Improvements in Buttons and Lacing Hooks for Boots and for other like purposes, and in the Manufacture of the same, and in Appliances for Attaching the same.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left. 21st Sept., 1892-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Buttons and Lacing Hooks for Boots and for other
like purposes, and in the Manufacture of the same, and in
Appliances for Attaching the same.
I, JAMES BOOTH, of 10 Princess Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, Warwickshire,.
Shoe Maker's Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention consists firstly in the herein described improvements in buttons
and lacing hooks for boots shoes and other like purposes; secondly in improvements
in the manufacture of the said improved buttons and lacing hooks and thirdly in
improvements in appliances for attaching the said improved buttons and lacing
hooks to boots, shoes leggings and other articles as may be required.
A button for the purpose described constructed according to this invention has a
two pronged wire shank fixed in a papier mache or other head. These prongs
project from the underside of the head and are close together for a short distance to
form the shank proper and they are then spread apart and bent at right angles to
forin those parts of the prongs which in attaching the button are inserted in and.
pass through the leather or other fabric to which the button is required to be
attached the ends of the prongs being then clenched over towards each other at the
other side of the leather or other substance to make the button quite secure. The
ends of the prongs are cut off in a sloping direction as is done in some wire button.
fasteners so as to facilitate the inserting and clenching over of the said ends when
attaching the lacing hooks or buttons as above described.
My improved lacing hook is similar to the button above described except that
the shank proper is made longer and cranked at about right angles so as to form a
base which when the lacing hook is attached rests upon the leather or other fabric
and resists the strain of the lace which would otherwise tend to pull the lacing stud
over sideways.
.: .
Instead of the lacing hook having a papier mache or other head as above
described; a head or its equivalent- niay be formed by making the upper or shank
part longer and bending the upper-part backward into a loop or hook to take the
lace so that the lacing hook proper and its fixing prongs will thus be formed
together from a single piece of wire.
My improvements in making the said buttons and lacing hooks are carried out as
follows: The piece of wire to form the two pronged shank is first bent centrally
into a four sided looped form its ends being brought together parallel with each
other side by side to form the shank proper. The top of this loop forms the said
base and when the bottom of the loop has been cut away the sides of the loop form
those parts of the prongs which pass into and engage with the leather or other
substance. The bottom of the loop is cut away so as to leave the ends of the
prongs inclined towards each other to facilitate clenching as above described.
The papier mache or other head is by preference fixed to the ends of the loop
before the bottom part is divided. This method of making the two pronged shank
from a loop is very convenient in japanning or lacquering the papier mache or other
heads because the buttons or lacing hooks can by their looped shanks be threaded
together and dipped in the same way as ordinary buttons are. Moreover the said
looped shanks can be made by similar machines as used for making ordinary wire
loops for ordinary boot buttons; and the heads can be attached to the shanks in the
same way as are the heads of the ordinary papier mache buttons without alteration
in the ordinary processes of papier mache button making.
The said wire loops to form the pronged shanks are by preference made from a
continuous length of wire by a special machine forming no part of this invention.

page_text: Or instead of forming the shank and prongs for the button or lacing hooks as
above described, the shank and prongs may be formed of a piece of wire which is
bent centrally and closed together to form the shank proper and then spread apart
and bent at about right angles to form the base and prongs, the ends of the wire
forming the ends of the prongs.
The improved appliance which I use for attaching the said wire lacing hooks
above described is by preference constructed as a hand tool as follows:-
I provide two limbs crossing each other and jointed together like a pair of pliers.
The working end of one of these limbs carries the inserter which is made of thin
steel shaped so as to bear upon and force the prongs forward into the leather or
other substance to which the lacing hook is required to be fixed. The working end
of the other limb carries a bed which on its face has two small rounded hollows
corresponding with the ends of the prongs for the purpose, hereinafter described.
