRONT PLATE OPENING TO ENABLE IT TO COME INTO LOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INTERLOCKING ELEMENTS OF THE SLIDE FASTENER, A PULL TAB PIVOTED ON SAID LUG AND PERMANENTLY CONNECTING SAID ROCKER MEMBER TO THE SLIDER, SAID PULL TAB HAVING A PORTION BEARING AGAINST SAID ROCKER MEMBER TO MAINTAIN THE LATTER POSITIONED ON SAID UNDERLYING PLATE PORTIONS SO THAT SAID LOCKING TOOTH IS WITHDRAWN FROM LOCKING POSITION WHEN THE PULL TAB IS USED TO OPERATE THE SLIDER, SUCH BEARING RELATION OF SAID PULL TAB PORTION BEING DISCONTINUED AND SAID PULL TAB PRESSING THE LOWER END OF SAID ROCKER MEMBER TO CAUSE SAID LOCKING TOOTHE TO MOVE INWARDLY TO LOCKING POSITION WHEN SAID PULL TAB IS RELEASES IN ITS DOWN POSITION.