US2462528A - Automatic lock slider for slide fasteners - Google Patents

Description

Feb.22,1949. WMIKULAS ETAL 2,462,528

AUTOMATIC LOCK SLIDER FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Feb. 2z, 1949. w. MIKULAS ET AL 2,462,528

"AUTOMATIC LOCK SLIDER FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Filed March 5, 1945- 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y FS. :11%.

INVENTORS Y Walk/am Jlz'luas Feb. 22, 1949. w. MIKULAS ET AL 2,462,528

AUTOMATIC LOCK SLIDER FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Filed March 5, 1945 :s sheets-sheet :s

Patented Feb. 22, 1949 UNITED srATes AUTOMATIC LGCK SLIDER FOR SLDE FASTENERS William Mikulas, West Brighton, Staten Island,

N. Y., and Lester L. Jones, Oradell, N. J., assignors to Ccnmar Products Corporation, Newark, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 3, 1945, Serial No. 580,750

19 Claims. l

This invention relates to an improved automatic lock slider for slide fasteners.

Slide fasteners comprise two mating slide fas tener stringers (tapes with mounted fastener elements) brought into and out of meshing or mating relation by the movement of a so-called slider through the slide channel of which the stringers slide or move. It is necessary to profvide a suitable locking device for the slider to prevent the stringers accidentally .opening during use. According to one type of lock slider, the locking device is made so as to be entirely auto matic in its locking operation. The common form of automatic lock slider embodies a locking member on the slider which is normally held in its locking position yby a spring or its equivalent.

Our present invention relates to an automatic lock slider for slide fasteners which is operative without the use of any spring; .the automatic lock slider oi our present invention embodies a new principle and mode of operation which depends solely for its automatic function upon the interaction between a locking member and the slide fastener stringere. The broad principles of this lock slider are disclosed and claimed in our Patent No. 2,369,437, patented October 17, 1944; and the present application relates to certain improvements in this new type of lock slider.

In the automatic lock slider of our Patent No. 2,369,437, the locking member comprises a twoarmed lever fulcrumed on the slider, the arms of which project into the slider channel, one arm being in a position to act upon the fastener elements of the stringers to lock the slider, and the other arm being in a position to be acted upon by other of the fastener elements of the stringers to operate the locking member. A diiculty develops when such an automatic lock slider as disclosed in said patent is to be used with separable bottom stops or with top stops which are relatively long; for in such cases the termini of the arms of the locking member have to be simultaneously depressed in order to permit passage through the slider of the pin member of a separate bottom stop, thus interfering with such passage, or such termini interfere with the insertion of a relatively long top stop into the slider channel. The prime object of our present invention centers about the provision of an improved form of automatic lock slider of the type referred to in which this diiiiculty is solved.

It is a further object of the invention to so construct this form of automatic lock slider and particularly the locking member thereof that the force or forces causing the locking action is or are effectively increased. The locking member to be used in accordance with .the present invention is rockably supported by the slider. It has been found that the pro-vision of two different iulcra instead of one fulcrum for the locking (Cl. 2li-205.14)

member makes the control of the latter easier. It` is, therefore, another object of the present invention to so provide such fulcra for the locking member so that an easier and safe control of the locking and unlocking actions of the locking member is obtained and assured.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing prime objects and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, our present invention relates to the automatic lock slider and its component parts as sought to be defined in the appended claims and as described in the following specification taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of an automatic lock slider embodying the principles of the invention, taken in cross-section in the plane of the line I-I of Fig. 2 and showing a portion of the pull member;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of same;

Fig. 3 is a view taken in cross-section in the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

4 is a side View taken in cross-section of the upper or front slider half used in the slider of Figs. l to 3 and showing that slider half before assembling;

Fig. 5 is a View of a part of the slider taken in cross-section in the plane of the broken line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the locking member used in the slider shown in Figs. 1 to 3;

Fig. 7 is a front elevational View of same;

