US2061466A - Slide fastener socket - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 17,y 1936. Q JOHNSQN 2,061,466

SLIDE FASTENER SOCKET Filed June'22, 1954 v :fa/vena zi.- mavcb hr1/Son, y 1%* Patented Nov. 17, 1936 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLIDE FASTENER SOCKET Application June 22, 1934, Serial No. 731,931

5 Claims.

lVLy invention aims to provide improvements in slide fastener sockets of the type adaptable to adjustable assembly with a strap or the like supporting article.

In the drawing, which shows preferred forms of my improved socket:-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a preferred form of the socket assembled With a strap;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the relative positions of stud and socket under lateral stress;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged bottom plan View of the socket shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged top plan View of the socket shown in Fig. l removed from the strap;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 'l is a bottom plan View of another form of my improved socket.

The preferred forms of my invention shown in the accompanying drawing both present a simple, sturdy slide-fastener socket for use with a rigid stud and adapted to be adjustably mounted on a supporting strap. The forms as shown are also Iprovided with a lateral locking device which is a useful addition to the usual snap fastener slide socket.

The specic form of my improved socket as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive presents a slide-fastener socket having a main plate part I provided with strap-receiving slots 2-2 located at opposite ends, a stud-receiving aperture 3 located between the slots, a spring-retaining means comprising a plate lI with extensions 5-5 passing through the slots 2-2 and bent over plate I thus securing plate 4 to plate I.

Plate I is slightly curved (Fig. 2) and I have provided sides la bent substantially at right angles to plate I on either side as in Fig. 6, togive the socket strength and to enhance its appearance.

The aperture 3 is elongated toward each of the strap-receiving slots 2-2 (Figs. 4 and 5), and I have provided a similar elongated aperture correspondingly located in the spring-retaining plate 4. Between the main plate I and the retaining plate 4, I have assembled a spring having a pair of yieldable jaws 8 (Figs. 4 and 5), which jaws intersect the aperture 3 and extend along the sides of the aperture as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The jaws substantially conform in shape to the sides of the aperture; that is, they are closer to each other adjacent to the narrow elongations of (Cl. 2li-77) the. aperture 3 than they are adjacent to the median opening of the aperture. The jaws are also formed so as to be inside the aperture rather than outside it, and so assembled in the casing as to be in a plane parallel to the planes of the 5- plates I and 4. This relation is clearly shown in Figs. 4 through 6, an-d is a necessary feature of the socket since the function of the spring jaws is to grip the constricted neck 9 of the cooperating stud (Fig. 2).

The spring-retaining plate is` further provided with a series of lugs I0 struck from it and extending into contact with the plate I (Figs. 4 and 5). The function of these lugs I8 is twofold. The first is to prevent the casing from collapsing under pressure and the second function is to check the lateral expansion of the stud-engaging jaws 8. The purpose of this checking action will be brought out in the following description of the mode of operation of the socket. 20

When the socket is snapped over the head II of the cooperating stud (Fig. 2), the head II spreads the jaws 8 and enters the aperture 3 of the main plate I. The neck 9 is then adjacent to the spring jaws 8 which contract upon it. When the supporting strap is subjected to lateral stress, as in the case of a cross-strap on a shoe, the neck 9 of the stud is forced into one of the narrow elongations of the aperture 3. The lugs II) are so placed that their distances from the edge o-f the aperture 3 are less than the thickness of the material of the spring jaws 8, and the neck 9 of the stud is of such diameter that when the neck is forced into the narrow elongation each jaw of the spring will be pressed against its retaining lug. Thus the neck 9 of the stud is engaged in a rigid aperture from which, because of the relatively largefsize of the head II of the stud, it cannot be disengaged except by relaxing the tension on the strap and allowing the stud to slip back into the wide part of the opening, whence it may be easily withdrawn. This incorporation of the well-known keyhole slot principle into the yieldable stud-engaging socket is of great value in any case where the socket is to be used under lateral stress, since under stress the stud is locked into the socket and with the stress relaxed the socket is prevented from accidental dislodgement by its spring stud-engaging means.

