IMPROVEMENTS IN SOLITAIRES, SLEEVE LINKS, STUDS, AND OTHER FASTENINGS FOR ARTICLES OF DRESS AND JEWELLERY
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Cutler, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SOLITAIRES, SLEEVE LINKS, STUDS, AND OTHER FASTENINGS FOR ARTICLES OF
DRESS AND JEWELLERY."
Sealed the 21st December 1874, and dated the 24th October 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Cutler at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th October 1874.
I, DAVID CUTLER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SOLITAIRES, SLEEVE LINKS, STUDS, AND OTHER FASTENINGS
FOR ARTICLES OF DRESS AND JEWELLERY," to be as follows:-
My Invention has reference to those kinds of solitaires and other like
fastenings which are composed of two detachable parts, and my said
Invention consists in connecting together and disconnecting the said
detachable parts by a fastening constructed in the following manner :-
I will describe my Invention as applied to a solitaire. On the inner face

page_text: of the disk of the front part of the solitaire is a stem, lozenge shape (or
of other angular figure) in cross section. At the end of the said stem
near the disk are two studs or projections situated on opposite sides of the
stem. The ends of these studs are inclined, the inclines being in
opposite directions. On the inner face of the disk of the back part of
the solitaire is a tubular socket, into which the stem on the front part
is introduced for fastening the two parts of the solitaire together. The
top of the tubular socket is partly closed, there being an opening therein
having the sectional figure of the lozenge shaped stem and its cross
studs or projections, that is, it has a central rectangular opening crossed
by V shaped notches. In the tubular socket is a doubled wire spring
with parallel vertical arms, the upper ends or heads of the said arms of
the spring being rounded. The rounded heads of the spring arms are
situated at opposite angles of the rectangular opening in the top of the
tubular socket. The V notches in the top of the tubular socket servo
only as guides for determining the position of the stem on introducing it
into the said socket.
To fasten the two parts of the solitaire together the lozenge shaped
stem is introduced into the V notches in the top of the tubular socket
and depressed in the said socket. When the said stem has been pushed
nearly home the inclined ends of the studs or projections act upon the
rounded ends of the sping arms in the socket, and press them back in
opposite directions, and when the stem has been fully pressed home by
the tops of the studs coming below the top of the socket, the spring
arms by their recoil or elasticity give a twisting motion to the stem, and
cause its studs to snap or engage under the top of the socket. The two
parts of the solitaire are thereby connected together, the twisting and
self-fastening of the stem being effected by the elasticity of the spring.
To unfasten the two parts of the solitaire, the stem part is twisted in a
direction contrary to that by which it was fastened to the socket part.
By this twisting its studs press back the spring arms, and when the said
studs are brought opposite the rectangular opening in the top of the
socket the stem is unfastened and may be withdrawn from the socket
part, and the two parts thus disconnected.
In order to prevent the complete separation of the two parts of the
solitaire when they are unfastened, the disks of the two parts may be
fastened together at their edges by a small chain.

page_text: I apply the improvements described to sleeve links, studs, and other
fastenings for articles of dress and jewellery, substantially in the manner
described with respect to a solitaire.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said David Cutler in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 17th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
CUTLER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of October, in tho
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said David Cutler, Her special
license that I, the said David Cutler, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said David Cutler, 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 makc, usc, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SOLITAIRES, Sleeve Links, Studs, and other FasteNINGS FOR ARTICles of Dress
AND JEWELLERY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
David Cutler, 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.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said David Cutler, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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, that is to say :-
My Invention has reference to those kinds of solitaire and other like
•

page_text: socket, the stem is unfastened and may be withdrawn from the socket
part, and the two parts thus disconnected.
In order to prevent the complete separation of the two parts of the
solitaire when they are unfastened, the discs of the two parts may be
fastened together at their edges by a small chain.
I will now describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which my Invention may be carried into effect.
Figure 1 represents in elevation, and Figure 2 in vertical section a
solitaire, constructed according to my Invention, the two parts being
fastened together; Figure 3 represents in elevation, and Figure 4 in
plan the two parts of the solitaire unfastened; Figure 4 represents thic
same view as Figure 2, excepting that it exhibits the positions of the
parts just before the halves of the solitaire are fastened together, and
Figure 5 represents a section taken at right angles to the plane in which
the section Figure 4* is taken; Figure 6 represents a plan of the two
parts of the solitaire fastened together, the disc of the front part being
omitted; Figure 7 represents the parts of which the front half of the
solitaire is composed, and Figure 8 represents the double arm spring used
in the back part of the solitaire. The same letters of reference indicate
the same parts in the several Figures of the Drawing.
A is the front part of the solitaire, and B is the back part; c is the
stem of the front part A, and d is the hollow socket of the back part B.
The stem c has the elliptical figure represented, or it may have a lozenge
shape or other angular figure in cross section. At the end of the said.
stem c and near the disc are two studs or projections e, e, situated on
opposite sides of the stem. The ends of these studs are inclined, the
inclines being in opposite directions. In the closed end or top of the
tubular socket & on the back part B of the solitaire is an opening or
crossing slot of the sectional figure of the stem c on the front part A and
its cross studs or projections e, e (see Figure 1). The opening or slot
into which the stem c takes is marked f, and the opening or slot into
which the studs or projections e, e, take is marked g. The opening f
serves as a guide for determining the position of the stem c on intro-
ducing it into the socket d for fastening the solitaire. In the tubular
socket da double arm spring h, h, (shown separately in Figure 8) is
fixed. The upper ends or heads of the spring arms h, h, are curved and
are turned in opposite directions, the curved ends or heads of the spring

