Improvements in Fastenings Applicable to Bags and to Boots, Gloves, and other Articles of Apparel.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Fastenings Applicable to Bags and to Boots,
Gloves, and other Articles of Apparel.
1 JOHN KEATS of Bagnal near Stoke upon Trent in the County of Stafford,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
The object of this invention is to produce a lace fastening suitable for boots, gloves,
bags, corsets, gaiters, and other articles which require that the opening of the same to
their full width should not be interfered with by the loosened fastening.
In explaining the nature of my invention, I will take, for example, a boot which it
is intended to fasten by means of a lace, and show the application of the invention
thereto. Near one edge of the opening in the boot, whether it be a central or a side-
opening, I affix a line of loops for the reception of the attaching lace, and near the
opposite edge of the opening I affix a line of books, onto which it is intended to hitch
the lace when fastening the boot upon the foot.
-
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 shews in side elevation a lace boot fitted according to my invention, with a
row of lace retaining metal loops a on one side of the opening, and a row of metal
hooks b on the other side of the opening, which hooks stand opposite the intervening
spaces in the row of loops a.-c is a leather or other lace, threaded through the line of
loops a, and knotted to the lowermost loop. In this Figuro the boot is shown as open,
and ready for the insertion of the foot.
Fig. 2 shows in side view the same boot with its side opening closed. This closing
of the boot is effected by drawing out the slack lace from between each two adjacent
loops, and hitching it onto the several hooks in succession, commencing at the
lowermost.
When the top hook is reached, the lace is drawn to tension, and then attached to
the top hook by a looped knot. In this way, the boot is quickly and effectually
secured to the foot, and it may be readily released therefrom by pulling on the looped
knot, and thus slackening the lace, which can then be unhitched from the hooks as
readily as it was laid over them. It will be obvious that the details of my invention
admit of various modifications.

page_text: Still adhering to an example of a boot for illustrating my modifications :—
Fig. 3 shows in sido elevation a boot in which the metal loops are replaced by
leather loops a a for receiving the lace c.-These lace retaining loops are made of
strips of leather, the ends of which are inserted under the leather lining, and secured
in place by stitching; the loops a are in this case hidden by the overlapping of one
flap of the " upper over the other, a portion of this part of the upper being bent
back in Fig. 3 to expose the leather loops to view.
22
Figs. 4 show the loops formed out of the leather lining of the overlying flap.-This
plan propose to adopt for ladies' boots, as it is somewhat neater in appearance.
I
The outer edge of this leather lining is nicked to gauge the length of the loop, and
the loops are then moulded by pressure while the leather is moist. When dry, the
line of indentations constituting the loops will retain their impressed shape, and the
lining may be attached in the usual way to the upper.-Figs. 4 show this arrangement
in face view, in cross section, and in longitudinal section through the centre of the
line of loops. In this example, as in that of Fig. 3, the loops are hidden by the upper
when the boot is fastened. The lace will be inserted in the loops as already explained,
silk laces with a tag being preferred for this class of boot.
When applying my invention to gloves or gaiters, I may use any one of the forms
of fastenings above described. The same remark applies also to bags.
The bags to which my invention is most applicable, are those which have no rigid
hinged frame fitted to their mouths, such as canvas bags, and coverings for boxes and
travelling trunks. When applying the invention to corsets, I shall in general prefer
to use the metal loops and hooks of Figs. 1, 1º, and 2, which correspond somewhat to
the metallic fastenings now commonly applied to such articles.
From the foregoing description it will be understood that this lace fastening will,
when disengaged, retain the lace in position for reattachment, and yet will leave the
opening in the boot or other article free, there being no crossing of the opening by
the lace when the boot or other article is unfastened.
I would remark that it has been proposed to employ a lace fastening for boots in
which a row of eyelets was provided on one flap for receiving a lace that was to be
attached to hooks fastened to the opposite flap of the boot upper. The lace was,
however, in this case laid around the edge of the flap, to enable it to be presented to
the several hooks; the facility, however, for rapidly lacing up the boot was by no
means obvious, and such arrangement has long been abandoned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the saine is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
The application to bags, and to boots, gloves, and other articles of apparel, of a
fastening such as that described with reference to the drawing, consisting of a line of
lace retaining loops, through which the attaching lace is to be threaded, and a line of
hooks or their equivalent onto which the lace is to be hitched or laid and tightened, as
and for the purpose above set forth..
Dated this 2nd day of November 1888.