IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO FASTENINGS FOR BOOTS, GLOVES, AND OTHER ARTICLES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR SECURING THE SAME IN PLACE
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO FASTENINGS FOR BOOTS, GLOVES, AND
OTHER ARTICLES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR SECURING THE SAME IN PLACE." A
communication from abroad by Messrs. Raymond and Guttin, of Grenoble,
Isère, France, Manufacturers.
Sealed the 5th March 1880, and dated the 22nd September 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd September 1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. " IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO FASTENINGS
FOR BOOTS, GLOVES, AND OTHER ARTICLES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR SECURING THE
SAME IN PLACE." [A communication from abroad by Messrs. Raymond and Guttin,
of Grenoble, Isère, France, Manufacturers.]
This Invention relates to an improved method of manufacturing and fixing
lacing hooks to be employed in connection with boots and shoes, and also as
fastenings for gloves, wearing apparel, and the like, also to apparatus for securing
the said fastenings in place.
My improved lacing hook is constructed as follows, that is to say :-It is provided
with a hooked portion which serves for the lacing or fasteuing, and a part con-
centric to the axis of the hook which receives the leather, cloth, skin, or other
material to which the said hook is to be applied. The said hook is also provided
with a base which serves to rivet the said hook upon the material, the said base
being provided with an oblique cut or slit, and a portion of the same is raised
above the level of the other portion to form a point, for the purpose hereinafter
described.
To fix the said hook in its place a small hole is first pierced in the leather or
other material in the desired position, and into this hole is placed the point of the
raised portion of the base, then by holding the leather or other material firmly in
position and turning the hook the base of the same will act like a screw and will
cause the leather or other material to pass on to the concentric portion of the said
hook designed to receive the same.
After the above described operation it is simply necessary in order to rivet or
fix the hook and prevent the detaching of the same from the leather or other

page_text: material in which it is fixed to strike the point of the raised portion of the base of
the said hook with a hammer, stamper, or tool.
In order, however, to facilitate the fixing of the said hooks in place I have
devised an apparatus or machine which is constructed as follows, that is to say :-
The said apparatus is provided with a suitable base or support which may be fixed
upon a table by means of screws, and in which a shaft provided with a crank
handle turns. The upper part of the said shaft is provided with a recess to
receive the lacing hook, which is retained in position by a clamp flush with the
edge of the aforesaid recess, and by means of another clamp opposite the first
named clamp. These two clamps are each provided with a triangular recess in
their upper ends in order to securely hold the hook in place, part of the said book
resting in the slot.
The two clamps may be brought together in any suitable manner, as, for
example, by means of a bolt or a thumb screw. The aforesaid crank handle carries
on its arm a spring, the free end of which is provided with a triangular piece which
rests in a corresponding cavity in a pivot fixed upon the support of the said
apparatus.
When the operator has engaged the lacing hook between the two clamps, and
tightened the screw for closing the same, the pointed end of the base of the said
hook is placed in the hole formed in the desired position in the leather, or other
material, which is drawn forcibly to the left, and then the crank handle is turned
with the right hand, thus causing the aforesaid point of the base to engage with the
leather, and it is then simply necessary to strike the said point with a hammer and
the fastening is finished..
The spring upon the crank arm and the pivot upon the support hold the axle of
the machine in the exact position it should occupy, that is to say, in such a position
that the point of the base of the book will be turned in the desired direction.
Instead of striking the base of the said hook with a hammer, and thereby
securing the same, I may employ in connection with my improved machine a
stamper, and in some cases also a point to pierce the holes in the leather or other
material may be attached to the said machine.
I may also modify the arrangement of the aforesaid clamps by forming the said
clamps so that they act as springs, the said clamps being secured to the shaft of the
machine by screws which tend to cause the said clamps to spring inwards, a small
lever being arranged in connection with the same so that by depressing its end the
said clamps will be opened to permit the insertion of the hook. To facilitate the
movement of this lever and the action of the clamps two small rollers may be
arranged upon the said lever to act upon the said clamps.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd March
1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO FASTENINGS
FOR BOOTS, GLOVES, AND OTHER ARTICLES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR SECURING THE
SAME IN PLACE." A communication from abroad by Messrs. Raymond and Guttin,
of Grenoble, Isère, France, Manufacturers.
This Invention relates to an improved method of manufacturing and fixing lacing
hooks to be employed in connection with boots and shoes, and also as fastenings for
gloves, wearing apparel, and the like. The said Invention also relates to apparatus
for securing the said fastenings in place.
