Abstract: A pipe extracting tool for use with first and second pipes mated together and having a gasket disposed therebetween includes an arcuate blade and a driving member portion extending radially outwardly from the arcuate blade. The arcuate blade is sized and shaped to surround an outer circumference of the first pipe and slide between the outer circumference of the first pipe and an inner circumference of the second pipe to disengage the gasket from one of the first and second pipes.

Abstract: A triaxial connector release tool comprising an outer housing and an inner appliance. The shape and size of appliance is adapted to fit concentrically within the housing of the tool. The appliance is pivotally mounted to the housing of the tool about a tab. In use, the tool is placed over the female and male triaxial connectors whereby a first end of the housing rests against an annular shoulder of a connector to provide resistance when the tool is in use. A user grasps the tool about the housing and exerts an inward squeezing force so that a pair of flanges of the appliance depress the protrusions of the locking mechanism of the male connector until they are disengaged from the apertures of the female connector and allowing the male connector to easily slide back out of the female connector.

Abstract: The space forming apparatus includes at least a pair of fixed grippers disposed in a lower part thereof; a pair of movable grippers disposed with a gap in a front-to-rear direction such that the movable grippers are movable in a vertical direction toward and away from the aforementioned fixed grippers; a knock-out which is provided between the fixed grippers and moves vertically between said fixed grippers and between the movable grippers; and a punch section which is disposed so as to oppose a top end of the knock-out and which moves vertically and independently between the front and rear movable grippers and cuts coupling heads of coupling elements while pressing the coupling heads downward at the time of cutting. These members are accommodated integrally in a single housing having a chain insertion opening provided in a front face thereof.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider with at least one thin-film magnetic head element on a suspension is mounted. This mounting includes electrically connecting the magnetic head slider with the suspension with ball bonding connections. Electrical property of the thin-film magnetic head element is inspected, and then the ball bonding connections are separated when it is judged that the thin-film magnetic head element has defective electrical property. Then, the magnetic head slider is detached from the suspension, and thereafter a new magnetic head slider with at least one thin-film magnetic head element is mounted on the suspension from which the magnetic head slider was detached.

Abstract: An apparatus for assembling a disc storage system includes a base having a number of subassemblies. A disc pack subassembly is mounted on the base and is configured to support a disc pack and an actuator subassembly is mounted on the base and is configured to support an actuator assembly. A drive mechanism merges the disc pack subassembly together with the actuator subassembly whereby transducer heads in the actuator subassembly are positioned on disc surfaces of the disc pack. At least one of the subassemblies is releasably mounted to the base and the subassembly can be replaced for assembly differing disc storage systems or upon failure of the subassembly.

Abstract: In forming an element-free space portion in a continuous fastener chain, legs of a number of metallic fastener elements, which legs exist on one side of the fastener chain are cut by a pair of cutting blades, and then coupling heads of the fastener elements and the legs extending from the coupling heads and existing on the other side of the fastener chain are removed from cores of fastener tapes while being clamped by a punch and a die. Therefore, it is possible to remove the fastener element portions from the fastener tapes without damaging the cores and not to require so high precision in positioning the fastener elements at a cutting station, thus the structure of a slide fastener chain manufacturing machine can be simple and hence the rate of production is improved.

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 method of forming successive space portion in a slide fastener chain, comprising: positioning the chain in such a manner that an element contiguous to the backward end of a prospective space portion is brought into engagement with a positioning pin upstream of a cutting unit; positioning the chain in such a manner that an element contiguous to the forward end of the prospective space portion is out of engagement with another positioning pin downstream of the cutting unit, and then positioning the chain, as the feed roller is rotated forwardly to extend the chain so that the positioning pin is inserted between the elements, whereupon the downstream positioning pin is brought into engagement with the element adjacent to the prospective space portion as the feed roller is rotated backwardly to restore the slide fastener chain; and cutting off elements of the prospective space portion and removing the cut elements from the prospective space portion.

Abstract: A slide fastener shortening method for shortening a slide fastener with rows of fastener elements made of synthetic resin from a predetermined length of the slide fastener into a desired short length thereof.

Abstract: A method for forming element-free space sections in a slide fastener chain is provided that coupling elements can be efficiently removed by a small force without damaging fastener tapes.The method for forming element-free space sections in the slide fastener chain comprises the steps of:cutting heads of interengaged discrete coupling elements of space-forming sections of one leg of forked legs of the individual coupling element,pushing up the heads of the coupling elements in the direction orthogonal to the fastener tape faces from the cutting side, andgripping the remaining cut legs by grippers to be drawn-out and removed in the direction orthogonal to the fastener tape faces.

