Means To Assemble Stop Onto Stringer Patents (Class 29/767)
  • Patent number: 8844104
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes a machine tool system having multiple zones. The zones may be areas divided by physical barriers or virtual zones. The zones may include a first zone having a first kinematics arrangement and a second zone having a second kinematics arrangement. The first zone and the second zone may share one or more machine axis and at least one of the first zone and the second zone has at least one non-shared machine axis. The present disclosure also includes multi-interface machine tool systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hurco Companies, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul J. Gray
  • Publication number: 20100111450
    Abstract: Ultrasonic end stops and methods of making ultrasonic end stops are provided. The present invention relates to plastic reclosable fasteners with sliders for opening and closing the reclosable fasteners on plastic bags and the like and particularly to the use of protruding end stop structures on reclosable fasteners to prevent travel of sliders past the fastener ends. The end stop structures include at least one of high density polyethylene, to medium density polyethylene, polypropylene, a cyclic olefin copolymer, a high density material, or a high modulus material and may optionally include low density polyethylene or linear low density polyethylene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Inventors: Asmin T. Patel, Steven P. Long
  • Patent number: 7669307
    Abstract: Ultrasonic end stops and methods of making ultrasonic end stops are provided. The present invention relates to plastic reclosable fasteners with sliders for opening and closing the reclosable fasteners on plastic bags and the like and particularly to the use of protruding end stop structures on reclosable fasteners to prevent travel of sliders past the fastener ends. The end stop structures include at least one of high density polyethylene, medium density polyethylene, polypropylene, a cyclic olefin copolymer, a high density material, or a high modulus material and may optionally include low density polyethylene or linear low density polyethylene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Pactiv Corporation
    Inventors: Asmin T. Patel, Steven P. Long
  • Patent number: 7549218
    Abstract: The invention is a continuous finishing apparatus for a slide fastener having a slider introduction portion for successively introducing a slider by intermittently running a slide fastener chain, wherein, a slider introduction member thrusts into the space portion when the slider held by a slider holding member is brought into a space portion and set therein, moves downstream of the slide fastener chain within the space portion, holds an engaging element disposed at a downstream end portion of the space portion, and then, continues to move to the downstream for carrying the slide fastener chain, and wherein the slider is introduced and set along the same chain upon this carriage. Because the slider introduction member carries the slide fastener by holding the engaging elements on an edge of the fastener tape, which is least elongated, no disagreement occurs in position of corresponding right and left engaging elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sawada, Makoto Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 7204006
    Abstract: A method for providing an end-stop for a slider on a resealable thermoplastic bag is provided. The resealable thermoplastic bag includes a profile track having a first side panel and a second side panel. A clip having first and second legs is made to straddle the profile track such that the first leg of the clip being proximate to the first side panel and the second leg of the clip being proximate to the second side panel. One of the legs has an inward-facing protrusion for engaging a corresponding recess on the panel proximate thereto, such that the clip resists vertical motion on the profile track. The other of the legs of the clip is sealed to the panel proximate thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Webster Industries Division Chelsea Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: F. John Herrington, Bryon Hollenbeck
  • Patent number: 7200923
    Abstract: There are provided left and right gripper devices for holding left and right tip side portions of a slide fastener chain, transferring the fastener chain in a longitudinal direction (an X-axis direction) and opening and closing the left and right tip side portions in a Y-axis direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction based on a command sent from operation control means. There is provided an electric motor for controllably driving the left and right gripper devices in the X-Y axis direction based on a command sent from a numeric control section of the operation control means in the X-Y axis direction of the gripper devices. A slider can be automatically inserted by only a specified operation using a single device without preparing a special device for all types of fastener chains and sliders and requiring a time for a considerable reconstruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Matsumura, Tatsuo Ito, Yoshiyuki Toishi, Taishin Kameda
  • Patent number: 7150084
    Abstract: Machining portions such as a cutter portion, a slider inserting portion and an upper stopper attaching portion are provided around the vertical axis of a fixed table portion in order of machining. A fastener chain cut to have a predetermined length is held by the fixed table portion and a gripper of a rotator provided around the same vertical axis. The fastener chain is rotated and transferred to each of the machining portions based on the intermittent rotation and control of the rotator in the holding state in the gripper. Every time a predetermined machining is completed in each of the machining portions for the fastener chain rotated and transferred intermittently, it is possible to rotate and transfer the fastener chain simultaneously and intermittently to the next machining portion, thereby carrying out the necessary machining continuously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2006
