AN IMPROVED SPRING CATCH FOR THE SECURITY OF JEWELLERY AND ARTICLES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George North, of No. 9, Ashburnham Road,
Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Coach Builder, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED SPRING CATCH FOR THE SECURITY OF JEWELLERY AND ARTICLES
Sealed the 20th January-1857, and dated the 23rd July 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George North at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
July 1856.
I, GEORGE NORTH, of No. 9, Ashburnham Road, Greenwich, in the County
of Kent, Coach Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED SPRING CATCH FOR THE SECURITY OF JEWELLERY AND ARTICLES
OP PERSONAL ORNAMENT AND GENERAL UTILITY," to be as follows:-
This catch consists of a bolt on which is formed or to which may be affixed
a catch or catches provided with a spiral or other spring, and enclosed in a
tube, this tube being provided with a transverse opening or openings where the
catch or catches of the bolt are situated; the bolt with catches being kept in
this position by the spring, it will be found that pressure on the catch hook or
hooks with the pin, pins, staple, ring, or other fastener will act upon the spring,

page_text: and admit the fastener into or under the catch or catches, when it will be
found securely locked, and can only be disengaged by drawing back the bolt
by its end or other part provided for that purpose. Instead of the tube
entirely enclosing the bolt, it may enclose the spring and part of the bolt
only, with the catch projecting from one end of the tube, or the tube may
be dispensed with if found convenient; or the spring may have the catch
formed thereon, and be provided with a stop, which will answer the purpose
of the transverse opening in the tube before named. This catch, being
manufactured of suitable metals, will be a convenient and secure lock for
brooches, head ornaments, and other articles of jewellery, bags, purses, parts of
wearing apparel, and articles of personal ornament and general utility.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George North in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
NORTH, of No. 9, Ashburnham Road, Greenwich, in the County of Kent,
Coach Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George North, Her special licence that I, the said George North, my
executors, administrators, and, assigns, or such others as I, the said George
North, my executors, administrators, and 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 "AN IMPROVED SPRING CATCH
FOR THE SECURITY OF JEWELLERY AND ARTICLES OF PERSONAL ORNAMENT AND
GENERAL UTILITY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
George North, my executors, or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George North, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The nature of my said Invention, as already intimated in the Provisional
Specification filed on application for the said Letters Patent, consists in an
improved fastening catch for the security of jewellery, articles of personal
ornament and general utility, such articles for instance, as brooches, bracelets,
head ornaments, necklets, and jewellery in general, as also bags, porte-monnaies,
cigar cases, medal suspenders, badges of ornament and distinction, &c. &c.
which may be more fully understood by the following description of the
arrangements illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
My Invention consists, first, as represented in the accompanying Drawings,
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, being certain arrangements of the double catch bolt
intimated in my Provisional Specification, and applicable as a fastening for
such articles as bags, badges, large brooches, &c.
Fig. 1 is a view of the large double catch bolt as it appears when enclosed
in a tube with a coiled spring; the said tube having transverse openings, the
bolt with its catches being urged by the spring within in the direction of arrow
a, the fronts of the catches forming inclined planes b, b, the catches when pressed
at b, b, will move in the direction of arrow c, and admit the pins, loops, or what
they may be arranged to fasten, immediately under the catches into the spaces
formed by the transverse openings in the tube, and will be thus securely
locked, but may be immediately disengaged on pulling the bolt by the end d,
in the direction of arrow c.
Fig. 2 is an upper view of the same tube, partially closed at the end d, as
in the case Fig. 1, showing the transverse openings e, e, and the slits f.f, which
slits serve to keep the catches in an upright position, and in which they move
when used as above described; in the narrow transverse opening g, I insert a
stop to prevent the spring moving further in the direction of arrow c, than is
required.
Fig. 3 is the form of catch bolt described at Fig. 1; the space between the
catches marked h, is where the spring is usually situated, but sometimes it is
convenient to place the spring in the situation of i, or in each of these spaces;
in some cases the spring may encircle the bolt.
Fig. 4 is a modification of Fig. 1, differing only in having the catches o, o,

page_text: curved and moving within the tube; instead of their projecting beyond the
external surfice, as they do through the slit in the case of Fig. 1..
Fig. 5 is a section showing the internal arrangement of Fig. 1.
Secondly, Figs. 6, 7, 8, show an arrangement somewhat similar to the above
described, but having only one catch on the bolt, the transverse opening of the
tube forming a stop to prevent the accidental escape of what may be passed
under the catch for the purpose of fastening, as in the case of the double
catches.
.
Fig: 6, is a view of this single catch bolt enclosed in a tube, with a trans-
verse opening and a slit for regulating the movement of the catch, the arrow o,
showing the direction in which the bolt is urged by the spring; the act of
--fastening is performed by pressing the loop, &c. on the front of the catch, as
in the case of the double catches; the arrow 2 points the direction in which
the end of bolt marked i must be drawn, in order to disengage the loop secured
by the catches as described.
Fig. 7 is an upper view of the same tube; showing the transverse opening,
as also the slit for the guidance of the catch bolt.
Fig. 8 is a form of bolt with coiled spring thereon, convenient for this
arrangement of catch, as shown in Fig. 6. This arrangement I have success-
fully applied as a fastening for bracelets, porte-monnaies; bags, cigar cases, &e. ;
in the case of port-monnaies, &c., by its being affixed to their frames, or by
first being attached to convenient plates, for the purpose of more readily affixing
it to the said frames; in the case of bracelets, this catch is applied thereto by
a suitable arrangement of plates adapted to the style of article for which it is
required.
Thirdly, my Invention consists in a single catch being placed at one end of
a bolt; this bolt, as in the former cases, continueing, through the length of the
tube, and projecting beyond the end of tube for the purpose of having a loop
formed thereon,, or having a plate affixed thereto, to facilitate the drawing
back of the bolt,when it is required to disengage what may have been
previously secured by the catch; the catch may be varied in form to suit the
convenience of the brooch, bracelet, &c. to which it may be applied.
Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12, are intended to illustrate an arrangement of certain
parts of this Invention, which will be found available for securing the tongues
of brooches, &c.
Fig. 9 shows one of the last named arrangements, being a form of catch
attached to the end of a bolt; the said bolt, encircled by a spring, as seen in
Fig. 11, is enclosed in a tube marked r, Fig. 9; i, Fig. 9, is a portion of the

