Improvements in Fastenings for Shoes, Gloves, Corsets, and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 14th May, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fastenings for Shoes, Gloves, Corsets, and the like.
I, CHARLES ALEXANDER HARVEY of 816 Broadway New York in the County
of New York and State of New York, one of the United States of America,
Inventor, 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 improvements in shoe fastenings and consists in the
novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described.
In the accompanying drawings are illustrated two forms embodying this invention
which is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.
Referring to the said drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe provided with one form of the improved
fastening.
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the fastening device.
Figure 3 shews the parts of the fastening in detail.
Figure 4 is a plan view of a slightly modified construction.
Figure 5 is a detail of the ferrule of the securing tongue.
Figures 6, 7, and 8 are views illustrating a slightly modified form of fastening.
The improved fastening device consists of two rows of hooks applied to the
opposite edges which are to be secured together, and a tongue for engaging said
hooks, which is capable of yielding transversely to the plane of the hooks but
which is incapable of yielding laterally.
In Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, are shewn the device adapted to be applied to a shoe.
In these figures are shewn two plates A and B provided with retaining hooks or
projections a and b respectively, and C represents the tongue which engages said
hooks or projections and effects the fastening of the shoe.
The plate A consists of a strip of metal, preferably spring metal, brass, steel, or
other suitable material, which will conform readily to the shape of the foot, and
said plate is provided at one side with a series of projecting portions a' terminating
in the retaining hooks or projections a.
The plate A is also provided with holes a² or other means for enabling it to be
attached to one of the flaps of a shoe.
The plate B is formed of the same material as plate A and is provided on the
edge adjacent to the plate A with a series of hooks or projections b, the hooks b
alternating with the hooks a and being in line with the recesses formed between
adjacent projections a¹ of the plate A. The plate B is also provided with a series
These recesses may be
of recessed portions or siots b' intermediate to the hooks b.
formed by punching slots in the plate B as shewn in full lines in Figure 3, or they
may be formed by cutting away portions of the plate leaving projections opposite
the hooks provided with means for attachment to one edge or flap of the shoe as
indicated in dotted lines.
In the form shewn in full lines the edge of the plate opposite the hooks bis
provided with means for attaching it to one flap of the shoe, here shewn as a series
of holes which enables the plate to be sewed to the shoe.
The tongue C is preferably made of a single strip of leather having its edges
smoothed and of such size and shape as to fit into the hooks or projections of the
two plates, and it may be provided with a ribbed or ornamented central portion if
desired. I may form this strip of metal if desired, but I prefer to make it of
leather.
One end of the tongue C is preferably provided with a metal ferrule or

page_text: sheathing c which is tapered and has its upper faces inclined to facilitate its entering
into the hooks or projections, and its other end is provided with a small flexible
ear, or rosette. c¹ which prevents the tongue from being drawn in too far. The
ferrule c is also provided with a projecting portion c² which may be taken hold of
to draw in or push out the said tongue. This projecting portion is preferably
pivotally secured to the ferrule c as shewn in Figure 5 and will fold down out of
the way when not in use.
The plates A and B are secured to the rear faces of the flaps of the shoe, the
plate A being secured at some distance from the edge of the flap with the hooks or
projections passing through slots or openings in said flap leaving a portion D of the
flap which is overlapped by the plate B.
To secure the shoe after it has been drawn on the foot, the plate B is placed over
the plate A, when the hooks a will pass up through the slots or recesses b¹ and
oppose the hooks of the plate B as clearly shewn in Figure 2.
The tongue C is then seized by the projection c³ and the ferrule made to engage
the lowest hooks when it can be drawn up through the chaunel formed between the
opposing hooks, and will secure the two flaps of the shoe together.
The portion B¹ of the plate B between the hooks b and slots or recesses 6¹ forms
a guide way for the tongue C as it moves up and down to fasten or unfasten the
shoe.
It will be noticed that the hooks of each plate engage the tongue C on the side
opposite the flap to which said plate is secured thus the hooks of the two plates
draw towards each other and clamp the tongue between them.
The greater the strain the tighter the hooks will clamp the tongue C and the
firmer will be the fastening.
The pressure of the hooks on opposite sides of the tongue also prevents the
tongue from working loose and leaving its seat. Even a very slight pressure of the
hooks upon
the tongue will cause such a frictional engagement with the same that
it cannot become accidentally disengaged.
When it is desired to loosen or unfasten the shoe the tongue is removed with one
quick motion by seizing the projection or rosette c' and the two plates can be
instantly disengaged.
In Figure 4 I have shewn a slightly modified form of fastening in which the
opposing hooks of the two plates when in operative position are arranged in lines
converging slightly towards the top of the shoe.
The tongue C is also provided with inclined sides as, shewn. When the said
tongue is made to engage the hooks after being drawn to a certain point the edges
of said tongue will engage all of the hooks with equal pressure, if it is drawn further
the inclined sides of the tongue will cause all the hooks to separate more or less
according to the amount of movement given the tongue and the pitch of the inclined
sides, and thus adjusting the shoe to the foot of the wearer. The tongue will be
held in the position in which it is placed by the frictional engagement of the hooks,
but it may be held positively in its adjusted position by any suitable means as a
spring clip or latch E shewn in Figure 4, which is provided with a projection
adapted to engage one of a series of apertures cx in the tongue C.
A fastening device E may be employed with the form of tongue shewn in
Figures 1 and 2, if desired, but it is not thought that ordinarily it will be
necessary.
If found desirable, I may find means for preventing the tongue C from being
entirely disengaged from the shoe, by constructing a loop or other retaining device F
to engage the tongue and prevent it from being removed from the shoe as shewn in
Figure 1.
In Figures 6, 7, and 8 is shewn a slightly modified form of device. In these
figures, the flaps of the article to be united are provided with a series of hooks A'
and B' respectively, each series of hooks being arranged to alternate with the hooks
of the other series, and secured to the flap in any desired manner. In the drawings

