Slide fastener chain with wide gap and method and apparatus for manufacture
AssigneeTextron Inc.
InventorsGeorge B. Moertel, James R. Johnston
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gap is formed in a slide fastener chain by cutting out a section of the interlocking fastening elements and the inner longitudinal edge portions of tapes supporting the fastening elements to be removed. A narrow band bordering the gap is formed by compressing and fusing thermoplastic threads in the tapes adjacent the gap.
Claims15
A chain for a slide fastener comprising
- a pair of textile carrier tapes containing thermoplastic threads,
- a pair of rows of interlocking fastening elements secured to inner longitudinal edge portions of the respective tapes,
- a gap formed by cutting out a section of the inner longitudinal edge portions and corresponding attached fastening elements including several of the fastening elements of each row,
- said carrier tapes having respective bands bordering said gap including the ends of the gap,
- said bands of the tapes being reduced in cross section relative to the remaining portions of the tapes, and
- said bands further having the thermoplastic threads therein fused together.
A method of gapping a slide fastener chain comprising
- cutting out a section of the chain including several interlocking fastening elements of each stringer of the chain along with respective inner edge portions of the carrier tapes supporting the several fastening elements, and
- compressing the fusing thermoplastic threads of the carrier tapes in a band bordering the cutout section.
An apparatus for gapping a slide fastener chain which has a pair of tapes including thermoplastic threads and which has a pair of rows of interlocking fastening elements secured to inner longitudinal edge portions of the respective tapes, the apparatus comprising
- a pair of members having means for cutting out a section of both rows of interlocking fastening elements and inner longitudinal edge portions of the carrier tapes of the chain from the chain when the members are forced together,
- means for forcing the pair of members together,
- one of said pair of members having means for compressing bands of said carrier tapes bordering the cutout section, and
- means for applying energy to the compressed bands to fuse the thermoplastic threads in the bands together.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.