IMPROVEMENTS IN TACKS OR FASTENERS FOR SECURING PAPERS AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Friend, of Maidstone, in the County of Kent,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TACKS OR FASTENERS FOR SECURING
PAPERS AND OTHER ARTICLES."
Sealed the 12th May 1876, and dated the 18th February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Friend at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th February 1876.
GEORGE FRIEND, of Maidstone, in the County of Kent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TACKS OR FASTENERS FOR SECURING PAPERS AND OTHER ARTICLES."
My Invention relates to tacks or fasteners to be employed for connecting or
securing together papers, patterns, or other sheets or pieces of material of a soft
nature, and it has for its object simplifying the manufacture of the fasteners and
thereby reducing their cost of production, whilst providing increased facility for the
attachment or removal of the papers or other articles.
In carrying out my Invention as applied to the production of fasteners for
securing or connecting together cornerwise loose sheets of paper (for example), I
take a piece of thin sheet metal or other suitable pliable material and cut it into
pieces of
say an elongated rectangular section, each of which constitutes a blank for
one of my fasteners. I then split each of the blanks lengthwise from each end to
within a short distance of the centre, and fold the blank longitudinally in the line
of the cut, and I also cut the extremities to a pointed form, or I effect the whole of
the cuts simultaneously in the sheet out of which the fasteners are made if
preferred. The fasteners so prepared are then ready for use, and when packed in
boxes occupy considerably less space than the fasteners ordinarily employed.
In connecting or securing papers (for example) with these improved fasteners, the
fastener is passed to the extent of half its length through the pile or series of sheets
to be connected, and its two double extremities are then opened out & doubled
over at each side, whereby the whole of the sheets are securely connected. The
ends turned over are thus of equal length on both sides whatever may be the thick-
ness of the pile or series of sheets to be connected, whilst facility is afforded for
removing any of the sheets from either side without disturbing the whole, as is the
case with the use of the ordinary fasteners.
When it is required to secure papers or similar articles together bookwise, I
substitute for the tapes ordinarily employed a tack or fastener consisting of a picce
Prins 21

page_text: of wire or similar thin pliable material of a shape, the two ends of the fastener
being passed through the papers or other articles to be secured, and then doubled
over towards each other whereby the enclosed sheets will be securely retained
together.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Friend in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 14th August
1876.
GEORGE FRIEND, of Maidstone, in the County of Kent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
TACKS OR FASTENERS FOR SECURING PAPERS AND OTHER ARTICLES."
My said Invention relates to tacks or fasteners to be employed for connecting or
securing together papers, patterns, or other sheets or pieces of material of a soft
nature, and it has for its object simplifying the manufacture of the fasteners and
thereby reducing their cost of production, whilst providing increased facility for
the attachment or removal of the papers or other articles.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now pro-
ceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the
several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
In carrying out my Invention as applied to the production of fasteners for
securing or connecting together cornerwise loose sheets of papers, for example, I
take a piece of thin sheet metal or other suitable pliable material and cut it into
pieces of say any elongated rectangular section, one of which is shewn in Figure 1,
and each of which constitutes a blank for one of my fasteners, I then split cach of
the blanks, Figure 1, lengthwise from each end to within a short distance of the
centre, as shewn in Figure 2, and fold the blank longitudinally in the line of the
cut as represented in Figure 3, and I also cut the extremities to a pointed form as
shewn in Figure 4, or I effect the whole of the cuts simultaneously in the sheet out
of which the fasteners are made if preferred. The fasteners so prepared are then
ready for use and when packed in boxes occupy considerably less space than the
fasteners ordinarily employed. Figures 5, 6, and 7 illustrate the application of the
improved fasteners to the connecting or securing of papers for example. The
fastener marked a is passed to the extent of half its length through the pile or
series of sheets b to be connected as shewn in the section Figure 5, and its two
double extremities are then opened out and doubled over at each side, as shewn in
the clevation and section Figures 6 and 7 respectively, whereby the whole of the
sheets are securely connected. The ends turned over are thus of equal length on
both sides, whatever may be the thickness of the pile or series of sheets to be
connected, whilst facility is afforded for removing any of the sheets from either side
without disturbing the whole, as is the case with the use of the ordinary fasteners.
A further advantage which is obtained by the employment of my improved
fasteners consists in obviating the liability to the wear and tear of the papers
beneath the head of the fastener, which attends the use of the ordinary headed
fasteners, and which is due to the non-yielding nature of the head.
When it is required to secure papers or similar articles together bookwise I
substitute for the tapes ordinarily employed a tack or fastener consisting of a piece
of wire or similar thin pliable material of the shape represented in Figure 8, the
two ends of the fastener being passed through the papers b or other articles to be
secured, and then doubled over towards each other as shewn at c in the section and
open face view, Figures 9 and 10 respectively, whereby the enclosed sheets will be
securely retained together.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,

page_text: and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, constructing tacks or fasteners for connecting or securing
together papers, patterns, or other like sheets or pieces, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Friend, have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal, the Eighth day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-six.
GEO. FRIEND. (L.S.)