similar Uses.
Year: 1885

page_text: similar Uses.
I, HERBERT CYRIL HEARD, of Bute Villa, N° 24, Newport Road, Cardiff, in
the County of Glamorgan, 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 my present invention is an improved construction of lacing, or
flexible connector, intended to be used for the purpose of maintaining in close
contact, two adjacent edges or faces of flexible material, such as leather, canvas, or
the like, without diminishing the flexibility of said material at, or in the immediate
neighbourhood of the line or area of contact.
Numerous attempts have been made to produce a connector for the above
mentioned classes of material, which shall be capable of easy application, and be
without rigidity after being so applied. But in the majority of inventions of this
kind the bulk of the material which it has been necessary or customary to employ,
or the comparative rigidity imparted to such material by the strain to which it
must be subjected in pulling it tight, result in producing a joint which is very
deficient in flexibility, and frequently gives way in use. A further drawback is the
bulkiness of the material which interferes with its easy use.
Some of the accompanying figures illustrate the details of the construction of my
invention, while in others its double application as a boot lace and a belting
lacing is shewn, although I would have it distinctly understood that I do not
confine my invention to either of the two applications just mentioned, which have
been selected for illustration, not only because laced boots and machine belting
are such well-known and familiar objects, but also because they represent, between
them, uses demanding the maximum tension with the maximum flexibility and
compactness.
'Among other uses to which my invention can be applied with advantage are the
following for lacing leggings, gaiters, corsets, harness, and other similar articles.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a man's laced boot furnished with one of my
improved lacings.
Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are, respectively, plan and side elevation, and plan with lace
attached, of the fastener illustrated in Fig. 1.
In Figa 1 to 15, there are illustrated five different kinds of fasteners, either one
of which may be used with my improved lacings, although I do not confine myself
to the use of any one of the fasteners illustrated, inasmuch as they may all be
dispensed with, and the fastening made by simply tieing, hooking, or twisting
the two ends of the lace together in any well-known manner.
It follows, therefore, that when my lacing is used with either of the fastening
devices illustrated in, detail in Figs. 2 to 15, one end of the lace is attached to the
fastener see Fig. 2-and the lace then taken through the first hole directly to
the farthest hole at which point the lacing proper really commences. Whereas, if

page_text: my improved lace is to be used without a special fastener, the necessary fastening
of its ends being accomplished by simply twisting or the like, the lacing proper
is commenced at the farthest hole, or pair of holes, and finished at the terminal
one or pair.
L
I prefer that the holes in the material to be connected should be strengthened by
the insertion of metallic eyelets which have the well known property of protecting
the edges of the holes and preventing them from being torn.
The fastener illustrated in Figures 2, 3, and 4 consists of an oblong metal plate a,
in the centre of which is produced, by punching out or other convenient process,
an eye, b, to which the end c, of the lace, is fastened. From the opposite side of
the plate there spring three headed pins d, d', ds. The two outer ones are in line,
next to one side edge of the plate a, and the central one out of line with its
neighbours, and next the opposite edge of the plate.
The right-and-left spacing of the pins enables them to maintain a tight grip
upon the end of the lace, which is passed, left and right, between them as shewn in
Figs. 1 and 4.
:
Laces made according to my invention consist of several strands of fine metal
wire, such as bronze or steel or other metal combining flexibility with tenacity, of
a suitable number and thickness for the purpose of the invention.
The individual strands are then twisted, woven, plaited, or worked together in
any convenient or suitable way, preferably by machinery of any well-known type.
When the laces have been cut off the requisite length, both ends, or only one,
according as to whether a special fastener is to be used, or not, are dipped into
molten metal, or otherwise metallically consolidated, so as to form a solid end, or
tag, e, which is then capable of being pointed as shown in Figs. 1, 4, 6, and by the
tags 82, 83, in Figs. 10 to 22.
The use of my invention as a boot lace with a special fastener is illustrated in
full in Fig. 1.
The blunt end of the lace f, having been securely fastened to the eye of the
fastener in any convenient way, is passed through the first hole across and under
the junction of the two edges g, h, as indicated by the dotted lines, and out at the
far hole j, from which point it is laced over and under, until it emerges from the
companion hole to the first one, where it is fastened by being passed between the
pins of the fastener, and, lastly, bent partially round the last pin d,-see Figs. 1
and 4. The lace is thus bent three times as it passes through the fastener, and
being made of metal strands, it will not readily unbend, as would a leather or
mohair one. The frictional grip of the pins upon it is, therefore and thereby
maintained, until straightening the lace at the angles e¹ and e³-see Fig. 4-releases
it from the fastener's hold upon it, and allows of the process of unlacing being
proceeded with forthwith.
The four modifications of the fastener above described with reference to Figs. 1
to 4, and illustrated respectively in Figs. 5 and 6; 7 to 9; 10 to 12; and 13
to 15 are equally applicable, with the former, to fastening my improved flexible
metallic lace. In either modification, the lace is held by the frictional grip of the
pins, or equivalent projections, of the fastener, upon it; which grip is maintained
so long as the bends in the lace, as it passes through the fastener, are not
straightened out.
The fastener in Figs. 5 and 6 is made out of a short length of wire, bent so as to
produce three eyes 1, 1, 1. One end of the lace is fastened to the central eye l¹,
and the tag end passed up through one eye l, and down through the other 13, for
effecting terminal fastening.
The fastener illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, which are, respectively, side and end
elevation and plan; consists of a plate of metal, m, corresponding with the plate a,
of Figa 2, 3 and 4, and having a central eye, n, corresponding with the eye, b,
of Fig. 8; and three hooks o, o³, o, of rectangular section, with rounded edges to
prevent the lace being injured. These last are placed, relatively to each other
on the plate'm, in the same way as the pins d, d¹,"d³, on the plate, a, of Figs. 2,8

