US3908242A

US3908242A - Continuous filament slide fastener

Info

Publication number: US3908242A
Application number: US359051A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rolfe E Reynolds
Original assignee: Textron Inc
Current assignee: Talon Inc
Priority date: 1973-05-10
Filing date: 1973-05-10
Publication date: 1975-09-30
Anticipated expiration: 1992-09-30
Also published as: CA1015536A

Abstract

A continuous filament for a slide fastener having legs extending from head elements and joined by flattened heels, the legs having notches therein at the junctions with the heels to seat threads for securing the continuous filament to a slide fastener tape and the heels extending substantially transversely from the surfaces of the notches, and a method and apparatus for forming the continuous filament.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Reynolds 1 1 Sept. 30, 1975 1 CONTINUOUS FILAMENT SLIDE FASTENER [75] Inventor: Rolfe E. Reynolds, Meadville, Pa.

[73] Assignee: Textron, Inc., Providence, R].

[22] Filed: May 10, 1973 [21] App]. No.: 359,051

[52] US. Cl. 24/205.l3 C; 24/205.16 C

[51] Int. Cl. A44B 19/10; A44B 19/40 [58] Field of Search 24/205.16 C, 20513 C, 24/205.l C

156] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,015,868 l/1962 Ruhrmann 24/205.16 C

3,199.162 8/1965 Sohr i 24/205.16 C

3,579,748 5/1971 Chery 24/2051 C 3,757,391 9/1973 Cuckson 24/205.l C

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 2,027,193 3/1971 Germany 24/2051 C 1,306,067 9/1962 France 24/205.13 C

1,529,317 5/1968 France 24/2051 C 1,177,727 1/1970 United Kingdom 24/205.l C

Italy 24/205.13 C

Prinuu v ExaminerBernard A. Gelak [57] ABSTRACT A continuous filament for a slide fastener having legs extending from head elements and joined by flattened heels, the legs having notches therein at the junctions with the heels to seat threads for securing the continuous filament to a slide fastener tape and the heels extending substantially transversely from the surfaces of the notches, and a method and apparatus for forming the continuous filament.

2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures Sheet 1 of 2 3,908,242

FIG. 4

US. Patent Sept. 30,1975

U.S. Patent Sept. 30,1975 Sheet20f2 3,908,242

CONTINUOUS FILAMENT SLIDE FASTENER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention pertains to slide fasteners and, more particularly, to a continuous filament forming interengaging elements for a slide fastener and a method and apparatus for forming the continuous filament.

2. Description of the Prior Art Continuous filaments made of a plastic material are conventionally utilized to form interengaging elements for slide fasteners, such continuous filaments being normally of a coil-- or ladder-type configuration. In securing ladder-type continuous filaments to fabric slide fastener tapes, the threads extend over and protrude from the legs and heels of the continuous filament; and, thus, slide fasteners utilizing such continuous filaments are subject to wear and abrasion.

While the prior art has contemplated the use of grooves and recesses in filaments to reduce abrasion in slide fasteners, the prior art has notbeen well accepted due to difficulty in production and further since abrasion and wear have not been reduced to the extent desired. US. Pat. No. 3,015,868 is exemplary of specifically configured filaments for slide fasteners and means for securing such filaments to tapes; however, the threads utilized to secure the filaments to the tapes are still exposed to wear and abrasion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is generally characterized in a slide fastener including a tape having an inner edge, a continuous filament forming a plurality of longitudinally spaced head elements, a pair of legs extending from each head element, a plurality of flattened heels joining legs extending from adjacent head elements and a notch formed at a junction between each of the legs and the heels, and thread means for securing the continuous filament to the tape, the thread means being seated in the notches.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to produce a continuous filament for a slide fastener overcoming the disadvantages of the prior art by utilizing notches in the legs of the continuous filament adjacent flattened heels to seat threads for securing the filament to a tape.

Another object of the present invention is to form a continuous filament for a slide fastener with flattened heels extending substantially transversely from the flat surfaces of notches formed in legs of the filament.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method of forming a continuous filament for a slide fastener wherein an angularly oriented force is utilized to form a notch in the legs of the filament.

The present invention has an additional object in that apparatus for forming a continuous filament includes a forming wheel having cavities for forming notches in the filament in response to an angular force from a sloping side surface of a heeling wheel.

Another object of the present invention is to utilize right-angled corners to form notches and flattened heels in a continuous filament for a slide fastener.

