IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR BOOTS SHOES " " GLOVES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS
Year: 1885

page_text: Articles of Dress.
I WILLIAM ARTHUR CRITCHLOW of N° 2 Trafalgar Terrace Alcester Road
Moseley in the County of Worcester Accountant do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR BOOTS SHOES
"
"
GLOVES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS to be as follows:-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in fastenings
for boots shoes gloves and other articles of dress.
My invention is particularly applicable to the fastening of boots shoes and gloves
but is also applicable to the fastening of stays corsets and generally to articles in
which two parts of the article of dress have to be drawn together edge to edge and
secured in that position.
I will describe my invention as applied to the fastening of a shoe.
To each of the edges of the parts of the shoe to be secured together I affix a light
strip of metal preferably steel extending preferably along the whole length of the
edge. This strip on one of its edges is bent into a shape nearly resembling in cross
section the letter S. The other edge is provided with a series of pointed prongs.
The bent strip is placed on the upper side of the edge of the open part of the shoe
and the prongs are turned under the said edge and their points bent upwards so as
to pass through the leather and engage with the S shaped part of the bent strip.
By this means the strip is firmly attached to the edge of the leather and from the
lightness of the sheet metal of which it is made it is so elastic as readily to bend
with the edge to which it is attached.
At the middle or other desired part of one of the bent metallic strips a tongue is
formed of such a length that when the edges of the shoe are drawn together the
said tongue extends over the bent strip on the other edge of the shoe. On the said
other edge of the shoe a tongue is formed which tongue is bent back and lies upon
the side of the shoe with which it is connected. The last named tongue is serrated
or toothed on its edges and the first named tongue is formed so that on being

page_text: brought over and pressed upon the serrated tongue it will engage with the
serrations and secure the edges of the shoe together. Instead of the serrations
described the tongue may have a series of holes in one of which the end of the
other tongue may engage. But I do not limit myself to any particular method of
connecting the tongues together.
One tongue or inore may be employed on each edge of the shoe. For ordinary
boots two or more of the said tongues may be employed on each edge and for boots
extending a considerable distance up the leg several of the said tongues may be
employed.
The application of my invention to articles of dress other than shoes differs in no
essential respect from its application to shoes as hereinbefore described.

page_text: I WILLIAM ARTHUR CRITCHLOW of No 2 Trafalgar Terrace, Alcester Road,
Moseley in the County of Worcester Accountant 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:-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in fastenings
for boots, shoes, gloves and other articles of dress.
My invention is particularly applicable to the fastening of boots, shoes and gloves
but is also applicable to the fastening of stays corsets and generally to articles in
which two parts of the article of dress have to be drawn together edge to edge and
secured in that position.
I will describe my invention as applied to the fastening of a shoe.
To each of the edges of the parts of the shoe to be secured together I affix a light
strip of metal preferably steel extending preferably along the whole length of the
edge. This strip on one of its edges is bent into a shape nearly resembling in cross
section the letter S. The other edge is provided with a series of pointed prongs.
The bent strip is placed on the upper side of the edge of the open part of the shoe
and the prongs are turned under the said edge and their points bent upwards so as
to pass through the leather and engage with the S shaped part of the bent strip.
By this means the strip is firmly attached to the edge of the leather without
stitching or riveting and from the lightness of the sheet metal of which it is made
it is so elastic as readily to bend with the edge to which it is attached. At the
middle or other desired part of one of the bent metallic strips a tongue or loop is
formed of such a length that when the edges of the shoe are drawn together the
said tongue extends over the bent strip on the other edge of the shoe. On the said
other edge of the shoe a tongue or clasp is formed which tongue or clasp is bent
back and lies upon the side of the shoe with which it is connected. The last named
tongue is serrated or toothed on its edge and the first named tongue is formed so
that on being brought over the last named tongue which is raised into a nearly
vertical position and pressed upon the serrated tongue, it will engage with the
serrations and secure the edges of the shoe together and by lifting the clasp the
loop is easily disengaged. Instead of the serrations described the tongue may
have a series of holes in one of which the end of the other tongue may engage.
But I do not limit myself to any particular method of connecting the tongues
together.
One tongue or more may be employed on each edge of the shoe. For ordinary
boots, two or more of the said tongues may be employed on each edge and for