Abstract: Discrete coupling elements of a slide fastener chain are removed by using an apparatus comprising a pair of pressure pads, a punch, cutters, a pair of guides, and a die. To form element-free spaces on the slide fastener chain, coupling elements are removed by clamping interengaged coupling elements by the punch and die, cutting forked legs by the cutter, and removing the cut legs from both sides of the slide fastener chain.

Abstract: An apparatus for gapping a stringer chain at predetermined intervals is disclosed, which comprises an anvil and a cutter cooperating therwith in cutting a length of coupling elements on a pair of support tapes. The cutter includes a vertically movable punch which is provided with a plurality of positioning prongs adapted to engage in between adjacent elements and hold the stringer chain firmly in place during gapping thereof.

Abstract: A process and apparatus is disclosed for gapping a slide fastener chain to provide an element-free zone at predetermined intervals along a respective fastener stringer. The process essentially comprises cutting a connecting string interconnecting a series of discrete coupling elements secured by sewn seams to a support tape and simultaneously cutting a predetermined member of coupling elements, or alternatively cutting the string and arresting part of the coupling elements, followed by cutting the latter, so as to provide element-free tape zones with the sewn substantially in the form of an arch.

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.

Abstract: Each of coupling elements mounted on a slide fastener stringer tape has a coupling head and two legs extending from the coupling head and mounted astride of a longitudinal beaded edge of the stringer tape, the legs being integrally interconnected by a connector extending through the stringer tape. The coupling elements are removed from the stringer tape by gripping the stringer tape between a pair of grippers with the coupling elements supported on the grippers, thrusting cutting edges into the coupling head of each coupling element toward the longitudinal beaded edge to break the coupling head, and driving wedge-shaped spreaders into each coupling element through the broken coupling head thereof to spread each coupling element until the connector is forcibly broken, for thereby breaking each coupling element into two pieces off the stringer tape.

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: 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 punch blade depresses the coupling heads of a length of successive filamentary coupling elements toward a knockout blade while sandwiching stringer tapes between upper and lower grippers. The punch blade is lowered until lower legs of the coupling elements are cut off by cutter blades. The punch blade and the knockout blade are then lifted while gripping the severed coupling elements therebetween to forcibly remove the coupling elements out of engagement with sewing threads on the stringer tapes. The upper grippers have confronting steps for engaging the sewing threads so that the severed coupling elements can be detached reliably and smoothly from the stringer tapes without unduly tensioning the sewing threads and stringer tapes. The punch blade may have a vertical reinforcement member attached to at least one side edge thereof and having a lower tooth projecting downwardly beyond a lower edge for being pressed against the coupling elements.

Abstract: A slide-fastener assembly comprising a pair of longitudinally extending and parallel tapes having adjacent edges carrying respective coupling coils that form coupling heads and that are interleaved with one another is gapped by advancing the assembly in steps through a punching location, engaging the coils upstream and downstream of the location by respective upstream and downstream grippers and holding the assembly stationary in the station between steps, and punching the heads off the coils between the grippers while the assembly is held stationary in the station. The grippers are displaced apart to longitudinally tension the coils after engaging the grippers with the coils and before punching the heads off the coils. Thus the upstream gripper is displaced upstream and the downstream gripper downstream, slightly stretching and tensioning the tape assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus, for automatically processing a slide fastener chain to which a succession of fly strips is attached, comprises an intermittently operative feed unit for feeding the fastener chain along a longitudinal path, a first cutting unit disposed upstream of the feed unit for forming element-free gaps in the fastener chain near or at ends of successive fly strips, and a second cutting unit disposed downstream of the feed unit for severing the fastener chain at such element-free portions. The apparatus also includes a measuring unit disposed upstream of the first cutting unit for measuring the amount of the fastener chain having been fed by the feed unit, and a detector disposed between the first cutting unit and the measuring unit for detecting ends of successive fly strips.

Abstract: In a method of and apparatus for forming element-free spaces in a continuous slide fastener chain at ends of successive fly strips sewn to the slide fastener chain, the chain having a pair of intermeshed rows of coupling elements, portions of the intermeshed rows of coupling elements to be removed are detected by a sensor assembly disposed at a fixed position spaced a first distance upstream from a gap-forming device before such portions arrive at the gap-forming device. The sensor assembly first determines whether the longitudinal extent of a space provided between the confronting ends of an adjacent pair of the fly strips is larger than a predetermined distance, and then on the bases of the determination, controls the feeding of the chain and the operation of the gap-forming device so that the element-free spaces can be provided accurately at the ends of the respective fly strips regardless of the spacing between adjacent fly strips.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for forming a space section in a pair of concealed-slide-fastener stringers, with a pair of tapes gripped with interengaged coupling elements disposed at the upper side of the tapes, a pair of continuous concealed-slide-fastener stringers is pushed upwardly from the under side of the tapes by a pair of laterally spaced and vertically movable dies until head portions of a series of the interengaged coupling elements are exposed to the dies and supported thereon. A punch is then lowered to cut upper legs of certain interengaged coupling elements supported on the raised dies. Finally, an ejector is raised through the dies to clamp the cut coupling elements against the punch and continues to be moved upwardly together with the punch to pull the cut coupling elements out of sewn stitches.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a slide fastener making machine designed to produce space sections of required span devoid of coupling elements at predetermined intervals in the interengaged slide fastener chain and a method for the same.

Abstract: The two coupling member supporting bands are led between a guide block and two clamping members in a vertical position and having the coupling members located at the lower side. The coupling members are aligned with the path of cutting members by means of a countersupport having two gripping members and positioned relative to the cutting members by means of a scanning apparatus. The clamping members clamp the supporting bands as well as the coupling members which are to be removed. After the coupling members have been clamped by the clamping members, the cutting members sever the coupling members at their foot section and thereafter the cut coupling members are pulled off the supporting band by means of the countersupport and the clamping members. This allows an impeccable cutting of the coupling members and that all cut coupling members can be drawn off the supporting band.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for detecting ends of successive fly strips connected end to end by a slide fastener chain. The successive fly strips, with their first flaps overlapping a tape of one fastener stringer and with their second flaps overlapping the other fastener stringer, are fed lengthwise along a straight path. Then, the second flaps are folded over the respective first flaps as the fly strips pass through a folder extending through a fixed point on the straight path. During this folding, a trailing end of the preceding second flap is temporarily deflected so as to provide a relatively large triangular space between confronting ends of an adjacent pair of the second flaps when the same confronting ends arrive at the fixed point. Finally, a detector senses the presence of the triangular space, which indicates the arrival of confronting ends of an adjacent pair of the fly strips.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for detecting ends of successive fly strips connected end to end by a slide fastener chain. The successive fly strips, with their first flaps superimposed on a tape of one fastener stringer and with their second flaps superimposed on the other fastener stringer, are fed along a first straight path. The successive second flaps are deflected or moved aside, as they pass a wedge-shaped plow on the first straight path, to such an extent that the individual second flap lies at a right angle with respect to the general plane of the fastener stringers. Then, the direction of movement of the successive fly strips is shifted at a turning point to a second straight path inclined with respect to the first straight path so as to provide temporarily a relatively large triangular space between an adjacent pair of the deflected second flaps when the same confronting ends arrive at the turning point.

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: Flypieces are fed individually to a feeding mechanism which automatically feeds the flypieces to a sewing machine where the flypieces are automatically serged and sewn to a tape of a continuous slide fastener chain. Subsequently the flypiece is folded back away from the slide fastener chain, and the chain is gapped and cut simultaneously with the application of a bottom stop on a common base assembly.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for spacing continuously manufactured zip fasteners having connection elements constituted by a monofilament of meander or spiral form rigid with the edges of supporting tapes. The method consists in removing by cutting firstly the central part of the connection elements of the two coupled tapes, and then removing the open lateral loops of the meanders or spirals by passing under tension the zone of the coupled tapes from which the central part of the connection elements has been removed, over a deviation member in such a manner that the tapes partly wrap said deviation member.

Abstract: An apparatus for gapping a continuous slide fastener stringer comprises: a presser unit having a punch and a coacting die for pressing a group of fastener elements, in a selected portion of the stringer placed therebetween, to reduce the thickness of their leg portions, and for holding the pressed fastener elements; and a gripper unit having a pair of relatively pivotable grip members for gripping a stringer tape on the opposite sides of the stringer, the gripper unit being disposed alongside of the presser unit to grip the tape from the fastener-element side of the stringer and being movable between its normal position and its advanced position along an arcuate path for moving the gripped tape to remove the pressed and held fastener elements therefrom seriatim.

Abstract: Slide fastener elements, mounted on a longitudinal support member woven in the edge of a tape, are removed by cutting the longitudinal support member on each side of each fastener element and pulling the tape longitudinally between opposed biased blades engaging the elements to strip the fastening elements from the tape.

Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating a slide fastener chain having a certain length and reinforcement tapes at its ends from a manufactured, continuous length fastener chain which is provided with space sections each of which entirely consists of a reinforced tape. According to the method, the original length fastener chain is held first by a pair of pressers on a die at one side of the main crosswise cutting line, then by another pair of pressers at the other side to form a right position so that the reinforced space section is cut along the crosswise line and at the same time, the lengthwise lines by a cutter blade. This method is performed using an apparatus with a linkage motion of its individual parts whereby working efficiency is improved and a good cutting finish is obtained.

