US2732000A - Levine - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 24, 1956 H. LEVINE 2,732,000

APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING BRIDGE STOPS TO SLIDE FASTENERS Filed April 11, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 i E I E I 5(a'\ 3;! 82 u \N INVENTOR.

5 9 HARRY LEVINE o Z)o ATTORNEY H. LEVINE Jan. 24, 1956 APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING BRIDGE STOPS TO SLIDE FASTENERS Filed April 11, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllllllllllllll III.

IN V EN TOR. HARRY LEVINE A TORNEY Jan. 24, 1956 E 2,732,000

APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING BRIDGE STOPS TO SLIDE FASTENERS Filed April 11, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 HARRY LEVlNE Jan. 24, 1956 LEV|NE 2,732,000

APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING BRIDGE STOPS T0 SLIDE FASTENERS Filed April 11, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. HARRY LEVINE ATTO [\EY lW m u i CV15.

United States Patent APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING BRIDGE STOPS T O SLIDE FASTENERS Harry Levine, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application April 11, 1951, Serial No. 220,490

Claims. (Cl. 153-1) This invention relates to an apparatus for attaching bridge stops to slide fasteners.

It is an object of my invention to provide an apparatus of the character described wherein a novel arranging mechanism is included to withdraw bridge stops in predetermined position from a jumbled mass for delivery to a clinching mechanism.

It is another object of my invention to provide in an apparatus of the character described a clinching mechanism which will mount bridge stops on slide fasteners quickly and accurately.

It is another object of my invention to provide an apparatus of the character described which can be operated at low cost and without skilled help.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the machine hereinafter described, and the scope of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side view of a bridge stop attaching apparatus constructed in accordance with the instant invention, the same being shown after the termination of a clinching cycle;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4--4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but drawn to a larger scale and showing the apparatus at about the middle of its clinching cycle;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a bridge stop of the type adapted to be attached in a machine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 7 is a front view of the arranging mechanism, a portion being broken away better to illustrate the action thereof;

Figs. 8, 9 and are enlarged sectional views taken substantially along the lines 8-8, 9-9 and 1010, respectively, of Fig. 7;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of one of the halves of a die-nest which forms part of the clinching mechanism;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 1212 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragment of Fig. 5 but showing the clinching mechanism on a greater scale and shortly after the start of a clinching cycle;

Figs. 14, 15 and 16 are views sim lar to Fig. 13, but at successively later stages of the clinching cycle;

Fig. 17 is an enlarged fragment of Fig. 3 showing the clinching mechanism on a greater scale;

Fig. 18 is a plan view of the anvil with a slide fastener stringer in position to have a bridge stop attached; and

Fig. 19 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 19-19 of Fig. 17.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral 20 denotes a machine embodying the invention and designed to handle conventional bridge stops 22 of the type shown in Fig. 6.

Such a bridge stop includes two legs 24, 26 disposed at approximately right angles to one another and joined by a rounded base 28. Each leg 24, 26 is of U-shaped cross-section and thus includes a pair of parallel flanges 30, 32. The base 28 is of similar cross-section, except that its flanges are considerably shorter, so as to provide a notch 34 at each side of the bridge stop intermediate the flanges of the legs. The distance between the flanges of each leg is somewhat greater than the thickness of the beaded edges 230 of a pair of slide fastener stringers on which the end stop is designed to be secured. The stop is adapted to have the beaded edge of one stringer clamped between the flanges of one of the legs 24 and the beaded edge of another stringer caught between the flanges of the other leg 26, with the stop located right after the last slide fastener element on one of the stringers so that the beaded edges converge into abutment at the base 28. This position of the bridge stop is shown in Fig. 19. The machine 20 is constructed to secure a bridge stop in the aforesaid position.

In general, said machine comprises a hopper in which a jumbled mass of bridge stops are contained, an arranging mechanism for withdrawing bridge stops from the mass in predetermined position, a gravity chute, and a clinching mechanism for introducing the beaded edges of a pair of stringers between the flanges in the two legs of a bridge stop and clamping the flanges around said edges while maintaining the stop in proper position.

The arranging mechanism 36 comprises a flat vertical plate 38 (Figs. 1, 3, 8 and 10) having a large through aperture 40 (Figs. 4 and 10) near its top. Said aperture constitutes the open bottom of a hopper 42 through whose top 44 bridge stops are adapted to be introduced in random relationship.

