US1730553A - Art of making fastener elements - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 8, 1929. G. w. BLAIR ART OF MAKING mswsumn smumm's Fi led Dec. 22, 1924 i *4? 05 92 WIBZQZTI I WH mH H IIH H IIIII I Patented Oct. 8, 1929 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE GEORGE w. BLAIR, or MISHAWAKA, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR 'ro MISHAWAKA RUBBER & wooLEN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or MIsnAwAKA, INDIA A, A CORPORA- 'IION or INDIANA ART OF MAKING FASTENEB ELEMENTS Application filed December 22, 1921. Serial No. 757,322.

My invention relates to fasteners of the quick-operating type which are designed to be interlocked and released by movement of a slider therealong, and has reference more particularly to the method of forming an elongated coiled fastener element with one or more offsets or bends in each. convolution, which serve to afford an interlocking engagement with another elongated coiled element.

A highly satisfactory quick-operating fastening device is obtained by arranging elongated coiled elements side by side and nesting the coils of one of the elements be tween the coils of the other element, provided that the nested portions of the coils of one of the elements are suitably bent or offset so as to interlock with the coils of the other element. The spacing between the coils must be substantially equal to the diameter of the wire of which the coils are formed, so that there is practically no looseness-or play in an axial direction between the enmeshed coils of the elements, and for the purpose of holding the coils in proper spaced relation, .the sides thereof remote,

from the points of interlocking engagement are secured to a non-stretching tape or other suitable flexible member which prevents axial elongation of the coiled elements. In practice, it has been found that a particularly effective fastener element results when each convolution of the coiled element is provided with a plurality of reverse bends or waves extending alternately in opposite axial directions, as this affords a circumferential series of interlocking points, permitting interlocking engagement at any place therearound and maintaining such engagement when the other element is shifted around the element having the adjoining bends. Moreover, such formation affords a bend in each convolution at the point of attachment to the tape and tends to prevent circumferential displacement of the coils on the tape.

It will be understood from the foregoing that a high degree of accuracy is required in forming the spiral elements so that the bends will align and the proper spacing is maintained between the coils, and as the wire used in such fastener elements is necessarily small gauge, it is desirable to avoid abrupt bends or, d1e markings which would weaken the wire and make it subject to breakage in use.

' The principal objects of my invention are to provide a coiled fastener element with suitable bends accurately arranged so as to afford an effective interlocking element; to con-- struct the spring with a plurality of reverse bends or waves in each convolution which are uniform and in axial alignment; to provide a method which may be utilized for forming bends of any desired form and number in the convolutionsof a coiled element; to avoid stamping or excessive bending of the wire which would weaken the completed fastener element; and in general, to simplify, reduce the expense of manufacture and insure accuracy and uniformity in the con struct-ion of fastener, elements of the type above referred to.

On the drawings: Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of a fastening device 'of the character to which myinvention relates, showing the opposed spiral elements in the interlocked and released positions respectively, below and above the operative slider;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary View'of rolls for crimping the wire preparatory to forming same into a spiral coil;

Fig. 3 is a sideview of a mandrel having a coiled element thereon at the completion of the winding operation;

Fig. 4 is similar view, showing the coiled member on the mandrel after the waves or bends of the various convolutionshave been lined up; i

Fig. 5 is an end view of a finished coiled element constructed in accordance with my in-.

ing connection therebetween and suitably operated to crimp or form reverse bends in' the wire 3. These rolls are preferably formed with spaced projections 4 somewhat 5 in the form of gear teeth, which are arranged so that as the rolls are rotated, the teeth of one roll enter midway between the adjoining teeth of the other roll,'thereby forming the reverse bends 5 and 6 respectively, which bends, while quite pronounced, are well rounded so that no breaking strain is imposed on the wire.

After the Wire has been crimped or formed with the bends 5 and 6 as shown in Fig. 2, the crimped wire is wound on a mandrel 7.

in any convenient manner and prefe'rabl has an aperture 8 to receive the ends 0 the -crimped wire for holding the same as the winding is started on the mandrel. Suitable mechanism is provided to direct the wire onto the mandreland advance the same along' the mandrel as the latter is rotated so that a space occurs between successive coils which is substantially equal to the diameter of the wire. The wire is of course guided onto the mandrel so that the reverse bends lie flat against the surface of the mandrel and extend respectively toward the opposite ends of or lie in a vertical plane, and providing the guidelfi which directs the wire onto the mandrel with a horizontal slot which turns the crimped wire so that the crimps lie in a horizontal plane as the wire feeds-onto the,

mandrel. This uarter turning of the crimped wire and rawing same through the slot of the guide 16 has been found to effect a uniform opening of the bends andinsures proper relative positioning of the waves on thev mandrel. The crimped wire may, .of

course, be prepared previous to the winding operation and fed from a spool or other source of supply. in ,a manner to insure the required quarter-turn or other means may be provided foruniformly opening up the crimps as the coil is wound.

