IMPROVEMENTS IN LACING HOOKS, CHIEFLY DESIGNED TO SERVE AS FASTEN- INGS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LACING HOOKS, CHIEFLY DESIGNED TO SERVE AS FASTEN-
INGS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES." A communication from abroad by Edward
Maynz, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd May 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LACING HOOKS, CHIEFLY
DESIGNED TO SERVE AS FASTENINGS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES." [A communication
from abroad by Edward Maynz, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America,
Gentleman.]
This Invention relates to a lacing hook which is fastened in the material whereon
it is used by means of a prong or prongs. These lacing hooks are made either by
shaping wire into the proper form, or by striking out from a thin sheet of brass or
other soft metal composition the blanks, and then reducing them by suitable forming
mechanism to the desired shape.
In making these lacing hooks from blanks cut to a given shape and afterwards
bent to the proper form, the said blanks each have a head-forming portion, a
narrower section connecting the head-forming portion with the base of the hook,
and the prongs extended longitudinally from the base-forming portion of the hook,
and I may employ one, two, or three prongs, as may be necessary. The head-
forming portion of these flat blanks is somewhat rounded before the same are shaped
into lacing hooks. The said blanks are then shaped by any suitable mechanism
into the desired forms.
When wire is employed, it is bent into substantially the same shape as that of the
lacing hooks shaped from flat blanks.

page_text: The lacing hook provided with two prongs can be more firmly secured to the
material on which it is fastened than the one-prong hook, and can be made con-
siderably cheaper than the three-pronged hook.
In fastening these hooks in their position, the prongs are forced through the
material and clinched upon the under side thereof.
When a lacing hook with only one prong is used, the said prong should be suffi-
ciently broad to prevent its swinging or turning in the material to which it is
fastened.
One advantage of my Invention is the economy in the material as compared with
other articles for similar use.
The said Invention is adapted for any of the purposes for which such hooks can
be applied, but it is chiefly useful as a fastening for boots and shoes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
November 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LACING HOOKS, CHIEFLY
DESIGNED TO SERVE AS FASTENINGS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES." A communication
from abroad by Edward Maynz, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America,
Gentleman.
This Invention relates to a lacing hook which is fastened in the material,
whereon it is to be used by means of a prong, or two or more prongs as herein-after
described.
In the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my Invention and its various modifications.
Figure 2 represents plans of the blanks from which the said lacing hooks are
shaped.
Figure 3 shows the hooks in position upon the material upon which they are
fastened.
Figure 4 shews transverse sections of the said Invention.
These lacing hooks are made either by shaping pieces of wire into the form shown
at B, D, Figure 1, or by striking up from a thin sheet of brass or other soft metal
composition the blanks shown in Figure 2, and then to reducing them by suitable
forming mechanism to the shape shown at A, C, E, Figure 1.
In describing the manipulations employed in making these lacing hooks, I will
first refer to those made from blanks cut to a given shape and afterwards bent to
the
proper form.
In Figure 2 is shown at F a blank, which, when shaped, produces a lacing hook
like that shown in perspective at A, Figure 1, with three prongs.
At G, Figure 2, is a blank which, when shaped, forms a lacing hook with two
prongs, as shown at C, Figure 1.

page_text: At H, Figure 2, is shown a form of blank, which, when moulded into a lacing
hook, forms the article shown at E, Figure 1.
These blanks have a head-forming portion a, a narrow section b connecting the
head-forming portion with the base of the hook, and the prongs c extended longi-
tudinally from the base-forming portion d of the hook, and I may employ one prong,
or two or three prongs, as may be necessary. The head-forming portion of these
flat blanks is somewhat rounded before the same are shaped into lacing hooks by
the action of the die that stamps out the blank. The said blanks are then worked
by any suitable mechanism into the forms or shapes shewn at A, C, E, Figure 1.
When wire is employed, it is bent into substantially the same shape as that of
the lacing hooks shaped from flat blanks, see B and D, Figure 1.
The lacing hook shewn at C and provided with two prongs is the best for some
purposes, because it can be somewhat more firmly secured to the material on which
it is fastened than the one-prong hook, and can be made considerably cheaper than
the three-pronged hook.
In fastening these hooks in their proper position, the prongs are forced through
the material and clinched upon the under side thereof, as represented in Figure 4.
When a lacing hook with only one prong is used, the prong should be sufficiently
broad to prevent its swinging or turning in the material to which it is fastened.
One advantage of my Invention is its economy in the material of which the hooks
are formed so that they can be manufactured more cheaply than other articles for
similar use.
The said Invention is adapted for any of the purposes to which such hooks can
be applied, but it is chiefly designed as a fastening for boots and shoes.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. A lacing hook constructed with the head or hook portion and with one
prong, or two or three prongs, as and for the purposes set forth.
Second. In the manufacture of the said lacing hooks, the production of the blanks
by striking up the same from sheet metal, and with one end thereof properly
shaped to form the head portion, and the opposite end formed into a prong, or
two or three prongs, as and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
IZM DODT TA
IZM
ROBT. LAKE. (L.)