IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTAL FASTENINGS FOR DRESS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John George Taylor, of King Street,
Cheapside, in the City of London, Wholesale Jeweller, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTAL FASTENINGS FOR
DRESS."
Sealed the 23d August 1853, and dated the 25th February 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John George Taylor
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 25th February 1853.
I, JOHN GEORGE TAYLOR, of, King Street, Cheapside, in the City of
London, Wholesale Jeweller, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTAL FASTENINGS FOR DRESS"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to various arrangements of fastenings, such
as. are used for, securing brooches and other dress and ornamental
fastenings. As applied to brooches and articles of that class, the

page_text: improvements are carried out under one modification by passing the
usual holding pin through an eye in the separate pin-joint piece, the
butt or back end of the pin having a small ring attached, by which the
pin may be traversed a short distance longitudinally through the joint
eye, a small collar stop piece being on the pin to prevent its being
drawn too far. The catch or detent for retaining the pin's point when
entered into the dress for use is of a heart shape. It is formed out of
a piece of metal soldered or otherwise attached to the brooch setting
by its centre, the two ends being bent over and brought into contact
at an acute angle, terminating in the heart recess. When the pin is
adjusted for holding, its point is pressed down into the notch or recess
of the heart, when the contiguous ends give way, and admit the pin to
enter within the embrace of the catch. In this condition the pin
cannot become disengaged, or the brooch fall away, without the pin
being withdrawn longitudinally through its joint guide until the pin
point clears the heart catch.
The pin cannot slide out longitudinally to clear by accident, by reason
of the end ring on the pin, which, when the brooch is adjusted in
position, is turned up on its hinge, and made to embrace a ball or
projection on the pin-joint guide.
According to another modification, the pin is prevented from being
withdrawn longitudinally by a short projection on the pin catching
against a slotted guide on the joint piece. When the pin is being
adjusted, this projection slides through the slot of the guide, and the
pin then being turned a quarter round, its catch or projection passes
the slot, and is thus held until again trned by hand. In another
form the common brooch catch is employed, and the pin, when turned
down therein upon its joint, is prevented from becoming detached by
a small eccentric piece on the projecting butt-end of the pin outside
the joint. This butt-end is passed loosely through an eye of the joint
piece, and has a retaining collar on the opposite side; hence, when the
brooch is in position, the eccentric piece admits of the pin being
turned round in its joint eye by the fingers until the eccentric presses
on the inner face of the brooch, and prevents the joint from turning
to release the pin. By another contrivance, a catch of any kind may

page_text: be used, and the butt-end of the pin turns in an eye in the joint piece.
Immediately inside this eye is a short helical piece with a pointed end
attached to the pin, so that when the pin's point has entered its retaining
catch the pin is turned round by the pendant, and the pointed helix
then enters and screws into the dress, and affords a secure hold for the
brooch. The holding-pins may also be secured in position by adjusting
a bell-shaped catch or cap piece to go over the pin's point as the
latter protrudes from the dress, such cap being linked by a chain
or other connexion to an elastic or spring piece working between
suitable shoulders on the joint or butt-end of the pin. When so fitted,
and the pin passed into the dress, the elastic-link connexion admits of
the cap being drawn forward until it can pass over the pin's point,
where it will be held by the tension of the spring, so as to prevent the
point from escaping until its hold is purposely relaxed by hand. These
elastic connexions may be made in various ways, and may be covered
up out of sight, if necessary, by a small tube, such covering tube being
also applied, where necessary, for covering up the catch pieces in the
various other forms of holders herein-before described.
Or, by another plan, the pin may be fixed inflexibly at its butt-end,
so as always to be in a proper position for being pushed into the dress,
whilst it is retained at the point to prevent the fastener or ornament
from falling away by a short hinged clasp-piece. This piece is hinged
to the brooch to turn over at right angles to the pin, and has a small
rounded edge to fall over and catch the pin, the elasticity of which
retains the catch up to its hold.
Another plan is to hinge the pin to a stud centre, set transversely in
the brooch-setting, so that the pin, when entered into the dress, may
swing round in a plane parallel with the back of the brooch for its
point to enter and catch into an elastic detent at the other end of the
setting, a slight lateral pressure only be requisite for its disengagement.
Such fastenings are capable of various modifications to suit different
articles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
.
filed by the said John George Taylor, in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 24th August 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
John George Taylor, of King Street, Cheapside, in the City of London,
Wholesale Jeweller, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John George Taylor, Her special
licence, that I, the said John George Taylor, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John George Taylor,
my executors, administrators, or 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 ORNAMENTAL FASTENINGS FOR DRESS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John George Taylor, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John George Taylor, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner. the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:
My said Invention relates to various arrangements of fastenings,
such as are used for securing brooches and other dress and ornamental

