IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIRT AND COLLAR STUDS CUFF STUDS OR SOLITAIRES AND OTHER DRESS FASTENINGS AND ORNAMENTS "
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Charles Alldridge of Birmingham in the County
of Warwick Manufacturing Jeweller for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SHIRT AND COLLAR STUDS CUFF STUDS OR SOLITAIRES AND OTHER DRESS
FASTENINGS AND ORNAMENTS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Charles Alldridge
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th July 1883.
WILLIAM CHARLES ALLDRIDGE of Birmingham in the County of Warwick
Manufacturing Jeweller "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIRT AND COLLAR STUDS CUFF
STUDS OR SOLITAIRES AND OTHER DRESS FASTENINGS AND ORNAMENTS"
My invention consists in constructing and combining in the manner hereinafter
described the parts of shirt and collar studs cuff studs or solitaires and other dress
fastenings and ornaments whereby great security and efficiency in the fastening of
the said shirt and collar studs and other like articles to the dress is effected.
As my improvements are particularly applicable to shirt studs I will describe
them in connection with a shirt stud.
To the end of the flat stem of the front disc of the shirt stud a back disc made
in halves is hinged. These hinged halves can either be closed upon or made to lie
parallel to one another for passing the back disc through the hole in the shirt or
opened out or expanded into a disc form for securing the stud in the said hole.
The
The hinged halves of the back disc are automatically opened out or expanded on
passing the closed halves through the hole in the shirt by the said hole acting
upon flaps or tail pieces at right angles to the halves of the disc and situated on
opposite sides of the stem of the stud. These flaps or tail pieces constitute the
short arms of levers the halves of the back disc constituting the long arms.
hinged halves of the back disc are. furnished with stop joints at opposite ends or
other parts of the hinge so that the said hinged halves when in their closed
position are prevented from moving beyond the line of the stem to which they are
hinged and the passing of the back disc into and out of the hole in the dress is
thereby facilitated.

page_text: For the purpose of fixing the hinged halves of the back disc of the stud in their
expanded or opened out position after they have been passed through the hole in
the shirt I combine with the stud a spring fastening constructed substantially as
follows: In the hollow head or front disc of the stud is a bolt crossing the said
head as a diameter. Near the middle of this bolt are two catches which project
through openings at the back of the said head or front disc and are situated on
either side of the stem and in position to be operated upon by the flaps or tail
pieces of the hinged halves of the back disc. The ends of the bolt project from the
inner face of the head or front disc near the edge thereof and serve as pushers for
releasing the catches. The catches of the bolt are pressed upwards so as to project
them through the openings in the back of the front disc by a coiled or bow spring
acting upon the bolt. When by the expanding or opening out of the hinged
halves of the back disc for securing the stud in the hole in the shirt the flaps or
tail pieces of the said hinged halves are closed upon the opposite sides of the stem
of the stud the bottoms of the said flaps act upon and press inwards the catches on
the bolt and when the hinged halves have been fully expanded the shoulders of
the catches snap in front of the said flaps and prevent them from rising
The closing or collapsing of the divided hinged back disc of the stud is thereby
prevented.
In order to release the flaps or tail pieces of the hinged back disc it is only
necessary to depress the pushers at the ends of the bolt when the catches on the
said bolt are withdrawn from the flaps or tail pieces and the latter can now rise
for permitting of the closing of the hinged halves of the back disc when the stud
is drawn through the hole in the shirt. Instead of operating the catches by acting
directly on the bolt pushers having a sliding cross motion or motion in the
direction of radii may be employed for that purpose the outer ends of the said
pushers projecting from the edge of the front disc of the stud. I do not however
limit myself to any particular kind of fastening for holding and releasing the
hinged halves of the back disc' the essence of my invention consisting in the
combination with a hinged back disc of the construction described of a spring
fastening whereby the two parts of the hinged back disc are fixed in their
expanded or opened out position after the back disc has been pressed through the
hole in the dress
I apply my invention to collar and cuff studs or solitaires and other dress
fastenings and ornaments substantially as berein described with respect to a shirt
stud

