Method and machine for assembling slide fasteners of separable type

Claim 2

In the manufacture of slide fasteners from a fastener claim consisting of a pair of continuous length stringer tapes having alternate element-containing and element-free sections, the method of assembling a slide fastener which comprises separating the two stringers and maintaining them in successive movement along parallel lines of path; threading a slider through the one of said stringers; applying a box component to said one stringer; applying a pin component to the other stringer; drawing the thus assembled two stringers simultaneously until an element-free section of the fastener chain spanning between the preceding and ensuing stringers arrives at a predetermined point in the path of the chain; and cutting each of the preceding assembled stringers across said element-free section.

Claim 3

In the manufacture of slide fasteners from a fastener chain consisting of a pair of continuous length stringer tapes having alternate element-containing and element-free sections, the method of assembling the fastener with sliders and box and pin components which comprises: separating the two stringers and orienting the plane of each stringer into vertical disposition with its element-carrying edge down; maintaining the thus oriented stringers in successive movement along horizontal parallel lines of path; stopping the stringers at a starting operation point at which a mechanical cycle of operation commences; advancing a first stringer along its horizontal path of travel to a slider applying station for threading a slider through said first stringer; advancing said first stringer along said path to a box applying station for clamping and punching a box component thereto; advancing a second stringer along its horizontal path of travel to a pin applying station for clamping and punching a pin component thereto; drawing the thus assembled first and second stringers simultaneously by a distance corresponding to a desired product fastener length and determined by the arrival at said starting operation point of a leading element on each ensuing stringer; and cutting the preceding assembled stringers at a point afterward of and adjacent to said starting operation point in response to the arrival thereat of said leading element, thus repeating the mechanical cycle.

Claim 4

In the manufacture of slide fasteners from a fastener chain consisting of a pair of continuous length stringer tapes having alternate element-containing and element-free sections, the method of assembling the fastener with sliders and box and pin components which comprises: separating the two stringers and orienting the plane of each stringer into vertical disposition with its element-carrying edge down; maintaining the thus oriented stringers in successive movement along horizontal parallel lines of path; stopping the stringers at a starting operation point at which a mechanical cycle of operation commences; advancing a first stringer along its horizontal path of travel to a slider applying station for threading a slider through said first stringer; advancing said first stringer along said path to a box applying station for clamping and punching a box component thereto; advancing a second stringer along its horizontal path of travel to a pin applying station for clamping and punching a pin component thereto; drawing the thus assembled first and second stringers simultaneously by a distance corresponding to a desired product fastener length and determined by the arrival at said starting operation point of a leading element on each ensuing stringer; and cutting the preceding assembled stringers at a point afterward of and adjacent to said starting operation point in response to the arrival thereat of said leading element, thus repeating the mechanical cycle.

Claim 5

In the manufacture of slide fasteners from a fastener chain consisting of a pair of continuous length stringer tapes having alternate element-containing and element-free sections, the method of assembling the fastener with sliders and box and pin components which comprises: separating the two stringers and orienting the plane of each stringer into vertical disposition with its element-carrying edge down; maintaining the thus oriented stringers in successive movement along horizontal parallel lines of path; stopping the stringers at a starting operation point at which a mechanical cycle of operation commences; advancing a first stringer along its horizontal path of travel to a slider applying station for threading a slider through said first stringer; further advancing said first stringer along said path to a box applying station for clamping and punching a box component thereto; advancing a second stringer along its horizontal path of travel to a pre-clamping station for pre-clamping a pin component into position thereon; further advancing said second stringer to a pin applying station for clAmping and punching the pre-clamped pin component thereto; drawing the thus assembled first and second stringers simultaneously by a distance corresponding to a desired product fastener length and determined by the arrival at said starting operation point of a leading element on each ensuing stringer; and cutting the preceding assembled stringers at a point afterward of and adjacent to said starting operation point in response to the arrival thereat of said leading element, thus repeating the mechanical cycle.

