Slider stop for seam type zippers

Abstract

A channel member is positionable on coupled teeth of an installed seam type zipper at about the lower end of stitching through the zipper. Side portions of the channel member hold it on the coupled zipper teeth. At least one inwardly struck barb engages the coupled zipper teeth and restrains the channel member against sliding movement along the coupled zipper teeth.

Parent Case Text

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 128,322 entitled Seam Type Zippers With Slider Stop Member, filed Mar. 26, 1971, as a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 30,706, entitled Installation of Seam Type Zippers, and filed on Apr. 22, 1970, as a division of my prior application Ser. No. 768,466, filed Oct. 17, 1968, and entitled Installation of Seam Type Zippers. Application Ser. No. 768,466 issued as U.S. Pat. No. 3,555,627 on Jan. 19, 1971. Application Ser. No. 30,706 issued as U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,611 on Oct. 19, 1971. Application Ser. No. 128,322 issued as U.S. Pat. No. 3,805,339 on Apr. 23, 1974.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the installation of invisible or seam-type zippers, and to improvements in zippers of this type.

2. Description of the Prior Art

My U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,736 relates to a type of zipper foot usable for sewing invisible or seam type zippers into garments or other fabric objects. As a step preparatory to installation of the zipper the slider is moved to a completely open position so that the two chains of fastener elements are separated. The zipper foot is used to first sew one tape of the zipper to one of two fabric panels to be joined, and then to sew the opposite tape of the zipper to the second panel. The zipper foot includes guide avenues through which the chains of fastener elements travel. The guide avenues are shaped to properly orient the fastener elements and to in other respects properly guide the zipper tapes past the sewing machine needle. The sewing machine is used to sew the two tape assemblies of the zipper in place until the closed end of the zipper approaches the needle and the slider of the zipper makes contact with the zipper foot. In the region below where slider interference with the zipper foot prevents further machine sewing through the sewing tapes of the zipper it is necessary to bypass the zipper and directly seam sew together two fabric parts which the zipper connects together in the region thereof adjacent the loose lower portion of the zipper. The lower loose tail portion of the zipper which extends below the end points of the stitching through the sewing tapes is not used.

It is conventional to rely on the beginning stitches of the finishing seam in the fabric to define the new fully opened position of the zipper. A disadvantage of this practice is that most users open a zipper by rapidly moving its slider in the zipper opening direction as far as it will go. The slider makes an abrupt stop at the end of its run and exerts a significant force on the beginning stitches of the finishing seam. Throughout a period of repetitious opening of the zipper in this fashion there is a repeated hammering on the thread, the cloth, or both, or to force the thread out from its engagement with the cloth.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,077,847 granted on Feb. 19, 1963 to Lewis H. Morin is concerned with the installation of invisible zippers. This patent discloses an installation method which requires the zipper of slide fastener to be equipped with a second slider of special constuction. According to the method of this patent both the regular slider and the special slider are moved downwardly to the lower end of the zipper and each side of the zipper is sewn in place down to the regular slider. Then both sliders are moved upwardly to the top end of the zipper. The auxiliary special slider decouples the zipper teeth in the region below the regular slider. The decoupled lower portions of the zipper are sewn in place in essentially the same way that the upper parts of the zipper were sewn in place. Finally the special slider is moved downwardly to the bottom of the zipper and is compressed onto the zipper in the region thereof below the lowermost pair of teeth to form a final stop member.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,972,751, granted on Feb. 28, 1961 to William T. Leonard and Kenneth F. Diehm relates to a similar installation method. However, this patent teaches cutting off the tail portion of the zipper, then slipping on a bottom clip to a position above the cut, and then squeezing the clip to permanently secure it in place.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The seam type zipper of this invention is equipped with a slider stop member that is securable to coupled together fastener elements in the region where the stitching through the zipper tapes stops and the finishing seam stitching through the fabric panels begin. It thereafter serves as a slider stop.

According to one aspect of the invention the stop member is of channel shape. It has side parts which hold it onto the coupled fastener elements. It also has at least one inwardly struck barb positioned to engage the fastener elements to in that manner restrain the slider stop against movement along the fastener elements.