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Charles Alldridge in the Patent Office on the 12th January
1884.
WILLIAM CHARLES ALLDRIDGE of Birmingham in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturing Jeweller, "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIRT AND COLLAR STUDS, CUFF
STUDS OR SOLITAIRES AND OTHER DRESS FASTENINGS AND ORNAMENTS
">
My invention consists in constructing and combining in the manner hereinafter
described the parts of shirt and collar studs, cuff studs or solitaires and other dress
fastenings and ornaments, whereby great security and efficiency in the fastening
of the said shirt and collar studs and other like articles to the dress is
effected.
As my improvements are particularly applicable to shirt studs I will describe
them in connection with a shirt stud.
To the end of the flat stem of the front disc of the shirt stud, a back disc madė
in halves is hinged. These hinged halves can either be closed upon or made to lie
parallel to one another for passing the back disc through the hole in the shirt, or
opened out or expanded into a disc form for securing the stud in the said hole.
The hinged halves of the back. disc are automatically opened, out or expanded on
passing the closed halves through the hole in the shirt by the said hole acting upon
flaps or tail pieces at right angles to the halves of the disc and situated on opposite
sides of the stein of the stud. These flaps or tail pieces constitute the short arms
of levers the halves of the back disc constituting the long arms.
The hinged
halves of the back disc are furnished with stop joints at opposite ends or other
parts of the hinge so that the said hinged halves when in their closed position are
prevented from moving beyond the line of the stem to which they are hinged and
the passing of the back disc into and out of the hole in the dress is thereby
facilitated.
For the purpose of fixing the hinged halves of the back disc of the stud in their
expanded or opened out position, after they have been passed through the hole in
the shirt, I combine with the stud a spring fastening constructed substantially as
follows: In the hollow head or front disc of the stud is a bolt crossing the said
head as a diameter.
Near the middle of this bolt are two catches which project through openings at
the back of the said head or front disc and are situated on either side of the stem
and in position to be operated upon by the flaps or tail pieces of the hinged halves
of the back disc. The ends of the bolt project from the inner face of the head or
front disc near the edge thereof and serve as pushers for releasing the catches. The
catches of the bolt are pressed upwards so as to project them through the openings
in the back of the front disc by a coiled or bow spring acting upon the bolt.
When by the expanding or opening out of the hinged halves of the back disc for
securing the stud in the hole in the shirt, the flaps or tail pieces of the said hinged
halves are closed upon the opposite sides of the stem of the stud the bottoms of
the said flaps act upon and press inwards the catches of the bolt and when the
hinged halves have been fully expanded the shoulders of the catches snap in front
of the said flaps and prevent them from rising. The closing or collapsing of the
divided hinged back disc of the stud is thereby prevented.
In order to release the flaps or tail pieces of the hinged back disc it is only
necessary to depress the pushers at the ends of the bolt when the catches on the
said bolt are withdrawn from the flaps or tail pieces, and the latter can now rise.

page_text: -
for permitting of the closing of the binged halves of the back disc when the stud
is drawn through the hole in the shirt.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation; Figure 2 in side elevation and Figure 3
in plan, a shirt stud constructed according to my invention, the hinged halves of
the back disc being in their closed position; Figures 4 and
represent sections of
the stud taken at right angles to one another; Figure 6 represents the same view
as Figure 1 with the halves of the back disc opened out or expanded; Figure 7
represents the shirt stud in the act of being passed into the hole in the shirt and
Figure 8 represents the same fastened to the shirt; Figures 9, 10 and 11 represent
parts of the shirt stud as hereinafter explained.
The several Figures of the Drawings are drawn to a large scale for the better
exhibiting of the action of the parts. The same letters of reference indicate the
same parts.
.a is the front disc or head of the shirt stud and b is the flat stem of the same
fixed in the holes j, j in the shell a; c, c are the halves of the divided back disc
hinged by the single hinge & to the stem b so that the said halves of the back disc
can either be closed upon one another as in Figures 1. 2. 3. 4. 5 and 7, or be
opened out or expanded into the same line as in Figures 6 and 8. Each half disc c
has a flap or tail picce c² at right angles to it. The said flaps or tail pieces c², c²°
constitute the short arms of cranked levers and the half discs c, c the other or long
arms. Stop joints on the hinge & prevent the half discs c, c when closed from
moving beyond the line of the stem b (see Figures 1 and 7).
The fastening for fixing the hinged halves c, c of the back disc in their expanded
or opened out position is preferably constructed as follows;-In the hollow head
or front disc a is a bolt e (shown separately in Figure 9) crossing the said head as
a diameter. On the bolt c are two catches ff projecting through openings g, g
(see Figure 9) at the back of the head a. The said catches-ff are pressed
outwards so as to project them through the openings gg by the bow spring h
crossing the bolt e in the manner best seen in Figures 4 and 10. The spring his
shown separately in Figure 11. The bolt e is pressed inwards or upwards so as
to release the fastening by means of the pushers i, i fixed to the ends of the
bolt e and projecting from the inner face of the front disc or, head a near the edge
.thereof.
'
In order to secure the stud to the shirt the half discs c, c are brought into their
closed or parallel position and are passed through the hole in the shirt as
represented in Figure 7. followed by the flaps or tail pieces c³, c². As the said flaps
or tail pieces c², c2 enter the hole in the shirt they are closed by the said hole and
the half discs c, c thereby opened out or expanded on the inner side of the shirt as
represented in Figure 8. The stud is thereby secured in the shirt. As the flaps
or tail pieces c², c² are closed as described their bottoms act upon and press inwards
the catches ff on the bolt e thereby compressing the spring hand when the half
discs c, c have been fully expanded the shoulders of the said catches snap in front
of the said flaps c², c² and secure them in their closed position as illustrated in
Figures 6 and 8. The closing or collapsing of the half discs c, c is thereby
effectually prevented.
When it is wished to remove the stud from the shirt the pushers i, i are pressed
inwards. or towards the head a so as to remove the catches f, f on the bolt e from
and release the flaps or tail pieces c³, c². By now pulling the stud outwards or
from the shirt, the half discs c, c are closed by their passage through the hole in
the shirt the released flaps c², c² opening out and permitting of the closing
of the said half discs c, c as will be understood by an examination of Figure 7.
Instead of using half discs of a nearly semi-circular figure and hinging them
by the same hinge joined as before described and illustrated, a complete circular
disc may be used in place of each half disc, each disc in this case turning on an
independent hinge.