page_text: fastenings. As applied to brooches and articles of that class, the
improvements are carried out under one modification by passing the
usual holding pin through an eye in the separate pin-joint piece, the
butt or back end of the pin having a small ring attached, by which
the pin may be traversed a short distance longitudinally through the
joint eye, a small collar stop piece being on the pin, to prevent its
being drawn too far. The catch, or detent for retaining the pin's
point, when entered into the dress for use, is of a heart shape, or a
shape approximating thereto; it is formed out of a piece of metal,
soldered, or otherwise attached to the brooch setting by its centre, the
two ends being bent over, and brought into contact at an acute angle,
terminating in the heart recess. When the pin is adjusted for hold-
ing, its point is pressed down into the notch or recess of the heart,
when the contiguous ends give way, and admit the pin to enter within
the embrace of the catch. In this condition the pin cannot become
disengaged, or the brooch fall away, without the pin being withdrawn
longitudinally through its joint guide, until the pin point clears the
heart catch. The pin cannot slide out longitudinally to clear by acci-
dent, by reason of the end ring on the pin, which, when the brooch is
adjusted in position, is turned upon its hinge, and made to embrace a
ball or projection on the pin-joint guide.
According to another modification, the pin is prevented from being
withdrawn longitudinally by a short projection on the pin catching
against a slotted guide on the joint piece. When the pin is being
adjusted this projection slides through the slot of the guide, and the
pin then being turned a quarter round, its catch or projection passes
the slot, and is thus held until again turned by hand. In another form
the common brooch catch is employed, and the pin, when turned down
therein upon its joint, is prevented from becoming detached by a small
eccentric piece on the projecting butt-end of the pin outside the joint.
This butt-end is passed loosely through an eye of the joint piece, and
has a.retaining collar on the opposite side; hence, when the brooch is
in position, the eccentric piece admits of the pin being turned round
in its joint eye by the fingers until the eccentric presses on the inner
face of the brooch, and prevents the joint from turning to release the

page_text: pin. By another contrivance a catch of any kind may be used, and.
the butt-end of the pin turns in an eye in the joint piece. Imme-
diately inside this eye is a short helical piece, with a pointed end
attached to the pin, so that when the pin's point has entered its retain-
ing catch the pin is turned round by the pendant, and the pointed
helix then enters and screws into the dress, and affords a secure hold
for the brooch; the holding pins may also be secured in position by
adjusting a. bell-shaped catch or cap-piece to go over the pin's point
as the latter protrudes from the dress, such cap being linked by a
chain or other connexion to an elastic or spring piece working between
suitable shoulders on the joint or butt-end of the pin. When so fitted,
and the pin passed into the dress, the elastic link connexion admits of
the cap being drawn forward until it can pass over the pin's point,
where it will be held by the tension of the spring, so as to prevent the
point from escaping until its hold is purposely relaxed by hand. These
elastic connexions may be made in various ways, and may be covered
up out of sight, if necessary, by a small tube, such covering tube being
also applied, where necessary, for covering up the catch pieces in the
various other forms of holders herein-before described.
. Or, by another plan, the pin may be fixed inflexibly at its butt-end,
so as always to be in a proper position for being pushed into the dress,
whilst it is retained at the point to prevent the fastener or ornament from
falling away by a short hinged clasp-piece. This piece is binged to the
brooch, to turn over at right angles to the pin, and has a small rounded
edge to fall over and catch the pin, the clasticity of which retains the
catch up to its hold. This catch can be kept down either by putting a
spring inside or outside, to keep it close to the brooch.
Another plan is to hinge, the pin to a stud centre set transversely in
the brooch setting, so that the pin, when entered into the dress, may
swing round in a plane parallel with the back of the brooch for its point
to enter and catch into an elastic detent at the other end of the setting,
a slight lateral pressure only being requisite for its disengagement.
Such fastenings are capable of various modifications to suit different
articles.
The several figures on my sheet of drawings illustrate various

page_text: forms and arrangements of these fastenings. Figure 1, is a side
or edge elevation of a brooch as fitted up according to one modifica-
tion of my fastenings. The usual fastening pin A, of the brooch
has its butt-end portion entered through an eye B, in a short joint-
picce turning on a stud centre C, on the brooch frame or setting,
a small link or ring D, being fitted upon the butt of the pin, so that
the latter may be traversed by it back and forward through the eye B;
the stop-piece E, on the pin being arranged to prevent the pin from
moving too far in this way. The spring-catch F, for holding the pin's
point when entered into the dress for use, shown also in end view
at F, in Figure 15, is a flat piece of metal soldered to the setting at G,
and having its ends bent over together at H, through which junction
the pin's point is pressed when it is to be engaged. When so engaged
the ring D, of the pin is turned over to embrace a projection I, on the
joint-piece B, so that the longitudinal traverse of the pin A, cannot
occur for releasing the pin from the catch F, until the ring D, is first
disengaged by hand; and the brooch is thus securely held in the dress
until it is intentionally taken out. Another form of spring holding
detent is shown at J, in Figure 15; the only difference being that the
catch is in two separate pieces, each soldered by one end to the setting,
to answer the same purpose as the single piece already described. In
Figure 2, an edge view of another brooch, and Figure 3, a correspond-
ing plan of the same, the holding pin A, has its point passed into a
spring detent B, as in the former example, whilst its butt-end is passed
through a partially opened and slotted guide C; as the pin is pushed
in longitudinally, a stud D, upon it slides through a longitudinally
slotted part E, of the guide. Then, when so passed in, the point being
held in the catch B, the wearer turns the pin slightly round upon its
axis, and the stud D, then enters into a lateral slot at the inner ter-
mination of the longitudinally slotted part E; of the guide. The stud
thus catches against the solid part of the guide, and prevents the
withdrawal of the pin until it is again turned upon its axis for the
purpose. The slotted guide C, is of course capable of turning on the
usual joint-stud F, when the point of the pin is released from the spring
catch; and to prevent the pin from coming entirely away, a collar G,

page_text: is formed upon it. In the edge or perspective view, Figure 4, of a
brooch, the pin A, has the usual holding catch B. The butt of the
pin is passed through a guide C, set on a joint-stud D, and it has a
retaining collar E, to prevent all longitudinal traverse. When the pin
is entered and sprung into its catch at the point in the usual way, the
pin is turned partially round in its socket-guide, so as to bring an
eccentric piece F, fast on the end of the butt, to bear upon the back
of the setting. In this position increased safety is afforded, from the
reason that the joint-piece cannot turn upon its centre D, until the
eccentric is turned back. Figures 5, and 6, are respectively edge and
plan views of another form of brooch, in which the pin A, has its
point passed into a spring detent B, as before explained, whilst its butt
is entered through a guide-socket C, turning on a stud-joint D, a
holding ring being attached at E. At F, is a collar-piece on the pin,
and between this collar and the inside edge of the guide C, is a helix
or coil of wire G, upon the pin as a spring. When the pin A, is
sprung into its catch B, its point cannot of course be withdrawn there-
from laterally, whilst, to prevent longitudinal disengagement, the helical
spring G, always keeps the pin forward in its socket, and this continues
until the ring E, is drawn by hand to compress the spring G. Figures
7, and 8, are respectively edge and plan views of a holding catch,
wherein the pin A, with its point entered into the "heart" detent B,
is passed at its butt-end through a curved-up guide piece C, in which
it has some lateral play. A long helical spring D, covered over by a
suitable tube, has one end fast to the setting or frame, whilst the other
is connected to a stud in the pin A, at E; the action of this pring
always keeps the pin's point engaged with its catch B, until the hand
overcomes the tensional strength of the spring to allow of the pin's
longitudinal disengagement. Figures 9, and 10, are side and edge
views of a holding pin, wherein the actual retaining pin A, is bent
round by an intermediate coil B, from the opposite parallel piece of
metal C. This piece C, forming the butt of the pin, has a flat open
catch D, jointed to it at E; and when the point of the pin has been
entered into the dress, it is sprung into the open end of the catch D
which is capable of turning on its centre E, to bring it into the plane

