AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF FASTENING APPLICABLE TO GAITERS, STAYS, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Smith, late of Wellington Chambers,,
Cannon Street West, in the City of London, Merchant, for the Inven-
tion of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF FASTENING APPLICABLE TO GAITERS,
STAYS, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES."
Sealed the 25th April 1856, and dated the 5th December 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Smith at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th December 1855.
I, WILLIAM HENRY SMITH, of Wellington Chambers, Cannon Street West,
in the City of London, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF FASTENING APPLICABLE TO GAITERS,
STAYS, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES, to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the attachment and detachment
of metallic fastenings when applied to gaiters, stays, and other articles requiring
the same. For this purpose, instead of using two boxes or studs, one at either
end of a strip of metal to receive the ends of a second or elastic strip, which
is bowed (to shorten its length), and then spring into its place, I propose to
use one box or stud (similar to those at present in use, and patented by me, in
the year 1845), to receive the lower end of the elastic strip; and for securing

page_text: the upper end, I employ a box catch which will admit that end of the elastic
strip by a lateral opening, thus requiring no bowing of the strip to effect either
the attachment or detachment of the fastening. This strip, which I form
of tempered steel, has a tendency to bend outwards when placed over the
underlying strip, and thus the security of the fastening is ensured.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent. filed
by the said William Henry Smith in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 5th June 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY SMITH, late of Wellington Chambers, Cannon Street West, in the City
of London, but now of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Henry Smith, Her special license that I, the said William Henry
Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Henry Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTION OF FASTENING APPLICABLE TO GAITERS, STAYS, AND OTHER LIKE
ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Henry Smith, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed; and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Henry Smith, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following

page_text: statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to a novel construction of metallic fastening for
gaiters, stays, and other articles requiring the same, which offers great facility
for its attachment and detachment, and is also less bulky than the common
fastenings, and less costly to manufacture. Instead of using, as in my old and
well-known stay and gaiter fastening (patented by me, in the year One thousand
eight hundred and forty-five), two boxes or studs, one at either end of a strip
of metal to receive the ends of a second or elastic strip, which is bowed (to
shorten its length) and then sprung into its place, I propose to use one box
or stud (similar to those at present in use) to receive the lower end of the
elastic strip; and for securing the upper end, I employ a box catch which will
admit that end of the elastic strip by a lateral opening, thus requiring no
bowing of the strip to effect either the attachment or detachment of the
fastening.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 shews my improved fastening in side
view, the two strips or blades of metal being connected together; Fig. 2 is
an edge view of the same; and Fig. 3 is an edge view, with one extremity
only of the blades connected, shewing the natural tendency of the blades to
spring outwards.
The blade or strip a is provided at its lower end with a box b, closed at its
sides and at its upper end with a box or catch c, open at one side to permit of
the insertion of the blade d by a lateral instead of an endway movement.
This blade d I form of tempered steel, and give it a tendency to bend out-
wards, as shewn at Fig. 3. When, therefore, its lower end is inserted in the
box b, and its upper end slidden into the catch box c, it will press outwards,
and thus the security of the fastening will be ensured. The blades are attached
to the edges of the garment or other article, by sewing or otherwise, as usual.
As the blade d is not sprung endwise into its place, and there is therefore less
strain put on it than the corresponding blade of the common spring fastening,
I find that the intermediate plate of steel used in that construction of fastening
(which intermediate spring is made shorter than the overlying blade, and is
rivetted thereto at its middle,) will not be required, and thus a material saving
in the cost of manufacture over the old fastening consequent on the adoption
of my improvement will be effected.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improved Con-
struction of Fastening applicable to Gaiters, Stays, and other like Articles,"
and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be

page_text: understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim the
application to a fastening composed of overlying blades, of a box or catch
with a lateral opening to receive the end of the overlying bowed spring or
blade, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Smith, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Third day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
THO ALEX STENSON,
82, High Street, of Birmingham.
W. H. SMITH. (L.S.)