Improvements in and relating to Fastenings for Laces and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Fastenings for Laces and the like.
I, FREDERIC ALGAR, of 7 and 8, Waterbeer Street, Exeter, in the County of
Devon, Iron Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to fastenings for laces and the like and is particu-
larly applicable for use in connection with boots and shoes the object being to
retain or securely hold the ends of the laces in a ready and convenient manner
without the necessity of tying them in a bow or knot.
My invention comprises essentially one or more spring clips or hooks so formed
or shaped as to securely hold the end of a lace. The clip or hook is normally
closed but will open sufficiently to allow of the lace entering when the same is
pressed or drawn down on to it. The end of the lace is provided with one or
more permanent knots so as to prevent the lace being withdrawn unintentionally.
A convenient method of constructing a fastener according to this invention is
to stamp a T-shaped blank out of sheet metal. The lower portion of the said
blank is then bent on itself so as to form a hook or clip, the upper ends of said
hook or clip are provided either with bosses, projections or tongues so placed as
to make contact with one another. The side arms or fangs are intended to be
passed through a hole or holes in the material to which they are to be attached
and then to be bent over or clamped so as to securely fix the fastener in position
on the material. In some cases these side arms or fangs are dispensed with and
the hook or clip is attached by means of an eyelet either made in one with the
fastener or separate therefrom.
I sometimes prefer to make two or more of such fasteners in one piece one in
advance of the other so as to allow, when the lace is only knotted in one place
for the stretching of the lace through wear.
It will be understood that in use after the boot or other article to which the
fastener is attached has been laced up the knotted end is pressed or drawn down
against the projections or tongues closing the opening of the hook or clip, the
elasticity of the hook due to the metal or its shape or both will allow the lace
to enter the fastener, the knot or the lace end preventing it from being unin-
tentionally withdrawn or slipping out.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Fastenings for Laces and the like.
I, FREDERIC ALGAR, of 7 and 8, Waterbeer Street, Exeter, in the County of
Devon, Iron Merchant, 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 relates to fastenings for laces and the like and is particu-
larly applicable for use in connection with boots and shoes the object being to
retain or securely hold the ends of the faces in a ready and convenient manner
without the necessity of tying them in a bow or knot.
My invention comprises essentially one or more spring clips or hooks so formed
or shaped as to securely hold the end of a lace. The clip or hook is normally
closed but will open sufficiently to allow of the lace entering when the same is
pressed or drawn down into it. The end of the lace is provided with one or
more permanent knots so as to prevent the lace being withdrawn unintentionally.
I will now more particularly describe my invention making, reference to the
accompanying sheet of drawings in which:
:-
Figure is a view in front elevation of a spring clip or hook constructed
according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional view thereof on line - of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a view in plan of a clip or hook fastened to its supporting material.
Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of a clip or hook furnished with a different
method of attachment.
Figures 5 and 6 are views in front and side elevation respectively of a modified
form of spring clip or hook, and
Figure 7 is a broken view in perspective of part of a boot fitted with my
invention.
The form of fastener A which I prefer to use is that illustrated by Figures 1,
2, 3 and 7 of the accompanying drawings which may be conveniently formed
by stamping a T-shaped blank out of sheet metal, preferably hard brass. The
lower portion of the said blank is then bent on itself so as to form a hook or
clip a, the upper ends of said hook or clip are provided with inwardly projecting
bosses or the like a¹ a¹ which nearly meet or make contact with one another.
The side arms or fangs a² a are intended to be passed through a hole or holes
in the article or material X to which they are to be attached and then to be
bent over or clamped (see Figures 3 and 7) so as to securely fix the fastener A
in position on the article or like material X. In some cases these side arms
or fangs a² a³ may be dispensed with and an eyelet employed as shown in Figure 4.
The eyelet a³ may either be made in one with the fastener A as illustrated or
it may be separate therefrom in which case the fastener is provided with a suit-
able hole for it to pass through.
Instead of forming bosses or projections on both ends of the hook or clip I
may form one such boss or projection on one part only in which case I prefer
to make the projection in the form of an inwardly projecting tongue such as a
as illustrated by Figures 5 and 6.
I sometimes make or form two or more fasteners A in or out of one piece of
sheet metal the one in advance of the other so as to allow, when the lace is
only knotted in one place for the stretching of the lace through wear.
When applied to boots or shoes the fasteners are fixed one on each side of the
upper part of the boot or shoe and after the boot or shoe has been laced up,
the ends of the lace-which have each been knotted are pressed or drawn

page_text: down into the hooks or clips against the bosses a¹ or tongues at when the elasti-
city of the hooks or clips due to the metal or its shape or both will allow the ends
of the lace to enter the fasteners so that the knots on their ends engages the sides
of the fasteners thus preventing them from pulling or drawing out.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
(1) A fastener for laces and the like consisting essentially of a spring clip
or hook, adapted to be attached to the boot or other article, and so formed or
shaped as to normally be closed but capable of opening for the passage of the
lace on pressure being applied by drawing the lace end down on to the mouth
of the clip or hook, as set forth.
(2) A lace fastener constructed arranged and adapted to operate substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 of the
accompanying drawing.
(3) A lace fastener constructed arranged and adapted to operate substantially
as herein before described and illustrated by Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying
drawing.
(4) The combination with a boot or shoe, of a pair of fasteners as hereinbefore
described and claimed fixed one on each side of the upper part of the boot or
shoe and adapted to make fast the ends of the laces, as set forth.
T
11.
L
1000
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst.C.E., M.I.Mech.E.,
Chartered Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.