IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR POCKET BOOKS, DIARIES, MEMORANDUM BOOKS. AND OTHER PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Ilaseltine. of the "International Patent
Office. No. 8, Southampton Buildings, ('hancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FASTENINGS FOR POCKET BOOKS, DIARIES, MEMORANDUM BOOKS. AND OTHER
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Haseltine at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
December 1866.
1, GEORGE HASELTINE, of the International Patent Office, No. 8,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declate the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR POCKET BOOKS, DIARIES, MEMORANDUM BOOKS, AND OTHER
SIMILAR ARTICLES," a communication, to be as follows:--
The said improvements consist in the arrangement of one or more strips of
spring steel or other elastic sheet metal in combination with the closing flap
of a pocket book or other similar article. The said strip or strips are secured
in the edge or edges of the flap and act in the proper direction to keep the
I Price 8d.1

page_text: pocket book or other article closed without the aid of the usual clasps, strings,
or other fastenings, and if a portion of the said pocket book or other article
is unfolded or opened the remaining portion is still kept closed by the action
of the elastic strip or strips, and the accidental falling out of the contents of
the said pocket book or other article is prevented. By the action of the said
elastic strip or strips the said closing flap is strengthened and the pocket
book or other article is rendered more pliable and durable. The pocket
book or other article may be of any desirable construction and size. The
flap for closing the pocket book or other article is provided with one or more
strips of spring steel or other suitable elastic material. one continuous strip
being used by preference, which is embedded in the edge of the said closing
flap and is fastened thereto by rivets or in any other suitable manner. By
the action of this spring the edge of the closing flap is strengthened and the
pocket book is rendered durable without losing the desired pliability, and
furthermore the closing flap will keep the pocket book closed without the aid
of strings, clasps, or other fastenings.
In a pocket book formed with a series of pockets for coin and a compart-
ment or pouch for bills or other papers the said spring is so adjusted that
when the bill pouch is unfolded the said pockets are kept closed by the action
of the closing flap, which forms a safeguard against the accidental loss of a
portion or the whole of their contents.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Haseltine in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
June 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Iler most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria. by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Haseltine, Her special licence that I, the said George Haseltine,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Haseltine, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter

page_text: during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, 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 POCKET BOOKS DIARIES, MEMORANDUM BOOKS, AND OTHER SIMILAR
ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Haseltine, 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 George Haseltine, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings forming part of
this Specification:--
This Invention consists in the arrangement of one or more strips of spring
steel or other elastic sheet metal or other suitable material in combination
with the closing flap of a pocket book or other similar article. The said
strips are secured in the edge or edges of the flap, and act in the proper
direction to keep the pocket book or other article closed without the aid of
the usual clasps, strings, or other fastenings, and if a portion of the pocket
book or other article is unfolded or opened the remaining portion is still kept
closed by the action of the elastic strip or strips, and the accidental falling
out of the contents of the said pocket book.or other article is prevented. By
the action of the said elastic strip or strips the closing flap is strengthened and
the pocket book or other article is rendered durable without losing its
pliability.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a transverse section of a pocket book showing the same closed;
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the said pocket book partially open.
Similar letters in both views indicate corresponding parts.
The pocket book A, which may be of any desirable construction and size,
is provided with a series of pockets a to receive and hold coin or small
currency, and with a folding pouch b to receive bills. A flap c passes over
the edge of the pocket book when the same is in the position shewn in
Figure of the Drawing and serves to keep it closed.
The said flap is pro-
vided with one or more strips d of spring steel or other suitable elastic material,

page_text: one continuous strip being used by preference, which is embedded in the edge
of the closing flap c and is fastened thereto by rivets or other suitable means.
By the action of this spring the edge of the closing flap c is strengthened and
the pocket book is rendered durable without losing the desired pliability, and
furthermore, the closing flap will keep the pocket book closed without the aid
of strings, clasps, or other fastenings.
In a pocket book formed with a series of pockets for coin, and a compart-
ment or pouch for bills or other papers, the spring is so adjusted that when the
bill pouch is unfolded the said pockets are kept closed by the action of the
closing flap c, which forms a safeguard against the accidental loss of a portion
or the whole of the contents.
A pocket book constructed according to this Invention can be made
cheaply and is very convenient, besides being more durable than a pocket
book of the ordinary construction provided with fastenings such as are now in
use. The principal advantage of the spring fastening is that the same is not
liable to get out of order like the strings, clasps, india-rubber bands, or other
devices heretofore used, which cause much trouble and inconvenience. When
a pocket book with an ordinary fastening is opened the contents of the pockets
which remain in the hands of the owner while a bill is taken out of or put into
the bill pouch are liable to drop out and get lost, whereas by the use of my
improved fastening the said pockets are kept closed and the accidental loss of
their contents is avoided. It is obvious that this fastening is applicable to
memorandum books, diaries, and other articles of a similar nature, as well as to
portmonaies.
Having thus fully described the said improvements as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, and shewn how the same may be conveniently
and advantageously carried into practice, I claim, a pocket book or other
similar article provided with one or more strips d of steel or other clastic
material in the edge or edges of its closing flap c, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.