IM- PROVEMENTS IN LACING DEVICES, AND IN THE MODE OF LACING AND FASTENING WEARING APPAREL AND OTHER ARTICLES WITH THE SAME
Year: 1872

page_text: 65
LETTERS PATENT to George Tomlinson Bousfield, of Loughborough
Park, Brixton, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of IM-
PROVEMENTS IN LACING DEVICES, AND IN THE MODE OF LACING AND FASTENING
WEARING APPAREL AND OTHER ARTICLES WITH THE SAME."-A commu->
nication from abroad by David Heaton, of the City and County of,
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Tomlinson
Bousfield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition and Declaration, on the 12th September 1872, pursuant
to the 9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the County
of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS, I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS.
IN LACING DEVICES, AND IN THE MODE OF LACING. AND, FASTENING WEARING.

page_text: APPAREL AND OTHER ARTICLES WITH THE SAME," and have petitioned Her
most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria to grant unto me, my, executors,
administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and
have made solemn Declaration that it has been communicated to him
from abroad by David Heaton, of the City and County of Providence,
and State of Rhode Island, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention to be as follows:-
The said improvements relate more particularly to a better con-
struction of devices for lacing the apparel on the surface instead of
through and through the edge of the material as with eyelets, neverthe-
less it comprehends certain improvements that are applicable to eyelets
and to a mode of lacing apparel in which both said surface and through
lacing devices are employed in connection for lacing gaiter boots and
shoes, and lady's corsets, waists, gloves, &c., and to the use of the said
surface lacing devices or upright buttons with button holes in the
apparel for fastening gloves and suspenders to pantaloons and similar
garments.
The first part of the Invention relates to improvements in the con-
struction of surface lacing devices, and consists in constructing such
devices with a double convex head, a double clasped neck or shank, and
with two fastening prongs or spurs in front and one at the rear of or at
the neck, substantially as herein-after described.
The second part of the Invention relates to improvements in the con-
struction of surface lacing devices, and consists in constructing such
devices with a lacing hook or stay and a button head covering said
hook and a back stay on the button head supporting said hook,
and a rear prong or spur to fasten in the material at the rear of
such book, together with two such fastening prongs at the front of
the hook to sustain the lacing strain, substantially as herein-after
described.
The third part of the Invention relates to further improvements in
the construction of such surface lacing devices; and consists in construct-
ing the back stay which forms part of the neck or shank in the first
construction, and which supports the hook at the rear in the second
construction above mentioned, with an offset or. inward bend to receive

page_text: the clasp back of the neck within the periphery of the button head, and
a similar clasp extending to the rear from the bend of the said hook to
stiffen these parts respectively, and further with a rear plate or extension
of the back stay or a rear support to keep the lacing device upright
on the surface of the apparel for greater convenience of fastening or
unfastening and to further separate the rear from the front fastening
prongs to. obtain a firmer hold on the apparel without liability to
tear out.
The fourth part of the Invention relates to the employment of certain
means to further stiffen the neck or shank and the hook of the said
surface lacing devices and the eye formed by an inserted eyelet after the
construction of the same is completed, and consists in subjecting the
structure after it is formed and before setting it in the material to be
coated with nickel by electro-plating or other process to crystalize the
form after it is produced with a harder and less flexible material, and
thereby prevent it from yielding or unbending by the strain to which
it is subjected by lacing.
. The fifth part of the Invention relates to the mode of lacing wearing
apparel by means of surface lacing alone or by means of surface lacing
and through and through lacing combined, and this part of the Inven-
tion consists in lacing from the surface of an overlaying flap on one side.
from the usual central opening in the apparel to and with the con-
tiguous surface of the body or main part of the same with such surface
lacing devices alone suitably arranged for the purpose, and also in lacing
through inserted eyelets in the edge of such overlaying flap on one side.
to and with surface lacing devices on the contiguous parts of the body
of the apparel with which the former should be fastened or secured,
so, that the through lacing forms a row of loops that may be readily
attached and detached from the surface lacing devices either wholly or
in part and when attached be laced to draw and fasten the parts together
with greater facility and better results than by the use of either surface
or through lacing devices altogether by themselves.
.
The sixth part of the Invention relates to the employment of such
surface lacing devices with a neck, shank, or hook near the periphery'
on one side from the centre of the button head as an upright eccentric
button or fastening, and consists in the use of said device combined with
a button hole in the opposite side or flap of the apparel as affording by
its form and uprightness au cásicr means of fastening with a button
I

