US3283381A

US3283381A - Zipper pull

Info

Publication number: US3283381A
Application number: US478562A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hurst Tim
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-08-10
Filing date: 1965-08-10
Publication date: 1966-11-08
Anticipated expiration: 1983-11-08

Description

T. HURST ZIPPER PULL Filed Aug. l0, 1965 FlG.

FIG.4.

mvENToR TIM HURST HAROLD s. oBRlAN, Jr.

ATTORNEY Nov. 8, 1966 .wifll n F I G. 2.

FIG. 3.

United States Patent O 3,283,381 ZIPPER PULL Tim Hurst, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor of one-half to Royal E. Christiansen and Rosalie L. Christiansen, jointly Filed Aug. 10, 1965, Ser. No. 478,562 6 Claims. (Cl. 24-205.15)

This invention relates to a zipper pull and, more particularly, to a device which enables a person to open and close an inaccessible clothing zipper` The advantages of the device of this invention should be yreadily apparent to a person who has struggled by himself to open or close a zipper located behind his back. This device remedies such difficulties by enabling the person to quite easily advance the zipper by a chain or cord Vpulled over a shoulder when closing the zipper or pulled at the lower side of the back when opening the zipper. In addition, this device incorporates structure which separates the undergarments from the zipper and aligns the zipper teeth of the clothing edges so that the zipper advances without fouling.

These and further advantages of this invention will become more apparent from the written description of the device set forth hereinbelow and from the drawing included herewith, wherein:

FIGURE l is a view of the preferred form of the zipper pull of this invention shown partly in section and partly in top view;

FIGURE 2 is a View of the device shown in FIGURE 1 partly in section and partly in side elevation;

FIGURE 3 is an end View of the device as seen from the bottom of that as shown in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the device taken along the lines land arrows IV-IV of FIGURE l.

The preferred form of the zipper pull of this invention is shown in FIGURE l; in the position in which the device is normally employed to close, for example, a typical zipper located in the back of a ladys dress. As indicated generally in that ligure, the device is attached at its lower end to the zipper 2 and pulled upwardly to advance the zipper which presses together the zipper teeth 3 attached to opposing edges of the

fabric

4 and 5. Of course, the apparatus of this invention can be employed with various types of zippers known in the art and the invention can be used with zippers employed in many different materials.

The preferred form of the zipper pull of this invention is shown in greatest detail in FIGURES l and 2 and comprises a generally cylindrical housing 10, preferably formed of plastic or a similar light-weight material, having a domed cap 12 at one end which ts partially within the housing and is fxedly attached thereto. At the end opposite to the ca-p 12, housing 10 has a cutaway portion 14 as shown in FIGURE 2 for purposes `described hereinbelow. Fixedly attached to the housing 10 is a generally flat, thin, elongated shoe 16, shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, which extends beyond the cut-away end of housing 10 as a tapered portion 16a. Shoe 16 may be extended the entire length of housing 10 from tapered end 16a or it may be terminated at any intermediate point.

A push rod 20 is mounted for limited axial movement within housing 10. Rod 20 has a looped outer end 21 to which a cord or chain 29 may be attached and, at the other end, is threadedly engaged Within a generally cylindrical plunger 30 located, when in its relaxed condition, largely within housing 10. Rod 2t) extends through a bore 13 formed in cap 12, supports a piston 22 mounted thereon and extends through `a bore in a spring base 24 which is fixedly mounted at a selected position within housing 10. Piston 22, as shown in greater detail in FIG- URE 4, comprises .a cylindrical piston body 22a with an lCC upper raised portion 22b and a recess 22e in which fits a split washer 23. Washer 23 tits within two parallel grooves 22d formed in the sides of rod 20 at a selected position along its length. When washer 23 is in grooves 22d, piston 22 cannot be moved toward the loop end 21 of rod 2t).

Spring base 24 can be xedly held within housing 10 by a pair of pins 24a, as shown in FIGURE 1, and base 24 can be equipped with a raised center portion 26.

An ordinary spiral compression spring 28 is located within housing 10 and held captive by spring base 24 around portion 26 and by piston 22 around a raised center portion 22e. It is apparent from FIGURES 1 .and 2 that spring 28 xedly supported at one end by base 24, continuously urges piston 22 and hence push rod 20 toward the cap 12 thereby drawing plunger 30 into the housing 10 at the opposite end.

