Improvements in Snap Hooks.
Year: 1890

page_text: Late of Application, 3rd June, 1890-Accepted, 5th July, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Snap Hooks.
We, NELS NELSON. Blacksmith, and JAY GLENN WEATHERWAX, Lumberman, both
of Aberdeen in the County of Chehalis and State of Washington, United States of
America, 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 mainly for its object the production of a snap hook which
although applicable to other purposes or wherever a hook does not require to be tied to
make it secure against becoming accidentally disengaged, is mainly designed to be
used on vessels and more particularly for towing rafts of logs, and which as so
applied will not only be perfectly secure against unhooking when dropped into the
ring it engages with, but is simple, not liable to get out of order, and will last for
years even when exposed to salt water. In towing rafts of logs, the ordinary hook
which is used for the purpose requires to be tied to keep it from falling out of the
ring in the boom chain, and as often the ring is underneath the boom sticks, the
man employed in engaging the hook has to reach down under the water to effect its
engagement, and under such circumstances it is almost impossible to tie the hook to
prevent it from becoming disengaged, the consequence of which has been that
many a raft of logs has gone to sea or been lost. As hooks for such a purpose are
necessarily heavy and exposed to rough usage, the snap hook must be made unusually
strong and its latch and the spring controlling the latch be specially arranged to ensure
not only the quick and easy application of the hook to the ring in the boom chain,
but so that when dropped into the ring it will be securely locked therein, and the
spring controlling the latch be protected from injury. Our improved snap hook
very effectually secures these results, and consists in a novel construction and combina-
tion of parts, substantially as hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this
specification, in which figure 1 represents a side view of the improved hook, and
figure 2. a mainly sectional longitudinal view of the same in a plane parallel
with figure 1. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both
figures.
A is the shank of the snap hook, which may have the usual thimble 6, and B is its
point or nose portion. Cis the latch pivoted, as at c, to the nose part of the hook
and bearing at its outer end when closed against the shank A. This latch, which
is of crooked or angular step shape at its inner end, is fitted to work at said end
within a slot d that opens through the inner side of the nose part of the hook, and
that is in communication with a longitudinal hole e in said nose part and opening
through the outer extremity of the nose of the hook. This passage e serves to receive
and contain within in it a spiral spring D that serves to keep the latch C closed
against the shank of the hook, and only yields by the movement of the latch when
the hook is being engaged with the ring. Said spring D carries at its free end a
swivel stud or cone which bears against the stepped portion of the latch and is
free to turn or move on it as the latch is opened or closed, while the opposite or
fixed end of the spring rests on and around a conical pointed or centering screw
plug h, that closes the outer end of the aperture e. Thus supported, the spring is free
to adjust itself in all directions, which will add materially to its durability. The
spring too is not only under cover by the hook to protect it from fouling or becoming
injured, but being arranged within the nose of the hook and the latch being attached
at such part, the hook is not weakened as it would be were the latch to be pivoted to
the shank of the book and the enclosed spring arranged within said shank.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is;
The combination, with the shank A of the hook and with its nose end portion B
having a slot d on its inner side, and longitudinal aperture e, of the stepped latch C
pivoted to said nose end part, the loose spiral spring D enclosed within the nose of
the hook, the swivel stud or cone fait the one end of said spring and the centreing
screw plug at the opposite end thereof, essentially as shewn and described.
Dated His Or44
Luke 1898.
LALCO ULYULUHU TUDUS
N. NELSON.
J. G. WEATHERWAX.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.