Claim 6

In the manufacture of slide fasteners from a fastener chain consisting of a pair of continuous length stringer tapes having alternate element-containing and element-free sections, the method of assembling the fastener with sliders and box and pin components which comprises: separating the two stringers and orienting the plane of each stringer into vertical disposition with its element-carrying edge down; maintaining the thus oriented stringers in successive movement along horizontal parallel lines of path; stopping the stringers at a starting operation point at which a mechanical cycle of operation commences; advancing a first stringer along its horizontal path of travel to a slider applying station for threading a slider through said first stringer; further advancing said first stringer along said path to a box applying station for clamping and punching a box component thereto; advancing a second stringer along its horizontal path of travel to a pre-clamping station for pre-clamping a pin component into position thereon; further advancing said second stringer to a pin applying station for clAmping and punching the pre-clamped pin component thereto; drawing the thus assembled first and second stringers simultaneously by a distance corresponding to a desired product fastener length and determined by the arrival at said starting operation point of a leading element on each ensuing stringer; and cutting the preceding assembled stringers at a point afterward of and adjacent to said starting operation point in response to the arrival thereat of said leading element, thus repeating the mechanical cycle.

Claim 7

In the manufacture of slide fasteners from a fastener chain consisting of a pair of continuous length stringer tapes having alternate element-containing and element-free sections, the machine for assembling the fastener chain with sliders, box and pin components which comprises: a means for orienting the plane of the fastener chain to rise vertically with its element-carrying edge down; a means for stopping the travel of the fastener chain when in contact with a leading element thereon at a starting operation point at which a mechanical cycle of operation commences; a pair of coacting cutters adjacent to said operation point for severing the element-free sections of two opposed stringers in response to the activation of said stopping means; a pair of first advancing means for advancing the first and second stringers in the respective horizontal lines of path of travel; a slider applying means rotatable into and away from a first horizontal line of path of the first stringer for releasably retaining a slider and threading the same through the advancing first stringer; a box applying means movable into and away from said first line of path for applying a box to said first stringer; a pin applying means movable into and away from said second horizontal line of path for clamping and punching a pin into position on the second stringer; and a pair of second advancing means reciprocably disposed respectively in said parallel lines of path of the respective stringers for drawing the assembled stringers out of the machine.

Claim 8

In the manufacture of slide fasteners from a fastener chain consisting of a pair of continuous length stringer tapes having alternate element-containing and element-free sections, the machine for assembling the fastener chain with sliders, box and pin components which comprises: a means for orienting the plane of the fastener chain to rise vertically with its element-carrying edge down; a means for stopping the travel of the fastener chain when in contact with a leading element thereon at a starting operation point at which a mechanical cycle of operation commences; a pair of coacting cutters adjacent to said operation point for severing the element-free sections of two opposed stringers in response to the activation of said stopping means; a pair of first advancing means for advancing the first and second stringers in the respective horizontal lines of path of travel; a slider applying means rotatable into and away from a first horizontal line of path of the first stringer for releasably retaining a slider and threading the same through the advancing first stringer; a box applying means movable into and away from said first line of path for applying a box to said first stringer; a pin applying means movable into and away from said second horizontal line of path for clamping and punching a pin into position on the second stringer; and a pair of second advancing means reciprocably disposed respectively in said parallel lines of path of the respective stringers for drawing the assembled stringers out of the machine.

Claim 9

The machine as defined in claim 4 wherein said orienting means is a conically shaped guide post.

Claim 10

The machine as defined in claim 4 wherein said stopping means is movable into and away from each of said horizontal lines of path of the stringers for abutting engagement with the leading element on the stringer.

Claim 11

The machine as defined in claim 4 wherein said pin applying means includes a pre-clamping means for pre-clamping a pin component into position on the second stringer prior to final clamping and punching.

Claim 12

A slider applying unit comprising a support frame member, a core shaft having one end rotatably mounted thereon, a cylindrical sleeve mounted on said shaft, a slider retaining member consisting of two identical lugs, one projecting from said sleeve and the other from said core shaft, a drive spur gear, a driven spur gear in meshing engagement therewith and fixedly mounted on said sleeve, and a sliding key attached to the periphery of said core shaft for allowing the axial movement thereof relative to said sleeve to move said two identical lugs toward and away from each other.

