AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FASTENINGS FOR SHOES AND SPURS, AND WHICH MAY BE APPLIED TO MANY OTHER PURPOSES WHERE BUCKLES ARE MADE USE OF, AS WELL AS OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1792

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
SMITH, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Buckle Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Seventh day of September, in the thirty-second year of His
reign, give and grant unto me, the said James Smith, his especial licence that
I, the said James Smith; during the term of years therein mentioned, should
and lawfully might use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF FASTENINGS FOR SHOES AND SPURS, AND WHICH MAY BE APPLIED TO
MANY OTHER PURPOSES WHERE BUCKLES ARE MADE USE OF, AS WELL AS OTHER USEFUL
PURPOSES;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging
me, the said James Smith, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, to cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and
how the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within one calendar month after the date of the said recited..
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Smith, do hereby declare that my said Invention is described as
follows:-
I take steel, or any other metal or substance capable of retaining its elasticity,
and having brought it to a proper form and strength, agreeable to the
purpose

page_text: for which it is intended, I affix to or make out of the same piece at the
extremity thereof the fastenings designed to take hold of the shoe or boot,
which consist of either hooks, points, nobs, holes, or any other contrivance of
that nature, which will take fast hold, and be easily released when required.
This elastic piece or spring may be of any form, plain or ornamented, or so
contrived that the ornamental part of any buckle, ribbon, ct. usually worn, may
be affixed thereto.
This is a general description of my Invention or improvement and its uses;
but in order to make the preparation of the elastic piece, wherein the principal
merit of my Invention or improvement consists, more clear and easily under-
stood, I have annexed a Drawing, of which the following is an explanation:-
No. 1 is a flat piece of thin steel, being the first state or plan of the elastic
piece, but it may be (as is before observed) of any other convenient form, or
pierced or perforated instead of solid. No. 2 is the same piece viewed end-
ways, after being bent to the form intended, and hardened and tempered, as
springs are usually done. I would have it understood that altho' I have
chosen this particular form for my Drawing as being well adapted to the
purpose, yet any other degree of bend may do for some purposes, or the piece
may be left straight, as the use depends on the spring being depressed until
the hooks or other fastenings have got hold, and by its effort to return to the
form in which it is originally made the purpose is answered. No. 3 is an end
view of it when fixing on a shoe; No. 4.is a spur fixing to a boot. No. 5 is
a spur with the elastic pieces and hooks fitted.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of September, One thousand
1
Inrolled the same Twenty-seventh day of September, in the year above
written