US2703889A - Fastener for garments or the like - Google Patents

Description

March 15, 1955 L. ROSEMAN FASTENER FOR GARMENTS OR THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 14, 1952 March 15, 1955 L. ROSEMAN 2,703,889

FASTENER FOR GARMENTS OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 14, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zea avenger/2 United States Patent C) FASTENER FOR GARMENTS OR THE LIKE Leo Roseman, Newark, N. J.

Application October 14, 1952, Serial No. 314,624

4 Claims. (Cl. 2-265) There has been a long standing need for curved readymade fastener tape in continuous pieces or pieces of predetermined lengths for use on, for example, the curved edges of a panty girdle and the detachable crotch piece thereof, or along the curved edges of corselettes or girdles or to conform to the edges of removable bust pockets in a brassiere. Up to the present time, it has been customary to use straight pieces of fastener tape, for example of the hook and eye type, or the head and socket type or the button and button hole type, but such tapes when applied to the curved edges of garments cause bulging or buckling of the tape in addition to bulkiness of the overlapping fastener sections or garment edges and hard protuberances produced by the fastener elements which cause discomfort to the wearer of the garment.

Therefore, a prime object of my invention is to provide curved ready-made fasteners particularly adapted for connecting sections of garments such as girdles, brassieres, corsets, coats and the like, along curved lines and so constructed as to overcome the aforesaid disadvantages inherent to the heretofore known fasteners.

It is another object of my invention to provide a fastener section for a garment having pockets therein for receiving the heads of head element fasteners and which fastener section may be constructed in accordance with my invention to curve concavely or convexly.

It is still another object of my invention to provide such a fastener section having intermittent folds forming pairs of pockets therein at spaced intervals with the edges of adjacent folds disposed in angular relation whereby the fastener section is caused to assume a curvilinear outline.

To attain the objects and advantages of my invention I provide a fastener section having intermittent pairs of folds forming a plurality of pockets therein at spaced intervals. The folds of each pair are oppositely disposed and in angular relationship whereby the fastener section is caused to assume a curved outline and in this manner various degrees of curvature may be obtained in such fastener section and a pocket is formed at one side of the strip by each of said pairs of folds. The fastener section having the aforementioned pockets formed therein connects with a head element section having head fastener elements secured therein at spaced intervals corresponding to the spacing between the pockets in the pocket section which fastener elements are insertable in the pockets for connecting the sections together.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a girdle having a detachable crotch connected therein by fastener means constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the pocket section of my fastener means;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the pocket section of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the head element section;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view showing the pocket and head element sections assembled;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view showing an assembled fastener curved both concavely and convexly;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of an assembled fastener showing in detail the manner of the assembly;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the plane of the line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the plane of the line 9-? of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on the plane of the line 1010 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of a fastener formed and assembled along a circular outline;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the fastener of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a top plan view of a fastener formed and assembled along a somewhat elliptical outline;

Figs. 14 and 15 are fragmentary top plan views of a pocket section having head fastener elements secured therem at opposite ends of the mouths between adjacent pockets respectively.

T he fastener contemplates in general two sections, one having a plurality of pockets formed at spaced intervals in a fabric tape or directly in the marginal portions of a garment, the pockets being formed so as to cause such section to assume a curvilinear outline, while the other section has a plurality of head fastener elements secured at corresponding intervals in a fabric tape or the edge of a garment, each to cooperate with one of the pockets.

More particularly the fastener includes fiat substantially T-shaped fastener elements extending beyond the edge of the corresponding fastener section, which cooperates with the corresponding pocket sections which open through one face of the corresponding tape or the face of the garment and have abutments in spaced relation to the edge of the tape or garment for the arms of the T- shaped head elements, and also have inwardly projecting folds, the ends of the heads of the head elements being inserted into the pockets beneath said folds and in abutting relation to saidabutments. The head elements are held against accidental displacement from their pockets by the folds, and the two sections of the fastener or the garment edges are held against being pulled apart by engagement of the head elements with said abutments.

The pockets may be of ditferent construction as may also the head elements. Referring to Figs. l-l3 inclusive, reference characters A and B designate respectively the head element section and the pocket section, these sections being in the form of fabric tapes that are applied as by stitching to the marginal portions C and D of a garment.

