Year: 1885

page_text: 1, JACOB JOHN UNBEHEND, of Syracuse, Onondaga County New York, one of the
United States of America, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of my 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 clasps designed for the fastenings of shoes, india rubber
coats, and other analogous articles, and has more particularly reference to the class
of clasps in which a transversely slotted plate attached to one of the flaps or
quarters, interlocks with a tongue hinged on a plate which is attached to the other
flap or quarter.
The invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts
hereinafter fully described and set forth in the claims.
In the annexed drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved clasp; Fig. 2 is
an edge view of the same; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the clasp with the tongue swung
into an open position. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on line xx in Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank from which the tongue is formed; Fig. 6 is a
transverse section of the slotted plate taken through one of the slots thereof, and
Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of said plate which is to be secured to one of the
flaps or straps of the article to which the flap is to be applied.
Said plate is struck up from thin sheet metal and when designed for use on shoes,
is usually curved from a horizontal plane to conform to the contour of the instep
or top of the foot, but inasmuch as the latter varies to a greater or less extent, it is
impossible to always fit said plate to the instep.
The consequence is that when said plate is connected with the clasp and subjected
to strain, the former is liable to become bent or broken, especially across the narrow
portions or side bars at the ends of the slots. To guard against such accidents
I bend or strike up the longitudinal edges thereof as as to form longitudinal side
flanges which extend from end to end of the plate uninterruptedly so as to form a
continuous brace or truss extending across the ends of the slots and thus stiffening
the plate at the points where it is deprived of a great portion of its material by
the slots.
By extending the flanges the entire length of the plate and across the ends of
the end slots, the portion of the plate by which it is attached to the strap or flap
is likewise reinforced.
In order to better adapt the said slotted plate for use on a leather shoe I connect
to said plate a clip C composed of sheet metal folded back upon itself, and loosely
embracing the end cross-bar of the plate A so as to allow said plate to turn on the
clip and swing at right angles to the plane of the plate.

page_text: The doubled end portion of the clip C is provided with an eye for the reception
of a rivet or eyelet by which it is attached to the flap F of the shoe as illustrated
in Fig. 1 of the drawing.
The aforesaid loose connection of the plate A with the clip C allows the plate to
be easily raised from the leather flap F, and the eye allows the plate to be swung
around in position for passing through one of the slots thereof the tongue T which
is to interlock with it, thus facilitating the manipulation of the clasp.
B B are two plates which lie closely one upon the other and are firmly connected
together at their rear end by a metallic band d passing through the opening o and
wrapped around the rear portions of the plates to embrace the same as shown in
Figs 2, 3 and 4 of the drawing.
The opposite or forward ends of the plates are provided with forward
extensions a a forming between them an opening o for the reception of the strap
to which the clasp is to be attached. Said attachment being effected by passing
the strap through the opening o, then folding it back upon the plates and upon
itself back of said plates, and sewing or cementing the two-fold portion of the
strap together.
By passing a rivet through the strap and through the plate d and heading it
down on to the strap enclosing the plates B B, the latter receive an additional hold
on the strap, and are also maintained in line with the strap.
The extensions a a of the plates B B I provide on their adjacent sides with
recesses or depressions which extend only part way across the extensions so as to
allow the outer side edges of the plates to lie contiguous one upon the other.
This I have found necessary in order to prevent the japan from entering the
joint between the plates during the process of japanning the clasp, which is one of
the difficulties encountered in the manufacture of other clasps of this class.
The extensions a a of one of the plates B B preferably the upper of said
plates I terminate with lips which project downward and across the ends of the
extensions of the other plate. These lips form guards to prevent the cross-bars of
the slotted plate A from entering between the extensions a a in the operation of
drawing said plate over on to the plates B B by the tongue T which is made to
interlock with the slotted plate by passing it through one of the slots thereof, and
then swinging it back upon the plates B B as illustrated in Figs 1 and 2 of the
drawing.
The tongue is connected to the plates B B by two-fold pivots or pintles which
I form on the tongue by providing the blank with two lateral projections on each
of its two side edges as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing, which blank I fold back
upon itself transversely between the projections so as to bring them to lie closely
one upon the other as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. These two-fold pintles are
flattened or angular in cross section and are of proper length to enter the recesses
which are of a corresponding form and size so that the plates B B lie normally
contiguous to each other when the tongue is in its closed position or extreme open
position.
In swinging the tongue out of said positions, the flattened or angular pivots pry
the plates B B apart at their forward ends and the resistance of said plates imparts
the spring action to the clasp.
The object of making the pintle two-fold is to reinforce the same so as to render
it more durable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. As an improved article of manufacture, a clasp or buckle-plate formed or
struck up of thin metal curved lengthwise to conform to the contour of the article
to which it is to be applied and rounded up transversely on its longitudinal edges,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

page_text: 2. The within described clasp or buckle-plate consisting of a plate curved longi-
tudinally from a horizontal plane, provided with transverse slots, and longitudinal
side flanges bent up from the underside of the plate, and extending uninterruptedly
from end to end thereof, substantially as herein specified and shown.
3. The within described transversely slotted plate curved longitudinally from
a horizontal plane and having transverse bars corrugated lengthwise, said bars and
side flanges rounded up from the underside of the plate, substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
4. In a clasp the combination of the attaching plate provided with a transverse
slot, and a clip consisting of a strip of sheet metal passed through said slot and
folded back upon itself to loosely embrace the end portion of the attaching plate
and provided in its free ends with eyes rr for the reception of the rivet by which
said clip is pivoted on the shoe or other article all constructed and combined to
allow said attaching plate to swing in planes parallel to as well as at right angles
to that of the plate, substantially as set forth and shown.
5. In a clasp, the tongue connected to its supporting plate by a pintle reinforced
by increased thickness as set forth.
6. In a clasp, the tongue composed of a metal blank having two lateral projections
on each of its side edges and folded back upon itself transversely between said
projections to bring the latter to lie closely one upon the other substantially as
described.
7. In combination with the tongue and its angular or flattened pivot, two plates
connected together at one end and provided with forward extensions a a at the
opposite end, and having in adjacent sides of said extensions recesses or depressions
for the reception of the pivot extending only part way across the extensions to
bring the side portions of the two plates to lie normally contiguous to each other
substantially as described and shown.
8. In combination with the tongue and its pintle, two plates connected together
at one end and having forward extensions provided in their adjacent sides with
depressions for the reception of the pintle extending only part way across the
extensions substantially as described and shown.
9. The combination of the tongue provided with the two-fold pivot and the
plates BB connected together at one end and provided with the forward exten-
sions a a at the opposite end and each having in the adjacent sides of said extensions,
recesses of a depth equal to the thickness of one half of the two-fold pivot and
extending only part way across the extensions substantially as described and shown.
10. In combination with the tongue and pintle connected therewith and flattened
or angular in cross section, the plates B B provided with extensions a a and with
recesses in said extensions and one of said plates provided with a lip across the end
of the other plate substantially as described and shown for the purpose set forth.
11. In combination with the tongue and pintle, the plates B B connected
together by the metallic band d embracing the rear end portions of said plates,
substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 15th dan of Conta
100-