Patent GB-923261-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to sliding clasp fasteners
IPC: A44B19/62
Filed: 1961-05-24
Abstract: 923,261. Making sliding clasp fasteners. WALDES KOHINOOR Inc. May 24, 1961 [June 8, 1960], No. 18696/61. Class 44. An apparatus for applying sliders to stringers of a chain of stringer assemblies comprises means for feeding the chain through the apparatus, means for supporting a slider adjacent the chain with the slider channel substantially parallel to a portion of the chain adjacent the slider and with the longitudinal direction of the slider substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the adjacent chain portion, means for temporarily stopping movement of an element free tape portion of the chain so that the element free tape portion is disposed adjacent to and in contact with the slider, means for tensioning the element free tape portion and means for imparting relative reciprocation in two directions between the slider and the element free tape portion, the arrangement being such that in operation, the inner edges of the tapes of the tape portion are first brought into register with the side openings of the slider and then into engagement with the side openings and therethrough with the slider channel. In addition to the above the apparatus also includes means for feeding the sliders from a hopper and means for spreading the tapes of the element free tape portion to assist in engaging the slider with the interlocking elements. Chain feeding means.-The chain consists of two long lengths of tape, each of which carries groups of interlocking elements with spaces in between, the elements of corresponding groups being interlocked to form the stringer assemblies so that when the tapes are cut between the assemblies after the slider and end stops have been applied complete fasteners are formed; this chain is fed from a reel (not shown) through clamping end tensioning means to a roller 73. It passes thence to a weighted roller 74 which is carried at the end of a pivoted arm 87, thence the chain passes over a roller 75 also on the arm 87 and thence to a roller 76 which is driven by an electric motor 80. The chain is pressed into contact with the roller 76 by a downwardly biased roller 77. At intervals in the operation of the machine the relatively rearward end of the chain is prevented from forward motion by finger 26, as described later, and when this happens the continued feeding forward of the forward end of the chain by the roller 76 causes the roller 74 to be raised thus reducing the length of the loop between the rollers 73 and 76. The consequent movement of the arm 87 brings it into contact with a pin 88 carried by a pivoted arm 85 and causes pivoting of the arm 85 against the pressure of a spring 82. This movement of the lever 85 pivots a control lever 81 of the motor 80 to cause a progressive reduction in the speed of the motor as the lever moves to the left as shown; when the lever is in its extreme left position the motor is stopped. The travel of the lever 85 and hence the amount of chain that is fed forwardly from the stopping of the chain by the finger 26 to the stopping of the motor 80 is determined by a wheel 19 having radially protruding spokes of different lengths; when the shortest spoke abuts the upper edge of the arm 85 the angular throw of the arm 87 before it engages the pin 88 will be smallest and hence the greatest amount of chain will be fed forwardly from the time that the rearward part of the chain is stopped by the finger 26; the longest spoke produces the minimum length of the chain fed forwardly. Chain stopping, clamping and tensioning means.-These include a pivoted clamping arm 19, a pivoted clamping member 22 and a pair of clamping blocks 34 which are slidably mounted in housings 32. The chain passes between the arm 19 and the member 22 and between the arm 19 and the blocks 34. Between the arm 19 and the member 22 is mounted a plate-like lever 25 which carries at its forward end the finger 26 which stops the movement of the rearmost portion of the chain by engaging the foremost element of a stringer assembly through the gap between the tapes when the chain is pressed into contact with the finger by the arm 19. The lever 25 is connected to the member 22 by means of a pin 31, a spring 30 being interposed between the lever and the member. On the rearmost side of the finger 26 the chain is clamped between a face X on the arm 19 and corresponding faces on the member 22 and on the other side of the finger 26 between a face Y on the arm 19 and the faces of the blocks 34. Since the blocks 34 are mounted to slide at an angle to the path of the chain the portion of the chain between the faces X and Y is tensioned by a sliding movement of the blocks as the clamping arm 19 is lowered. The movement of the arm 19 is controlled by air cylinders 95, 96 (not shown), the cylinder 96 lowering the arm and the cylinder 95 raising it. Slider feeding means.