page_text: This modification of the stud is represented in side elevation and plan closed in
Figure 12 and side elevation and plan, opened and fastened, in Figure 13; Figure 14
represents a front elevation of the closed back discs and Figures 15 and 16 represent
sections of the same taken at right angles to one another; Figure 17 represents
the stud fixed to the shirt; Figure 18 represents the spring separately; Figure 19
the bolt separately; Figure 20 the tubular stem; Figures 21 and 22 represent the
construction of one of the back discs and its flap; Figure 23 represents in plan
the head of the stud without the bolt and spring and Figure 24 represents the
same with the bolt and spring.
In this modification the circular back discs are marked k, k and their flaps are
marked 2, 2, each disc with its flap turning on an independent hinge L.
I make each disc and its flap k in the manner shown in Figures 21
and 22. The disc k is made by folding a double disc at its middle and at the same
time forming the middle knuckle of the hinge as seen in Figure 22. The flap is
made of a disc k³ having a flap part at right angles to it. The combined disc
and flap 3, 2 is connected to the folded or double disc / Figure 22, by closing
the edges of the front shell / upon the edges of the parts k and ³ as seen in the
section Figure 21. Hinged to the middle knuckle of the disc k is a plate m
which carries the side knuckles of the hinge joint. In order to secure the two
dises k, k with their flaps k², k³, to the back face of the head or body a of the stud,
the stem n of the stud is made of a flat tube and the plates m, m are introduced
into the tubular shank or stem n and their forked ends passed through the holes p, p
in the back of the head a and clinched or rivetted on the inner face of the said
back of the head as seen in Figure 16:
The discs, are opened out or expanded by the action of the flaps 2, 2 in
securing the stud to the shirt as herein before described and the said flaps k², are
fastened in their closed or parallel position as seen in Figures 13 and 17, by a
fastening of the construction hereinbefore described, the parts of the said fastening
being marked in this modification of my invention and the same letters of reference
as corresponding parts in the arrangement herein first described.
Instead of operating the catches of the fastening by acting directly on the bolt,
pushers having a sliding cross motion or motion in the direction of radii may be
employed for that purpose, the outer ends of the said pushers projecting from the
edge of the front disc of the stud. I do not however limit myself to any particular
kind of fastening for holding and releasing the hinged half discs, or complete discs,
at the back of the stud the essence of my invention consisting principally in the
combination with the half discs or complete discs at the back of the stud, of a
spring fastening whereby they are fixed or secured in their expanded or opened out
position after they have been passed through the hole in the dress.
I apply my invention to collar and cuff studs or solitaires and other dress
fastenings and ornaments substantially as herein described and illustrated with
respect to a shirt stud.
"
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 claim as my invention of
Improvements in shirt and collar studs, cuff studs or solitaires and other dress
fastenings and ornaments;"
First The combination with the hinged halves and flaps or tail pieces of the
back disc of the stud, dress fastening or ornament, of a spring fastening constructed
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 11 both
inclusive of the accompanying Drawings for securing the flaps or tail pieces of the
half discs in their closed position after the said half discs have been expanded or
opened out for fastening the stud or article to the dress.
Secondly-The construction and combination of the parts of the back discs
turning on separate hinges and the flaps or tail pieces of the same herein before
described and illustrated in Figures 11 to 24 both inclusive of the accompanying
Drawings and the combination with the said back discs and flaps or tail pieces of a

page_text: spring fastening constructed substantially as described and illustrated for securing
the laps or tail pieces in their closed position after the discs have been expanded or
opened out for fastening the stud or article to the dress..
In witness whereof; the said William Charles Alldridge have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Eighth day of January in the year of our Lord one-thousand
eight hundred and eighty four.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT
'
37 Temple Street
Birmingham.
WILLIAM CHARLES ALLDRIDGE (L.S.)