IMPROVEMENTS ON LOCKS OR CATCHES FOR SECURING THE TYING OF BAGS, SACKS, AND SIMILAR OR OTHER ARTICLES; ALSO FOR ATTACH- A ING THE ENDS OF STRINGS, BELTS, BANDS, OR STRAPS TOGETHER
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of the Firm of Herbert and Company,
Patent Agents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS ON LOCKS OR CATCHES FOR SECURING THE
TYING OF BAGS, SACKS, AND SIMILAR OR OTHER ARTICLES; ALSO FOR ATTACH-
A
ING THE ENDS OF STRINGS, BELTS, BANDS, OR STRAPS TOGETHER,"
communication from abroad by Richard Hemsley, of Montreal, in the Dominion
of Canada, Watchmaker.
Sealed the 12th April 1878, and dated the 22nd February 1878.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Herbert John Haddan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd February 1878.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Patent Agents,
of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS ON
LOCKS OR CATCHES FOR SECURING THE TYING OF BAGS, SACKS, AND SIMILAR OR
OTHER ARTICLES; ALSO FOR ATTACHING THE ENDS OF STRINGS, BELTS, BANDS, OR
STRAPS TOGETHER." A communication from abroad by Richard Hemsley, of
Montreal, in the Dominion of Canada, Watchmaker.
This Invention has reference to an improved mechanism to be used to secure the
tying of bags, sacks, etc., instead of by sewing, etc., as at present in use.
This Invention, by a slight change in the proportion of the parts, but not any
change in its principle or action, may be adapted to secure the two ends of belts,
bands, or straps, etc., and will take the place of an ordinary buckle, sewing, or rivit-
ting, and many other means of fastening, with the advantage that when a buckel is
used the amount of distance that an adjustment in the length of the strap, etc., can
be made is governed by the distance between the punctures formed in the strap, etc.,
for the tongue" of the buckle to pass through, and if sewing or rivitting is
employed they must be ripped out to adjust, not only damaging the strap, etc., but
involving great labour, while by my fastening mechanism the adjusting and securing
of the parts of the straps, etc., may take place at any point to which they may be
drawn or stretched, and they can be readily loosened and readily again secured, as
often as necessity or pleasure may require.
In the Drawing hereunto annexed similar letters of reference indicate like parts,

page_text: and Figure 1 is a front elevation of my Invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig.
1; Fig. 3 is a plan of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a plan of a modification of my Invention, and Fig. 5 is a front elevation
of Fig. 4.
Letter A (Fig. 1, 2, and 3) is a plate of suitable strength or amount of material,
having two projections B formed upon and in one with it, as shown, between these,
by a pin C passing through both projections B and through the pawl D; the said
pawl is pivotted to the projections.
In constructing the pawl D care should be taken, for I find it to operate to the
greatest advantage by forming it with the periphery, which is to act as a lock on
the string, etc. (as will be herein-after described), with a flat concave or convex
surface, according to the description of string or band, etc., it is intended to act upon,
and the surface may furthermore be serrated to give a firmer grip or hold. The
surface of D will be of a cumb formation, so that if the radius at the points 1 and 2,
measuring from the centre of the pivot C, be compared, that at 2 will be found
considerably greater than at 1, while the radius of the rest of its surface, up to tho
point 3, will be made equal to that at the point 2. E, are holes made in each of the
projections B, and, as shown in the Drawings, they are round, as the Invention is shown
in combination with a round string or cord F; but if a flat band, belt, or strap, etc.,
is used, they may be configurated to agree with the transverse sectional configuration
of the same. The radius at the point 1 will be made so small that if the pawl D be
turned over from the position it is delineated in, in Fig. 2, to that indicated by the
line X, it will clear the holes E and allow the end of the string F to be freely threaded
through them, while the radius at the point 2 will be sufficiently greater to cause D
to cover a considerable portion of the holes E and lock the string when in the position,
shown in Fig. 2, and by making the pinching or locking surface of equal radius from
the points 2 to 3, all tendancy to unlock the pawl by the strain of the string is
prevented, which would be more or less the case if the surfaces from 1 to 3 were of a
continuously increasing radius. The end of the pawl D is made to rest on the end
of the plate A, which is formed with a guard projection G, to hold it, if desired, as a
snap catch, and protect it from catching in any adjacent body, and the lock thereby
unfastened; H, are projections formed on the plate A, one on each side, each are
provided with two holes for the string F to be passed through in the manner indicated
in Figs. 1 and 3. The string F is provided with a firm knot K at one end; the
other end of F is then threaded through the holes H, as shown, and drawn up until
the knot rests upon H; the pawl D is now turned from the position shown, in Fig.
2, to that indicated by the line X, and the end of the string threaded through the
holes E; the whole is then placed round the mouth of the sack, etc., intended to be.
bound; the end of F is then pulled, tightening F, the pawl D turned down to pinch
or lock upon F.
As a modification of the above, Figs. and 5 are given. Here the plate A
(which in this case is placed longitudinally with the cord F instead of transversely,
as in the previous Figures) is curved, merely for the purpose of causing it to more
nearly conform to the general circular form that the string F will assume when it is
drawn tight in the act of binding any article. The eyes H are reduced to one in
number and placed at G, and the holes E are dispensed with, the end of the_string
F being threaded through, under the pawl D, between the projections B. In this
case the pull of or strain upon the string F, after the pawl is locked and the end of
F let go, which strain is caused by any elasticity the body may have round which it
is fastened, will tend to keep the pawl locked and to prevent the end of the string
from acting on the pawl and unlocking it by being improperly pulled. I provide a
hole L in the plate A under the pawl; through this the end of F is passed before it
is applied to the bag, etc.
The pawl D may also be modified in this case, if desired, to have an increasing
radius from the point 1 to the point 3. If this modification is desired to be applied
to a broad flat belt, such as a bracer or machine-driving belt, instead of a round cord,
it is only necessary to increase the distance between the projections B and the width

page_text: of the pawl; at the same time the strength of the pivot C must be increased to
compensate for its increased length.
What I claim and wish to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:-
1st. The pawl D in combination with and pivoted to the projections B of the plate A,
plate A and string or band, etc., F, substantially as and for the purposes described.
2nd. The pawl D, having a camb forin from the point 1 to the point 2, and form
of equal radius from the point 2 to the point 3, as described, in combination with
the plate A, having projections B, and with string or band F, substantially as set
forth.
3rd. The combination of the plate A, having projection G, with the pawl D,
having surfaces from the points 1 to 2, and from the points 2 to 3, constructed as
described for Figs. 1, 2, and 3, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4th. The plate A, having hole L, in combination with the pawl D, having surface
constructed as described for Figs. 4 and 5, and with string or band, etc., F, substan-
tially as and for the purposes set forth.
5th. The plate A, having projections B, said projections having holes E, in com-
bination with pawl D, having surfaces as described, substantially as set forth.
6th. The plate A, in combination with with pawl D, having surface constructed as
described for Figs. 4 and 5, and with string or band, etc., F, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert John Haddan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of February, in the year of our Lord
1979
H. J. HADDAN. (L.S.)