AN IMPROVED FASTENING FOR PURSES, POCKET BOOKS, BAGS, CIGAR CASES, BOOKS, WEARING APPAREL, JEWELLERY, AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Antil Richards, of Chester Cottage, Corn-
wall Place, Holloway, in the County of Middlesex, Commercial Clerk,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED FASTENING FOR PURSES, POCKET BOOKS,
BAGS, CIGAR CASES, BOOKS, WEARING APPAREL, JEWELLERY, AND OTHER
ARTICLES."
Sealed the 19th February 1863, and dated the 6th September 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Antil Richards
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th September 1862.
I, WILLIAM ANTIL RICHARDS, of Chester Cottage, Cornwall Place, Holloway,
in the County of Middlesex, Commercial Clerk, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED FASTENING FOR PURSES, POCKET Books,
BAGS, CIGAR CASES, BOOKS, WEARING APPAREL, JEWELLERY, AND OTHER ARTICLES,"
to be as follows:-.
One portion or member of the fastening consists of three plates, two of
which are fixed, but the outermost or uppermost is capable of sliding to and
fro on or over the next, and carries on its under or inner side a slotted piece,
which projects through an aperture in the second plate, and works on or over
the third plate, the plates being disposed accordingly. The slotted piece is so
contrived as to form a recess or space between itself and the sliding plate that
carries it. The slot is of a shape somewhat resembling a keyhole, having a
narrow portion leading into a broader portion. The third plate, which is the

page_text: undermost er innermost, has also an opening or orifice in it. The other
portion or member of the fastening is a catch, pin, stud, hook, or piece herein-
after called catch only, which I prefer to form as a pin or stud with a neck or
with lateral recesses or niches in the body, leaving the two extremities of or
nearly of the same breadth. The aperture in the third or undermost or inner-
most plate is of sufficient size to admit the head, top, or end of the catch to close
the fastening; this head, top, or end is first admitted through the third plate
and through the broad portion of the slot in the slotted piece, and the sliding
piece is then moved to bring the narrow portion of its slot over this aperture,
in which position the plates cannot be released from the catch. To open the
fastening the sliding piece is moved to bring the broader portion of its slot
over the opening in the undermost or innermost plate when the plates can bo
disengaged from the catch. Instead of forming the slot of the sliding piece ns
described, the broader portion of such slot may be dispensed with, in which
case the fastening would open when the sliding piece is moved to clear its slot
from the catch, and close when its slot is over the opening in the under-
most or innermost plate. The sliding piece may be duly held in position and
controlled in its action by springs, which it is preferred to effect by using bent
springs, bearing against lugs on the sides of the slotted piece, and allowing the
plate to be slidden to and fro, but preventing it from being unintentionally
displaced.
When my arrangement is applied to purses, pocket books, and like articles,
with flaps, the working member or plates may be on the flap, and the catch or
fixed member on the body of the purse or other article. Sometimes the under-
most or third plate may be dispensed with.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Antil Richards in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th March 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ANTIL RICHARDS, of Chester Cottage, Cornwall Place, Holloway, in the 3
County of Middlesex, Commercial Clerk, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign did, for Ilerself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, 3
the said William Antil Richards, Her special licence that 1, the said William

page_text: Anti Richards, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others.
as I, the said William Antil Richards, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "AN IMPROVED FASTENING FOR PURSES, POCKET BOOKS, BAGS, CIGAR CASES,
Books, WEARING APPAREL, JEWELLERY, AND OTHER ARTICLES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Antil Richards, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Antil Richards, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:―
This Invention consists of an improved fastening constructed in the following
manner:-One portion or member of the fastening consists of three plates, two of
which are fixed, but the outermost or uppermost is capable of sliding to and fro
on or over the next, and carries on its under or inner side a slotted piece, which
projects through an aperture in the second or middle plate, and works on or
over the third plate, the plates being disposed accordingly. This slotted piece
is so contrived that there is a recess or space between its slotted part or surface
and the sliding plate that carries it. The slot in the projection is of a shape
resembling a keyhole, having a narrow portion leading into a broader portion.
The third plate, which is the undermost or innermost, has also an opening or
orifice in it. The other portion or member of the fastening is a catch, più,
stud, hook, or piece herein-after called "catch" or "pin," which I prefer to
form as a pin or stud with lateral recesses or niches in the body. The aperture
in the third or undermost or innermost plate is of suflicient size to admit the
head, top, or free end of the catch. To close the fastening, this head, top, or
end is first admitted through the third plate, and through the broad portion of
the slot in the slotted piece, and the sliding plate is then moved so as to bring
the narrow portion of the slot over this aperture; while in this position the
plates cannot be released from the catch. To open the fastening, the sliding
piece is moved to bring the broader portion of its slut over the opening in the

