AN IMPROVED FASTENING FOR LEGGINGS, GAITERS, STAYS, AND CORSETS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bernard Birnbaum, of New Broad Street, in
the City of London, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED FASTENING FOR LEGGINGS, GAITERS, STAYS, AND CORSETS."
Sealed the 24th September 1870, and dated 17th May 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bernard Birnbaum at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 17th May 1870.
I, BERNARD BIRNBAUM, of New Broad Street, in the City of London,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED FASTENING FOR LEGGINGS, GAITERS, STAYS, AND CORSETS," to be
as follows:
The object of this Invention is to expedito and facilitate the fastening
of leggings, gaiters, stays, and corsets.
The Invention consists in an arrangement of apparatus, by the engage-
ment and disengagement of parts of which the actions of fastening
and unfastening are effected. There are two longitudinal bars, narrow

page_text: plates, or busks; on one of these bars, plates, or busks, is a moveable or
sliding plate or piece combined with a spring, and herein-after called the
spring plate; this spring plate has a slot or orifice which receives a pin,
stud, or projection fixed on the other bar, narrow plate, or busk, and
formed with a notch, neck, or recess, or it may be narrower at the shank
than at the head. The spring may be conveniently fitted in a slot at
one end of the spring plate. It abuts against the spring plate at onc
end and against a fixed abutment at the other end; this abutment forms
one end or part of a box, case, frame, or guide, in which the spring plate
works, and which is fixed to the bar, narrow plate, or busk. The bars,
narrow plates, or busks have a fastening arrangement at the farther end,
which may be of the above arrangement or of ordinary arrangement, or
it may consist of a pin or stud fitting in an orifico of keyhole shape,
that is, having a round or broad part leading into a narrow or longi-
tudinal part or slot. In order to effect the fastening action, ono bar,
narrow plate, or busk, is placed over the other, and the gaiter or other
article to which it is applied is pushed down a little, so that the last-
mentioned pin or stud which is inserted in the round orifice enters the
.narrow slot, and the spring plate is pressed or pushed down, so that the
pin or stud on the one bar, narrow plate, or busk, introduced into the
orifice in the spring plate is held there by the action of the spring.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Bernard Birnbaum in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BERNARD
BIRNBAUM, of New Broad Street, in the City of London, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Bernard Birnbaum, Ier special
licence that I, the said Bernard Birnbaum, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Bernard Birnbaum,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree

page_text: with, and no others, from time to time and at all times: thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Islo of Man, an Invention for
"AN IMPROVED FASTENING FOR LEGGINGS, GAITERS, STAYS, AND. CORSETS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Bernard Birnbaum, my
exccutors 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said. Bernard Birnbaum, 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 thereof, reference being had to the accom- .
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say :-
The object of this Invention is to expedite and facilitate the fastening,
of leggings, gaiters, stays, and corsets..
.
The Invention consists in an arrangement of apparatus by the engage-
ment and disengagement of the parts of which the actions of fastening
and unfastening are effected. There are two longitudinal bars, narrow
plates, or busks; on one of these bars, plates, or busks is a moveable or
sliding plate or piece employed in combination with a spring, and
herein-after called the spring plate. This spring plate has a slot or
orifice which receives a pin, stud, or projection fixed on the other bar,
narrow plate, or busk, and formed with a notch, neck, or recess, or it.
may be narrower at a part of the shank than at the head. The spring is
most conveniently in a slot at one end of the spring plate.. The spring.
abuts against a part of the spring plate at one end, and at the other end
against a fixed abutment, which forms one end or part of a box, case,
plate, frame, or guide in which the spring plate works, and which is
fixed to one of the bars, narrow plates, or busks. The bars,. narrow
plates, or busks have also another fastening appliance at the farther end,
which may be arranged and constructed as above described, or it may be.
of some ordinary arrangement, or (and this is preferred) it may consist
of a pin or stud fitting in an orifice of keyhole shape, that is to say,

page_text: having a round or broad part leading into a narrow or longitudinal part
or slot. In order to effect the fastening action one bar, narrow plate, or
busk is placed over the other, and the gaiter, legging, or other article to
which the fastening is applied is pushed down a little so that the last-
mentioned pin or stud (which is inserted in the round part of the orifice) 5
enters the narrow slot, and the spring plate is pressed or pushed down so
that the pin or stud on one bar, narrow plate, or busk, after having been
introduced into the orifice in the spring plate, is held therein by the
spring.
The accompanying Drawings represent a logging with a fastening 1
constructed according to my Invention.
Figure 1 is a plan and Figure 2 an edge view of one of the plates or
busks with the spring plate attached thereto; Figure 3, back view of
said plate; Figure 4, plan, and Figure 5, edgo view, of the other plato or
busk; Figure 6, longitudinal section of the two plates fastened together; 1
Figure 7, plan of spring plate and fastening; Figures 8 and 9, details;
Figure 10 is a legging with the fastening attached.
A, B, are two narrow plates sewn between two thicknesses of the
leather of the legging at opposite edges thereof; a is a sliding plate
working on a plate 6 (in guides formed by the bent edges of this plate b,
which is) attached to the legging. In the plate a are formed a slot c,
an opening d, and a slot e. The upper part of the plate is narrowed as
shewn at a*, and this part forms a shank, or acts as a thumb-piece, and
projects beyond the edge of the leather, where it is bent over, as shown.
at f, so that it may be casily attained and worked. The slot e allows
the plate to ride over a pin or stop y fixed to the bar A, and thus the
|_ plate a works between the bar A and the plate b. In the plate bis a
recess *, in which is lodged a spring which projects through the
slot c.
On the other bar, plate, or busk B is a stud, pin, or projection &
formed with a notch or recess as shewn, and so placed that when the
bars, busks, or plates A, B, are superimposed this stud i may be inserted
into the hole d, which is formed of semicircular or nearly semicircular
or segmental shape to suit the configuration of the stud i. A hole is
formed in the material of the legging to correspond with the holes d, 1;
j is a pin or stud on the bar A at the opposite end, and at the opposite
side to the end and side on which is the fastening arrangement a, b ;;
k is a slot in the bar or plate B, at the opposite end to that on which is
the pin i. This slot k is of key-hole shape, that is to say, it is formed

page_text: with a round part leading into a longitudinal part. An orifice / is
formed in the plate 6 corresponding in position with the orifice d. In
order to fasten the legging the bar B is placed over the bar A, and the
legging is pushed down a little, so that the pin j after entering the
round part of the slot k will work into the narrow part thereof and be
held in place as the narrow part embraces the shank of the pin ; while
the head of the pin projects. The spring plate a is pushed down and the
pin i is inserted through the hole in the legging and into the holes 1, d.
The plato a is then released to the action of the spring, which forces it
back to its previous position as shown in Figure 1, when the chord or
straight part of the semicircular or segmental orifice dcomes in contact
with the back or end of the recess in the pin i, and holds the pin firmly
in place. The unfastening action is effected by pressing on the bent
part f, and thereby pushing down the plate a, so as to release the pin i.
The legging is pulled up a little to release the pinj from the slot k.
Although I have particularly described the Invention as applied to a
legging, it may be applied in exactly similar manner to gaiters,`stays,
and corsets.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim, the arrange-
ment and combination of parts constituting a fastening constructed and
operated substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bernard Birnbaum, have hereunto
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of November, in the
set my
year One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
E. DE PASS,
68, Fleet Street,
London.
B. BIRNBAUM. (L.S.)