Abstract: A duct (10) is made up of a plurality of layers (11, 12, 13) of pliant material. The layers (11, 12, 13) are attached by stitching (20, 22) to form pockets (23, 24) between adjacent layers. One of the layers (11) is wider than the others and extends over the lateral edges (17, 19) of those layers (12, 13), and when the stitching (22) is applied, a loop (21) is formed. The loop (21) receives a strength member (26) which may be engaged by a clamp (31) carried by a bracket (34) which may be attached to a utility pole (30) to carry the duct (10) overhead. In another embodiment, a duct (40) includes enclosed loops (41, 42, 43) forming pockets (50, 51, 52). Stitching (54) connects the loops (41, 42, 43) and forms another loop (55) to receive a strength member (56). In yet another embodiment, the layers (61, 62, 63 and 64) are of different lateral widths, and the longest layer (64) extends around one of the edges of the other layers (61, 62, 63) to form a loop (71) when stitching (65) is applied.

Abstract: A system for dividing a conduit (12) into a plurality of compartments (20-24) includes an insert (10) which is formed by attaching a plurality of layers of a pliant material (14-17) near their lateral edges (18). The insert can be formed with a cable (25), a rope (26) or a tape (27) pre-positioned between the layers (14-17) or the cable (25), rope (26) or tape (27) can be positioned in the respective compartments (20-22) after the insert (10) is installed in the conduit (12).

Abstract: An apparatus for gapping a zipper having a pair of slide fasteners stringers such that each fastener stringer has a continuous row of fastener elements secured to an edge thereof. The apparatus includes a support which has a substantially flat surface for supporting the stringers in a generally parallel alignment. An indexing wheel having a plurality of serrations located along a periphery thereof cooperates with the support to engage the fastener elements of each of the pair of fastener stringers for incrementally advancing the pair of fastener stringers a predetermined distance along the support. The hinged block is connected to the support. The hinged block is a pair of grooves formed along the surface thereof so as to be positioned in a path of the advancing fastener stringers for respectively receiving the fastener stringers in the area to be gapped.

Abstract: A mounting adapted to be attached to an article includes a woven material with front and rear slides and made by warp and weft yarns, one of the warp yarns being a thermoplastic coating on a supporting yarn center operative to heat seal the mounting tape to the article, some of the warp yarns showing a 3/1 combination weave pattern with the weft yarns and the remainder of the warp yarns having a 1/1 and 2/2 combination basic weave pattern with weft yarns resulting in at least one of the warp yarns being disposed on a side of the woven material and exhibiting a color shade contrasting with the color of the rest of the tape.

Abstract: A slide fastener slider is disclosed as including spaced parallel wing members and a longitudinal axis therebetween, a pull-lug affixed to its top surface, a pull member operatively connected to said pull-lug for moving the slider relative to interlocking elements, with the pull member being movable parallel to the longitudinal axis, and ends on the pull-lug to exert a pulling force on the slider from below the top surface thereof.

Abstract: A locking slider assembly is shown for use with a slide fastener having separable fastener elements having a slider body, upper and lower spaced parallel wings joined at their front ends on the body. A pair of upstanding body tabs are upstruck from the upper wing which also has a front and rear opening therethrough. A leaf spring has a down turned nose terminating in a downwardly bent spring prong for engaging the fastener elements of the slide fastener. A spring means extends off the leaf spring rearwardly of the down turned nose and passes into the forward openings of the upper wing and is positioned to be engaged by the upstanding body tabs on the upper wing. A spring biasing extension is in engagement with the upper wing to impart spring loading to the spring prong to assure engagement with the fastener elements.

Abstract: Continuous or other lengths of flat back plastic filament coil slide fastener chain is gapped in such a manner that the tape ends produced by the gapping are scrap-free and undamaged. The slide fastener chain to be gapped is held in a laterally taut state in a die and anvil apparatus while the interengaged coil elements are forced upwardly into engagement with blades which cleanly sever the outer leg portions of the coil elements, which leg portions are conveyed upwardly by suction. During the outer leg severing operation, the slide fastener chain is further stretched laterally and caused to spread apart slightly at its center line. The center portion of the chain between the removed coil outer leg portions is received in a control and stabilizing channel between the severing blades while an ascending punch acts on the remaining interior coupling portions of the coil elements and removes them cleanly from the tapes without damaging the tapes.

Abstract: In a stringer for a slide fastener wherein coupling elements are molded on longitudinal supporting means, such as an edge of a tape or spaced connecting threads, leg portions of the coupling elements are formed with recesses to define rapidly cooled portions which are molded to the supporting means. The rapidly cooled portions eliminate porosity to produce greater adherence and strength of the polymer bonding the coupling elements to the supporting means as well as reducing cost.

