Improvements in Hooks anⱭ Eyes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 23rd Apr., 1898
Improvements in Hooks anⱭ Eyes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,.
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 invention is to produce a hook which may be manufactured cheaply
on a commercial scale, and one which is not liable to become detached accidentally
from the eye.
One feature of my invention consists in the combination of a hook bend and an
automatic guard therefor that covers the free end of the hook exteriorly. Other
features of my invention are hereinafter pointed out.
Referring to the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the hook and eye connected and
Figures 2 and 3 show modifications.
Any
In the said drawing, illustrating the principle of my invention and the best way
now known to me of applying that principle, the book is made of a single piece of
wire bent to form the bend a, wings ¹ and guard a², the wire members of the guard
being in close proximity or narrowed from near the wings towards the outer end of
the guard, and spread at the outer end of the guard at a³ to form an opening so that
the guard passes exteriorly over the free end at of the hook proper or bend a.
pressure on the guard a² tending to push it towards the back of the hook pushes the
eye in that direction and prevents accidental unfastening. Wings a¹ are preferably,
though not necessarily, at an angle to the hook and guard and are preferably, though
not necessarily, two in number. But the location and number of the wings are
immaterial to my invention most broadly considered, as the purpose of the wings is
to permit ready attachment of the base or rear end of the hook to stock. The guard
is made long enough to pass beyond the free end at, and the resiliency of the guard
causes the free or outer end of the same to rest on the outer surface of bend a at a
point between its free end at and lowermost portion a. The guard is therefore
automatic in its action. The free ends of the wire from which the hook is formed
may be united, if desired, in any suitable manner, at any convenient point, by
soldering or otherwise. Wings a¹ serve for attachment of the hook by sewing in the
usual way, and in some forms of my hook, are elongated as shown, in order that they
may be attached by a line of stitches that not only secure the hook more firmly, but
also serve as a finish for the garment. The back a of the hook is preferably straight
and in the same plane as the wings a¹ so that the hook lies flat on the garment or
article to which it is attached.
All parts of the guard are above the general level of the back of the shank of the
hook so that there are no parts or portions of the guard that project below the back
of the hook to wear the fabric to which the eye is attached.

page_text: As the hook, in the form now referred to, is made wholly of wire, the back and
bend of the hook, as well as the guard, are resilient, and the eye B is inserted by
crowding it against the underside of the forward end of guard a², the eye being
guided by the curvature of the bend a over the free end at (which is preferably
turned inwardly towards the back of the hook, as shown) into the space between the
back a and guard a².
The purpose of having the free end at, of bend a, turned inwardly towards the
back of the hook as shown, is to bring that end into a projected or sheltered position
so that it shall not form a projection in which anything can catch when the hook is
The shank of the hook is composed of adjacent wires and the guard and
wings are formed of the same piece of wire which is doubled upon itself to form the
hook. The guard is also formed of adjacent wires which are coincident at the base
portion of the shank with the opposed portion of the shank of the hook.
in use.
Eye B is readily removed by crowding a rearward wall of the eye against the guard a²
and freeing the eye. Any suitable eye may be used with my new hook, but in
practice, I prefer the eye B formed of a wire bent to form a closed eye b with
. elongated side wings b¹ having openings 62 whereby the eye is readily and ornamentally
attached to a garment or other article, as above explained in connection with the
hook. The advantages of my new hook are that it may be attached and used without
wearing pressure of any free ends or projecting portions against the garment; that it
contains no part with which the eye can become entangled when the eye is to be
unhooked; and that the eye is also readily caught in the hook and thereby secured
against accidental unhooking, as any exterior pressure on the guard tends to force
the guard towards the back of the hook, still holding the eye in place. The guard is
sufficiently long, in the preferred form of my invention, to pass over the bend of the
_hook.
In case of slight ordinary accidental movement of the eye which has tended to
release it from the hooks, as heretofore made, the eye being caught in my new hook
brings up against the under side of the guard and moves downwardly into its proper
position. Considerable outward pressure is required to free the eye.
In Figure 2 showing a modification the back a, wings a¹ and bend x² are of sheet
metal, and the guard a³ a leaf spring slotted at x to cover exteriorly the free end of
the bend. The free end of the guard projects sufficiently beyond its contact with the
bend 2 to permit an eye to be crowded readily against the under surface of the
guard when the eye is to be caught on the hook.
In Figure 3 showing a modification of the eye, the latter is of sheet metal and has
a closed eye y at one end and elongated open wings y¹ at the other end.
My new hook may be changed otherwise than as shown, in its details of
construction without departure from my invention and I wish to be understood as
claiming my invention in the most comprehensive manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to performed I declare that what I claim is :-
First. As a new article of manufacture, the hook member of hooks and eyes, said
hook member comprising a shank terminating in an inward bend the free end of
which projects downward between the guard and said shank; a guard for said inward
bend; the guard projecting beyond and inclosing the upper curved portion of said
inward bend.
Second. As a new article of manufacture, the hook member of hooks and eyes, said
hook member being made from a single wire bent inwardly to form a hook proper of
doubled wire the free end of which is deflected downwardly toward the shank of said
hook; wings at the butt end of the shank of the hook; a guard for the bent portion
of the hook; said guard being of wire doubled upon itself at the shank portion, open
at its free end and inclosing and projecting outwardly beyond the upper curved
portion of the hook, the shanks of the hook and guard being coincident.
Third. As a new article of manufacture, a hook member of hooks and eyes, said
hook member comprising an inward bend the free end of which is deflected toward

page_text: the shank of the hook in combination with an exteriorly acting guard, having a
recess opposed to said bend, the free end of the bend being normally within the
space between the guard and hook shank.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.