An Improved Fastening for Shoes and other Articles of Apparel.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 27th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 5th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Fastening for Shoes and other Articles of Apparel.
I, ALFRED JAMES WAGGETT of 18, Bedford Place, Brighton, Musical
Instrument Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved fastening for articles of apparel, particularly
for shoes, and the invention has for object to provide a fastening which is capable
of being quickly fastened and unfastened, which is capable of adjustment to suit
requirements, which is capable of yielding so as to apply spring pressure to the
parts to be united, and which as applied to shoes is so constructed as to enable the
shoe to be secured with a single fastening.
1 will describe the invention as applied to a shoe for which it is more especially
designed.
The fastening comprises two main parts, a knob-headed stud adjustable in a slot
in combination with a locking device by which it is maintained in whatever position
of the slot it may be set for regulating the degree of tension with which the two parts
(of the shoe or other article) to be united are drawn together and a knob-headed
or hooked arm, or it may be an apertured plate capable of being sprung or slipped
over the head of the stud into or out of engagement therewith, these two main
parts of the fastening being respectively attached to the two overlapping flaps or
parts of the shoe or other article to be united. The first mentioned part of the
fastening consists of a stud resembling a collar stud having a disc at the back and
a knob at the front end, the stem of the stud passing through a slot preferably in
a metal plate stitched to or in the thickness of the underlying flap of the shoe or
other article, the slot being preferably of key hole form to facilitate the insertion
of the stud therein and lying in such a direction that the shifting of the stud along
the slot will vary the tightness with which the two flaps must be drawn together in
order to connect the two parts of the fastening. This adjustment of the stud in
the slot is effected by means of a locking plate pivoted to the slotted plate and
provided with notches at varying distances from its pivotal centre adapted to engage
with the stem of the stud and thereby to resist the pull of the other part of the
fastening. The notched edge of this locking plate is, for the sake of strength,
preferably of eccentric curvature so that the strain is resisted by the plate in a
radial line from the bottom of the notch to the pivotal centre, and does not come
laterally against the flanks of the teeth intervening between the notches as it would
do were the notched edge straight, thereby admitting of more notches and a finer
adjustment without weakening the locking device. The underside of the head of
the stud is preferably coned, so that the strain upon it will tend to draw the back
disc close up against the inner varying surface and avoid tendency of the stud to
cant under the strain upon it. This part of the fastener is attached to the under-
lying flap or part of the shoe in the position usually occupied by the top button of
a buttoned shoe; the other part of the fastening is preferably in the form of a
double spring bar received in, or attached to, the overlapping flap, the one member
of the spring extending along the edge of the flap so as to apply uniform tension
thereto at all points whilst the other or spring member is free to play to a limited
extent and its free end projects from the flap in such position as to be adapted to
engage with the stud of the other part of the fastening, this part of the spring
member being preferably hooked and provided with a knob or other means of
eresning it

page_text: It is not essential that this projecting member should have a spring action, as it
may be rigidly fixed to the overlapping flap, and instead of an arın it may be an
apertured plate adapted to be slipped or sprung into engagement with the stud.
Dated this 23rd day of June 1893.
A. J. WAGGETT,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
An Improved Fastening for Shoes and other Articles of Apparel.
I, ALFRED JAMES WAGGETT, of 18 Bedford Place, Brighton, Musical
Instrument Maker, 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:-
This invention relates to an improved fastening for articles of apparel particu-
larly for shoes, and the invention has for object to provide a sort of button fastening
which may be quickly fastened and unfastened, and may be adjusted to suit
requirements, and which may, if required, be made capable of yielding so as to
apply spring pressure to the parts to be united. I will describe the invention as
applied to a shoe for which it is more especially designed as by means of a
single such fastening the shoe is secured as effectually as by the several buttons
usually employed.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification, wherein Figure 1 is a top view of a shoe, with the improved fastening
applied. Figure 2 is a face view of the two principal parts of the fastening, drawn
to an enlarged scale and engaged together as in actual use. Figure 3 is a section,
on line 1-1 Figure 2. Figure 4 is a face view of the one part, the stud being in
section, to show the means of adjustment. Figures 5 and 6 are plan views of the
front of a shoe in the unfastened and fastened positions respectively, and Figure 7 is
a cross-section, on line 2-2, Figure 6, of a simpler form of the fastening. The same
letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
Referring to Figures to 4 the fastening comprises two main parts whereof the
one is constituted by a knob headed stud a adjustable in a slotted plate bin
combination with a locking device c by which the stud is maintained in whatever
position of the slot d it may be set, for the purpose of regulating the strain upon
the two parts of the shoe to be united. The other part of the fastening is
constituted by a knob headed or hooked arm e capable of being sprung or slipped
over the head of the stud a into or out of engagement therewith.
The plate of the first mentioned part of the fastening is stitched or rivetted to
the underlying flap or portion of the shoe upper in about the position usually
occupied by the top button of a buttoned shoe, and the other main part of the
fastening is secured by stitching to or within the thickness of the overlapping flap g
in which button holes are usually made, the upper corner of this flap 9 being
notched to make room for the stud a, as seen in Figure 1, the knob headed or hooked
end of the arm e projecting from the notched portion in position to engage with the
stud a, as shown. This stud a has a disc a¹ at the back and a knob at the front
end, its stem passing through the slot d in the plate b, the slot being preferably of
key hole form, as shown, to facilitate the insertion of the stud therein. The
direction of the slot is in the line of strain and the stud a is held at any point of the
slot by means of the locking plate c pivoted at c¹ to the plate b and provided with
notches cat varying distances from its centre c', any one of which may engage
with the stem of the stud a. The notches are preferably arranged in an
eccentric curve, so that the line of strain is through the plate c itself and not

page_text: through the flanks of the notches so that more notches may be provided and a finer
adjustment obtained, whilst the strain being normal to the curve there is no
tendency of the plate to shift its position. The notches might, however, be side
by side in a straight line if preferred. The plates b, c, are bent slightly in the
direction of their length, so as to conform to the curvature of the instep. The
neck of the stud is preferably coned, so that the strain upon it will tend to
draw the back disc against the rear surface of the plate 6 and avoid tendency of the
stud to cant.
The other part of the fastening is preferably a spring of the form shown, the
parte of the spring extending preferably along the entire edge of the flap g and
being curved at its upper end ee³ to conform to the notched corner of the flap g
so as to distribute the strain uniformly, whilst the end of the spring member e is
free to play to a limited extent, its free end projecting through a slit in the notched
corner of the flap in position to engage with the stud a. The spring member is
preferably bent, as shown at e', to form a bearing or guide for the spring and it is
provided with a knob or other means of grasping it. It is not, however, essential
that this part of the fastening should have a spring action, as it may be
rigidly fixed to the overlapping Hap g and be combined with a button hole in the
flap 9.
Such a modification is illustrated in Figures 5, 6, 7, wherein plate b is dispensed
with, the stud a being merely passed through a slit f¹ made in the flap fand is
adjustably held therein against the pull of the other part of the fastening by a
notched plate c stitched or rivetted at c³ directly to the flap f, the other part of the
fastening being constituted by a rod e lodged in a sheath formed for its reception
in the thickness of the flap g near the edge, the rod terminating in a knob projecting
from the upper edge of the said flap. A button hole g¹ is made in the flap 9 just
behind the rod e so that the latter where it crosses the end of the button hole will
bear directly against the stud a as shown in Figure 6 and so cause the strain to be
distributed along the edge of the flap g.
Or instead of a rod e and button hole g¹ the flap g may have an apertured plate
or eyelet fixed to or in it and adapted to engage with stud a.
In any case the
fastening, instead of being situated at the upper part of the flap g, may be situated
at any intermediate point along the edge of the said flap.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The herein described fastening consisting of a knob-headed stud held adjust-
ably by a notched and pivoted locking plate in combination with a spring
member adapted to engage therewith, substantially as specified.
2. In a fastening for shoes and other articles of apparel, the combination with a
stud free to slide in a guiding slot, as described, of a pivoted notched plate
adapted to engage adjustably with the stud so as to support it against the pull
of the other part of the fastening and retain it at any point of the slot, as
specified.
3. The herein described fastening consisting of a stud held adjustably in a
guide slot by means of a notched locking plate, as described, in combination
with a rod or arm and button hole adapted to engage with the said stud, as
described.
A. J. WAGGETT,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.