AN IMPROVED SPRING HOOK OR FASTENING FOR GARMENTS, WRAPPERS, BLANKETS, AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Woodruff Littleton Barnes, Civil Engineer, of
Brooklyn, State of New York, United States of America, for the Inven-
tion of "AN IMPROVED SPRING HOOK OR FASTENING FOR GARMENTS,
WRAPPERS, BLANKETS, AND OTHER ARTICLES." -A communication from
Abel Putman, junior, residing at Chester, State of Vermont, United
States, and from David McAlister Smith, residing in Springfield, in
said State.
Sealed the 13th October 1864, and dated the 22nd April 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Woodruff Littleton Barnes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd April 1864. .
I, WOODRUFF LITTLETON BARNES, Civil Engineer, of Brooklyn, State of
New York, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED SPRING HOOK OR FASTENING FOR GARMENTS,'
WRAPPERS, BLANKETS, AND OTHER ARTICLES," a communication from Abel
Putman, junior, a person resident at Chester, State of Vermont, United States;
and from David McAlister Smith, a person resident in Springfield, in said.
State, to be as follows:
This Invention relates to an improved spring hook or fastening that can be
used in connection with shawls and other articles of apparel, but which is
more especially 'designed for use with soldiers' india-rubber or other blankets'
or wrappers, to secure or fasten them on the wearer, and also to connect!

page_text: together such blankets or wrappers so as to form tents or coverings for a
number of men.
The Invention consists in the employment or use of a spring hook attached
to a button or formed with a ring or coil to serve as a head in the place of a
button, such hook being so shaped and constructed that where it has been
passed through a hole or eyelet in any garment, blanket, or other article, it will
be held or retained therein by its elastic power or spring, and at the same
time can be readily and easily detached at the will of the user.
Figure 1 is a side view of a button and hook; Figure 2 is an end view,
looking, in the direction of the arrow .in Figure 1; and Figure 3 a bottom
view.
To the button or head A is attached the hook B, which is formed of a
single piece of wire, doubled and then bent into the form of a hook, as shown
in Figure 1. The ends a, a', when the book is fixed to the button, are at
right angles with the under surface or back plate of the button, and also stand
at right angles, or nearly so, with the straight part b of the hook. One of the
ends of the wire a is soldered or firmly fastened to the under side or back plate
of the button, while the other end a¹ is free to move towards and away from
the fastened end in a slot d cut in the back plate of the button, as seen in
Figure 3. The part 6 of the hook is generally parallel with the under surface
of the button. The ends a, a', spread from each other somewhat in a V-shaped
form, as shown in Figure 2, and are also bent near the button or head A so
as to form indentations or quick concaves c, c, as shown in the same Figure.
The elasticity or spring of the wire is such as to keep the free end a¹ of the
wire against or acting towards the end of the slot b. When the hook B is
inserted in the hole or eyelet e in one side or part f of the garment or article
designed to receive it, the ends a, a¹, of the hook are pressed together, and the
hook passes through such hole or eyelet until the latter comes to the contracted
part c, c, when the spring of the free end a¹ forces it from the fixed end a; and
causes the concave c, c, to fit snugly over the edges of the hole or eyelet; and
thus securely attach the hook and button to the article. The hook B can
then be caught into another hole or eyelet g in the opposite side or part of
the garment h. In order to detach the hook from the eyelet or garment it is.
only necessary to press the free end a¹ of the hook towards the fixed.end a,
when the concaves c, c, of the hook will cease to act against the sides of the
eyelet, and the hook can be easily withdrawn. If it is desired to connect the
two parts and h of the garment, more closely and firmly together, the hole or
eyelet g may be pushed back upon the hook until it reaches the contracted
place c, c. This method of fastening is convenient and desirable in case of

page_text: exposure to severe storms or when it is desired to construct a tent or covering
from a number of blankets. This Invention forms an exceedingly simple hook
or fastening for garments, blankets, or other articles, one that can be readily
applied to and detached from the article with which it is to be used, and
which will effectually hold together the parts of any such garment, blanket, or
other. article, and which will not easily become detached.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Woodruff Littleton Barnes in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th October 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WOODRUFF
LITTLETON BARNES, Civil Engineer, of Brooklyn, State of New York, United
States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Woodruff Littleton Barnes, Her special licence that I, the said Wood-
ruff Littleton Barnes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Woodruff Littleton Barnes, 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, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN IMPROVED SPRING HOOK OR FASTENING FOR GARMENTS, WRAPPERS, BLANKETS,
AND OTHER ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Woodruff Littleton Barnes, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Woodruff Littleton Barnes, 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:-
This Invention relates to an improved spring hook or fastening for garments,

