Improvements in Snap-hooks.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SIMULTIVAL
Improvements in Snap-hooks.
A communication from abroad by CHARLES GEORGE LUNDBORG, of the City, County,
and State of New York, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, 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:-
The aim of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive snap-hook with a
spring tongue which shall be less liable to break, set, or otherwise become inoperative
than those in general use.
To this end is combined, with the body of the hook, a spring tongue or latch, one
end of which rests movably against the inside of the hook while the opposite end is
spirally coiled and secured to a central non-rotating pin or support.
The special advantage of the construction lies in the fact that the slight flexion
that the
required is distributed throughout the entire length of the coil, so
elasticity and strength of the metal are but slightly taxed in operating the
tongue.
The improvement may be embodied in hooks of various forms and for various
purposes.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a side view of a hook constructed in accordance with this
invention.
Figure 2 is an edge view of the same.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the spring tongue.
Referring to the drawings: :―
A represents the body of the hook, and B, the spring tongue which spans or closes
the mouth or opening of the hook. The tongue is made in one piece, of flat spring
steel or equivalent metal, and bears at one end against the inside of the nose of the
hook, while its opposite end is coiled and formed with a square central eye b to receive
a non-rotating square pin C, by which the coil is secured in place in a recess in the
body of the hook. The pin, seated at its ends firmly in the sides of the hook, serves
the double purpose of keeping the tongue in place and of maintaining the coil under
tension so as to hold the free end of the tongue normally against the nose of
the hook.
A moderate pressure serves to force the tongue inward as shown in dotted lines.
The nose of the hook is preferably recessed to admit the end of the tongue as shown,
and if desired the body may be grooved as shown in dotted lines at a to admit
of the tongue closing therein. The last named groove will hold and protect the
tongue so that it may not be broken or displaced laterally when thrown back.
Snap-hooks in accordance with the invention are adapted not only for use in harness
but also for attachment to pulley blocks, to the standing rigging of vessels, to the
painters of boats, to hitching straps, and generally to any and all cases in
which it is required to establish a detachable hooked connection between the
parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :—
1. In a snap-hook, the hook proper in combination with the tongue, one end
of which is formed with an elastic convolute and attached rigidly to the book.

page_text: 2. The snap-hook having a recess therein in combination with the pin of angular
section fixed in said recess, and the spring tongue having the convolute end and
angular eye closely fitted to the pin: whereby the pin is caused to serve the double
purpose of connecting the tongue to the hook and of maintaining the coiled end of
the tongue under tension.
Dated this 29th day of September 1890.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.