Improved Means for Use in Fastening Boots and Shoes upon the Feet.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 29th July, 1895-Accepted, 26th Oct.. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Use in Fastening Boots and Shoes upon
the Feet.
I, JAMES DUNBAR-BRUNTON, of Ladhope, Galashiels in the County of
Selkirk, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of this invention' to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object an improved method of fastening boots and
shoes upon the feet.
Boots and shoes constructed to be fastened in the manner of this invention are
somewhat analogous to boots and shoes constructed to be fastened by buttoning,
each having one flap of the upper of the boot or shoe which laps over an inner
flap; but the method of fastening adopted enables it to be effected much more
readily than is the case when buttoning is resorted to, and the boots and shoes liave
a much neater appearance than when fastened by buttoning.
Each fastening consists, according to this invention, of two portions, namely, of
a male portion formed as a. headed stud, and of a female portion having a larger
opening therethrough through which the head of the stud may be passed, and a
narrower opening, running out from the larger opening, which may be engaged with
the shank but which will not allow the head of the shank to be drawn through it.
The male portion of the fastening is fixed to project from the outer face of the
inner flap of the boot or shoe upper, that is to say, near to the portion of the edge
of the upper over which the outer flap closes, and the female portion of the
fastening is fixed to the outer flap; and the fastening is effected by drawing the
outer flap tightly over the under flap and passing the larger opening of the female
portion of the fastener over the head of the stud, and then allowing the flap to be
drawn backwards by the reaction of the strain caused in drawing it forwards,
whereby the narrower opening through the female portion of the fastener is
engaged with the shank, and the fastening is thus secure. Several of the fasteners
are, of course, used for each boot or shoe. In lieu of fixing the male portions of
the fasteners to the inner flap and the female portions to the outer flap as described,
the male portions may be fixed' to the outer flap and the female portions to the
inner flap, if desired.
The male portion of a fastener is formed with a collar or flange around the
inner end of the shank, and with a short tubular portion projecting at the back
face of the collar, or with clenching pieces in lieu thereof, and is fixed to the
leather or material of the boot or shoe flap by passing the tubular portion or
clenching pieces through a hole formed therefor in the leather and then opening
out the outer end of the tubular portion and pressing it back firmly against the
leather, or similarly treating the clenching pieces, so as to securely grip the leather
between the back face of the collar and the pressed' back part or parts of the
tubular portion or clenching pieces; the method of fixing the male portion to the
material of the boot or shoe upper being analogous to that in which eyelets are
fixed in place. The pressed back or clenched parts of the male portions of the
fastenings may bear against metal washers, if preferred, instead of directly against
the material of the flap; and such parts may be concealed from view by a strip or
leather or other suitable material. The female portion of the fastener is fixed to
the leather or material of the flap just in the manner of fastening eyelets, for which

page_text: purpose it is made with a flange to bear against one face of the flap, and with a
part which projects from the other face and is opened out and pressed back against
the flap to grip the material thereof between itself and the flange at the other face
of the flap. The female part is, consequently, preferred to be made in sheet metal,
such as sheet brass. A strip of leather, or other suitable material, is fixed along
the back of the flap to which the female portions of the fasteners are fixed, to
prevent the heads of the male portions of the fasteners from shewing at the front
of the boot or shoe or pressing against the sock or stocking of the wearer, as the
case may be.
Boots and shoes fastened in the manner of this invention have a very neat
appearance, as the fastenings are not visible; and, moreover, if one of the fastenings
becomes broken the defect is scarcely noticeable, if the fastenings are arranged at
not too great a distance apart.
Dated this 27th day of October 1894.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.
Improved Means for Use in Fastening Boots and Shoes upon
the Feet.
I, JAMES DUNBAR-BRUNTON, of Ladhope, Galashiels in the County of
Selkirk, North Britain, 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 an improved method of fastening boots and
shoes upon the feet.