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsugu Umino, Michio Ito, Osamu Fujii, Atsunori Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 6968604
    Abstract: A method and a system for forming slider end stops on a zipper tape that comprises first and second interlockable zipper parts. The method comprises the following steps: (a) transmitting sufficient ultrasonic wave energy into first and second areas of the zipper tape to cause the first and second interlocked zipper parts to deform and fuse in the first and second areas, the first and second areas being separated by a gap; and (b) applying sufficient heat and pressure onto a third area of the zipper tape to cause the interlocked zipper parts to deform and fuse in the third area, at least part of the third area being located between the first and second areas in the gap. The first and second areas do not impinge upon the zipper rails. The third area does impinge upon the zipper rails. Thus the zipper rails are deformed in the third area, but not in adjacent areas located below and contiguous with the first and second areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Donald L. Crevier
  • Patent number: 6931707
    Abstract: A device is designed to facilitate operation of a separable slide fastener having a pair of stringers, respectively carrying first and second rows of interlocking elements, the rows respectively terminating at a stop member and a lug, the fastener including at least one slider moveable along the first row and having an aperture therethrough alignable with an aperture in the stop member when the slider is disposed in a terminal position. The device includes a handle and retention structure receivable in an aligning position in the apertures when the slider is in or is moved to its terminal position and engageable with the slider and the stop member to hold the slider in its terminal position so that the user does not have to manually do so during insertion of the lug into the apertures to join the stringers. When the lug is inserted it displaces the retention structure from the apertures. Several embodiments of the device are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Inventor: Richard A. Lathrop
  • Patent number: 6751854
    Abstract: A pair of coupled right and left element rows of a fastener chain is inserted from a rear opening of a slider, which is placed and fixed on a slider passing portion disposed on a transfer path of the fastener chain, and after the element rows are separated side by side through the slider passing portion the respective separated element rows are coupled again by inserting the element rows into an element coupling portion disposed at a chain downstream side. The fastener chain in the above state is transferred to a stop portion forming unit of a single stop implement disposed at a chain downstream side of the element coupling portion, so that the stop implement is attached thereto. Thus, steps for coupling the element rows of the fastener chain and attaching the single stop implement are performed continuously and efficiently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventor: Hironori Takiyama
  • Patent number: 6745443
    Abstract: According to the fastener chain, method and apparatus for forming ends thereof, coil-shaped fastener elements as linear fastener elements are attached and sewed to side edge portions of a pair of fastener tapes with sewing yarns as fixing yarns while a core thread is inserted through the fastener elements. The coil-shaped fastener elements are cut off at leg portions, each of which is in contact with the fastener tape, at ends of the fastener elements, so that cut end portions are formed. These cut end portions are pushed inward of the side edge portions, and then, the leg portions and inverted portions thereof are fused to the fastener tapes by heating. As a result, a form of each end of the fastener elements is stabilized, so that the resultant slide fastener is good in safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Masao Matsumoto, Kazuki Kuse, Hideo Shimai, Mitsuru Yamakawa
  • Patent number: 6467159
    Abstract: In the fastener-chain-finishing apparatus, only a knockout among plural members arranged below a fastener-chain-transfer path of a space-forming unit can move up and down but all the other members are not movable. Consequently, the units below the chain-transfer path can be compact. Further, main bodies of movable grippers and a punch of the space-forming unit, which have a length equal to a space-forming length of the fastener chain and are arranged above the chain-transfer path, have end surfaces that are exposed outside and are flush with each other at least on a side of a stopper-attaching unit arranged adjacent to them. As a result, all the operating members of the space-forming unit can be arranged so as to contact with the stopper-attaching members of the stopper-attaching unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Ykk Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Shimai, Hideki Akiyama
  • Patent number: 6460238
    Abstract: An assembly and method for installing sliders and end terminations onto a reclosable zipper for plastic bags is disclosed. The assembly includes a base with a cam path. A rotor is mounted on the base and includes at least one slider installing member and at least one end termination installing member. The rotor includes a cam follower extending into the cam path and secured to one of the slider installing member and end termination installing member which is reciprocally mounted on the rotor and is reciprocated by the interaction of the cam path and cam follower. At a first point in the rotation of the rotor the slider installing member and the termination installing member are supplied with sliders and terminations. At a second point in the rotation of the rotor the slider and terminations are simultaneously installed onto a zipper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Pactiv Corporation
