IMPROVEMENTS IN SOLITAIRES, SLEEVE LINKS, AND OTHER LIKE DRESS FASTENINGS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William West, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Jeweller, and William Frederick Spittle, of Birmingham,
aforesaid, Manager of Works, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
Sealed the 17th July 1874, and dated the 28th January 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William West and
William Frederick Spittle at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 28th January 1874.
:
We, WILLIAM WEST, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Jeweller, and WILLIAM FREDERICK SPITTLE, of Birmingham, aforesaid,
Manager of Works, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SOLITAIRES, SLEEVE LINKS, AND OTHER LIKE DRESS
FASTENINGS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention has reference in part to an Invention for which
Letters Patent were granted to one of us, namely, William West, on the
13th day of September 1872, No. 2722.

page_text: The said patented Invention consists essentially of a dress fastening,
the two parts of which are connected together by a central pin on one
part taking into a central tube on the other part, an inclined collar on
the end of the said tube engaging with a spring bolt by a snapping
action when the two parts of the fastening are pressed together.
Our improvements in the said patented Invention consist essentially
in making the case or box in which the spring bolt referred to works, as
well as the said bolt itself, capable of a sliding motion. This we effect by
preference by connecting the said box to the back of one part of the
fastening by means of ears or projections on the edges of the said box
taking into slots in the said back, the slots being of greater length than
the said ears, so as to permit the ears sliding in the said slots. The
box is secured to the back by its ears after, having been passed through,
the slots being clinched or turned down upon the said back, but not with
sufficient force to impede the motion of the box. By this improvement
both the bolt proper and the box itself in which the bolt works engage
with and on opposite sides of the head of the inclined collar, herein-
before referred to, on one part of the fastening. The two parts of the
fastening are thus connected together by a double bolting action.
:
In separating the two parts of the fastening the fastening is pressed.
on its edge at opposite points by the thumb and finger, and by the said
pressure the spring bolt and the box are simultaneously pressed inwards
and withdrawn from the head of the inclined collar, when the two parts.
of the fastening are released and may be separated from one another.
Our Invention consists further in applying the arrangement already
described to sleeve links, solitaires, and like fastenings, in which the
spring bolt engages with a hooked arm turning upon a joint. By.
making the box carrying the said arm capable of a sliding motion and
forming an additional notch at the snap end of the said arm, the said
additional notch being made on the opposite side to that on which the
ordinary notch is situated, the fastening becomes double acting, that is,
when the arm is shut down and snapped into its place it is fastened at.
one side by the sliding bolt engaging in one of the notches, and at the
other side by the sliding box engaging with the other notch on the
opposite side of the hooked arm. By thus making the box with a
sliding motion the spring sliding bolt may be dispensed with when, only
a single snap is required. In this modification the spring presses the
box into the position proper for fixing down the arm, the notched end-

page_text: of the arm engaging in a fixed part of the shell or back of the
fastening.
In order to prevent the inconvenience which sometimes arises in
fastenings of the last described kind by the loss of the joint pin on which
the hooked arm turns we make the said joint pin and arm from one
piece of metal, so that the said joint pin not being separable from the
arm cannot become detached and lost. This method of construction also
possesses the advantage of permitting a disc to be cut out at the same
time and from the same piece of metal as the arm and joint pin. The
said disc being situated in the middle of the arm, and preventing the
discomfort sometimes complained of by the pressure of the said arm
upon the wrist or other part of the wearer.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William West and William Frederick Spittle in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
WEST, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Jeweller, and
WILLIAM FREDERICK SPITTLE, of Birmingham, aforesaid, Manager of.
Works, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of January in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said William West and William Frederick
Spittle, Her special license that we, the said William West and William
Frederick Spittle, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said William West and William Frederick Spittle, our
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN SOLI-
TAIRES, SLEEVE LINKS, AND OTHER LIKE DRESS FASTENINGS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said William West and William Frederick

page_text: Spittle, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or
them, 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 we, the said William West and William Frederick
Spittle, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:
-
Our Invention has reference in part to an Invention for which
Letters Patent were granted to one of us, namely, William West, on
the 13th day of September 1872, No. 2722.
.
The said patented Invention consists essentially of a dress fastening,
the two parts of which are connected together by a central pin on one
part taking into a central tube on the other part, an inclined collar on
the end of the said tube engaging with a spring bolt by a snapping
action when the two parts of the fastening are pressed together.
Our improvements in the said patented Invention consist essentially
in making the case or box in which the spring bolt referred to works,
as well as the said bolt itself, capable of a sliding motion. This we
effect by preference by connecting the said box to the back of one part
of the fastening by means of ears or projections on the edges of the said
box taking into slots in the said back, the slots being of greater length
than the said ears, so as to permit the ears sliding in the said slots. The
box is secured to the back by its ears after having been passed through
the slots being clenched or turned down upon the said back, but not
with sufficient force to impede the motion of the box. By this improve-
ment both the bolt proper and the box itself, in which the bolt works,
engage with and on opposite sides of the head of the inclined collar,
herein-before referred to, on one part of the fastening. The two parts
of the fastening are thus connected together by a double bolting
action.
. In separating the two parts of the fastening the fastening is pressed
on its edge at opposite points by the thumb and finger, and by the said
pressure the spring bolt and the box are simultaneously pressed inwards

page_text: and withdrawn from the head of the inclined collar, when the two parts
of the fastening are released and may be separated from one another.
1
Our Invention consists further in applying the arrangement already
described to sleeve links, solitaires, and like fastenings, in which the
spring bolt engages with a hooked arm turning upon a joint. By
making the box carrying the said arm capable of a sliding motion and
forming an additional notch at the snap end of the said arm, the said
additional notch being made on the opposite side to that on which the
ordinary notch is situated, the fastening becomes double acting, that is,
when the arm is shut down and snapped into its place it is fastened at
one side by the sliding bolt engaging in one of the notches, and at the
other side by the sliding box engaging with the other notch on the
opposite side of the hooked arm. By thus making the box with a
sliding motion the spring sliding bolt may be dispensed with when only
a single snap is required. In this modification the spring presses the
box into the position proper for fixing down the arm, the notched end
of the arm engaging in a fixed part of the shell or back of the
fastening.
In order to prevent the inconvenience which sometimes arises in
fastenings of the last-described kind by the loss of the joint pin on
which the hooked arm turns we make the said joint pin and arm from
one piece of metal, so that the said joint pin not being separable from
the arm cannot become detached and lost. This method of construction
also possessing the advantage of permitting a disk to be cut out at the
same time and from the same piece of metal as the arm and joint pin,
the said disk being situated in the middle of the arm and preventing the
discomfort sometimes complained of by the pressure of the said arm.
upon the wrist or other part of the wearer.
Having explained the nature of our Invention we will proceed to
describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in section a sleeve link made according to the
first part of our Invention; Figure 2 is a plan of the inner or upper
side of the part A of the sleeve link; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the
said part A.
Figure 4 is a plan of the bottom or under side of the said part A;

