Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to slide fasteners, and in
particular to slide fasteners of the type having separable
end connections such as that oS the box-and-pin type. Still
more particularly, the invention deals with improved tape
end reinforcements for such separable slide fas~eners.
In a slide fastener having a box-and-pin separable
coupling at its bottom end, for example, the bottom end
portions of the stringer tapes are usually reinforced to
facilitate the manipulation of the pin member of the coupling
into and out of the box member through the slider, to pro-
tect the tape ends against fraying or ravelling, and to
protect fastener elements adjacent to the pin and the box
~- bar. According to a well known example of such tape end
reinforcements, a pair of generally rectangular sheets of ; ~-
~` 15 plastics or other material are secured to the respective
; tapes at slight spacings from the series of interlocking
; fastener elements thereon, the sheets having their upper
edges projecting beyond the top ends of the pin and the bar.
According to another known example, each tape end reinforce-
ment has an upper edge which is angled upwardly as it extends
;~ outwardly from the upper end of the pin or the bar of the
separable coupling.
An objection to such prior art tape end reinforcements
is that when the slider is positioned in abutting contact
with the box member of the separable coupling, as upon full
opening of the fastener/ the pair of stringer tapes are bent
away from each other at their bottom end portions in such a
way that deep wrinkles are formed in the narrow tape portions ;~
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ly~ ng between the seri~ oi~ ~stener ~le~n~cs ~nd ~he r~ln-
forcement portion~ extending u~wardly ~eyon~ ~pper on~
o~ e p~n ana the b~r. 8uch ~l~oply ~riLn~ ~Ics
lt tliffic~ult to sm~thly ~na~pulat~ lthe pln ~nto an~ out
S of the box ~ber through the ~ r. ~h¢ ~oap ~rinlcl~
may also be caught between the palr of ~lange~ g~ or
plate ~mb~r~ of the ~lider body a~ a pull 18 ~xertea on
the ~lider, ~king it impo~lbl~ to ~:lo~e th~ ~ao~ener.
~t~ll fusther, the fa~tener ~ nt~ on the tape~ ~y be
di~placed or ~lislc~dge~ as 1l r*0ult of ~u~h ~ lcl~.
Ancsther ob~ctlon to the prlor art t~pe Ona rx~n~orc~-
~eents ~ ~ that, being u~u~lly ln~lv~ually bor~ to th~
0pp081te ~urf~ls:es o~ the ~trlngor tape8 7 thety are r~latlv~ly
e~sy to sep~rate from the tapeg wl~h ~h~ repeated 2~ipul~
tlon of the end connection. Such ~eparatlon of ~e relnforce- ~
~ent~ 1B p~rtlc~ula~ly 113~1e ~o proceed from th~r polntea ~ ~.
corners.
, ~t 18 arl ob~ect o~ th~ lnY~ntlo2~ to provl~e l~prov~
.. t~pe ~nd reinforcement~ for a'.~ e faote~er h~Yi~g a ~pa-
rable end ~onn~tion, oo ~ade ~hat no ~ep ~rlAkla~ ar~
formed on ~he Btr~nger tape~ wh~n th~ r 1- po~lt~o~
ln ~ontact ~it:h the end connoctlon ~ith the palr of ~ nor
` stringer~ connected togeth~r.
-~ Another ob~ect of the lnvent~on 1~ to prov$de 1~4ro~
~ape ~nd r~ orce~ents whlch ~r~ flr~ly ~uro~ to ~he
. stringer ~ap~ practically witho~t ~ny p~ssibillty of ~pa-
;.~ rating th~re~Dom.
A fu~ r c~ t ~f the inv~ntlon 13 t:o p~V~`ae
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improved tape end reinforcements which can be equally well
adapted for use in a slide fastener having a box-and-pin
separable coupling in combination with a single slider or
in a two-way separable slide fastener havinq a pair of
sliders arrangedi reversely to each other.