Abstract: A bulk material bag includes an inner bag united with a cover bag. One tape of a closed slide fastener overlaps the interior of an inner bag rear top extension and is secured thereto. The top extension, together with the attached closed slide fastener and a rear top cover bag flap is folded over the front face of the cover bag and the second tape of the slide fastener is secured to the front face of the cover bag and the flap is secured to the front face of the cover bag and covers and protects the slide fastener until the initial opening of the bulk material bag.

Abstract: Continuous or other lengths of flat back plastic filament coil slide fastener chain is gapped in such a manner that the tape ends produced by the gapping are scrap-free and undamaged. The slide fastener chain to be gapped is held in a laterally taut state in a die and anvil apparatus while the interengaged coil elements are forced upwardly into engagement with blades which cleanly sever the outer leg portions of the coil elements, which leg portions are conveyed upwardly by suction. During the outer leg severing operation, the slide fastener chain is further stretched laterally and caused to spread apart slightly at its center line. The center portion of the chain between the removed coil outer leg portions is received in a control and stabilizing channel between the severing blades while an ascending punch acts on the remaining interior coupling portions of the coil elements and removes them cleanly from the tapes without damaging the tapes.

Abstract: A locking slider assembly for a slide fastener includes only a slider body, a locking spring and pull tab. The three components can be automatically assembled substantially without component deformation. In one embodiment, the pull tab includes an eccentric locking spring release bar to effect spring release by rotation of the pull tab in a semi-automatic slider locking mode. In another embodiment, the locking spring is released by pulling of the pull tab in either direction of slide fastener operation and locking of the slide fastener occurs automatically upon release of the pull tab.

Abstract: Fabric flypieces are placed randomly on a top plate of a unified flypiece feed apparatus which orients the flypieces and feeds them in succession to a sewing station at which they are united with a zipper chain either in end-to-end abutment or with a slight predetermined gap between the flypieces. A somewhat angled flypiece belt conveyor and a cooperative variable tension drag device above the conveyor orients the flypieces longitudinally and feeds them to the sewing station at a substantially greater speed than the united flypieces and zipper chain leave the sewing station. A photo-optical device senses the presence or absence of flypieces on the top plate and stops the sewing machine if the operator fails to load a flypiece within a predetermined time interval.

Abstract: Gaps in molded polymer fastening elements secured to inner edge portions of coplanar support tapes are formed by cutting legs of the coupling elements in planes coplanar with the inner edge portions of the support tapes leaving remanents of the molded polymer attached to the tapes along the gap.

Abstract: One or more inner bands are employed to cooperate with an outer band and a cavity wheel or inner molding member wherein portions of the inner band or bands together with the outer band and the cavity wheel or inner molding member are utilized to continuously form the cavities for continuously molding articles. The inner band or bands are employed to form core members, intermediate cavity wall portions, and/or stripping members for the molding cavities.

Abstract: An apparatus for folding and forming a continuous train of slide fastener coupling element bodies into a train of coupling elements includes a rotating forming disc against which the coupling element bodies are fed. The train is held on the forming disc for a portion of the disc rotation by a pair of flexible discs which clamp the leg portions of the bodies against the sides of the forming disc. After rotation through a portion of the forming disc circumference, the flexible discs are cammed outwardly and the train of coupling elements is pulled from the discs.

Abstract: Lengths of slide fastener chain are pulled through a shearing station wherein the slide fastener chain is subjected to vibratory shearing at least partially in a direction parallel to the plane of the tapes whereby operating resistance of the chain is substantially reduced.

Abstract: A continuous flexible metal band surrounding a molding wheel and rotating therewith engages the wheel through an arc less than 180.degree., e.g. 110.degree., and is maintained with a substantial inward radius of curvature throughout its entire length. This permits the employment of bands with cavities therein and having thicknesses several times greater than 0.001 times the diameter of the molding wheel without fatigue and failure of the band.

Abstract: An invisible slide fastener includes thermoplastic slide fastener elements secured to folded-back portions of the mounting tapes. The slide fastener elements are molded onto the tapes so that integral fastening extensions of the fastener elements extend through an open mesh area of each tape. The slide fastener elements include an interlock structure which is particularly resistant to movement between the opposite rows of slide fastener elements.

Abstract: Heel portions of filamentary coupling members have cross-sectional areas that are reduced relative to the cross-sectional areas of the adjoining leg portions by means of the removal of portions of the heels. The reduced cross-sectional areas in the heels of the filamentary members result in easier slider operation and/or greater crosswise slide fastener strength.

Abstract: Gaps in molded polymer fastening elements secured to inner edge portions of coplanar support tapes are formed by cutting legs of the coupling elements in planes coplanar with the inner edge portions of the support tapes leaving remanents of the molded polymer attached to the tapes along the gap.