Abstract: A method is disclosed whereby a pair of stringers for slide fasteners are subjected to heat treatment to permit the fibers of stringer tapes to be contracted particularly in the region of longitudinal edge portions of the tapes where rows of fastener elements are secured. The thus contracted tape edges are further shaped by compression molding so as to present a transverse cross section complimentary with that of a guide channel in a slider.

Abstract: A weft tensioning device in a shuttleless loom includes a weft yarn feeder and a tension compensator interposed between the weft yarn feeder and a filling carrier. The tension compensator has a pair of weft guides and means disposed between the weft guides for intermittently shifting the weft yarn sideways off a path between the weft guides in response to reciprocation of the filling carrier. The weft yarn feeder has weft yarn winding means, the diameter of which is variable to meet different yarn demands for various widths of narrow fabric to be produced or to compensate for varying yarn stretchability due to different degrees of ambient temperature and humidity.

Abstract: An apparatus for mating a pair of slide fastener coupling elements carried on a pair of stringer tapes, respectively, includes a pair of guide wheels each having a plurality of peripheral teeth meshable with one of unengaged rows of coupling elements for guiding the same and for regulating distances between adjacent coupling elements of each row, and a pair of presser rollers for squeezing the unengaged rows of coupling elements to interengage the same immediately after the latter are released from the teeth of the guide wheels. The axis of each guide wheel is eccentric to that of one of the presser rollers. With this arrangement, the pair of rows of coupling elements can be mated nicely without obstruction or impairment by wheel teeth but while such regulated distances between adjacent coupling elements of each row remain.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a slide fastener stringer including a woven stringer tape and a coiled fastener element woven into the tape along a longitudinal edge thereof. The apparatus comprises a plurality of harnesses for forming a shed of warp threads, a filling carrier for inserting a weft thread through the warp shed, a first reed for beating the weft thread in the shed against the fell of the tape, means for forming the coiled fastener element to be woven into the tape by the weft thread, and a second reed for beating successive coupling heads of the coiled fastener element one after another against a point which is in alignment with the fell of the tape. The second reed is operatively connected to the first reed so as to synchronize the beating action of the second reed with that of the first reed.

Abstract: A weft yarn feeder for use in a shuttleless loom has a pair of spaced circular plates and a spindle rotatably supported on the circular plates. The spindle has a pair of externally threaded portions of opposite thread directions. A pair of threaded carriages are carried on the externally threaded portions of the spindle. A plurality of angularly spaced links are pivotally connected to each of the carriages, and have end portions pivotally and loosely connected to a plurality of angularly spaced yarn bars, which have end portions slidably disposed in a plurality of radial guide slots in the circular plates. The yarn bars jointly provide a cylinder-like configuration around which a weft yarn is to be wound and the diameter of which can be varied by rotating the spindle to move the yarn bars radially outwardly and inwardly through the links and carriages.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a slide fastener stringer having a woven stringer tape and a coiled coupling element woven therein, includes a needle loom for weaving the stringer tape of warp and weft threads, a mandrel for extending at an angle to the warp threads, and a rotor assembly to be located alongside of the warp threads for winding a monofilament around the mandrel in a circular path to form the coiled coupling element, which is then woven into the stringer tape by the weft thread. A means on the rotor assembly guides the monofilament to revolve in a substantially conical orbital path around the mandrel, which is eccentric with the circular path and is located closer to the warp threads than the rotor assembly is, so that the monofilament is kept under substantially uniform tension while revolving in the substantially conical orbital path.

Abstract: A weft yarn feeder for use in a shuttleless loom has a spool and a spindle extending rotatably through the shaft of the spool and supporting a pair of drive gears. A plurality of yarn rods jointly defining a generally cylindrical configuration around which a weft yarn is to be wound extend axially along the spool shaft. The end portions of the yarn rods are connected eccentrically to angularly spaced driven gears rotatably mounted on the flanges of the spool and with which the drive gears are held in driving mesh. The yarn rods and the driven gears are connected by pins extending loosely through radial slots in the spool flanges. The yarn rods are movable radially outwardly or inwardly in response to the turning of a knob fixed to the spindle.

Abstract: In an assembling apparatus for slide fastener stringers with spaced sections, the leading element of the element row in the leading stringer is detected by a probe inserted into the guide groove of the binder member for the elements and the engagement of the leading element and the claw of the probe retards the progress of the leading stringer leading to the retardation of the rotation of the pulling roller for the leading stringer as a consequence while the rotation of the other pulling roller for the trailing stringer, which is connected to the first pulling roller through a differential transmission mechanism is accelerated whereby the trailing stringer is forwarded with increased velocity to rapidly catch up with the leading stringer so that both of the stringers are brought into right alignment to be exactly interengaged in the binder member without mismatching.

Abstract: A method and apparatus proposed for removing interlocking elements over a certain longitudinal area from a continuous slide fastener chain of the plastic filament coil type, and providing interlocking element-free space sections in the fastener chain, according to which the fastener chain is put on a die having a square recess in its surface, a punch having a cutter blade on its lower end is moved down to and press the fastener chain into the recess, whereby the filament coils are made to bend in the V-shape in the recess, the punch is further lowered to cut off the leg portions of the coils, allowing the head portions to remain exposed and raised above the surface of the fastener chain. The raised head portions can then easily and efficiently be removed by a picking-up means, such as a scraper.

