NEW INVENTED BUCKLES AND SHOE FASTENINGS
Year: 1794

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BELL, of Walsall, in the County of Stafford, Buckle Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Seventeenth day of May, in the thirty-fourth year of
His reign, give and grant unto me, the said William Bell, His especial licence
that I, tho said William Bell, during the term of years therein mentioned,
should and lawfully might use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "NEW INVENTED BUCKLES
AND SHOE FASTENINGS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a
proviso obliging me, the said William Bell, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, to cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and how the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one calendar month after the date
of the said recited Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Bell, do hereby particularly describe the nature of my said Invention,
and how the same is to be performed, as follows:-
I take any metal or metals, substance or substances, simple or compounded,
and sufficiently hard, and capable of being bent, cut, cast, or otherwise formed
into a curve, and I form the same into thin plates, rims, or frames of some
shape proper to be placed conveniently on the upper part of the foot, and to
constitute the skeleton of a buckle; some examples of which plates, rims, or

page_text: frames are shewn at (a) in the annexed plans and sections respectively. No. 1,
2, 3, 4, and 5, representing in various forms the under side of the plate, rin,
or frame of my said new invented buckle or shoe fastening; in viewing
which, for the present, you are not to consider the parts marked a, b, and c, by
the addition of which to the plate, rim, or framo the buckle or shoe fastening
is to be completed as mentioned below. Thus, I solder, rivet, screw, or other-
wise affix near to one of the extremities or ends of the plate, rim, or framo,
(first) an immoveable bar, staple, or loop, as represented at (6) in the plans
and sections respectively No. 1 and 2; the fastenings, i. c., the soldering,
rivetting, screwing, &c., being applied at the two ends of the said bar, staple,
or loop, which is formed so as to leave a space between the bar, staple, or loop
and the under side of the plate, rim, or frame; or (secondly) a roller turning
upon an axle or pivots, as represented at (6) in the plan and section No. 3;
or (thirdly) a loop, moveable upon a joint or joints, as represented at (b) in
the plans and sections respectively No. 4 and 5. I cut out of the extremity
or end of the said plate, rim, or frame, to which the bar, staple, loop, or roller
is affixed or to be affixed as above described, a spike or spikes, having the points
outwards, as represented at (c) in the plan and section respectively No. 1; or I
Inake such spike or spikes of a separate piece of metal (hardened and tempered
steel being the best for the purpose), and then solder, rivet, screw, or other-
wise affix it near to tho said extremity of the plate, rim, or frame, as is repre-
sented at (c) in the plans and sections respectively No. 2, 3, 4, and 5; or 1
cut this spike or spikes out of or affix them to or upon the bar, staple, roller,
or loop, as represented at (c) in the plans and sections respectively No. 6, 7,
and 8. I also cut out of the opposite extremity or end of the same plate, rim,
or frame a hook or hooks, catch or catches, pointing inwards or towards the
bar end of the buckle, as represented at (d) in the plan and section respec-
tively No. 1; or I make these hooks or catches of a separate piece, which I
solder, screw, rivet, or otherwise affix to the said plate, rim, or frame, as
represented at (d) in the plan and sections respectively No. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
and 8, which said hooks or catches being sharpened or pointed serve to anchor
or fasten the buckle when drawn in the direction from (d) towards (c), sco
plan No. 1; and, finally, I either ornament the opposite or upper side of the
said plate, rim, or frame itself, or I solder, rivet, screw, otherwise affix upon it
any ornament or mounting that may be suitable, or according to fancy or
fushion.
To use this buckle or shoo fastening, I introduce the outside strap of the
shoe, betwixt the bar, loop, or roller, and the plate, rim, or frame of the
buckle, as represented at (e) in the section No. 9; I next lay the buckle in

page_text: the position I wish it upon the foot, and by a slight pressure I force the hooks
(d). see section No. 10, into the inside strap of the shoe; I then draw the
outside strap till I feel the shoe sufficiently tightened, upon which I raise tho
end of the said strap, and pressing it against the spikes (c) at the bar end,
they penetrate into the strap, and thus secure the buckle in its position. The
novelty or essential part of my Invention consists in the bar, staple, roller, or
loop (6), betwixt which and the plate, rim, or frame, the strap is drawn, and
in the sccuring the strap in its place by means of the spikes (c) above
described. These buckles or shoe fastenings are not confined to any particular
form, material, thickness, or size, and may be covered with a fixed leather
or strap, as is usual in other kinds of buckles or shoe fastenings. Any of the
stronger metals, such as iron, copper, brass, tutenague, or silver, or their
compounds with other metals, may be used for the plate, rim, or frame, or
for the bar; the plate, rini, or frame may also be made of horn, whalebone,
tortoiseshell, wood, hardened leather, papier maché, or other substances
possessing similar qualities.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of June, One thousand seven hundred
and ninety-four