page_text: of the two pieces of wire A, C. This holds the pin secure, but when
it is to be released it is sprung back, and the catch D, is then turned
over upon its joint, so as to clear the pin's point. Figure 10%, is a
portion of a plan of a brooch, shewing the application of this general
form of catch to that special purpose. Here the pin A, is of the usual
kind, and the flat open catch B, is hinged at C, to the setting. When
the pin A, has been entered into the dress, its point is sprung into the
opening in the catch B, which catch is first slightly elevated for the
purpose. The spring D, then holds down the catch, and retains the
joint firmly in position.
Figures 11, and 12, are edge and plan views of a brooch or ornament
in which the retaining pin A, is hinged upon a stud-joint B, set trans-
versely in the setting, so that the pin may swing round in a plane
parallel with the back of the brooch, and thus its point can be entered
laterally into a narrow opening in an elastic detent piece C, fast on the
setting. Disengagement cannot ensue in this instance until forcible
pressure is applied laterally to the point to clear it through its narrow
spring entrance in the catch C.
Figure 13, is a side view of a holding pin A, fitted with a blade
spring B, instead of the other elastic connexions for the same purpose
previously described. The spring B, in this instance consists merely of
a flat piece of metal bent double and bored through for entering upon
the pin where it works between a collar C, on the pin, and the part D,
fitting the joint socket. Figure 14, is a corresponding view of a
detached pin with a helical spring A, working between a fixed collar B,
and the joint guide C; D, being the pendant ring. Figure 15, repre-
sents two edge views of my heart-spring catch, to which I have already
made full descriptive reference.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used,
or carried into effect, I may observe in conclusion that I not con-
fine or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements. which
I have had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be
made therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features.
of my Invention; but what I consider to be novel and original, and

page_text: therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent, is-
First, the general arrangement and construction of dress and orna-
mental fastenings as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use in brooches and dress fastenings of
the heart or duplex curved spring catch in combination with the sliding
pin detent movement, as delineated in Figures 1, and 2, on my sheet of
drawings.
Third, the application and use in dress fastenings of a sliding socket
joint piece for the butt-end of the holding pin, as especially delineated
in Figures 1, and 2.
Fourth, the system or mode of fastening the joint action of brooch
and dress fastenings by an eccentric holding piece on the butt-end of
the pin, as represented in Figure 4.
Fifth, the application and use of metallic or other springs for the
purpose of pressing forward the holding pins longitudinally to keep
them engaged in their catches, as represented in Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 13,
and 14.
Sixth, the application and use of an open swivel or joint catch for
retaining the holding point of the pin, as represented in Figures 9, 10,
and 10.
Seventh, the system or mode of arranging the holding pins of
fastenings by means of a joint to permit the pin to swing round into an
open spring catch, as shewn in Figures 11, and 12.
In witness whereof, I, the said John George Taylor, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
J. G. TAYLOR. (L.S.)