Improvements in Cuff Links and like Fasteners.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Cuff Links and like Fasteners.
I, CHARLES HENRY OWEN, of the firm of Henry Owen & Sons, of 28, Augusta
Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object the production of neat and convenient cuff links
and fike fasteners of the type in which the heads or buttons can be engaged with
the connecting stem or bar at right angles to their normal or service position
for convenience in passing them through button-holes.
In carrying my invention into effect I make each of the heads or buttons
preferably of the usual oval form with front and back plates stamped or pressed
out from gold, silver, or other metal strips. The front and back plates are united
in any convenient manner, and the face of the former is embossed or otherwise
ornamented as may be desired; the shank for attachment with the flat connecting
bar or stem is preferably secured with the underside of a separate middle or
central plate.
The back plate of each of the heads is stamped or pressed up to form a cruci-
form groove or depression between four raised portions of the plate; the metal
at the bottom of the cruciform groove or depression is then pierced out. On
turning down the head or button the solid flat connecting bar or stem enters the
longer portion of the cruciform groove and is prevented from accidental disen-
gagement therefrom whilst being passed through a button hole, by the spring-
like grip of the pierced back. The head or button can be turned down in either
direction upon the stem or bar and engaged therewith.
Instead of piercing out the metal at the bottom of the cruciform groove or
depression as herein before described, I sometimes split the inner sides of the
raised portions of the back plate; such split sides serve as retaining grips for the
connecting bar. In another modification I pierce through the said inner sides of
the raised portions of the back plate and employ a small internally disposed
spring or springs for gripping the connecting bar or stem.

page_text: Improvements in Cuff Links and like Fasteners.
I, CHARLES HENRY OWEN, of the firm of Henry Owen & Sons, of 28, Augusta
Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
My invention has for its object the production of neat and convenient cuff links
and like fasteners of the type in which the heads or buttons can be engaged with
the connecting stem or bar at right angles to their normal or service position
for convenience in passing them through button-holes.
In the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings to be hereinafter referred
to.-
Figure 1 represents a front view of a cuff link constructed in accordance with
my invention, Figure 2 an end or side view, and Figure 3 a back view of the
same.
Figure 4 is a back or outer view, Figure 5 a sectional end or side view on the
line (Figure 4), and Figure 6 a front or inner view of the back plate of one
of the link heads or buttons.
Figure 7 is a back view and Figure 8 an end or side view of the central shank
attachment plate.
Figure 9 is a back view and Figure 10 a sectional end or side view of the
front plate.
Figure 11 is a sectional end or side view of a modified form of back plate.
Figure 12 is a front view and Figure 13 a back view representing the applica-
tion of independent spring or grip pieces to the back plate of a link head for
securing it to the flat connecting bar or stem, and Figure 14 a side view of one
of such grip pieces.
E
In the whole of the views the parts are drawn to an enlarged scale.
The same reference letters in the different views indicate the same parts.
In carrying my invention into effect I make each. of the heads or buttons
preferably of the usual oval form with a front plate as A and a back plate as 1
stamped or pressed out from gold, silver, or other metal strips. The said front
and back plates A and B are united in any convenient and ordinary manner,
and the face of the former can be embossed or otherwise ornamented as may be
desired. Each shank as C for attachment with the flat connecting bar or stem D
is secured with the underside of a separate middle or central plate E, disposed
between the front and back plates, and which is shown separately at Figures 7
and S, or the shank is directly connected with the back plate as at Figures 12
and 13.
The back plate B of each of the heads is so stamped or pressed up as to form
a cruciform groove or depression between four raised portions as b of the plate;
the metal at the bottom of the groove or depression is then pierced out thus
forming the cruciform aperture F. On turning down the head or button the
solid flat connecting bar or stem D enters one of the longer portions of the cruci-
form groove and is prevented from accidental disengagement therefrom, whilst
being passed through a button hole, by the spring-like grip of the pierced back.
The head or button can be turned down in either direction upon the stem or bar
and engaged therewith. The heads or buttons of the complete link represented
at Figures 1, 2, and 3, are both shown as gripping upon the flat connecting bar
or stem D.
I sometimes dispense with the piercing out of the metal at the bottom of the
cruciform groove or depression as hereinbefore described, and by splitting the

page_text: inner sides of the raised portions b of the back plate adapt them for serving as
retaining springs or grips for the connecting bar; such splitting is indicated by
the lines at Figure 11. In another modification I pierce a slot as 62 (Figure 12)
through the metal near each end of the longer portion of the cruciform groove
in the back plate, and dispose in each pair of pockets, formed in the inner sides
of the raised portion of the plate, a grip piece as G having central jaws which
project through the aforesaid slots as be for gripping the connecting bar or stem.
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. Cuff links and like fasteners provided with heads or buttons with back
plates having raised portions as b with a cruciform aperture or depression between
them substantially as and for the purpose described and as illustrated.
2. In cuff links and like fasteners, the combination with a connecting bar
as D, of a pair of heads or buttons each having a front plate as A, a back plate
as B with a cruciform aperture F' between raised portions band a central plate E
with a shank C, substantially as described and as illustrated.
3. In cuff links and like fasteners, the combination with a connecting bar
as D, of a pair of heads or buttons cach having a front plate A, and a back
plate B with a central cruciform groove formed between raised portions which
have side slits as b' substantially as described and as illustrated.
4. In cuff links and like fasteners, the combination with a connecting bar
as D, of a pair of heads or buttons having a front plate as A, and a back plate B
having raised portions as 6 with a central cruciform groove between them and
provided with springs or with gripping pieces as G, substantially as described
and as illustrated.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and 25. Cross Street, Manchester,
Agents for the Applicant.