    Inventors: Jon M. LaRue, Craig E. Cappel
  • Publication number: 20010054220
    Abstract: In the fastener-chain-finishing apparatus, only a knockout among plural members arranged below a fastener-chain-transfer path of a space-forming unit can move up and down but all the other members are not movable. Consequently, the units below the chain-transfer path can be compact. Further, main bodies of movable grippers and a punch of the space-forming unit, which have a length equal to a space-forming length of the fastener chain and are arranged above the chain-transfer path, have end surfaces that are exposed outside and are flush with each other at least on a side of a stopper-attaching unit arranged adjacent to them. As a result, all the operating members of the space-forming unit can be arranged so as to contact with the stopper-attaching members of the stopper-attaching unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 1999
    Publication date: December 27, 2001
    Inventors: HIDEO SHIMAI, HIDEKI AKIYAMA
  • Patent number: 5749134
    Abstract: A slide fastener repair system including a method in which an opening is formed in a slide fastener to create a gap in a row of fastener elements, removing the slide fastener slider through the opening, positioning a replacement slider on the teeth of the slide fastener at the opening and attaching a slider stop at the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Inventor: Martin S. Zemitis
  • Patent number: 5644092
    Abstract: An apparatus for continuously inspecting the attached states of successive bottom stop boxes attached to separable slide fasteners, which has a pair of tape grip members movable forwardly and backwardly along a travelling path of a fastener tape to which the individual bottom stop box is attached. The tape grip members are situtated upwardly and downwardly of the fastener tape travelling path in confronting relationship, each of which being pivotally movable about the horizontal axis extending through its central portion. The tape grip members have their upstream ends urged toward each other, and an air cylinder for forcedly turning their downstream ends toward and away from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Shigenori Oomori, Michio Ito
  • Patent number: 5536460
    Abstract: A method of forming end stops to a continuous slide fastener chain including element-free space portions at longitudinally spaced intervals, wherein as the chain is fed in the backward direction, a pair of rows of interengaged coupling elements extending on the downstream side of an element-free space portion is spread open by a chain splitting apparatus for subsequent molding of a separable end stop whereas a pair of rows of coupling elements on the upstream side of the element-free space portion is kept in engaged condition. After the separable end stop is molded, the chain is fed in the forward direction during which time a sprue portion and gate portions formed integrally with the separable end stop are caught by a chain splitting member of the chain splitting apparatus. The chain splitting member is then lowered to automatically remove the sprue portion and gate portions from the separable end stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1996
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuki Kuse
  • Patent number: 5501000
    Abstract: A slider inserting apparatus is constructed such that before a concealed fastener chain is threaded through a slider, the front and back and the rear end of a flange portion and the left and right front surfaces and the left and right side surfaces and the fore-end of a guide post are held between a pair of upper and lower slider holders with a locking pawl held in a releasing position. With the insertion of the fastener chain, the back and rear end of the flange portion is freed from engagement with the lower holder to enable passage of the fastener chain through the slider. The slider is still held from different directions by the holders so that in despite of a unique or odd shape of the slider, the fastener chain can smoothly be threaded through the slider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1996
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Kondo
  • Patent number: 5241742
    Abstract: An apparatus for assembling a continuous chain of fastener stringers with bottom end stops and sliders comprises a slider holder means capable of rotating about an axis extending parallel to the direction of feed of the stringer chain and having symmetrical upper and lower portions each with an identical set of operative parts. The slider holder means is rotatable intermittently each for an angular distance of 180.degree. between a first position in which a slider is received into one of a pair of pockets formed at opposite ends of the slider holder and a second position in which another slider already in the other pocket is assembled with its pull tab disposed on the same side of the stringer chain on which a bottom end stop is assembled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1993
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Toshiaki Sawada
  • Patent number: 5114057
    Abstract: An apparatus for feeding a slide fastener chain with fabric strips attached thereto and including flaps extending over a pair of interengaged rows of coupling elements includes a narrow elongate lower guide member having a central guide groove extending longitudinally in an upper guide surface thereof for receiving and guiding the interengaged rows of coupling elements, and a presser roller disposed adjacent to an upstream end of said lower guide member for resiliently urging the slide fastener chain against the upper guide surface to cause the flaps to engage said upstream end of said lower guide member and then turn down away from the coupling elements on one side of said lower guide member as the slide fastener chain is fed by a feed unit longitudinally along a feed path toward a subsequent processing station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1992
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K.K.
