Improved Clasp or Fastening for Bags, Belts for Personal Wear, Shoes, and other Articles.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Clasp or Fastening for Bags, Belts for Personal Wear,
Shoes, and other Articles.
Communicated from abroad, by CALVIN JACKSON, of the County of Berks,
Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
I, CHRISTEN REES BONNÉ of 41 Eastcheap in the City of London, Patent Agent,
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, that is to say:-
This invention has reference to a new and useful coil-clasp for bags, belts for
personal wear, shoes, and other articles, and consists of two parallel oppositely wound
spiral coils, adapted to be pressed laterally together, and a connecting rod or pin
passed through the space formed by the overlapping portions of the spiral coils when
they are pressed together, and means for locking the rod or cord against longitudinal
displacement.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is front view of a bag with my improved coil clasp.
Fig. 2 top view of coil clasp on an enlarged scale.
Fig. 3 vertical section.
Fig. 4 is a belt, the ends of which are fastened by my coil clasp.
Fig. 5 is a modification of the coil-clasp.
Fig. 6 is a top view of a hinged end cap enclosing the ends of the coils, and
Fig. 7 is an end view of a hinged end cap, having an opening for the locking rod.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
In the drawing, a is a coil, wound to correspond to the thread of a right hand
screw, and a', a coil, wound to correspond to the thread of a left-hand screw. The
spacing of the coils applied to one article must be the same in both spirals.
The size of the wire and the diameter of the coils may be varied to suit the various
applications to which the clasp can be put.
The spirals are preferably made out of spring wire, although in some cases soft wire
may be used.
The coils may be fastened in various ways to suit different uses.
(1.) By turning the spiral into a series of apertures b, made at or near the edge
of the article to be closed.
In this manner, strips e are formed on the ends or edges of the material, which
extend longitudinally through the coils, as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.
This method of fastening may be used in leather goods, such as mail bags, leather
belts, shoes, gloves, etc.
It will be noticed that, making the series of apertures the proper distance from the
edge, the strips of leather left within the coils will nearly or quite abut in closing
the clasp, as clearly shewn in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.
It is further evident that in canvas bags, or goods of a similar nature, the spirals
can be turned directly into the goods, without first piercing holes or making apertures,
by employing the proper means.
(2.) By stitching it upon the edge of the goods, as shown in Fig. 5.
This means of fastening will be mostly resorted to in applying very fine and small
coils.
(3.) By placing the coil in a round groove, as applied to the lid of a wooden box, or
to apply detachable curtains to a carriage, street-car, or other vehicle.
The coil is made to fit in the groove a half-round rod is placed within the spiral,
and nails are driven through this rod into the wood ;-by this means, the spiral
held firmly in its place.

page_text: (4.) By placing plaster of paris, or some other cement, within a groove, and laying
the spiral in the cement; when the cement becomes hard, the spiral will be held
firmly in place. In this case, the groove in which the cement is placed should be
roughened or should be widest below. In order that the cement cannot drop out
when hard, a rod should be placed within the spiral, and the spiral evenly pressed in
the cement; the rod should then be withdrawn, and the cement allowed to harden.
The manners of applying the coils to the articles, as described in paragraphs 3 and 4,
are not shown in the drawings.
Caps or plates c are designed to make a finish upon the ends of the clasp or fastener,
also to protect the ends of the spirals, and in some cases, it facilitates the working of
the clasp.
This is the case where the cap is hinged as used upon the mail bag shown in
Figs. 1 and 6.
The rod d is a means both for closing the clasp, and holding it shut.
The rod may be pointed at the front and end, by pushing it through the space
formed by the overlapping coils, it will force the coils into their places, by which
means the clasp can be closed very quickly.
The rod may be stiff or flexible, as the case may require.
In case the clasp needs to be perfectly flexible, it may be closed by means of a rod,
consisting of a spiral spring, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.
The locking of the clasp may be accomplished in various ways.
In some cases, the rod may be fixed by means of a nut on the end, while in other
cases, the rod may be simply an extension of a snap lock or the like, or the rod may
be attached to an ordinary padlock, by means of a chain, and secured by this
means.
The coil-clasp is capable of assuming a great variety of forms and shapes.
It works perfectly whether the coils are large or small, and works as well when in a
curved form indicated in Fig. 5, as when straight. If the spirals are flattened after
inserted, the clasp forms an excellent belt fastener, as shown in Fig. 4, which can be
readily detached.
The clasp makes a neat fastener for many uses, it is simple and very durable, and is
cheaper to produce than any other fastener, not excepting buttons or the ordinary
"hook and eye."
Having now particularly described my invention and the manner in which the same
is to be performed I hereby declare that I claim :-
(1.) A clasp or fastener, consisting in two parallel oppositely wound spiral coils,
adapted to be pressed laterally together, and a connecting rod to be passed through
and removed from the space formed by the overlapping portions of the spiral coils
when they are pressed together, substantially as set forth.
(2.) As an improved article of manufacture, a clasp or fastener consisting of a right
and left hand round spiral coil, adapted to be pressed laterally together through their
lengths, to overlap their coils, and a connecting rod to be passed through and with-
drawn from the central space formed by these overlapping portions, to connect and
disconnect the two coils, substantially as set forth.
(3.) The combination with two spiral coils adapted to be pressed laterally together,
and end caps enclosing the ends of said spirals, and having aligned apertures or
openings of a rod, to be passed through and removed from the apertures, end caps,
and the space formed by the overlapping portions of the coils, substantially as set
forth.
(4.) The combination with the spirals adapted to be pressed together laterally, and
end caps enclosing the ends of said spirals, and having apertures or openings of a rod
adapted to be pressed through the end caps, and the space formed by the overlapping
portions of the coils, when the spirals are pressed together, substantially as set
forth.
(5.) The combination with the belt, bag, or other article, and two spiral coils
secured to the meeting edges or ends thereof; and strips extending. longitudinally

page_text: through the coils, said coils being adapted to be pressed laterally together, and a rod
to be passed through the space formed by the overlapping portions of the coils,
whereby the space within the coils will be practically closed, and a tight joint formed;
substantially as set forth.
(6.) The combination with the belt, bag, or other article, having ends or edges to
be connected, said edges each having a row of apertures, of spiral coils extending through
said apertures, whereby strips are formed within each coil, and a rod to be passed
through and removed from the space formed by the overlapping portions of the said
coils, substantially as set forth.
Dated the 17th day of March 1900
C. R. BONNE & Co.,
41, Eastcheap, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.