Improvements in Hooks and Eyes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1897
1000
resented
13th Au
1808
Improvements in Hooks and Eyes.
We; BENJAMIN FRANKLIN OREWILER and JAMES CURRIE, both of Shelby, in the
County of Richland, and State of Ohio, United States of America, Gentlemen,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A garment fastening or hook and eye constructed in accordance with this inven-
tion is comparatively flat and can be used in connection with tight-fitting garments
without pressing the flesh or producing raised portions in the garment which
are unsightly and soon become threadbare. When used in connection with loose-
fitting garments the fastening will not become accidentally disengaged no matter
to what angle the complementary parts may be relatively turned, and the fasten-
ing will not become unserviceable after a comparatively short period of use, the
construction being of such nature that the parts are reinforced and interlocked
at the point subject to and receiving the greatest wear and strain. Each part
of the fastening is constructed of a single length of wire bent into the required
shape with a view to secure the greatest strength, ease of operation in coupling
and uncoupling and to utilize a minimum amount of material in comparison with
the size and strength of the fastening.
For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of the invention reference
is to be had to the following description.
An eye is constructed of a single piece of wire of suitable length to agree with
the size of the completed fastening, and this wire is folded upon itself and bent
to provide a ring or circle, the side members being brought together and inter-
locked by a half twist, and the end portions diverging and bent to provide
attaching eyes. By having the side members or bent portions of the wire inter-
locked by the half twists, the ring, circle or loop is prevented from spreading and
can, if required, be slightly contracted by moving the attaching eyes, closer
together and securing them by stitching or other means to the garment or material
to which the fastening is applied. Moreover, the shape of the eye is preserved
and the fastening rendered more durable. The front portion of the ring or circle
is deflected to receive the ring or circular bill of the hook and to come within the
plane of the shanks of the said hook.
The hook is formed of a length of wire bent upon itself to provide a ring which
is the circular bill of the completed fastening, and the side or end portions of the
wire are interlocked by intermeshing half twists, and are bent to form shanks
which terminate in attaching eyes, the shanks conforming to the curvature of
the ring or circular bill and being concentric therewith, sufficient space being left
between them and the bill for the free passage and introduction of the ring or
circle. The outside diameter of the circular bill is slightly longer than the inside
diameter of the ring or circle, whereby force is required to be exerted when
coupling and uncoupling the hook and eye or component parts of the fastening.
0 By having the bill and the ring of the eye of circular outline and relatively pro-
portioned in the manner here stated, the parts cannot become accidentally dis-

page_text: engaged no matter to what relative angular adjustment they may be turned, because
in any position force must be exerted to pass the circular bill through the ring
of the eye.
By having the shanks exterior to the circular bill the hook is comparatively
flat, inasmuch as the bill may be nearly in the plane of the shanks. In some
instances, the shanks may be coiled at an intermediate point in their length,
whereby additional attaching eyes are provided.
A fastening constructed substantially as herein set forth can be secured to a
garment or material in substantially the same manner as the ordinary hook and
eye, and can be applied to loose or tight-fitting garments and is not open to the
objections urged against fastenings for a like purpose as generally constructed,
inasmuch as it will not become separated when applied to loose garments or press
injuriously against the person when applied to tight-fitting garments, as herein
stated. The peculiar construction of the hook prevents it from being flattened
so as not to be engaged by the eye when it is required to couple the parts, and
the lap is comparatively short, thereby adapting the fastening for tight-fitting
garments without requiring the straining necessary to couple and uncouple hooks
and eyes having a lap of the extent generally provided:
In the event of the ring or circle of the eye becoming enlarged from any cause,
it can be contracted by bringing the side or shank members together and by this
means provision is had for regulating the relative diameters of the rings of the
hook and eye so as to prevent their accidental disengagement when coupled.
Dated this 18th day of October 1897.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants...
We, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN OREWILER and JAMES CURRIE, both of Shelby, in the
County of Richland, and State of Ohio, United States of America, Gentlemen,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and. by the follow-
ing statement:-
A garment-fastening or hook and eye constructed in accordance with this inven-
tion is comparatively flat and can be used in connection with tight-fitting garments
without pressing into the flesh or producing raised portions in the garment, which
are unsightly and soon become threadbare. When used in connection with loose-
fitting garments, the fastening will not become accidentally disengaged, no matter
to what angle the complementary parts may be relatively turned, and the fasten-
ing will not become unserviceable after a comparatively short period of use, the
construction being of such nature that the parts are reinforced and interlocked
at the point subject to and receiving the greatest wear and strain. Each part
of the fastening is constructed of a single length of wire bent into the required
shape, with a view to secure the greatest strength, case of operation in coupling
and uncoupling, and to utilize a minimum amount of material in comparison with
the size and strength of the fastening.
For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of the invention reference
is to be had to the accompanying drawings and the following description.
The improvement is susceptible of various changes in the form, proportion, and
the minor details of construction without departing from the principle or sacrific-