    Inventor: Kiichirou Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 5077884
    Abstract: A method of and apparatus for manufacturing slide fasteners of selected product lengths from an elongate continuous stringer chain, the method comprising selecting predetermined fastener component parts from among a plurality of such respective component parts which differ in type, form, material and color, feeding and applying the selected parts one at a time to the stringer chain. The apparatus reducing the method to practice comprises operating units arranged to selectively feed and apply the component parts under computer program control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K.K.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Mizuno, Kazuki Kuse, Shunji Akashi, Hiroshi Yoshida, Yozo Okada, Tatsuo Ito
  • Patent number: 5072502
    Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for feeding and applying end stops one at a time onto a slide fastener chain are disclosed. An elongated strip wound on a reel and carrying a multiplicity of prospective end stops serially interconnected by flexible connecting cords is cut successively across the cords to separate a leading end stop which is folded centrally about its transverse axis. The thus cut end stop is transferred onto and clamped in place over a beaded edge of a stringer tape with heat and pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1991
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventors: Minoru Hirota, Kazuki Kuse, Keiichi Keyaki
  • Patent number: 5027501
    Abstract: An apparatus for attaching bottom stops of a generally H-shaped cross section to a slide fastener chain. According to a preferred embodiment, a pair of stringer tapes of one of successive spaced element-free space sections are spread apart by a spreading member. The top and bottom faces of the center base of the bottom stop are clamped resiliently by clamping members until attaching of the bottom stop to the fastener chain is finished and the clamping members move vertically for placing the bottom stop between the stringer tapes of the space section. The spread pair of stringer tapes are then drawn near to come toward each other by a drawing member until the beaded edges of the space section can be threaded respectively through spaces formed between the pair of gripping legs of the bottom stop. Then the fastener chain is transported so that the bottom stop is located to be contacted with the space section-side face of the terminal element of the row of coupling elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1991
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K.K.