page_text: arms being situated at opposite sides of the rectangular opening in the
top of the socket d into which the studs e, e, on the stem c enter. The
position of the curved heads of the spring arms h, h, with respect to the
slot in the socket d is indicated in the plan view of the part B,
Figure 4. The double arm spring h, h, is fixed in the socket d of the
part B by the ends of its cross bar ³ taking into notches d² at opposite
sides of the tubular socket & (sce Figures 5 and 7), and after the double
arm spring has been placed in the socket the forked end of the said
socket is passed over the cross bar i of the upper shell, and closed on the
under side of the said shell, as shown in Figure 4. The disc of the
back part B is completed by a second shell. The three parts, namely,
the stem d and the two shells of which the back part B is composed are
shown in Figure 7. In fastening the two parts A, B, of the solitaire
together, the stem c of the front part A is inserted into the V notches or
slot f, in the top of the socket d of the back part B, and depressed in:
the said socket. When the stem c has been pressed nearly home the
studs or projections ê, e, commence to enter the opening 9 in the said
top of the socket, and their inclined ends acting against the curved tops
or heads of the spring arms h, h, in the socket & press the said arms
back in opposite directions, and when the stem c has been fully pressed
home by the tops of the studs c, e, coming below the top of the socket d
the spring arms h, h, by their clasticity give a twisting motion or motion
through part of a circle to the stem c, and cause its studs e, c, to snap
or engage under the top of the socket d. The two parts A and B of the
solitaire are thus fastened together. In Figure 4 the studs e, e, on the 2
stem care represented fully pressed home, and the spring arms h, h,
pressed back in opposite directions, and the said spring arms about to
give a twisting motion to the stem to effect it self fastening. The
positions of the parts when they are in their twisted or fastened state arc
indicated in dotted lines in Figure 6, by an examination of which it will
be seen that the ends of the studs e, e, are situated under an unperforated
part of the end of the socket d, and that the stem c is not coincident
with the notches c, c, into which it takes.
In order to unfasten the two parts A and B of the solitaire the disc of
the part A is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 6. 3
By this motion the studs e, e, force back the heads of the spring arms
h, h, and when the said studs have been brought opposite the opening g,
the stem c is also brought opposite the opening, when the parts are ·

page_text: unfastened and may be separated. The discs of the two parts A and B
of the solitaire are fastened together at their edges by the chain k...By
means of the said chain the completo separation of the two parts A and
B when they are unfastened is prevented.
Figure 9 represents in elevation, and Figure 10 in section, a solitaire
provided with an elastic stem and double pusher or releaser; Figure 11
represents the front part detached, and Figure 12 represents the back
part detached; is the clastic stem on the front part A of the solitaire,
the said stem having on opposite sides and near the disc depressions 1², 1³,
into which the internal collar d³ of the socket d on the part B engages
or snaps, when the two parts are pressed together. The two parts of the
solitaire when so fastened together are capable of rotating or swivelling
on one another. The parts 1, P, of the clastic stem 7 pass through the
disc of the part A, and their ends are situated at the edges of the said
disc, and constitute pushers by which the fastening is released.
The releasing of the fastening is effected by pressing the projecting
ends of the parts or pushers in opposite directions. By this motion the
depressed parts of the stem approach one another, and release them-
selves from the internal collar d³ when the two parts of the solitaire may
be separated.
I apply the improvements herein described and illustrated to sleeve
links, studs, and other fastenings for articles of dress and jewellery,
substantially in the manner described with respect to a solitaire.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as
the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention; but I claim as my Invention the improvements in solitaires,
sleeve links, studs, and other fastenings for articles of dress and
jewellery, herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing, that is to say, connecting together the detachable parts of
solitaires and other fastenings of the kind described, by making on the
stem of one part studs or projections, and combining with the tubular
socket of the other part a double arm spring with curved ends turned in
opposite directions, and providing the top of the tubular socket with a
cruciform opening for receiving the said stem and studs or projections,
the fastening of the two parts of the solitaire or article being effected by

page_text: the studs or projections on the stem operating upon the spring arms, and
the latter by their elasticity giving a twisting motion to the studs, so as
to cause them to engage or snap under the top of the socket, the several
parts being constructed and arranged substantially as described and
illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Cutler, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
DAVID CUTLER.
(L.S.)