Figs. 8 and 9 are views of parts shown in crosssection on the lines 8--8 and 9 9, respectively, of Fig. 6;

Figs. 10A, 10B, and 10C schematically illustrate one kind of force causing the slider locking action; and

Fig. 11 is a side view of a modified slider.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings and having reference to the constructional form shown in Figs. 1 to 10C, and referring rst to Figs. 1 to 3, the invention is shown applied to a. conventional type of slide fastener comprising the slider S provided with the interior slide channel C and the two stringers, s, s, the latter each comprising a beaded tape t with the spaced slide fastener element f, f mounted thereon, the said stringers being adapted to be brought into and out of meshing or mating relation by the up and down movement of the slider S through the slide channel C of which the stringers slide or move. The slide channel C is a Y-shaped channel as best shown in Fig. 2 through the stem of which the fastener elements move when meshed or interengaged and through the Y branches of which the fastener elements move when they are disengaged, as is most clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

According to one form of known structure, the slider S comprises a top section or front slider V'sin eiect a `continuation thereof.

half I anda 1bottomsection or lower slider half I2, spacedly connected to provide the slider channel C. This type of slider is reorganized and combined according to the present invention with the locking member I4. The Slider halves lll .I

and I2 may be united at one end as by riveting, as can best be seen in Fig. '1. 'Ihe ffront lslider half i9 is formed with an opening IG 4(see Fig.-2') for receiving the locking member T4. 'Thelatter is supported by a lug i8 on the outer'wall of the front slider half and is rockable about the terminus of the lug i8, this terminus 2! forming a fulcrum for the locking member. Under cer tain conditions, which Y-will be discussed further below, the llocking member I4 rests for support on the 'wall of the liront slider 'half i-; and vthe under vvsurfaces 22 of the locking kmember I4 vbe- Ving then in Contact with `'the wall of the slider half, the locking member may also rock about the iulcrum 23in the front Wall surface 2-5 of the slider. The fulcrum '23 is not 'fixed but 'varies in the 4surface 25.

-`Following out the vprinciples disclosed in our ,said Patent No. 2,360,437, the lock-ing member YI4 'comprises a two-armed lever vfulcrumed Von Vthe slider S having `"both Vof 'its arms projecting into the slider channel IC, one xarm Yof the lever terminating in a locking tooth (or teeth) and "the otherarm o'f the lever terminating in la point or `surface "of lever application. The fastener ele- -ments f, f, on 'the stringers s, s engage the point or surfaces of "lever application to move or rock the lever locking'member V4 Vabout its fulcrum to cause the 'locking toothto move 'into engagement `with-another fastener element on the stringers n' @and ithus 'automatically .lock 'the slider, and means `are provided consisting of the usual pull, for rocking the locliing member in its `opposite direction to disengage the locking Ltooth and l.move the ysilder in .opening or closing direction.

lIn the improved structure of the present in- V`vention, ythe locking member I4 is a double-clawshaped lever, one arm 24 kof which -terminates in two locking 4teeth '26, .216 arranged in ystaggered relation rand the `other .arm 3B Yof `which is `provided with the end .28 to which forces are applied to urge the locking teeth into locking position.

The stringers s, s, of the slide fastener .run through .theslider channel C in lsuch 'a way that the locking teeth 2B, 26 are on top or in front of the stringers and .the end v2B of .the arm El! of the locking member is at the bottom or in the rear .of `the stringers. Thelocking tooth or teeth and the .point `.or surface of lever lapplication are thus, inthisfimprovedstructure, on opposite sides of Ythe stringersis, s. Also, as will beieatured below, the -area -of application lies just behind the neck for lso-called diamond of Athe slider, -forming This area of application is thus also localized centrally (along Va median line) -of the slider. These and other eat'ur'es described below produce 'the iadvantages l.whichcharacteri'ze the improved structure of the ipifesent invention.

