IMPROVED FASTENING CLASPS
Year: 1884

page_text: I ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES of 55 Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex
Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention for IMPROVED FASTENING CLASPS and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
•
This Invention relates to that class of fastening clasp wherein a plate having an
elongated eye contracted at one end is made to cooperate with a headed stud.
In this class of clasps it has been common to employ spring arms, the free ends
of which extend across the slot in the plate so as to yield laterally when acted
upon by the headed stud and permit the stud to pass the arms, the latter springing
in behind the stud and retaining the latter in the narrow end of the slot, the width
of the slot at that end being less than the diameter of the head of the stud. With
spring arms as heretofore constructed it frequently happens when inserting the head
of the stud through the larger part of the slot in the plate and moving the stud in
the said slot, that the head of the stud passes between the arm and the plate thus
springing the arm upward away from the plate and destroying its efficiency.
To prevent the possibility of the entrance of the head of the stud improperly
between the said arms and plate I have provided the edges, of the slot in the plate
with a flange, a part of which latter is, however, omitted or cut away to enable the
acting ends of the spring arms to pass the edges of the slot and extend partly
across the same, the arm or arms one or more constituting a lock-clasp.
My Invention consists essentially in a lock clasp composed of a plate provided
with a slot having a contracted extension and Hanged as described and of an
attached spring or springs constituting arms one end of each arm being extended
partially across the said slot and being adapted to yield to permit the passage of
a headed stud into the narrowest end of the said slot and then to spring behind
and lock the stud therein.
Figure 1 represents one of my improved fastenings or lock-clasps separated,
Figure 2 represents the same closed.
Figure 3 a section of Figure 1, on the dotted line x-x.
Figure 4a similar section on the dotted line x²-x³, and
Figures 5 and 6 are modifications to be described.
Herein my Invention is shown as applied for use in connection with corset steels,
and referring to the Drawings, A, B, represent usual corset steels and C designates
the usual hended stud it being shown as attached to the steel B.

page_text: 1
D represents the eye-plate attached to the steel A, by rivets e', the latter serving
to hold not only the plate but also the spring jaws f, there being in Figures 1 to 5
two such jaws represented, and in Figure 6, but one such jaw.
These jaws rest close to and move upon the flat side of the eye-plate D, and the
said jaw or jaws at their free ends normally extend partially across the siot h, h¹,
as represented in the Drawings.'
When providing the p'ate D, with a slot h, h¹ composed of a large eye and
a more contracted extension I provide the said plate more or less about the said eye
with flanges, 3, 4 extending from the plate in the direction of its thickness the
depth of the said flanges preferably equalling or being in excess of the thickness of
the arm or arms used so that the head of the headed stud when being passed
through the said slot, or when being moved therein longitudinally cannot pass
laterally beyond the edges of the slot and between the said jaws or arms f, and the
slotted plate D.
"
The flange 3, prevents the possibility of any part of the spring arm passing across
the edges of the enlarged round part h, of the slot, the only part of the slut into
and through which the enlarged head of the stud C can enter or pass.
The part 4 of the flange about the small end of the slot h, h¹, serves as a rest or
support for the under side of the headed stud C and holds the latter up level with
the tops of the said arms thereby preventing the head of the stud from falling
below and during the backward movement of the stud from the small into the
larger part of the said slot passing under the front ends of the said arms.
In Figures 1 to 4 the spring arms are produced from wire and in Figures 5
and 6 the said arms are composed of thin sheet metal stamped or cut out to
shape.
I do not claim the slotted plate or the spring arms by themselves as I know.
them to be old.
"When but one spring arm f is used it may be composed of either flat sheet metal
or of wire, and I also desire it to be un lerstood that if desired the plate D may be
applied or riveted upon the steel A so that the spring arms will fall between the
said steel and the plate D, the latter when thus used being countersunk or
'chambered to receive the spring arms.
In this latter modification the plate D will cover the spring arm or arms used
and the flanges 3, 4, will project towards rather than away from the person as in
the Drawing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manuer the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is,
1. The herein described plate provided with a slot having a contracted extension
and having a flange 3, extended more or less about the large part of the said slut
_combined with one or more spring jaws or arms, the front ends of which are
adapted to extend partially across the said slot and to yield laterally to cooperate
with the headed stud, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The plate D, slotted and provided with a tange 4, about the small end of the
slot, combined with one or more spring jaws or arms extended partially across the
slot in the said plate between the said flange 4, and the larger part h, of the said
.slot and with a headed stud adapted to rest at its under side upon the flange 4
beyond the front end of the said arm, as and for the
described.
purpose
Dated this 12th day of February 1884.