Apparatus for automatically assembling slide fasteners

Claim 1

An apparatus for assembling and securing sliders and top stops to a slide fastener stringer tape maintained in a successive movement along a horizontal path of travel, comprising in combination a slider and top stop feeder disposed in position out of said path of tape travel and having a pair of top stop chutes arranged in V-shape relationship and a slider chute extending intermediate between said top stop chutes, each of said chutes having a slot for gravity delivery therealong of respective parts, a parts holder having integral therewith separate nests for resiliently engaging and releasably retaining a slider and two top stops delivered from their respective chutes of said parts feeder at the angular point of the V and movable therefrom into and out of the path of tape travel for transferring the slider and top stops into said path of tape travel, a punching means for clamping the top stops on the inner edges of the fastener tapes after the leading ends of said tapes have been threaded through the slider held in the path of tape travel by said parts holder.

Claim 2

An apparatus for assembling and securing sliders and top stops to a slide fastener stringer tape maintained in a successive movement along a horizontal path of travel, comprising in combination a slider and top stop feeder disposed in position out of said path of tape travel and having a pair of top stop chutes arranged in V-shape relationship and a slider chute extending intermediate between said top stop chutes, each of said chutes having a slot for gravity delivery therealong of respective parts, a parts holder having integral therewith separate nests for resiliently engaging and releasably retaining a slider and two top stops delivered from their respective chutes of said parts feeder at the angular point of the V and movable therefrom into and out of the path of tape travel for transferring the slider and top stops into said path of tape travel, a punching means for clamping the top stops on the inner edges of the fastener tapes after the leading ends of said tapes have been threaded through the slider held in the path of tape travel by said parts holder.

Claim 3

An apparatus for assembling and securing sliders and top stops to a slide fastener stringer tape maintained in a successive movement along a horizontal path of travel, comprising in combination a slider and top stop feeder comprising a pair of opposed vertical side chutes for delivery of top stops and a stationary vertical chute for sliders extendinG intermediate therebetween, a parts holder having integral therewith nests each for resiliently engaging and releasably retaining a slider and top stops delivered from their respective chutes of said feeder and having one end pivotally supported on a machine frame for arcuate movement into and out of the path of the fastener stringer, a lever means for forcing the leading slider into the nest, a cam means associated with said lever for moving said opposed side chutes toward and away from each other at one end thereof substantially in a V-fashion thereby transferring the top stops to the nests in said parts holder, and a vertically movable block member adapted to support the slider and top stops in abutting relation to said parts holder and provided with a punch head for clamping the top stops to the tape.

Claim 4

An apparatus for assembling and securing sliders and top stops to a slide fastener stringer tape maintained in a successive movement along a horizontal path of travel, comprising in combination a slider and top stop feeder comprising a pair of opposed vertical side chutes for delivery of top stops and a stationary vertical chute for sliders extendinG intermediate therebetween, a parts holder having integral therewith nests each for resiliently engaging and releasably retaining a slider and top stops delivered from their respective chutes of said feeder and having one end pivotally supported on a machine frame for arcuate movement into and out of the path of the fastener stringer, a lever means for forcing the leading slider into the nest, a cam means associated with said lever for moving said opposed side chutes toward and away from each other at one end thereof substantially in a V-fashion thereby transferring the top stops to the nests in said parts holder, and a vertically movable block member adapted to support the slider and top stops in abutting relation to said parts holder and provided with a punch head for clamping the top stops to the tape.

Claim 5

An apparatus for assembling and securing sliders and top stops to a slide fastener stringer tape maintained in a successive movement along a horizontal path of travel, comprising in combination a slider and top stop feeder comprising a pair of opposed vertical side chutes each having separable bottom stoppers and a stationary vertical chute for sliders extending intermediate therebetween, a parts holder having integral therewith nests each for resiliently engaging and releasably retaining a slider and top stops delivered from their respective chutes of said feeder and having one end pivotally supported on a machine frame for arcuate movement into and out of the path of the fastener stringer tape, said parts holder being provided with a yoke member horizontally reciprocable independently therefrom and adapted to engage between the separable bottom stoppers of said side chutes to receive the top stops therefrom, and further having integral therewith a punch head for clamping the top stops to the tape, and a horizontally movable block member for pushing the leading slider into the nest in said parts holder.

Claim 6

An apparatus for assembling and securing sliders and top stops to a slide fastener stringer tape maintained in a successive movement along a horizontal path of travel, comprising in combination a slider and top stop feeder comprising a pair of opposed vertical side chutes each having separable bottom stoppers and a stationary vertical chute for sliders extending intermediate therebetween, a parts holder having integral therewith nests each for resiliently engaging and releasably retaining a slider and top stops delivered from their respective chutes of said feeder and having one end pivotally supported on a machine frame for arcuate movement into and out of the path of the fastener stringer tape, said parts holder being provided with a yoke member horizontally reciprocable independently therefrom and adapted to engage between the separable bottom stoppers of said side chutes to receive the top stops therefrom, and further having integral therewith a punch head for clamping the top stops to the tape, and a horizontally movable block member for pushing the leading slider into the nest in said parts holder.

Claim 7

An apparatus for assembling and securing sliders and top stops to a slide fastener stringer tape maintained in a successive movement along a horizontal path of travel, comprising in combination a slider and top stop feeder comprising a pair of opposed side chutes for delivery of top stops and a slider chute extending intermediate therebetween, each chute having a sloping section and a horizontal section, a parts holder comprising an upper and lower block member vertically movable toward and away from each other, said block member having integral therewith nests each for resiliently engaging and releasably retaining a slider and top stops delivered from their respective chutes of said parts feeder, and said upper block member having a punch head for clamping the top stops to the tape, a cam means along which said slider chute is movable toward and away from said parts holder to transfer the leading slider to the corresponding nest therein, said cam means being further associated with said side chutes for moving these chutes toward and away from each other at one end thereof substantially in a V-fashion thereby transferring the top stops to the corresponding nests in said parts holder.

Claim 8

An apparatus for assembling and securing sliders and top stops to a slide fastener stringer tape maintained in a successive movement along a horizontal path of travel, comprising in combination a slider and top stop feeder comprising a pair of opposed side chutes for delivery of top stops and a slider chute extending intermediate therebetween, each chute having a sloping section and a horizontal section, a parts holder comprising an upper and lower block member vertically movable toward and away from each other, said block member having integral therewith nests each for resiliently engaging and releasably retaining a slider and top stops delivered from their respective chutes of said parts feeder, and said upper block member having a punch head for clamping the top stops to the tape, a cam means along which said slider chute is movable toward and away from said parts holder to transfer the leading slider to the corresponding nest therein, said cam means being further associated with said side chutes for moving these chutes toward and away from each other at one end thereof substantially in a V-fashion thereby transferring the top stops to the corresponding nests in said parts holder.