page_text: the hooks are shewn secured to the flaps by rivets or cyclets A2 and in this form, of
the invention the plates shewn in the other figures are dispensed with.
The tongue C is made to engage with the hooks A and B in the manner before
described with reference to the other figures and when drawn up to its fullest extent
said tongue will be stopped by a projection or hook C2 engaging a loop or strap F
extending across said tongue and secured to the article adjacent to the bottom of
the rows of hooks. The hooks A and B are so formed that their shanks will
form a guide way to receive the tongue C when it is drawn into engagement with
said hooks, as seen in Figures 6 and 8.
While I have described and illustrated this device as applied to shoes, it is
obvious that it may be employed to fasten two adjacent edges of any articles
together and I may construct these fastening devices to be applied to corsets, gloves,
and any other articles where found convenient or desirable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is,
1. A fastening device for adjacent edges of flexible material, consisting of a row
of hooks secured to one edge, a row of hooks secured to the other edge and
alternating with the hooks of the first named edge, and a movable tongue capable
of yielding laterally and adapted to pass between the said rows of hooks,
substantially as hercinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
2. A fastening device consisting of two plates provided with retaining devices and
the securing tongue adapted to engage with them, the retaining devices of each
plate engaging the tongue on the side opposite to the said plate, substantially as
hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
3. A fastening device consisting of a plate provided with projecting arms
terminated in hooks or projections, a second plate provided with hooks or projec-
tions and slots or recesses in rear of said hooks or projections for the reception of
the hooks or projections of the other plate, and the securing tongue, substantially as
hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
4. A fastening device for two adjacent edges of flexible material consisting of a
row of hooks secured to one edge, a plate secured to the other edge provided along
its outer edge with a row of hooks, and with a row of slots or recesses a distance
back from said edge for the reception of the hooks of the other edge of the material,
and the movable tongue adapted to engage said rows of hooks, the portion of said
plate between its hooks and recesses forming a guide way for said tongue,
substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
5. A fastening device for adjacent edges of flexible material, consisting of a row
of hooks secured to one edge of the material, a row of hooks secured to the other
edge and alternating with the hooks of the first edge, and a movable tongue adapted
to pass between said hooks, and provided with a ferrule having its edges and upper
face inclined, substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
6. A fastening device consisting of two plates provided with hooks or projections
arranged in converging lines and a tapering tongue for engaging said hooks or
projections, the hooks or projections of each plate engaging said tongue on the side
opposite the said plate, substantially as herein before described and as illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
7. A fastening device consisting of two plates one provided with the projecting
arms terminating in hooks or projections and the other with hooks or projections
and slots in rear of said hooks or projections, adapted to receive the hooks or pro-
jections of the other plate, the inclined tongue for adjusting the tension of the
fastening device, and a latch for holding said tongue and securing said parts in their

page_text: adjusted positions, substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
8. A fastening device for adjacent edges of flexible material consisting of a row
of hooks secured to one edge, a row of hooks secured to the other edge, and
alternating with the hooks of the opposing edge, the tongue for engaging said hooks
and securing said edges together provided with a stop adjacent to one nd, and a
loop, secured to the said edges, adjacent to one of the rows of hooks for engaging
said stop and limiting the inward movement of the tongue, substantially as herein-
before described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of Anril A.D. 1892.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.