Apparatus for feeding slide fastener chain with folding of attached fabric strips

An apparatus for feeding a slide fastener chain which has a pair of interengaged rows of coupling elements ,/ secured on inner edges of respective tapes of a pair of tapes of the slide fastener chain, and strips of fabric secured on outer edges of the tapes at predetermined intervals, at least those of the fabric strips which are attached to one of the tapes having flaps extending over the coupling elements, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) an elongate lower guide member having a narrow upper guide surface defining a feed path and a central guide groove extending longitudinally in said guide surface for receiving and guiding the pair of interengaged rows of coupling elements;
• (b) a presser roller disposed adjacent to an upstream end of said lower guide member for resiliently urging the slide fastener chain against said upper guide surface to cause the flaps to engage said upstream end of said lower guide member and then turn down away from the coupling elements on one side of said lower guide member as the slide fastener chain is fed longitudinally along the feed path;
• (c) an elongate upper guide member disposed immediately downstream of said presser roller and extending over said lower guide member for guiding the slide faster chain between said upper and lower guide members;
• and
• (d) a feed unit associated with said upper and lower guide members and frictionally engageable with a central portion of the slide fastener chain including the interengaged rows of coupling elements for feeding the slide fastener chain longitudinally along the feed path.