The .following is a detailed `description of the vin'dividua'l slider-iorming Aparts fand of their assembly. Both :the slider fhalves I0 and l-Zand `the locking member d4 are intended to 'be manuf-actured `bydie casting. Reverting now to Figs. 1 to 3 land Lalso :referring .to Figs. 4 vand 5, the front slider half I0 is providedwithiire opening post 36 at the opposite side. The lugs I8 and 34 4 are cupssh'aped als can bev seen ifr'em'Figs. 2 and 3, respectively. The post 36 (see Fig. 4) forms a hollovved rivet of non-circular shape (see Fig. 2)

for riveting both slider halves together. The iron't slider half *('see Fig. 2) is provided with two depressions each extending over the area between ythe lines 'D and D', the bottom of these Atwo depressions sloping from D and D toward E Eand E and :toward the opening I6, the most reduced bottom thickness below the depression fbeing mar-hed Tin Fig. 5. As can be seen from Figs. 1 and 2, the -lower or rear slider half I2 has inturned side flanges 42, 42 and is provided with a depression 44 and an opening 46, 48. In assembling 'the slider halves, the opening I4t, 48 receives the .rivet vbody '38 and lprotruding ring 410, respectively, of the :post 36 of the -front slider half, andthe sliderffsections are riveted togeth'er.

The locking member i4 `best shown in Figs. -3 `and 6-9 comprises the aforesaid double-clawvshaped lever supported by 'the slider at the ful- -crumZlI or 23 or both. The arm 24 o' the locking member has an outer portion 49 which as is 'clearly shown in Figs. 3, 7, and 8 is wider than lthe web 59 thereof and which is designed to hold `a pull tab 51 in position when secured to the locking member. The web i511 is accordingly ladapted to receive the Ytrunnions of the pull tab l.fri which is thus in l'the usual wa-y pendently attached to the locking member (Fig. 1). VIn Fig. 19, the cross-section of the other larm 3S of the locking 'member resembles the elevational lView of va tent, the purpose of this 'peculiar Ashape being vdescribed hereinafter.

This 'slider vand locking member are assembled by positioning 'the locking member I4 in the 'front slider half l, it being inserted from the rear vthrough :the opening i6. Then the two slider lhalves I0 "and I2 are riveted together. The arm 3^!! of rthe `locking member is partly received in the depression '44 of 'the rear one of the slider A @wider openingi4`8. o2 of the front Aslider half together 'with the porhalves "or sections when 'these are united. The portion v"49, 'in addition to holding the pull tab -in place, `also serves to prevent the'locking member from collapsing Vwhen'pounded down, as with "an iron. As willbe seen from Fig. 4, the hollowed rivet 36 is 'cast integrally `with the iront slider half. VFrom `a 'comparison of Fig. 4 with Fig. 1, 'it will be clear that the rivet body 38 is somewhat vlonger than the-opening #46. The excess length and the protruding ring portion 4i) are sufficient to Jexpand and ll any space by which the rivet 'body 3S clears the Vrivetbody opening 46 and the After assembling, the portion is :applied tending to open the slide ffastener.

Upon movin'g the apull tab to the full line posi- --tion .and Aupon-continuing'the pull .in the direction of .thearrow X, i. e., in the slide fastener closing direction, the locking member I4 is rocked-about its .ffulcrum -2f :from the Vdash-dot line locking position yto the full line unlocking position. Being .now unlocked, 'the :slider is free to move Ain closing direction. Upon moving the pull tab to the dash-dot line position and on continuing the pull in the direction indicated by the arrow Y, i. e., in opening direction, the locking member I4 rocks about the fulcrum 23 and again swings from the dash-dot line locking position to the full line unlocking po-sition. The locking member comes into contact with the slider at 56; and the latter moves freely in the opening direction.

