US3577609A

US3577609A - Hook and eye type fastener

Info

Publication number: US3577609A
Application number: US805256A
Authority: US
Inventors: Franz Gottfried
Original assignee: DOERPINGHAUS KURT FA
Current assignee: DOERPINGHAUS KURT FA
Priority date: 1968-03-08
Filing date: 1969-03-07
Publication date: 1971-05-04
Anticipated expiration: 1988-05-04
Also published as: ES146326U; FR2003459A1; ES146326Y; GB1220666A; CH483804A; BE729106A

Abstract

The fastener consists of interlocking hook and eye elements. The eye element comprises a closed loop of resilient wire. The loop is intended to form merging curved and stepped formations to provide an end portion which is secured to the fabric, and intermediate portion and an eye. The loop is further indented at the junction of the intermediate portion and eye to provide an opening of a given dimension. The hook element is also a closed loop having an end portion to be secured to the fabric, a neck portion slightly larger than the opening in the eye element, and a hook which can pass through the intermediate portion. The edge of the eye is angularly bent to the extent of the diameter of the wire. The neck is indented to a depth equal to the diameter of the wire. To close the fastener, the hook is inserted within the intermediate portion, and upon the closing movement, the neck spreads the opening to permit the neck and the hook to pass into the eye. The opening returns to its initial dimension, thereby retaining the parts in closed position. In the closed position, the bent edge lies within the indentation to permit the alignment of the elements to present a flat closure.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor Franz Gottfried Stolberg-Dorff, Germany [21 Appl. No. 805,256 [22] Filed Mar. 7, 1969 [45] Patented May 4, 1971 [73] Assignee Firma Kurt Dorpinghaus Huckeswagen, Germany [32] Priority Mar. 8, 1968 [33] Germany [31] B37699 [54] HOOK AND EYE TYPE FASTENER 1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figs.

[ [5 1 [50] Field of Search 24/228, 229

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 489,053 1/1893 Wedmore 706,304 8/ 1902 Devine 845,748 3/1907 Bosche 909,554 1/1909 Corthell Primary Examiner-John Petrakes AttorneyAbraham A. Saffitz ABSTRACT: The fastener consists of interlocking hook and eye elements. The eye element comprises a closed loop of resilient wire. The loop is intended to form merging curved and stepped formations to provide an end portion which is secured to the fabric, and intermediate portion and an eye. The loop is further indented at the junction of the intermediate portion and eye to provide an opening of a given dimension. The hook element is also a closed loop having an end portion to be secured to the fabric, a neck portion slightly larger than the opening in the eye element, and a hook which can pass through the intermediate portion. The edge of the eye is angularly bent to the extent of the diameter of the wire. The neck is indented to a depth equal to the diameter of the wire. To close the fastener, the hook is inserted within the intermediate portion, and upon the closing movement, the neck spreads the opening to permit the neck and the hook to pass into the eye. The opening returns to its initial dimension, thereby retaining the parts in closed position. In the closed position, the bent edge lies within the indentation to permit the alignment of the elements to present a flat closure.

mm 412m 3577.609

i/ mvsmoa FRANZ commsn FIG. 6

BY MW ATTORNEY l 11K AND EYE TYPE FASTENER portions forming one or two circular openings through which the thread passes to fasten these elements to the fabric. The elements further comprise interengaging hook and eye portions, but do not interlock in a manner to resist unintentional separation.

The above construction often results in bent and twisted fastener elements, which do not provide a flat and inconspicuous closure. Since the elements do not interengage in a locking manner, there is a tendency for the paired elements to unintentionally separate and form open gaps in the closure.

An object of this invention is to provide a hook and eye fastener, wherein the hook and eye elements interlock to resist unintentional separating forces.

A further object is to provide fastening elements of the hook and eye type wherein each element is formed as a single closed loop having fabric-securing portions and interlocking portions. The interlocking portions are so formed as to cooperate to reduce the overall thickness of the fastener when in closed position.

Another object is to provide a hook and eye fastener fabricated from wire wherein one element resiliently maintains the other element in its closed interengaging position, without the necessity of providing points of weakness or deformation of the material from which the elements are formed to provide the above resiliency.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein:

P16. 1 is a plan view of the eye element of the fastener;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the eye element;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the hook element of the fastener;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the hook element;

FlG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the fastener, taken on section line 5-5 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the fastener in a closed position, showing the hook and eye elements in their interlocking position.

H0. 1 shows the eye element 1 fonned of resilient wire 2. Other resilient material, such as certain plastics, may be used, but wire is preferred. The wire 2 is shaped to form an irregular, somewhat triangular, closed loop comprising a straight long longitudinal fabric-securing portion 3, an intermediate curved, generally converging portion 4 which is shorter than the long portion 3, and an interlocking portion forming eye 6 which is shorter than the intermediate portion 4 and which has a slightly narrowed portion it) behind the bent outermost edge of portion 6. As will be noted from FIG. 1, the above portions are constituted by the wire loop and the merging areas within the loop.

Portions

3, 4 and 6 are symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis of the eye element so that eye 6 is at the apex of the triangular loop. The loop is formed of resilient wire stock and comprises straight and smoothly curved converging sections, and it is closed at point 7 in portion 3. The eye element is fastened to the fabric 8 by securing the loop wire of portion 3 to the fabric, as by sewing. The eye element may be covered by a fly structure, or by any other means well known in the sewing art so that only portions 4 and 6 are accessible.

