A NEW OR IMPROVED FASTENING FOR ARTICLES OF DRESS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Edwards, of 169, Broad Street, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Leather Goods Manufacturer, for the In-
vention of ss A XT OR TERRA Thomas
FAD ARTIAL D AR Danse
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Edwards at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
February 1854.
I, THOMAS EDWARDS, of No. 169, Broad Street, Birmingham, in the County.
of Warwick, Leather Goods Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED FASTENING FOR ARTICLES OF DRESS"
to be as follows:-
Figure 1 represents in elevation a legging or covering for the leg, to which.
my Invention is applied. a, b, are two strips of metal or other rigid material
inserted in the edges of the legging for the purpose of stiffening the same; the
lower ends of the legging are connected as represented by a band of vulcanized
caoutchouc c, or other elastic material, by which the said lower ends are drawn
together; d is a hook (shown separately in elevation and edge view, and on a
larger scale in Figure 2), which said hook is attached on the under side of the
edge e of the legging; and f is a staple or catch (shewn separately in front and
side view, and on a larger scale in Figure 3), which said staple or catch is

page_text: fixed on the upper side of the edge g of the legging. When the legging is
put on (the parts d and f being disconnected, as shewn in the Drawing,) the
foot is passed down the said legging, till the said legging has assumed its proper
position on the leg.
The band c by its elasticity closes the lower ends of the edges e, g, and the
hook d is inserted in the staple or catch f, by which the fastening is completed.
My Invention is applicable to fastening various articles of dress.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th August 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
EDWARDS, of No. 169, Broad Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Leather Goods Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Edwards, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Edwards,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Edwards, 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 lawfully 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED FASTENING
FOR ARTICLES OF DRESS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Edwards, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 Thomas Edwards, 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 (that is to say):-
My Invention consists of a fastening to be used for fastening leggings and

page_text: such other articles of dress as fasten after the manner of leggings. Figure 1
represents in side elevation a legging or spatterdash, having a fastening con-
structed according to one modification of my Invention. a, b, are two strips
of metal or other rigid material inserted in the edges of the legging for the
purpose of stiffening the same, and carrying the parts of the fastening. The
two strips a, b, are represented separately and on a larger scale in front view
in Figures 2 and 3, and in edge view combined together in Figure 4. The
lower ends of the legging, Figure 1,. are connected together as represented by
a band of vulcanized caouchouc c or other elastic material, by which the said
ends are drawn together; is a hook, which said hook may either be situated
and act vertically, as represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, or be situated and
act horizontally as herein-after described and illustrated in Figures 8, 9,
and 10; the end of the hook d, Figure 1, is situated on the under side of the
strip a as represented, or the whole of the hook may be situated on the under
side of the strip a; e is a staple or catch fixed on the upper side of the strip b.
When the legging is put on, the strips a, b, being disconnected as shewn in
Figure 1, the foot is passed down the said legging till the said legging has
assumed its proper position on the leg; the band c by its elasticity closes the
lower ends of the strips a, b, and the hook d is brought over the staple e, and
introduced therein, as shewn in Figure 4; the fastening of the legging is then
complete.
In order to unfasten the legging the strip a is raised vertically, that is to
say, made to slide on the strip b, by which the hook d will be disengaged from
the staple e.
When it is wished to secure the lower part of the legging more effectually
than is done by the band of caoutchouc c, Figure 1, I use a fastening of the
kind represented at i, k, Figures 5, 6, and 7, for fastening the bottom of the
legging, the said fastening consisting of a hook i engaging under the staple or
hook k, as shewn in Figure 7. Instead of the hook d being situated and
working vertically, the said hook may be placed and made to work hori-
zontally, as illustrated in Figures 8, 9, and 10; 1 is the hook fixed on the
bar m, the strip n passes under the hook 1, and a stud r fixed on the spring o
passes through a hole in the strip n, and engages in the slot p, in the strip n.
By pressing upon the button q, the stud r is withdrawn from the slot p, and
the strip n may be withdrawn from under the hook 7. Figures 11, 12, 13,
and 14, represent a modification of the fastening, Figures 8, 9, and 10.
In this modification the hook s is furnished with a catch t, which when the
strip u is introduced under the said hook engages in a slot v in the said strip
u, and fastens the said strip in its place. By lifting the hooks by the thumb

page_text: or otherwise at s', the catch on the under side of the said hook is raised from
the slot v, and the two strips u, w, disunited.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise methods herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing from
the nature of my said Invention: but I claim as my Invention a fastening for
leggings, and such other articles of dress as the same is or may be applicable
to, consisting of two rigid strips or bars connected with the two parts of the
article of dress to be fastened together, the said strips or bars being connected
to and disconnected from each other by means of hooks, as herein described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Edwards, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
THOMAS EDWARDS. (L.S.)