page_text: hole and at the same time less liability to be casually or accidentally
unfastened.
To enable others both to make and use the said Invention as intended.
I will proceed to describe the same more fully by the accompanying
Drawings which form part of this Specification, and the parts of
which are referred to by letters marking like parts in all the Figures
'hereof.
.
In said Drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the said improved
lacing button; Figures 2 and 3 are side elevations of the same, differing
slightly from each other in construction as herein-after described;
Figure 4 is a vertical section of the same by the line v, v, of Figure 3;
Figures 5 and 6 are top views of Figures 2 and 3; Figures 7 and 8 are
plans and sections by the line a, a, of Figures 2 and 3; Figure 9
represents the outline of the sheet metal blank from which the con-'
struction shewn in Figure 2 is made; Figure 10 represents the outline
of the sheet metal blank from which the construction shewn in
Figure 3 is made; Figure 11 is a vertical section of the construction
shown in Figure 2 by the line x, x, Figure 1; Figure 12 is a like view
of the construction shewn in Figure 3; Figure 13 is a front elevation
of another construction of the button with a lacing hook instead of the
clasped neck or shank; Figure 14 is a side elevation; Figure 15 is a
rear elevation; and Figure 16 is a plan of the same; Figure 17 is
a vertical section by the line x, x, of Figure 13; Figure 18 is a plan
and cross section by the line a, a, of Figure 13; Figure 19 represents
the outline of the sheet metal blank from which the lacing button hook
shewn in Figure 13 is made; Figure 20 is a diagram of the said button
hook illustrating the effect of the "angle brace", a, b, c; Figure 21-
shews the position of the several fastening prongs or spurs e, e, e,
clinched together on the under side of the apparel; Figure 22 shews
another construction and arrangement of said fastening prongs e; and
Figure 23 shews the same clinched together on the under side; Figure 24
shews yet another construction and arrangement of said prongs or spurs;
and Figure 25 shews the manner of clinching the same; Figure 26 is
a diagram illustrating an improvement in the construction of the lacing
button shewn in Figure 3.
*Figure 27 is a diagraṁ illustrating an improvement in the construction
'

page_text: '
an additional improvement which is applicable to either of said con-
structions; Figure 29 is an outline of the sheet metal blank from
which the improved lacing device shewn in Figures 26 and 28 are made;
and Figure 30 is an outline of the sheet metal blank from which the
improved lacing device shewn in Figure 27 is made.
Figure 31 is a side elevation of a lady's gaiter boot laced with a flap
on the side of the foot by the said improved mode of surface, and
through lacing combined!
Figure 32 is a view of a lady's glove secured at the wrist and along.
the arm by the said surface lacing devices or upright buttons with
button holes in the opposite side or flap of the material.
'
Figure 33 is a view of the rear fastening, and Figure 34 is a view of
the front fastening of a pair of suspenders for supporting gentlemen's.
pantaloons or drawers by means of said surface lacing devices or
upright buttons inserted in the latter.
:
.
In the Drawings H is the double convex head, n is the double clasped
shank or neck, and e, e, e, are the fastening prongs or spurs. The head
is round or oval and consists of two convexo-concave discs of metal a
and 6 with their concave sides doubled together. The neck or shank n
consists of a continuation of the said two parts a, b, of the head, one
of which i is a narrow strip, and the other d is provided with prost
jections g which embrace and firmly clasp the narrower part (i) and
confine both together to make the neck stiff and inflexible. The
continuation of the disc b below the neck (n) forms the base or table F',
at right angles to the neck and parallel with the plane of the head, and.,
from said base two spurs e, e, extend to the front at an angle, and are
bent down at right angles to said base. The continuation of the disc a
forms a third spur e' which extends below the base F at the rear
beneath the neck otherwise like the others. Thus it will be seen that by
this construction two spurs instead of one are at the front of the base (F)
where the greatest resistance to the lacing strain is required and with:
the two a third is combined and arranged beneath the neck to firmly
confine the rear of the button with the material to be laced, and that:
this of itself is an important and valuable improvement in the con- '
struction of such devices as compared with two spurs only on the same
plane in front or with one spur in front and two at the rear of it at tho
sides, but still in front of a lacing book, as has been employed heretofore...
or
i