A horizontal shaft 46 journalled in the plate 38 is continually rotated in a manner which later will be described. A non-circular portion of said shaft (Fig. 7) engages a bell 48 so that the bell will turn therewith. Thus bridge stops introduced into the hopper will fall by gravity through the aperture 40 into the lower portion of the bell where they will be held between the bell and the plate 33.

The rim of the bell which turns against the plate is provided with several radial slots 50 which, together with the adjacent surface of the plate define passageways. The inner mouth 52 of each passageway is flared (Fig. 7) to facilitate entry of bridge stops into the same. The height of each passageway is slightly greater than the height of a bridge stop, this being (Fig. 6) the perpendicular distance from the point a or d to the line bc. The breadth of each passageway is slightly greater than the breadth of a bridge stop.

Thus, a bridge stop is able to traverse a passageway if it enters the same with the tip b, c of either leg foremost. However, a bridge stop can enter a passageway either correctly or upside down, that is to say, either with the tips 12, c of the legs lowermost, which is the correct position, or with said tips uppermost, which is incorrect. A bridge stop in correct position is indicated by the refernce numeral 54 in Fig. 7 and a bridge stop in the incorrect position is indicated by the reference numeral 56 in the same figure.

To prevent a bridge stop from traversing a passageway in incorrect position, each passageway is provided with a stub pin 58 (Figs. 7, 8 and 9), extending away from the leading radial side of the slot 50, that is to say, in the leading side with respect to the direction of rotation A of the bell 48. The pinis so short that it will clear the base 28 of a bridge stop traversing the passageway in correct position. However, said pin will engage the tip of either leg 24, 26 of a bridge stop attempting to traverse the passageway in incorrect position.

Bridge stops correctly traversing a passageway will leave the outer end thereof in the position indicated by the reference numeral 60 in Fig. 7. Thereupon they will enter a circular channel 62 formed by a shoulder 64 (Figs. 6, 8 and 10) raised on the plate 38 a uniform distrance from the periphery of the bell. The open side of the channel is covered by a plate 66 mounted on the shoulder 64 and extending toward the bell. The channel 62 runs in a generally downward direction whereby bridge stops introduced into the same will descend under the force of gravity.

Upon rare occasions a bridge stop which traverses a passageway in correct position will enter the channel 62 incorrectly. To prevent such a reversed bridge stop from descending to the bottom of the channel, a stub pin 63 is provided in that wall of the channel along which the base 28 of a stop normally rides. Should a reversed bridge stop come down the channel the tip [2, c of a leg 24, 26 will strike said pin and prevent further descent. Thereafter, a bridge stop which has traversed a passageway in correct position and is about to enter the channel 62 will strike the reversed bridge stop butting against the pin 64, and will sweep such bridge stop upwardly through the channel. At the top of the channel, where the shoulder 64 is interrupted by the aperture 40, a leaf spring '70 (Figs. 7 and 10) is disposed which, in effect, constitutes a continuation of the plate 66. The spring is inclined slightly toward the hopper 42, the end of the spring remote from the plate 66 being positioned inwardly of the rim of the bell so that any bridge stop swept upwardly along the channel 62 will be deflected by the spring into the hopper.

The shaft 46 mounts a pulley 72 (Fig. 3) driven by a belt 74 from a pulley 76 (Fig. 2) on a countershaft $0. This shaft is turned by a pulley 32, a belt 84 and a pulley 86 from a drive shaft 88 that is rotated by a motor 96) through a motor pulley 92, a belt 94 and a flywheel pulley 96. It thus will be seen that the bell 48 is turned continually and properly oriented bridge stops continuously will be introduced into the channel 62.

Said channel leads into a gravity chute 98 in a vertical plate 190 having a lower sweep 102 (Fig. 3) terminating in a discharge terminus 104 adjacent the transferring mechanism.

The transferring mechanism basically includes a transfer nest 106 and a plunger 107. Said transfer nest comprises two cooperating transfer halves 108, 110 which substantially are mirror images of one another so that only one of the halves, e. g., half 110, will be described in detail and the same reference numerals will be used to designate like parts. The slight difference between the two halves hereinafter will be pointed out.

