Patent GB-233344-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to fastener stringers and to the manufacture of the same
IPC: A44B19/46
Filed: 1925-04-28
Abstract: 233,344. Sundback, G. April 30, 1924, [Convention date]. Fastenings.-In making fastener stringers, each fastener member, which consists of nickel-silver, duralumin or other wire, is made by bending a prepared blank to a shape adapted to engage a tape and forming interlocking surfaces at the bend. The cut blanks, after tumbling in a barrel to remove burrs, are placed in a hopper 1, which is oscillated by a crankshaft 2 rotated by worm gear 4 and belt 7 from an electric motor. The hopper has an adjustable gate 9 and a vibrating gate 11 which is pivoted at 12 and connected to jointed rods 13, one of which has a floating end 15 passing through the casing 18 of a rotary conveyer. The blanks pass over the gate 11 through a shoot 17 into the casing. The arm 15 rests on the blanks therein so as to vary the width of the exit from the hopper and thus control the supply of blanks. The conveyer-disc 19, Fig. 6, which is driven by spur and belt gear 26, 27 from the shaft 2 has a number of slotted pins 20 which are each notched at 30 to receive a blank. They pass under spring fingers 29 projecting through slots in the casing and of such a size and distance apart as to pass only blanks horizontally seated in the notches. The blanks are removed from the pins by a stripper 31 and pass up a channel 33 into a magazine 34 having a spring wall 36 and overflow shoot 41. The entrance end of the magazine has tapered walls so that the blanks are arranged parallel and with their ends in alignment. The conveyer-casing and the magazine are provided wholly or in part with glass fronts. The blanks are taken up by spaced slots 51 in a two-part rotary distributor 38, and pass from the magazine under a spring- pressed adjustable plunger 59. The slots in the distributor contain movable blocks 52, Fig. 12, which are normally pushed inwards radially by wire teeth on an endless band 57, Fig. 6, which is driven by gearing from the distributor shaft 49. In order to space the blanks into groups according to the length of stronger, certain of the teeth on the band are cut awav on their upper sides so as not to act on the blocks and so preventing the blanks from entering the slots. The blocks have curved grooves on their sides engaging similar grooves 70 on the distributor so as to fix the blocks radially until they have passed through the magazine. The blocks are moved outwards by a fixed cam 74 and the blanks are thus transferred to slots 75 in the first rotary die 76. The die is formed in two parts held by nuts on the shaft 90 against the ends of a spacing collar 94, Fig. 22. The slots are formed with narrow inner ends and with broader outer ends so that the ends of the blanks may be spread therein by a roller 86, Fig. 3, carried by an adjustable slide. The centres of the broad parts of the slots may have projections 79, Fig. 12, so as to form recesses 95, Fig. 35, in the blank for gripping the tape or the slots may be shaped to flatten the ends of the blank or merely to carry them round. The die 76 carries the blanks over a bending disc 96, Figs. 3 and 22, mounted within a two-part block 98, which is slotted so as to be slidably mounted on a sleeve 99 rotatably mounted on the collar 94. The blocks 98 are clamped to a plate 100, which is laterally adjusted by a screw 189 passing between bars 192 secured to the framing and is angularly adjusted by a screw 190 pivoted thereo and held in position by a clamp 195. The plate is further reinforced by washers clamped by nuts and studs to the framing. The blanks pass over the disc 96 and are bent into U-form into recesses 107 in the groove 108 of a rotary die 102, Fig. 24. The die during its rotation brings the blanks into contact with a third rotary die 110, Fig. 27, which forms the interlocking recesses at the bend, Figs. 35 and 38. The fastener elements are brought between a pair of laterally and axially adjustable rolls 130, Fig. 34, which clinch them on the corded edge 140 of a tape 139. The dies and distributor are driven by helical gear from the shaft 103, Fig. 3, which is driven by spur and worm gearing from the shaft 178. The shaft 178 is connected by fast and loose pulleys with the motor shaft, the belt-shifter being operated only after the magazine has been supplied with blanks by driving the conveyer from the motor shaft. The shaft 178 may also be operated by a handle 186. The helical gears on shafts 60 and 90 are axially adjustable so as to adjust the distributor angularly with relation thereto. A similar adjustment of the gear on the shaft 103 adjusts the shaft 90 angularly. The shaft 111, Fig. 30, carrying the die 110 and the shaft 103 carrying the die 102 are connected by helical gears 113 - - 116, of which the gear 116 is keyed to and adjustable axially on a hub of the gear 115 so as to adjust. for wear and to keep the wheels in mesh if the shaft 111 is laterally adjusted by wedges 120 to suit blanks of different sizes and shapes of interlocking-surfaces &c. The gear 115 together with the gear 116 is adjusted axially so as to adjust the shaft 111 angularly. It is stated that the stringer after completion may be brushed or buffed to remove tool marks, and further that one machine could be used for performing the cutting, flattening and tumbling operations and a second machine for performing the bending, shaping of the interlocking surfaces, setting and final brushing operations. Further, the flattened portions may be formed on the wire before cutting into blanks. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 (3) (a) states that the interlocking surfaces may be formed prior to cutting the wire into blanks. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.