IMPROVEMENTS IN DRESS ORNAMENTS
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Johur Ashford and Walter
Henry Collins at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 14th May 1868.
We, JouN ASHFORD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Black Ornament Manufacturer, and WALTER HENRY COLLINS, of Bir-
mingham aforesaid, Jeweller, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRESS ORNAMENTS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists of the inprovements, herein-after described, in:
the construction of dress ornaments to be worn at the neck and fastened
to the collar stud used for connecting the two ends of the collar:
together.
Our Invention consists further it fastening, thic said dress ornaments to
the said collar studs. Although dress ornaments constructed according
to our Invention are specially fitted to be worn at the neck, yet the said
ornaments may also be worn and fastened to other parts of the person
where studs similar to collar studs are or may be used to connect two

page_text: parts of the dress together, such, for example, as the junction of the
wristbands.
We will describe our Invention as applied to a dress ornament to be
worn at the neck. We make the body of the dress ornament hollow or
of a box form, and in the back plate of the said body we pierce a circular
hole of a size proper for the head of the collar stud to pass through. A
vertical slot with parallel sides opens into the hole described, the said
slot being of a size proper to receive the stem of the collar stud. In
order to fit the collar stud to be used with our Invention, we make the
stem or shank square or angular instead of cylindrical in cross section,
as is usual. In fastening the hollow ornament to the collar stud the
circular hole in the back of the ornament is passed on to the head of the
stud, the said head occupying the hollow body of the ornament. The
ornament is then depressed so as to engage its vertical slot with the
square stem of the collar stud. The dress ornament is thus supported
by and secured to the collar stud. Although we find the arrangement
of parts described sufficient to secure the ornament to the collar stud,
yet where great safety is required we adapt to the ornament the following
arrangements for fixing the ornament to the collar stud:-We joint to
the inside of the perforated back plate of the ornament a plate or lever
capable of motion parallel to the said back plate. In the said lever is a
cross slot of a size proper to engage with the square shank of the collar
stud. The lower end of the jointed plate or lever works through a slot
in the hollow body, the projecting end serving as a handle to move the
said plate or lever. When the vertical slot of the ornament has been
engaged with the stem of the collar stud the jointed plate or lever is
moved, so that the cross slot in the said plate or lever shall embrace the
stem of the collar stud. The ornament is thereby securely fixed to the
collar stud. Or in place of the jointed plate or lever the following
arrangement may be used:-Around the inside of the circular hole in
the back plate of the ornament we place a spring, the free ends of which
project nearly across the vertical slot in the said back plate. In engaging
the stem of the collar stud with the said vertical slot the ends of the
spring are expanded or opened out to permit of the passage of the stem.
After the stem has passed into the slot the ends of the spring return to
their normal position, and prevent the ornament from being removed
from the stud except by the application of some force. Instead of the
jointed plate or lever and spring described, other equivalent. means

page_text: be employed to retain the stem of the collar stud in the vertical slot of
the hollow ornament. The front of the hollow body or box of the
ornament may carry a jewel or stone or any other desired ornament, and
the front of the said hollow body may be open so as to expose the collar
stud; or the hollow body may have the form of a bow, or other
ornamental shape may be given to it.