    Inventor: Shigenori Omori
  • Patent number: 4985977
    Abstract: A method of applying top end stops on to a slide fastener chain comprises holding a top end stop or stops in between an anvil and a horn, moving the anvil and the horn together into alignment with a path of travel of the fastener chain, threading the fastener chain through the top end stop, clamping and attaching the top end stop by fusion to the fastener chain, and moving the anvil and the horn out of the path of the fastener chain. This method is reduced to practice by an apparatus which essentially comprises an anvil and a horn which are vertically movable together in one instance toward and away from a horizontal path of the fastener chain and means of moving the anvil independently from and against the horn in another instance to clamp and attach the top end stop to the fastener chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 22, 1991
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Tatsuo Osaki
  • Patent number: 4979288
    Abstract: The process makes it possible to manufacture any zip fasteners, i.e. to mold sets of locking members of any length, of the staggered or slit type, the upper stop members, the coupling and the box in a single operation. The apparatus for injection moulding all these components comprises a two part injection moulding tool wherein strips with recesses for the forming of locking members are applied to both the lower and the upper part of the tool and the lower strips can be moved vertically. The transverse slide has in addition to recesses for the upper stop members and the recess for the coupling a mold part for the box, in which is located a mold body which can be displaced within the plane of the slide. In order to form locking members with slits the lower part of the tool is provided with a device to remove the insert which forms the slit from the slit when the finished zip fastener member is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1990
    Assignee: First Tech
    Inventor: Friedrich Mayerhofer
  • Patent number: 4906318
    Abstract: An auxiliary film is applied or fused to a slide fastener chain having a pair of intermeshing rows of coupling elements with an element-free space defined therein. The slide fastener chain is fed by a chain feeder along a feed path. The device for applying the auxiliary film includes an ultrasonic horn disposed above the feed path, a holder disposed below the feed path and movable toward and away from the ultrasonic horn, a stopper disposed in the holder and movable into the element-free space of the slide fastener chain, an anvil disposed in the holder and movable toward and away from the ultrasonic horn, and a feed roller assembly for supplying an elongate auxiliary film onto the anvil. A sensor roller is mounted on the holder for pressed engagement with the elongate auxiliary film, the sensor roller having a plurality of circumferentially equally spaced controlling elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1990
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Kunio Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 4866825
    Abstract: An apparatus for cutting down or reducing the length of a finished slide fastener includes a pilot pin disposed immediately adjacent to the rear end of an element clamper and spaced from the rear end of an element cutter by a distance which is equal to the sum of the element pitch of a row of coupling elements and at least a half of the diameter of a monofilament constituting the row of coupling elements. With the pilot pin thus arranged, a length of coupling elements can be removed smoothly without the occurance of draw of a half-cut coupling element. The apparatus also includes a stopper disposed rearwardly of a top end-stop applicator and engageable with a bottom end stop of the slide fastener for setting the length of reduction from the slide fastener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1989
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Yasutoshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 4862585
    Abstract: A pair of top end stops is attached to respective beaded edges of a pair of stringer tapes of a slide fastener chain which is fed along a feed path. A punch and die assembly disposed above the feed path has a pair of pockets for gripping the top end stops, respectively. The die assembly being movable between a horizontal position for receiving the top end stops and a vertical position directly above an attaching position for attaching the top end stops to the stringer tapes. The punch and die assembly is moved from the horizontal position to the vertical position, and then lowered from the vertical position into the attaching position across the feed path. The stringer tapes are spread apart from each other by a thrust lever, and then the punch and die assembly is pressed by a pusher rod to clinch the top end stops gripped in the pockets on the respective beaded edges of the stringer tapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1989
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Toyoo Morita
  • Patent number: 4839956
    Abstract: In attaching a pair of horizontal U-shaped top stops of synthetic resin to a continuous slide fastener chain, opposed tape edges near a leading one of successive element-free spaces are spread apart, and the top stops are clamped each on its upper and lower surfaces and are placed between the opposed tape edges so as to be horizontally aligned with the opposed inner tape edges. Then the spread inner tape edges are released to restore their original form so as to be inserted through the respective top stops, whereupon only the upper surface of each of the clamped top stops is released from the clamping. Finally the top stops are fused to the opposed tape edges by applying ultrasonic heat energy to the top stops from the released upper surface thereof by an ultrasonic horn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1989
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Tatsuo Osaki
  • Patent number: 4835845
    Abstract: A parts applicator for applying fastener parts such as pins of a separable end stop to a fastener chain includes an anvil slidably mounted in an oscillatable holder and having a pocket in which each fastener part is releasably received. The holder is angularly moved between a reclining position and an upstanding position in which the pocket is located on the path of movement of the slide fastener chain. The parts applicator further includes a cam mechanism acting on the anvil when the holder performs a part of its angular reciprocation adjacent to the upstanding position, for causing the anvil to reciprocate linearly relative to the holder while moving angularly together with the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1989
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Yusei Sassa
  • Patent number: 4819318
    Abstract: In a method of attaching parts of a separable bottom end assembly to a continuous slide fastener chain, a box or insertion pin, in the shape of a channel, of a separable bottom end assembly is threaded onto one of longitudinally spaced successive element-free portions of one longitudinal edge of a continuous slide fastener stringer in an edgewise direction while the one element-free portion is kept stationary at an attaching station in a substantially horizontal path of the fastener stringer as the latter is at rest. The thus threaded pin is then fixedly secured to the one element-free portion by being compressed into a final shape therearound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1989
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Toshiaki Sodeno
  • Patent number: 4815205
    Abstract: The apparatus puts at least one metal beginning piece on a cotinuous slide fastener chain made by connecting a plurality of slide fasteners each with beginning piece regions prepared for receiving a metal beginning piece and with the first slide fastener coupling members bounding the beginning piece regions of the slide fasteners. The opened slide fastener chain is moveable or advanceable stepwise by the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1989
    Assignee: Opti Patent-, Forschungsund Fabrikations-AG
    Inventor: Gerhard Stabler
  • Patent number: 4787140
    Abstract: A clamping mechanism mounted on a punch/die holder includes a pair of punch arms angularly movably supported on the punch/die holder and a die fixed to the punch/die holder and disposed between the punch arms for supporting U-shaped top end stops between the die and lower ends of the punch arms. The punch arms are angularly moved to cause the lower ends thereof to clinch the top end stops respectively about the beaded marginal edges of slide fastener stringer tapes at one of element-free spaces adjacent to ends of two rows of coupling elements. The die and the lower ends of the punch arms have slanted surfaces for smoothly guiding the beaded marginal edges into the top end stops between the die and the punch arms. The beaded marginal edges of the stringer tapes at the element-free space are separately directed toward the top end stops supported between the die and the lower ends of the punch arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1988
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo, K. K.
    Inventors: Kozo Watanabe, Yasuhiko Matsuda, Shunji Akashi
  • Patent number: 4711020
    Abstract: An apparatus for supplying U-shaped top end stops reliably one at a time to a holding portion of a top end-stop attaching machine, includes a movable guide rail reciprocably movable between a receiving position for receiving the top end stop from a fixed guide rail cantilevered to a vibrating parts feeder, and a delivery position for supplying the top end stop therefrom to the holding portion, and a delivery unit reciprocably movable toward and away from the holding portion to deliver a leading top end stop from the first guide rail through the second guide rail to the holding portion. The movable guide rail and the delivery unit are linked such that the delivery unit resiliently engages with the movable guide rail within a certain range of its reciprocating stroke for moving the movable guide rail from the receiving position to the delivery position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1987
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K.K.
    Inventors: Kozo Watanabe, Akiyoshi Kando, Yoshiyuki Horita
  • Patent number: 4697319
    Abstract: A box holder swingably mounted on a frame is angularly movable between a box receiving position and a box attaching position. The box holder has a casing, an anvil slidably disposed in the casing, and a pair of gripping jaws angularly movably disposed in the casing for gripping the box therebetween against an end of the anvil. A first fluid cylinder is disposed on the frame for pressing the anvil in the box attaching position. An ultrasonic horn mounted for movement toward and away from the box holder is pressed by a second fluid cylinder toward the anvil holder in the box attaching position to grip the box between the end of the anvil and the ultrasonic horn. While the box is gripped between the anvil and the ultrasonic horn, the ultrasonic horn is energized to apply ultrasonic vibrations to weld the box to the box pin inserted therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1987
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Mitsugu Umino
  • Patent number: 4671122
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system for inspecting the attached state of a separable end stop attached to a slide fastener. The system is used with an apparatus for manufacturing a slide fastener equipped with a separable end stop. Fastener stringers are transported by a transfer unit while a separable end stop is attached to the stringers and a completed slide fastener is discharged by a discharge unit. The discharge unit operates in a first state for engaging and feeding a slide fastener, and a second state for allowing a slide fastener to pass freely therethrough. The transfer unit passes a slide fastener through the discharge unit and transports the slide fastener to an inspection apparatus located downstream of the discharge unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1987
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Osamu Igarashi
  • Patent number: 4653184
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1987
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Yuusei Sassa
  • Patent number: 4640008
