Method and apparatus for manufacturing woven sliding clasp fasteners

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF SHAPING FREE END PORTIONS OF PROJECTING LOOPS OF A CONTINUOUS PERMANENTLY DEFORMABLE PLASTIC FILAMENT TO FORM SLIDE FASTENER TEETH ON SAID FREE END PORTIONS, SAID FILAMENT BEING WOVEN INTO A STRINGER TAPE WITH INNER PORTIONS OF SAID PROJECTING LOOPS INTERWOVEN WITH ONE SELVAGE OF THE TAPE, SAID PROJECTING LOOPS BEING ARRANGED IN A UNIFORMLY SPACED SERIES ALONG SAID ONE SELVAGE WITH THE FILAMENT EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY WITH RESPECT TO THE SURFACE OF THE STRINGER TAPE AT THE OUTERMOST END PORTION OF EACH LOOP AND EXTENDING TOWARD SAID SELVAGE FROM SAID OUTERMOST END PORTION IN THE FORM OF TWO SPACED PARALLEL LEG PORTIONS WHICH ARE GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID SURFACES OF THE TAPE, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: INSERTING A PLURALITY OF FORMING MEMBERS INTO A FIRST SERIES OF FREE SPACES BETWEEN A PLURALITY OF CONSECUTIVE PROJECTING LOOPS TO OCCUPY SAID SPACES SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE CENTER SPACING BETWEEN ADJACENT ONES OF SAID FORMING MEMBERS BEING THE SAME AS THE CENTER SPACING BETWEEN ADJACENT ONES OF SAID LOOPS, EACH FORMING MEMBER BEING LARGER IN THE DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE SELVAGE THAN IS EACH FREE SPACE BETWEEN ADJACENT LOOPS; WITHDRAWING AT LEAST AN END ONE OF SAID FORMING MEMBERS FROM ITS POSITION WITHIN SAID FIRST SERIES OF FREE SPACES; CAUSING PRESSURE TO BE APPLIED TO AT LEAST A LOOP ADJACENT TO AN END ONE OF SAID FORMING MEMBERS INTERMEDIATE SAID INSERTION AND WITHDRAWING STEPS TO CAUSE SAID LAST-NAMED LOOP ADJACENT TO ITS OUTERMOST END PORTION TO ASSUME, AT LEAST PARTIALLY, A CONFIGURATION FOR FASTENING COOPERATION WITH CONFRONTING LOOPS OF COMPLEMENTARY SHAPE ON ANOTHER STRINGER TAPE; AND INSERTING AT LEAST ONE FORMING MEMBER INTO AN END ONE OF A SECOND SERIES OF FREE SPACES, SAID SECOND SERIES OF FREE SPACES EXCLUDING AT LEAST AN END FREE SPACE PREVIOUSLY OCCUPIED BY A FORMING MEMBER, THE NUMBER OF FREE SPACES IN SAID SECOND SERIES BEING EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF FREE SPACES IN SAID FIRST SERIES, ALL OF THE FREE SPACES OF SAID SECOND SERIES HAVING FORMING MEMBERS THEREIN AFTER SAID STEP OF INSERTING AT LEAST ONE FORMING MEMBER.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF SHAPING FREE END PORTIONS OF PROJECTING LOOPS OF A CONTINUOUS PERMANENTLY DEFORMABLE PLASTIC FILAMENT TO FORM SLIDE FASTENER TEETH ON SAID FREE END PORTIONS, SAID FILAMENT BEING WOVEN INTO A STRINGER TAPE WITH INNER PORTIONS OF SAID PROJECTING LOOPS INTERWOVEN WITH ONE SELVAGE OF THE TAPE, SAID PROJECTING LOOPS BEING ARRANGED IN A UNIFORMLY SPACED SERIES ALONG SAID ONE SELVAGE WITH THE FILAMENT EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY WITH RESPECT TO THE SURFACE OF THE STRINGER TAPE AT THE OUTERMOST END PORTION OF EACH LOOP AND EXTENDING TOWARD SAID SELVAGE FROM SAID OUTERMOST END PORTION IN THE FORM OF TWO SPACED PARALLEL LEG PORTIONS WHICH ARE GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID SURFACES OF THE TAPE, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: INSERTING A PLURALITY OF FORMING MEMBERS INTO A FIRST SERIES OF FREE SPACES BETWEEN A PLURALITY OF CONSECUTIVE PROJECTING LOOPS TO OCCUPY SAID SPACES SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE CENTER SPACING BETWEEN ADJACENT ONES OF SAID FORMING MEMBERS BEING THE SAME AS THE CENTER SPACING BETWEEN ADJACENT ONES OF SAID LOOPS, EACH FORMING MEMBER BEING LARGER IN THE DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE SELVAGE THAN IS EACH FREE SPACE BETWEEN ADJACENT LOOPS; WITHDRAWING AT LEAST AN END ONE OF SAID FORMING MEMBERS FROM ITS POSITION WITHIN SAID FIRST SERIES OF FREE SPACES; CAUSING PRESSURE TO BE APPLIED TO AT LEAST A LOOP ADJACENT TO AN END ONE OF SAID FORMING MEMBERS INTERMEDIATE SAID INSERTION AND WITHDRAWING STEPS TO CAUSE SAID LAST-NAMED LOOP ADJACENT TO ITS OUTERMOST END PORTION TO ASSUME, AT LEAST PARTIALLY, A CONFIGURATION FOR FASTENING COOPERATION WITH CONFRONTING LOOPS OF COMPLEMENTARY SHAPE ON ANOTHER STRINGER TAPE; AND INSERTING AT LEAST ONE FORMING MEMBER INTO AN END ONE OF A SECOND SERIES OF FREE SPACES, SAID SECOND SERIES OF FREE SPACES EXCLUDING AT LEAST AN END FREE SPACE PREVIOUSLY OCCUPIED BY A FORMING MEMBER, THE NUMBER OF FREE SPACES IN SAID SECOND SERIES BEING EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF FREE SPACES IN SAID FIRST SERIES, ALL OF THE FREE SPACES OF SAID SECOND SERIES HAVING FORMING MEMBERS THEREIN AFTER SAID STEP OF INSERTING AT LEAST ONE FORMING MEMBER.