The half 110 (Fig. 11) constitutes a block 112 from the forward edge of which a pillar 114 extends. The surface 116 of the pillar facing the opposite transfer half 16? is formed with a plateau 118 whose upper edge 12% is inclined downwardly away from the surface 122 of the plateau facing the discharge terminus of the gravity chute. The inclination to the horizontal of the edge 120 is substantially equal to or slightly less than the inclination of the chute at said discharge terminus.

The juxtaposed surfaces 124 of the two transfer halves 108, 110 are arranged to be in face-to-face contact when the transfer nest receives a bridge stop. The surface 116 of the transfer half 110 and the corresponding surface of the transfer half 163 are set back from the surfaces 124 of the blocks 122 an equal distance such that the distance therebetween slightly exceeds the height of a bridge stop, 'this heretofore having'bee'n defined 4 as the perpendicular distance from a point a, d to the line bc (Fig. 6).

Only the transfer half is provided with a notch 126 in the plateau 118 extending downwardly from the edge 120, this notch being located in a proper position to receive the tip 0 of the leg 26 of a bridge stop disposed in the transfer nest. The depth of the notch is such that the base thereof is in substantially the same horizontal plane as the lower end of the edge 120. Accordingly, a bridge stop having the tip b of one leg 24 resting on the lower end of the edge and the tip c of the other leg 26 resting on the base of the notch 126 will be horizontal.

The other transfer half 103 is formed with a notch 128 (Fig. 12) which corresponds to the notch 126 but is in a position to receive the points d at the base of the leg 26. Another notch 130 is formed in the transfer half 168 to receive the points a at the base of the leg 24. The notches 128, 130 are of the proper depth to support in horizontal position a bridge stop disposed in the transfer nest.

To maintain the forward portions of the two transfer halves in proper relative position each pillar 112 is provided with a finger 132, the juxtaposed tips whereof abut when the surfaces 124 are in contact.

Each transfer half is supported by a vertical strip 134, the upper ends of the two strips being secured as by screws 136 (Fig. 3) to a post 138 that is vertically reciprocal in a bearing block 140. A compression spring 142 seated in a recess in the bearing block has its upper end engaging a finger 144 carried by the post 133 whereby to bias upwardly said post and the transfer nest. A stop screw 14-6 lying in the path of the finger 144 determines the upper position of the transfer nest.

The strips 134 are of stiff resilient metal whereby to urge the two halves of the transfer nest toward one another. To increase the closing force exerted on said two halves and to make the same adjustable there further is provided a compression spring 48 (Fig. 13) encircling the shank of a bolt which extends through registered openings 152 (Fig. 11) in the two halves, the the head 154 of the bolt being located on the outer surface of the half 11% and the threaded tip 156 of the belt which receives the compression spring 143 projecting from the outer face of the other half 108. This tip receives a nut 158 which may be tightened or loosened to vary the compression under which the spring 143 is held and thereby adjust the closing force exerted on the blocks 108, 110.

The gravity chute is provided with suitable means above its discharge terminus to release one bridge stop near the end of each clinching cycle. By way of example said means comprises an unbalanced dog 16% (Fig. 3) pivoted on a pin 162 secured to the gravity chute 98. A fiat spring 166 having one end attached to the plunger 107 is disposed to clear the pin 162 and to engage another pin 168 secured to the heavy end of the dog. The light end of the dog is formed with two vertically spaced teeth 170, 172 adapted to enter the gravity chute at points spaced apart a distance slightly in excess of the length of a bridge stop.

At the beginning of a clinching cycle the spring 166 maintains'the pin 168 in elevated position with the upper tooth 170 blocking the gravity chute. As the plungcr 167 descends, the spring 166 travels downwardly and allows the unbalanced dog to rotate in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, thereby first moving the lower tooth 172 into the gravity chute and shortly thereafter withdrawing the tooth 170. At this time the lowermost bridge stop in the chute descends from the tooth 176 to the tooth 172. As the plunger moves upwardly at the end of a clinchingcycle, the spring'166 will reengagc the pin 168 and thereby first causing the upper tooth 179 to enter the gravity chute and then withdrawing the lower tooth 172 from the gravity chute. As this occurs, the

single bridge stop isolated between the teeth 170, 172 will be freed and will descend rapidly through the sweep 102, exiting through the discharge terminus 104 and shooting into the transfer nest 106.