-The sliders are contained in the hopper 105 and are fed from the hopper on to a blade 106 which terminates to one side of the base 10 and is movable in a vertical direction by means of an air cylinder (not shown) at the end of the blade 106. The sliders are arranged in side-by-side position straddling the blade with their rear wings upwardly and the pull tabs hanging downwardly and the endmost slider is lightly held by a spring 108 extending downwardly from a block 109 attached to the blade. The sliders are removed one at a time from the blade by means of a reciprocating slide 110 which extends transversely across the base 10 between the clamping faces X and Y of the arm 19. The slide 110 is reciprocated by an air cylinder 113 and is provided with an upright slider supporting post 114 which has in its upper face a recess 115 (not shown) to receive the body of the slider and with a transverse slot 116 to receive the pull tab. The blade 106 is lowered when the slide 110 is in such position that the post 114 is below the endmost slider and this deposits the slider in the recess 115 and transverse movement of the slide 110 then removes the slider from the blade 106. The slide moves it to a position underneath the chain and when the chain is clamped in position by a downward movement of the arm 19 an element free portion of the chain is pressed into contact with the uppermost face of the slider and at the same time the slider is held in the recess by a finger 63 on a presser plate 62 which is connected to the arm 19 for movement with it. Engagement of the chain with the slider.-The clamping arm 19, the clamping member 22, the blocks 34 and the roller 73 are all carried by a carriage 11 which can move both longitudinally and transversely of the base 10; this movement is accomplished by means of rollers 12a, 13a which engage elongated slots 12, 13 in the carriage 11 the rollers being eccentrically mounted on pulleys P1, P2 which are connected together by a belt, the pulley P2 being half the diameter of the pulley P1 so that the carriage makes twice as many backward and forward movements as sideways movements. The carriage first moves rearwardly to one side taking the element-free portion of the chain with it and this movement allows the inner edge of one of the tapes to move downwardly over the corresponding side of the slider to bring the edge into registry with the side opening in the slider. The carriage then returns to its initial position and this movement effects partial engagement of the tape edge with the slider channel; the carriage then moves rearwardly and sideways in the other transverse direction which brings the first tape edge fully into the slider channel and allows the other tape edge to move over the opposite side of the slider into registry with the opening in that side. The carriage then returns to its initial position in which the second tape edge moves into the opening of the slider and a further rearward movement of the carriage accompanied by a transverse movement causes the second tape edge to move fully into the slider channel; the carriage then returns into its initial position with the slider and the tape edges fully engaged with the slider. The carriage makes two more rearward movements after this but these serve only to bring the rollers 12a, 13a to their cycle starting positions. Tape spreading means.-After the slider has been engaged with the tapes the tapes are spread apart to assist in pushing the slider on to the following element carrying portion of the chain; at the same time the chain is released so that it can move forwardly to help this operation. The tape spreading means consists of two jaws 53, 54 which are lowered as a unit to a position between the tapes by an air cylinder 120 immediately the tape-into-slider engaging operation is completed. When the jaws have been lowered they are spread apart by means of a pin which is projected downwardly to abut two oppositely arranged cam faces on the jaws. As the jaw spreader unit is lowered, the clamping arm 19 is raised to its maximum extent so that the chain is both unclamped and freed from the stop finger 26; the chain is then moved forwardly by the weighted roller 74 and this movement and the spreading movement of the jaws 53, 54 causes the slider to move on to the element carrying portion of the chain. Once the slider is fully engaged with the elements the jaws 53, 54 are closed together and raised from the chain. Operation.-The cycle starts with the clamping arm 19 in an intermediate position in which the stop finger 26 is engaged with the chain to stop the forward motion of the relatively rearward part of the chain. This stopping of the chain causes the raising of the arm 87 and the consequent slowing down and stopping of the chain feed motor 80. The upward movement of the arm 87 actuates a microswitch which places the air cylinder 96 into operation and this lowers the clamping arm 19 to its clamping position so that an element-free portion of the chain is clamped and tensioned over the slider, the tape-into-