In general terms, the pxesent invention provides a
slide fastener comprising, in combination a pair of stringer
tapes each tape having a respective series of fastener elemen~s
attached to its inner edge, adjacent fastener elements in
each series thereof being spaced-apart a given pitch distance,
a slider arranged on the fastener elements for longitudinal
movement therealong to engage and disengage same, a separable
end connection for separably connecting the stringer tapes
at one end of the slide fastener, the separable end connection
including a pair of connector parts, one connector part being
a pin on one of the stringer tapes and the other connector .:~
part being a box on the other stringer tape, and a pair of
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: tape end reinforcements of generally flat shape connected ;-
to the pin and the box, respectively, and each having a pair
::~ 20 of main portions secured to tha opposite surfaces of one end
of a respective tape, the main portions of each tape end . .
reinforcement having convex edges at their ends directed to~
ward the other end of the slide fastener, said convex edges `; :~
extending from a joinder generally co.incident with that end ,.
. of the pin and of the box which faces said other end of the ~ ~.
slide fastener, the crests of the convex edges of each tape
nd reinforcement projecting toward said other end of the slide
fastener beyond the end of the respective connector part for
the stringer tape to which the reinforcement is connected by a
30 distance which lS at least equal to the pitch distance of said
. series of interlocking fastener elements, said convex edges . .;
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preventing formation of wrinkles ïn the stringer tapes ~hich
interfere with the operation of the slide fastener when the
slider is positioned in contact with said end connection, each
tape end reinforcement further comprising at least one
bridge portion extending through an opening formed in the
corresponding stringer tape and connecting together the pair
of main portions of the reinforcement, the main portions and
each bridge portion of each tape end reinforcement being
integrally connected together and integrally connected with
a respective connector part.
Preferably, each tape and reinforcement further
comprises another bridge portion extending beyond and past
the extreme end of the corresponding stringer tape and serving
to connect the pair of main portions. It is also preferred
that the main portions of each tape end reinforcement have
rounded corners. Each tape end reinforcement may also
. comprise a plurality of bridge portions connecting the pair
-' of main portions, ihe bridge portions being located adjacent
` the respective rounded corners of the main portions. Each
main portion of each tape end reinforcement may have a
plurality of openings formed therein.
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~ The above and other objects, features and advantages
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of this invention and the manner of attaining them will
become more readily apparent, and the invention itself will
best be understood, from the following description and append-
ed claims taken together with the accompanying drawings
showing some preferred embodiments of the invention.
Fig. 1 is a front view of the lower portion of a slide
fastener incorporating the tape end reinforcements of this
invention together with a box-and-pin separable coupling,
the view showing the fastener closed
~ 10 Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 except that the
- fastener is shown opened, with the slider positioned in abut- ;;
ting contact with the box member of the separable coupling, ;~ ~;
and with the pair of fastener stringers connected together, ~
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the view showing the slider with ~s top wing cut away for
clarity;
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one of the tape end
reinforcemen~s taken on the line III-III of Fig. 1; -
Fig. 4 is also a sectional view of the tape end rein-
- forcement taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. ~
Fig. 5 is also a sectional view of the tape end rein-
forcement taken on the line V-V of Fig. l;
~- Fig. 6 is a partial front view of a slight modification
of the embodiment of Figs. 1 through 5; and
Fig. 7 is a front view of the lower portion of a two-
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~ way separable slide fastener incorporating the tape end rein-
forcements of the invention together with a separable end
connection associated with a pair of sliders arranged reverse-
ly with respect to each other, the view showing the sliders
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with their top wings cut away for clarity.
In Figs. 1 through 5 of the above drawings, the pre- -
sent invention is shown adapted for a slide fastener having
a separable end connection of the box-and-pin type. With
particular reference to Fig. l,there are shown a pair of
-- stringers 10 and 10' which include tapes 11 and 11' carrying
opposed series of interlocking fastener elements or scoops
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12 and 12' on and along their inner longitudinal edges. The
fastener elements 12 and 12' are shown to be of the continu-
; 10 ous, helicoidal type, stitched at 13 and 13' onto the opposed
edges of the stringer tapes 11 and 11' with the aid of core
cords 14 and 14' passing through the turns of the respective
continuous coupling elements. A slider 15, Fig. 2, is
arranged on the series of fastener elements 12 and 12~ for
longitudinal movement therealong to engage and disengage
same, that is, to close and open the fastener, in the well ;
known manner.
The illustrated slide fastener further includes the
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: box-and-pin separable end connection, generall~ designated
~` 20 16, that is disposed at the bottom end of the fastener.