page_text: of the fastening.
a is the spring bolt (shown separately in. blank and edge view in
Figure 7); is the box in which the sliding bolt a works. This bolt a
is shown in blank and edge view in Figure 8; Figure 9 represents in
plan the under side of the part A before the box is connected to it.
A stone, or pearl, or other ornament is fixed to the outer side of the
part A.
Instead of fixing the box b rigidly to the plate or body A of the sleeve
link it is connected thereto by four projecting pieces or cars 61, 62, 6³, b³,
which are passed through the slots c, c², c², c³, in the plate A, and are
afterwards turned or clenched as represented in Figure 4, so as to
connect the box to the plate, but at the same time permit it to slide on
the said plate, the range of sliding motion being limited by the slots
c, c¹, c², c³.
The sliding bolt a is placed in the box b, and the coiled
spring d placed between the projections and a² of the box and bolt
before the box is connected to the plate A.
The coiled spring d presses the box 6 and bolt a asunder, and causes
their respective openings through which the tube e of the part B passes to
cross each other. in the manner represented in Figure 2, and thereby to
engage under the head of the part B at opposite points when the two
parts of the sleeve link are connected, as represented in Figure 1. In
using the sleeve link the stem g of the part A is passed through the
parts of the wristband to be fastened, and the tube e of the part B is
put upon the stem g and the two parts are pressed together. The
conieal head draws the box and bolt into the relative positions in
which the holes in them coincide or nearly coincide, and the said head
passing through the said holes the spring d causes the box and bolt to
return to their normal positions and engage behind the shoulder of the
conical head by a snapping action.
In order to unfasten the sleeve link the turned up ends 6 and a³ of
the box and bolt at the opposite edges of the part A are pressed by the
thumb and finger when the holes in them are brought into a coincident
or nearly coincident position. The head ƒ can now pass through the'
said holes, and the part B of the sleeve link can be readily removed from
the part A.

page_text: The double action described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7,8, and 9, may be effected by the modification represented in Figures
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17.
Figure 10 is a plan of the inner side of the part A of the fastening,
5 that is, the part carrying the stem g. The box 6 in this modification is
fixed, and two bolts a, a, and two springs d, d, are employed, the
action of which is the same as that of the bolt and box in the sleeve
link, Figures 1 and 2..
Figure 11 represents the back of the part A with the box removed.
O The positions of the springs d, d², and their action on the bolts a, aª, will
be readily understood by an examination of the said Figure 11. As the
action of both the springs d and d is the same one of them may
be dispensed with, provided the one retained be made of additional
strength.
Figure 12 represents in plan the part A of a sleeve link having two
bolts actuated by a single spring d; and Figure 13 represents in section
the two parts A, B, of the sleeve link having two bolts and one spring,
the two parts being connected together.
0
Figures 14, 15, 16, and 17, represent parts of the fastening;
Figure 14 is a plan of the blank from which the part A is made;
Figure 16 represents in elevation, and Figure 17 in plan the central-
pin g and the plate carrying it; and Figure 15 represents in plan the
shell or plate forming the part A with the pin and plate, Figures 16
and 17, in their place in the said shell. The clenched ears of the box b
are also seen in the said Figure 15.
In order more effectually to guide the bolt or bolts in their motions
the said bolt or bolts may be provided with projections or ears on their.
outer edge working in slots in the box.
Figure 18 represents in plan the part A of a sleeve link with two
sliding bolts, the front of the box being removed; Figure 19 is an
elevation of the same; and Figure 20 represents the bolts in plan and
elevation; h, h, are projections or cars, which work in slots i, i, in the
sides of the box b..
Figures 21 and 22 represent in elevation a sleeve link, in which the
spring bolt engages with a hooked arm jointed to the box of the sleeve
link; Figure 21 representing the sleeve link closed, and Figure 22