Boots and shoes constructed to be fastened in the manner of this invention are
somewhat analogous to boots and shoes constructed to be fastened by buttoning,
each having one flap of the upper of the boot or shoe which laps over an under or
inner flap but the method of fastening adopted enables it to be effected much
more readily than is the case when buttoning is resorted to, and the boots and shoes
have a much neater appearance than when fastened by buttoning.
Boot and shoe fasteners, to be efficient, need to be very simple, and the parts so
arranged in relation to one another that it can readily be seen when one portion of
a fastener is in proper position for engaging with the other portion, as the foot
cannot be brought up near to the eye or turned about into any required position as
the hand can when a glove is being fastened. Hence, the ordinary forms of
metallic glove fasteners are unsuitable for use with boots and shoes.
Each fastening consists, according to this invention, of two portions, namely, of
a male portion formed as a headed stud, and of a female portion formed with an
opening through which the stud is passed. The two parts of the fastener are so
shaped that the head of the stud may be passed through the opening of the female
portion, but when the stud is drawn forwards in such opening the head of the stud
passes over the edge of the female portion and is thus prevented from becoming
disengaged from the female portion except by the stud being first moved back
within the opening. The male portion of the fastener is fixed to project from the
outer face of the under flap of the boot or shoe upper, that is to say, near the edge
of the portion of the upper over which the over or outer flap closes, and the
female portion of the fastener is fixed to the over flap, parts thereof appearing at
the inner and outer face of the flap and bearing thereagainst. The female
portion is fixed by gripping the material of the flap between the parts of the
fastener which bear at the outer and inner faces thereof. The fastening is effected

page_text: by drawing the over flap tightly over the under flap, and passing the female
portion of the fastener over the head of the stud, and then allowing the flap to be
drawn backwards by the reaction of the strain caused in drawing it forwards,
whereby the head of the stud is caused to be in position projecting over the edge
of the opening through the female portion of the fastener. The head of the stud
is thus passed clear through the female fastener and through the material of the flap
to which it is fixed. Several of the fasteners are, of course, used for each boot
or shoe. In lieu of fixing the male portions of the fasteners to the under flap and
the female portions to the over flap as described, the male portions may be fixed
to the over flap and the female portions to the under flap, if desired.
The opening through a female fastener is formed, preferably, of a size at its
inner end which admits of the round head of a stud, or other shaped head which
projects at each side of the shank, being passed therethrough, and of a size for the
remaining or outward portion thereof which allows of the passage of the shank
thereinto, but prevents the head from being drawn through it.
Convenient practical applications of the invention are illustrated by the drawings
herewith, of which
Figure 1 shewз boot with the fasteners applied thereto unfastened, and
Figure 2 the same boot fastened.
Figure 3 is a plan and Figure 4 an elevation of one of the female fasteners
before it is fixed in place, this fastener corresponding with the female fasteners
shewn with the boot illustrated by Figures 1 and 2.
Figure is a side elevation of one of the male fasteners shewn with the boot
illustrated by Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 6 is an elevation shewing short lengths of the over and under flaps of
the boot with their edges some distance apart, and with two of the female fasteners
fixed to the one flap and two of the male fasteners fixed to the other flap.
Figure 7 is a section taken on line xx of Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a corresponding view to Figure 6, but shews the one flap to be
passed under the other and the male and female fastenings to be interlocked as
when in use.
The remaining figures illustrate modifications of the fasteners, and will be
described later on.
In the illustrations, the male fasteners are shewn to be fixed to the under flap a
of the boot, and the female fasteners to the outer or over flap b.
Each male
fastener consists of a shank c, of a head d at one end and of a portion of reduced
diameter e at the other end, and is fixed in place by passing the shank e through a
washer at the outer face of the flap a. through a hole formed therefor in the Hap,
through a washer g at the inner or back face of the flap, and riveting the end over
at the face of the washer g; and, to facilitate such riveting over, it is preferred to
slightly hollow the end of the reduced portion e by drilling down the axis. Each
female fastener is formed from sheet metal, such as sheet brass, with a flange h,
and a tubular portion (Figure 4). The fastener is fixed in place by pushing the
part thereof through a corresponding opening in the leather and then opening out
and clenching back the outer end of such part in a manner corresponding to that
in which eyelets are fixed in place. The opening through the female fastener is
formed with a portion; through which the head of the male portion may be passed,
and with a portion k leading out therefrom which engages with the shank c of the
male fastener after the flap bas been drawn forward sufficiently to pass the portion j
of the female fastener down over the head of the male portion and has then been
allowed to move back under the strain which has been imparted to it in moving it.