Between the said inserter and the bed 1 provide a clip and holder which clips the
leather against the bed and holds the lacing hook whilst it is being inserted and
fixed in the leather as hereinafter described. This clip and holder is jointed to the
joint of the two limbs or is attached to one of the limbs and is furnished with a
spring stay or other like device which when the two limbs are fully opened apart,
retains the clip and holder a certain distance away from the bed-but allows of the
clip and holder being moved over the inserter.
.
The appliance above described is used as follows:-The lacing hook which is to
be fixed say to a boot upper, is placed in the holder which is shaped to receive it
the prongs projecting towards the bed. That part of the boot upper to which the.
lacing hook is to be attached is placed between the clip and holder and the bed.
On the limbs being closed together the clip and holder first clips the boot
upper against the bed and as the limbs get closer together the inserter enters the
recess in the holder and presses upon the lacing hook and forces the prongs through
the boot upper and the hollows in the bed clench them over together and thus the
Jacing hook is firmly attached. Whilst the lacing hook is being forced into the
boot upper and clenched over as above described the prongs are supported. by
the recess in the clip and holder.
Instead of being constructed for use in a hand tool as above described, the said
inserter, clip and holder and bed may, without departing from the nature of my
invention, be used in a press.
When using the said appliance for attaching my improved buttons above
described the inserting tool has to be cranked somewhat so as to pass between the
underside of the button head and the top of the base so as to bear upon the latter.
The clip and holder also has to be made rather thinner than the space between
the underside of the button head and the top of the base and the said clip or
holder has a vertical slot in front so as to permit of the clip and holder-and-the
inserter being withdrawn from the button after the same has been attached as
above described.
I
Dated this 19th day of December 1891.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Buttons and Lacing Hooks for Boots and for other
like purposes, and in the Manufacture of the same, and in
Appliances for Attaching the same.
I, JAMES BOOTH, of No. 10 Princess Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, Warwick-
shire, Shoe Maker's Manager, 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:-
This invention consists firstly in the hereindescribed improvements in buttons

page_text: and lacing hooks for boots shoes and other like purposes, secondly in
improvements in the manufacture of the said improved buttons and lacing hooks;
and thirdly in improvements in appliances for attaching the said improved
buttons and lacing hooks to boots, shoes, leggings and other articles as may be
required.
I will first describe my improvements in the said .buttons and lacing hooks and
in the manufacture of the same and I will refer to Figs. 1 to 8 of the accompanying
drawings of which
Fig. shews a button for boots shoes and other like purposes constructed
according to this invention and Fig. 2 shews the same button attached to a piece
of leather or other substance:
Fig. 3 represents one form of my improved lacing hook;
Fig. 4 shews another form of the same;
Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate another form of the same made wholly from wire,
Fig. 5 shewing the lacing hook attached to a piece of leather or other substance;
Fig. 7 illustrates my improvements in the manufacture of the said buttons and
lacing hooks and
Fig. 8 illustrates a modification of the same.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the
figures of my drawings.
A button for the purpose described constructed according to this invention'
has (see Figs. 1 and 2) a two pronged wire shank fixed in a papier mache or
other head A. These prongs which are marked respectively B¹ B' project from
the underside of the head A and are close together for a short distance to form
the shank proper and they are then spread apart at 62 and bent at right.
angles at to form those parts of the prongs which in attaching the button
are inserted in and pass through the leather or other fabric C to which the
button is required to be attached the ends of the prongs B1 B2 being then
clenched over towards each other at the other side of the leather or other
substance to make the button quite secure as shewn in Fig. 2. The extreme
ends of the prongs B1 B2 are cut off in a sloping direction as shewn and as is
done in some wire button fasteners so as to facilitate the inserting, and clenching
over of the said ends when attaching the lacing hooks or buttons as above.
described.
My improved lacing hook is as shewn by Figs. 3 and 4 similar to the button
above described except that the shank proper is made longer and cranked at
about right angles so as to form a base & which when the lacing hook is attached
rests upon the leather or other fabric (see Fig. 5) and resists the strain of the lace
which would otherwise tend to pull the lacing stud over sideways.