    Abstract: A stringer combining apparatus includes a stringer combining guide section. The guide section has an outer guide member located at the junction of guide groove portions which in combination constitute a Y-shaped guide groove, the member being made resiliently movable in the outward direction, thereby allowing the passage of even members other than fastener elements attached to a stringer. The apparatus further includes a conveyor device for conveying the stringers through the guide section. The guide section is made movable in the direction parallel with the moving direction of the stringers. The guide section is moved by a fluid-pressure cylinder device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1987
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Kazuki Kuse
  • Patent number: 4633580
    Abstract: A device for positioning a pair of longitudinally advancing elongate slide fastener stringers comprises a pair of positioning jaws movable relatively to one another in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of each slide fastener stringer to define therebetween a guide channel for the passage of the slide fastener stringer. At least one of the positioning jaws includes a step for engaging the leading coupling element of each coupling element row mounted on one longitudinal edge of a tape of each respective slide fastener stringer, for thereby stopping the slide fastener stringer. The positioning device having the positioning jaws is capable of accurately positioning the slide fastner stringers even when the slide fastener stringer is laterally undulated or locally swelled during advancing movement thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1987
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventors: Keiichi Yoshieda, Toshiaki Sodeno, Syuichi Honmoto
  • Patent number: 4627807
    Abstract: An apparatus of manufacturing a slide fastener with a separable end stop according to the invention includes: a step which is carried out while separating engaged stringers of continuous length which have space portions disposed at regular intervals in their longitudinal directions and which consists of conveying the separated stringers through an injection molding station; suspending the operation of conveying the stringers in such a manner that one of the space portions is disposed at the injection molding station; and simultaneously injection-molding upper stops and pins which constitute a separable end stop on the stringers at each end of the space portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1986
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K.K.
    Inventor: Kazuki Kuse
  • Patent number: 4624809
    Abstract: The invention provides method and apparatus for forming upper stops of a concealed type slide fastener. A concealed type slide fastener comprises a pair of fastener stringers each consisting of a fastener tape having a turn-up along one side thereof and fastener elements of thermoplastic resin secured to the turn-up. Portions of the elements are fused to form upper stops. In the method and apparatus of the invention, a pair of spaced projections are formed on a base and placed with respect to fastener stringers of a slide fastener or continuous fastener chain so that the projections pass between the stringers. The fastener elements are urged toward the projections while portions of the projections engage the arrest the element-mounting-side margins of the tapes to expose the interengaging heads of the elements so that only the interengaging heads are fused.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1986
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K.K.
    Inventor: Yoshitaka Iimura
  • Patent number: 4606100
    Abstract: An apparatus automatically manufactures a succession of slide fasteners with flies from a continuous slide fastener chain having a pair of intermeshed rows of coupling elements with element-free spaces therein and stringer tapes supporting the rows of coupling elements, respectively, with the flies sewn to one of the tapes. The apparatus includes a feed path along which the chain can be fed, a feed roller assembly for feeding the chain along the feed path in selective engagement with the intermeshed rows of coupling elements, and an element guide operatively coupled with the feed roller assembly for guiding the rows of coupling elements along the feed path across the feed roller assembly. The feed roller assembly comprises a driven roller and an idling roller movable toward and away from the driven roller for feeding the chain along the feed path. The element guide has guide legs disposed upstream and downstream of the feed roller assembly and having guide grooves, respectively, aligned with the feed path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1986
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventors: Akio Yunoki, Tatsuo Osaki, Masaaki Fuda
  • Patent number: 4598454
    Abstract: An apparatus automatically manufactures a succession of slide fasteners with flies from a continuous slide fastener chain having a pair of intermeshed rows of coupling elements with element-free spaces therein and stringer tapes supporting the rows of coupling elements, respectively, with the flies sewn to one of the tapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1986
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Akio Yunoki
  • Patent number: 4561161
    Abstract: A longitudinally gapped, continuous slide fastener chain with sliders slidably mounted thereon is longitudinally fed by a feed roller through an apparatus including a top stop applicator mechanism. When the slider on a pair of coupling element rows is sensed by a slider sensor, the feed roller is stopped and a chain stop lever is lowered into a gap adjacent to the coupling element rows. The feed roller is rotated again to feed the slide fastener chain again to displace the chain stop lever slightly downstream by engagement with a bottom stop attached to a following length of coupling element rows. When the slide fastener chain is stopped again, a chain deflector is lowered transversely into the path of the slide fastener chain to depress the chain so that the chain located downstream of the chain deflector is pulled back until the ends of the coupling element rows where top stops are to be applied are bought into clinching dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1985
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K.K.
