Year: 1839

page_text: LONDON:
PRINTED BY GEORGE E. EYRE AND WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE
PRINTERS TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY:
PUBLISHED AT THE GREAT SEAL PATENT OFFICE,
25, SOUTHAMPTON BUILDINGS, HOLBORN.

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, JOHN
HENRY RODGERS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchant and
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Thirteenth day of May, in the second year of Her reign,
and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Henry Rodgers, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said John Henry Rodgers, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said John Henry Rodgers, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all Her Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLASPS
OR FASTENINGS AND CONNECTING PIECES, PRINCIPALLY APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN
ARTICLES OF DRESS," being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad;
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said John
Henry Rodgers, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particu-
larly to describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be. performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled
in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,

page_text: as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Henry Rodgers, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):
These improvements in clasps, buckles, or other fastenings or connecting
pieces, principally applicable to wearing apparel, consist, in the first instance,
in the adaptation of a lever to buckles or clasp fastening as a substitute for the
pointed tongue commonly used; and in the second instance, in the adaptation
of a spring stop to a clasp, catch, or other fastenings, for the purpose of retaining
the connection between the two parts when united or in a holding position; and
in the third instance, in an improved mode, manner, or method of connecting
the parts of braces together. These improvements are exhibited at large and
in detail in a variety of Figures in the accompanying Drawings.
The buckle may be plain or ornamental without altering the principle of
the improved construction.
Fig. 1 exhibits an ornamental buckle with a band or ribbon attached to it,
and Fig. 2 is a section taken horizontally through the same; Figs. 3, 4,
and 5 represent another form of buckle, constructed on the same improved
principle, and Fig. 6 is a buckle in its plainest form, Fig. 7 being a horizontal
section of the same. These two last-mentioned Figures will shew the improve-
ment clearly.
a, a, is the outer frame of the buckle; b, b, the lever, substituted for an
ordinary tongue, which turns upon pivots at c, c; one end of a bandage or
strap is to be attached to the bar d, and the other end of the bandage or strap
is, when drawn tight, to be passed under the front part of the frame and over
the edge of the lever and then under the back part of the frame, as shewn in
Figures 8 and 9. The front edge of the lever b will, by the tension of the
band or strap, be pressed down upon the front part of the frame a, so as to
pinch it tightly and prevent the band or strap from slipping from its hold, as
securely as if a pointed tongue or tongues were protruded through the band or
strap. Fig. 9 shews a horizontal section of the buckle and its strap; Fig. 10,
the adaptation of such a buckle to the back part of the stock. A buckle of
this construction is, however, applicable to a great variety of situation, which
it is unnecessary to shew. These improvements in clasps, catches, hooks, or
other such fastening consist in the adaptation of a spring stop, which, when the

page_text: two parts of the clasp or other fastening are put together, shall prevent their
separation until the spring stop is withdrawn. Clasps, catches, hooks, and
other such fastenings may be made in an infinite variety of forms; I have
therefore considered it sufficient to shew this improvement in connection with
only two or three varieties of each.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 11 represents a piece of plate, brass, or
other metal cut or stamped out in a suitable form, having a portion of the
middle of the plate cut through in the shape of a long tongue. This piece of
plate is then to be bent upon the form, shewn in the face view, Fig. 11*, and
section or edge view, Fig. 12; a constituting the plate of the clasp; b, the
catch or hook at bottom; and the middle part c being bent into the shape. of
a spring. Fig. 13 shows the face of the spring clasp when so made. The
staple or loop of wire intended to be connected to the clasp is represented at
Fig. 14 or 15. The staple being passed over the hook 6, is to be brought
down into the recess of the hook below the spring c, which will confinic the
staple, and prevent its passing out of the hook until the spring stop is pressed
back so as to release it.
Another modification of clasp having a similarly constructed spring stop is
shewn at Fig. 16, and an edge view or section as at Fig. 17. Fig. 18 repre-
sents a crutch-ended catch, intended to be coupled to the clasp. The crutch
end d of the catch being introduced into the recess of the clasp e, e, it is to be
drawn down part of the spring c, until the crutch comes against a cross bar or
rest f, when the bent end of the spring will act as a stop, and prevent the
crutch end of the catch from releasing itself from the clasp until the spring is
pressed back. Figs. 20 shew a similarly constructed clasp in two positions of
a smaller size, and Figs. 21 a clasp, like Fig. 13, suited to a gaiter strap. :
Another mode of making a clasp is shewn at Fig. 22, which represents a
piece of plate, brass, or other inetal stamped out to the desired shape; the
upper part is then bent down to form the spring c, and the lower part bent up
to produce the hook, as shewn in the front and edge views, Figures 23 and 24.
This sort of clasp may also be applied to trowser or gaiter straps. It is, per-
haps, scarcely necessary to say that the spring stop may be made separate from,
the plate and soldered or rivited on in its place. Hooks and eyes formed of wire
may be made with a spring stop on the same principle. Fig. 25 shew in two
positions a hook formed of bent wire, having a spring stop c; and Fig. 26
shews another mode of bending wire to form a hook with a spring stop c, and
also the manner in which the wire eye or catch is held by the spring stop of
the hook when they are connected. Figs. 27 shew upon a smaller scale the
last-described hook and eye in several positions, both before and after the hook

