Separable slide fastener and method of forming the same

Claim 2

A separable slide fastener comprising a pair of tapes carrying interengaging elements along inner edges thereof; a slider movable along said interengaging elements to open and close said slide fastener; separable end stop means including a support member secured to one of said tapes having a head portion, a pin member secured to the other of said tapes, and a retainer immovably mounted on said support member having first and second opposing side walls, a partition disposed between said first and second side walls to define first and second channels in said retainer for receiving said support member and said pin member, respecitvely, and means in said first channel defining a pocket having a configuration mating with the configuration of said head portion of said support member to lock said head portion in said pocket; said support member having a shank; and said head portion having a wedge-like configuration extending from said shank and terminating at an end wider than said shank.

Claim 3

A separable slide fastener as recited in claim 1 wherein said pocket defining means includes boss means extending from said partition to abut said end of said head portion of said support member.

Claim 4

A separable slide fastener as recited in claim 2 wherein said head portion has a diverging outer side and said pocket defining means includes boss means extending from said first side wall to engage said diverging side of said head portion.

Claim 5

A separable slide fastener as recited in claim 3 wherein said head portion has inner side, said retainer includes a pair of spaced parallel wings supported by said partition, and said pocket defining means includes islAnd means extending from said pair of wings adjacent said partition to engage said inner side of said head portion.

Claim 6

A separable slide fastener as recited in claim 4 wherein said retainer has a bottom end; and each of said wings has side edges and flanges depending from the side edges thereof to define said first and second side walls, said flanges of said wings being spaced to define a slot in said first side wall extending along the entire length thereof and a slot in said second side wall terminating at a wall adjacent the bottom end of said retainer, the wall joining the flanges defining said second side wall.

Claim 7

A separable slide fastener as recited in claim 5 wherein said partition has side walls formed to define a recess adjacent said island means to permit passage of said interengaging elements through said first channel in said retainer.

Claim 8

A separable slide fastener as recited in claim 6 wherein said separable end stop means includes tape reinforcing flaps integrally formed with said support member and said pin member whereby the tape reinforcing flap of said pin member abuts said wall when said pin member is fully inserted in said second channel in said retainer.

Claim 9

A separable slide fastener as recited in claim 7 wherein said support member and said pin member are formed of plastic and said retainer is formed of metal.

Claim 10

A separable slide fastener as recited in claim 8 wherein said support member has a grooved flange extending transversely therefrom and said pin member has a tongue extending transversely therefrom to be received in said grooved flange and a guide tooth extending from said tongue for engaging an end of said flange when said slide fastener is closed.

Claim 11

A separable slide fastener as recited in claim 1 wherein said support member is formed of plastic, and said pocket defining means forms a mouth adjacent said partition having a width less than the width of said end of said head portion and causing said head portion to be deformed to pass through said mouth as said retainer is mounted on said support member.

Claim 12

A separable slide fastener as recited in claim 10 wherein said retainer is formed of metal.

Claim 13

A separable slide fastener as recited in claim 1 wherein said partition has a recess formed therein adjacent said first channel to permit said interengaging elements to pass therethrough.

Claim 14

A separable slide fastener comprising a pair of tapes carrying interengaging elements along inner edges thereof; a slider movable along said interengaging elements to open and close said slide fastener; separable end stop means including a support member secured to one of said tapes having a head portion, a pin member secured to the other of said tapes, and a retainer immovably mounted on said support member having first and second opposing side walls, a partition disposed between said first and second side walls to define first and second channels in said retainer for receiving said support member and said pin member, respectively, and means in said first channel defining a pocket having a configuration mating with the configuration of said head portion of said support member to lock said head portion in said pocket; said partition having a recess formed therein adjacent said first channel to permit said interengaging elements to pass therethrough; said retainer including a pair of spaced parallel wings supported by said partition, said partition having a flat side wall disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the retainer and joining said recess, and said pocket defining means including an island extending from each of said wings adjacent said recess and joining said flat side wall of said partition.

Claim 15

A separable slide fastener comprising a pair of tapes carrying interengaging elements along inner edges thereof; a slider movable along said interengaging elements to open and close said slide fastener; separable end stop means including a support member secured to one of said tapes having a head portion, a pin member secured to the other of said tapes, and a retainer immovably mounted on said support member having first and second opposing side walls, a partition disposed between said first and second side walls to define first and second channels in said retainer for receiving said support member and said pin member, respectively, and means in said first channel defining a pocket having a configuration mating with the configuration of said head portion of said support member to lock said head portion in said pocket; said partition having a recess formed therein adjacent said first channel to permit said interengaging elements to pass therethrough; said retainer including a pair of spaced parallel wings supported by said partition, said partition having a flat side wall disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the retainer and joining said recess, and said pocket defining means including an island extending from each of said wings adjacent said recess and joining said flat side wall of said partition.

Claim 16

A separable slide fastener as recited in claim 13 wherein each of the islands has an edge extending from said flat side wall of said partition at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said retainer, and said support member has a shank and an inner side extending along said shank and saiD head portion, said inner side engaging the edges of said islands at said head portion.

Claim 19

A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the retainer has a channel therein and said assembling step includes introducing the retainer at the gapped portion of the stringer and moving the retainer along the stringer away from the gapped portion with the interengaging elements passing through the channel.

Claim 20

A method as recited in claim 16 wherein the retainer has a pocket formed in the channel, the support member has a head portion and said locking step includes forcing the head portion into the pocket of the retainer.

Claim 21

A method as recited in claim 17 wherein said assembling step includes introducing a slider at the gapped portion and moving the slider along the stringer away from the gapped portion.

Claim 24

A method as recited in claim 19 wherein said forming step includes forming a top stop member on each of said stringers.

Claim 25

A method as recited in claim 20 wherein the retainer has a channel therein with a pocket formed in the channel, the support member has a wedge-shaped head portion, and said locking step includes forcing the head portion into the pocket of the retainer.