The bridge stop enters the nest at an angle approximating that of the edges 120 of the plateaus 118 and slightly above the same so that as the stop falls freely it will slide along said edges and its speed be checked so that when the leading leg strikes the half 110 the stop will not bounce out of the nest. When the bridge stop comes to rest it will be in a horizontal position with its forward leg resting on the bottom of an edge 120, its rear leg resting on the bottom of the notch 126 and the points a, d resting on the bottoms of the notches 128, 130 respectively.

The plunger 107 is carried on a rod 174 (Figs. 5 and 16) which depends from a piston 176 slidable in a vertical bore 178 in a ram 180 that is mounted for vertical reciprocation in the bearing block 140. Said piston is provided with an upright plunger 182 vertically reciprocable in a bore 184 formed in the ram, a compression spring 186 being located in the bore above the plunger to bias the piston 176 downwardly into abutment with a stop plate 188 closing olf the lower end of the bore 178.

The upper end of the ram is connected by a pin 190 (Figs. 1 and 5) to a short link 192 which is pivoted at 194 to a rocking lever 196. This lever oscillates about a shaft 198 and is pivotally secured to a long link 200 whose lower end turns on a crank pm 202 (Fig. 2). The crank pin is carried on a crank arm 204 which turns with a shaft 206 that is connected to the drive shaft 188 by a conventional one-revolution clutch 208. The clutch 208 is actuated through a link 210 by a treadle 212. Thus, when the treadle is depressed, oscillation of the rocking lever 196 will drive the ram 180 down to its lowermost (clinching) position shown in Fig. 16 and then will restore it to its uppermost (idle) position shown in Figs. 3 and 4. r

The lower end of the plunger has a cross-sectional contour which matches the plan configuration of the bridge stop and its tip is provided with a ridge 214 (Figs. 13-16) which leads the plunger, said ridge being located on the edge of the plunger aligned with the free edges of the bridge stop flanges 30, 32.

Shortly after the start of a clinching cycle, when the ram has barely begun its descent, the ridge 214 will contact the bridge stop located in the transfer nest. The spring 186 (Fig. 5) is stronger than the spring 142 (Fig. 3) and, accordingly, as the ram continues its downward movement the plunger will push the die-nest 106 ahead of it.

The apparatus 20 also includes an anvil 216 (Figs. 3 and 13-19) having an upwardly extending gage plate 218 of hardened metal. Immediately adjacent the gage plate the anvil further includes a nub 220 having a flat surface juxtaposed with the gage plate and a convex side remote therefrom. The convex side is shaped to match the contour of the base 28 of a bridge stop. Further, the anvil is provided with a groove 222 (Figs. 15 and 18) around the base of the convex side of the nub, said groove having a configuration which it is desired to impart to one side of a bridge stop clenched on a slide fastener. The nub is in alignment with the concave side of a bridge stop in the transfer nest. Hence the gage plate 218 is offset from the space between the plateaus 118, being located beneath the pillar 114 of the transfer half 110.

Downward movement of the transfer nest is halted when a pin 223 carried on the finger 144 strikes the bottom of a blind hole in the block 140, the position of the transfer nest at this time being shown in Fig. 13.

The bases of the notches 126, 128, 130 are not square but, rather, slope downwardly and inwardly into the space between the plateaus 118. The edges 120 are similarly sloped in order to provide cam surfaces so that as the plunger moves downwardly from its position shown in Fig. 13 it will cause the bridge stop in the transfer nest to force the two halves'of the nest apart, the spring 186 being strong enough to maintain the plunger 186 against the stop plate 188 as the halves are spread.

The appearance of the transfer nest and plunger, shortly after the bridge stop has started to move down between the spread halves, is shown in Fig. 14 and the position of the same parts after the bridge stop has been seated on the anvil against the nub 220 is illustrated in Fig. 15. It will be noted that control over the position of said stop is maintained by holding the same between the bottom of the plunger and the anvil plate in a limited space defined bythe nub 220 and the plateaus 118.

