A NEW OR IMPROVED FASTENING FOR DELTS AND DANDS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Patrick Alphonsus Martin, of Great Charles Street
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, for an Invention of "A NEW OR
LETTERS PATENT to Patrick Alphonsus Martin, of Great Charles Street.
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, for an Invention of "A NEW OR
IMPROVED FASTENING FOR DELTS AND DANDS."
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, for an Invention of "A NEW OR
IMPROVED FASTENING FOR DELTS AND DANDS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Patrick Alphonsus Martin
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th September 1880.
PATRICK ALPHONSUS MARTIN, of Great Charles Street, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick. "A NEW OR IMPROVED FASTENING FOR BELTS AND
BANDS."
My Invention consists of an arrangement of parts as hereinafter described,
forming a fastening for belts and bands, and relates to a fastening universally
known to the belt trade as a snake fastening," which is made of a piece of metal
in the shape of an S formed snake; hooked to each end of this snake is a metal
ring secured to a metal loop, and to these loops are attached the ends of the belt,
one end of the said snake being left sufficiently open to allow it to hook on and off,
or become detached from the corresponding loop at pleasure.
It is found however in actual use that the "snake fastening" is very insecure
and liable to become accidentally unhooked or detached, and the object of my
Invention is to overcome this defect.
I form the body of the before mentioned "snake fastening" in two parts, and I
construct the adjacent parts thereof in such manner that the snake is capable of
being connected and disconnected in the centre by means of a slide bolt or other
convenient arrangement, doing away with the necessity of leaving the one end of
the snake open or unclenched, as in the ordinary "snake fastening" above alluded
to, and thus overcoming its chief defect, namely, self, accidental, or involuntary
detachment; thus the snake portion of my fastening working upon the side loops
brings the strain of the belt directly upon the centre slide or other connection.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Patrick Alphonsus Martin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th March 1881.
PATRICK ALPHONSUS MARTIN, of Great Charles Street, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick. "A NEW OR IMPROVED FASTENING FOR BELTS AND
BANDS."
My Invention consists of an arrangement of parts as hereinafter described, forming
a fastening for belts and bands, and relates to a fastening universally known to the
belt trade as a "snake fastening," which is at present made of a piece of metal in
the shape of an S formed snake; hooked to each end of this snake is a metal ring
secured to a metal loop, and to these loops are attached the ends of the belt, one
end of the said snake being left sufficiently open to allow it to hook on and off, or
become detached from the corresponding loop at pleasure.
It is found however in actual use that the "snake fastening" is very insecure,
and liable to become accidentally unhooked or detached, and the object of my
Invention is to overcome the defect.
I form the body of the before mentioned "snake fastening" in two parts, and I
construct the adjacent parts thereof in such manner that the snake is capable of
being connected and disconnected in the centre by means of a slide, bolt, or other
convenient arrangement, doing away with the necessity of leaving the one end of
the snake open or unclenched as in the ordinary "snake fastening" above alluded
to, and thus overcoming its chief defect, namely, self, accidental, or involtunary
detachment; thus the snake portion of my fastening working upon the side loops,
brings the strain of the belt directly upon the centre slide or other connection.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, more fully
Figure 1 is a front view of my improved snake fastening, connecting the two
ends of a belt; Figure 2 is an edge view thereof, and Figures 3, are separate end
views of the bolt and socket.
Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 1, but showing a slightly modified form of
fastening, and a different pattern device, and
Figures 5 are separate front views of the bolt and socket.
Similar parts are marked with similar letters of reference in all the Figures.
a is a belt to each end of which is attached a metal loop b, having formed thereon
or fixed thereto a ring c, to which the half of the body d of the fastening is
connected.
One half of the body d of the fastening d is provided with a bolt e, such bolt
being formed at a slight angle to a vertical line, and with an enlarged head c¹ at
one end thereof which acts as a stop. The other half of the fastening has formed
thereon a tubular case f, inclined so as to correspond with the bolt c.
This case f
is formed with a socket f¹, and a slit or opening f² at the side thereof, and is open
at the top f³, but is closed at the bottom f*.
In the modification shown at Figures 4 and 5, the tubular case is vertical on
the exterior, but the socket therein is formed at an angle, and the bolt e is formed
at a corresponding angle there with, by which means a better and more uniformn
appearance is obtained.
The action of this improved fastening is as follows:-
When it is desired to connect the two parts a of the belt, the bolt e is slidden
into the socket f¹ in the tubular case f, until it is arrested by the enlarged head or

page_text: stop el, when, as will be readily understood, any strain brought to bear upon the
fastening will securely lock the parts together. By these means the necessity for
leaving one end of the snake open or unclenched as in the ordinary snake fastening
is obviated, thus overcoming any tendency to self, accidental, or involuntary
detachment.
I have described the above form of fastening merely as an example of the mode
in which my Invention may be carried into effect, and I would have it understood
that other connecting devices may be employed without departing from the nature
of my Invention, so long as the snake or other device is divided, and the fastening
means are formed in the centre of the device, so that the strain of the belt is
brought to bear directly upon such fastening means, thereby securely holding the
parts together.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode in which
the same may be carried into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim
is,-
Forming fastenings for belts and bands of a device divided in the centre into
two parts, capable of being readily connected or disconnected by means of a
slide, bolt, or other convenient arrangement, substantially as herein shown and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Patrick Alphonsus Martin, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty fifth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
P. A. MARTIN. (L.S.)