Abstract: Separable slide fasteners are manufactured from an alongate slide fastener chain composed of a pair of slide fastener stringers having rows of coupling elements alternating with element-free portions having substantially U-shaped recesses defined in inner edges thereof. The elongate slide fastener chain is fed under tension along a longitudinal path, and the slide fastener stringers are separated from each other. Then, an insertion pin is attached laterally to the inner edge of one of the element-free portions, and a box pin is attached laterally to the inner edge of another element-free portion confronting said one element-free portion. The insertion pin and the box pin which are laterally aligned with each other are threaded through a slider until certain coupling elements of the slide fasteners stringers are interengaged. Then, a box is attached to the box pin.

Abstract: A device for pulling up the slider of a slide fastener chain includes a pair of slider gripping fingers provided in opposed relation, one on each side of a slider guide groove formed in a slide fastener chain guide. The slider guide groove constitutes part of a slider passageway through which a slide fastener having a slider mounted thereon is capable of being passed and guided. The fingers are operatively associated with each other and coupled to an actuating mechanism which thrusts the fingers into the passageway to grip a slider and pull the slider up to a predetermined position as the slide fastener chain advances through the passageway, and which then withdraws the fingers from the passageway to release their grip on the slider so that the slider may pass through the passageway with the rest of the travelling fastener chain.

Abstract: A box holder vertically movably mounted on a frame is reciprocably movable between a box attaching position and a box receiving position. The box holder includes a recess for receiving a box and a clamp finger for retaining the box in the recess. The clamp finger is pivotably mounted on a slide block vertically movably disposed in a recessed portion defined in the box holder adjacent to the recess. The box holder further includes a cam facing the recessed portion and a cam follower provided on the clamp finger. Upon vertical movement of the slide block, the cam follower is brought into engagement with the cam to cause the clamp finger to angularly move toward and away from the recess, thereby releasably retaining the box in the recess. The box holder thus constructed is compact in structure and reliable in operation.

Abstract: An apparatus for discharging slide fasteners comprises a guide unit disposed on a horizontal longitudinal path downstream of a pair of feed rollers for receiving the slide fasteners therefrom one after another, and a gripping unit disposed in the path downstream of the guide unit for releasably gripping a leading end of the individual slide fastener received in the guide unit. The guide unit includes a stationary upper guide member and a lower guide member pivotally movable to open the bottom side of the guide unit to thereby allow the individual slide fasteners therein to fall and hence become suspended from the gripping unit.

Abstract: A slider applicator has a stopper attached to an end of a slide rod slidably mounted in a pivotable casing for movement parallel to a feed path along which a slide fastener chain is fed through a slider supported on a slider holder. When the stopper is displaced for a prescribed distance by box and insertion pins on the slide fastener chain, a microswitch is actuated to operate an air cylinder for angularly moving the casing to lift the casing out of engagement with the box and insertion pins, which are now allowed to move with the slide fastener chain past the stopper. In the event of improper positioning of one of the box and insertion pins, adjacent endmost coupling elements are jammed in a slider to thereby prevent the stopper from being displaced for the prescribed distance. A sensor switch is then actuated to signal such improper positioning of one of the box and insertion pins.

Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting slide fasteners is disclosed. The apparatus includes a slide fastener suspension device having a horizontal rotary member provided with a plurality of equally-spaced clips for supporting each of the slide fasteners in a suspended condition, and a drive means adapted to intermittently rotate the horizontal rotary member. A first gripper is provided at a first position along a movement path of the horizontal rotary member so as to feed in succession the slide fasteners to the clips of the suspension device in a suspended condition. The apparatus also includes a second gripper provided at a second position along the path of the horizontally rotating member so as to remove the slide fasteners from the clips transferred by the horizontal rotary member in succession. The path of the horizontal rotary member between the first position and the second position provides a visual inspection region for the slide fasteners.