page_text: '
and 4; and the fastener is used in the same way, as described with reference to the
one illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4.
x
"
"!
"
The fastener illustrated in Figs. 10, 11 and 12, which are, respectively, side and
end elevation and plan, consists of a plate of metal p, with an eye p¹, corresponding,
respectively,,to, the plate, a, and eye, b, of Figs. 2, 3 and 4; and two prongs q, q¹,
projecting in opposite directions from the opposite side of the plate; p.
The fastener illustrated in Figs. 13, 14 and 15, which are, respectively, side and
end elevation, and plan, consists of two eyes, or hooks, r, through which the lace
is threaded; in the same way as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, for the purpose of
effecting terminal fastening, and an eye r³, corresponding in point of function with
the eyes p¹, n, b, and ", previously described, to which the lace is securely fixed
before it is used as a lace.
The way in which the pins of the fastener described with reference to Figs. 1
to 4, or the hooks of the fasteners described with reference to Figs. 7, 8, 9;
and Figs. 10, 11, and 12, respectively; or the eyes of the fasteners described with
reference to Figs. 5 6; and Figs. 13, 14, 15 respectively; hold their respective
laces, is practically the same, viz., frictional grip only, in each modification of my
improved lacing fastener...
I do not specify any particular method for the manufacture of my improved
fasteners, as they may be either stamped, or cast, or produced in any other
convenient and suitable way.
The remaining figures illustrate the application of my improved lacings made
with, both ends tagged and pointed; and used, therefore, without any special
fastener.
Figs. 16 and 17 are, respectively, side elevation and, plan of two adjacent faces
laced together. S is the lacing, laced under and over from the first pair of holes, 8,
to the last pair, sl, where the tagged ends 82 are hooked together.
Figs. 18 and 19 are, respectively, plan and side elevation, shewing my invention
applied to the connection of two adjacent edges.
Figs. 20 and 21 are, respectively, plan and elevation, shewing my invention
applied to the connection of two adjacent edges, the lines of lacing being diagonal
and crossing each other, instead of parallel.
Fig. 22 is a plan shewing the application of my invention to the connection of
two adjacent edges, the system of lacing being nearly the same as in the application
illustrated in Figs. 18 and 19.
Any other system or type of lacing as far as regards the direction, parallel or
diagonal, of the lacing, and whether the same is single or double, may be adopted,
according to the special requirements of the case to which the lacing is to be
applied.
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. A flexible metallic lace consisting of several metal wires twisted, plaited,
or woven together, without there having been incorporated therewith any other
substance, fibrous or otherwise,--and provided with a solid metal tag at each, or
buth of the ends of said lace, each tag consisting of the ends of the. wire strands of
the lace united and mutually incorporated by solder or molten metal, substantially
as hereinbefore described.
r
T
2. In combination with a flexible composite metallic wire lace for connecting the
ádjacent edges or surfaces of flexible material or materials, a fastener, or locking
device, to which the two ends of said lace can be, fastened, one end permanently
and the other releasably, said fastener. or locking device consisting of, a plate
having an eye formed on its under face to which the first above mentioned lace-
end can be fastened permanently, and having three pins projecting from its upper
face, which are set alternately a little out of line with each other, and between or
around which pins the second above mentioned lace-end can be fastened by being

page_text: intertwined between or wound around them after it has been laced through the
several lace holes, thereby pulling the fastener or locking device close up to the
face of the material, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The combination of boot flaps and a flexible metallic lace consisting of several
metallic wires twisted, woven, or plaited together without there having been
previously incorporated there with any other substance,-fibrous or otherwise,-
said lace being furnished with a solid metal tag at one end consisting of the ends
of the metal wires united and mutually incorporated by solder or molten metal ;
with a fastener or locking device to which the untagged end of the lace can be
fastened permanently and the tagged end releasably, said fastener consisting of
a locking device made up of a plate having an eye formed on its under surface to
which the untagged end of the lace can be permanently fastened and having also three
pins on its upper face set thereon alternately a little out of line with each other
and between or around which the tagged end of the lace, after it has been taken
through the outside top hole of the boot (thereby pulling the fastener or locking
device close up to the boot upper), next under the upper, through the bottom hole,
and then put through the operation of lacing the boot in the ordinary way, may be
fastened by being intertwined between or wound around them, substantially as
herein before described.
Date : OL
A1 1000
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant,