IMPROVEMENTS IN EARRINGS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Perks, the younger, of the Firm of Thomas
Perks, and Sons, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturing
Jewellers, and Benjamin James Perryman, of Aston, near Birmingham,
aforesaid, Jeweller, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN EARRINGS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Perks, the younger,
and Benjamin James Perryman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 9th July 1881.
THOMAS PERKS, the younger, of the Firm of Thomas Perks and Sons, of
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturing Jewellers, and BENJAMIN
JAMES PERRYMAN, of Aston, near Birmingham, aforesaid, Jeweller. IMPROVE-
MENTS IN EARRINGS."
Our Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of earrings in the
manner hereinafter explained, whereby the fastening of the earring to the car is
effected securely and simply and without the hook like termination to the wire
which is passed through the lobe of the ear contained in earrings of the ordinary
construction.
In making an earring according to our Invention we attach to the back of the
top or ornamental part of the earring a short tubular arm, the said arm being
attached to that part of the back of the top to which the fixed wire is attached in
ordinary earrings, and making about the same angle therewith.
In the said tubular arm a wire is placed, the said wire being capable of turning
in the said tubular arm but incapable of being drawn therefrom. That part of
the wire external to the tube is bent into a loop of the ordinary shape, and
terminates in a small head of a spherical or bulbous figure. The said loop turns
about that part of the wire in the tubular arm as an axis. At the back of the
body of the earring and at a point opposite that at which the tubular arm is fixed
is an inclined plate having a notch at its middle. When the loop described is
turned in one or other direction, its end is brought against the edge of the inclined
plate or moved from off the said plate.

page_text: When it is turned so as to bring its end against the edge of the inclined plate,
the part immediately above the head bears against the edge of the plate, the head
terminating the loop being situated below the plate. When the loop is turned so
that its end is brought opposite the notch in the plate, it springs into the notch
and the loop is fixed and now constitutes a closed loop. By pressing the end of the
loop so as to force it out of the notch, the loop may be turned aside and thus opened.
The inclined plate may be single or double acting, that is, it may be inclined
on both sides the notch, so that the loop may be engaged in the notch by turning
the loop in either direction, or the said plate may be inclined on one side only of
the notch, so that the loop can be engaged with the notch only by motion in one
direction.
In using the earring the end of the wire is passed through the piercing in the
lobe of the ear, and the loop turned in the tubular arm until it reaches the notch in
the inclined plate when it soaps into the said notch and the earring is fastened.
The inclined plate described may be dispensed with and a hole be made in the
back of the top or ornamental part of the earring, the said hole opening into a slot
of less diameter and extending to the edge of the body. The head terminating
the loop may be snapped into the said hole and the earring thereby fastened.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Perks, the younger, and Benjamin James Perryman
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st December 1881.
THOMAS PERKS, the younger, of the Firm of Thomas Perks and Son, of
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturing Jewellers, and BENJAMIN
JAMES PERRYMAN, of Aston, near Birmingham, aforesaid, Jeweller. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN EARRINGS."
Our Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of earrings in
the manner hereinafter explained, whereby the fastening of the carring to the ear
is effected securely and simply and without the hook like termination to the wire
which is passed through the lobe of the ear contained in earrings of the ordinary
construction.
In making an earring according to our Invention we attach to the back of the
top or ornamental part of the earring a short tubular arm, the said arm being
attached to that part of the back of the top to which the fixed wire is attached in
ordinary earrings, and making about the same angle therewith.
In the said tubular arm a wire is placed, the said wire being capable of turning
in the said tubular arm but incapable of being drawn therefrom. That part of
the wire external to the tube is bent into a loop of the ordinary shape and
terminates in a small head of a spherical or bulbous figure. The said loop turns
about that part of the wire in the tubular arm as an axis. At the back of the

