US3517422A

US3517422A - Slide fastener

Info

Publication number: US3517422A
Application number: US679369A
Authority: US
Inventors: Karl Wilhelm Uhrig
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-11-08
Filing date: 1967-10-31
Publication date: 1970-06-30
Anticipated expiration: 1987-06-30
Also published as: BE706142A; NL6714965A; NL7216081A; GB1161016A; CH471555A; JPS5021905B1; SE322646B; NL139226B

Description

June 30, 1970 j K. w. UHRIG 3,517,422

SLIDE FASTENER Filed 001;. 31, 1967 :3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR KQRL UILHELH Lil-(RIG United States Patent Int. (:1. A44b 19/34, 19/10 U.S. C]. 24--205.1 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A slide fastener stringer consisting of a band of textile material having a longitudinal row of openings and a spiral or meander of nylon wire whose turns constitute the interlockable elements of the stringer is assembled by partly pushing each wire turn through an associated opening in the band, folding the narrower portion of the band on one side of the row of openings against the interlockable elements, and fastening respective face portions of the elements and of the narrower tape portion to each other by means of an adhesive, by welding, if both are thermoplastic, or by embedding the textile material in the thermally softened elements.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This application is a continuatiomin-part of my copending application Ser. No. 536,073, filed on Mar. 21, 1966, now Pat. No. 3,409,952, issued on Nov. 12', 1968.

This invention relates to slide fasteners, and particularly to a slide fastener in which the interlockable elements on each stringer consist of integral portions of a unitary spiral or meander made from plastic wire and are mounted on a carrier tape.

It has been disclosed in the afore-mentioned application that each stringer of a slide fastener chain may consist of a band-shaped carrier, hereinafter referred to as a tape, which is formed with a row of spaced openings. Respective portions of a unitary element, such as a spiral or meander are engaged in the openings to constitute the heads and legs of the interlockable elements. Means were disclosed in my earlier application for preventing escape of the heads from the associated tape openings.

It has now been found that the field of application of the afore-described fasteners is limited by the anchorage of the elements to the carrier tape, and that the fasteners disclosed in my earlier application are suitable only for relatively light duty.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a strong anchorage for the interlockable elements on the associated tape.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect, the instant invention resides in a slide fastener of the afore-described type in which each tape is formed with a longitudinal row of openings dividing the tape into a first portion remote from the other tape and a second portion adjacent the other tape, and carries a row of integrally connected interlockable elements, which longitudinally extends on the tape in engagement with the openings. The elements project from the first tape portion of the associated tape toward the other tape and the interlockable elements on the same. According to the instant invention, the afore-mentioned second portion of each tape is fixedly and permanently secured by fastening means to the interlockable elements of the associated row.

A layer of adhesive may be interposed between each interlockable element and the second tape portion for this 3,517,422 Patented June 30, 1970 ice purpose. Yarns of the tape may consist wholly or partly of thermoplastic synthetic resin composition and be fastened to the interlockable elements of thermoplastic, synthetic resin composition by welds.

Other features, additional objects, and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will readily become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the ap pended drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows a slide fastener chain of the invention in fragmentary transverse section;

FIG. 2 shows a stringer of another fastener of the invention in transverse section;

FIG. 3 shows a fastening station of apparatus for making slide fasteners of the invention in front elevational section on the line III--III in FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 shows the station of FIG. 3 in plan view;

FIG. 5 illustrates a detail of the fastening station of FIGS. 4 and 5 in fragmentary side elevation, and partly in section; and

FIG. 6 shows a portion of another fastening station in a view corresponding to that of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIG. 1, there is seen a slider fastener chain of the invention consisting of two rows of interlocked elements 1 made from nylon wire spirals, somewhat deformed in a known manner to constitute the slide fastener elements, and two woven carrier tapes 2.

A longitudinal row of openings 1a divides a narrow edge portion 3 from the remainder of each tape 2, and the portion of each spiral turn, which constitutes the head and most of the legs of each fastener element 1, passes through an associated opening 1a toward the other fastener element for locking engagement with the same. The fastener of FIG. 1 described so far is known from my above-mentioned copending application.

The edge portion 3 of each tape is folded over the connecting part of each interlocking element toward the major portion of the tape, and a layer 4 of adhesive interposed between opposite face parts of the edge portion 3 and of the nylon wire, which constitutes the fastener elements 1, holds the tape portions 3 in the illustrated position, thereby locking the elements 1 to the tape 2, and preventing separation under relatively heavy transverse stresses. The illustrated fastener may be used where the fastener of my earlier application would fail in cross pull.

The fastener partly illustrated in FIG. 2 differs from that shown in FIG. 1 mainly in the position of the edge portion 3a of the tape 3 which is pivoted toward the head portions of the fastener elements 1 and secured to the outer faces of the leg portions by an adhesive layer 4. In the modified fastener of FIG. 2, the leg portions of the fastener elements 1 are covered on one side of the fastener which normally faces outward of a garment to which the fastener is sewn in the usual manner. Only the interlocking heads are exposed.

When the fastener shown in FIG. 2 is subjected to transverse stresses, the legs of the interlocked elements 1 transmit the stresses directly to the tape edge portion 3a through the adhesive layer 4, and the elements 1 do not tend to enlarge the openings in the tape under such transverse stresses.

While the fasteners shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 rely on adhesives for fastening the

tape edge portions

3, 3a to the interlockable elements 1, a closely analogous direct bond between the tape edge portion and the interlockable elements may also be produced by heat sealing. Apparatus suitable for heat sealing is shown in FIGS. 3 to 5.

