A New or Improved Fastening for Boots, Shoes, and other Articles of Apparel.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left. 18th May, 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Fastening for Boots, Shoes, and other Articles
of Apparel.
I, JOHN BERNARD EDMUND FIELD, of 16 Mark Lane, in the City and
County of London, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to a new or improved device for securing the ends of the
laces, string, or band, employed to faster boots and shoes, gaiters, aprons, and other
articles of apparel.
In the practical construction of my improved fastener I use a metal plate of
T-shape, and of any suitable size and thickness. At the free end of the longest
arm of this T-plate a guider is formed either by two lugs turned upwards and
inwards, or in any other desirable manner, whilst a hole. is formed in the plate at
the point where the three arms meet.
At the middle of the longest arm of the T-plate I provide a cleat formed of an
upright or support secured at one end to the T-plate and carrying eccentrically on
its opposite end a broad cap or button, preferably of an elliptical form.
This upright is preferably formed of a metal plate having its ends so reduced
that they may be rivetted or burred over after being passed through holes in the
T-plate and cap or button respectively.
By so reducing the ends of said upright, shoulders are formed by the unreduced
parts at the points where the reduction commences, but that part of the shoulder
on the outer end of said upright or that end on which the cap or button is secured,
I bevel or cut away on that side furthest from the end of the longest arm of
the T-plate, so that a V-groove is formed between such bevelled portion of the
shoulder and the underside of the cap or button into which the end of the lace,
string, or like attached to the boot, or other wearing apparel, is forced when wound
round the upright.
In some cases wires may be used instead of plates to form the upright of the
cleat, these being so bent as to form V-grooves in a similar manner.
That portion of the cap or button extending towards the end of the longest
arm of the T-plate (and the button is mounted eccentrically on the supports, so
that the greater portion of this extends in this direction) is preferably so bent that
the centre portion thereof bulges inwardly, so that the portion of the lace wound
round the upright is better guided into the V-groove, or a flat cap may be used and
thus secured in a slanting position.
In use for securing boot laces the device is secured to one end of the lace by
5 turning the end thereof back to form a loop. This loop is then passed through the
opening formed in the T-plate at the point of junction of the three arms and is then
passed over the ends of the shorter arms of said plate.
The other end of the lace is secured by passing it through the guide on the end
of the longest arm of the T-plate and round the upright of the cleat.
Although I prefer to construct my improved fastening as above described it will
be obvious that the whole may be stamped from sheet metal in one or more pieces

page_text: or formed entirely of wire or otherwise constructed as found more convenient or
desirable.
Dated this 17th dox of A venet 1804
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
A New or Improved. Fastening for Boots; Shoes; and other Articles
of Apparel.
I, JOHN BERNARD EDMUND FIELD, late: of 16 Mark Lane, but now of
70 Mark Lane, in the City and County of London, Merchant, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention 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 a new or improved device for securing the ends of the
laces, strings, or bands, employed: to fasten boots, and shoes, gaiters, aprons, and
other articles of apparel..
In the practical construction of my improved fastener, I use a metal plate of T-shape,
and of any suitable size and thickness.. At. the free end of, the longest, arm of
this T-plate a guide is formed, either by two lugs turned upwards and inwards, or
in any other desirable manner, whilst.a hole is formed in the plate at the point
where the three arms meet..
At the middle of the longest arm of the T-plate I provide a cleat formed of an.
upright or support secured at one end to the T-plate, and carrying eccentrically
on. its opposite end a cap or button, preferably. of an elliptical form:
This upright is preferably formed of a metal plate having its ends so, reduced.
that they may be riveted or burred over, after being passed through holes in
the T-plate and cap or button respectively..
By so reducing the ends of said upright, shoulders are formed by the unreduced
parts at the points where the reduction commences, but that. part of the shoulder
on the outer end of said upright, or that end. on. which the cap or button is secured,.
I.bevel or cut away on that side furthest from the end of the longest arm of
the T-plate, so that a V-groove is formed between such beveled. portion of the
shoulder and the underside of the cap or button into which the end of the lace,,
string, or the like, attached to the boot, or other wearing apparel, is forced when
wound round the upright.
In some cases wires may be used instead of a plate to form the upright of the.
cleat, these being so bentias to fora V-grooves in a similar manner.
That portion of the cap or button extending towards the free end of the longest
arm of the T-plate. (and the button, is mounted eccentrically on the, support, so
that the greater portion thereof extends in this direction.) is preferably so bent.
that the centre portion thereof bulges inwardly, so that the portion of the lace
wound round the upright is better guided into the V-groove; or a flat cap may be
used; and this secured. in a slanting position.
And in order that my invention may be more readily understood and carried
into practice I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the
accompanying drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2 a front view of
aifastening constructed according to my invention, and Fig. 3 the upper portion of
a boot shewing the fastening in use..
As illustrated, this fastening consists of a T-plate a provided on the end of the
longer arm thereof with a. guide. 6 formed of two lugs, and. having an opening c
formed therethrough at the point. where the three arms thereof meet.
To the middle of the longer arm of the plate is secured an upright d carrying

page_text: eccentrically on the free end thereof an elliptical cap or button e formed with an
inwardly projecting bulge e¹ at that end nearest the free end of the longest arm of
the plate a.
At the point where the cap or button is secured to the upright d the latter is
cut or formed on one side so as to form with the underside of said cap a V-groove f
(Fig. 1) in which the lace, string, or cord, when wound round the upright
becomes jammed.
In use for securing boot laces the device is secured to one end of the lace by
turning the end of the former back to form a loop. This loop is then passed
through the opening c in the plate a and is then passed over the ends of the shorter
arms of said plate; or it may be secured by passing the end through said opening,
and then tying a knot, as shown in Fig. 3, or otherwise.
The other end of the lace is secured by passing it through the guide b and round
the upright d.
Where found preferable, instead of constructing the device as above described,
the whole may be cast, stamped from sheet metal, in one or more pieces, or formed
partly, or wholly, of wire, whilst the shorter arms of the plate a which are
intended to enable the fastening to better retain its position, may be dispensed
with, and other means for securing the lace to the plate a substituted for the
opening c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1.) A fastening for boots, shoes, and other articles of apparel, consisting of a
plate a provided at one end with a guide, and at the other end with an opening or
equivalent means whereby the end of a lace, string, cord, or the like, may be
secured thereto, an upright d and cap or button e with or without the depression e
the whole constructed and arranged substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
(2.) In a fastening for boots, shoes, and other articles of apparel, a cleat formed
of an upright d and cap or button e arranged and constructed substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th d
1005
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.