The form of my improved socket shown in Fig. 'I differs from the above-described socket only in details of construction. The principle upon which it operates is the same. The specific construction shown consists of a one-piece springretaining casing with which I have provided an elongated stud-receiving aperture I3 located between transversely disposed strap-receiving slots I2 at opposite ends of the casing. The springretaining casing (Fig. 7) consists of a plate I 4 having a plurality of extensions I5 adapted to being bent back over the plate itself, and I have further provided the plate with a series of lugs I 6 surrounding the aperture I3. These lugs are struck from the plate itself and are integral with it.

I have also provided a spring assembled between the plate and the extensions I5 and held in place by the extensions I5, said spring having a pair of yieldable stud-engaging jaws I'I intersecting the aperture I3 and extending along the periphery of the aperture. These jaws I1 substantially conform in shape to the contour of the aperture I3, being in closer proximity to each other adjacent to the narrow elongation of the aperture than they are adjacent to the wider median opening. The jaws I I are located between the. lugs I6 and are prevented by them from excessive lateral expansion for the purpose set forth above. The lugs of necessity extend outwardly from the plate on the side adjacent the spring and are of a length at least equal to the thickness of the material of the spring jaws.

As stated above, the principle of this socket and the mode of operation of the same are similar to that of the first-described form of my irnproved socket. This socket is also adapted to be adjustably attached to a supporting strap and is for use with the same type of stud as above described.

While I have illustrated and described preferred forms of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby, as the scope of my invention is best illustrated by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A slide fastener socket having a springholding casing provided with strap-receiving slots at opposite ends, said casing having a stud-receiving aperture between said slots and having narrowing elongations extending toward each of said slots thereby to provide narrowing elongations at opposite ends of said aperture for receiving and engaging a stud when said stud is moved laterally relative to the median of said aperture, a spring assembled in said casing and having at least one yieldable jaw extending in the direction of elongation and intersecting said aperture entirely along one side.

2. A slide fastener socket having a springholding casing provided with strap-receiving slots at opposite ends, said casing having a studreceiving aperture having at least one narrow elongation extending toward one of said slots thereby to provide a narrowing elongation at at least one end of said aperture for receiving and engaging a stud when said stud is moved laterally relative to the median of said aperture, a spring assembled in said casing and having a pair of yieldable stud-engaging jaws intersecting said stud-receiving aperture entirely along opposite sides thereof, said jaws being spaced farther apart adjacent to the center of said aperture than they are adjacent to the outer end of the elongation of said aperture.

3. A slide fastener socket having a springholding casing provided with strap-receiving slots at opposite ends, said casing having a studreceiving aperture between said slots and having narrowing elongations extending toward each of said slots thereby to provide narrowing elongations at opposite ends of said aperture for receiving and engaging a stud when said stud is moved laterally relative to the median of said aperture, a spring assembled in said casing and having a pair of yieldable stud-engaging jaws intersecting said stud-receiving aperture and extending toward the strap-receiving slots, and said jaws converging from the mid-portion of said stud-receiving aperture toward each slot for the purpose described.

4. A slide fastener socket having a plate part provided with strap-receiving slots at opposite ends thereof, a spring-retaining part secured to said plate part, a spring located between said parts and having at least one yieldable jaw intersecting a stud-receiving aperture through one of said parts, the stud-receiving aperture having at least one narrowing elongation extending in a direction toward one of said strap-receiving slots to provide an engaging means for preventing separation of a stud from said aperture as a result of lateral strain upon said stud, means for securing the two parts together and a plurality of lugs formed from one of said parts and having their ends in contact with the other part to maintain a predetermined spacing between said parts for the purpose described.

5. A slide fastener socket having a plate part provided with strap-receiving slots at opposite ends thereof, a spring-retaining part secured to said plate part, a spring located between said parts and having at least one yieldable jaw intersecting a stud-receiving aperture through one of said parts, the stud-receiving aperture having at least one narrowing elongation extending in a direction toward one of said strap-receiving slots to provide an engaging means for preventing separation of a stud from said aperture as a result of lateral strain upon said stud, means for securing the two parts together and a plurality of lugs formed from one of said parts and extending toward the other part and adapted to control lateral motion of the said spring jaw.

GUSTAV JOHNSON.

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