Did You Know...
...that Charles Goodyear performed some of his experiments on rubber while in debtor's prison? He was there so often he referred to it as his "hotel". Chronically in debt because of poor business sense and ill health, Goodyear depended on the generosity of friends and family. Even after he unlocked the secret to vulcanizing rubber, he was unable to improve his financial situation. When he died, his estate was $200,000 in debt.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 6957482 | Space forming apparatus for a slide fastener chain 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 fr... | 10/25/2005 |
| 6829818 | Manufacturing method of a head gimbal assembly 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 magne... | 12/14/2004 |
| 6427318 | Universal smart merge/demerge tool 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 configure... | 08/06/2002 |
| 5806163 | Method and apparatus for forming element-free space portion in slide fastener chain 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 elemen... | 09/15/1998 |
| 5632076 | Method and apparatus for gapping a continuous zipper chain 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... | 05/27/1997 |
| 5335404 | Method of forming space portions in slide fastener chain 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 upst... | 08/09/1994 |
| 5216796 | Method and apparatus for shortening size of slide fastener 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. In an illustrative embodiment, the present inv... | 06/08/1993 |
| 5212863 | Method for forming element-free spaces in slide fastener chain 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 ... | 05/25/1993 |
| 5177855 | Method and apparatus for forming element-free spaces in slide fastener chain 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 remove... | 01/12/1993 |
| 5103540 | Apparatus for gapping a stringer chain 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 pun... | 04/14/1992 |
| 5101551 | Gapping system for slide-fastener manufacture A slide-fastener stringer is pulled through a gapping station by a motor operatively engaging the stringer without slip and at least one feed roller engaging the stringer upstream of the gapping station. A storage unit downstream of the feed roller and up... | 04/07/1992 |
| 4910854 | Process of and apparatus for gapping a slide fastener 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... | 03/27/1990 |
| 4866825 | Apparatus for cutting down finished slide fasteners 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 th... | 09/19/1989 |
| 4831709 | Method of an apparatus for removing coupling elements from a slide fastener stringer tape 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 con... | 05/23/1989 |
| 4738016 | Method and apparatus for gapping slide fastener chain 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... | 04/19/1988 |
| 4663817 | Method and apparatus for gapping slide fastener chain 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... | 05/12/1987 |
| 4638542 | Method and apparatus for forming element-free spaces in slide fastener chains 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 eleme... | 01/27/1987 |
| 4627318 | Method of and apparatus for gapping a slide-fastener tape 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 s... | 12/09/1986 |
| 4625375 | Apparatus for automatically processing a slide fastener chain 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 upst... | 12/02/1986 |
| 4604783 | Method of and apparatus for forming element-free spaces in continuous slide fastener chain with fly strips 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 intermes... | 08/12/1986 |
| 4589182 | Method and apparatus for forming a space section in a pair of continuous concealed-slide-fastener stringers 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 ... | 05/20/1986 |
| 4510662 | Apparatus and a method for forming space sections in a slide fastener chain having coupling elements in the form of continuous coil 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. The present appar... | 04/16/1985 |
| 4490899 | Method of and apparatus for removing coupling members from a slide fastener 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... | 01/01/1985 |
| 4457062 | Method of and apparatus for detecting ends of successive fly strips connected by a slide fastener chain 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... | 07/03/1984 |
| 4443924 | Method of and apparatus for detecting ends of successive fly strips connected by a slide fastener chain 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 superimpose... | 04/24/1984 |
| 4413398 | Slide fastener chain with leg remanents at gap and method and apparatus of manufacture 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 pol... | 11/08/1983 |
| 4333232 | Apparatus for forming flypiece and slide fastener chain assembly 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 bac... | 06/08/1982 |
| 4332072 | Method and device for spacing continuously manufactured zip fasteners in which the connection elements are constituted by a monofilament of meander or spiral form 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... | 06/01/1982 |
| 4325185 | Apparatus for gapping a continuous slide fastener stringer 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 thei... | 04/20/1982 |
| 4274191 | Method and apparatus for gapping woven slide fastener stringer having elements mounted on longitudinal member in edge of tape 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 e... | 06/23/1981 |
| 4262569 | Apparatus for the fabrication of a slide fastener chain with reinforcement tapes 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 reinfo... | 04/21/1981 |
| 4246681 | Method for removing fastener elements from a slide fastener chain and apparatus therefor 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... | 01/27/1981 |
| 4236293 | Method and apparatus for forming space sections in a slide fastener 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 compo... | 12/02/1980 |
| 4232438 | Method and apparatus for providing space sections in a continuous slide fastener chain 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, acc... | 11/11/1980 |
| 4224730 | Method and apparatus for removing fastener elements from a slide fastener chain 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 o... | 09/30/1980 |
| 4206544 | Apparatus for removing coupling element residuals 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 tumbl... | 06/10/1980 |
| 4206669 | Apparatus for gapping zipper chain 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... | 06/10/1980 |
| 4188716 | Apparatus for gapping a slide fastener chain 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 ... | 02/19/1980 |
| 4091532 | Apparatus for gapping slide fastener chain 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 ... | 05/30/1978 |
| 4062100 | Method of and apparatus for removing coupling members of a slide-fastener stringer from a support tape 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 membe... | 12/13/1977 |