page_text: tube turned up to form a stop, and prevent accidental escape of the brooch pin
from under the catch; n is the catch; the arrow 7 points in the direction the
tongue or pin of the brooch may be pressed in order to fasten it.
Fig. 10 shows the upper part of tube marked r in Fig. 9, exposing the
slit u for the guidance of the catch; e, Fig. 10, is a portion of the tube, which
being turned up after the insertion of the catch bolt and spring, will form the
stop i, abutting against the front of hook marked n, as shown in Fig. 9.
Fig. 11, represents the catch and spring of Fig. 9; the part of this Fig.
marked k, is a kind of collet formed on the end of bolt to assist the bolt in
moving steadily in the tube; z is the knob which projects beyond the end of
tube, for the purpose of drawing back the catch, and is marked o in Fig. 9.
Fig. 12 is a sectional view of Fig. 9; in all the cases described, the tube is
partially closed at one end for the purpose of keeping the spring within.
Fig. 13 is a form of single catch, on the end of a bolt when the lowness
or closeness of the catch is a consideration.
Fig. 14 is a modification of the single catch bolt enclosed with a coiled
spring, in a tube similar to the tube shown in Fig. 10, except that the catch
bolt does not pass through the whole length of the tube; the tube being closed
at the end g, and a ring or loop c soldered thereto, this ring or loop serving to
secure this arrangement to such articles as it may be used to fasten, and will
be found available in most cases where the ordinary snap is now used; the act
of fastening is performed similar to those before described, viz., by pressuro
with a loop or pin, &c. on the front part of catch in the direction of
arrow, when the catch will recede and admit the said loop or pin, &c.
into the space between the catch and stop marked y, where it will remain
secure, but may be disengaged when the catch is drawn by the part marked f
in the direction of arrow m; the tube of Fig. 14 is also provided with a slit
for the guidance of the catch, and a projecting piece to form the stop in front
of catch, as shown in Fig. 10.
Fig. 15 is the form of bolt with catch available for the arrangement;
Fig. 14 differing from Fig. 13 in the bolt being shorter, and not passing
entirely through the tube.
.
Fig. 16 is a sectional view of Fig. 14. In affixing any of these, arrangements
to.a brooch, it is sometimes necessary to solder the tube on a small plate of.
metal, which makes it more convenient for attaching it to. brooches, &c.; it is
also sometimes necessary to have the tubes otherwise formed than cylindrical;
and in each case above described, a coiled spring is enclosed within the tube
with the catch bolt, but the catch may be urged by the spring. being placed

page_text: externaly to the tube, and it is not absolutely necessary the spring should be
coiled when placed external to the tube; and in the case of the single catch, if
it be affixed or formed on the spring itself, and a stop be provided to abut
against the front of the catch, the tube may be dispensed with, as shown in
Fig. 18.
Figs. 17 & 18 shows an arrangement of the single catch and stop when the
tube and spiral spring are dispensed with.
;
Fig. 17 is a side view of this kind of stop; the part marked g denotes where
the spring may be affixed, the catch being formed or affixed on the other end
of the spring; the part marked a, Fig. 18, denotes the situation of a projecting
part, which will serve to press back the catch when it is required to disengage
or withdraw what has been secured in the space between the stop and catch
Fig. 18 showing an arrangement of this character of stop and catch. This
catch, like each of the former described, can be made of such metals as may
be found most suitable to its application; and in some cases, instead of the
catch bolt being used as described, a tube may be substituted, and the catch
may be readily formed on or affixed to a convenient part of this tube, and the
said tube be enclosed by or enclose another tube, and their action of moving
be similar to the tube of a telescope; and a coiled or other spring may be
placed internal or external to these tubes, so as to impel the catch forward
in the direction of its opposing stop. And I wish it to be here understood,
that the peculiar feature or character of this Invention consists in the
catch or catches and spring being so formed or arranged that, when the
catch is pressed by what it is required to fasten, the said pressure causes the
catch to recede and allow the part or thing by which it is pressed to pass
under the catch, the catch then being urged the spring, immediately returns
to its original position, enclosing what has been passed for the purpose of being
fastened within the space formed by the catch and stop, as seen in the
Drawings accompanying this Specification. In all the cases described, a stop
is opposed to the front of the catch, but in some cases, not refered to in the
Drawings, the catch may be so placed, that some part of what it is applied to
as a fastener may be opposite to the catch, and thus form a substitute for the
stop before described.
.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood, that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described and represented, as the same
may be varied without departing from the nature of my said Invention; but I
clain as my Invention,

page_text: Firstly, the new or improved catch for the security of jewellery, articles of
personal ornament and general utility, as herein-before described and illustrated
in this Specification and the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly, such of the arrangements herein described as may be applied for
the purpose of fastening articles of ornament and general utility, as intimated
in the outset of this Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said George North, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Signed and sealed in the presence of,
ALEXANDER TATE,
78, Shepperton Cottages,
GEORGE NORTH. (L.S.)
New North Road, Islington.