In the unlocking position, responsive to the pull on the pull tab, the end 28 of the arm 30 of the locking member is pressed toward the bottom or rear face of the slide fastener stringers s, s, whereby the slide fastener stringers and the slide fastener elements f, f are bent out from the normal path and position. The forces derived from the tendency of the slide fastener stringere and slide fastener elements to resume the normal path and position move the locking member back to its locking position as soon as the pull on the tab is released. This self -locking tendency makes the slider of the present invention an automatic lock slider. The backward or return movement of the locking member to the locking position is accomplished by forces exerted on the end 28 (area of application) of the locking member arm 38. These forces comprise a frictional force, being effective during the operation of the slider and being due to the sliding movement of the slide fastener elements relative to the area of application, and a direct pressure, the latter being due to two different kinds of resiliency of the slide fastener now to be described.

According to our Patent No. 2,360,437, use is made of the slide fastener resiliency due to a deflection along a line transversely of the slide fastener (flexural force of the slide fastener). For this purpose a depression is provided in the slider body opposite the area of application. In said patent, it is disclosed that with such depression or concavity the stringers are caused to bend out of the normal path whereby the deflected slide fastener elements engage the area of application with an increased pressure. In the construction of the present invention, the opening I 6 takes the place of the depression or concavity described in the said patent. The slide fastener stringers are bent out into the opening IS, and consequently the slide fastener elements, due to the tendency of the slide fastener to straighten out, contact the area of application with increased force.

According to this invention use is also .made of the tendency of interlocked slide fastener elements to straighten out when forcibly flexed along the longitudinal center line of the slide fastener, that is to say, when flexed rotationally about said line. This tendency (rotational force of the slide fastener) additionally helps increase the direct pressure. The rotational deflection is produced by the shape of the end 28 of the locking member, the inner face of which is reversely curved from the medial plane thereof as best shown in Fig. 10B. The slide fastener elements when moving in the direction of the arrow X (Fig. l), while the slider moves in the opposite direction Y to open the slide fastener, are forced to flex about the longitudinal center line of the slide fastener. In Figs. 10A, 10B and 10C, the course of this rotational deflection is illustrated schematically. In moving the slider in. opening direction or in the direction of the arrow Y, the end 28 of the locking member arm 33 comes into contact with the rear face of the oppositely moving slide fastener elements. In Fig. 10A, two such inter-engaged slide fastener elements f, f are shown while approximately coinciding with the plane of the line I of Fig. 1. The slide fastener elements in this position lie horizontally in the slide fastener channel C and are in full contact with the rear slider half I2. When the slider is moving along it will contact the slide fastener elements in the plane of the line 2 of Fig. 1. From Fig. 10B, it will be seen that in this position two adjacent interlocked elements are raised in the channel C whereby the head ends of the elements are raised to a much greater extent than are the leg ends. The raising action is performed, as is most clearly shown, by the arm 30 Iof the locking member. In Fig. 10C, illustrating the position along the line 3 of Fig. 1, two slide fastener elements are shown as again lowered in the channel but separated by the arm 30 which at that place forms a continuation of the slider neck.

The Figs. 10A, 10B, and 10C are explanatory of the force due to the rotational flexure of the slide fastener stringers while the locking member is in. unlocking position. However, attention is called to the fact that provision may be made for rotational fiexure of the slide fastener stringers with the locking member in locking position. Such constructional feature has the advantage that the force caused by the rotational turn of the slide fastener elements may be sufiicient to keep the slider locked in case the latter is used in an. upside-down position where the dependent pull tab gravitationally tends to unlock the slider, or when used under similar conditions.

Thus'the direct pressure exerted on the area of application at 23 of the locking member by the slide fastener stringere is due to flexing of the slide fastener stringers along a line trans'- versely of the length of the slide fastener and to flexing along a medial line longitudinally of the slide fastener.

