Method and machine for finishing slide fastener stringers

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS METHOD OF FINISHING SLIDE FASTENER STRINGERS COMPOSED OF FABRIC TAPE AND A SERIES OF LOCKING ELEMENTS WHICH ARE ATTACHED TO AN EDGE OF SUCH TAPE AND ARE ADAPTED TO INTERLOCK WITH THE SERIES OF LOCKING ELEMENTS OF ANOTHER STRINGER, COMPRISING TAKING TWO STRIPS OF CONNECTED STRINGERS WITH THE LOCKING ELEMENTS ON THE STRINGERS, OF ONE STRIP INTERLOCKED WITH THE LOCKING ELEMENTS ON THE STRINGERS OF THE OTHER STRIP AND FEEDING SUCH INTERLOCKED STRIPS UNDER TENSION AT A PREDETERMINED RATE WITHOUT INTERRUPTION AND DURING SUCH CONTINUOUS FEED OF THE STRIPS SUBJECTING THE TAPES OF SUCH STRINGERS IN A SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED CHAMBER TO A WET, HOT STREAM CAPABLE OF SHRINKING THE TAPES OF SUCH STRINGERS AND TAKING OUT WRINKLES IN SUCH TAPES, THEN DRYING THE STRINGERS AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE SUCH AS WILL COMPLETE THE SHRINKING OF THE STRINGER TAPES AND RENDER SUCH TAPES AND THE LOCKING ELEMENTS THEREON COMPLETELY DRY, APPLYING A COATING OF MOLTEN WAX TO ONE FACE OF THE LOCKING ELEMENTS WHILE THE LATTER ARE IN A HEATED CONDITION AND WHILE PROTECTING THE TAPES FROM SUCH WAX, SUBJECTING THE WAX-COATED LOCKING ELEMENTS OF SUCH STRINGERS TO AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE TO DISPERSE THE WAX OVER THE ELEMENTS, AND FLEXING THE INTERLOCKED STRINGERS BY BENDING THEM IN TWO DIRECTIONS AT RELATIVELY SHARP ANGLES TO BREAK UP ANY WAX BETWEEN THE ELEMENTS THEREOF, WHILE MAINTAINING THE TAPES THEREOF IN UNWRINKLED CONDITION.