Figure 2, a plan of my improved lacing hook.
Figures 3 and 4 are similar views showing the said lacing hook inserted and
clinched in a piece of leather or other material.
Figure 5 is a front view, and
Figure 6, a longitudinal section of apparatus for fixing the lacing hooks in place.
Figure 7 is a top view of a portion of the same detached.
Figure 8 is an elevation of another form of apparatus for securing my improved
lacing hooks in position.
My improved lacing hook, which is represented in Figures 1 and 2, is constructed
as follows, that is to say :-It is provided with a hooked portion a which serves for
the lacing or fastening, and a part 6 concentric with the axis of the hook to receive
the leather, cloth, skin, or other material to which the said hook is to be applied.
The said hook is also provided with a flange or base c which serves to rivet the
said hook upon the material. This base is provided with an oblique cut or slit,
and a portion of the same is raised above the other portion, as shewn in Figure 1,
to give it a spiral or inclined form, for the purpose hereinafter described.
To fix the said book in its place a small hole is first pierced in the leather or
other material in the desired position, and into this hole the point i of the raised
portion of the base is inserted, then by holding the leather or other material firmly
in position and turning the hook the base of the same will act like a screw, and
will cause the leather or other material to pass onto the part of the said hook.
After the above described operation all that is necessary to rivet or fix the hook
and prevent the detaching of the same from the leather or other material in which
it is fixed is to strike the point i of the said foot with a hammer, stamper,
or tool.
In order, however, to facilitate the fixing of the said hooks in place I have
devised an apparatus.or machine illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the Drawing, and.
which is constructed as follows, that is to say:-The said apparatus is provided
with a suitable base or support A, which may be fixed upon a table by means of
screws, and in which a shaft B provided with a crank-handle M turns. The upper
part of the said shaft B is provided with a recess a¹ to receive the lacing hook,
which is retained in position by the clamp b' flush with the edge of the aforesaid
recess and the clamp c'. These two clamps b¹, c', are each provided with a
triangular recess x, Figure 7, in their upper ends to receive the hook, and securely
hold the same in place, part of the said hook resting in the slot a¹ with its point i
turned to the left.
The two clamps b¹ and c' may be closed or brought together in any suitable
manner, as, for example, by means of a bolt or by a thumb-screw C, as shewn in

page_text: the Drawing. The crank handle M carries on its arm a spring d¹ whose free end
is provided with a triangular piece which rests in a corresponding cavity in a pivot f
fixed upon the support A.
When the operator has engaged the lacing hook between the clips or clamps b¹, c¹,
and tightened the screw nut C for closing the same, the point i of the raised portion
of the base of the said hook is placed in the hole formed in the desired position in
the leather or other material which is drawn forcibly to the left, and the crank
handle is then turned with the right hand, thus causing the aforesaid raised.or
spiral portion of the base to engage with the leather, it is then simply necessary
to strike the point i with a hammer and the fastening is finished.
The spring and the pivot f hold the axle B of the apparatus or machine in
the exact position it should occupy, that is to say, in such a position that the
point of the hook is presented to the left and will be turned in the desired
direction.
Instead of striking the base of the said hook with a hammer e, and thereby
securing the hook in position, I sometimes employ a fly press, as in the machine or
apparatus shewn in Figure 8.
The machine or apparatus is also provided with a point k to pierce the holes in
the leather or other material, and is provided with a modified arrangement of the
clamps b and c, that is to say, the said clamps are so formed that they act as
springs, the said clamps being secured at their lower ends to the shaft B by screws
which tend to cause the said clamps to spring inwards, a small lever m being
arranged in connection with the same so that by depressing its end the said clamps
will be separated or opened, and thus permit the insertion of the spiral hook
through the slot a into the opening x. To facilitate the movement.of the lever m
and the action of the clamps two small anti friction rollers g are arranged upon
the said lever to work upon the said clamps.
My improvements as above described are applicable to the construction of lacing
hooks of any dimensions and of any metal, and the form and proportions of the
parts of
my improved apparatus or machines may be varied as desired.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,―
First. A lacing hook with a spiral base to be applied to boots, shoes, gloves, or
other articles, as and for the purpose specified.
Second. The manner of affixing the lacing hook, as above set forth.
Third. The apparatus or machine for flattening the raised point of the base of my
improved lacing hook with the aid of a hammer or a press, or by other means, as
above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty second day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
WM. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)