US3831227A

US3831227A - Slide fastener stringer

Info

Publication number: US3831227A
Application number: US00253301A
Authority: US
Inventors: E Beitter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-05-15
Filing date: 1972-05-15
Publication date: 1974-08-27
Anticipated expiration: 1991-08-27

Abstract

The carrier tape in an otherwise conventional slide fastener stringer having coupling elements formed from a continuous length of a plastic filament is replaced by another length of plastic filament bent into repeating units having each the shape of a meander, a figure-eight, and the like. Each unit has two bend portions and two connecting portions of which one connects the bend portions, and the other one connects the unit to an adjacent unit. The bend portions are arranged in two rows parallel to the row of coupling elements, one or two coupling elements being fastened to an adjacent bend portion by sewing stitches, by adhesive, or by welding. The carrier of plastic filament is more durable than any tape and is readily shaped to hold the coupling elements in an arcuate row of small radius of curvature.

Description

[451 Aug. 27, 1974- 1 1 SLIDE FASTENER STRINGER [76] Inventor: Eduard Beitter, Koppenhoferweg 8,

7 Stuttgart 80, Germany 22 Filed: May 15, 1972 21 v App1.No.:253,301

[52] U.S. Cl 24/205.l6 C, 24/205] C, 24/2051 C [51] Int. Cl A441] 119/10 [58] Field of Search 24/205.l3 C, 205.1 C.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3.015.868 1/1962 Ruhrmann 24/205.l6 C

3,266,114 8/1966 Gerlach .1 24/205.l6 C 3,600,767 8/1971 Cowdrey 24/205.l6 C

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 15.286 2/1904 Austria 24/205.l3 C 273,766 8/1965 Australia 24/205.l6 C

6.804.649 10/1968 Netherlands 24/205.l6 252.123 12/1947 Switzerland 24/205131 D Primary ExaminerBemard A. Gelak I Attorney, Agent, or FirmHans Berman 1 ABSIRACT The carrier tape in an otherwise conventional slide fastener stringer having coupling elements formed 7 from a continuous length of a plastic filament is replaced by another length of plastic filament bent into repeating units having each the shape of a meander, a

figure-eight, and the like. Each unit has two bend portions and two connecting portions of which one connects the bend portions, and the other one connects the unit to an adjacent unit. The bend portions are arranged in two rows parallel to the row of coupling elements, one or two coupling elements being fastened to an adjacent bend portion by sewing stitches, by adhesive, or by welding. The carrier of plastic filament is more durable than any tape and is readily shaped to hold the coupling elements in an arcuate row of small radius of curvature.

9 Claims, 25 Drawing Figures PAIENIEB 3; 831 @227 fig. 7

PAIfmmmcemm "-'I\ I U 1: a":

JEifihQlElrslE-il;

SLIDE FASTENER STRINGER This invention relates to slide fasteners, and particu larly to a slide fastener stringer in which the coupling elements are constituted by respective longitudinal portions of a unitary length of filament.

Such coupling elements are conventionally mounted in a row on a carrier of textile material, usually a tape, on which they are secured in the proper spacing, and two stringers consisting of the carrier, the coupling elements, and means fastening the elements on the carrier may be locked to each other by passing a slider along the two juxtaposed rows of elements.

The useful life of a slide fastener of the type described is usually determined by the textile carrier. The coupling elements, commonly made of plastic, particularly nylon, do not show significant wear nor permanent deformation after long use, but the tape fails first, usually because of wear by the slider. It has been attempted to increase the useful life of carrier tapes by the use of synthetic fibers. The improvement achieved has been modest, and the stronger tapes show significantly reduced pliability which is essential for smooth running of the slider.