The tape comprising the head element section A is preferably although not necessarily curvilinear and as shown comprises a plurality of layers or plies of fabric, for example, cotton textile fabric, on which are secured at spaced intervals thereof T-shaped head elements E which project from one edge of the tape. Preferably each head element is formed of a single piece of wire bent to provide a stem or shank portion comprising two spaced and parallel lengths 1 of the wire at one end of which is the head 2 in the form of a loop, preferably curved. The other end of the shank has a base portion comprising loops 3 which are arranged between opposed plies of the tape and secured to the tape by any suitable means as by stitching. Each head element is in general fiat and lies approximately in the plane of the tape with the head in spaced relation to the edge of the tape. The tape A is secured on the marginal portions C of the garment with one edge approximately coincident with the garment edge, the tape being fastened on the garment in any suitable manner as by lines of stitches 50.

The tape comprising the section B also includes a plurality of layers of fabric and has a plurality of pockets F at spaced intervals corresponding to the spacing between the head elements E and opening through one face of the tape. The pockets F as shown are formed by folding or doubling of the tape upon itself at spaced points to form box pleats. More particularly and as best shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9, for forming each pocket, the tape is folded in one direction transversely upon itself as indicated at 5 and is then folded in the opposite direction as indicated at 6 so as to provide two folds 7 in spaced relation to each other transversely of the strip that provide edge portions, lips or flanges 7' for the pocket overlying the bottom of the pocket and forming between them an opening or mouth for the pocket. In accordance with my invention the folds 7 are formed in such a way that the edges 7' thereof are disposed in angular relation to each other whereby the tape is caused to assume a curved outline. Folds 7 may be formed with edges 7' convergmg in one direction or in the other direction depending upon whether it is desired to curve the tape convexly or concavely (see Fig. 6). Varying degrees of curvature may, of course, be obtained in this manner, and as shown in Fig. 11 the tape may be caused to assume a circular outline as required for example for connecting a removable breast pocket to a brassiere, or it may be caused to take on a more elliptical form (see Fig. 12) such as might describe the connection between a jacket at the shoulder and a removable sleeve. The width of the mouth between edges 7 is substantially less while the width of the pocket at its bottom is greater than the overall length of the head of one of the head elements so that said head can he slipped beneath said edge portions as best shown in Figure 7.

Each of the pockets has the abutments G for the head of a head element in spaced relation to the edge of the tape B that is concident with the edge of the corresponding garment section D. These abutments may be of various forms, for example, superposed stitches as shown in the drawings, or staples or metal eyelets but in all cases, preferably they secure all of the plies of the tape together at the edge portions of the corresponding pocket as best shown in Fig. 8. Also the plies of fabric of the tape are secured together by stitches 8 that may be formed in a continuous operation with the superposed stitches G and by stitches 9 below stitches 8. The tape B may be secured to the garment as by stitches 10 which extend across the mouths of pockets F at one end in spaced relation to abutments G. The distance between the stitches G and 10 is just sufficient to permit the head of the head element to be inserted into the pocket beneath folds 7 when the head is turned diagonally to the longitudinal edges of the tape, and the stitches G and 10 thus cooperate to hold the head element against accidental displacement from the pocket during the alternate application and release of tension on the fastener which tends to cause the head element to move lengthwise of the pocket when the garment is being worn. The width of the opening or mouth of the pocket between the edge portions 7' is somewhat greater throughout its length than the stem 1 of the head element so that the latter may enter under the folds 7 when the head element is inserted into the pocket and the edge portions 7' restrain the head element against lateral movement.

The operation of the fastener will be apparent from the foregoing. When the fastener sections are separated as shown in Figures 2 and 4 and it is desired to connect them or close the fastener, the heads 2 of the head elements are inserted into the respective pockets in succession, each head being twisted diagonally to the edge portions of the pocket tape and to the longitudinal edges of the pocket mouth and the head element then being tilted slightly obliquely to the plane of the pocket tape alternately in opposite directions to facilitate the slipping of the ends of the head beneath the respective edge portions 7' of the pocket. The whole head element including head, shank, and base lies in a substantially flat plane and is turned while it is approximately in the plane of the tape, as distinguished from the operation of buttons and button holes and head and socket snap fasteners. According to applicants construction, there is a minimum of overlapping of the edges of the respective sections A and B when they are assembled.

