Improvements in Eyelets, chiefly designed for Boots, Shoes, and other Articles of Dress.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Eyelets, chiefly designed for Boots, Shoes, and
other Articles of Dress.
I, ARTHUR MATHISON, of 161 Florida Street, in the City of Springfield,
County of Hampden, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention relates to eyelets, the object being to provide an improved eyelet,
or one whose outwardly projecting end or flange, and a portion of its interior
surface near the latter, is protected by a hard, plastic material against the effects
of use or wear, so that no show of a metallic color results therefrom, as below
described.
In the drawing forming part of this Specification,
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an eyelet embodying my invention.
Figure 2 is a top plan view showing the head or rim of the eyelet partly covered
with plastic material.
Figure 3 is a plan view looking at the under side of the rim of the eyelet.
The eyelet construction herein shown and described is particularly adapted for
use on shoes, certain articles of dress, as corsets, etc., through which to pass the
lacings, and for such use any desirable color can be given to the outer surface of
the rim thereof, according to the color of the shoe or article to which it is to be
attached.
In the drawing, a, is the tubular shank of the eyelet, and b, is the annular rim
or head which, when the eyelet it attached to a shoe or garment, is shown on the
outer side of the latter.
Eyelets, heretofore used for this purpose, have had the head thereof, or both
head and shank, colored temporarily by japan or similar thin material, to conceal the
bright color of the metal (brass) of which they are generally made, said head being,
as heretofore made, outwardly of convex form and consequently presenting an
outer surface peculiarly adapted to have its surface worn bright by use.
To avoid the above mentioned inconvenience and provide an eyelet having a
metal shank and a head permanently protected from wear, so as to never show a
metallic color, and having a head or rim of a non-metallic and variable color, the
essential object of this invention.
In carrying out my invention I make the head or rim, b, of the eyelet, concave
or dish shape, as shown in Figure 1, instead of convex, as heretofore made, and
several filling locks or anchors, c, are formed in the base of the concavity of said
head, b, by punching or driving them up therein, and preferably spreading, slightly,
the extremity of said anchors, as shown. Said plastic material adheres tightly to
the eyelet and is very firm without the aid of said anchors.
The said concaved ring, or head, has pressed thereinto a suitable plastic material,
while said material is in a hot or heated state. The said plastic material may be
of such color and strength as shall best adapt it to the use to which the eyelet is
to be put and it consequently may be of celluloid, hard rubber, enamel, and other
suitable substances.
The said plastic material, when placed in the head of the eyelet fills the latter,
which is indicated by b, and covers its outwardly exposed metallic surface as shown
in Figure 1, and extends a short distance downwardly upon the inner surface of
the eyelet near the rim.
The said plastic material adheres strongly to the metal surface of the eyelet hy
reason of its having been applied thereto in a heated state, but to more firmly

page_text: secure it to the eyelet the latter has several upwardly projecting tubular anchors, c,
through and on said rim, with the ends of which the plastic material engages and
the said material, when placed on the rim, is forced through the center of
said anchors and spreads more or less on the underside of the rim, as shown in
Figure 1.
Thus by its engagement with said anchors and with the underside of the rim, as
stated, and with the surface of the eyelet on which it is placed, the said plastic
material adheres so firmly that the eyelet may be fastened to leather or cloth by
upsetting its shank without injury to the said filling.
Said plastic filling, d, provides a wearing surface for the head of the eyelet
whose color is unchangeable, and may be varied at pleasure, to correspond to the
color of the leather of the shoe or garment on which it may be set.
Thus the unsightly bright metallic color of rows of eyelets on a shoe or garment
is entirely avoided.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An eyelet consisting of a central metallic tube and a concave head, a ring of
plastic material in the concavity of the head, and anchoring devices projecting
from the metal of the head and entering the plastic ring but concealed by the face
of said ring, all substantially as described.
2. An eyelet consisting of the usual tubular shank, and having a concave, or
dish-shaped rim on which are several upwardly projecting tubular anchors, and
having a ring of plastic material applied to said concave rim with which said
anchors engage and portions of which extend through the anchors and are engaged
with the under side of the rim, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of June 1893
ARTHUR MATHISON.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.