A stringer assembled at the factory from a textile carrier and plastic coupling elements of the type described is difficult to install where the row of coupling elements needs to be curved, as on a closure flap for luggage and the like. The carrier must be stretched or shrunk or pleated to assume the desired shape. Providing curva' ture in a conventional slide fastener stringer becomes even more difficult when the carrier is a tape reinforced with synthetic fibers.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a slide fastener stringer having coupling elements of the continuous-filament type with a carrier which is stronger, yet more flexible than any normal textile material so as to increase the useful life of the stringer and of the fastener assembled from such a stringer, and to permit the slide fastener to be arranged in any desired manner, as in curves of small radius.

With this object and others in view, as will presently become apparent, the invention provides a slide fastener stringer, whose coupling elements consist of a unitary length of a filament, with a carrier comprising a unitary length of another filament constituting a plurality of repeating units. Each of these units includes a first bend portion. a second bend portion, a first connecting portion connecting the first and second bend portions, and a second connecting portion which connects the first bend portion to the second bend portion of another unit, the several portions being longitudinally consecutive sections of the other fialment. The coupling elements are secured to the first bend portions.

Additional features, other objects, and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will readily become apparent as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description of FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 of a modified stringer;

FIG. 5 shows the stringer of FIG. 4 in section on the.

line V V;

FIG. 6 illustrates yet another stringer of the invention in plan view;

FIGS. 7, 9, 11, and 13 show further modified stringers of the invention in respective plan views;

FIGS. 8, 10, 12, and 14 illustrate the stringers of FIGS. 7, 9, ll, 13 in respective sectional views corresponding to that of FIG. 5;

FIGS. l5, l6, l7, and 19 illustrate further variations of the stringer of the invention in respective plan views;

FIGS. 18 and 20 show the devices of FIGS. 17 and 19 in respective front-elevational sections in the manner of FIG. 5;

FIG. 21 illustrates a modification of the stringer of FIG. 20 in a corresponding view;

FIG. 22 is a plan view of yet another stringer of the invention;

FIG. 23 shows a slide fastener of the invention in fragmentary front-elevational section; and 0 FIGS. 24 and 25 are respective fragmentary, perspective views of additional stringers of the invention.

The term slide fastener or simply fastener, as employed in this specification, will. be understood to cover a device in. which a row of interlocking or coupling elements is mounted on each of two supports or carriers, and the coupling elements of the two rows may be interlocked or connected by passing a slider along the juxtaposed rows. Two carriers having interlocked coupling elements mounted thereon will be referred to as a chain, and a single row of coupling elements attached to a common carrier or support will be understood by the term stringer, two stringers, when connected, constituting a chain, andthe chain becoming a fastener when equipped with a slider.

FIG. I shows two coupled stringers or a chain, each stringer consisting of a carrier 1, coupling elements 2, and stitches of sewing thread 3 which fasten each coupling element 2 to the associated carrier 1.

The coupling elements 2 are of the conventional folded-meander type. The row of coupling elements of each stringer is made of a single length of plastic wire, such as nylon, which is first bent into a meander shape similar to that of the carrier 1, the meander than being folded, and the bends formed during the folding operation being flattened or otherwise deformed to constitute locking heads. Machinery is commercially available for converting straight wire of thermoplastic resin composition into rows of coupling elements of the folded-meander type. It is conventional to sew such elements to a carrier tape or other textile material-in the manner indicated by the stitches 3 inFIG. l.

The chain illustrated in FIG. 1 differs from conventional fastener chains by the carrier 1 to which the coupling elements 2 are sewn. Each carrier 1 consists of-a length of plastic wire bent into a flat meander shape characteristic of an intermediate product obtained in the manufacture of the afore-described couplingelements 2. The pitch of the meander is equal to the pitch of the folded meander constituting the rows of coupling elements 2, and each straight wire section of a carrier 1 between two bight portions extends in a common plane with a leg portion of an associated coupling element.

As is better seen by joint consideration of FIGS. 1 and 2, a first bend or bight portion of the carrier 1 is received between the two pairs of leg portions of two consecutive coupling elements 2. The bend or bight portion of the carrier and the connecting portion of the two associated coupling elements remote from the coupling heads enclose an opening through which a sewing stitch passes, thereby preventing separation of the carrier 1 from the coupling elements 2.