page_text: The difference of construction between the two Figures 2 and 3 is simply
that the clasping projections g and the part i which is clasped are
reversed the former being clasped inwardly beneath the head, and the
latter (Figure 3) being clasped outwardly at the rear of the head either
however fully accomplishing the purpose of stiffening the neck to
withstand the strain of lacing and relieve the head H of any other
function than that of keeping the lacing in place and permitting it to
draw freely around the neck without undue wear or abrasion.
The operation of making said lacing button or device is as follows:-
First, the blank is cut from sheet metal in the form shewn in Figures 9
or Figure 10 by means of a cutting die and punch of corresponding
form, after which the two discs a and b and the parts which form the
neck or shank if need be are made convexo-concave by striking the
same in a suitable forming die and former, which may also bend the
clasping parts 9, 9, at right angles to the other parts of the neck. The.
two discs a, b, are then doubled together. The neck parts are then bent
at right angles thereto, and clasped together, then the base is bent
parallel with the head (H), and the spurs bent at right angles down
from the base (F) when the button is completed.
The advantage of the double convex head is that it presents a smooth.
rounded surface without corners or sharp edges to abrade or wear the
lacing..
The advantage of the double clasped neck as shewn is that it com-
bines more than double the material, and is as constructed capable of
withstanding any strain that can be exerted by the severest lacing and
a greater strain than by any construction with only a single thickness
of metal.
The advantage of the arrangement of two of three spurs at an angle
in front with the third spur at the rear beneath the neck (n) is that
the two at the front afford greater resistance to the lacing strain directly a
at the angle, or nearly so, at which the lacings are crossed than would
two in the same plane without tearing the material in line or with one
spur in front and, two at the sides without pulling out or tipping over
from an intended. upright position in drawing the lacing.
'
The construction shewn in Figure 13 and those following, including
Figure 21, embraces the combination of a hook or bow neck with two
fastening prongs or spurs in front, and a single convexo-concave button

page_text: head with a back stay, and a fastening prong at the rear of the hook,
the object being to stiffen the bend of the hook, and provide a firm
fastening both at the front and rear of the same in the apparel. In said
Figures S is the hook for receiving the lacing; e, e, are the fastening
prongs in front; B is the button head; I is the back stay, and e³ the
fastening prong at the rear. The said lacing hook and button is made
from the blank, Figure 19, cut from sheet metal: The hook S is formed
by bending the long shank S of the blank and the fastening prongs e¹, e²;
by bending the two pointed branches e, e, of the shank S down at right
angles. The button head B is formed by concaving the disc B of the
blank and bending it over the hook. The back stay I is the short shank I
of the blank bent at right angles with the button head, and the narrower
continuation e³ below the shoulders t, t, of said shank forms the rear
fastening prong e³. The button head B and back stay I combined form
a surrounding angle brace a, b, c, which stiffens and supports the
bend S of the hook, as shewn in Figure 20. The fastening prongs or
spurs e, e³, e³, are put through the material of the apparel, and bent and
clinched together on the under side, as shewn in Figures 20 and 21,.to
fasten the lacing hook both at the front and rear. The fork of the
shank in front, and the -shoulders t, t, of the back stay i at the rear,
form surface bearings on both sides of the hook S to keep it upright for
lacing.
The advantage of the rear fastened back stay (I) combined with the
button head is that it prevents the hook from yielding to be pulled out
straight by strain on the lacing. The advantage of the two fastening
prongs in front of the hook is that two are better able than one to
withstand the direct strain of lacing, which depends almost wholly on
the permanence of the front fastening. The advantage of the fastening
in the rear besides the fastening above described in front of the hook
is that the rear is held firmly in position to support the front fastening
by preventing the hook from tipping backward from an upright position,
and thus releasing the lacing (or partly so) from a direct bearing against
the curve of the hook as intended with the effect to straighten out the
hook and spoil it for the purpose.
In some cases, as in the larger sizes of button hooks, three instead of
two fastening prongs may with economy be employed in front of the
bend of the hook by arranging one of greater strength foremost in front
and two lesser ones at the sides of the shank, but always with the

