IMPROVEMENTS IN SNAP HOOKS
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Jan, 1888
Specification Accepted, 24th Feb., 1888
We, JOHN FREEMAN SEARS of Clifton in the Province of Ontario, Dominion of
Canada, and HARRY EUGENE KELLEY of Niagara Falls, in the County of Niagara, and
State of New York, United States of America Mechanics, do hereby declare the
nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SNAP HOOKS, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention consists in a novel construction of a lock snap-hook having a stout
and durable gate or latch adapted to open and close the entrance to the hook, and a
positive lock for retaining the said gate or latch in its closed position, as hereinafter
fully described and specifically set forth in the claims.
In the annexed drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view of our improved lock snap-hook,
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with a portion of one side thereof broken away to
illustrate the construction and arrangement of the gate or latch and the positive lock,
Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate modifications of our invention, and Fig. 5 shows the snap-hook
in its open condition.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A-denotes the hook formed with a suitable shank-A-by which to attach it to the
article on which it is to be used and which for exemplification is here represented in
the form of a tire chain-c-of an animal trap. To a suitable portion of the hook-A-
preferably to the shank-A-thereof, we pivot a gate or latch-b-in such a
manner as to allow the same to swing into a position to lie across the entrance-e-
to the hook and thus close the same and to swing out of said closed position. as
represented in Fig. 5 of the drawing.
'
Said gate we form with a cam-d-projecting from the pivoted end thereof, and at
a point in a line from the cam directly toward the free end of the shank-A-, we
pivot on the latter a lever--which is formed with a segmental head-1-concentric
with the pivot and terminating with a recess--and with a shoulder-a-at the
farther side of said recess. The edge of the. segmental head--bears on the rear
edge of the cam-d-and thereby holds the gate-b-in its closed position across the
entrance-e-to the hook-A. By swinging the lever--on its pivot in a direction
to carry the recess--toward the cam, the shoulder-a-of the lever engages the
end of the cam and draws the same into the recess--and thus throws the gate out
of the entrance-e-to open the same so as to permit the hook to be entered into a ring

page_text: or other suitable article. By swinging the lever-1-back in line with the shank-A¹--
the segmental head--throws the cam-d-out of the recess--and thereby
swings the gate into its closed position across the entrance-e-and retains it in said
position by the pressure of the edge of the head-1-against the edge of the cam.
The gate--can be made to swing either inward as shown in Fig. 2 of the
drawing, or outward as represented in Fig. 3 of the Drawing, the direction of said
movement depending simply on the position of the cam-d-recess―r-and
shoulder-a-in relation to the pivots of the gate and lever.
Although we deem the described construction of parts as one of the simplest, cheapest
and most efficient for the purpose, yet we do not limit ourselves to the same specifically
inasmuch as the gate with its positive lock is susceptible of several modifications, one
of which we illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing, in which the gate-b-has a
segmental rack-d-and the head--of the lever--has its segmental edge
terminated with cogs-f-adapted to mesh with the rack-d-when the lever is swung
to one side on the shank-A'.
The engagement of the cogs f-with the rack throws the gate into its open
position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :
-
1-A lock snap-hook comprising a gate pivoted to swing to and from the entrance
to the hook, and a lever pivoted on the shank of the hook and engaging the gate to
move the same to its open and closed positions automatically with the turning of the
lever on its pivot as set forth.
2 In a lock-snap-hook the combination of a gate pivoted to swing to and from tho
entrance to the hook, a cam projecting from said gate, and a lever provided with
a shoulder adapted to engage the aforesaid cam during the movement of the lever as
set forth.
3 In a lock snap-hook the combination of a gate pivoted to the shank of the hook
and adapted to open and close the entrance to the hook, a cam projecting from the
pivoted end of the gate and a lever pivoted on the aforesaid shank and formed with a
segmental head bearing on the cam of the gate and terminating with a recess adapted
to receive the end of the cam, substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 16th day of December 1887
Dated this 16th day of December 1887
JOHN FREEMAN SEARS.
HARRY EUGENE KELLEY.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.