Patent GB-820238-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus and method for forming gaps in coils intended for use as the fastening elements of sliding clasp fasteners
IPC: A44B19/58
Filed: 1957-05-14
Abstract: 820,238. Punching-apparatus. CUE FASTENER Inc. May 14, 1957 [May 18, 1956], No. 15310/57. Class 31 (2). [Also in Croup XXV] An apparatus for forming gaps in pairs of coils which are intended for use as fastening elements of sliding clasp fasteners, the coils being engaged together and each coil fixed to a strip of material, comprises a support 15 for the coils, a pair of punches 30, 31 for severing the coils at two spaced-apart places and a pair of gripping members 60, 61 which are movable relatively to each other transversely to the axes of the coils to grip the engaged coils lying between the punches and which are also movable with each other transversely to the axes of the coils to detach from the strips of material the severed sections of the coils between the punches. The support 15 is a block mounted on a platform 14 and both the block and platform have centrally located openings 16, 17 to allow the transverse movement of the gripping members 60, 61. Openings 50, 51 are also provided in the block 15 for the punches 30, 31. The strips of material with the coils sewn to them are guided over the block 15 by a pair of guide plates 18, 19 which have undercut recesses 20, 21 to receive the fastener material. The fastener material is drawn over the block 15 by a power-driven roller 26 the stopping and starting of which controls the lengths of the coils between gaps. The punches 30, 31 are attached to a crosshead 36 and are moved downwardly by the armature of a solenoid 38; they are returned to their initial position by a coil spring 54. After the punches have operated to cut the coils the gripping member 61 is moved upwardly by a motor comprising an air cylinder 68 having a diaphragm 69 which displaces a plate member 70 which carries the gripping member 61. The gripping member 61 passes through a hole 93 in a wedgeshaped block 92 mounted for limited movement upwardly and which carries a pair of spring guide plates 90, 91 which when the gripping member 61 is moved upwardly engage the under surface of the fastener material and spread beads thereon apart so that the gripping members 60, 61 can engage the coils and not the strips of material. Both gripping members are grooved so that the coils are squeezed inwardly and together to prevent slipping. When the coil sections between the punches have been gripped by the members 60 and 61 both members are moved downwardly together to detach the sections from the strip of material. This movement is produced by a motor comprising an air cylinder 110, the piston of which is connected to a sub-frame which carries both the gripping members. To prevent other than a limited movement of the strip of material as the coil sections are detached, it is clamped in position by clamping bars 115, 116 which press it against the upper surface of the block 15. The clamping bars 115, 116 are operated by the downward movement of a cross-bar 62 which carries the upper gripping member 60. They are released when the gripping members are returned to their original position by their operating motors. Reference has been directed by the Comptroller to Specification 788,376, [Group XXV].