Separable slide fastener

Abstract

A separable slide fastener comprises a pair of warp-knit stringer tapes each having a pair of webs with a wale-free region therebetween, which are interconnected by a connector thread extending across the wale-free region at longitudinal intervals, the wale-free region being receptive of a chain of thread loops for attaching the stringer tape to a fabric. A pair of rows of coupling elements is mounted on opposite longitudinal edges of the stringer tapes and taken into and out of interdigitating engagement by a slider movable along the rows of coupling elements. The stringer tapes have at one end thereof a separable bottom end stop. A reinforcement member is mounted on each of the stringer tapes at the one end thereof and connected to the separable bottom end stop. The reinforcement member extends between the tape webs across the wale-free region and includes a tapered body having a pair of inclined opposite surfaces disposed one on each side of the stringer tape and diverging progressively away from each other such that the body increases progressively in cross section outwardly away from the separable bottom end stop. When the slide fastener is attached to a knit fabric by a chain of thread loops, the tapered body engages a lowermost one of the thread loops and prevents the lowermost loop from being displaced off the reinforcement body.