An Improvement or Improvements in Sleeve and Cuff Links and other like Fastenings.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1887
Complete Left, 9th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 13th Apr., 1888
An Improvement or Improvements in Sleeve and Cuff Links and
other like Fastenings.
I THOMAS WALTER JONES of Nos. 48 and 50 Hylton Street Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Jeweller do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has reference principally to sleeve and cuff links but is also applicable
to other like fastenings such for example as ladies dress fastenings.
I will describe my invention in connection with a sleeve link. A sleeve link as
ordinarily constructed consists of two elliptical or other shaped plain or ornamented
discs each having a shank at its back. These shanks are connected by a wire loop
the discs having great freedom of motion upon the said loop. In using a sleeve link
of this the ordinary construction considerable inconvenience is frequently experienced
after one of the discs has been passed through the hole in one side of the sleeve in
passing the other disc through the hole in the other side of the sleeve. This incon-
venience arises from the virtual shortening of the loop by the disc first introduced
into the hole in the sleeve. The said disc in being passed through the hole is situated
in a plane at right angles or nearly so to the plane in which the loop is situated.
After the disc has passed through the hole it seats itself on the sleeve in a plane nearly
parallel to that in which the loop is situated and in this position overhanging as it were
the loop virtually shortens the said loop and occasions difficulty in introducing the
other disc into the other hole.
The object of my invention is to overcome this difficulty and consists in constructing
the parts of the link in the following manner.
I construct one of the discs and its shank in the ordinary way I also employ a loop
of the ordinary kind. But I make the shank of the other disc of a small rectangular
loop or frame jointed to the back of the disc. This jointed loop may either be nearly
flat against the back of the disc or be raised into a position perpendicular to the plane
of the disc. When the sleeve link is applied to the sleeve the disc having the ordinary
shank is first passed through one of the holes in the sleeve in the ordinary way. On

page_text: passing the other disc through the other hole the said disc being at right angles to the
plane of the sleeve the small jointed loop at its back is at right angles to the disc
and the length of the said small jointed loop is virtually added to the length of the
ordinary loop. After the second disc has been passed through the hole the said disc changes
its position lying flat on the sleeve. The small jointed loop turns down lying nearly
flat on the back of the disc and the principal loop which previously bore against the
outer part of the small jointed loop passes to one of the sides of said small jointed
loop and the principal loop is no longer virtually lengthened. Thus in introducing
the second disc into the bole in the sleeve the discs are at convenient distance
apart for effecting the introduction of the said disc into the said hole but imme-
diately the said disc has passed through the said hole and lies flat on the sleeve the
two discs assume their normal distance apart.
Although I ordinarily employ a small jointed loop at the back of one only of the
dises yet where a greater virtual lengthening of the principal loop is required the said
small jointed loop may be employed at the back of each disc. And although I have
described the connection of the two discs as being effected by the ordinary loop yet a
single wire with a small loop or eye at each end or other connection may be employed
with like effect.

page_text: other like Fastenings.
I THOMAS WALTER JONES of Nos. 48 and 50 Hylton Street Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Jeweller, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention has reference principally to sleeve and cuff links but is also applicable
to other like fastenings such for example as ladies' dress fastenings.
I will describe my invention in connection with a sleeve link. A sleeve link as
ordinarily constructed consists of two elliptical or other shaped plain or ornamented
discs each having a shank at its back. These shanks are connected by a wire loop,
the discs having great freedom of motion upon the said loop. In using a sleeve link
of this, the ordinary construction considerable inconvenience is frequently experienced
after one of the discs has been passed through the hole in one side of the sleeve in passing
the other disc through the hole in the other side of the sleeve. This inconvenience
arises from the virtual shortening of the loop by the disc first introduced into the hole
in the sleeve. The said disc in being passed through the hole is situated in a plane at
right angles or nearly so to the plane in which the loop is situated. After the disc
has passed through the hole it seats itself on the sleeve in a plane nearly parallel to
that in which the loop is situated and in this position overhanging as it were the loop
virtually shortens the said loop and occasions difficulty in introducing the other disc
into the other hole.
The object of my invention is to overcome this difficulty and consists in constructing
the parts of the link in the following manner.
I construct one of the discs and its shank in the ordinary way. I also employ a
loop of the ordinary kind. But I make the shank of the other disc of a small
rectangular loop or frame jointed to the back of the disc. This jointed loop may either
lie nearly flat against the back of the disc or be raised into a position perpendicular to
the plane of the disc. When the sleeve link is applied to the sleeve the disc having
the ordinary shank is first passed through one of the holes in the sleeve in the ordinary
way. On passing the other disc through the other hole the said disc being at right
angles to the plane of the sleeve the small jointed loop at its back is at right angles to
the disc and the length of the said small jointed loop is virtually added to the length
of the ordinary loop. After the second disc has been passed through the hole the said
disc changes its position, lying flat on the sleeve. The small jointed loop turns down
lying nearly flat on the back of the disc and the principal loop which previously bore
against the outer part of the small jointed loop passes to one of the sides of the said
small loop and the principal loop is no longer virtually lengthened. Thus in introducing
the second disc into the hole in the sleeve the discs are at a convenient distance apart