forwards. When the part k of the female fastener is thus engaged with the
shanke of the male fastener, the parts are prevented from becoming disengaged, as
the part of the female fastener cannot be drawn up over the head of the male
5 fastener.
An outer flap of leather or other suitable material, which is shewn as torn away

page_text: in Figure 2, and is omitted from Figures 6 and 8, is preferably placed over the
female fasteners when the same are fixed to the outer flap b. The flap is open
along its front except for being stitched to the flap b between each two fasteners
(or it may be at greater distances) and also at the top. A strip of leather or other
suitable material m, shewn only by Figure 7, may be sewu also along the inside
of the flap a to prevent the ends of the male fastenings from injuring the sock of
the wearer.
A modification of the female fastener is shewn by Figures 9 to 13. According to
this modification, the fastener consists of an upper plate n, shewn in flat view by
Figure 9 and in side elevation by Figure 10, and of a lower plate o shewn in flat view
by Figure 11. Each plate has an opening j k therethrough, corresponding to the
opening similarly lettered above described. The plate n is formed with four metal
tongues which are first cut out with the metal blank shewn by Figure 12 and then
bent down in the manner indicated by Figure 10; and the plate o has four slits q
cut therethrough, as shewn. The two plates are fixed on opposite sides of the
leather flap b, by passing the metal tongues p of the plate n through openings
formed therefor in the leather and through the slits q of the plate o, and then
clenching back the ends of the tongues, as shewn by Figure 13 which represents an
edge view of a short length of the boot flap with the fastener fixed thereto. An
opening, corresponding to the openings; k through the plates, is formed of course
through the thickness of the leather b for the passage of the stud therethrough,
and this opening through the leather may be punched at the same time as the
openings are punched through for the tongues p.
As above described, the fastenings described as the male fastenings may be
fixed to the over flap and the female fastenings to the under flap, if such should be
desired.
If it is desired to give increased elasticity to the boot upper, to facilitate
fastening the boot, a strip of elastic webbing t, of which the width is indicated by
the broken lines t't', may be sewn in, but such is not necessary.
Boots and shoes fastened in the manner of this invention have a very neat
appearance, as the fastenings are not visible in use when covered as described by
an outer flap (such as 1), though portions of such flap may be held up to expose
the fasteners when the fastening is being effected; and, moreover, if one of the
fastenings becomes broken, the defect is scarcely noticeable, if the fastenings are
arranged at not too great a distance apart.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. Fasteners for boots and shoes, each formed of a male portion consisting of a
headed stud which is fixed to a boot or shoe flap, and of a female portion, which passes
through the thickness of a boot or shoe flap and has parts which bear against each
face of such flap, and thus securely hold the fastener by gripping the material of
the flap between such parts, and which is formed with an opening through which
and through the thickness of the flap the head of the stud may be passed, the male
and female parts being so adapted to each other that the head of the stud
projects over the edge of the opening through the female portion of the fastener
when the stud has been passed through the opening and then drawn forwards
therein, substantially as described.
2. Fasteners for boots and shoes, each formed of a male portion consisting of a
headed stud which is fixed to a boot or shoe flap, and of a female portion which
passes through the thickness of a boot or shoe flap and has parts which bear
against each face of such flap, and thus securely hold the fastener by gripping the
material of the flap between such parts, and which is formed with an opening,
through the inner end of which, and through the thickness of the flap, the round
head of a stud, or other shaped head which projects at each side of the shank, may be

page_text: passed, the remaining portion of such opening being of a size which will admit
such shank but prevent the head being drawn therethrough, substantially as
described.
Dated thin 07th day of Tul- 1905
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.