5 The wire is preferably wound on the mandrel so vth at a plurality df wave-like elements occur in each convolution of the wire, and it isdeslred that corresponding waves of all the convolutions shall be ar-- or run somewhat ahead of the correspond- This mandrel may be arranged to be rotated ing waves of the preceding convolution and the corresponding waves of the convolutions are arranged in spiral lines somewhat as in-' dicated at 11in Fig. 3. After the winding of the spring has been completed, the final end, which is the end indicated at 12 in Fig. 3, is held while the mandrel is turned Fig. 1 shows the manner in which elements of this characterare intended to be used, that is, the coiled element which has just been described, serves as a fastener element 13- which co-operates with another, fastener element 14, the latter being preferably a plain coil 'so that the elements 13 and 14 interlock by nesting of the coils of 'ne element between the coils of the other element When the slider 15 is moved therealong in one direction, and these coils likewise release when the s ider is moved in the reverse direction. I

In the illustrated construction, each convolution of the coiled. element 13 has four. bends 9 in one direction and four bends 10 in the other direction. However,.it is to be understood that the number of bends is not important, as the same method of manufacture may be advantageously employed toform a coiled element with a single crimp or bend of'any desired character or extent or in fact, any number of bends.

- It will be noted that while the corresponding bends of the successive coils run somewhat in advance of the corresponding bends of the preceding coils, nevertheless they are sufficiently near to an axial aligning relation so that the bends of each convolution may nest within the corresponding bends of the ad- ]01I11I1g convolutions and'because of this fea- .ture, it is possible to wind the element-with pronounced bends andat the same time have a close spacing of the coils or convolutions.

While I have shown and described my invention in a preferred form, I am aware that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the principles of my invention, the scope of which is to be determined by the-appended claims.

I claim as my invention;

1. The method of manufacturing a. coiled fastener element of the class described, which comprises forming bends in a length of wire at regular intervals and then winding the wire on a mandrel so that each bend-lies 'flat against the surface of the mandrel and is interposed between and spaced from correiponding bends of the adjoining convolu- 1ons.

2. The method of making a coiled fastener element of the class described, which comprises forming a length of wire with corresponding bends at regular intervals, then winding the Wire on a mandrel so that each convolution comprises a bend which is interposed between corresponding bends of the adjoining convolutions and then untwisting the element and thereby fixing the bends in alignment along a line parallel to the axis of the coiled member.

3. The method of making a coiled fastener element of the class described, which comprises forming a wire with a plurality of uniformly spaced bends, then winding the wire on a mandrel so as to form an elongated coil and simultaneously stretching the wire and thereby expanding the bends into wave-like formations with the wavelike formation of each convolution interposed between corresponding wave-like formations of the adjoining convolutions.

4:. The method of making a coiled fastener element of the class described, which comrises forming a length of wire with uniormly spaced bends in the same plane, then winding the wire on a mandrel in separate spaced convolutions so that the bends lie flat against the surface of the mandrel and are offset in the direction of the length of the mandrel.

5. The method of making a coiled fastener element of the class described, which comprises forming a length of wire with oppositely ofi'set portions at regular intervals and then coiling the wire on a mandrel so that each convolution is separated from the adjoining convolutions and comprises a plurality of reversely offset portions in axial alignment with the corresponding offset portions of the other convolutions of the coiled element.

6. The method of making a coiled fastener element of the class described, which comprises winding a wire on a mandrel in a zig zag course so that each convolution is separated from the adjoining convolutions a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the wire and comprises alternate reverse bends which are interposed between corresponding bends of the adjoining convolutions of the coiled element.

7. The method of making a coiled fastener element which comprises coiling a wire with alternate bends to form an elongated cylindrical spiral spring with corresponding portions of each convolution ofiset lengthwise of the spring and with an open space between the adjoining convolutions substantially equal to the thickness of the wire.

8. The method of making a coiled fastener element which comprises providing a length of wire with interlocking means at intervals, and then coiling the wire in the form of an elongated coiled spring with the interlocking means substantially in alignment lengthwise of the spring, and with an open space between the adjoining convolutions substantially equal GEORGE W. BLAIR.

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