Where intermediate portion 4 merges into eye 6, the wire is indented or narrowed to form an opening 9 of dimension 10. The wire at the outer edge of eye 6 is bent to present an upstanding edge 12, which is angularly related to the plane of the loop, and its length is substantially equal to the diameter of the wire.

FIG. 3 discloses the hook element 13. Hook element 13 is fabricated of wire, and is shaped to form a closed loop having a fabric-securing portion 14, a portion forming a neck 15. and an end portion forming a hook 16. As in eye element 2, the above portions of the loop are symmetrical to the longitudinal axis of the loop. The loop is formed by merging straight and smoothly curved portions of the wire whereby no sharp edges are present. The loop is closed at point 17.

A portion of neck 15 is upset to form an indentation 19 having a depth substantially equal to the diameter of the wire.

Neck 15 is of a dimension 21 which is slightly larger than dimension 10 of opening 9.

Hook element 13 is secured to fabric 8 in the same manner as described in connection with eye element 1.

To use elements 1 and 2 to form a fastener for fabric 8, hook 16 is placed within intermediate portion 4 of eye element 1, and a relative pulling force is applied to either or both elements. Dimension 21 of neck 15 is slightly larger than dimension 10 of opening 9, but due to the resiliency of the wire forming the loop, opening 15 is forced to open to permit movement by neck 15 and hook 16 into eye 6, whereby the fastener assumes the closed position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The smaller dimension 10 of opening 9 lockingly retains neck and hook 15 and 16 within the eye. Thus, the above structure provides an interlocking relationship between the hook and eye which prevents unintentional opening of the fastener.

in the locked position, as shown in FIG. 5, edge 12 lies within groove 19 permitting elements land 13 to assume a more aligned position than if

means

12 and 19 were omitted. The provision of

means

12 and 19 results in a flat, smooth closure of the fabric edges.

To open the fastener, elements 1 and 13 are pushed towards each other. Neck 15 is forced out of narrower opening 9 in view of the inherent resiliency of the wire loop.

' Since each of the elements ii and 13 comprise a closed-loop formation, with smoothly curved portions and without sharp edges or exposed ends of the wire, there is no catching of the fabric or undue wear on the fabric. in view of the novel construction of the hook and eye formations, the closing and opening movements require simple pulling and pushing motions. Due to the dimensions of opening 9 and neck 15, the elements are positively interlocked in the closed position, whereby unintentional opening is prevented.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed for purpose of illustration, it will be evident that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

lclaim:

1. A fastener which provides a flat, inconspicuous closure for adjacent edges of separate panels of flexible fabric material comprising:

a. a closed loop eye element having a long longitudinal fabric-securing portion for one fabric edge and an interlocking eye portion which projects outwardly;

b. a closed loop hook element cooperating with said eye element and having a long longitudinal fabric-securing portion for the other fabric edge and an intermediate hook portion which projects outwardly to cooperate with said interlocking eye portion;

c. the outermost edge of said interlocking eye portion being short and being bent angularly and upwardly out of the plane of the eye element and of the fabric for a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the fabric;

. said interlocking eye portion having a slightly narrowed portion behind the bent outermost edge;

e. said intermediate hook portion being short and being indented inwardly and downwardly to form a neck portion,

the depth of the indentation being substantially equal to the thickness of the material of the fabric;

f. said eye element having an intermediate portion of generally triangular configuration with smoothly curving, generally converging sides, said intermediate portion lyingin the plane of the longitudinal fabric-securing portion and between said fabric-securing portion and said interlocking eye portion, said intermediate portion being longer than the interlocking eye portion and shorter than the fabric-securing portion, whereby the smoothly converging sides accommodate the insertion of the intermediate hook portion of the hook element so that, by turning, sliding and thereafter pulling the intermediate hook portion into the narrowed portion of the interlocking eye portion, the indented neck portion of the element unlocks from the eye element without any catching of the fabric.

Claims

1. A fastener which provides a flat, inconspicuous closure for adjacent edges of separate panels of flexible fabric material comprising: a. a closed loop eye element having a long longitudinal fabricsecuring portion for one fabric edge and an interlocking eye portion which projects outwardly; b. a closed loop hook element cooperating with said eye element and having a long longitudinal fabric-securing portion for the other fabric edge and an intermediate hook portion which projects outwardly to cooperate with said interlocking eye portion; c. the outermost edge of said interlocking eye portion being short and being bent angularly and upwardly out of the plane of the eye element and of the fabric for a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the fabric; d. said interlocking eye portion having a slightly narrowed portion behind the bent outermost edge; e. said intermediate hook portion being short and being indented inwardly and downwardly to form a neck portion, the depth of the indentation being substantially equal to the thickness of the material of the fabric; f. said eye element having an intermediate portion of generally triangular configuration with smoothly curving, generally converging sides, said intermediate portion lying in the plane of the longitudinal fabric-securing portion and between said fabric-securing portion and said interlocking eye portion, said intermediate portion being longer than the interlocking eye portion and shorter than the fabric-securing portion, whereby the smoothly converging sides accommodate the insertion of the intermediate hook portion of the hook element so that, by turning, sliding and thereafter pulling the intermediate hook portion into the narrowed portion of the interlocking eye portion, the indented neck portion of the hook element engages the upwardly bent outermost edge of the eye element, the short intermediate hook portion acting as a stop, and, by turning and pushing, the hook element unlocks from the eye element without any catching of the fabric.