page_text: prong e³ at the rear as the fourth as a rear support and to give additional
permanence to the other three as a fastening. But three fastening
prongs only are preferred, and that the three shall be arranged sub-
stantially as before described, because the fewer and the further sepa-
rated these prongs the less liable they are to nearly divide the material
into which they are fastened, and in consequence tear out under a severe
strain. Besides this it is desirable to have these prongs or spurs clinched
and laid smooth and flatly against the back side of the material to avoid
undue abrasion or wear of the garment beneath, and this may.
y.be accom
plished by turning the pointed ends of the spurs bent together radially
.so as to just meet, as shewn in Figure 21, or diverging radially from
the base F and bevel pointed like the two front spurs e¹, e², in Figure 22;
and afterwards bent together with the bevel edges of the points meeting
and with the pointed end of the rear prong e³ overlapping the bevelled
ends of the other two, as shewn in Figures 23. In another way the two
front prongs or spurs e¹, e², are parallel to each other in the front of the
base F, as shewn in Figure 24, and are bent so that both penetrate the
material, and are clinched in the same plane as shewn in Figure 25, in
which case the rear prong e³ when clinched enters the space between
the other two, and so all the clinched portion or ends lie in the
same plane, and thus afford a perfectly smooth surface on the back
side.
In Figures 26, 27, and 28 the back stay I has an offset or inward
bend towards the centre at j, j, by means of which in clasping the neck
at the rear the ends g, g, of the clasp will not project at the rear beyond
the periphery of the button head, as is the case without the offset, as
shewn in Figures 3, 6, 8, and 12, and besides an improvement in the
appearance of the device, additional stiffness of the neck n and hook S
is obtained without increase in cost of manufacture. In Figure 28 the
back stay I has a rear extension or back plate' h at the base of the neck
which forms a substantial rear bearing for holding the surface lacing.
device upright on the apparel, and the rear fastening prong e³ extends:
downward from the rear of said back plate by means of which it is still
further separated from the front fastening prongs, and in consequence a
stronger hold is obtained in the apparel without liability to tear out or
become loosened by the severest usage.
"
The sheet metal blank; Figure 29, still further shews the later improved

page_text: blanks, Figures 9, 10, and 19, in the lengthened rear shank I that forms
the off-set back stay; and, in the expanding part h that forms the back
plate or bearing at, the rear of the lacing neck or hook, and in the
clasping parts 9, g, on the shank (S) that forms the bend of the hook S
and which clasps the off-set of the back stay to stiffen the hook.
"
.j
The said surface lacings and others of similar character and also
eyelets for lacing through the material are greatly improved both in
strength or stiffness and appearance by coating the same with nickel
by electro-plating after their formation is completed and before they are
inserted in the apparel where they are to be used: The nickel coating
also protects such articles from corrosion and rust to which they are
under the circumstances of their use. more liable, and besides gives the
lacing devices a hard finish and polish which is not liable to wear off.
The metal used in the manufacture of these lacing devices is generally:
brass or alloyed copper of suitable ductility to admit of the requisite,
shaping and bending as described, and these are preferred not only for,
these properties but because the scrap or refuse portion of the metal is;
of value where the manufacture is conducted. extensively, at the same.
time the same devices can be made from refined iron or steel suitably.
prepared for the purpose, the scrap of which however is not so readily;
convertable as copper, and is therefore of little value, although its cost as,
prepared exceeds that of many other forms of manufactured iron and
steel. In either case although greater stiffness is derived from the use of.
the more rigid and inflexible iron and steel, by the operation of shaping,
and bending before. mentioned the resistant strength of the metal is;
impaired in 'converting it into this useful form, and the process of nickel ;
coating after the metal is reduced to the final form in which it is to be
used is calculated to crystallize the firm with the harder metal coating
and prevent any departure, therefrom by the strain induced by lacing.
3
The operation of nickeling to be used is the same that is used for
coating other metallic objects with nickel, with the variation if found
necessary of shielding certain parts as the prongs or spurs which are to
be afterwards bent, so that the same will not be coated when the other.
parts are and their ductility preserved; this may be done by pressing the.
said prongs into the surface of a slab of cork that while floating on the
surface will submerge the remaining part of the device in the solution >
of the plating bath or in any other equally effective manner. The said.,
surface lacing devices would-ordinarily be used by themselves, a row of

