CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CLASPS OR FASTENINGS, APPLICABLE : FOR BELTS, GARTERS, AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Bent, of Newhall Street, Birmingham, in
Ithe County of Warwick, Military Ornament Manufacturer, for the
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CLASPS OR FASTENINGS, APPLICABLE
: FOR BELTS, GARTERS, AND OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Bent at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th January
1859.
I, JOSEPH BENT, of Newhall Street, Birmingham, in the County of War-
wick, Military Ornament Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my
said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CLASPS OR FASTENINGS, APPLICABLE
FOR BELTS, GARTERS, AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows (that is to say) :-
My improvements in metallic fastenings, such as clasps for garters, belts,
and other bands, consist in so constructing them, that while in use the parts
shall remain perfectly in contact without gaping or displacing themselves. I
effect this by forming the part that passes through the loop or hole in such
a way that 'the front plate or part that is passed through shall clip or
bed in the recess formed in the counterpart for it; and this same mode
admits of the clasp being made of any shape or design, whether raised from.

page_text: sheet metal, cast or otherwise formed, and will be found a cheap, simple,
and secure fastening, that, while easy and simple in action, is certain and
safe when connected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Bent in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
July 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
BENT, of Newball Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Military
Ornament Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Bent, Her special license that I, the said Joseph
Bent, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Joseph Bent, my executors, administrators, or 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CLASPS OR FASTENINGS, APPLICABLE FOR BELTS, GARTERS, AND OTHER
PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Bent,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Joseph Bent, 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 (that is to say) :-
The great objections of the general description of belt and garter clasps
now in use are that they are loose in the connection, and gape apart in
front, on account of the strain not being in a straight direction, which is always
the case with the general metallic belt and garter connectors while in use;
and the object and purpose of my Invention is to remedy these defects without

page_text: character of ornament that is or may be applied to such fasteners; and the
manner in which 1 effect this will be best understood by referring to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and which I will proceed to describe.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
A, Fig. 1, represents a clasp or belt fastening, united together in the position
they would assume when in use, the centre part marked a being united to the
part marked b, and the part that surrounds the centre, marked c, c, is con-
nected with the loop marked d, and which loop and outer rim are shown
detached at B, while the centre a and loop b is represented detached (and
reversed) at C; and D represents an edge view of the part last described.
In this Figure it will be seen that the globular part is free from the lower
plate, in order that when this part is passed into the opening, marked e, of
the part B, the projecting flanges f, f, fit between the bottom edge of the
globular part a and the plate g, while the indented part, exhibited at h, in the
part C, passes into the opening of the part B, which, prevents the parts
turning around when together, and the small projecting flanges, marked k, k,.
also form a support for the centre, when the connection is completely made;
thus we have all the simplicity in the mode of connecting and disconnecting.
the parts which appertain to the ordinary class of fastenings, but without the
possibility of their gaping or shifting from their proper position. Before
leaving the description of this Figure, I may observe that the back plate of
the part C is cut to the shape of the dotted lines marked l, and then bent at
right angles, and attached by soldering to the globular or centre part,
marked a, the concave form of which is of the same curvature as the dotted
Jine . Fig. 2 represents a clasp identical in its principle of construction:
with Figure 1, and merely drawn for the purpose of exhibiting that I am not
confined to any particular shape in the parts that are connected, and the
same letters and description with which Figure 1 and its various parts are
described entirely applies to this, with the exception that the centre part being
of a square or angular form. No provision is made, as in the former case (by
the indentation at h), to prevent the parts turning round, as the form renders
this impossible, and the front in this case may be of polished steel, and left
entirely plain, or have any suitable ornament applied to it. E, Fig. 3, repre-
sents a clasp connected with its corresponding loop, shown merely in outline.
as its form may be altered to suit any desired character or description of
ornament, the loop m being connected with the front plate n, while the
loop o is connected with the back plate (for disconnection 'when desired), and

page_text: which back plate and loop o is exhibited detached at F, and the front plate n
and loop m is exhibited detached at G; and the part H represents an end
view of the part G, showing the hook p, which is soldered or otherwise secured
on the back of the plate n, and which hook is passed over a raised loop,
marked y, of the plate F, forming a simple but secure and firm connection,
which not only confines the parts firmly together, but prevents any lateral or
loose action, as the part of F marked z, being raised, presses on the end of
the hook p, and perfectly closes it, so that the stronger the pull the closer are
the parts compressed together; but instead of soldering on a hook, the front
plate may be so fashioned that it may be cut and bent back so as to form a
hook, or done in the way as exhibited in a back view at 1, Fig. 4, and instead
of making the loop for receiving the hook, marked r, in the way exhibited at
F, Figure 3, it may be made as exhibited in this Figure marked J, namely
by cutting the part out of sheet metal in the form exhibited by the dotted
lines s, s, which parts are here represented bent up, forming a loop for
receiving the hook, I and J being represented in a front view at K, divested
of ornament, as it is capable of receiving almost any device that it may be
desired to stamp, raise, chase; engrave, or otherwise form on them. L and
M, Fig. 5, represent detached a clasp identical in principle with the clasp.
exhibited and described at Figures 1 and 2, but instead of soldering or con-
necting the front t to the back plate or loop u, as described in their
construction, I have avoided that necessity by partly piercing out certain
parts of the front, so as to form the ears marked v, v, which are intended to
be bent down so as to clip the projections, marked w, w, on the inside of
the frame of M, so that the square plate of L has only to be passed through
the opening marked a, and pulled back in a nearly parallel direction, when
the ears v, v, will clip the parts w, w, and effect a complete and secure. con-1
nection; o is a transverse section, taken through y, y, of the part L, for the
purpose of showing the ears v, v. And this same effect may be produced in
identically the same way by making the front in the same way as the part P
in Figure 2, and by forming ears, as shown in dotted lines at a', a', in the
part marked M, which ears are intended to be bent down in order that they
may clip the corresponding parts, also shown in dotted lines, marked b', b',
in L.
Having thus described the general object and character of my Invention,
I wish it understood that I do not purpose confining myself to any precise
size and details herein described, as the whole may be greatly. diversified,
according to the purposes for which they may be required, without departing
from the object and character of my Invention, nor do I purpose confining

page_text: myself to any particular mode in realizing my object, or any particular metals
or mixed metals of which they may be made, as they may be produced by
stamping or raising them from sheet metal, or by casting, chasing, or other-
wise; but what I claim and wish to protect by these my in part recited
Letters Patent are, the modes herein described and exhibited of connecting
the parts of clasps so that they shall not have any loose or lateral action, gape
or partially open, or undo while in use.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Bent, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
JAMES S. COCKINGS,
Patent Agent,
Birmingham.
JOSEPH (L.S.) BENT.