page_text: ing any of the advantages thereof, and to a full disclosure of the invention an
adaptation thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1, is a top plan view of a garment-fastening of the improved construction.
Figure 2, is a side elevation thereof.
Figure 3, is a side view of the hook.
Figure 4, is a similar view of the eye.
Figure 5, is a top plan view of a modification showing the shanks provided at.
their extremities and intermediate of their ends with attaching-eyes.
Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and
indicated in the several views of the drawings by the same reference-characters.
The eye, 1, is constructed of a single piece of wire of suitable length to agree
with the size of the completed fastening, and this wire is folded upon itself and
bent to provide a ring or circle, 2, the side members being brought together and
interlocked by a half-twist, as shown at, 3, and the end portions diverging and
bent to provide attaching-eyes, 4. By having the side members or bent portions
of the wire interlocked by the half-twists, as shown at, 3, the ring, circle, or
loop, 2, is prevented from spreading and can, if required, be slightly contracted
by moving the attaching-eyes, 4, closer together and securing them by stitching
or other means to the garment or material to which the fastening is applied.
Moreover, the shape of the eye is preserved and the fastening rendered more
durable. The front portion of the ring or circle, 2, is deflected, as shown at, 5,
to receive the ring or circular bill, 6, of the hook and to come within the plane
of the shanks, 7, of the said hook.
The hook is formed of a length of wire 'bent upon itself to provide a ring, 6,
which is the circular bill of the completed fastening, and the side or end portions
of the wire are interlocked by intermeshing half-twists, as shown at, 8, and are
bent to form shanks 7, which terminate in attaching-eyes, 9, the shanks, 7, con-
forming to the curvature of the ring or circular bill, 6, and being concentric there-
with, sufficient space being left between them and the bill for the free passage
and introduction of the ring or circle, 2. The outside diameter of the circular
bill, 6, is slightly longer than the inside diameter of the ring or circle, 2, whereby
force is required to be exerted when, coupling and uncoupling the hook and eye
or component parts of the fastening. By having the bill and the ring, 2, of
circular outline and relatively proportioned in the manner herein stated the parts
cannot become accidentally disengaged, no matter to what relative angular adjust-
ment they may be turned, because in any position force must be exerted to pass
the circular bill through the ring, 2. By having the shanks, 7, exterior to the
circular bill the hook is comparatively flat, inasmuch as the bill may be nearly
in the plane of the shanks. In some instances the shanks may be coiled at an
intermediate point in their length, whereby additional attaching-eyes, 10, are
provided, as clearly indicated in Figure 5.
A fastening constructed substantially as herein set forth can be secured to a
garment or material in substantially the same manner- as the ordinary hook and
eye and can be applied to loose or tight fitting garments and is not open to the
5 objections urged against fastenings for a like purpose as generally constructed,
inasmuch as it will not become separated when applied to loose garments or press
injuriously against the person when applied to tight-fitting garments, as herein
stated. The peculiar construction of the hook prevents it from being flattened, so
as not to be engaged by the eye when it is required to couple the parts, and the lap
0 is comparatively short, thereby adapting the fastening for tight-fitting garments
without requiring the straining necessary to couple and uncouple hooks and eyes
having a lap of the extent generally provided. In the event of the ring or
circle, 2, becoming enlarged from any cause it can be contracted by bringing the
side or shank members together, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1, and
5 by this means provision is had for regulating the relative diameters of the parts, 2,
and, 6, so as to prevent their accidental disengagement when coupled

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
-
1. A garment-fastening consisting of an eye constructed of a single length of
wire bent upon itself, forming a ring or circle, and having its side portions brought
together and interlocked by half-twists, and having the end portions diverging
and terminating in attaching-eyes, and a hook formed of a single length of wire
bent to provide a ring or circular bill having its external diameter slightly greater
than the internal diameter of the ring of the eye, and having the side portions
interlocked by half-twists, and having the end portions exterior and conforming
to the circular bill and terminating in attaching-eyes, the front portion of the
ring of the eye being deflected to occupy a position between the shanks of the
hook when the parts of the fastening are engaged, substantially as set forth.
2. In a garment-fastening, an eye constructed of a length of wire doubled upon
itself and bent to provide a ring the front portion of which is deflected, and having
the side portions brought together and interlocked by half-twists to permit the
contraction and expansion of the ring in the manner and for the purpose described
and the end portions diverging and bent inward, forming attaching-eyes, sub-
stantially as set forth.
3. In a garment-fastening, a hook constructed of a length of wire doubled upon
itself and bent to provide a ring or circular bill, and having the end portions
interlocked by intermeshing half-twists to provide for the contraction and expan-
sion of the circular bill and extended, forming shanks which curve around the
circular bill so as to leave spaces and terminating in attaching-eyes, substantially
as set forth.