IMPROVEMENTS IN. FASTENINGS FOR DRAPERY, ARTICLES OF DRESS, OR WEARING APPAREL
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry McEvoy, of Birmingham, in the County.
of Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
FASTENINGS FOR DRAPERY, ARTICLES OF DRESS, OR WEARING APPAREL."
Sealed the 3rd July 1868, and dated the 7th January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry M°Evoy at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th January 1868.
I, HENRY McEvoy, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
5 Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR DRAPERY, ARTICLES OF DRESS, OR WEARING
APPAREL," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in attaching to such fastenings certain
ornamental parts which may be made of various devices, forms, or
O material, so that the fastenings when applied may become not only
articles of utility but be used for ornamental purposes. I likewise
introduce improvements into the shape of the fastenings themselves.
In making these fastenings I take a straight piece of wire or flat
piece of metal, I prefer such as are made out of gilding metal... The wire

page_text: I use either singly or double; if double I require a piece of wire double
in length and bend it in the middle so as to bring the ends together,
closing it at the bent part so as to make it appear like two pieces
of wire lying closely together. Such prepared wire after reducing it to
half its original thickness by flattening it I form into a hook by
bending the ends in opposite directions, in which shape it assumes
the appearance of an ordinary pot hook; I then fix by means of
soldering, or in any other suitable way, on that end of the hook in
which the wires are not united an ornamental plate of gilding metal,
such as a fancy button top or blank, or an ornament of any other
suitable form or material, and thus complete the structure of such
improved fastening.
In using these fastenings it is necessary that the drapery, articles
of dress or wearing apparel, to which it is intended to apply them
should be first prepared and adapted to receive them by making eyelet
holes, button holes, or loops in them, through which the fastenings may
be passed until the ornamental parts are made to lie flatly against the
surface of the article. The fastenings thus fixed may then readily be
brought into connection with that other part of the article with which
it is desired that a connection should be effected, this other part of
the article having also been prepared by furnishing in it eyelet holes,
button holes, or loops for such purpose; but in the case of drapery,
such as a curtain, the connection is formed by inserting the hook or
fastening into the small metal eye which forms a part of the cornice
pole ring.
In using single wires I first of all form at each end of the wire
a loop (such as those belonging to the ordinary dress hook, called needle
holes, through which the needle passes in sewing it to the dress). By.
means of these loops I get rid of the rough ends of the wire, at the
same time they are thereby better adapted to enter the button holes
in the article intended, & by this means prepared to receive them."
I prefer using these single wires with the ends bent over each in the
same direction, instead of being bent in opposite directions, as in the
former case of the double wire fastenings. On these single wires thus
formed I fix the ornamental plate on the middle instead of on one
end, and by means of the hooks or claws standing out from the back
of the ornaments two parts of a garment or article of dress may be
brought together and securely fastened.
:

page_text: The improved fastenings I have thus described are made by means
of plyers, dies, stamps and fly presses, in common use, and are finished
for sale by being gilt or japanned, or in any other style that may be
preferred.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry McEvoy in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
McEvoy, of Birmingham in the County of Warwick, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry M°Evoy, Her special licence, that
I, the said Henry McEvoy, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others, as I, the said Henry McEvoy, 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, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR DRAPERY,
ARTICLES OF DRESS, OR WEARING APPAREL," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry M°Evoy, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, 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 Henry M°Evoy, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say) :-
My Invention consists in attaching to such fastenings certain
ornamental parts which may be made of various devices, forms; or