page_text: undermost or innermost plate, whereupon the plates will be disengaged from
the catch. Instead of forming the slot of the sliding piece as described, the
broader portion of the slot may be dispensed with, in which case the fastening
would be opened, when the sliding piece is so moved as to clear its slot from
the catch, and the fastening would be closed when the slot is over the opening
in the undermost or innermost plate. The sliding piece is held in proper
position and controlled in its action by springs; this it is preferred to effect
by using bent springs bearing against lugs on the sides of the slotted piece;
the springs allow the plate to be slidden to and fro, but prevent it from being
unintentionally displaced.
When my fastening is applied to purses, pocket books, and like articles
with flaps, the plates which constitute what may be called the working member
of the fastening may be on the flap, and the catch on the body of the purse or
other article.
The accompanying Drawings exemplify what I believe the best means of
carrying my Invention into practical effect.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of one portion or member of the
fastening, namely, that consisting of the three plates a, b, c; Figure 2 is a
transverse section of the fastening; Figures 3 and 4 are plans, with the
undermost plate and catch removed; Figure 5 is a plan of the under side of
plate a; Figure 6, of plate b; Figure 7, of plate c, and Figure 8, of the three
plates combined; Figure 9 is an elevation, and Figure 10, a vertical section
of the catch or pin h; Figures 11 and 12 shew on a smaller scale the fastening
applied to a purse. The fastening is shewn closed in Figures 1, 2, 4, 8, and
12, and open in Figures 3 and 11.
a, b, c, are three plates, the plates a and b are fixed and the plate c is
moveable. The plate 6 is fixed on the outer side of the flap of the purse, and
the plate a on the inner side thereof by pins 6. The plate c is free to be
slidden to and fro on the surface of the plate b; d is a part or piece projecting
from the under surface of the plate c, and in a piece with that plate. This
projection d is slotted at e, f, the slot e is narrower than the slot f, and leads
into it; the projection d is hollow, that is say, there is a space between its
slotted part or surface and the under surface of the plate c. The projection d
passes through an opening & in the plate 6; a' is an orifice in the plate a, cor-
responding to the opening f; 9. 9, are bow springs on the plate b. These
springs press against lugs on the projection d, and thereby control the
motion of the plate c, that is to say, prevent it from slipping away from the
plate 6 or unduly out of place, but yet allow it to be slidden to and fro. The
leather or other material of the purse is cut away between the plates a and b

page_text: to form an opening for the projection d to work in; the pins 6' are at tho
angles of this opening, so that the leather or material forming the edge of this
opening may, with the pins 6' and bent up parts of the projection d, keep
the springs g in place; h is a catch or pin fixed on the purse (or other article
to which the fastening is applied) in a convenient position for being inserted
through the opening a'. The pin is notched or recessed at the sides, as shewn
at h', Figures 9 and 10. The orifices a', f, are of sufficient size to admit the
head h' of the pin h, but the slot e is too narrow to allow the head h¹ to pass
through it, and is only of sufficient width for the pin at the recessed parts of
the latter. The fastening is closed, as before explained, the pluto c having
first been pushed back, so that the projection d (which moves with it) may
bring its orifice f over or coincident with the orifice a'. The plates are
brought over the pin h, and the pin head h' is introduced through the orifices
a' and f. The plate c is then pushed forward, and its projection d moving
forward with it carries the orifice faway from the pin head h³, and brings its
slot e forward, the edges of the slot e passing in the recesses h³ under tho
head h' of the pin, (the recessed parts h of the pin allowing the projection d
to pass,) the head h¹ of the pin is thus imprisoned in the space between the
plate c and the slotted part of the projection d, the slot e being too narrow to
allow the head h¹ to escape. In this position the plates a, b, c, and catch h
are engaged. The fastening is opened by pushing back the plate c, so that
the projection d again brings its orificef over the orifice a', whereupon tho
head h' of the pin will pass freely through the orifices f, a', and the plates
a, b, c, will be disengaged from the pin. The plate a may be dispensed with,
aud an orifice a' for the passage of the catch h may be formed in the leather
or other material of the purse or article, and protected, when desirable, by an
eyelet of rim; i is an ornamental plate fixed to the purse, and forming tho
base of the pin h.
Figures 13 and 14, refer to a modification of the fastening, whereby the
same is rendered more expansible and adapted for purses or articles
liable to be considerably distended by their contents; the difference between
this and the arrangement shewn in the previous Figures, is, that the pro-
jection d, Figure 18, has two, three, or more orifices f and a corresponding
number of slots e, and the plate a, Figure 14, has openings a' corresponding
to the orifices f, into any one or other of which openings a' the pin h is
inserted according to the expansion of the purse or other article. Figures 11
and 12 shew the fastening applied to a purse, but it may be applied in like
manner to other articles. A knob or other convenient holding or handling
appliance may, if desirable, be attached to the plate c.

page_text: The Drawing shews the plates a, b, c, disposed horizontally, but for some
articles they may be disposed vertically, the pin then being horizontal. The
arrangement and action are in other respects as described.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim as the Invention
intended to be secured by the said Letters Patent, a fastening having its parts
arranged and combined in manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Antil Richards, have hereunto
set my hand and seal this Fifth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
M. HENRY,
Patent Agent,
84, Fleet Street, London.
W. A. RICHARDS. (L.S.)