Optilon W. Erich Heilmann Gmbh

Opti Patent-, Forschungs- Und Fabrikations-ag

Helmut Heimberger

Helmut Wulz

A slide-fastener stringer is made by feeding a warp of warp filaments in a longitudinal warp direction to a weaving location, feeding to an edge of the warp at the weaving location a coupling coil formed by a multiplicity of turns each forming a coupling head directed transversely away from the warp and a coupling part extending at least generally longitudinally, feeding to the weaving location within the coil a thick filler cord, and weaving through the warp filaments and around the coupling parts and filler cord between the heads at least one weft filament. In order to maintain coil pitch exact both the coil and filler cord are positively engaged at a location immediately longitudinally upstream of the weaving location with a feed and guide element so as to retard advance of the feed and guide element and create in both the coil and in the filler cord a tension between the feed and guide element and the weaving location.

Weaving a slide-fastener stringer half with an integral coupling coil

A coupling strip for a slide fastener, which can be utilized as part of a stringer half together with a fabric tape of which it forms a part, or alone as a stringer half, is produced by crocheting at least two rows of knots using bearded (spring-type) or latch needles and respective yarn guides on a crocheting machine, a continuous coupling element in coil or meander form and composed of a synthetic resin monofilament being inserted as a weft across these rows.

Method of making a slide fastener coupling strip

A slide fastener has a pair of tapes along confronting edges of which are provided respective rows of coupling elements in a ladder configuration with individual members being affixed together by a continuous textile strand, as one-arm rungs of the ladder. Each coupling member is molded unitarily and unbent, and comprises an upper portion and a lower portion separated by a plane parallel to a slide fastener plane. The head of each coupling member lies above this plane and is mushroom-shaped to have a neck reaching inwardly toward the respective edge of the tape. Flush with this plane but on the lower half of the coupling member are a pair of ledges which function to absorb forces transverse to this plane. The connecting yarn is embedded in the upper half which can be provided for connection to the tape.

Slide fastener

An apparatus for producing small molded bodies with overhanging portions, e.g. for use as end stop members in slide fastener stringers, wherein a molding band is fed to a forming wheel to define individual molding cavities therewith, the cavities passing to a molding station at which a synthetic resin material is injected into the cavities. According to the invention, the band consists of a plurality of band members which upon being fed to the wheel, form a core with undercut formations around which the synthetic resin material is molded and, following molding, the band portions are laterally or orthogonally offset to release the articles drawn by the band out of forming beds on the wheel.

Apparatus for the production of small synthetic resin articles

An apparatus for forming coupling members of synthetic resin for application to a support tape in the production of a slide-fastener stringer comprises a forming wheel to which an endless band is fed to form mold cavities on the periphery of the wheel which are filled with synthetic resin. According to the invention, a further band is fed to overlie the first band and define undercut portions of the cavity to produce projections in the molded members which can engage when the latter are applied to a support tape. A continuous core can be fed to the drum periphery to be embedded in the coupling members as they are formed so that the row of coupling members is produced as a succession of teeth on this continuous element.

Apparatus for producing coupling elements for slide-fastener stringer

Continuous coupling elements, e.g. coils of synthetic-resin monofilament, preferably in an interconnected state, are heated to a thermofixing temperature and, with the aid of additional ultrasonic energy and pressure, have upper shanks of each coupling member deformed to provide recesses adapted to receive the stitches for attachment of the coupling elements to a support tape.

Method of thermofixing continuous coupling elements of synthetic-resin

A fastener of the type in which two arrays of spaced-apart coupling heads are juxtaposed and pressed together, either with or without a slider, so that the heads of one array or row are received in the inter-head spaces of the other row and vice versa, is provided with a pair of spaced apart connecting strands extending the full length of the respective row and integral (unitary) with the coupling heads or their connecting shanks. The strands, molded monolithically with the remainder of the unit, flexibly interconnect the coupling heads and serve as stops for relative lateral movement of the rows upon their interconnection.

Fastener

A slide fastener with separable end stop members including an insertion member and a reception member each associated with a respective row of coupling elements on a stringer half. The members have complementary offset steps orthogonal to the slide fastener plane to prevent relative displacement of these members when they are interfitted in a direction perpendicular to the slide fastener plane and are mutually engageable. A slider of generally Y-shaped channel configuration can be displaced upon the rows of coupling elements to interconnect and disconnect them. The slider has arcuate slider flanks receiving the insertion and reception members between them and these members have arcuate surfaces corresponding to the curvature of these flanks and engageable therewith. An abutment is provided to enable the coupling element to be drawn over one of these members, namely, the reception member, in a unidirectional manner and preventing withdrawal of the slider in the opposite direction. The insertion member is shaped so that it can be fitted into the reception member when the slider is disposed over the latter.