page_text: materials, so that the fastenings when applied may become not only
articles of utility but be used for ornamental purposes. I likewise
introduce improvements into the shape of the fastenings themselves.
In making these fastenings I take a straight piece of wire or flat piece
of metal, I prefer such as are made out of gilding metal. The wire I
use either singly or double; if double I require a piece of wire, double
in length and bend it in the middle, so as to bring the ends together,
closing it at the bent part, so as to make it appear like two pieces
of wire lying closely together. Such prepared wire after reducing it
to half its original thickness by flattening it I form into a book by
bending the ends in opposite directions, in which shape it assumes the
appearance of an ordinary pot hook; I then fix by means of soldering or
.in any other suitable way on that end of the hook in which the wires
are not united an ornamental plate of gilding metal, such as a fancy
button top or blank, or an ornament of any other suitable form or
material, and thus complete the structure of such improved fastening.
In using these fastenings it is necessary that the drapery, articles of
dress, or wearing apparel to which it is intended to apply them should
be first prepared and adapted to receive them by making eyelet holes,
button holes, or loops in them, through which the fastenings may be
passed until the ornamental parts are made to lie flatly against the
surface of the article. The fastenings thus fixed may then readily be
brought into connection with that other part of the article with which it
is desired that a connection should be effected, this other part of the
article having also been prepared by furnishing in it eyelet holes, button
holes, or loops for such purpose; but in the case of drapery, such as a
curtain, the connection is formed by inserting the hook or fastening into
the small metal eye which forms a part of the cornice pole ring.
In using single wires I first of all form at each end of the wire a loop,
(such as those belonging to the ordinary dress hook, called needle holes,
through which the needle passes in sewing it to the dress). By means
of these loops I get rid of the rough ends of the wire, at the same time
they are thereby better adapted to enter the button holes in the article
intended, and by this means prepared to receive them. I prefer using
these single wires with the ends bent over cach in the same direction
instead of being bent in opposite directions, as in the former case of the
double wire fastenings. On these single wires thus formed I fix the
ornamental plate on the middle instead of on one end, and by means of

page_text: the hooks or claws standing out from the back of the ornaments two
parts of a garment or article of dress may be brought together and
securely fastened.
:
The improved fastenings I have thus described, are made by means of
plyers, dies, stamps, and fly presses in common use, and are finished for
sale by being gilt or japanned, or in any other style that may be
preferred.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, in order that it
may be more fully understood I will proceed to explain the Drawings
annexed.
Figure 1 represents a piece of wire prepared for making an improved
fastener, such as may be used for drapery purposes.
Figure 2 represents a side view of such fastener with the ends turned
in opposite directions.
Figure 3 represents a fastener with an ornamental plate soldered
thereto.
Figures 4 and 5 represent such fastener as applied in fastening a
curtain to a cornice pole ring. The hook of the fastener is shewn at A,
Figure 5, to have been passed through an eyelet hole made in the top
band of the curtain, and afterwards attached to the cornice pole ring, as
shewn at B, Figure 5. The tassel shewn in Figure 4 is intended to
represent how the improved fastener may be made use of as a suspender
for further ornamentation.
Figures 6, 7, and 8 represent a front, edge, and back view of the
improved fastener when made to be used as a sleeve link or dress
fastener. The end of the hook being bent in a sideway direction, as shewn
in Figures 6 and 8, is for the purpose of facilitating its entrance into the
button holes in the sleeve or dress to which it is applied, and it is
convenient in making a pair (as in the case of sleeve links) that the ends
should be bent in opposite directions, one toward the right hand and the
other toward the left.
Figure 9 represents a fastener prepared out of a single wire with the
ends turned, as in the case of the needle holes of the ordinary dress hook
but in opposite directions.
Figure 10 represents a side view of such fastener with the ends bent
over, so as to approximate towards each other.

page_text: Figure 11 represents the back of a fastener of this kind prepared as
a sleeve link with an ornamental plate soldered thereto; the parts
marked c, c, are designed to facilitate its application, as in the case of
the bent end of hook, as shewn in Figure 8.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I
do not confine myself to the exact details herein shewn and described,
so long as the peculiar nature of my Invention is retained; but I claim
amongst other things, the making of improved fastenings for drapery
purposes, with ornamental parts applied to them, such as are herein
.described.
Secondly. I claim the making of improved fastenings for dress
purposes, such as sleeve links, after the manner set forth herein.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry McEvoy, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-eight.
HENRY MCEVOY. (L.S.)
Witness,
JA: G. STORMONT.