The descent of the ram continues after the bridge stop has been forced down. However, downward movement of the plunger is stopped, inasmuch as the bridge stop now is seated on the anvil. Further downward movement of the ram compresses the spring 186 until the top of the bore 178 strikes the top of the piston 176. This occurs just shortly before the ram reaches its lowermost position and causes the plunger to be moved downwardly an additional short distance sulficient to clinch a bridge stop, as shown in Fig. 16.

Thereafter the ram is retracted, first allowing the spring 186 to expand, and then permitting the transfer nest to be raised. Upward movement of the transfer nest is stopped by abutment of the finger 144 (Fig. 3) against the screw 146. Thereupon, the plunger will be pulled out of the transfer nest and the ram will move back to its idle position at the end of the clinching cycle.

Before the clinching cycle is started, an operator places a pair of slide fastener stringers 224, 226 (Fig. 18) on the anvil 216 with the gage plate 218 between the stringers and engaging the beaded edges 230 thereof. The endmost slide fastener element 232 on one of the stringers is abutted against the face of the gage plate remote from the nub 220. With this arrangement, portions of the stringers be yond the endmost elements are spaced apart and there thus is provided sufficient room between the beaded edges to permit a bridge stop to be forced down on the anvil alongside the nub between the two stringers.

Means is provided to force the spaced beaded edges of the two stringers between the flanges 30, 32, of the legs 24, 26 of a bridge stop. Said means comprises a pair of fingers 233, 234 (Figs. l7-l9) pivoted on opposite ends of a horizontal bar 236. A tension spring 238 is stretched between pins 240 on the fingers above the pivots whereby to bias apart the tips of said fingers. Suitable stop means (not shown) limits this outward movement of the fingers to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 18. The fingers extend downwardly and toward one another from the pivot points, the bottom edges of said fingers being rounded. The bar 236 is secured on a slide 242 (Fig. 4) mounted for vertical reciprocation in the bearing block 140. Said bar is biased upwardly by a spring 244 held under compression between the base of a well in the bearing block and a finger 246 movable with the slide 242.

The link 192 has a knuckle 248 (Figs. 3-5) from which a driver pin 250 depends. The link oscillates about the pin as the ram descends and the parts are so proportioned that, shortly after the bridge step has been forced through the open halves of the transfer nest, the bottom edges of the fingers 232, 234 will approach close to the anvil 216. At this time the fingers will be spread apart, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 18, their position with respect to the beaded edges of the slide fastener stringers being indicated by dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 18. Thus as the fingers descend they will contact the tapes 228 of the slide fastener stringers at points just outside of the beaded edges 230. Further downward movement of the fingers caused by further downward movement of the pin 190 causes said fingers to be forced together by a camming action of their bottom edges against the tapes. The fingers quickly will bring the beaded edges of the tapes into abutment at a point a very short distance away from a bridge stop alongside the nub 220. The machine is so timed-so that shortly after the beadededges of the tapes are abutted the'clinching action heretofore described will take place. 7

As pointed out earlier, restoration of the ram to its uppermost position releases a single bridge stop which descends through the sweep 102 of the gravity chute and is received in the transfer nest ready to be mounted on another pair of stringers in a subsequent clinching cycle.

