Improvements in Fasteners for the Edges of Openings of Shoes, Garments, Bags, and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar., 1896-Accepted, 30th Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fasteners for the Edges of Openings of Shoes,
Garments, Bags, and the like.
We, WHITCOMB LEONARD JUDSON, and HARRY LOUIS EARLE, both of.
195 Broadway in the City of New York, State of New York, United States of
America Gentlemen, 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 has for its object a convenient and reliable fastener for connecting
the edges of openings of shoes, garments, bags, and the like in such a way as to
permit these edges to be quickly united or separated at will.
A fastener, according to this invention, comprises a parallel pair of chains
having, on the links facing each other, parts which successively become coupled
and in opposite order uncoupled, a slider being moved along the chains, for
coupling them, and being secured over the last coupled pair of facing links, thus
locking the chains together in coupled condition. A continuous movement of the
slider along the two chains, in one direction, couples them, and, when the last
coupled pair of links are unlocked, the whole can be uncoupled in succession, by
simply pulling apart the head ends of the chains by an action substantially the same
as that for tearing a sheet of paper into two pieces. During this uncoupling the
slider is automatically caused to move back to its initial position.
The accompanying drawings illustrate several forms of fastener according to
this invention differing only slightly from each other.
Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive illustrate a form suitable for a shoe. The two parallel
chains are connected, at the crotch of the shoe flaps, by a link a, each chain
consisting of open links a' jointed to plate links a. Each plate link a² has an
eyelet a³, a hook a', and on each side a raised flange as. The crotch link a differs
from the links a², in having no hook but two eyelets a³.
The chains are adjustably secured to the shoe flaps 6 by lacing cords c which
pass through the eyelets a of the plate links, and through eyelets 6' in the
shoe flaps.
The open links a¹ of the one chain face the hooks at of the other chain, the
chains being coupled by the hooks a projecting through the open links a¹ and
reaching over the heads of the next lower links a².
Thus all the coupled parts below the highest coupled pair of links are locked in
coupled condition.
The slider consists of a pair of flanged plates d approximately triangular united
by a block dat their upper ends, the whole forming a hollow body having
channels das for passage of the links of both chains, as shewn in Figures 3, 5
and 6.
The flanges at the edges of the slider plates d approach near to each other, but
leave lateral openings or slots between them at the sides of the slider.
The slider is applied to the chains in the first instance by first coupling the
chains by band, or aided by a suitable tool, and then passing the head links of
the coupled chains up through the lower openings d2 and out through the divergent
upper openings d³ of the slider.
By then attaching a stop ring a, or other suitable stop to one of the head links,
the slider is prevented from being pulled off, and therefore remains permanently

page_text: on the chains. When the slider is thus applied to the chains, the marginal flanges
of the slider plates d engage with the raised flanges a³ of the links a³ and with the
bodies of the open links a¹ as guides, while the eyelet parts a³ of the links a² project
ontwards through the side openings of the slider. Thus the slider is free to move
up and down along the chains; as it is moved upwards the links of the two
chains are partly turned on their pivots towards each other, as shewn in Fig. 3 so
that they become successively coupled.
The slider has pivotted on its upper end a latch plate d having a lateral
finger d and a finger pull de attached to an eye at the end of the latch plate.
When the latch plate d' is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5, it does not
interfere with the free movement of the slider along the chains, but allows it to be
pulled up coupling the chains together.
By turning the plate d to the position shewn in Fig. 6, the finger d³ is made to
engage over the stop ring a blocking one of the upper outlets d³ of the slider,
thus locking the slider in its highest position, and so locking all the coupled links
of the two chains.
When the wearer desires to unfasten the shoe, he simply turns the latch plate d'
to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5, and, then taking hold of the uppermost
links or the upper ends of the two flaps of the shoe he pulls them asunder as he
might tear a piece of paper into two pieces, the pairs of coupled links being thus
successively uncoupled, and the two chains immediately separated. By the action
of the backs of the links as cams on the upper ends of the marginal flanges of the
slider plates d, the links as they pass outwards through the openings d³ force the
slider down to the crotch link a where it was at first.
The slider itself might be pulled downward to uncouple the chains, but this is
unnecessary when the chains are flexibly connected to the flaps, in which case the
easy and quick way in which the shoe flaps can be uncoupled, by merely pulling
apart the two chains, is a prominent advantage.