Claim 13

A slider applying unit comprising a support frame member, a core shaft having one end rotatably mounted thereon, a cylindrical sleeve mounted on said shaft, a slider retaining member consisting of two identical lugs, one projecting from said sleeve and the other from said core shaft, a drive spur gear, a driven spur gear in meshing engagement therewith and fixedly mounted on said sleeve, and a sliding key attached to the periphery of said core shaft for allowing the axial movement thereof relative to said sleeve to move said two identical lugs toward and away from each other.

Claim 14

The unit according to claim 7 wherein said retaining member is provided with a nest for releasably retaining a slider therein.

Claim 15

A box applying unit comprising a supporting drum, a pair of clamping arms having their one ends interconnected by a pair of links pivotally mounted on a common shaft secured to said drum, a guide block for suppressing the tendency of said arms displacing upwardly during the box clamping operation, a box holder supported by and radially extending from said block for holding a box component in position thereon, a rotative eccentric shaft consisting of a larger diameter section and a smaller diameter section eccentrically extending therefrom, said eccentric shaft supporting said clamping arms movably thereon, and a punch disposed for vertical movement between the other opposed ends of said clamping arms.

Claim 16

A box applying unit comprising a supporting drum, a pair of clamping arms having their one ends interconnected by a pair of links pivotally mounted on a common shaft secured to said drum, a guide block for suppressing the tendency of said arms displacing upwardly during the box clamping operation, a box holder supported by and radially extending from said block for holding a box component in position thereon, a rotative eccentric shaft consisting of a larger diameter section and a smaller diameter section eccentrically extending therefrom, said eccentric shaft supporting said clamping arms movably thereon, and a punch disposed for vertical movement between the other opposed ends of said clamping arms.

Claim 17

The unit as defined in claim 10 wherein said opposed ends of the clamping arms are tapered off to provide wide entrance for advancing the stringer therethrough.

Claim 18

The unit as defined in claim 10 wherein said punch has a plurality of ridges with which to wedge a box component into position on the stringer.

Claim 19

A pin applying unit comprising a vertically movable rectangular block having a rectangular internal chamber, pivotally disposed coacting forming dies journalled in said chamber, a forming punch secured to and extending vertically from said block and positioned centrally between said dies, said dies having upwardly flared guide outer surfaces, a rotative eccentric shaft supported on said block, a pair of rotating members rotatably mounted on said eccentric shaft and disposed for abutting engagement with said flared guide outer surfaces, and a compression coil spring normally urging apart said coating dies.

Claim 20

A pin applying unit comprising a vertically movable rectangular block having a rectangular internal chamber, pivotally disposed coacting forming dies journalled in said chamber, a forming punch secured to and extending vertically from said block and positioned centrally between said dies, said dies having upwardly flared guide outer surfaces, a rotative eccentric shaft supported on said block, a pair of rotating members rotatably mounted on said eccentric shaft and disposed for abutting engagement with said flared guide outer surfaces, and a compression coil spring normally urging apart said coating dies.

Claim 21

The unit as defined in claim 13 wherein said forming punch has a deformed head surface characteristic.

Claim 22

A pin pre-clamping unit comprising a rectangular block provided with an arcuate groove therein, opposed coacting hammers for pressing the side walls of a pin component into position on a fastener stringer and disposed for arcuate movement in opposite directions in and along said arcuate groove, a vertically movable link arm carrying said hammers pivotally thereon, and a seat member positioned centrally between said opposed coating hammers for supporting abutment with the bottom wall of the pin.

Claim 23

A pin pre-clamping unit comprising a rectangular block provided with an arcuate groove therein, opposed coacting hammers for pressing the side walls of a pin component into position on a fastener stringer and disposed for arcuate movement in opposite directions in and along said arcuate groove, a vertically movable link arm carrying said hammers pivotally thereon, and a seat member positioned centrally between said opposed coating hammers for supporting abutment with the bottom wall of the pin.

Claim 24

The unit as defined in claim 15 wherein said hammers are provided with heads tilted outwardly to align with non-clamped side walls of the pin.