page_text: boots extending a considerable distance up the leg several of the said tongues may
be employed.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in plan a fastening constructed according to my invention
applied to a shoe; Figure 2 represents in plan and Figures 3 and 4 in cross section
the fastening drawn to a larger scale than in Figure 1; Figure 5 represents the
underside of the edges of the upper leathers of the shoe to which the fastening is
applied; Figure 6 represents a plan of the outer side and Figure 7 a plan of the
inner side of one of the metallic strips of the fastening before the said strip is
attached to the leather; Figure 8 represents a vertical section and Figure 9 an
end elevation of the strip Figures 6 and 7; Figure 10 represents an edge view of
the serrated tongue attached to one of the metallic strips and Figure 11 represents
in side elevation; Figure 12 in section and Figure 13 in plan, the said serrated
tongue detached from the strip, the said Figures 10. 11. 12 and 13 being drawn to
the same scale as Figures 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8 and 9.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawings.
a is the light strip of steel secured to one of the edges of the upper leathers c, c
of the shoe and is a nearly similar strip of steel secured to the other edge of the
upper leathers c, c the said strips a and b extending along nearly the whole length
of the edges of the said upper leathers as represented in Figure 1. Near the outer
edge of each strip, raised parts of nearly a dome shape, marked d, d, are made
together with raised extensions e, e passing to the edge of the strip. These raised
parts de are for the purpose of receiving the S shaped portions of the attachments
by which the strips are connected to the edges of the leather as hereinafter
explained. The raised extensions e, e may however be dispensed with. The outer
edge of each strip is provided with narrow pieces or clamps f being a connection
or continuation of the raised extensions e, e of the dome shaped parts d, d.
These narrow pieces or clamps are folded under the strip and are bent into the
shape best seen in the cross section Figure 8, the extreme end of each of the beut
pieces or clamps f being hooked at g and situated in the raised dome part d of the
strip. On the other and inner edge of each of the strips a, b, prongs h, h are made,
pointed or unpointed, the said prongs being situated opposite the hooked pieces or
clamps f, g. The prongs are bent under the strip and their ends are hooked at i
as seen in Figures 8 and 9. The strips are now ready to be fastened to the edges
of the upper leathers c, c of the shoe in the manner represented in Figures 1. 2. 3. 4
and 5. This is effected by inserting the edge of the leather between the nearly
parallel parts of the strip a or b and passing the hooked ends i of the prongs h
through the leather so that the said hooked ends i are in contact with the hooked
ends of the bent pieces or clamps f. By now closing or flattening the extreme
ends of the hooked parts g, i within one another, the said parts are engaged
together in the manner represented in Figures 3 and 4 and the strip is firmly
attached to the edge of the leather and from the lightness of the sheet metal
of which it is made it is so elastic as readily to bend with the edge to which it is
attached.
At the middle of the strip b a wire loop or looped tongue is jointed at 1, 7 the
eyes m, m in which the ends of the wire loop or looped tongue work being bent
from the strip b. At the middle of the other strip a, a serrated or toothed elastic
and adjustable tongue or clasp n is formed or attached in any one of the serrations
of the said tongue or clasp the cross head of the loop or looped tongue k can be
engaged for fastening the two edges of the shoe together. The serrated tongue n
together with its fixing plate is made from a single piece of sheet steel in the
manner illustrated in Figures 10. 11. 12. and 13 of the Drawings. That is to say,
a long strip of steel is taken having at its end a cross piece from which the fixing

page_text: plate p and arch q are made. The flat strip is coiled around the arch q so as to
form a coiled spring at n² terminated by the bent back strip from which the
serrated or toothed tongue n is made as illustrated in the drawing. A highly
elastic tongue is thereby formed which is capable of readily yielding to the
movement of the foot without causing the disengagement of the looped tongue k
from the serration in which it is engaged. The said tongue may however be
readily disengaged when it is required. The serrated tongue n is fixed to one
edge of the metal strip a by the wing pieces at p³, p² being engaged under the
loops or eyes r, r made between or being part of the prongs or clamps h on the
said strip (see Figures 2 and 10) and to the other edge of the strip by folding
the ends p³, p³ of the fixing plate p under the metal strip a.
Instead of a single fastening consisting of a single looped tongue and a serrated
tongue as represented in the Drawings two or more of the fastenings may be
employed for drawing and holding the two edges of the shoe together.
In case of the accidental breaking of the clasp m the shoe may be fastened by
a lace passed through the space between the bends of the prongs h and the edge of
the leather, see Figures 3 and 4.
Figure 14 represents a glove having a fastening constructed according to my
invention; Figure 15 represents a plan of upper side; Figure 16 a plan of under-
side and Figure 17 a section of a short glove fastening drawn to a larger scale
than in Figure 14.
This fastening is constructed and used and applied to the glove substantially
in the manner described with respect to a shoe fastening excepting that the strips
are fastened to the material of the glove by causing the hooked ends of the pieces
or clamps and prongs h to grip the material of the glove between them in the
manner represented in Figure 17 instead of causing the prongs to pass through
the material and afterwards closing the engaged parts together on the upper side
of the material. When however the material of the glove is thick and strong the
strips may be made and attached to the glove by the method described with
respect to a shoe fastening.
The strips carrying the fastening may either consist of short pieces as illustrated
in Figures 15. 16 and 17, or of longer pieces as illustrated in the upper side of
the fastening represented in Figure 18 and underside in Figure 19, where two
or more looped tongues and serrated tongues may be used. The fastening attached
to the glove Figure 14 is one of the long fastenings Figures 18 and 19.
The parts of the glove fastenings are marked with the same letters of reference
as corresponding parts of the shoe fastening first described but it will be seen
that in the glove fastening it is preferred to make the parts by which the strips
are attached to the edges of the glove much broader than the corresponding parts
of the shoe fastening.
The exposed parts of the fastenings may be ornamented by stamping or piercing
or in any other desired manner.
I apply my improvements to fastenings for articles of dress other than shoes and
gloves substantially in the manner herein before described and represented with
respect to shoe and glove fastenings.
Having now particularly described the nature of my invention and the manner
in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my invention of
Improvements in fastenings for boots shoes gloves and other articles of dress"
First. Making the foundation or supports of the said fastenings of two thin
metallic strips preferably of steel of the kind substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings connected respectively to the edges
of the two parts of the article to be fastened together.
Secondly. Providing one of the said strips with one or more elastic serrated
or toothed tongues, with which a loop or looped tongue or tongues on the other

page_text: strip is or are made to engage, thereby providing adjustibility in attaching
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Thirdly. The methods hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawings of connecting the thin metallic strips carrying the fastening
to the edges of the article to be fastened together.
Dotal this Thith J
7000