page_text: representing it open; Figure 23 represents the same in section; and
Figure 24 shows the under side in plan. In this modification of our
Invention the armi is fixed when the sleeve link is fastened by engaging
both with the sliding bolt a and with the shell k. By this arrangement
the sleeve link will not be unfastened by accidental pressure on the
sliding bolt only, as pressure in opposite directions, both on the sliding
bolt a and the sliding box 6, must be simultaneously applied in order
to liberate the jointed arm. The armi is jointed as represented to the
sliding box b.
It will be seen by reference to Figure 23 that the catch on the end
of the jointed arm i cannot rise until both the sliding bolt a has been
pushed inwards and removed from over the said catch &, and the said
catch also carried from under the edge of the opening in the shell k.
These two simultaneous motions are effected by pressing the end of the
bolt a and the opposite part of the fastening, that is, the joint, by
means of the thumb and finger.
The catch on the end of the jointed arm may be made double acting,
that is, it may be made to engage when shut down with two sliding
bolts, one engaging on one side and the other on the other side of the
catch; Figure 25 illustrates this form of our Invention.
The end or snap m of the arm i is made of the Figure represented,
and the two bolts a and a² engage on opposite sides of it, as shown at n..
The bolts are pressed in the required directions by the spring p. When
the outer turned-up ends of the bolts a, a³, are pressed inwards by the
thumb and finger the parts engaged with the catch m of the arm i are
separated, and the catch being liberated the arm i may be raised.
The modification represented in Figures 21, 22, 23, and 24, may be
simplified in the manner represented in Figures 26, 27, and 28;
Figure 26 is a plan of the under side of this fastening; Figure 27 is a
section of the same, and Figure 28 a plan of the inside of the shell q.
In this modification the sliding bolt is dispensed with and the catch
of the jointed arm engages with the shell q at r. The arm is jointed
to the sliding box 6, and the said sliding box is urged in the direction
proper to cause the catch of the said arm i to engage with the shell by
means of the spring 8. In order to unfasten this sleeve link it is pressed
by the thumb and finger at the points t and u, when the sliding box
being pushed inwards the catch is disengaged from the shell at r.

page_text: Figure 29 represents in plan an arm constructed according to our
Invention for such fastenings as have jointed arms, the said arm having
the joint pin and a middle disc cut out of the same piece of metal as the
said arm and at one operation; w is the joint pin; x the disc, which
may be of any required ornamental shape.
The pin w cannot be lost, as separate pins frequently are, and the
disk x prevents the unpleasant sense of pressure on the wrist or other
part of the wearer when an arm of the ordinary kind is employed.
Although we have only represented and described our Invention as
applied to a sleeve link yet we believe that the application of our said
Invention to solitaires and other like dress fastenings will be sufficiently
understood by the description and representation we have given of its
application to sleeve links.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, we wish it to be under-
stood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise details herein-before
described and illustrated, as the same may be varied without departing
from the nature of our Invention; but we claim as our Invention of im-
provements in solitaires, sleeve links, and other like dress fastenings, i
First. With reference to such of the said fastenings as consist of two
parts connected together by means of a central pin on one part taking
into a central tube on the other part, making the case or box in which
the sliding spring bolt works moveable or capable of a sliding motion, so
that the said box engages with the said central pin as well as the sliding
bolt, substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, and 9, of the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The modification described and illustrated in Figures 10,
11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17, of the accompanying Drawings in which
the central pin of the one part of the fastening engages with two sliding
bolts or the other part of the fastening.
Thirdly. The method of jointing and limiting the motion of the sliding
bolt or bolts described and illustrated in Figures 18, 19, and 20, of the
accompanying Drawings.
Fourthly. With respect to such of the said fastenings as have a
jointed arm, with which the spring bolt engages, making the box in
which the sliding bolt works also capable of sliding, and thereby making

page_text: the catch on the end of the arm engage with the shell of the body of
the fastening in addition to the engagement of the said catch effected by
the sliding bolt, as described and illustrated in Figures 21, 22, 23,
and 24, of the accompanying Drawings. Also making the catch on the
end of the jointed arm double acting, that is, making it engage when
shut down with two spring sliding bolts acting on opposite sides of
it, as described with reference to Figure 25 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Fifthly. The modification described and illustrated in Figures 26, 27,
and 28 of the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, making the catch
on the end of the jointed arm engage with the shell of the body of the
fastening by means of a spring sliding box, to which sliding box the
said arm is jointed.
Lastly. Making the jointed arm of the joint pin of the said arm and
a central disk thereon of one piece of metal, substantially as described 1
and illustrated in Figure 29.
In witness whereof, we, the said William West and William
Frederick Spittle, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Twenty-third day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-four.
WILLIAM WEST.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM FREDERICK SPITTLE.
(L.S.)
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.