page_text: the same being inserted on each edge of the opening in the boot, shoe,
or garment, or on one side of the former by means of an overlaying flap.
But the use of a row of inserted eyelets in combination with a row of
the surface lacing devices is preferred, as shewn in Figure 31, in which
the row of eyelets E are inserted in the edge of the flap G, and a row
of the surface lacing devices D are set in the surface of the body of the
boot M, and the lacing passes through the eyelets on the edge of the
flap, and forms a row of loops that pass around the neck or hook of
the surface lacing devices, and by strain upon the lacing draw the parts
together, and after being once laced in this manner by loosening the
lacing string at the top the said loops / may be readily unbuttoned from
the surface lacing devices to remove the boot from the foot, and as
readily buttoned after the same is put on to the foot, and secured snugly.
to the foot by drawing the lacing and fastening it at the top of the
boot. By this mode of lacing the thickness of the flap and the lacing
through it takes up and shields the prominence of the surface lacing
device on the overlaid surface M to which the flap is secured, so that
the lacing or seam presents an almost unbroken surface on the apparel,
and by its regularity is rather ornamental than otherwise when exposed,
as in Figure 31, on a lady's or gentleman's gaiter boot. By this com-
bination of the eyelet through a flap and the lacing button or its
equivalent on the apparel beneath the flap a superior lacing for corsets.
is provided, which may by lacing in front in this way serve both as a
lacing and as a substitute for the front clasp now in use for readily
opening and closing the garment in front to put the same on or off
by the facility with which the loops can be buttoned and unbuttoned
to and from the said surface lacing devices thus arranged.
This improved mode of lacing is also well adapted for lacing waists
and gloves with long wrists and like garments.
* Besides the use for lacing purposes the said surface lacing devices as
described are applicable for use as buttons with button holes in the
garment, as shewn in Figure 32 of the Drawings, wherein is shewn a
lady's long wrist glove fastened by a row of said devices D.in the same
manner as with ordinary buttons, but with these advantages the device
is prominent and always upright on the apparel, and in consequence
can be buttoned with more ease and readiness than a flat button with a
central flexible'neck that permits the button to readily escape from the
grasp in all directions, and, besides this, from the fact that the neck n
r

page_text: is on one side of the button head H it is less liable to unbutton acciden-
tally; while the double convex head and neck without corners or sharp
edges prevents the usual wear on the glove arising from the use of
ordinary buttons and other devices, and repeated efforts to fasten the
gloves with the same.
In the same manner the said devices may be employed for securing
suspenders to gentlemen's pantaloons, as shewn in Figures 33 and 34,
the buttons D being permanently fixed in the top of the pantaloons, and
by their prominence and uprightness facilitating the necessary un-
buttoning and buttoning of the same, and at the same time by their
peculiarity of form preventing the liability to unbutton accidentally.
Having described my Invention and the several forms and ways of
making and mode of applying and using the same, what I claim and
desire to, secure by these Letters Patent is,-
-
First. The lacing button with a double convex head, a double
clasped neck or shank, and with two spurs at the front and one at the
rear in combination, substantially as shewn and described.
Second. I claim the combination of the hook with two fastening
prongs in front, and the button head with a back stay, and a fastening
prong in the rear of the hook, substantially as shewn and described.
Third. I claim in combination with a suitable surface lacing device
the arrangement of two fastening prongs or spurs at the front and a
third at the rear of the same, and in combination with a back stay or
support, substantially as herein shewn and described.
Fourth. I claim the off-set j, j, in the back stay as and for the
purposes specified..
Fifth. I claim the back plate or bearing h (Figures 28, 29, 30) as
described, and in combination with the neck, shank, or hook and the
rear fastening prong, substantially as shewn and described.
Sixth. I claim the mode herein described of cutting, shaping, and
bending a sheet-metal blank so as to be doubled and be capable of
producing and clasping together a rounded form on both sides of a
button or like device, together with means for fastening at both front
and rear, or otherwise, to sustain the strain, and to keep the same in
an upright position for effective use, substantially as herein described.
Seventh. I claim the said surface and through lacing devices when
coated with nickel, substantially as described for the purposes specified.

page_text: Eighth. I claim the arrangement and mode of lacing apparel by
means of a row of eyelets and a through lacing in an overlaying flap
in combination with a row of lacing buttons, or their equivalent, and
surface lacing on the contiguous overlaid surface of the apparel,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
Ninth. I claim the said surface lacing devices in combination with
button holes in the apparel as a new upright eccentric button, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose specified.
1
In witness whereof, I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.