Improvements in Fasteners for Strings and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Aug., 1895-4ccepted, 5th Oct., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fasteners for Strings and the like.
I, HARRY HERBERT ABELL, of Port Ewen, in the County of Ulster and
State of New York, United States of America, Button Salesman, 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 following
statement:-
This invention relates to fasteners for strings and other strands, as ties, laces or
bindings, and aims to provide an improved fastener which can be attached to the
end of a string or to any other object, and to which the free end of a string can be
easily and securely fastened.
The invention comprises a body having a rearwardly or laterally projecting part
or shank by which the fastener is attached to the body carrying it, around which
shank the free end of a string can be wound, the body being provided with a
peripheral string notch through which the string can be afterward carried to the
front, and with a presser at front beneath which the end of the string can be passed
to frictionally bold it in place.
In the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form of fastener;
Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a similar fastener adapted to be connected to a
horse blanket or other object;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of fastener;
Fig. 4 is a face view of the metal blank for another form of fastener;
Fig. 5 is a top view thereof showing the fastener applied to a shoe ;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of this fastener in use on a shoe;
Fig. 7 is a view of another form of fastener blank;
Fig. 8 is a view of another form of fastener blank; and
Fig. 9 is a view of a fastener constructed of wire.
Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, I will describe the preferred form of my
improved fastener. In these figures, A is the fastener and B the cord. The
fastener A consists of a relatively large and preferably circular and flat body b¹,
having a lateral rearward shank C having an eye or equivalent provision c by
which it is attached to the end a of the cord or other object in any manner, as by
a knot d, the other end of the curd being free. The shank C is best formed
by providing the body with rearwardly folded arms E and L. The arm L is the
longer and leaves the body with a bend g, extending thence toward the center with
a portion, and thence bent outwardly with a bend e and extending backward on
itself to the eye c.
The arm E leaves the opposite side of the body with a bend h,
bas an inwardly extending portion i, a rearward curve F, and an end j embracing
the bende of the arm L, and riveted thereto by a rivet to reinforce this arm.
The shank constitutes a book D at rear of the center of the body, and into this
hook the free end of the cord is passed, and the cord is wound around the shank to
fasten it to the fastener.
The body is constructed with a recess G extending from its edge inwardly, that
shown having straight side walls m and bottom wall n, through which recess the
cord is passed from the rear to the front of the body.
On its front the body has a clamp J, beneath which the end of the cord is
passed, and by which it is held frictionally. The clamp J preferably consists of

page_text: an elastic tongue o cut out of the metal of the body, and leaving a slot P beneath
it, into and out of which the tongue springs, and into which it forces the cord.
The tongue is reinforced if desired by a leaf spring K fastened to the front face of
the body at q by rivets u, and to the tongue at r, and having a corrugated
portion hetween its ends. The tongue is also strengthened by a plate t at
rear. The outer end of the tongue is turned out to facilitate passing the cord
beneath it.
In operation, the bend of the cord around the shank at the hook D applies the
greater strain to this point, and the passing of the cord through the recess G, and
then downwardly beneath the clamp, suffices to fasten it in place. To free the
cord, it is first drawn out from under the clamp, then passed through the recess,
and then unwound from the shank C.
In the construction shown in Fig. 3, the shank C is formed by extending both
the arms E and L outwardly from the bend D, these arms being here riveted to
the body. A blanket or other object to which the fastener is applied will be passed
between the arms and fastened thereto through the eyes c. The reces G here has
a curved bottom, and the clamp J consists of a separate tongue having an outward
curve M for holding the cord. The plate has a round hole N beneath the tongue
into which hole the cord is bent by the latter. The clamp here consists of a
special tongue held on the front of the body by the rivets, which serve also to
hold the arms on the back of the body.
In the construction shown in Fig. 3A, the fastener A consists of a metal plate
having a lateral shank C, a narrow slit for the recess G, and a vertical clamp J.
The metal at each side of the slit G constitutes wings P and Q. The wing P is
slightly recessed at w to hold the cord close to the shank, and the wings are bent
slightly out of plane, so that the cord can pass down through the slit G. The
clamp J is a tongue cut out of the wing Q, leaving a slot p beneath it, and has a
curve M into which the cord B is passed. One end of the cord is fixed to the
shank C, and the other end is passed behind the body then in front of the shank,
then again behind the body and upward through the slit G to the front, and then
downward under the clamp J.
The constructions shown in Figs. 4 to 9 inclusive are especially adapted for
shoe-lace fasteners In Figs. 4 to 6 the fastener A consists of a metal blank
having arms H which are folded against its back at a', then bent outwardly in
prongs, and passed through the shoe or other material B', as shown in dotted
lines in Fig. 5, and then bent together at c', thus securing the fastener to the shoe
with its body projected slightly beyond the latter, so that the laces D₁ coming from
the hooks C¹ of the shoe, can be passed behind the body and wound around the
shanks, as shown in Fig. 6. The fastener has a recess 1' through which the string
is passed from its rear to its front, and a clamp J' on its front beneath which the
string is passed, as before described.
In Fig. 7 the fastener is identical with the construction just described, except
that the shape of the body lettered G is elongated instead of circular. The parts
bear the same letters of reference as in Figs. 4 to 6.
In Fig. 8 the arms H" are at the lower side of the body A", and the latter has
projecting wings F" and G" between which is a recess 111, the clamp J" standing
vertically. The string in this instance can be wound around the body A", or
around either of the wings, and then passed through the recess I" and under the
clamp Ju
The fastener shown in Fig. 9 is made of wire, and has a fastening pin or arm H³,
an upper part F³, and a lower part G³ behind which the string can be passed when
the fastener is attached to a flat surface by the pin H³, a vertical recess I³ through
which the string can be brought to the front of the fastener, and a transverse
presser tongue J³ beneath which the string can be passed and by which it will be
held.
I prefer to make the cord recess substantially radial, and dispose the clamp
angularly or obliquely to the direction of the recess, and to curve the clamp

page_text: Jongitudinally so as to leave a shape approximating the arc of a circle struck from
a center near the bottom of the cord recess.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A fastener for strings and the like, comprising a body having a lateral shank
around which the string can be wound behind the body, a recess from front to rear
through which the string can be brought to the front, and a clamp at front beneath
which the string can be passed to hold it, substantially as set forth.
2. In fasteners for strings and the like, a body having a rearwardly projecting
shank by which it may be secured to a body and around which a string can be
wound, a recess in its outer edge through which the string can be passed, and an
elastic clamp on its front face for holding the free end of the string, substantially
as set forth.
3. In fasteners for cords and the like, a body consisting of a single piece of
metal having an integral shank, a string recess, and an integral tongue, substantially
as set forth.
4. A fastener for strings and the like having a rearwardly and laterally
extending shank in the nature of a hook about which the free end of a string can
be wound, and by which the fastener can be attached to the part carrying it, and
having an elastic clamp beneath which the free end of the string can be passed to
hold it, substantially as set forth.
5. The improved fastener comprising a body having a shank having an eye, a
cord fixed at one end to the said shank and free at its other end, and the said body
having fastening and holding provisions by which the free end of the cord can be
secured to it, substantially as set forth.
6. The improved fastener for cords and the like, substantially as shown in
Figs. 1 and 2.
7. The improved fastener for cords and the like, substantially as shown in
Fig. 3.
8. The improved fastener for cords and the like, substantially as shown in
Fig. 3.
9. The improved fastener for cords and the like, substantially as shown in
Figs. 4, 5 and 6.
Dated the 29th day of July 1895.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.