A New or Improved Fastener for Fastening the Laces of Boots and Shoes, and for other like Purposes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1890-Accepted, 26th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Fastener for Fastening the Laces of Boots and
Shoes, and for other like Purposes.
We LOUIS CASTIGLIONE of No. 85 Clifford Street Aston near Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Manufacturer and JoHN BARRAS of Lozells Grove Terrace.
Chain Walk Aston aforesaid Commercial Clerk do hereby declare the nature of
this Invention to be as follows:-
Our said invention consists of a fastener constructed and operating in the manner
hereinafter described which said fastenor is especially applicable to the fastening of
the laces of boots and shoes but may also be applied to other like purposes such
for example as the fastening of blind cords and the fastening of cords generally.
We will describe our invention as applied to a boot. We cut from thin sheet
steel or other elastic metal or alloy a blank about three quarters of an inch long
and about half an inch broad. The said blank has a square hole near one end. It
is taper at the opposite end and has a notch on each longer side somewhat nearer
the taper end than the square hole. A tongue or oblong strip of strong leather
or india rubber a little shorter and narrower than the blank is connected to the
blank described by the taper end and edges of the blank being turned down upon
and made to grip the longer and one of the short sides of the tongue. That end
of the blank in which the hole is situated is not turned down on the tongue. The
leather tongue has a cross slit on its underside coinciding with the notches in the
blank. The said slit may either wholly or only partly divide the tongue into two
parts. A beaded stem or rivet with a square body is passed through the
hole in the blank and through the leather at that part. The fastener is now
complete.
In order to fix the fastoner on the boot the rivet is passed through the leather
of the boot near the top its free end being inclined downwards. It is fixed in
position by the inner end of the body of the headed stem being riveted on the inner
side of the leather. The fastener thus fixed constitutes a spring tongue pressing
forcibly on the leather of the boot near the point at which the lace passes out of
the top eyelet hole of the boot. After the boot has been laced it is only necessary
to draw the lace under the spring tongue when it is gripped between the said
tongue and the boot and is held in place securely until by the application of the
required force it is drawn from under the spring tongue.
The application of our invention to the fastening of blind cords and other like
purposes differs in no essential respect from its application to the fastening of a
boot lace as herein before described.
The size of the fastening varies according to the particular purpose for which
it is required.
Although we prefer to make the fastener of an oblong figure yet we do not
limit ourselves to that particular figure.
Dated this 20th day of September 1889.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Fastener for Fastening the Laces of Boots and
Shoes, and for other like Purposes.
We, Louis CASTIGLIONE of 85 Clifford Street Aston near Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Manufacturer and JOHN BARRAS of Lozells Grove Terrace Chain
Walk Aston aforesaid Commercial Clerk do hereby declare the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to he performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our said invention, consists of a fastener constructed and operating in the manner
hereinafter described, which said fastener is especially applicable to the fastening of the
laces of boots and shoes but may also be applied to other like purposes such for example
as the fastening of blind cords and the fastening of cords generally.
Wo will describe our invention as applied to a boot. We cut from thin sheet
metal or other elastic metal or alloy, a blank, about three quarters of an inch long and
about half an inch broad. The said blank has a square hole near one end. It is
taper at the opposite end, and has a notch on each longer size somewhat nearer
the taper end than the square hole. A tongue or oblong strip of strong leather or
india-rubber a little shorter and narrower than the blank is connected to the blank
described by the taper end and edges of the blank being turned down upon and made
to grip the longer and one of the short sides of the tongue. That end of the blank
in which the hole is situated is not turned down on the tongue. The loather tongue
may have a cross slit on its underside coinciding with the notches in the blank. The
said slit may either wholly or only partly divide the tongue into two parts. A headed
stem or rivet with a square body is passed through the hole in the blank, and through
the leather at that part. The fastener is now complete.
In order to fix the fastener on the boot the rivet is passed through. the leather of
the boot near the top, its free end being inclined downwards. It is fixed in position
by the inner end of the body of the headed stem being riveted on the inner side of
the leather, against an intermediate washer. The fastener thus fixed constitutes a
spring tongue pressing forcibly on the leather of the boot near the point at which the
lace passes out at the top eyelet hole of the boot. After the boot has been laced it, is
only necessary to draw the lace under the spring tongue when it is gripped
between the said tongue and the boot and is held in place securely until by
the application of the required force it is drawn from under the spring tongue.
The application of our invention to the fastening of blind cords and other like
purposes differs in no essential respect from its application to the fastening of a boot
face as herein-before described.
The size of the fastening varies according to the particular purpose for which it is
required.
Although we prefer to make the fastener of an oblong figure yet we do not limit
ouselvos to that particular figure.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood and easily carried into
practical effect we have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings upon
which we have illustrated one example of our invention which will enable
others to apply it in such a manner as to be most convenient for each particular
case.
Figure 1 is a side view of a boot A laced up and the lace fastened under. the
fastener B.
Figure 2 shows a larger sized view of the fastener B with only a portion of the
boot A.
Figure 3 is a side sectional elevation of the fastener B.showing the lace B secured
between the fastener B and the leather of the boot. A as also the washer K.
Figure 4 shows the metal front part of the fastener B with the edges & ready to be
bent over.

page_text: Figure 5 shows the plate with the edges bent round so as to enclose and grip the
india rubber leather or other flexible medium 6 as shown more clearly in the sections
Figure 6 and Figure 7.
The notch in the fastener forms a slightly weak part or waist which allows it to
bend slightly in that part when the lace E is brought between it and the boot as seen
at Figures 1, 2 and 3. The fastener when made and punched with the hole b
Figure 5 is ready to receive the rivet C. The washer K may be of any shape but we
prefor it to be of sufficient size as shown to support the leather a little way down-
wards. The rivet C secures the fastener B the washer K and the boot A together.
When the boot is laced the ends of the lace E aro passed under the fastoner with a
slight pressure and no knots or tieing is required for the lace remains until removed
by hand.
It will be obvious that the configuration of the fastener may be greatly varied
and the ornamentation as profuse as desired and that the size and the number
of rivets will be suited to the purpose whether for boots or shoes blind cords or
other uses.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in, what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
The new or improved fastener for fastening the laces of boots and shoes, and
for other such like purposes substantially as herein set forth and as shewr. upon the
drawings.