Improved Means of Fastening for Boots, Shoes, Leggings, Corsets, and other Articles of Wearing Apparel.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 9th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means of Fastening for Boots, Shoes, Leggings, Corsets,
and other Articles of Wearing Apparel.
I, JOSEPH HENRY HOWARTH of 71, Hollingreave Road, Burnley, in the County
of Lancaster, Auctioneer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improved means of fastening as applied to boots,
shoes, leggings, corsets, and other articles of wearing apparel.
lu carrying my invention into effect, I provide each of the free ends of the
article to be fastened with a longitudinal strip of any suitable metal or material of
a flexible nature, so as not to interfere with the comfort of the wearer, and will
conform with the movements of the body or limb, without disadvantage.
The strips are formed with holes whereby they are sewn to the article, or they
may be rivetted, cemented, or otherwise secured thereto. The outer edges of the
strips are formed with grooves, int which slides my novel device of fastening.
This consists of a number of diagonal cross bars, which are pivotted in the centre,
and are jointed at their ends to work exactly after the manner of a pair of lazy
tongs. At the junctions of the ends of the bars, I provide pins or studs, which are
so arranged as to slide in the grooves of the aforesaid longitudinal flexible strips,
in such a manner that when the fastening device is drawn up, it will close the sides
of the article to be fastened firmly together, but when it is desired to be unfastened,
it is simply pushed down or depressed, when the article is free.
I will instance the application of my invention to a pair of boots or shoes.
I dispense with the usual laces and eyelets as a means of fastening, and substitute
therefor the two longitudinal strips as described above. The projecting studs or
pins of the lazy tong device slide in the grooves of the strips, and are fixed at the
bottom of the boot near the instep. By simply pulling or drawing up this fastening
device along the grooves, it brings the two sides of the boot firmly together, and to
hold it in this position, the device has catch extremities which fit on to the extreme
ends of the strips, or it may be otherwise fastened thereto, or held in position.
To unfasten the boot, the device is relieved, and pushed down the sides of the
grooves, which action consequently expands the sides of the boot, sufficiently to
take it off.
Dated this 8th day of 1900
F. RICHMOND,
12, Standish Street, Burnley, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means of Fastening for Boots, Shoes, Leggings, Corsets,
and other Articles of Wearing Apparel.
I, JOSEPH HENRY HOWARTH of 71, Hollingreave Road, Burnley, in the County
of Lancaster, Auctioneer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and iu
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improved means of fastening as applied to boots,
shoes, leggings corsets and other articles of wearing apparel.

page_text: In carrying my invention into effect I provide each of the free ends of the
article to be fastened with a longitudinal strip of any suitable metal or material of
a flexible nature so as not to interfere with the comfort of the wearer, and will
conform with the movements of the hody or limbs without disadvantage.
The strips are formed with holes whereby they are sewn to the article, or they
may be rivetted, cemented or otherwise secured thereto. The outer edges of the
strips are formed with grooves, into which slides my novel device of fastening.
This consists of a number of diagonal cross bars which are pivotted in the centre
and are jointed at their ends to work exactly after the manner of a pair of lazy
tongs. At the junction of the ends of the bars, I provide pins or studs which are
so arranged as to slide in the grooves of the aforesaid longitudinal flexible strips, in
such a manner that when the fastening device is drawn up it will close the sides of
the article to be fastened firmly together, but when it is desired to be unfastened,
it is simply pushed down or depressed when the article is free. I will instance the
application of my invention to a pair of boots or shoes. I dispense with the
usual laces and eyelets as a means of fastening and substitute therefor the two
longitudinal, strips as described above. The projecting studs or pins of the lazy
tong device slide in the grooves or strips, and are fixed at the bottom of the boot
near the instep. By simply pulling or drawing up this fastening device along the
grooves it brings the two sides of the hoot firmly together, and to hold it in this
position, the device has catch extremities, which fit on to the extreme ends of the
strips, or it may be otherwise fastened thereto or held in position.
To unfasten the boot the device is relieved and pushed down the sides of the
grooves, which action consequently expands the sides of the boot sufficiently to take
it off.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are detached views of the upper or front of a boot or shoe, fitted
with my improved fastening device, which is intended to dispense with the usual
eyelets and laces.
A. A are the free ends of the upper, which instead of being provided with the
usual eyelets and laces are provided with longitudinal strips B of any suitably
flexible metal or material, which are pierced with holes, by which they are sewn to
the leather of the hoot, or they may he rivetted cemented or otherwise secured
thereto. They are also formed with longitudinal slots or grooves C, into which
slide studs D carried at the jointed ends of a series of diagonal cross bars E, which
are pivotted at their centres, and work exactly after the manner of a pair of lazy
tongs. The lazy tong device is secured at F to the vamp of the boot.
Fig. 1 represents the boot as having been fastened, the lazy tong device having
been drawn up the grooves C of the strips B, which are thereby brought close
together, and thereby close the free ends of the boot.
Fig. 2 illustrates the boot as unfastened, the lazy tong device having been forced
down the grooves C of the longitudinal strips B.
The raising and lowering of the appliance may be effected by the knob G, as
shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, but I prefer to have an arrangement to clip the sides of the
hout, so as to permanently retain the device in any desired position, or any other
suitable means of fastening may be adopted. For this purpose the spring lever
clips H H (see Fig. 3) may be employed to clip each side of the boot in any
position. The levers are brought face to face when the device is raised and
lowered, but they are forced against the leather when they are required to securely
hold the device in the place it may be put. They are then in the position
indicated in Fig. 3. They may be such as are now used for fastening gloves and
such like articles.
Strips of celluloid or like material may be inserted between the longitudinal
strips B and the leather of the boot to ensure ease for the wearer.
When my improved means of fastening is applied to corsets, leggings and such
like apparel, the article for wear is preferably made in two pieces. One of the
pieces is temporarily fastened to the other (after being got in place on the body or

page_text: limb) by studs which are pushed through slotted holes on small metal strips, so that
when drawn tight the studs cannot leave the holes. My lazy tong device is then
operated to tighten the corset or other article exactly as previously described.
Or, in a modification the corset, legging or such like article may be made in one
piece and one of the longitudinal strips B formed with a widened groove or slot at
the bottom, so as to allow the studs D of the diagonal cross bars to slide out of the
groove C. This will allow the article free to be applied or removed from the body
or limb. The slot or groove on the corresponding longitudinal strip may be
formed in the manner described above to prevent any possibility of studs D leaving
their position on that side.
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 :-
The lazy tong device or diagonal cross bars E provided with studs D, which
slide in slots C of longitudinal strips B to serve as a means of fastening boots,
shoes, leggings, corsets, and other articles of wearing apparel, substantially as shewn
and described.
Dated this 7th day of October 1806
F. RICHMOND,
12, Standish Street, Burnley, Agent for the Applicant
F. RICHMOND,
12, Standish Street, Burnley, Agent for the Applicant