In describing the exemplification of the invention as shown in. Figs. 1-10C, it should be stressed that the slide fastener elements while sliding in the slider channel not only produce friction at the area 28 but also at the area 28' (Figs. 1 and 7). The area 28 is on that part of the arm 30 which crosses the slider channel. Since the locking member is so disposed that said part of the arm 3B crossing the slider chan.- nel forms a continuation Vof the slider neck, the slide fastener elements contact both the area 2B and 28. Accordingly, the rear side walls, as well as the head ends of the slide fastener elements, come into frictional contact with the locking member. This structure thus improves the self-locking qualities of the slider and also results in a smoother closing movement, the latter advantage being due to the fact that slide fastener elements, when moving in the directions of the arrows Z in Fig. 2, strike against the locking member and tend to keep same in unlocking position. The resultant force applied at both areas of application 28 and 28 may be any one of the single forces, such as, frictional force, iiexural force, rotational force, or any combination of these single forces. The slider is preferably constructed so as to obtain as full an effect of all the forces as possible.

When the slide fastener stringers are subjected to a cross pull, the slide fastener elements are forced in the direction of the arrow X, and the slide fastener elements in turn force the locking member towards the fulcrurn 2G. The effect of raising the position of this fulcrum by means of the lug I8, which maybe termed a buttress fulis pressed'dovv-nward lby atheislide fastener string- `ers, the Aunder surlfaces Z22 of the locking .member `ctinieinto contact with the front surface-25 of the slider and Afthe llockingmember is free to rock about'the fulcrum 23. The base fulcrum 2-3 is,

"therefore, -eperatiVe during the transition of the f 'locking 1member from the vunlocking 'tothe locking position. L'Ihe lbaise lfulcrum is preferably not raised, this in order to .insure ithe 'movement of ttheloclr'ing teeth substantially perpendicular to the travel of the slide vfastener stringers. the ulcrurn 23 lis operative, 'the buttress fulcrum is inoperative (in fact, .there may lbe fno :contact at all atie) `-InFig. 1l, the application 'of 'the invention 'to :a Welded slider type is shown. This `modiiied xconstructional for-m lis lsimilar to the construction of'Figs. 1 Ito 110C. 'Two slider 'halves '545 :and 58 are secured vtogether by 'being spot welded at v't'l'i'eir wide ends at Si). The locking member 62, which may -be manufactured in any suitable f "way, is provided with :only one tooth Et and is 'loosely supported `by .a vlug 65 .on the front slider half 5B. In the construction here-illustrated, the two 'ulcra previously 'described :lie Vin the 'terminus T61 of 'the ,-lug '65. pari-ts of the slider is 'carried out by Welding the 'slider halves together 'and by putting the locking member into'place through ian opening ..66 in thelower slider half. The locking member, when projected upon the area of the opening 66, lbeing larger"thanlsaidarea,isinserted ina curve. The y*pull 'is attached xto the .locking member preferably 5after inserting same I:into the slider. The locking member lis shown 'in 'full .lines in the unlockingposition and insda'sh-dotted lines in the locking position. The locking member is provided, :as before, with 'an application varm 68 voperating as described withthestructure fof Figs. i to 10C.

'The `construction and operation of vthe autoin fthe rmain tbe `Iully 4apparent from the 'above i detailed description Ythereof. In ithese structural "forms Aci" our :lock slider, `the locking member is -so disposed-and llformed :as 'not lto interfere with tthe pin member of fa separate 'bottom 'stop or? with 'long ftop stops entering the slider channel.

'The arms'of'the lever locking member a'ct -on 'tionee'i the .neck or diamond of the :slider :and is 1localized"along the longitudinal median region fof 'the slider. 'This'part ofthe flockingmemberlis i thus in'a non-interfering position and is located to^eXert the proper5i r'ces in -b'oth v(directionand amount on the operation =f the "locking means.

LAYSpacedly separated fu'lcra, 'one `v`for operation in thelockingconditi'on and the other for operation in the unlocking conditioniare desirably provided; 'the 'buttress 'ulcrum is located away from the y stringers to assist 'the locking condition fandjthe l'ers'f'toassist the'unlokingscondition The len-ing The assembly of the'f.

Lil

F8 member vis '.desirably provided with' a plurality of .application areas, Vone tfor contacting `the faces of ithe elements .and the 'other 'for -engaging the :heads of the elements. All of the improved .fresults .described are thereby achieved.

