AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF WATCH-SNATCHING APPLICABLE ALSO TO FISH HOOKS AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: JOHN MORRIS, of 332 Manchester Road Poplar, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF WATCH-SNATCHING APPLICABLE ALSO TO FISH
HOOKS AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES:-
This invention relates to apparatus to prevent a watch being snatched out of a
pocket on the watch chain being pulled either by a thief or accidentally as for
instance in case of the chain or guard being caught by any object.
The apparatus comprises a body piece or case to one end of which the watch can
be attached. Within this body piece or case or in slots or recesses formed in it are
pivotted three or other convenient number of books with their points outward, these
hooks being arranged at equal distances apart around a central plunger which at
one end is provided with a conical or equivalently formed enlargement and at the
other end is secured to a cap to which the watch chain or guard is connected.
This cap fits and is able to slide on the outer end of the case so as to prevent the
hooks from expanding outwards.
In order to secure the watch to the body piece or case a U shaped-piece can be
used arranged to screw into the body piece. The attachment is effected by
unscrewing it and passing one leg or arm through the usual ring of the watch,
whereupon the U piece is again screwed in place. The action is as follows:-
Supposing the watch chain to be secured to the cap (which is provided with a ring
for the purpose) and the watch with my apparatus to be in the pocket, if by any
means the chain be pulled, the cap will be drawn off releasing the hooks and the
enlargement on the rod will force the hooks outward into the cloth of the pocket.
In order now to release the watch, the cap is pushed down into its place, the hooks
being caused to leave the cloth and pass into the slots in the body piece. If
desired to take the watch out of the pocket, the wearer takes hold of the apparatus
and draws the watch out.
This method of extending and protecting the hooks can be applied to fish hooks,
harpoons, grapnels and other similar purposes.

page_text: I, JOHN MORRIS of 332 Manchester Road, Poplar, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF WATCH SNATCHING APPLICABLE ALSO TO
FISH-HOOKS AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," 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 apparatus to prevent a watch being snatched out of a
pocket on the watch chain being pulled either by a thief or accidentally as for
instance in case of the chain or guard being caught by any object.
The apparatus comprises a body piece or case to one end of which the watch can
be attached. Within this body piece or case or in slots or recesses formed in it are
pivotted three or other convenient number of hooks with their points outward
these hooks being arranged at equal distances apart around a central plunger which
at one end is provided with a conical or equivalently formed enlargement and at
the other end is secured to a cap to which the watch-chain or guard is connected.
This cap fits and is able to slide on the outer end of the case so as to prevent the
hooks from expanding outwards.
In order to secure the watch to the body piece or case a U shaped piece can be
used arranged to screw into the body piece. The attachment is effected by
unscrewing it and passing one leg or arm through the usual ring of the watch,
whereupon the U shaped piece is again screwed in place.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings, Fig 1 is an exterior view of
apparatus according to my invention shown attached to a watch. Figs 2 and 3 are
longitudinal and transverse sections respectively of the apparatus. The figures are
drawn to an enlarged scale.
a. is the body piece or case to which a watch a' may be secured by the U shaped
piece b arranged to be screwed into the body piece or case as shewn. c. c. c. are
three hooks so pivotted within the case a that they may when necessary pass
through the slots & formed therein. e is the central rod or plunger around which
the hooks are arranged; it is provided at one end with a conical piece f for forcing
the ends e¹ of the hooks through the slots d when the plunger is moved longi-
tudinally or endwise relatively to the body piece or case a. and at the other end it
is secured to the cap g which is fitted to slide on one end of the case a
The action is as follows:-Supposing the watch chain to be secured to the cap g
(which is provided with an eye or ring g' for the purpose) and the watch with my
apparatus to be in the pocket, if by any means the chain be pulled the cap g will
be drawn off the hooks c thereby releasing them and the enlargement or conical
piece on the rod or plunger e will force the hooks c outward into the cloth of the
pocket. In order now to release the watch the cap is pushed down into its place,
the hooks c being thereby caused to leave the cloth and pass into the slots & in the
body piece a. If it be desired to take the watch out of the pocket, the wearer
should take hold of the apparatus and draw it and the watch out together,

page_text: This method of extending the hooks can be applied to fish-hooks, harpoons,
grapnels and other similar appliances, as will be readily understood without further
explanation.
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. In apparatus for the purposes set forth above; the use for expanding or
moving outward the hooks c or their equivalent of a sliding rod or plunger
arranged and operating substantially as described.
2. In apparatus of the kind referred to above, the combination with hooks such
as c and a body piece or case to which such hooks are pivotted, of a cap or sliding
device whereby the hooks are held in their inward positions and means for forcing
them outward when released by the said sliding device substantially as hereinbefore
described for the purpose specified.
3. The apparatus constructed arranged and operating substantially as described
above with reference to and shown in the drawings for the purpose specified.
Dated this 30th day of March 1885.
JOHN MORRIS.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields; London, W.C.,
Applicant's Agent.