Plunger 30 has a cut-away portion 32, shown in FIG- URE 2, which extendsa portion of its axial length adjacent to housing 10 and shoe 16, A pin 34 is lixedly mounted through generally opposing walls of housing 10 and located Within cut-away portion 32 of plunger 30, thereby limiting the axial movement of plunger 30 under the influence of spring 28. As shown best in FIGURE 2, plunger 30 has a second cut-out portion 36 which extends to the end of the plunger. Located adjacent to the end of plunger 30 is a transverse slot 38 (FIGURE 2) which is of suitable size to receive a standard tab 2a of the zipper 2 therethrough.

FIGURE 3 shows the preferred relative locations and proportions of the housing 10, the plunger 30 and the shoe 16.

Operation of the zipper pull in this invention is substantially as follows. For example, the invention may be used to close the zipper located on the back vertical seam of a ladys dress. In this situation, for convenience, the device is attached to the zipper, before the dress is put on. By pressing the push rod 20 inwardly from the loop end 21 the plunger 30 extends from housing 10 as shown in two different positions in FIGURES 1 and 2. While so extended, the zipper tab 2a may be placed in and through the slot 38 with the zipper 2 located within cut-away portion 36, as shown in FIGURE 2. Shoe 16 is thereby positioned beneath the Zipper 2 and beneath the `

opposing edges

4, 5 of the fabric, only one of which is shown in FIGURE 2. The zipper teeth 3 pass on opposing sides of plunger 30 and through the cut-away portion 14 of the housing 10, as shown in FIGURE l. When the device is so engaged (FIGURE 2), the fabric edges to be joined extend generally parallel to the housing 10, the end portion of plunger 39 adjacent to slot 38 is located on top of the zipper 2 and the shoe 16 is located beneath the zipper separating it from the undergarments, such as a slip or the like. The relative positions of the zipper and the device in the initial engagement position are shown in FIGURE 2. After the zipper tab 2a is positioned within slot 38, pressure on push rod 20 is reduced until spring 28 advances the push rod and plunger to cause the zipper tab to be caught against the housing 10 as shown in FIGURE 1.

The lady then puts the dress on and, when in position, grasps the chain or cord 29 extending from the loop end 21 of rod 20, passes the chain t-o her hand above one shoulder and pulls the device upwardly. The zipper tab continues to be held tightly against the housing by the plunger 30 and the zipper is closed by movement of the zipper body 2 upwardly joining the rows of zipper teeth attached to the

fabric edges

4 and 5. When the zipper is completely closed, the housing 10 is grasped in one hand and the push rod is pressed downwardly by the other hand. This causes the plunger to move out of ,the housing, as in FIGURE 2, and allows the withdrawal of the zipper tab from the plunger slot.

When the zipper in the dress is to be opened, the device is preferably inverted from the position shown in FIG- URE 1 to facilitate passage of the tab into the slot of the manually extended plunger. ever, be operated to open the zipper while held in the i position shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. After the tab Vis iplaced in the plunger slot 38 and spring pressure is allowed to again clamp the tab 2a against the housing, the

The device can, howchain is pulled downward causing the secured zipper to open the zipper teeth. The apparatus of this invention lcan then be detached from the zipper by extending the plunger to free the zipper tab from the plunger slot and against the edge of the housing. This may be accomplished while the dress is still being worn or after it is removed It should be recognized that among the advantages of the apparatus of this invention are its ease of use, simplicity of designA and materials employed and itsl general the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A zipper pull for closing and opening zippers 1ocated in areas of clothing inaccessible to the wearer when put on, said device comprising a generally cylindrical housing,

a plunger mounted for limited axial movement mostly within but partially out of the housing, said plunger having zipper engaging means located at one end and a push rod connected to the other end withinfthe housing, said rod extending out of the housing at the distal end and having connected thereto accessible hand gripping means, Y

said zipper engaging means comprising a slot located adjacent to the end of the plunger, said slotbeing of a size suitable to receive the zipper tab therethrough when the plunger is extended from the housa cut-away portion formed in the end of the plunger adjacent to the slot of such sizey to receive the zipper body therein when the zipper tab is located within the plunger slot, and