We have :shown 'our invention in preferred emfbndiment-s; Aand it 'will be understood :that -many changes .may be made in -theconstruction andarmangement of the parts thereof vwithout depart- ?ing .from the spirit :of the invention Idened in the inllovving rclaims.

Weiclainrz il. `'automatic lock slider for .slide fasteners comprising-.a slider having 'a slider .channelfor the slide fastener stringers `and a locking .member mounted on 'the slider, -said lockingv member con- Asisting .of a two-armed :lever fulcrumed on -the slider andlhavingfboth of its arms .projecting-into thes'slider channel, @one arm of the lever having riallocking tooth and the otherarm having a point -of -lever ,-application, v.the locking tooth and :point of lever application extending into the channel lon-'opposite sides or Tfaces .of .the stringers in -said Achannel, the fastener elements on said stringers engaging `vthe 'point of lever `application causing 'the locking vlever .to rock onits fulcrum rand move the locking tooth into `engagement vwith another ifastener element on the stringers .and thus au- `tornatically lock the slider, Sand means lon fsa'id lever operative for 'rocking the .lever :in its opposite 4direction to disengage 'the locking tooth and unlock the slider.

The automatic lockslider of claiml in which ithe lever is ful'crumed on the front of the slider,

'its 'locking tooth `extends in'to th'e vslider channel 'at 'the iront -of the slider and its .point 'of appli- V@cation extends xin'to the lslider channel at the =rear l'of the slider.

' 3. Thelautomaticflock slider of claim linvvhich the lever 'is fulcrumed fon rthe front of the rslider, xits locking Ttooth arm extends 'into the slider 'channel at 'the front o'f the Yslider and its `other armextends int'o the `'slider lchannel 'at vthe rear "of the slider.

Lil. The 'automatic ylock slider of claim 1in which the lever is iul'crumed at the lfront of 'the slider, its ylocking tooth arm extends into the slider channel at the "front of Athe slider and its other arm 'extends into the slider channel 'at the rear of the vslider A'and is localized along a longitudinal medial region of the slider.

`5. The automatic lock 'slider of-claim '1 in which -the said `other arm of the lever is localized along a longitudinal medial region of the slider.

"6. An lautomatic lock slider for slide fasteners comprising a slider'havingfa front Wall and arear Wall secured together at one end to form aneck and 'having asliderchannelfor the slide fastener stringers, and'a'locking member mounted on the slider, saidlocking member consisting of a twoarmed lever fulcrumed on the slider at its neck end and having both of its arms projecting into the slider channel, one arm of the lever 'having Va locking tooth and the other having a point of "lever application, thelockin'g tooth arm and point Vdfflever application arm extending into the chan- 'nel on opposite sides or ,faces vof the stringers in said channel, with 'the latter arm `llocalized 'to form a continuation of the slider Vneck,jthe fas- *tene'r elements on said stringers engaging the Apoint of lever rapplication causing `the -locking Elever to rocken its 'fulcrum and move the locking-tooth into engagementwith another fastener element on the fstringers and A'thus automatically lock :the slider, and means on said ll-lever operative for rocking the lever in its opposite direction to disengage the locking to-oth and unlock the slider.

7. The automatic lock slider of claim 6 in Which the lever is fulcrumed at the front of the slider, its locking tooth arm extends into the slider channel at the front of the slider and its other arm extends into the slider channel at the rear of the slider and is localized along a longitudinal medial region or the slider.

8. An automatic lock slider for slide fasteners comprising a slider having a front Wall and a rear Wall secured together at one end to form a neck and having a slider channel for the slide fastener stringers, and a locking member mounted on the slider, said locking member consisting of a two-armed lever fulcrumed on the slider and having both of its arms projecting into the slider channel, one arm of the lever having a locking tooth and the other arm of the lever having a point of lever application, the said other arm of the lever being localized along a longitudinal medial region of the slider and forming a continuation of the slider neck, the fastener elements on said stringers engaging the point of y,

lever application causing the locking lever to rock on its fulcrum and move the locking tooth into engagement with another fastener element on the stringers and thus automatically lock the slider, and means on said lever operative for rocking the lever in its opposite direction to disengage the locking tooth and unlock the slider.