Slide fastener with separable end members

A slide-fastener stringer half has an elongated warp-knitted tape having a pair of opposite faces and a pair of opposite longitudinally extending edges. The tape is knit with a plurality of chained warp yarns each forming a respective longitudinally extending loop chain or pillar defining a respective longitudinally extending wale, a first weft filament laid into and extending over two of the chains at one of the edges of the tape, a group of second weft yarns lapped into the chains across the full width of the tape, and a group of third weft yarns laid into all of the chains except that chain immediately at the one edge. A continuous mono-filamentary coupling element having a succession of turns is secured to one face of the tape along the one edge by stitching which overlies the turns, extends through the tape, and has a needle thread on the other face of the tape between two of the chains at the one edge.

Warp-knit slide-fastener stringer half and method of making same

A slide fastener with separable endstop members has its endstop members formed with a plug and socket arrangement whereby one endstop member can be fitted into the other endstop member generally transversely to the plane of the slide fastener stringer. The male or plug member can form a pivot pin about which the other member is swingable into a slot in the slider.

Slide fastener with separable endstop members

A slide-fastener stringer half comprises a knit tape having a plurality of parallel longitudinally extending wales and a plurality of transversely extending courses, and a monofilamentary coupling element on the tape and having a succession of turns each having a pair of shanks and a coupling head joining the shanks and projecting transversely beyond the longitudinal edge of the tape. The shanks of each turn lie at least in regions adjacent the respective head in a plane generally perpendicular to the tape. The tape comprises at least one warp yarn forming a chain knitted into the tape at every other course and overlying the shanks at the regions adjacent the heads. Thus the shanks are laid into the chains at these regions so that the coupling element is thoroughly integrated into the knit of the tape. The tape itself may be formed of a full-tricot ground. Alternatively the tape can be formed of second weft yarns having open loops at each course and extending transversely each over two respective wales. The warp yarn, as it overbridges each other course, is briefly pulled tight to produce fold-like seats in the ground unit to receive the paired shanks.

Slide-fastener-stringer half with knitted-in coupling elements and

A warp-knit slide-fastener stringer half comprises an elongated warp-knitted tape having a pair of opposite faces and a pair of opposite longitudinally extending edges. The tape is knit with a plurality of warp yarns forming longitudinally extending parallel wale-forming chains, a first group of weft yarns laid into and each extending over only three of the chains, and a second group of weft yarns laid into and each extending over only two of the chains. A continuous monofilamentary coupling element having a succession of turns lies on one face of the tape along one edge thereof and is secured thereto by double-lock stitching which overlies the turns, extends through the tape and has a needle thread on the other face of the tape between two of the wales formed by the chains at the edge. The warp-chain-forming yarns and the weft yarns or either of these in the alternative can be composed of shrinkable threads and thermofixed.

A slide fastener with separable endstop members has a pair of stringer halves with respective rows of coupling members or heads adapted to interdigitate upon movement of a slide therealong. At an end of the stringer one of the slide fastener halves is provided with a pintle while the other slide half has its endstop member formed with a knuckle enabling one endstop member to pivot about the pintle axis relative to the other laterally and into the slider preparatory to closure of the slide fastener. A hook on one of the endstop members remote from the pintle engages the other endstop member to hold the two together. According to the invention, one of the endstop members forms a double armed lever fulcrumed between the pintle and the hook so that, upon engagement of the hook, the pintle is retained forcibly against its seat.

A slide-fastener stringer half comprises a knit tape having a plurality of parallel longitudinally extending wales and a plurality of transversely extending courses, and a monofilamentary coupling element on the tape and having a succession of turns each having a pair of shanks and a coupling head joining the shanks and projecting transversely beyond the longitudinal edge of the tape. The shanks of each turn lie at least in regions adjacent the respective head in a plane generally perpendicular to the tape. The tape comprises at least one warp yarn forming a chain knitted into the tape at every other course and overlying the shanks at the regions adjacent the heads. Thus the shanks are laid into the chains at these regions so that the coupling element is thoroughly integrated into the knit of the tape. The tape itself may be formed of a full-tricot ground. Alternatively the tape can be formed of second weft yarns having open loops at each course and extending transversely each over two respective wales.

Growing community of inventors

Locarno, Switzerland

Helmut Heimberger