Abstract: In the method of the invention, the slide fastener chain is firmly held by gripping the carrier tape at the very boundary with the lower end of the leg portion of the fastener element with a fixed gripper die jaw and a movable gripper die jaw and then the head portion of the fastener element is forcibly pressed toward the leg portion whereby the bifurcated leg portion is widened by the forcible thrusting of the blade edges of the die jaws into the interstices between the legs and the carrier tape with eventual dividing of the fastener element at the head portion into two pieces to come off the stringer core of the carrier tape easily.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming space sections in a continuous length slide fastener chain in which the interlocking elements fastened on the carrier tapes within the section are pressed and deformed with a punch-die unit having a composite punch composed of an outer punch and an inner punch and the thus deformed elements are retained by the punch-die unit in engagement with a pair of grooves on the upper surface of the die and lower surface of the inner punch while the carrier tapes are pulled and displaced by individual grippers from the front of the punch-die unit in an obliquely rearward direction, preferably, at such an angle that the angle between the moving line of the gripper and the center line of the punch-die unit is about a half of the tape-abstracting angle whereby all of the elements within the section can be removed from the carrier tape with a uniform abstracting angle.

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: An efficient and reliable means is provided for removing fastener elements or scoops from the tape-edge cords of a slide fastener chain to form the so-called space section without injuring the cords and beads, wherein carrier tape is held between a pair of holder members in a manner such that the ends of the bifurcated leg portions of fastener chain element are in contact with the ends of the holder members; each fastener chain element is cut and divided at the head portion by a wedge-like cutter blade into two pieces with simultaneous opening of the holder members whereby the bifurcated leg portions are outstretched and the scraping of element debris off the carrier tape is facilitated; and the tape-edge cord is withdrawn into between the two holder members before it is contacted by the edge of the downward cutter blade.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing coupling element residuals from a coupled pair of slide fastener stringers comprises a scraper roll drivable for continued rotation and an idler tumbler roll around which the slide fastener stringers travel for rotating the tumbler roll. The tumbler roll has a radial wing which when the tumbler roll is rotated, brings the coupling element residuals thereon into contact with the scraper roll while it is revolving so as to scrape off the residuals reliably. The tumbler roll has pawl means for engaging the fastener stringers at a predetermined position thereon so as to place the coupling element residuals on the tumbler wing. The tumbler roll is rotatable in response to engagement of the pawl means with the fastener stringers being fed. The apparatus of one embodiment includes stop means for temporarily stopping rotation of the tumbler roll and guide means for guiding the fastener stringers properly onto the tumbler wing.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing gaps in zipper chain is especially adapted for chain having plastic elements of U-shape joined by imbedded connector threads and stitched to tape. Apparatus includes slitting means which slice into and demolish fastener elements in the gap as the zipper is drawn along, and lancer elements which are periodically activated to cut the connecting threads at the beginning and end of the gap. Stitches and tape in gap are left intact.

Abstract: A method of providing a slide fastener chain with gaps free of fastener elements at predetermined interval is disclosed, the method comprising imparting a tendency to the fastener chain to spread the confronting longitudinal edges of its opposed stringer tapes prior to removal of the fastener elements, and maintaining constant tension over a length of the fastener chain, whereby the gaps can be formed accurately at predetermined locations along the length of the fastener chain. A preferred form and construction of apparatus tailored to carry this method into practice is also disclosed.

Abstract: In gapping a stringer of a slide fastener, a plurality of interlocking elements in a portion to be gapped are gripped, such as by a comb, while the tape is clamped or held, and then relative movement is produced between the gripped fastening elements and the held tape either by moving the gripped elements or the held tape with a pivoted motion to pull the gripped elements seriatim from the tape.

Abstract: Individual coupling members, molded from synthetic resin onto a support tape and straddling an edge thereof are removed, e.g. to enable the mounting of a slider, the stitching of the tape to a fabric or other carrier or for the formation of end-stop members, by applying orthogonal to the stringer plane a pressure causing plastic deformation and flow of the material of the coupling member which results in a spreading of the fastening shanks thereof. The tape is then withdrawn from between the legs or shanks which have been thus spread apart or the coupling member is withdrawn from the edge of the tape generally in the aforementioned plane.

Abstract: In gapping a stringer of a slide fastener, a plurality of interlocking elements in a portion to be gapped are gripped, such as by a comb, while the tape is clamped or held, and then relative movement is produced between the gripped fastening elements and the held tape either by moving the gripped elements or the held tape with a pivoted motion to pull the gripped elements seriatim from the tape.