9. The automatic lock slider of claim 8 in which the lever is fulcrumed on the front of the slider at its neck or upper end, the locking tooth extends into the slider channel at its lower end and the point of application extends into the slider channel in a region intermediate said ends.

10. The automatic lock slider of claim 1 in which said other arm is shaped medially thereof and yof the slider to flex the stringers rotationally about a medial longitudinal line as the stringers pass through the slider in engagement with said arm.

11. The automatic lock slider of claim l in which said other arm is reversely curved from a medial plane thereof to flex the stringere rotationally about a medial longitudinal line as the stringers pass through the slider in engagement with said arm.

12. An automatic lock slider for slide fasteners comprising a slider having a slider channel for the slide fastener stringers and a locking member mounted on the slider, said locking member consisting of a two-armed lever iulcrumed on the slider and having both of its arms projecting into the slider channel, one arm of the lever having a locking tooth and the other arm having a point of lever application, the locking tooth arm extending into the slider channel at the front of the slider on one side or face of the stringers and point of lever application arm extending into the channel at the rear of the slider on the opposite side or face of the stringere in said channel, the fastener elements on said stringers engaging the point of lever application arm causing the locking lever to rock on its fulcrum and move the locking tooth into engagement with another fastener element on the stringers and thus automatically lock the slider, and means on said lever operative for rocking the lever in its opposite direction to disengage the locking tooth and unlock the slider, the said other arm being shaped medially thereof and of the slider to flex the lll stringers rotationally about a medial line as the stringers pass through the slider in engagement with said arm.

13. The automatic lock slider of claim 12 in which the slider is provided with a front wall opening, the said locking member being movable in said opening, and in which engagement of the slide fasteners with said other arm ilexes the stringers transversely of their length for movement into said opening.

14, The automatic lock slider of claim 1 in which the lever is fulcrumed on the front of the slider, its locking tooth extends into the slider channel at the front of the slider and its point of application extends into the slider channel at the rear of the slider, and in which the slider is provided with a front wall opening, the said locking member being movable in said opening, and in which engagement of the slide fasteners with said other arm flexes the stringere transversely of their length for movement into said opening.

15. The automatic lock slider of claim 1 in which the slider is provided with a double fulcrum seat for the locking member, one operative when the slider is moved to open said slide fastener Stringer by a cross-pull and the other operative when said locking tooth is seated against a fastener element to lock the slider.

16. The automatic lock slider of claim l in which the slider has a front wall provided with two spaced fulcrum seats for the locking member, one fulcrum seat comprising a buttress member on said front wall operative when the slider is moved to open said slide fastener stringers by a l cross-pull, and the other fulcrum seat comprising a base member on said front wall operative when the locking tooth is seated against a fastener element to lock the slider.

17. The automatic lock slider of claim 8 in which the slider has a front wall provided with two spaced fulcrum seats for the locking member, one fulcrum seat comprising a buttress member on said front wall operative when the slider is moved to open said slide fastener stringers by a cross-pull, and the other fulcrum seat cornprising a base member on said front wall operative when the locking tooth is seated against a fastener element to lock the slider.

18. The automatic lock slider of claim l in which the said other arm has an extended region of lever application including a part for contacting the sides of the fastener elements and a part for engaging the heads of the fastener elements.

19, The automatic lock slider of claim 6 in which the rear Wall of the slider is provided with an opening for insertion into the slider of the locking member.

WILLIAM MIKULAS. LESTER L. JONES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,322,826 Carlile June 29, 1943 2,360,437 Mikulas et al. Oct. 17, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 648,831 Germany Aug. 11, 1937

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