Molded of synthetic resin material, the separable end connec-
- tion 16 comprises a pin member 17 on the right hand stringer
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tape 11, as viewed in the drawings, and a box member 18 form- ~-
ed integral with a bar 19~ extending upwardly therefrom and
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~` 25 mounted on the left hand stringer tape 11'. The pin member
17 and the bar 19 are integrally attached not only to the
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respective stringer tapes 11 and 11' but also ta the respec-
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~-- tive continuous coupling elements~
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As will be eviaent from Fig. 2, the slider 15 is of
the usual construction comprising a top wing (which is shown
cut away except for its lateral guide flanges 20) and a
bottom wing 21 which are integrally connected by a wedge-
shaped neck 22 so as to define a Y-shaped guide channel
therebetween for the interlocking series of fastener elements
12 and 12'. As is well known, the bottom ends of the asten~
~- er stringers 10 and 10' can be connected and disconnected
as desired by manipulating the pin member 17 into and out
of the socket in the box member 18 through the guide channel
in the slider 15.
^ The reference numerals 23 and 23' in Figs. 1 and 2 ;~
generally denote~a pair of tape~end reinorcements in accord-
ance with this invention which are o plastics molded integral
with the pin member 17 and the bar 19, respectively, and ~
which are substantially lnte~grally attached to the bottom ~ -
ends of the respective stringer tapes 11 and 11' as by
thermal fusion or by in~ection molding. Since the paired
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~ tape end reinforcements 23 and 23i are substantially identical
; 20 in construction, only the reinforcement 23 of the right hand ,~
str1nger 10 will be described in detail, and the reference
numerals used to deslgnate various parts of this reinforce-
ment will be simply primed to indi~cate the corre~ponding
parts of the other reinforcement 23' of the left hand stringer
10'~
As will be seen also from the sectional views given
in Flgs. 3, 4 and 5, the tape end reinforcement 23 broadly
comprises a pair of flat main portlons - and 25 overlying
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opposite surfaces of the stringer tape 11, and a connective
portion 26 which is shown to be thinner than the main por-
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tions (Fig. 3) and which serves to inteyrally connect the
main portion 24 on the front surface of the stringer tape
to the pin member 17. The main portions 24 and 25 can be
identical in shape and size and are themselves integrally
connected together by one or more, three in the illustrated
embodiment, bridge portions 27 (Fig. 4) extending through
holes 28 formed in the stringer tape 11. Preferably, another
bridge portion should be provided at 29 (Fig. 5) so as to
extend beyond and past the extreme lower end 30 of the string-
er tape 11 ~o integrally connect the main portions 24 and 25.
Each of the paired main portions 24 and 25 of the tape
end reinforcement 23 has an edge 31 at its upper end which
is gradually or gently convexed in the plane of each main
portion, which plane is of course parallel to the plane of
the stringer tape 11. As clearly indicated in Fig. 1, the
convex edge 31 is connected to and extends from the top ends
of the pin member 17 and the bar 19, and the crest 32 of the
convex upper edge 3I of each main portion 24~25 projects
upwardly beyond the upper end 33 of the pin member 17 a dis-
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tance D which is equal to one or more times the preselected
pitch of the series of fastener elements 12. In this
particular embodiment of the invention, the disdance D is
approximately equal to the pitch oE the fastener elements
12, and the crest 32' of the convex upper edge 31' of each
; main portion~24'(25') of the other tape end reinforcement
23' projects upwardly beyond the upper end 33' of the bar
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19 a distance D' which is approximately one and a half times
the pitch of the fastener elements.
According to a further feature of this invention,
all the corners of the main portions 24 and ~5 are rounded,
as indicated at 34,35,36 and 37 in Fig. 1. Each of the main
portions 24 and 25 should further have formed therein a series
of openings 38 extending transversely of the fastener to
permit a firm finger hold on the stringer tape 11, as for
manipulating the separable end connection 16, and to permit
the stringer tape to be easily stitched onto a desired article. ~
Seen at 39 is an arcuate recess formed in the outer ~ ~ ;
bottom corner of each of the main portions 24 and 25. The
main reinforcement portions are so recessed because the
stringer tape 11 has a hole 40 foxmed adjacent its outer
bottom corner, which hole has been utilized for positioning
the stringer tape during the formation of the tape end rein~
forcement 23 and other means thereon. Thus, in the case
where t~le positloning hole is located farther away from the ~ -
bottom end of the stringer tape, as for example at 40_ in
Fig. 6, then the arcuate recesses in the main portions of
the tape end reinforcament are formed in correspondingly
modified positions, as shown at 39a in Fig. 6. The other
details of construction of the modified pair of fastener
- stringers shown in Fig. S are substantially as set forth
above in connection with the embodiment of Figs. 1 ~hrough 5.