These and other features of the invention are exemplified by the embodiments described below with reference to the drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view taken in the needle region of a sewing machine, showing one side tape of a zipper being sewn to one side part of a fabric object, and showing the slider of the zipper in a fully open position and its separator end in contact with the toe end of a zipper foot, preventing further relative movement of the two parts being sewn together relative to the needle;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing a manner of completing the seam in the region below the bottom stitches through the zipper tapes;

FIG. 3 is a view taken toward the rear side of the installed zipper and showing the slider in a new fully open position established by the beginning stitches of the completion seam;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a slider, said view looking toward the front, one side and the straight channel end of the slider, and taken from an aspect below the slider, said view including one form of slider stop member in spaced relationship with said slider;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to the lower portion of FIG. 1, showing the slider and slider stop member of FIG. 4 in use and the zipper in a fully open position;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing the slider of FIGS. 4 and 5 in a new fully open position established by the starting stitches of the completion seam in the fabric below where slider contact with the zipper foot prevented further sewing through the zipper tapes, and showing a punch-type tool being used to push a lock tab portion of the stop member into locking engagement with a portion of the closed zipper teeth, to thereafter serve as an end stop to transmit the bottoming slider forces to the zipper;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken through the slider stop member lock tabs, substantially along line 7--7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a rear side view of the assembly of FIG. 6, showing the slider in a position upwardly somewhat from the crimped-on stop member;

FIG. 9 is a front view of the fabric object and the installed zipper, showing the slider and the other hidden zipper elements below it by broken or hidden lines;

FIG. 10 is a view of a modified form of slider stop member which includes a single lock tab in its back wall;

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of a second modified form of slider stop member which is adapted to be clipped onto the fastener elements, and includes inwardly struck barb means positioned to enter into spaces between adjacent coupled fastener elements;

FIG. 12 is a plan view looking towards the back panel of the slider stop member shown by FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the slider stop member of FIGS. 11 and 12 being moved towards its position on the coupled fastener elements;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken through the slide fastener, showing the slider stop member of FIGS. 11 and 12 being installed onto the slide fastener;

FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 14, but showing the slider stop member fully installed;

FIG. 16 is a view like FIG. 11 of a similar slider stop member having inwardly bent lock barbs at the sides of tha back panel;

FIG. 17 is a view like FIG. 12, but of the slider stop member shown by FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 18--18 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is an isometric view of another form of clip-on slider stop member;

FIG. 20 is a top plan view of the slider stop member of FIG. 19; and

FIG. 21 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 21--21 of FIG. 20.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 and 2 show two different stages of installing an invisible or seam type zipper in a garment or other fabric object. The zipper itself is shown to comprise a pair of tape assemblies 10, 12. Each assembly 10, 12 includes a fabric stitching tape 14, 16 having a rearwardly turned inner edge portion 18, 20 (FIG. 7). The term "fabric" is used herein in the broad sense. Thus, it includes material that might be more specifically classifiable as a cloth, a plastic, a paper, etc.

As best shown by FIG. 7, a welt or edge bead 22, 24 is incorporated into each of the inner edge portions 18, 20. A chain, roll, coil or series of fastener elements or teeth 26, 28 are crimped about the welts 22, 24 and the immediately adjoining part of the inner edge portions 18, 20, or are otherwise firmly secured to said edge portions 18, 20. The fastener elements 26, 28 are illustrated as having hook portions 30, 32 which substantially surround and clamp onto the welts 22, 24, and coupling head portions 34, 36. A projection 37 (FIG. 7) is formed on one side of each coupling head portion 34, 36, and a complementary shaped recess (not shown) is formed on the opposite side of each coupling head portion 34, 36. When the projections 37 are mated within the recesses the fastener elements are coupled together and the inner edge portions 18, 20 of the tapes 14, 16 are held in abutting contact at the bight or fold regions thereof (FIG. 7).

The zipper shown by FIGS. 1 - 3 includes a slider 38 having a straight channel end portion and a branched end portion. The slider engages the fastener elements 26, 28 and is arranged to couple such fastener elements 26, 28 together when moved in a direction with its branched end leading, and to decouple such elements 26, 28 when moved in the opposite direction. The branched end portion of the slider 38 includes a separator 40 which normally projects endwise of the slider proper somewhat.