page_text: for effecting the introduction of the said disc into the said hole but immediately the
said disc has passed through the said hole and lies flat on the sleeve the two discs assume
their normal distance apart.
Although I ordinarily employ a small jointed loop at the back of one only of the
discs, yet where a greater virtual lengthening of the principal loop is required the said
small jointed loop may be employed at the back of each disc. And although I have
described the connection of the two discs as being effected by the ordinary loop yet
a single wire with a small loop or eye at each end or other connection may be employed
with like effect.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents elevations, taken in planes at right angles to one another, of a
sleeve or cuff link one of the discs of which is jointed to the loop according to my
invention, the principal loop of the link being in its virtually lengthened position for
facilitating the engaging of the second disc of the link with the sleeve or cuff.
Figure 2 represents in back elevation the two discs of the link at their normal
distance apart after the second disc has been fastened to the cuff or sleeve.
Figure 3 represents an inside elevation of the ends of a cuff with the link partly
fastened to it, that is, after the disc which is jointed to the loop in the ordinary way has
been passed through the hole in one edge of the cuff and the other disc in position to
be passed into the hole in the opposite edge of the cuff. Figure 4 represents an outside
elevation and Figure 5 a plan of the link and cuff, the said Figures 4 and 5 exhibiting
the second disc jointed to the principal loop according to my invention, partly passed
through the hole in the edge of the cuff to which it is to be fastened, and Figure 6
represents an inside elevation of the cuff fastened by the improved link.
The same letters indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the drawing. The
Figures of the drawing are drawn to a large scale: ab are the two discs of the link
and c is the ordinary or principal loop jointed at one end to the shank d on the back
of the disc a and at its opposite end to the small jointed loop or frame e on the shankf
of the other disc b, the jointed loop or frame e swivelling in the said shank fand in the
eye of the principal loop c.
The said jointed loop or frame e can either lie nearly flat against the back of the
disc or be raised at any desired angle from the back of the said disc b.
After the first disc a has been passed through the hole in one edge of the cuff h,
the principal loop c is virtually shortened by the edge of the cuff overhanging it as
represented in Figure 3. In order to compensate for this virtually shortening of the
principal loop c and to facilitate the fastening of the second disc b the small loop or
frame e which is jointed to the said principal loop c and to the second disc b, is used.
In fastening the second disc b to the edge of the cuff, after the first disc a has been
passed through the hole g, the said disc is turned so that its jointed loop e is at right
angles to the said disc b and the length of the said loop e is thus virtually added to the
length of the ordinary or principal loop e as represented in Figure 3. and the second
disc is now passed through the hole i in the cuff in the manner illustrated in
Figures 4 and 5, the additional length thus given to the principal loop c facilitating
the passage of the second disc through the said hole i. After the disc has been
passed through the hole i its position is changed, the said disc lying flat on the cuff
and swivelling on the small loop e as illustrated in Figure 6. The principal loop c
which previously bore against the extreme outer part of the small jointed loop e now
passes to one of the sides of the said small loop e as represented in Figures 2 and 6, and
the principal loop c is no longer virtually lengthened.
By the use of the small jointed loop, e the two discs of the link are at a convenient
distance apart for readily introducing the second disc into the hole in the sleeve or cuff,
but as soon as the second disc has passed through the said hole and lies flat on the
sleeve or cuff, the two discs assume their normal distance apart by the passing of the
eye of the principal loop to the side of the said small loop as before described.
Instead of passing the disc a first through the hole g in the cuff and afterwards the
disc containing my invention through the hole i as "before described and illustrated

page_text: in the Drawing the disc b may be first passed through the hole g from the front of the
cuff and the other disc a drawn to the front of the cuff and over the hole g. The disc b
is afterwards passed through the hole in the cuff from the back and the two edges of
the cuff thus fastened together.
Figure 7 represents elevations, taken in planes at right angles to one another, of a
link in which a small jointed loop is jointed to the back of each disc, the said Figure 7
exhibiting the principal loop c. in its virtually lengthened position for passing either
disc through the hole in the sleeve or cuff, and Figure 8 represents in back elevation
the two discs with the two small jointed loops e, e folded down upon the backs of the
discs and the said discs at their normal distance apart by the virtually shortening of the
principal loop c.
In the said Figures 7 and 8, the two discs of the link are marked a²² the principal
loop c and the small jointed loops e, e.
The shanks at the backs of the discs to which
the small loops e, e are joined are marked ff.
The action of the small jointed loops ee carried by the discs a², 62 Figures 7 and 8.
is the same as that described in combination with one of the discs Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
and 6 and the function of the said loops is the same, that is, the virtually lengthening
of the principal loop so as to facilitate the passing of the discs through the holes in the
sleeve or cuff or other article of dress.
I do not limit myself to any particular shape of the small jointed loops nor to their
position at the backs of the discs, but I have found the shape and position of the said
loops represented in the Drawing to answer well in practice.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention of "An improvement or improvements in sleeve and cuff links and
other like fastenings" :—
The addition to or combination with one or each of the discs of sleeve and cuff links
and other like fastenings of a small jointed loop or frame the said small loop or frame
being jointed to the back of the disc and to one end of the principal loop of the link
for the purpose and substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing.
Dated the mih dan of Mauch 1000