Some of the advantages of the present invention over the prior art are that threads securing the filament to a tape are biased toward the junction of the legs and the heels to stabilize installation, the profile of the tape and filament is reduced, protection is provided against scuffing by the slider and the threads securing the filament to a tape are contained and protected in notches adjacent heels extending outwardly to leave an unobstructed tape area.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawmgs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a slide fastener having interengaging elements formed of continuous filaments according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section of the slide fastener of FIG. 1 taken along line 22;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of apparatus for forming a continuous filament according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 3 during forming of a continuous element according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a broken perspective of a continuous filament according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a top view of a portion of the continuous filament of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of a portion of the continuous filament of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is an end elevation of the continuous filament of FIG. 5 taken along line 88.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT each formed of a continuous filament 22 and secured to the fabric tapes 12 and 14 in the same manner. Accordingly, only elements 16 are shown in FIG. 2 to illustrate the manner in which the continuous filaments are secured to the inner edges of the tapes.

As shown in FIGS. 5-8, the continuous filaments 22 forming

interengaging elements

16 and 18 are shaped to define head elements 24 adapted to interengage when the slide fastener 10 is closed, a pair of

legs

26 and 28 extending from opposite sides of each head elev ment 24 and

heels

30 and 32 extending substantially parallel to the inner edges of the tapes on opposite sides thereof, heels 30 joining parallel legs 26 extending from adjacent head elements 24 while heels 32 join parallel legs 28 extending from adjacent head elements 24.

Legs

26 and 28 have

flat notches

34 and 36 formed on the outer surfaces thereof

adjacent heels

30 and 32, respectively, and the

heels

30 and 32 are each flattened to have a flat bottom surface and an oblate configuration with a longitudinal axis extending substantially transversely from the

notches

34 and 36, respectively, such that the continuous filament 22 is distorted in cross section at the

heels

30 and 32 as well as at

notches

34 and 36 and head elements 24. As best shown in FIG. 5, a single complete course of the continuous filament 22 between two identical longitudinally spaced points, such as form A to B, includes a heel 30, a leg 26, a head element 24, a leg 28, a heel '32, a leg 28, a head element 24 and a leg 26 such that each course of the continuous filament 22 includes two head elements 24 and

single heels

30 and 32 laterally spaced and longitudinally alternating with each other. Accordinglyjthe continuous filaments 22 have a plurality of heels 30 longitudinally spaced along the inner surfaces of the tapes l2 and 14 adjacentthe inner edges thereof and a plurality of heels 32 longitudinally spaced along the outer surfaces of the tapes l2 and 14 in longitudinally alternating relation with heels 30;

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the continuous filaments 22 are secured t'o'the tapes by thread or yarn 38 which can be either sewn or woven to extend over the

legs

26 and 28 and loop around the extending portions to form a braid package. The thread 38 is seated in the

notches

34 and 36 such that the thread is protected from wear. With the continuous filament 22 secured to the tapes, they are-bent about the head elements 24 such that the flat surfaces of

notches

34 and 36 slope angularly toward the tapes and-the'legs 26 and 28 and

heels

30 and 32 are positioned against respective opposite sides of the tapes with the fiat bottom surfaces of the heels extending substantially perpendicular to the flat surfaces of the notches 34 and "36; and, accordingly, the threads 38 slide toward

heels

30 and 32 during installation 'of the filaments such that the threads are contained at the junctions of the heels and the notches providing the slide fastener with a low profile and positively preventing leg movement. The longitudinal axes of the flattened oblate configuration of the

heels

30 and 32 extend at an oblique angle away from the tapes and head elements 24 providing protection from scuffing by movement of the slider and leaving unobstructed areas of the tapes since the flattened cross sections of the heels extend outwardly at an oblique angle'away from the tapes and the head eleof lugs 50 are carried on the peripheral surface of the forming wheel 40 on either side of channel 42, each lug 50 being in alignmentwith one of the

guides

44 and 46 such that a front surface of each lug 50 spans the areabetween forming cavities '54 and 56 defined by the spacing'between guides 44 and the spacing between guides'46, respectively. The bottom of channel 42 is defined by a spacer 48, and the channel 42 has

radial side walls

60 and 62 extending transversely from the bottom of the channel to define theforming cavities 54 and"56 between the

guides

44 and 46, respectively, and

to 'form right-

angled corners

63 and 64 with the periphof the

legs

26 and 28 of the continuous filament 22. The heeling wheel.65 has

side surfaces

72 and 74 sloping from

side rims

66 and 68 toward central rim 70, respectively, the

surfaces

72 and 74 having frustoconical configurations with an angular orientation parallel to sloping surfaces 48 on

guides

44 and 46.