Instead of the lacing hook having a papier mache or other head A as above
described and as shewn in Figs. 3 and 4 a head or its equivalent may be formed
as shewn by Figs. 5 and by making the upper or shank part, longer and bending
the upper part backward into a loop or hook as shewn to take the lace so
that the lacing hook proper and its fixing prongs will thus be formed together
from a single piece of wire.
My improvements in making the said buttons and lacing hooks are carried out
as follows:-The piece of wire to form the said two pronged shank is first bent
centrally into the four sides looped form shewn by Fig. 7 its ends being brought
together parallel with each other side by side to form the shank proper 6. The
top of this loop forms the said base and when the bottom of the loop has
been cut away the sides of the loop form those parts of the prongs
which pass into and engage with the leather or other substance. The bottom b'
of the loop is cut away so as to leave the ends 666 of the prongs inclined towards
each other as above described and shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 to facilitate
clenching as above described.
The papier machè or other head A is by preference fixed to the ends of the
loop when it is in the form shewn by Fig. 7 that is before the bottom part b² is

page_text: divided. This method of making the two pronged shank from a loop is very
convenient in japanning or lacquering the papier mache or other heads because the
buttons or lacing hooks can by their looped shanks be threaded. together and
dipped in the same way as ordinary boot buttons are. Moreover the said looped
shanks such as shown by Fig. 7 can be made by similar machines as used for
making ordinary wire loops for ordinary boot buttons; and the heads A. can
be attached to the shanks in the same way as are the heads of the ordinary
papier mache buttons without alteration in the ordinary processes of papier mache
button making.
The said wire loops as shewn by Fig. 7 to form the pronged shanks are by
preference made from a continuous length of wire by a special machine forming no
part of this invention.
Or instead of forming the shank and prongs for the button or lacing hooks
from a wire loop as above described and shewn by Fig. 7 the shank and two
prongs may, as shewn by Figs. 5, 6 and 8, be formed of a piece of wire which
is hent centrally at 68 and closed together to form the shank proper and then
spread apart at 62 and bent at about right angles to form the base and two prongs 64
the ends of the wire forming the ends of the two prongs.
•
The improved appliance which I use for attaching the said wire lacing hooks
above described is by preference constructed as a hand tool as I will now describe
by referring to Figs. 9, 10, 11, 11* 12 and 13 in which Fig. 9 is a general view of
the said appliance and Figs. 10, 11, 12 and 13 are sectional views of the acting
parts of the same so as to illustrate their operation and the method of using the
tool as hereinafter fully described.
I provide two limbs marked respectively D and E crossing each other and
jointed together at F like a pair of pliers. The working end of the limb E
carries the inserter G which is made of thin steel shaped as shewn that is t..
say the inserter has two.downwardly projecting parts which bear upon th
upper portions of the prongs and force the prongs forward into the
leather or other substance C to which the lacing hook (marked Z in Figs. 10.
11, 12 and 13) is required to be fixed. The working end of the other limb D
carries a bed H shewn separately by Fig. 11 which is of well known form and in
its face has two small rounded hollows, corresponding with the ends of the
prongs of the lacing hook Z for the purpose hereinafter described. Between the
inserter G and the bed H. I provide a clip and holder which at the proper time
clips the leather C against the bed H and holds the lacing hook Z whilst it is
being inserted and fixed in the leather as hereinafter described. This clip and
holder I is jointed to the joint F. of the two limbs D and E (or is attached to the
ends of the limbs) and is furnished with a spring stay or other like device which
when the two limbs D and E are fully opened apart as shewn in Fig. 9 retains the
clip and holder I a certain distance away from the bed H. but allows of the clip
and holder I being moved over the inserter G, as shewn in Figs. 12 and 13. There
is a hole K in the clip or holder I large enough for the lacing hook Z to pass
through and this hole has two vertical side slots k2 in which the prongs of the
lacing hook fit and which form guides for the prongs to support them whilst the
lacing hook is being inserted as hereinafter described.