Any tension on the fastener sections tending to pull them apart, will draw the heads of the head elements into abutting relation to the abutment elements G. It will be noted that the abutment elements engage the head elements at points intermediate the stem or shank 1 and the extremities of the head so that the head elements may rock or twist to compensate for relative movements of the fastener sections that might be incident to movements of the body on which the garment is worn. To separate the head elements from the pockets, the head elements are again turned with their heads oblique to the edges of the tape after which the head is turned alternately in opposite directions obliquely to the plane of the tape to permit withdrawal successively of the portions of the head from the pocket. Rapid disconnection of the head elements from the pocket in one continuous operation can be eflected by simply pulling apart the edge portions of the garment sections apart while at substantially right angles to each other in the manner incident to the teanng of paper.

As shown in Figs. 14 and 15 the head elements E may if desired be permanently secured in pockets F as by stitches 51 at the diverging or converging end of the mouth between adjacent pockets depending upon whether the tape is curved convexly as shown in Fig. 14 or goncavely as shown in Fig. 15. As shown, the loops 3 are secured within the tape whereas head 2 of the head element projects beyond the edge of the tape. The head end of the element may then be inserted into the pockets of another tape having a curvilinear outline and hav ng pockets such as already described the spacing of which corresponds to the spacing of the pockets having the head elements secured therein.

It is to be understood that various changes and IIIOdI- fications may be made in the embodiment of my invention as shown and described herein within the scopeof the appended claims and without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

In the drawings, the edges of the fastener sections A and B have been shown as slightly overlapplng, but the fastener sections can be made to abut edge to edge in a common plane by simply lengthening the shanks of the head elements B.

What I claim is:

1. A fastener section having pockets each to receive and interlock with a head fastener element having a shank and a head, said fastener section comprising a strip folded or doubled upon itself at longitudinally spacedpomts along lines transverse of the strip, thereby providing a plurality of box pleats each of which includes two closely spaced oppositely disposed folds converging toward each other on one face of the strip and toward one edge of the strip, each box pleat having a bottom wall and inwardly projecting flange portions forming an elongate mouth opening through one face of the strip between the adjacent edges of said flange portions, whereby the edges of the strip are curved lengthwise, and means securing said flange portions to said bottom wall with their adjacent edges in spaced relation and angularly related to each other, the direction of the length of said mouth being transverse to an edge of said fastener section strip and the width of said mouth being less than the length of the head of said head element so that the head of said head element can be inserted through said mouth with its head beneath said flange portions.

2. A fastener section as defined in claim 1 where1n there are abutments between said flange portions and said bottom wall of each pocket against which the head of an interlocking head element will abut when located in said pocket.

3. A fastener comprising a head element section and a pocket section, each section including an elongated strip of flexible material, said head element section having a plurality of head elements secured thereon in spaced relation and each being substantially flat and formed with a shank and a head in T-shaped relation, the head of each head element being in spaced relation to the edge of the corresponding strip, the pocket section having pairs of oppositely disposed transverse folds at spaced intervals on the strip with the folds of each pair of folds dlS- posed in angular relationship to each other transversely of the strip so that said strip has a curved outllne lengthwise, said oppositely disposed folds of each pair forming a pocket with a mouth opening through one face of the strip between the adjacent edges of the folds, said mouth being of a width less than the length of the head of said head fastener element so that the head of one of said head elements can be inserted into said mouth with the extremities of said head beneath said folds and in said pocket, the mouths of said pockets being spaced apart lengthwise of the pocket section distances corresponding to the distances between said head elements on the head element section and the elongated strip of said head element section being curvilinear corresponding to the curvature of said pocket section strip.

4. A fastener section comprising an elongated strip of flexible material having pairs of oppositely disposed transverse folds at spaced intervals on said strip with the folds of each pair of folds disposed in angular relationship to each other transversely of the strip so that the strip has a curved outline lengthwise, said oppositely disposed folds of each pair forming a pocket having a mouth 5 6 openingdthrough ogeffiaze of dthe Isitrig Fetween the ad- References Cited in the file of this patent jacent e ges of sai o s, an a ea astener cement in each of said pockets and having a shank, a head in UNITED STATES PATENTS T-shaped relation to said shank, and a base portion on 622,349 Halstenbach Apr. 4, 1899 said shank in spaced relation to said head and disposed 5 2,375,745 Alfandre May 15, 1945 beneath said folds of the corresponding pocket with the 2,500,432 Ravkind et a1. Mar. 14, 1950 shank and head projecting from one edge of said strip, 2.544.432 Morano Mar. 6, 1951 and means securing said base portions to said strip in said pockets.

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