Referring to FIG. 1, the zipper itself is shown to be laid out substantially flat on the sewing machine table with its inner or concealed side directed upwardly. The fabric panel 42 to which the sewing tape 16 is being attached is spread out on the sewing table with its seam or front side directed upwardly, and its inner edge portion 44 located below the sewing tape 16. The sewing machine is equipped with a zipper foot 46 shown to be of the type disclosed in my aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,736. Reference is made to said U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,736 for a detailed description of the zipper foot attachment and of a manner of using it for installing an invisible or seam type zipper. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,736 is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the zipper foot 46 is used to properly guide the assembly which includes the sewing tape 12 and the fabric panel 42 relatively past the needle N, so that the needle N can stitch through both the tape 16 and the panel edge portion 44 along a generally straight path or stitch line 48 closely bordering the connector elements 28. As clearly shown by FIG. 1, when contact occurs between the toe end 50 of the foot component 46 and the outer end of the separator 40 no further movement of the zipper and the fabric object is possible and the stitching through the sewing tape 12 must be stopped at the location marked generally by the line 52 extending transversely across FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

As should be evident, the opposite tape assembly 10 is sewn to the opposite fabric panel 54 in much the same fashion. That is to say, that panel 42 is moved out of the way and the panel 54 is laid out flat on the sewing table, with its seam or front side directed upwardly. The tape assembly 10 is placed on the inner edge portion 56 of panel 54, with its sewing tape portion 14 directed outwardly and the connector elements 26 directed upwardly. The connector elements 26 are then guided relatively through the second channel in the foot component 46 (on the right side of the needle N, as shown in FIG. 1), and the tape 14 is sewn to the edge portion 56 along a stitch line 58 until contact between the separator 40 and the foot component 46 prevent any further sewing towards the slider 38 beyond a position on line 52.

As shown by FIG. 7, when the slider is moved upwardly through the region of the stitching 48, 58, such stitch lines 48, are brought together inwardly of where the two fabric panels 42, 54 form a seam 60. During the process of making the garment or other object of which the zipper is a part it is necessary to continue the seam effect below the ends of the stitch lines 48, 58, i.e., in the region below line 52. This is done by moving the slider 38 upwardly into the region above line 52, and then placing the two panels 42, 54 substantially flat together, with the seam sides thereof facing each other (FIG. 2). The foot component 46 is then adjusted laterally and employed as a presser foot, and the stitch line 62 is established through the two panels 42, 54 and along a path that is substantially colinear with the stitch lines 48, 58 (FIG. 2).

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 together, following completion of the seam the beginning stitches 64 (FIG. 2) serve as a stop for the slider 38. However, experience has showed that repetitious movement of the slider 38 rather forcibly into its open position eventually results in the slider 38 breaking the stitches 64, or the force on the stitches 64 cause them to leave the openings in the cloth or to tear or break through the cloth.

FIG. 4 illustrates the slider 38. It includes a rear wall or web 72, a pair of side walls or flanges 74, 76, a pair of front lips 78, 80, and a separator 82. At one end of the slider 38 the side walls 74, 76 are parallel with each other, the lips 78, 80 are in coplanar parallelism and are in spaced parallelism with the back panel 72, and the back panel 72, the side walls 74, 76 and the lips 78, 80 together form a generally straight lipped channel of rectangular proportions in cross section. The fastener elements 26, 28 pass through such straight channel portion coupled together. At the opposite end of the slider the side walls 74, 76 and the lips 78, 80 diverge apart as they extend outwardly from where they join the straight channel portion of the slider, and the rear panel 72 widens accordingly as it extends outwardly. The separator 82 divides the interior of this end portion of the slider into two separate branch channels through which the fastener elements 26, 28 pass separately. This end of the slider is herein termed the "branch end portion."

According to the invention a sliding stop member 70 of straight channel form is made to initially slide freely on the connected teeth 26, 28 below the slider 38. The rear panel of stop member 70 is designated 72', the side walls are designated 74', 76', and the front lips are designated 78', 80'. As shown by FIG. 5, when the slider 38 is in its down position the member 70 surrounds and houses the end stop 25.