    Inventor: Toyoo Morita
  • Patent number: 4551900
    Abstract: Pin and box elements for the separable connection of the ends of the respective halves of a slide fastener are applied by deflecting the coupled stringer previously provided with the slider, at an angle to enable the elements to be threaded through the window onto respective edges in the shadow of the deflected stretch of the band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1985
    Assignee: Dr. Karl F. Nagele Feinmaschinenbau GmbH & Co
    Inventors: Henning Hansen, Helmut Schneider
  • Patent number: 4549348
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for securing a bottom end stop to an indefinite length of fastener chain including alternately space portion where elements are removed and engaging element portion are disclosed. The feeding movement of the fastener chain is arrested by protruding a chain stopper into the space portion downstream of one of the element portions while slidably guiding the opposite edges of the element portions. The fastener chain is then resiliently held down at its space portion or element portion downstream of the space portion by an element stopper and the chain stopper is pulled out of the space portion. By this, the fastener chain is allowed to move until its element portion upstream of the space portion abuts against the element stopper, where upon a bottom end stop is driven into the end of the element portion upstream of the space portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1985
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Toishi
  • Patent number: 4510658
    Abstract: A clamping unit has a pair of clamping jaws movable toward each other by manually operable threaded rods to clamp a slotted hollow body such as a separable bottom stop member for a separable slide fastener on a beaded edge positioned between the clamping jaws. A central presser presses the slotted hollow body against shoulders of the clamping jaws to shape the slotted hollow body. The clamping jaws and the presser are adjustably limited in their coacting movement so as to handle slotted hollow bodies of various sizes. The clamping jaws and the presser are spring-loaded so that they will be automatically retracted out of an operating position upon release.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1985
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Kihei Takahashi
  • Patent number: 4495695
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus for producing a slide fastener having a separable end stop through the steps of attaching a pin, box pin, a slider and a box to a pair of stringers while the stringers are being fed in a parallel state by grippers, in which the stringers have a space portion devoid of fastener elements and upper stoppers affixed adjacent to the space portion. A slider attaching unit of this apparatus has a transfer holder for carrying the slider into the path of travel of the stringers from a slider supply device and a retaining device for retaining the slider between itself and the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 29, 1985
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Mitsugu Umino
  • Patent number: 4494292
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for securing a bottom end stop to an indefinite length of fastener chain including alternately space portion where elements are removed and engaging element portion are disclosed. The feeding movement of the fastener chain is arrested by protruding a chain stopper into the space portion downstream of one of the element portions while slidably guiding and opposite edges of the element portions. The fastener chain is then resiliently held down at its space portion or element portion downstream of the space portion by an element stopper and the chain stopper is pulled out of the space portion. By this, the fastener chain is allowed to move until its element portion upstream of the space portion abuts against the element stopper, where upon a bottom end stop is driven into the end of the element portion upstream of the space portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 22, 1985
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Toishi
  • Patent number: 4479290
    Abstract: In the apparatus for forming a space in and simultaneously fixing a stop to a fastener chain of this invention, a casing is provided with a tubular frame portion in which a punch holder having a space punch and a driver punch is received for sliding movement. This apparatus further includes a cutting punch between the driver punch and the inner wall of the tubular frame portion. When the punch holder descends, the cutting punch cuts a stop forming wire and forms the cut wire length into a stop preform in cooperation with an anvil. As the punch holder further descends, the driver punch drives the stop preform into the tapes of the chain and simultaneously the space punch forms a space in the chain. During this operation, the cutting punch rises relative to the punch holder so as not to damage the tapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1984
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Tatsuo Osaki