It thus will be seen that I haveprovided a device which achieves all the objects of my invention and is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made in the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described, or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a machine for mounting on slide fastener stringers bridge stops including two legs disposed at an angle to one another and joined by a base, each of said legs being of U-shaped cross-section: a clinching mechanism comprising a stationary frame, a transfer nest including two transfer halves, means resiliently urging said halves into abutment, said halves when abutted forming a pocket having a passageway leading from the side of the nest into said pocket to freely admit a bridge stop, said pocket opening from top to bottom when the halves are moved apart, means mounting said halves for joint vertical reciprocation with respect to said frame, means resiliently biasing said transfer nest upwardly, means limiting upward movement of said transfer nest, a plunger, means to mount said plunger for vertical reciprocation with respect to said frame in vertical alignment with said pocket and into and out of the same from above, said pocket having an upwardly extending passageway to freely admit said plunger, means including a spring vertically reciprocating said plunger, said plunger spring being stronger than the means biasing the transfer nest upwardly whereby when the plunger descends and engages a bridge stop in the pocket it will forcethe transfer nest downwardly, an anvil fixed to the frame beneath the transfer nest, a gage plate mounted on said anvil in line with one of said halves and clear of the other half and against which the end elements of a pair of slide fastener stringers are adapted to be abutted, abutment means limiting downward movement of the transfer nest when the transfer nest is adjacent the gage plate, said pocket having a bottom on which a stop in said pocket rests, each of said halves including a portion of said bottom, the said portions of the said opposite halves converging downwardly toward one another to provide cam surfaces which spread the halves apart when the stop is pressed down after downward movement of the transfer nest'is halted whereby continued downward movement of the plunger will spread the halves of the transfer nest and drive a bridge stop between said halves down to the anvil alongside the gage plate, said anvil being formed adjacent the gage plate with a positioning nub against which a bridge stop is located between the spread halves of the transfer nest after being driven down, means limiting compression of the plunger spring whereby after an interval following the spreading of the transfer halves and descent of the bridge stop the plunger will clinch the legs of said stop, a'pair of fingers, a member, means mounting the member for vertical reciprocation with regard to said frame, means urging said member upwardly to an uppermost position, means mounting said fingers on said member for rotation about horizontally spaced parallel axes, means biasing the tips of said fingers apart, means limiting said biasing movement to a position with the tips of the fingers inclined downwardly toward one another, said fingers in uppermost position being disposed above the anvil a short distance from the nub, and means operatively associated with said plunger reciprocating means to move said member downwardly after the halves are spread and before the legs of the bridge stop are clinched whereby said fingers will engage the tapes of slide fastener stringers on the anvil and force the beaded edges thereof together and into the U-shaped legs of a bridge stop on the anvil.

2. In a machine for mounting on slide fastener stringers bridge stops including two legs disposed at an angle to one another and joined by a base, each of said legs being of U-shaped cross-section: a clinching mechanism comprising a transfer nest including a stationary frame, two transfer halves, means resiliently urging said halves into abutment, said halves when abutted forming a pocket having a passageway leading from the side of the nest into said pocket to freely admit a bridge stop, said pocket opening from top to bottom when the halves are moved apart, means mounting said halves for joint vertical reciprocation with respect to said frame, means resiliently biasing said transfer nest upwardly, means limiting upward movement of said transfer nest, a plunger, means mounting said plunger for vertical reciprocation with respect to said frame in vertical alignment with said pocket and into and out of the same from above, said pocket having an upwardly extending passageway to freely admit said plunger, means including a spring vertically reciprocating said plunger, said plunger spring being stronger than the means biasing the transfer nest upwardly whereby when the plunger descends and engages a bridge stop in the pocket it will force the transfer nest downwardly, an anvil fixed to the frame beneath the transfer nest, a gage plate mounted on said anvil in line with one of said halves and clear of the other half and against which the end elements of a pair of slide fastener stringers are adapted to be abutted, means limiting downward movement of the transfer nest when the transfer nest is adjacent the gage plate, said pocket having a bottom on which a stop in said pocket rests, each of said halves including a portion of said bottom, the said portions of the said opposite halves converging downwardly toward one another to provide cam surfaces which spread the halves apart when the stop is pressed down after downward movement of the transfer nest is halted whereby continued downward movement of the plunger will spread the halves of the transfer nest and drive a bridge stop between said halves down to the anvil alongside the gage plate, said anvil being formed adjacent the gage plate with a positioning nub against which a bridge stop is located between the spread halves of the transfer nest after being driven down, and means limiting compression of the plunger spring whereby after an interval following the spreading of the transfer halves and descent of the bridge stop the plunger will clinch the legs of said stop.