page_text: wrappers, and other articles, but which is more especially designed for soldiers'
'india-rubber or other wrappers or blankets; to secure them on the person of
the wearer, and also to fasten such wrappers or blankets together. to form tents
or coverings for a number of men.
:
The Invention consists in the use or employment of a spring hook attached
to a button or suitable head, such spring hook being so constructed that it
will from its shape and by means of its elastic power or force when it has
been passed through a hole or eyelet in any garment, blanket, or other article
.be securely held or retained therein, and at the same time be capable of being
readily and easily detached therefrom at the will of the user or wearer.
Fig. 1 is a side view of a button, with the spring hook attached; Fig. 2 is
an end view of the same; Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the same; Fig. 4 is a
'bottom view in perspective; Fig. 5 is a modification of Figure 1, representing
the wire of the hook coiled into a ring in place of the button; Fig. 6 is an
end view of Figure 5.
A, Figure 1, represents a hook, which is formed of a single piece of wire
doubled and then bent into the form of a hook, as shewn more plainly in
Figures 1 and 5, and which is attached to the button B by one of the legs or
ends b. The main part à of the hook proper is parallel with the inner surface
or under side of the 'button, but the ends b, b', of the wire of the hook are at
right angles or nearly so, both with the under side of the button and also with
the main part of the hook. These ends 6, 6', are slightly spread from each
other or V-shaped, as indicated by Figure 2, and are also bent near the
button or head B so as to form indentations or quick concaves, as shewn at c,
Figure 2. One of such ends 6 is firmly fixed to the under side or back plate
of the button B, while the other end 6', which forms the spring part of the
hook passes up, into, and through the slot d in the back plate of the button,
as shown in Figures 3 and 4, and is free to move therein, such slot being of
sufficient length to admit of the end b' of the hook moving back and forth a
sufficient distance. The elasticity of the hook is sufficient or such as to keep
this free end of the wire against the end of the slot, as shown in Figures 3
and 4. The action of the spring part of the hook would be the same if the
slot d was dispensed with, and the free end of the wire was of -such a length
as to almost reach but not quite come in contact with the under surface of the
button; but if so constructed the short and free end of the wire would be
liable to bend or turn sideways, and catch over the edge of the hole or eyelet
'through which the hook passes, thus causing at times inconvenience and
trouble. By the use of the slot d, and causing the free end of the wire to
pass up into it, all liability of such inconvenience and trouble is avoided.

page_text: The free end of the wire will also be thus prevented from spreading or being
carried so far from the fixed end as to weaken or destroy the spring of the
hook. When the hook A is inserted in the hole or eyelet f on one side or
part g of the garment or article designed to receive it, the ends.b, b', of the
hook as it is passed through the hole fare forced together until the eyelet
reaches the contracted part c of the hook, when the spring or elasticity of the
free end 6 at once acts and causes the concaves, c, c, to fit snugly over the
edges of the hole.or eyelet f, and thereby securely hold or connect the hook
and button to the article. The hook can then be caught into another hole or
eyelet h in the opposite side or part of the garment or article to be fastened.
In order to detach the hook from the eyelet or garment, it is only necessary
to press the free end of the hook toward the fixed end, when the bends c, c;
will no longer act against the sides of the hole or eyelet, and the hook can be
thus easily removed. If it is desired to connect the two sides or parts of the
garment or blanket more closely together, the hook may be passed through
the hole or eyelet h until such eyelet comes also to the concaves c, c, of the
book: This will be found a convenient and useful mode of fastening when
the wearer of the blanket is exposed to storms, or when it is desirable to
construct from a number of blankets a tent or larger covering. Instead of
making the concaves or bends c, c, in the ends of the wires b, b', as shewn in
Figures 2 and 6, such ends may be left straight and the wires of the hook may
be spread a little so as to form shouldersk, k, just at or near the bend or angle
of such wires, beyond or over which shoulders the hole or eyelet will pass, and
as securely bold the hook as if the concaves or bends c, c, were made use of.
The button B may be of any form as circumstances may require, and may
bear any device desired. When used for soldiers' blankets or wrappers the
device may well correspond with that upon the regulation button or badge.
Instead of a button one end of the wire forming the hook may be bent or
coiled into a ring or head of any shape desired. Figures 5 and 6 are
representations of a hook with the wire thus coiled into the form of a ring to
take the place of the button.
This Invention forms an exceeding simple hook or fastening for garments,
wrappers, blankets, and other articles, one that can be readily attached to
and detached from the article upon which it may be used, but which cannot
become casually separated or disconnected therefrom.
In most cases, and particularly when the article to be fastened is cloth,
india-rubber, or other similar material, the holes f and will best be fitted
with metal eyelets; but if the article upon which the hook is to be used be

page_text: of leather or other tough or heavy material, such eyelets may not be
necessary.
What is claimed as new, and which is desired to be protected by Letters
Patent is, a spring hook or fastening A formed and constructed substantially
as described, so as to operate as set forth in combination with the button or
head B, or its equivalent, and whether the free or disengaged end of the spring
passes up into the button or head through a slot, as substantially described,
or such slot is dispensed with, and such end of the spring only extends to the
inner or under surface of the button or head.
In witness whereof, I, the said Woodruff Littleton Barnes, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
WOODRUFF L. BARNES. (LS.)..