Machine for making shoulder straps

Apparatus for forming a strap of the type having first and second portions united together, the first strap portion being a first tape with a free end and the second strap portion being a second tape with a ring attached thereto and threaded onto the first tape, including means for securing the ring onto the second tape and for uniting the second strap portion so produced with the first strap portion, said uniting means including clamping means for said first strap portion suitable for holding said first strap portion horizontally and including elongated clamping elements for holding the free end of the first strap portion, said clamping elements being capable of passing through said ring, said means for securing the ring to the second tape including a ring holding and transfer device having clamping means suitable for receiving a horizontally presented ring and for holding the ring horizontally during threading of the second tape therethrough, and also including means for moving said holding and transfer device in a horizontal direction to move the ring held by the clamping means to a securing position in which parts of the threaded tape adjacent the ring are joined together to secure the ring to the second tape, said moving means providing for further movement of the ring in said horizontal direction towards the free end of the first strap portion held by said clamping elements, said holding and transfer device also including a rotatable portion carrying the clamping means whereby the ring can be rotated into the vertical plane and can be fed on to the horizontally extending free outer end of the first strap portion on final movement of said holding and transfer device.

Apparatus for uniting first and second strap portions of a strap of the type having first and second strap portions united together, the first strap portion being a first tape with a free end and a buckle end with a two-slot buckle attached thereto, the second strap portion being a second tape with a ring attached to one end thereof, including:

• a first clamping device for holding the buckle end of the first strap portion with the buckle disposed substantially perpendicular to the end part of the first strap portion adjacent said buckle,
• a second clamping device having a narrow projecting end for holding the free end of the first strap portion and being dimensioned for inserting this free end into a first slot of the buckle and also through the ring,
• means for causing relative movement of said clamping devices between an initial position in which the free end of the first strap portion is suitably orientated for receiving the ring, and a final position in which the said free end is inserted into said first slot in said buckle,
• means for locking said free end in position relative to the buckle to allow withdrawal of said second clamping device,
• means for bending said free end towards a second slot of the buckle, and
• means for pushing said free end through said second slot in the buckle.

A method for uniting the first and second strap portions of a strap of the type having first and second strap portions united together, the first strap portion being a first tape with a free end and a buckle end with a two-slot buckle attached thereto, the second strap portion being a second tape with a ring attached to one end thereof, including the steps of:

• holding the first strap portion substantially flat with the buckle disposed substantially perpendicular to the strap portion, and in such manner that said first strap portion has the free end thereof projecting,
• feeding the ring attached to the second strap portion onto the projecting free end of the first strap portion,
• rotating the free end of the first strap portion through substantially 180.degree. while causing relative movement between this free end and the buckle to bring this free end adjacent to and into alignment with a first slot in the buckle and then inserting the free end into the slot,
• bending the free end of the first strap portion projecting through the first slot in the buckle and then feeding this free end through a second slot in the buckle.

A method for forming a strap of the type having first and second strap portions united together, the first strap portion being a first tape with a free end and a buckle end with a two-slot buckle attached thereto, the second strap portion being a second tape with a ring attached to one end thereof, comprising the steps of:

• forming the first strap portion by feeding the first tape endwise along a first horizontal path and inserting an end of the tape through one slot of the vertically disposed buckle, tucking the projecting end of the tape back through the other slot of the buckle and securing said projecting end onto the main portion of the tape,
• forming the second strap portion by feeding the second tape endwise along a second horizontal path disposed parallel to and spaced from said first horizontal path, into parallel overlapping relationship with the horizontally disposed ring, and punching said second tape through said ring, cutting off a predetermined length of said second tape, moving said ring and tape along an extension of said second horizontal path to a securing position and securing the end of said second tape to the main portion of the second tape,
• holding said first strap portion by a first clamping means applied to the strap portion adjacent the buckle and by a second clamping means spaced from said buckle at a distance less than the desired length of the first strap portion,
• severing the first tape adjacent the end of the second clamping device to provide a projecting end suitable for receiving said ring,
• retracting said clamping devices to bring said first strap portion into alignment with said second horizontal path,
• rotating said ring into vertical orientation and moving said ring to feed it onto the projecting end of said first strap portion,
• rotating said second clamping device through 180.degree. and causing relative movement between said first and second clamping devices to feed the projecting end of the first tape through a first slot in the buckle, and
• bending the end of the first tape projecting through the buckle and pushing the end through a second slot in the buckle.