Figs. 7 to 11 inclusive illustrate the application of the fastener to leggings and
travelling bags, one member of a pair of leggings fis shewn in Fig. 7; and the
upper end of a mail bag g is shewn in Fig. 8. The general action of the parts is
substantially the same as for the shoe. When applied to the leggings, however,
lacing is used for one of the chains only, and when applied to the mail bag, no
lacing is employed.
The links of the two chains differ from those for the shoe, as none of the links
are open, but one chain is made up of what may be termed male links /', and the
other chain of what may be termed female links f facing them.
The male link has a hook like projection which engages with the eye f* on
the female link. The body portions of the male and female links are so
constructed relatively to each other, that when the coupling parts få f* are
engaged, a flange f of the female link 2 overlaps the end of the hook flange f³
of the male link f, thereby locking the links in their coupled position. Both of the
links and are provided with attaching eyelets and with pairs of guide
flanges, for co-operating with the slider h, shewn in Fig. 11.
On the leggings (Fig. 7) the chain made up of female links is sewed fast to one
edge so that these links have no pivotal movement, but the male links being laced
to the other edge are free for pivotal movement. The fixing of the male and
female chains is the same on the bag (Fig. 8) the female links being rivetted on
the body of the bag, and the male links being pivotted on staples g' rivetted to
the flap of the bag.
The slider (Figs. 9 and 11) differs from the slider for the shoe chiefly in
having its chaunels arranged, in respect to each other, so that the coupling action
is effected by endwise pivotal movement of the male links only. Thus one of the
channels in the slider is straight, and the other has an inclined portion.
The chains of the leggings couple from the top downward so that the slider h
.remains in its lowest position, by gravity, and holds the chains coupled without
requiring any locking device. For coupling the chains on the leggings or the

page_text: bag, the end links are first introduced into the proper channel of the slider han
coupled, by hand; then by pulling the slider along the chains they become
coupled together throughout their length. For the bag, the slider / is made with
a hasp end g, with which engages a staple gs on the flap, to receive a padlock *.
The chains are uncoupled in the same way as for the shoe, but the slider passes
quite off the female link chain so as to permit the flaps to be separated throughout.
their length, but it is held on the male link chain by a stop ring f
Figs. 12 to 15, inclusive, illustrate a modified form of the fastener in Figs. 1 to 6,
but differing slightly from that shewn in Figs. 1 to 6 in details of the coupling
parts. In this case the plate links are all provided with coupling hooks 4ª ant
with tail pieces or latch lugs k³.
The latch lug of any link k engages with the hook of the link k on the other
chain, and, when these parts are thus engaged, the facing links of the two chains
are coupled together and all locked in their coupled position. The slider k* may
be the same as the slider d d', shewn in Figs. 1 to 6.
In the modification shewn in Figs. 16 to 19, inclusive, the chains are made up of
open links p and box links p', each of the links p' having both male and female
coupling parts p² p³, or hook like tongues p² and sockets p³.
The links p of the two chains face each other, but are slightly staggered, so
that the tongue p³ can be pushed into the socket p³ of a link p¹ on the opposite-
chain.
The slider p is constructed and operates in substantially the same way as the
slider shewn in Fig. 15.
In Figs. 20 to 23, inclusive, another modification is shewn, wherein the chains.
are made up of box male and female links and united by hinges r, and open
at their upper ends. The male links have at their lower ends hook like
projections, which engage in the open upper ends of the female links ², and the-
female links have at their lower ends locking flanges which engage over the
books of the male links, when the coupling parts are in their coupled position..
The slider is of substantially the same construction as that shewn in Fig. 19.
These several modified forms of links have been described to shew that the
construction is capable of a wide range of variation and to indicate that the links.
might take still other forms, without departing from the spirit of the invention,.
and that they may be varied in form and dimensions so as to suit the many various
articles to which a fastener of the kind described may be applied.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A fastener for the edges of openings of shoes and other articles, comprising
a pair of chains having, on their links, parts arranged to become coupled in
succession by a pivotal movement of the links, and to remain locked together
until they are successively uncoupled in reverse order by merely tearing the chains
apart, substantially as described."
2. In combination with the chains above referred to, a slider moveable by hand
along the chains for coupling the links successively and locking them coupled, and
automatically moveable backwards in uncoupling, substantially as described.
3. In combination with the chains and slider above referred to, a locking plate.
on the slider preventing the last coupled links from uncoupling and a stop at the
end of one of the chains, for preventing the slider from being removed therefroin,.
substantially as described.
Dated this 31st day of March 1896.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants..