IMPROVEMENTS IN CLASPS OR FASTENINGS FOR BOOKS, ALBUMS, PORTFOLIOS, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Faris, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Book Rim and Clasp Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CLASPS OR FASTENINGS FOR BOOKS, ALBUMS, PORTFOLIOS,
AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES."
Sealed the 17th March 1876, and dated the 26th October 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Faris at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th October 1875.
I, DAVID FARIS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Book
Rim and Clasp Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLASPS OR FASTENINGS FOR BOOKS, ALBUMS,
PORTFOLIOS, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing clasps or fastenings for books,
albums, portfolios, and other like articles in the manner herein-after
described, whereby the said clasps or fastenings are without projecting
parts, and are fixed in their places and fastened independently of the

page_text: ordinary metallic rims. The principal part of the said clasps or
fastenings is flush with or situated below the level of the edges of the
sides or bindings of the book, and are more secure than ordinary clasps
or fastenings.
Instead of making the clasps or fastenings of a flat plate hinged or
jointed at one end to the metallic rim fixed on one side of the book and
the other or free end snapping upon a pin or stud on the metallic rim
at the other side of the book, as usual, I make the said clasps or
fastenings of a flat plate of metal, having at its free end a nearly semi-
circular hook or catch of a size proper to embrace the edge of one of the
sides or bindings of the book, and near the other or joint end a semi-
circular loop or arch of a size proper to embrace the edge of the other
side or binding of the book. Near the said loop or arch are knuckles,
between which a middle knuckle on a flap engages, the two parts being
hinged together by a pin passed through the engaged knuckles. The
said flap constitutes the fixed part of the clasp, the said flap being fixed
to the exterior of the side or binding of the book by means of cars or
points on its ends being passed through holes in the said side or binding
and clinched on the inside thereof. Although I have found this method
of connecting the fixed flap of the hinged parts of the clasp to answer
well in practice, yet I do not limit myself thereto, as other means of
securing the fixed flap to the book may be adopted.
When the clasp is shut down upon the edges of the book the loop or
arch near the joint end first passes on to and embraces the edge of that
side of the book to which the clasp is jointed, and afterwards the hook
or catch on the free end embraces or hooks itself upon the edge of the
opposite side of the book and draws the two sides together and firmly
fastens the book in its closed position, the two sides or bindings of the
book being held between the loop or arch at one end and the semi-
circular embracing hook or catch at the other end.
For convenience of description I have described my improved clasp or
fastening as applied to a book, but the said clasp or fastening may also
be applied to albums, portfolios, and other articles having sides opening
and closing after the manner of the sides of a book, and either in con-
nection or not with metallic rims.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said David Faris in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
FARIS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Book Rim and
Clasp Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said David Faris, Her special
license, that I, the said David Faris, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said David Faris, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CLASPS OR FASTENINGS FOR BOOKS, ALBUMS, PORTFOLIOS, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said David Faris, my
executors or adminstrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said David Faris, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in constructing clasps or fastenings for books,
albums, portfolios, and other like articles in the manner herein-after
described, whereby the said clasps or fastenings are without projecting
parts, and may be fixed in their places and fastened independently of
the ordinary metallic rims. Or by means of the said metallic rims the
principal part of the said clasps or fastenings is flush with or situated

page_text: below the level of the edges of the sides or bindings of the book, and are
morc secure than ordinary clasps or fastenings.
Instead of making the clasps or fastenings of a flat plate hinged or
jointed at one end to the metallic rim fixed on one side of the book and
the other or free end snapping upon a pin or stud on the metallic rim
at the other side of the book, as usual, I make the said clasps or
fastenings of a flat plate of metal, having at its free end a nearly semi-
circular hook or catch of a size proper to embrace the edge of one of the
sides or bindings of the book, and near the other or joint end a semi-
circular loop or arch of a size proper to embrace the edge of the other
side or binding of the book. Near the said loop or arch are knuckles,
between which a middle knuckle on a flap engages, the two parts being
hinged together by a pin passed through the engaged knuckles. The
said flap constitutes the fixed part of the clasp, the said flap being fixed
to the exterior of the side or binding of the book by means of ears or
points on its ends being passed through holes in the said side or binding
and clinched on the inside thereof. Although I have found this method
of connecting the fixed flap of the hinged parts of the clasp to answer
well in practice yet I do not limit myself thereto as other means of
securing the fixed flap to the book may be adopted.
When the clasp is shut down upon the edges of the book the loop or
arch near the joint end first passes on to and embraces the edge of that
side of the book to which the clasp is joined, and afterwards the hook or
catch on the free end embraces or hooks itself upon the edge of the
opposite side of the book, and draws the two sides together and firmly
fastens the book in its closed position, the two sides or bindings of the
book being held between the loop or arch at one end and the semi-
circular embracing hook or catch at the other end.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents the edge of a book
to which a clasp or fastening made according to my Invention is applied,
and Figure 2 is a section of the same.
Figure 3 represents an edge view and plan of the said clasp detached,
and Figure 4 represents the clasp and the connecting flap separately.
The clasp is marked a in the several Figures, and the connecting flap
is marked b. On the free end of the said clasp a is a nearly semicircular
hook or catch c, and near the other or joint end is a semicircular loop or

page_text: arch d. The clasp a and flap b are hinged together in the manner
represented, that is to say, a middle knuckle 6 on the flap 6 engages
between the two outer knuckles a³, a², of the clasp a, and the engaged
knuckles are connected together by a joint pin passed through them.
The flap b to which the clasp a is hinged is fixed to the exterior of the
side or binding of the book in the manner represented in Figure 2, that
is to say, ears or points 6 on its ends are passed through holes in the
side or binding of the book and clinched on the inside thereof.
On shutting down the clasp a upon the edges of the sides e, f, of the
book the loop or arch d first passes on to and embraces the edge of the
side e of the book, and afterwards the hook or catch c embraces or hooks
itself upon the edge of the other side of the book and draws the two
sides together, and thereby fastens the book in its closed position, as
illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.
Instead of connecting the clasp to the side or binding by clinching
ears or points, as described and illustrated, the fixing flap may have a
trough form given to it, the trough part of the flap being closed upon
the edge of the side or binding before the metal rim is fixed in its
place.
A clasp made as last described is represented in edge view and plan
in Figure 5, and applied to a book in section in Figure 6, where the
trough-shaped flap jointed at 7' to the clasp a is marked h. The way in
which the trough flap is closed upon the edge of the book and
afterwards fixed in its place by the metallic rim i is seen in the enlarged
sectional view, Figure 6ª. Or the clasp may be hinged to the metallic
rim, as illustrated in section in Figure 7 and edge view in Figure 8. In
this case a middle knuckle k is soldered to the metallic rim 1, and the
clasp a is hinged to the said knuckle by a joint pin. This clasp is
without the loop or arch near the joint end, the clasp a being curved at
its junction with the metallic rim, as represented in Figure 7.
For convenience of description I have represented and described my
improved clasp or fastening as applied to a book, but the said clasp or
fastening may also be applied to albums, portfolios, and other articles
having sides opening and closing after the manner of the sides of a book,
and either in connection or not with metallic rims.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do

page_text: not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated;
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention; but I claim as my Invention, the improvements in clasps or
fastenings for books, albums, portfolios, and other like articles, herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is
to say, constructing the said clasps with a semicircular hook or catch
at the free end, which embraces the edge of the book or other article,
or with a hook or catch at the free end, and an arch or loop at the
jointed end, for embracing both edges of the book or article and fastening
the said clasp to the book or article, substantially in the several ways
described and illustrated, the clasps or fastenings so constructed being
flush with or situated below the level of the edges of the sides or bindings
of the book or article, and without projecting parts.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Faris, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
DAVID FARIS. (L.S.)