In installation of the zipper the steps described above in conjunction with FIGS. 1 - 3 are performed as before. Following completion of the finishing seam (FIG. 2 operation) the slider 38 is moved downwardly or in a zipper opening direction until stopped by the upper stitches 64. Thereafter a pliers-like tool (not shown herein but shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,555,627) is used for crimping the stop member 70 into tight engagement with the several elements 26, 28 which are then within member 70. Preferably, the tool has gripping jaw portions which are shaped to squeeze inwardly the central portions of the side walls 74', 76', so as to move some of the metal (or other material from which the member 70 may be made) inwardly into the spaces between the fastener elements 26, 28, on at least one side of the zipper.

Alternatively, the stop member 70 may be formed to include a pair of lock tabs 90, 92 (FIGS. 5-9) each of which is positioned over a roll of teeth 26, 28. As best shown by FIGS. 6 and 7, each tab 90, 92 is formed by a pattern of cuts through the wall 72' leaving tabs 90, 92 connected on one side only. The cut on free ends of the tabs 90, 92 face in opposite directions. A punch-like tooth is used to swing the members inwardly about their fastened sides to place the free ends between adjacent fastener elements 26, 28 in each roll thereof (FIG. 7). Thereafter, during use of the zipper the member 70 serves as a stop member which is rigidly secured to the fastener elements 26, 28 and which serves to transmit the bottoming force of the slider 38' evenly to the zipper throughout a relatively large zone, rather than concentrating such slider forces on the stitches 64. Accordingly, repetitious operation of the zipper will not result in a disturbance of the seam formed by stitch line 62.

FIG. 10 illustrates a modified form of the stop member designated 70'. In this form a single lock tab 94 is manufactured into the back panel wall 72'. The tool T is used to force the pointed free end of lock tab 94 into a space between two adjacent teeth 26, 28, or into clamping engagement with a tooth 26, 28. Other modifications include forming the tab in a side wall of the channel member.

The slider stop member 96 as shown by FIGS. 11 - 14 comprises a back panel or web 98 and two side parts or flanges 100, 102. Side parts 100, 102 are bent inwardly together so that a channel opening 104 is defined which is smaller in dimension than the channel interspace at 106. Side part 102 is provided with an extension 108 which is convexly curved in the general direction of channel opening 104.

Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, the slider 38 is moved to a position above the line 52 and then the stop member 96 is "clipped" onto the coupled together fastener elements immediately below the slider 38. This is done by side part 100 being hooked over a side portion of the coupled slide fastener elements, to place member 96 in the attitude shown by FIG. 14. Next, pressure is applied to member 96 for the purpose of forcing the convex part 108 to cam itself around the curves side portions of the coupled fastener elements which it contacts.

According to an aspect of the invention, a dihedrally shaped cut 110 is formed in the back panel 98 and the web material bordering such cut 110 is struck inwardly to serve as barbs 112, 114, 116 for anchoring the member 96 in position on the coupled fastener elements. The barbs either enter into spaces between adjacent side fastener elements or contact the elements themselves. When the member 96 is snapped into place its side parts 100, 102 serve to hold it onto the coupled fastener elements. The barbs 112, 114, 116 serve to lock it against sliding movement along the fastener elements.

FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate a slider stop member 118 which is essentially like the slider stop member 96. It includes a back panel or web 121, side parts 120, 122, a cam part 124, and inwardly struck barb 126. However, in this form the barbs 126 are formed as "wings" which extend outwardly from edge portions of the back panel 121.

Referring to FIGS. 19-21, the "clip-on" form of slider stop member shown by these views comprises a web or back wall 128 and a pair of side walls 130, each of which includes an inwardly directed convex portion 132 for caming the member onto the fastener elements of the zipper. In this form two areas of material are cut away on one side of the panel 128, leaving the tab 134 which is bent inwardly to serve as the member which engages the zipper teeth and prevents sliding movement of the stop member along the zipper teeth.

Of course, it is to be understood that the exact shape and location of the barbs may vary. The zipper illustrated by FIGS. 1-3 and 5-9 is a metal zipper having individual metal teeth 26, 28. The barbs 90, 92, 94 shown in connection with the slider stops 70, 70' are especially adapted for entering the spaces between adjacent zipper teeth 26, 28. The zipper shown by FIGS. 13-15 is a plastic coil type zipper having a different tooth construction. The dimple type pattern of barbs 112, 114, 116 is readily usable with a slider stop for this type of zipper. The "wing" type lock barbs 126 may be used with either type of zipper.