The appliance above described is used as follows:-The lacing hook Z which is
to be fixed to a boot upper (part of which is shewn and marked () is placed in the
holder which as above stated is shaped to receive it, the prongs 66 projecting
towards the bed H as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. That part of the boot upper to
which the lacing hook is to be attached is whilst the parts are in the positions
shewn by Fig. 9 placed as shewn in Figs. 10 and 11 between the clip and holder I
and the bed H, the gauge / preventing the boot upper being pushed in too far. On
the limbs D and E being closed together the clip and holder I first clips the
boot upper against the bed H as shewn in Figs. 10 and 11 and as the limbs D and E
get closer together the inserter G enters the recesses in the holder I and
presses upon the upper parts 12 of the lacing hook and forces the prongs
b

page_text: through the boot upper C and the hollows in the bed H clench them over
together as shewn in Figs. 12 and 13 and in Fig. 5 and thus the lacing hook is
firmly attached. Whilst the lacing hook is being forced into the boot upper and
clenched over as above described the prongs are supported by the recesses k³ k*
in the clip and holder I.
Instead of being constructed for use in a hand tool as above described and shewn
in Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 the said inserter G clip and holder I and bed H may
without departing from the nature of my invention, be used in a press.
This is
illustrated by Fig. 14 where it will be seen that the bed H is fixed to the base M
of the press to which also the clip and holder I is jointed at F and the inserter G
is carried by the usual vertical slide N to which also the spring stay J is attached.
The parts operate in the same manner to that above described with reference to
Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13.
When using the said appliance for attaching, my improved buttons above
described the inserting tool G has to be cranked somewhat as shewn in Figs. 15,
16 and 18 so as to pass between the underside of the button head A and the top
of the base and so as to bear upon the latter as shewn in Figs. 15 and 16. The
clip and holder I also has to be made rather thinner than the space between the
underside of the button head A and the top of the base, and the said clip or
holder I has a vertical slot in front (see Fig. 17) so as to permit of the clip and
holler and the inserter G being withdrawn from the button after the same has
been attached as above described.
In conclusion I wish it to be understood that I am aware that prior to my inven-
tion buttons have been made with prongs for their attachment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
:―
1. The improved button for boots shoes and other like purposes having a papier
mache or other head fixed to a two pronged wire shank the said prongs being bent
to the shape and formed at their outer ends substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
2. The improved lacing hook having a papier mache or other head fixed to a
two pronged wire shank which with the said prongs are bent to the shape and
formed at the outer ends of the prongs substantially as and for the purposes
herein before described and illustrated by Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The improved lacing hook having a papier mache or other head fixed to a
two pronged wire shank which with the said prongs are bent to the shape and
formed at the outer ends of the prongs substantially as and for the purposes
herein before described and illustrated by Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The improved lacing hook made from a single piece of wire bent so as to form
the hook proper and its fixing prongs in the manner substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
5. In the manufacture of two pronged buttons and lacing hooks of the kinds
herein referred to the herein described method of making the two prongs of the
button or lacing hook of a piece of wire which is first bent into a looped form sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and shewn by Fig. 7 and then, after the head
has been fixed to the shank, cutting away the bottom of the said loop so as to leave
the sides of the loop to form the two said fixing prongs of the button or lacing hook
substantially as herein before set forth.
6. Making two pronged buttons and two pronged lacing hooks of the kinds
herein referred to of a papier mache or other solid head fixed to a two pronged
wire shank formed from a single piece of wire bent centrally at 68 and cranked so
as to form the two fixing prongs substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by Figs. 4 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
7. In a tool or appliance for attaching to leather or other substance the improved

page_text: two pronged buttons or lacing hooks herein referred to, the use in combination of
the inserter G, clip and holder I and clenching bed H all constructed and arranged
for joint operation in the manner substantially as herein before described with
reference to Figs. 9 to 18 of the accompanying drawings.
8. For use in attaching the improved two pronged buttons or lacing hooks
herein referred to to leather or other substance, the improved hand tool constructed
and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by
Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 and by Figs. 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 20th day of September 1892.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.