plunger spring and limit means mounted within the housing to continually urge the plunger into the housing toward the push rod end whereby the plunger is extended from the housing against spring tension by pressing the push rod inwardly to allow the plunger to engage the zipper, said zipper tab being held within the plunger slot against the housing by the spring means when pressure on the rod is discontinued, the rod hand gripping means then being pulled to -advance the zipper in the desired direction.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 further including a generally at elongated shoe attached to and extending beyond the end of the housing at the zipper engaging end, said shoe so located in relation to the plunger slot that when the zipper tab is located within the slot, the shoe is positioned beneath the zipper and generally beneath the opposing edges of the clothing.

3. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein the plunger spring means located within the housing comprise a piston mounted on the push rod for movement with the rod within the housing,

a spring base iixedly mounted within the housing having a bore through which the push rod extends, and

a compression spring mounted between the spring base and the piston so yas to continually urge the push rod toward the distal end of the housing.

4. The device as defined in claim 3 wherein the plunger limit means comprises a cut-away portion formed in the plunger for a portion of its axial length, v

a pin positioned transversely within the housing and located within the cut-away portion of the plunger, said pin and portion determining the extent of the axial movement of the plunger.

5. The device as delined in claim 4 wherein tl'iekrodV hand gripping means comprises a cord attached to the push rod at the end located distant from the plunger, said cord being of sutlicient length to enable a person to grasp the cord over ashoulder and advance the device .to close the zipper by pulling the cord.

6. The device as defined in claim 5 wherein the shoe adjacent to the plunger slot is tapered to a point from the sides and from the fiat surface adjacent to the housing to the opposing tiat surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,065,854 12/1936 Edel. 2,530,518 11/19150 Girard 24-239 2,645,832 7/1953 Lee. 2,928,157 3/ 1960 Deering. 3,101,964 8/1964 Reaser 294-26 FOREIGN PATENTS 531,776 1/ 1941 Great Britain.

BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A ZIPPER PULL FOR CLOSING AND OPENING ZIPPERS LOCATED IN AREAS OF CLOTHING INACCESSIBLE TO THE WEARER WHEN PUT ON, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL HOUSING, A PLUNGER MOUNTED FOR LIMITED AXIAL MOVEMENT MOSTLY WITHIN BUT PARTIALLY OUT OF THE HOUSING, SAID PLUNGER HAVING ZIPPER ENGAGING MEANS LOCATED AT ONE END AND A PUSH ROD CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END WITHIN THE HOUSING, SAID ROD EXTENDING OUT OF THE HOUSING AT THE DISTAL END AND HAVING CONNECTED THERETO ACCESSIBLE HAND GRIPPING MEANS, SAID ZIPPER ENGAGING MEANS COMPRISING A SLOT LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE END OF THE PLUNGER, SAID SLOT BEING OF A SIZE SUITABLE TO RECEIVE THE ZIPPER TAB THERETHROUGH WHEN THE PLUNGER IS EXTENDED FROM THE HOUSING, A CUT-AWAY PORTION FORMED IN THE END OF THE PLUNGER ADJACENT TO THE SLOT OF SUCH SIZE TO RECEIVE THE ZIPPER BODY THEREIN WHEN THE ZIPPER TAB IS LOCATED WITHIN THE PLUNGER SLOT, AND PLUNGER SPRING AND LIMIT MEANS MOUNTED WITHIN THE HOUSING TO CONTINUALLY URGE THE PLUNGER INTO THE HOUSING TOWARD THE PUSH ROD END WHEREBY THE PLUNGER IS EXTENDED FROM THE HOUSING AGAINST SPRING TENSION BY PRESSING THE PUSH ROD INWARDLY TO ALLOW THE PLUNGER TO ENGAGE THE ZIPPER, SAID ZIPPER TAB BEING HELD WITHIN THE PLUNGER SLOT AGAINST THE HOUSING BY THE SPRING MEANS WHEN PRESSURE ON THE ROD IS DISCONTINUED, THE ROD HAND GRIPPING MEANS THEN BEING PULLED TO ADVANCE THE ZIPPER IN THE DESIRED DIRECTION.