3. In a machine for mounting on slide fastener stringers bridge stops including two legs disposed at an angle to one another and joined by a base, each of said legs being of U-shaped cross-section: a clinching mechanism comprising a stationary frame, an inclined delivery chute afiixed to the frame, a transfer nest including two transfer halves, means resiliently urging said halves into abutment, said halves when abutted forming a pocket having a bottom inclined at approximately the angle of the chute, said bottom extending to the side of the transfer nest at which the chute is located, said bottom having notches therein to receive portions of a bridge stop horizontally disposed in the pocket with an end thereof resting on the bottom at the side of the bottom remote from the chute, said pocket opening from top to bottom when the halves are moved apart, means mounting said halves for joint vertical reciprocation with respect to said frame, means resiliently biasing said transfer nest upwardly, means limiting upward movement of said transfer nest, a plunger, means mounting said plunger for vertical reciprocation with respect to said frame in vertical alignment with-said pocket and into and out of the same from above, said pocket having an upwardly extending passageway to freely admit said plunger, means including a spring vertically reciprocating said plunger, said plunger spring being stronger than the means biasing the transfer nest upwardly whereby when the plunger descends and engages a bridge stop in the pocket it will force the transfer nest downwardly, an anvil fixed to the frame beneath the transfer nest, a gage plate mounted on saidanvil in line with one of said halves and clear of the other half and against which the end elements of a pair of slide fastener stringers are adapted to be abutted, abutment means limiting downward movement of the transfer nest when the transfer nest is adjacent the gage plate, each of the halves of the transfer nest including a portion of the bottom of said nest, the bottom portions of the two halves converging downwardly toward one another to provide cam surfaces which spread the halves apart when the stop is pressed down after downward movement of the transfer nest is halted whereby continued downward movement of the plunger will spread the halves of the transfer nest and drive a bridge stop between said halves down to the anvil alongside the gage plate, said anvil being formed adjacent the gage plate with a positioning nub against which a bridge stop is located between the spread halves after being driven down by the plunger, and means limiting compression of the plunger spring whereby after an interval following the spreading of the transfer halves and descent of the bridge stop the plunger will clinch the legs of said stop.

4. For use in a mechanism for clinching on slide fastener stringers bridge stops including two legs disposed at an angle to one another and joined by a base, an inclined delivery chute, a transfer nest including two transfer halves, and means resiliently urging said halves into abutment, said halves when abutted forming a pocket having a bottom inclined at approximately the angle of the chute, said bottom extending to the side of the transfer nest at which the chute is located, said bottom having notches therein to receive portions of a bridge stop horizontally disposed in the pocket with an end thereof resting on the bottom at the side of the bottom remote from the chute.

5. In a machine for mounting on slide fastener stringers bridge stops including two legs disposed at an angle to one another and joined by a base, each of said legs being of U-shaped cross section: a clinching mechanism comprising a stationary frame, a transfer nest including two transfer halves, means resiliently urging said halves into abutment, said halves when abutted forming a pocket having a passageway leading from the side of the nest into said pocket to freely admit a bridge stop, said pocket opening from top to bottom when the halves are moved apart, means mounting said halves for joint vertical reciprocation with respect to said frame, means resiliently biasing said transfer nest upwardly, means limiting upward movement of said transfer nest, a plunger, means mounting said plunger for vertical reciprocation with respect to said frame in vertical alignment with said pocket and into and out of the same from above, said pocket having an upwardly extending passageway to freely admit said plunger, means including a spring vertically reciprocating said plunger, said plunger spring being stronger than the means biasing the transfer nest upwardly whereby when the plunger descends and engages a bridge stop in the pocket it will force the transfer nest downwardly, an anvil fixed to said frame beneath the transfer nest, said anvil having a protuberance in line with one of said halves and clear of the other half and against which a bridge stop is adapted to be located, abutment means to limit downward movement of the transfer nest when the transfer nest is adjacent the protuberance, said pocket having a bottom on which a stop in said pocket rests, each of said halves including a portion of said bottom, the said portions of the said opposite halves converging downwardly toward one another to provide cam surfaces which spread the halves apart when the stop is pressed down after downward movement of the transfer nest is halted whereby continued downward movement of the plunger will spread the halves of the transfer nest and drive the bridge stop between the halves down to the anvil in position against said protuberance and between the spread halves, means rendering the plunger spring ineffective after an interval so that upon subsequent downward movement of the plunger reciprocating means the plunger will clinch the legs of the bridge stop, and means operable after the bridge stop is driven down and before the legs thereof are clinched to move the beaded edges of slide fastener stringers on the anvil toward one another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,665,751 Neill Apr. 10, 1928 1,973,720 Lockie Sept. 18, 1934 2,003,146 Gutberlett May 28, 1935 2,017,814 Henkels Oct. 15, 1935 2,096,685 Osgood Oct. 19, 1937 2,148,673 Arentzen Feb. 28, 1939 2,310,033 Muther Feb. 2, 1943 2,337,366 Beck Dec. 21, 1943 2,523,388 Natzke et al. Sept. 26, 1950

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