Year: 1889

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by GEORGE THOMAS CARTER, of Pittsburg; in the
County of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Iron Broker.]
I JOHN THOMSON KING of 4 Clayton Square Liverpool in the County of Lancaster
Patent Agent, 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 my invention is to provide a neat and convenient device for holding
down the legs of trousers, and its use is intended especially for horse-back riders,
bicycle riders,. and others who need to employ devices of this kind. It is illustrated in
the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view, showing my
improved article applied to the shoe and trousers of a man. Fig. 2 is a side view of
the article detached. Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof.
Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each.
In the drawing, 2 represents. a flexible strap of leather or any other convenient
material, and 3 is a clasp or fastening device of any suitable construction, which is
attached to the end of the strap. At the other end of the strap, is a clamp which is
adapted to secure the strap to the sole of the shoe, the construction of which clamp I
shall now describe. At the end of the strap, is rivetted or otherwise fastened a hook 4,
which is adapted to engage one edge, preferably the outer edge, of the sole of a shoe
or boot. 5 is a hook which is adapted to engage the inner edge of the sole, and in
order to make it adjustable to fit shoes of different sizes and to enable it to be easily
applied to and disengaged from the shoe, I make it movable on the strap 2, preferably
by bending lips 6 of the hook around on the under side of the strap so as to enclose
the latter and to hold the book movably on the strap. The hooks 4 and 5 are
connected by a spring 7, which may be a spiral spring, as shown in the drawing,
or it may be made of rubber or any other suitable clastic material. To apply the
article to use, the strap 2 is placed under the shoe beneath the insteep, and the

page_text: hooks 4 and 5 are separated so as to stretch the spring 7 súfficiently to allow the
hooks to engage the opposite edges of the sole of tlie shoc, as shown in fig. 1.
When the hooks have so engaged the sole, the tension of the spring keeps them in
place thereon. The clasp 3 is then fastened on the leg of the trousers to prevent the
latter from rising, as clearly illustrated in fig. 1. The article may be removed by
disengaging the clasp 3 and pulling on the hook 4 or 5, so as to stretch the
spring 7, thus releasing the hooks from the sole.
The advantages of the article consist in the cheapness and simplicity of its
construction, its practical efficiency, and the ease by which it may be applied to
and removed from the shoe and trousers. It is also very neat in appearance,
because as it is applied to only one side of the trousers, if the clip be fastened to
the inner side, there is no part of the device on the trousers which is apparent to
others when the article is worn. The invention is susceptible of many modifications
in form and arrangement of parts, such as will suggest themselves to those skilled
in the art, since I consider myself to be the first inventor of and desire to claim
broadly a trousers strap having devices for removably engaging the shoe and a band
connecting these devices with the leg of the trousers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is.
First. An improvement in trousers straps, which consists in a strap or band which
detachably engages the trousers, and a detachable fastening which engages the sole
of the shoe and connects the band therewith; substantially as and for the purposes
described.
Second. An improvement in trousers straps, which consists in the combination
with a clamp which is adapted to clasp the under side of the sole of the shoe, and
to engage the opposite edges of the sole, of a strap or band which extends from
said clamp, and a clasp which detachably engages the strap with the trousers;
substantially as and for the purposes described.
Third. An improvement in trousers straps, which consists in the combination with
a clamp which is adapted to clasp the under side of the sole of the shoe, of a strap
or band which extends from said clamp, a clasp which detachably engages the
strap with the trousers, said clamp consisting of two hooks adapted to engage the
opposite sides of the sole of the shoe, and connected by a spring by which they
are rendered separable; substantially as and for the purposes described.
Dadh 104].