The separable slide fastener of Figs. 1 through 5
being constructed as hereinbefore described, it assumes the
condition depicted in Fig. 2 when the slider 15 is moved
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~ully ~ long the lnterlocklng o~rle~ of f a~t~3ner ~l0m~nts
12 and 12' ln~co ~buttlng con~act wi~h the box ~omber 13 of
~- the ~parable 2nd c:onnec~lon 16 ~o op~n ~he P~ten~r r~th
the pln member 17 insert~d in~o the box ~nbe!r ~rough the
~lider 15 to ~onnect the p~lr c~ ~a~ener ~r~ngers lO ~nd
10 ' . In thi~ condition, the ~erles of f~l~toner ~lo~nt~ 12
~nd 12 ' are ~epar~ted by the ~lider neck 22 and ~l~rerge ~part
from ~ch ~ !r ~u~t z-bove the ~parable ~nd ¢os~nectlon 16,
~ith the oon~equ~nt bending of the @~tringer tapes 11 and 11
~n their own plaule~.
S~noe, howe~er, the ~trlnger tape~ nd 11' ~re bent
~long the re~pective con~rex uppar eages 31 an~ 31 ' of the
ma$n poxt$0n6 of the tape end reinfor~emont~ 23 ~nd 23', ~
lnd~cated at 41 and 41' in Fig. 2, no loc~ ed or concen- ~:
~-~` 15 trated formation of ~rinkle6 t~kes place. A~ a oon~equence,
t~e pin member 17 ~an be ~moothly manipulat~d i~to ana out
of the box member 18 through the ~llder 15, ~n~l thl8 B
c~n ~e smoothly n~ovE3d along the serie~ of ~a~tener alem~nts
12 2md 12 ', without belng in~peaed by the t~pe ~r~nkles.
Furthermore, aince the corltinuoue eerie~ of fa~t~ner ~l~ents
12 an~ 12 ' a:re curved relatively g~ntly A8 th~y ~l~erg~ ~part
from each otlher, they are not ~ubjecte~ to unt~ue ~tre-~, an~l
h~nce are held in their correct attitude for a long p~rlo~
of time.
~k will ll180 be ppreciate~ l:hat the pair o~ eIId
relnforcoments 23 and 23 ' are not to ea~ily ~ep~r~to ~rom
the ~tr~ nger t~pe~ 11 and 11 ', owiLng to the bridge portions
27,27',29 an~ 29' lntegr~lly int~rconnect~ng th~ir ~in
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portions and to the rounded corners 34,34',35,35',36,36',
37 and 37' of the main portions. As will be noted from the
drawings, the bridge portions are preferably located adjacent
the rounded corners of the main portions.
In Fig. 7 the tape end reinforcements of this in~ention
are shown applied to a two-way separable slide fastener hav-
ing a pair of sliders 15 and 42 arranged reversely to each
other so that the fastener may be opened from either end.
Essentially, the separable end connection of this two-way
separable slide fastener is identical with that of the box-
and-pin type shown in Figs. 1 and 2 except that the box member
is converted into the slider 42, so that the other parts of --
the fastener are identified by the same reference characters
as those used to denote the corresponding parts of the fas-
tener of Figs. 1 and 2.
` It will be seen that the pair of tape end reinforce-
ments 23 and 23', covering the opposite surfaces of the
respective stringer tapes 11 and 11' at either ena of the
fastener, are integrally connected to the pin 17 and the bar
l9, respectively, of the separable end connection. The
other details of construction and functions are considered
self-evident from the foregoin~ description of E'igs. 1
through 6.
~hile the various objects of ~his invention as stated
above are believed to have been accomplished by the specific ; ;
forms of the tape end reinforcements disclosed herein, it
will be understood that they are merely for the purpose of
illustration and explanation. Various changes may be made
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-~ in the construction of the tape end reinforcements themselves
- and in their relation to othe:r parts of slide fasteners
without departing from the scope of the invention as expres-
sed in the following claims.
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