page_text: has been bent up. Fig. 28 represents a pair of braces for holding up the
waistband of trowsers, in which the two improvements of the buckle and clasp
are combined, and also one of the improved modes or methods of connecting the
parts of braces together. A, A, represents the lever buckles through which
the straps B, B, are passed, as described above. The end of the buckle frame
is a plate, cut or stamped to the desired form and bent up, as the clasp above
described; C, C, are the buttons to be fastened to the waistband of the
trowsers, the face of the button having a loop formed upon it (shewn in the edge
view, Fig. 29). The end or hook of the clasp is to be passed over the loop of the
button, in doing which the spring will be pressed back, and when the book
has taken hold of the button, the spring will stop or prevent the clasp from
becoming disengaged. In this Figure is also shewn one of the improved methods
of connecting the upper parts (or shoulder straps) of braces to the lower ones.
In consists in the application of a ring a, placed between two double bars or
holding pieces b, b, and connected thereto by a ring or loose joints at c, c. The
upper and lower straps of the braces are to be passed through the spaces
between the double bars b, b, as shewn in the Figure. This improved con-
nection will allow the braces to alter their position and accommodate them-
.selves to the motion of the body of the wearer.
Fig. 80 shews another of these improved modes or methods of connecting the
upper and lower straps of braces together; in this instance, the same kind of
metallic connection is adopted as in Fig. 28, excepting that the space between
the two lower bars is divided by a partition or stop e, and the lower straps of
the braces are formed of two distinct ribbons, tapes, or straps, each of which are
passed through the spaces between the double bars b, b, and separated from one
another by the partition e, as shewn in the Drawing. This mode of forming
the connections gives a kind of double purchase or draft, and forms a better
and more flexible union between the two. Fig. 31 exhibits the same kind of
metallic connecting pieces, both the upper and lower bars having the stop
piece or cross stay e, and also the ends of both upper and lower straps formed
of two tapes or ribbons.
Fig. 32 exhibits another of these improved modes of connection, having the
ends of the straps formed of two separate ribbons or tapes passed between the
bars, which in this instance are united together without the centre ring or con-
necting link. Fig. 33 shews the combination of the ring or link connection
with the bars and a buckle; and Fig. 34 shews the same kind of attachment
or connection, having the ends of the straps formed of two doubled tapes or
ribbons and passed through the spaces between the bars, as before described.
All of these modes or methods of connecting the parts admit of several

page_text: variations without departing from the nature of the improvement, and there-
fore the foregoing Figures will be sufficient to shew the different modes or
manner of carrying these improvements into effect.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Rodgers, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.
בנ
(L.B.)
RODGERS.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twelfth day of November, in
the third year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said John Henry
Rodgers came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknow-
all and every thing therein contained
And also the instrument aforesaid was
Statute made in the fifty-fifth year of
ledged the instrument aforesaid, and
and specified, in form above written.
stamped according to the tenor of the
the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Thirteenth day of November. One thousand eight hundred.