page_text: body of the earring and at a point opposite that at which the tubular arm is fixed
is an inclined plate having a notch at its middle. When the loop described is
turned in one or other direction, its end is brought against the edge of the inclined
plate or moved from off the said plate.
When it is turned so as to bring its end against the edge of the inclined plate,
the part immediately above the head bears against the edge of the plate, the head
terminating the loop being situated below the plate. When the loop is turned so
that its end is brought opposite the notch in the plate, it springs into the notch
and the loop is fixed and now constitutes a closed loop. By pressing the end of
the loop so as to force it out of the notch the loop may be turned aside and thus
opened. The inclined plate may be single or double acting, that is, it may be
inclined on both sides the notch so that the loop may be engaged in the notch by
turning the loop in either direction, or the said plate may be inclined on one side
only of the notch, so that the loop can be engaged with the notch only by motion
in one direction.
In using the earring the end of the wire is passed through the piercing in the
lobe of the ear and the loop turned in the tubular arm until it reaches the notch
in the inclined plate, when it snaps into the said notch and the earring is
fastened.
We will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing,
the manner in which our Invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation drawn to a large scale an earring unfastened
constructed according to our Invention; Figure 2 represents the earring unfastened;
Figure 3 represents the fastened earring, Figure 2, partly in section; Figures 4
and 5 represent end elevations, and Figure 6 a plan of the same, Figure 4 being
represented partly in section; Figure 7 represents the earring in the act of being
fastened, and Figure 8 represents the looped wire detached from the fixed arm on
the top or ornamental body of the earring.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawing.
a is the top or ornamental part or body of the earring, having fixed to it the
short arm b. This arm has a tubular end and is inclined to the top a, as
represented; c is the looped wire of the earring, which is passed through the
piercing in the lobe of the ear, the said looped wire being capable of turning in the
top of the tubular arm b, but cannot be withdrawn from the said arm, as herein
after explained. The end d of the looped wire c, which works in the end of the
fixed arm b, has a spherical or globular figure, and the free end of the looped wire
has also a spherical or enlarged termination e. The joint of the looped wire c. is
made in the manner illustrated in Figures 3 and 8, that is to say, a tubular recess
or socket with a hemispherical bottom is drilled in the solid metal of the arm b,
and into this tubular socket or recess the spherical bead d of the looped wire c is
passed, the said head seating itself in the hemispherical bottom of the said
socket. By now closing the tubular socket of the arm b upon the globular head
d and upon a portion of the looped wire c, as illustrated in Figure 3, the said
looped wire is connected to the fixed arm b, the looped wire c being capable of
turning about that part of the wire in the closed tubular socket f as an axis, but
the looped wire cannot be withdrawn from the arm b.
At the back of the top or body a of the earring, and at a point opposite that at
which the arm b is fixed, is a double inclined plate g having a notch h at its
middle. When the looped wire c is turned in one or other direction upon the arm b
for fastening the earring, the end e of the said wire is brought against one or other
of the inclined sides of the plate g, as seen in Figure 7, and the said end of the
wire travels up the incline until it is brought opposite the notch h, when it springs
or snaps into the said notch and thereby fastens the earring, the looped wire
now constituting a closed loop, as seen in Figures 2 and 3.
In order to unfasten the earring the end ate of the looped wire c is lifted out of
the notch h, when the said looped wire may be turned aside, as illustrated in

page_text: Figure 1. When the looped wire c is in the unfastened position, Figure 1, its end e
may be passed through the piercing in the lobe of the ear, and then turned in the
tubular arm b and fastened to the top or body a in the manner before described;
or the looped wire c, Figure 1, may be withdrawn from the piercing in the lobe of
the ear.
Instead of using a double inclined plate g, g, and slot h a plate with an incline
on one side only of the slot h may be used, or the inclined plate may be dispensed
with and a hole be made in the back of the top or ornamental part a of the
earring, the said hole opening into a slot of less diameter and extending to the edge
of the body. The head terminating the looped wire may be snapped into the said
hole and the earring thereby fastened.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we claim as our
Invention of "Improvements in Earrings,"-
First. Jointing the looped wire, which is passed through the piercing in the lobe
of the ear, to a fixed arm situated at one side of the top or ornamental body of
the earring, the said looped wire being capable of being turned in the upper part
of the said fixed arm, for the purposes and substantially as herein before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. Fastening the looped wire to the top or body of the earring by means
of a single or double acting inclined plate and notch, as herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Perks, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
37, Temple Street,
Birmingham.
THOMAS PERKS, JUN³. (L.S.)