FIG. 2 additionally shows a slider 4 conventionally enveloping the interlocked coupling elements 2 of the two stringers and equipped with a pull or tab 5 by means of which the slider may be moved longitudinally along the rows of elements 2 for engaging or disengaging the coupling elements. As is evident from FIG. 2, the rails of the slider travel over the plastic wire of the carrier which is strong enough and may be selflubricating to resist wear by the moving slider over a period of time much longer than the expected life of the best available slide fastener tape.

The carriers 1 may be made of the same wire as the coupling elements 2 and have sufficient rigidity to maintain the proper spacing of the coupling element 2. The chain of FIG. 1 or the corresponding fastener of FIG. 2 when sewn to a garment by stitches passing over the second bend or bight portions of the carriers 1 remote from the rows of coupling elements 2 will function smoothly. It is also possible to bend the chain in the plain of FIG. 1 and to sew the arcuately bent carriers l to respective concavely and convexly curved edges of two pieces of sheet material that it is desired to connect by means of the fastener.

A fastener of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 runs more smoothly and has a longer life when used for closing a flap on soft luggage or on similar containers in which the slide fastener extends along at least three sides of a rectangle and the slider must move around the corners. In conventional fasteners employed for the same purpose, the carrier tape of the concavely arcuate stringer must be stretched, and the carrier tape of the convexly arcuate stringer must be pleated or shrunk to achieve the desired configuration. Stretching, shrinking, and pleating further shorten the useful life of the fabric tape. The carriers I of the invention are unaffected by the distortion required for negotiating the right angle bends at the corners of the flap on a piece of luggage or the like.

The carrier I seen in FIG. I consists of repeating units which jointly form the meander shape. Each repeating unit has a first bend or bight portion 20, a second bend or bight portion 21, a first connecting portion 22 which connects the bend portions 20, 27, and a second connecting portion 23 which connects the bend portion to the second bend portion of another repeating unit. only partly seen in FIG. I. The connecting

portions

22, 23 are straight and spacedly parallel to each other and to the corresponding connecting portions of other repeating units in the illustrated position of'the chain. The several portions of all units are located in a common plane parallel to the plane of FIG.

ment are located. The first bends 20 extend in a common plane perpendicular to the plane of FIG. I with the row of coupling elements 2.

As will presently be shown, many of the cited relationships of the several portions of each repeating unit to each other and to the associated coupling elements 2 may be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. Only a few modifications of the basic concept of this invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to FIGS. 3 to 25.

The stringer illustrated in FIG. 3 differs from that seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 by a different configuration of the carrier 6. Instead of having a meander shape, the wire constituting the carrier 6 has the shape of a flattened helix. The two straight, connecting wire portions connected by a bight which are associated with each pair of coupling elements in the manner described with reference to FIG. 1, terminate in respective bends remote from the coupling elements 2 which overlap and intersect each other. Other things being equal, the carrier 6 ever more strongly resists operating stresses which could cause misalignment of the associated coupling elements 2 than the carrier I seen in FIG. I, and its resistance is further increased by welding or heat-sealing the overlapping bends to each other at the points of intersection in a manner not visible in FIG. 3.

The coupling elements discussed so far are of the folded-meander type, but the carriers of the invention are equally useful when supporting rows of coupling elements made from a single length of wire and differently shaped. FIG. 4 illustrates coupling elements 7 which are of the conventional, helical type. In order to keep the several portions of the carrier 6a substantially in a common plane, the first bend or bight portions.

cannot be inserted between the leg parts of the coupling elements 7, and the coupling elements 7 are thus superimposed in their entirety on the bight portions of the carrier 6a and fastened by welds or heat seals 6, also representative of the welds mentioned above with reference to FIG. 3.

The stringer illustrated in FIG. 6 has coupling elements 2 of the folded-meander type sewn to a carrier consisting of plastic wire bent into a pattern of connected figure-eight loops substantially in a common plane. The repeating units of the carrier consist each of a straight length of wire 8, two loops 9, 10 at the respective ends of the straight length 8 and overlapping or intersecting the same, and straight lengths common to respective adjacent repeating units and extending from the loops 9, l0. Welds or heat seals at the overlaps may further stiffen the carrier of FIG. 6 if so desired, as is shown in FIG. 5.

Greater rigidity in the carrier of FIGS. 1 and 2 may be achieved simply by placing one or more straight plastic wires 11 at right angles over the straight wire sections of the carrier I as is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, and by connecting the straight wires 11 with'the meander elements by a suitable number of heat seals or welds II.

The rigidity of the carrier of the invention is further affected by the nature of a substrate to which it may be fastened, and by the manner in which the carrier is fastened to the substrate. FIGS. 9 and 10 show one of the stringers of FIGS. 1 and 2 sewn by stitches of a thread 12 to a sheet 12a of relatively stiff plastic. It would not be possible similary to modify the flexibility of a fastener whose coupling elements are mounted on a tape of textile material.

As is seen in FIGS. l1, l2, sheet material may be affixed to the carrier to stiffen the same regardless of a supporting substrate. The stringer shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 is identical with the stringers constituting the chain or fastener of FIGS. 1 and 2, but a strip 13 of plastic sheet material about half as wide as the carrier 1 is secured to the straight, connecting portions of the repeating units in the carrier 1 by adhesive or by spot welding. The arrangement shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 permits a very precise adjustment of the carrier flexibility by varying the width, thickness, and material composition of the strip 13.

Stitches of sewing threads connect the carriers and rows of coupling elements in the stringers of FIGS. 3 and 7 to 12 in the same manner as in FIGS. 1, 2, or 6, but have been omitted for the sake of simplicity, and will be understood to be present in an analogous way in other embodiments of the invention yet to be described. Alternatively, the carriers may be welded or adhesively secured to the coupling elements in the manner shown in FIG. 5.

The carrier 1 and the row of coupling elements 2, which are shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 are identical with the corresponding elements seen in FIGS. l and 2, but are connected by loops of thread 14 in such a manner that the bight portions of the meander units near the .coupling elements and the bight portions of the coupling elements near the carrier extend in a common plane perpendicular to the planes of FIGS. 13 and 14, that is, a plane which is longitudinal relative to the row of coupling elements 2 and perpendicular to the plane in which the carrier 1 extends.

The carrier 15 shown in FIG. 15 in its cooperation with coupling elements 2 of the folded-meander type differs from the carrier I by an expansion of each bight portion in the basic meander shape so that adjacent bight portions touch each other, and the straight wire lengths between the bight portions are obliquely inclined relative to the longitudinal direction of the row of coupling elements. As is evident from the preceding description of other elements. the carrier of FIG. 15 may be stiffened greatly by welding, heat'sealing, or adhesively fastening contiguously juxtaposed bight portions to each other.

The carrier 15a seen in FIG. 16 is intermediate in configuration between the carriers 1 and IS in that the bight portions of the meander shape remote from the coupling elements are expanded so as to touch each other. whereas the bight portions near the coupling elements have a width equal to the spacing of two consecutive coupling elements 2 as in the carrier 1.

A modification of the stringer described with reference to FIG. 11 is shown in FIG. 17. The basic structure of the stringer consists of coupling elements 2 of the folded-meander type and of a meander-shaped carrier 1 connected by stitches 3 of sewing thread (not shown).

The carrier is additionally stiffened by a strip 13a of plastic sheet material elongated longitudinally of the row of coupling elements 2 and alternatingly passing over and under pairs of longitudinally consecutive straight wire sections of the carrier 1. Depending on the desired stiffening effect, the strip 13a may be heatwelded to some, all, or none of the straight wire sections.

If the carrier is to be sewn to a substrate in the manner shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, and if the stringer must not move on the substrate laterally of the row of coupling elements, it may be advantageous to provide the straight wire sections of the carrier 1a with notches 16 formed by means of a hot stamping tool which causes the material displaced from the notch to project laterally as seen in FIG. 19. In the attached stringer, two rows of sewing stitches are placed respectively in the two rows of notches 16 formed in the carrier.

As was shown in FIG. 5, the plane in which the carrier substantially extends may be offset from the longitudinal median plane of the row of associated coupling elements by welding or otherwise adhering the carrier to an outer leg face of each coupling element. The same result can be achieved with coupling elements of the folded-meander type in the manner illustrated in FIG. 21. Only the bight portions of the carrier 1b which are received between the leg parts of the coupling elements are located in the median plane of the row of elements, the remainder being offset so that the coupling elements are entirely located on one side of the plane defined by the major portion of the carrier lb.

The stringer seen in FIG. 22 differs from that described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 by bight portions 17 in the carrier 1c remote from the coupling elements 2 which are offset longitudinally of the coupling element row from the associated straight wire sections of the carrier 16. The bight portions 17 thus form almost closed loops for securely receiving stitches of sewing thread that may fasten the stringer to a supporting substrate.

While it is preferred under most conditions that each carrier in the stringer of the invention extend substantially in a plane. unusual applications may require a different arrangement. In the fastener of FIG. 23, rows of coupling elements 2 opened and closed by a slider 4 are attached to respective carriers 1d which are of the me ander type seen in FIG. I at 1, but are bent at right angles along a line 18 parallel to the length of the row of coupling elements. A fastener of the type shown in FIG. 23 is suitable in an obvious manner for use in a slim wallet or briefcase.

A three'dimensional interlock with the coupling elements of a stringer may be achieved with a carrier 1e shown in FIGS. 24 and 25. It differs from the aforedescribed carrier 1 by a rectangular offset of the bight portions in a common plane adjacent the associated coupling elements. These elements are of the foldedmeander type 2 in FIG. 24 and of the helical type in FIG. 25. The length of each offset 'part in the meander of the carrier la is approximately equal to the height of the associated coupling member as measured across the leg parts of a coupling member, and the

coupling elements

2, 7 are simply assembled. with the carriers 1e by pushing every other coupling element in the row through an upset bight portion of the carrier 11:. The coupling elements and carriers may be further secured to each other by sewing threads in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 or 13, or they may be welded or adhesively fastened to each other.

The coupling elements employed. in the stringers and slide fasteners of the invention are of known types, and their production will be obvious to those skilled in the art. The carriers 1 are intermediate products in the manufacture of the folded-meander type fastenersand may be made on the same equipment. The same equipment may produce the modified meander shapes of FIGS. 24 and 25. Commercial wire-bending machines modified to include heaters for the thermoplastic wires employed can produce the plastic wire shapes in the carriers seen in FIGS. 3, 4, 6, l5, l6 and 22, and suitable equipment is readily improvised. Commercial sewing machines produce stitches of the types seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 6 and implied in other Figures, though not shown.

The apparatus employed for looping sewing threads 14 about the coupling elements 2 and the carrier 1 essentially consists of a cylindrical ring journaled in external bearings and provided with an internal thread guide. Thread is drawn from a spool on the ring through the thread guide while the latter rotates, and the stringer elements are passed through the ring by a mechanism which pulls the assembled stringer out of one end of the ring, thereby pulling the coupling elements and the carrier separately into the other end at uniform speed.

While the invention has been described with reference to coupling elements and carriers made of plastic wire of the same size and composition, one may employ different wires, both plastic or metallic. Round wires are generally cheapest and have been illustrated throughout the several Figures. However, the benefits of this invention are attainable with wires that are of non-circular cross section, and even with wires which are not of uniform cross section over their length.