A common support 15 carries two insulators 7 and a sealing and pressing stand 5. A partly assembled slide fastener with its elements 1 engaged in the openings of two tapes 2 and interlocked in a conventional manner is pulled through the fasteing station shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 from other assembly stations, not themselves relevant to this invention, by non-illustrated pull rolls, as indicated by arrows.

As is best seen in FIG. 3, the edge portions 3 of the tapes 2 are approximately perpendicular to the main portions of the tapes when the fasteners enter the fastening station. The free edges of the tape portions 3 project up- Wardly beyond the interlocked elements 1. A loop 6 of copper wire extends from each transformer 7 toward the upstanding tape portions 3 and the connecting portions of the elements 1. A heating portion 8 of each wire loop 6 is parallel to the direction of fastener chain travel closely adjacent the associated tape portion 3 and row of elements 1.

A folding die 9 mounted on the pressing and cooling stand 5 receives the tape portions 3 immediately after they pass the heating wires 8 to fold the heated tape portion over the heated part of the interlocking elements. The configuration of the edge 9a of the die 9 is best seen in FIG. 5. The aperture in the stand 5 tapers in the direction of fastener chain travel so that the edge portion 3 is firmly pressed against the fastener elements 1 while the partly assembled fastener passes the stand 5 and is cooled by contact with the metallic surfaces of the stand.

The apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5 provides a heat seal between the abuttingly engaged faces of the elements 1 and of the tape edge portions 3 if at least one of the opposing faces consists of thermoplastic material and is heated beyond its softening point by the heat radiated from the heating portions 8 of the wire loops 6.

If the tape edge portion 3 consists of cotton interwoven with a few thin nylon yarns, and the fastener elements 1 consist of post-formed nylon wire, an effective Welded bond between the nylon yarn in the tape 2 and the nylon elements 1 is produced by heating both beyond their softening temperature and pressing them against each other in the stand 5 before they again harden. The heating time is short enough to avoid significant degradation of the cotton in the tape.

If the tape consists entirely of cotton, the cotton threads are partly embedded in the softened nylon of the fastener elements 1 under pressure, and are held in fixed engagement with the elements of thermoplastic material after the same has hardened upon cooling.

While the apparatus of FIGS. 3 to 5 shows the formation of a fastener in which the tape edge portion 3 is folded back on the main portion of the tape 2 in the manner of FIG. 1, the illustrated apparatus may be modified in an obvious manner by relocating the heating wire portions 8 and the folding die 9 to pivot the tape edge toward the heads of the fastener elements, as illustrated in FIG. 2'.

FIG. 6 shows as much of an apparatus for adhesively securing the tape edge portions to the interlockable elements of a fastener chain as is needed for an understanding of the modified device, the apparatus of FIG. 6 being identical in all non-illustrated features with that shown in FIGS. 3-5.

A supply tank 10, shown on a reduced scale in FIG. 6

for the convenience of pictorial representation, is mounted on each side of the moving fastener chain. An obliquely downwardly directed feed pipe 12 on each tank 10 terminates in a nozzle 11 from which a liquid adhesive composition is discharged toward the faces of the tape portion 3 and of the fastener elements 1 which are superposed in the finished fastener partly shown in FIG. 1 so that at least one of the faces is coated with a film of adhesive when the tape edge portion is folded over in the manner illustrated in FIG. 5 and pressed against the elements 1 while travelling through the stand 5. The finished slide fastener chain is pulled from the apparatus by a driven pull roll 16.

When ultimately air cooled, the product obtained is identical with that shown in FIG. 1. The minor modifica tions of the apparatus of FIG. 6 necessary for producing the fastener partly illustrated in FIG. 2 will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates only to preferred embodiments of the invention, and that many changes and modifications may be made in the examples of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a slide fastener essentially consisting of two juxtaposed, elongated carrier tapes, each tape being formed with a longitudinal row of openings dividing said tape into a first portion remote from the other tape and a second portion adjacent the other tape, a row of integrally connected interlockable elements longitudinally extending on each tape in engagement with said openings and projecting from the first portion of the associated tape toward the other tape and the interlockable elements on the same, the improvement which comprises:

(a) fastening means permanently and fixedly securing said second portion of each tape to the interlockable elements of the associated row.

2. In a slide fastener as set forth in claim 1, said fastening means including a layer of adhesive interposed be tween each element of said associated row and said second tape portion.

3. In a slide fastener as set forth in claim 1, said second tape portion including a plurality of yarns, at least one of said yarns and said interlockable elements essentially consisting of thermoplastic synthetic resin composition, said one yarn being integrally welded to said interlockable elements and the weld constituting said fastening means.

4. In a slide fastener as set forth in claim 2., said interlockable elements consisting of thermoplastic synthetic resin composition and a part of said second tape portion being embedded in elements in locking engagement.

5. In a slide fastener as set forth in claim 1, said fastening means being interposed between said elements of the associated row and said second tape portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,557,303 10/ 1925 Marinsky. 2,145,552 1/1939 Marinsky 24-205.1 2,497,821 2/ 1950 Kohler. 3,103,728' 9/ 1963 Wahl. 3,136,016 6/1964 Firing. 3,389,441 6/ 1968 Heimberger.

FOREIGN PATENTS 515,647 2/ 1955 Italy.

BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary'Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 24205 1 6