Abstract: A gasket installing device comprises a hollow frame in which there is rotatably disposed a presser wheel having means on its circumference for engaging and pressing the gasket discharged from a guide passage against the panel edge at a position adjacent to an open side of the hollow frame. The presser wheel is driven by an electric motor through an overrunning clutch mechanism contained in the presser wheel. The clutch mechanism allows the presser wheel to be rotated by the motor only in one direction and also allows the wheel to rotate freely in the same direction when the motor is de-energized.

Abstract: A slide fastener stringer includes a stringer tape and a series of fastener elements sewn to the tape by means of stitches with upper and lower legs of the elements lying one on each side of the tape. The sewing stitches include a needle thread extending across and over the lower element legs and a looper thread having loops extending through the tape and between adjacent elements, and interlooped with the needle thread at the side of the tape on which the lower element legs are disposed. The looper thread further includes loops extending over the upper element legs and interlaced with the first-named loops of the looper thread at the other side of the tape.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a woven slide fastener comprises means for weaving a slide fastener stringer tape, a mandrel around which a monofilament is coiled as it is woven into the stringer tape, and a coiling rotor assembly having a pair of wheels rotatably mounted in a pair of housings and on a floating axle to which the mandrel is fixed, and having guide means rotatable for revolving the monofilament in an orbital path around the axle. A pair of plungers jointly or individually act between the floating axle and one of the housings along a path diametrically across said orbital path by which the axle is held immovably with respect to said one of the housings. The plungers are retractable one at a time out of the orbital path so as to allow the monofilament and the guide means to cross the path of movement of the plungers.

Abstract: A gasket installing device comprises a hollow frame and a guide roller rotatably mounted at a leading end of the hollow frame for rolling movement over a panel edge along which a gasket is to be installed. A presser wheel is rotatably disposed in the hollow frame and has means on its circumference for engaging and pressing the gasket against the panel edge at a position adjacent to an open side of the hollow frame. A gasket guide disposed in the hollow frame adjacent to the leading end has a passage for the gasket to pass therethrough, the passage extending at an angle to the open side. The passage has a discharge opening spaced from the above-mentioned position and from the open side. The hollow frame supports a correction roller assembly on its trailing end for correcting the installed gasket into proper disposition over the panel edge.

Abstract: A bridge top stop comprises a web having a widened lower end and a contracted upper end, a pair of transversely spaced, pointed legs at the lower end of the web, and another pair of transversely spaced, pointed legs at the upper end of the web. Piercing a pair of stringer tapes, the two pairs of legs are clinched to engage the usual edge beads of the tapes, with the lower legs maintaining the tape edge beads in spaced parallelism and the upper legs maintaining the beads in close juxtaposition.

Abstract: A slide fastener includes a bottom end stop member for limiting the downward or opening movement of a slider along a pair of series of fastener elements carried on and along confronting longitudinal edges of oppositely disposed stringer tapes. Each of upper and lower wings of the slider has a pair of guide flanges extending on and along its lateral edges. The lengths of each pair of guide flanges are so related to the pitch of the fastener elements that those two opposed fastener elements, located within a guide channel of the slider in adjacent relationship to the front ends of the two pairs of guide flanges, have their respective longitudinal axes disposed downwardly of the front ends of the lateral guide flanges when the slider is in its lowermost position.

Abstract: An automatic lock slider for a slide fastener comprises a slider body having a transverse slot formed in its upper wing, and a pull tab pivotally mounted on the slider body and having a tongue. A locking spring means is mounted on the slider upper wing and has a locking pawl received in the transverse slot. The pull tab tongue urges the locking pawl into the guide channel of the slider body along a curved path oriented transversely of the slider body for locking engagement with one of the fastener elements therewithin when the pull tab is laid flat toward the slider upper wing.

Abstract: A slider aligning device is disclosed for use in a separable slide fastener of the class comprising a pair of stringers having longitudinal rows of interfitting fastener elements on their opposed edges respectively, and a pair of sliders arranged reversely to each other on the rows of fastener elements for longitudinal movement therealong to engage and disengage the same. The aligning device includes a pair of recesses formed inconspicuously at the contracted end of one of the sliders, and a pair of tongues formed correspondingly at the opposed contracted end of the other slider. The tongues are so shaped and sized as to fit neatly in the respective recesses when the contracted ends of the two sliders are brought into contact with each other, so that the sliders can be held in correct alignment during insertion or removal of a pin member at one end of one of the stringers into or out of the guide channels of the respective sliders.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing helically coiled coupling elements for slide fasteners. There are provided a filament supply unit, a filament coiling unit, a filament drive unit interposed between the supply unit and the coiling unit, and a tension-applying unit disposed between the drive unit and the coiling unit. As a filament is formed into a fastener element in the form of a continuous helical coil at the filament coiling machine, the filament is unwound from a relatively large bobbin in the supply device and at the same time is rotated about its own axis by a rotor of the supply unit at the same rate and in the same direction as the filament is coiled at the coiling unit to thereby eliminate twists on the filament which would otherwise be produced at the latter unit. The drive unit is also adapted to rotate the filament about its own axis while positivey feeding the filament toward the coiling unit.