It should be understood, therefore, that the foregoing disclosure relates only to preferred embodiments of the invention, and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of 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 set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a slide fastener stringer including a carrier, a row of coupling elements constituted by respective longitudinal portions of a unitary length of a first filament, and securing means securing said elements to said carrier, each coupling element including first and second leg portions and a coupling head connecting said leg portions, said coupling heads being spaced from each other in the direction of said row, the improvement which consists in a. said carrier comprising a unitary length ofa second filament constituting a plurality of repeating units consecutive in the direction of said row,

1. each repeating unit including a first bend por tion. a second bend portion. a first connecting portion connecting said first and second bend portions to each other. and a second connecting portion connecting said first bend portion to the second bend portion of another unit, said portions being longitudinally consecutive sections of said second filament,

2. the spacing of the first bend portions of each pair of consecutive units being at least twice the spacing of said coupling heads in said row;

b. said securing means securing two of said coupling elements to each of said first bend portions;

c. said first and second filaments being of approximately equal cross sectional area; and

d. the material of said second filament being of sufficient rigidity to maintain said spacing of said coupling heads in said direction.

2. In a stringer as set forth in claim 1, said first bend portions and said second bend portions extending in respective transversely spaced rows substantially parallel to said row of coupling elements.

3. In a stringer as set forth in claim 2, said first bend portions and said coupling elements being located in a common plane extending in the direction of said rows.

4. In a stringer as set forth in claim 2, said first and second connecting portions of each unit being spacedly parallel.

5. In a stringer as set forth in claim 4, said first and second connecting portions of each unit being straight.

6. In a stringer as set forth in claim 2, said first and second connecting portions of each unit being substantially straight and intersecting each other.

7. In a stringer as set forth in claim 2, said first connecting portion of each unit being in contact with a portion of another unit and fixedly fastened to said other portion.

8. In a stringer as set forth in claim 2, a continuous reinforcing member elongated in the direction of said rows and fastened to respective portions of said units.

9. In a stringer as set forth in claim 2, said coupling elements each having a connecting portion connecting said first leg portion to the second leg portion of an adjacent coupling member, the two leg portions of each coupling element passing through a first bend portion of said carrier, said head portion of the element being offset from said first bend portion in one direction, and said connecting portion of said element being offset from said first bend portion in a direction opposite to said one direction and intersecting said second filament to limit movement of said coupling element in said one

Claims

1. In a slide fastener stringer including a carrier, a row of coupling elements constituted by respective longitudinal portions of a unitary length of a first filament, and securing means securing said elements to said carrier, each coupling element including first and second leg portions and a coupling head connecting said leg portions, said coupling heads being spaced from each other in the direction of said row, the improvement which consists in a. said carrier comprising a unitary length of a second filament constituting a plurality of repeating units consecutive in the direction of said row, 1. each repeating unit including a first bend portion, a second bend portion, a first connecting portion connecting said first and second bend portions to each other, and a second connecting portion connecting said first bend portion to the second bend portion of another unit, said portions being longitudinally consecutive sections of said second filament, 2. the spacing of the first bend portions of each pair of consecutive units being at least twice the spacing of said coupling heads in said row; b. said securing means securing two of said coupling elements to each of said first bend portions; c. said first and second filaments being of approximately equal cross sectional area; and d. the material of said second filament being of sufficient rigidity to maintain said spacing of said coupling heads in said direction.

2. the spacing of the first bend portions of each pair of consecutive units being at least twice the spacing of said coupling heads in said row; b. said securing means securing two of said coupling elements to each of said first bend portions; c. said first and second filaments being of approximately equal cross sectional area; and d. the material of said second filament being of sufficient rigidity to maintain said spacing of said coupling heads in said direction.

9. In a stringer as set forth in claim 2, said coupling elements each having a connecting portion connecting said first leg portion to the second leg portion of an adjacent coupling member, the two leg portions of each coupling element passing through a first bend portion of said carrier, said head portion of the element being offset from said first bend portion in one direction, and said connecting portion of said element being offset from said first bend portion in a direction opposite to said one direction and intersecting said second filament to limit movement of said coupling element in said one direction.