The foregoing description and the accompanying drawing together describe specific embodiments which are within the scope of the present invention. The following claims act to define the scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A seam type slide fastener having a seam side and a connector means side, comprising:

first and second fabric tapes, an elongated connector means secured to each tape, each said connector means being releasably connectible to the elongated connector means on the other tape, means permanently securing connected end portions of said two connector means together near one end of said slide fastener and forming an end stop at such end, and a slider movable along the unsecured portion of said two connector means and including means for bringing the unsecured portions of said two connector means together into connected engagement when moved lengthwise of the slide fastener towards the unsecured end thereof, and for separating such unsecured portions of the connector means when so moved in the opposite direction, said two connector means being located completely on said connector means side of the slide fastener and said two tapes coming together as folds on the seam side of such slide fastener when the connector means are engaged; and

a snap on slider stop channel member comprising a back wall and side wall means together forming a single channel space which is normally slightly smaller in size than the connected together portions of the connector means, said side wall means being resiliently flexible, whereby such side wall means will spring outwardly to allow passage of the connected together portions of the connector means into the channel space when the slider stop channel member is snapped in place thereon, and then frictionally engages the connected together portions of the connector means to hold such member thereon, one of said back wall and said side wall means including at least one inwardly struck barb which engages the connected together portions of the connector means when the slider stop channel member is being snapped onto the connected together portions of the connector means, to in that manner restrain said slider stop against free sliding movement along such connected together portions of the connector means.

2. A seam type slide fastener according to claim 1, wherein each elongated connector means comprises a series of spaced apart teeth and said barb includes an inner end portion positionable into a space between adjacent teeth of said connector means.

3. A seam type slide fastener according to claim 1, wherein the side wall means comprises a pair of side walls which converge together as they extend away from the back wall, and wherein at least one of said side walls includes an inwardly directed portion of convex curvature positioned to contact a side portion of the connector means when the slider stop channel member is placed onto the connector means, so that when pressure is applied to the slider stop channel member to move it normally towards the connector means said connector means will apply a force on said convex portion which will spring said side wall outwardly until the slider stop channel member is on to the connector means and said inwardly struck barb has engaged the connector means.

4. A seam type slide fastener having a seam side and a connector means side comprising:

first and second fabric tapes, an elongated connector means secured to each tape, each said connector means being releasably connectible to the elongated connector means on the other tape, means permanently securing connected end portions of said two connector means together near one end of said slide fastener and forming an end stop at such end, and a slider movable along the unsecured portion of said two connector means and including means for bringing the unsecured portions of said two connector means together into connected engagement when moved lengthwise of the slide fastener towards the unsecured end thereof, and for separating such unsecured portions of the connector means when so moved in the opposite direction, said two connector being located completely on said connector means side of the slide fastener and said two tapes coming together as folds on the opposite seam side of such slide fastener when the connector means are engaged;

a snap on slider stop channel member engaging said connector means in the region between the slider and the permanently secured together ends of the connector means, said slider stop channel member being separate from said slider and comprising a back wall and side wall means together forming a single channel space that is open through its length and is normally slightly smaller in size than the unsecured portions of the connector means when they are connected together, said side wall means being resiliently flexible, wherey such side wall means will spring outwardly to allow passage of the connected together portions of the connector means into the channel space when the slider stop channel member is snapped in place thereon, and then frictionally engages said connected together portions to hold said member thereon;

a flap formed in a wall of the channel member, said flap having a part still integral with the wall to serve as a hinge and defined at its other side by entering through the wall, each said elongated connector means comprising a series of sapced apart teeth; and

said flap having a free end portion positioned to move endwise into a space between adjacent teeth when the slider stop channel member is being snapped onto the connected together portions of the connector means.

5. A seam type slide fastener according to claim 4, wherein the side wall means comprises a pair of side walls which converge together as they extend away from the back wall, and wherein at least one of said side walls includes an inwardly directed portion of convex curvature positioned to contact a side portion of the connector means when the slider stop channel member is placed onto the connector means, so that when pressure is applied to the slider stop channel member to move it normally towards the connector means said connector means will apply a force on said convex portion which will spring said side wall outwardly until the slider stop channel member is on to the connector means and said inwardly struck barb has engaged the connector means.