In orer to form a continuous filament 22 according to the' present invention, a continuous filament is initially formed in a serpentine configuration, for example by wrapping around the lugs 50, and is then bent into a 'channel -like' configuration with'a generally constant filament cros's 'se ction. The channel-like serpentine filarnerlt 76is positioned'in the channel 42 of the forming wheel 40as'shown in FIG. 3 with legs in forming

cavities

54 and 56. The heelingwheel 65 is'inserted in channel 42, as shown in FIG. 4,'such that the filament 76 can becontinuously' fed to the apparatus while the forming and heeling

wheels

40 and 64 are rotated to compress the filamentand permit continuous forming of the continuous filaments 22. The heeling wheel 65 is forced into the channel 42 with a force'sufficient to deform the filament 76, the

side rims

66 and 68 de pressing and flattening the heels 30 and'32 against the peripheral surface 41 of the forming wheel and the flat surfaces'52 of the lugs 50. The

side surfaces

72 and 74 of the heeling wheel 65 provide an angular force pushin 'g'the legs of filament 76 into forming

cavities

54 and 56 such that

notches

34 and 36 are formed in

legs

26 and 28 by

side walls

60 and 62, respectively, and

corners

63 and 64 provide the generally transverse or substantially perpendicular orientation between the flat bottom surfaces of

heels

30 and 32 and the flat inwardly extending surfaces of the

notches

34 and 36, respectively. The widened head elements 24 are formed by the spaces between

guides

44 and 46 which permit the central rim of the heeling wheel 65 to slightly flatten andbend the transverse legs of the filament 76. The parallel relation of sloping surfaces 48 and side surfaces 72 and 74 permit the forming wheelto accommodate the heeling wheel with precision positioning.

Inasmuch as the present invention is subject to many variations, modifications and changes in detail, it is intended that all matter contained inthe foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is: V

In a slide fastener the combination comprising a tape having an inner edge and inner portions adjacent the inner edge;

a continuous filament having a length and forming a plurality of longitudinally spaced head elements along its length, each head element having'opposite sides, first and second legs extending from the opposite sides of each head element and being spaced relative to each other, a first plurality of heels joining said first legs which extend from adjacent head elements, a second plurality of heels joining said second legs which extend from adjacent head elements, the inner edge of said tape being interposed between said first and second legs of the head elements along the length of said filament, a first notch formed at a junction between each first leg and its associated first heel and on the exposed side of each first leg, a second notch formed at a junction between each second leg and its associated second heel and on the exposed side of each second leg;

the first and second notches including opposed sloping surface means on the first and second legs of a head element, the opposed sloping surface means on each first or second leg of a head element being angularly oriented in a direction toward said tape; and

thread means extending between and interconnected to inner portions of said tape and the first and second notches such that said thread means is seated in the first and second notches and said filament is secured to said tape;

said first and second pluralities of heels each having a flattened cross sectional configuration positioned first and second notches.

Claims

1. In a slide fastener the combination comprising a tape having an inner edge and inner portions adjacent the inner edge; a continuous filament having a length and forming a plurality of longitudinally spaced head elements along its length, each head element having opposite sides, first and second legs extending from the opposite sides of each head element and being spaced relative to each other, a first plurality of heels joining said first legs which extend from adjacent head elements, a second plurality of heels joining said second legs which extend from adjacent head elements, the inner edge of said tape being interposed between said first and second legs of the head elements along the length of said filament, a first notch formed at a junction between each first leg and its associated first heel and on the exposed side of each first leg, a second notch formed at a junction between each second leg and its associated second heel and on the exposed side of each second leg; the first and second notches including opposed sloping surface means on the first and second legs of a head element, the opposed sloping surface means on each first or second leg of a head element being angularly oriented in a direction toward said tape; and thread means extending between and interconnected to inner portions of said tape and the first and second notches such that said thread means is seated in the first and second notches and said filament is secured to said tape; said first and second pluralities of heels each having a flattened cross sectional configuration positioned against respective opposite sides of the tape with the longitudinal axis of the flattened configuration extending at an oblique angle away from the tape and the head elements.

2. A combination as recited in claim 1 wherein the opposed sloping surface means of the first and second notches are sloped in a direction away from the inner edge of said tape, and the first and second heels have flat bottom surfaces extending substantially perpendicularly from the opposed sloping surface means of the respective first and second notches.