Improvements in Lacing Hooks for Shoes, Gloves, and other Articles.
Year: 1898

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by LEWIS FORBES EARL, of Oak Lane, Philadelphia
County, Pennsylvania, United States of America, Engraver.]
Improvements in Lacing Hooks for Shoes, Gloves, and other
Articles.
I, JOHN MADDOCKS, of 3, Park Drive, Bradford, Yorkshire, Merchant and
Manufacturer, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide a suitable construction of lacing hook
which shall form a smooth or unobstructed upper surface after the lace is applied
thereto so as to prevent the possibility of the garment catching thereon. This
improved lacing hook is especially adapted to women's shoes and is designed so that
the swinging of the skirts over the said hooks will not catch thereon to tear the
skirt or injure the hook.
In carrying out the invention a suitable eyelet or other means is provided for
attachment directly to the shoe, glove or other garment, to which the hook proper
is pivoted or loosely jointed. The hook is formed of a bent piece of metal
forming when closed upon the garment an arch-shaped portion to confine the lace,
and further having its free end provided with a lateral projection or tongue forming
in effect a hook about which the lace is drawn and retained, the lateral projection
from said free end being adapted during the lacing operation to present a portion
about which the lace may be wrapped so as to draw the hook into position when
tightening the lace.
The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which :-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a shoe with the lacing hooks attached
thereto and in process of receiving the lace;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the improved lacing hooks removed;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the hook portion separated from the eyelet ;
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the eyelet portion with the hook removed;
Fig. 5 is a modified form of the improved lacing book;
Fig. 6 is a modified form of the eyelet ; and
Figs. 7 and 8 are plan views showing a modification of the improved lacing
hook.
A is the shoe. B are the improved lacing hooks, and C is the lace. While the
invention is shown as applied to a shoe, it is to be understood that it may be applied
to a glove or any garment. In applying the hook to a shoe the eyelet D is passed
through a hole and upset or riveted into position as is customary in applying the
ordinary lacing hooks. The eyelet D is provided at its top with a flange E which
is stamped up into the bearings F upon each side of a flat tongue G arranged
between them and as a continuation of the flange E. The hook proper is indicated

page_text: at H and is made arch-shaped. One end is provided with lateral bearing pins h
which are adapted to fit into the bearings F, F, of the eyelet and are held therein
by the tongue G. The other or free end of the hook H is bent over and under to
form a lateral tongue I having the downwardly extending flange i. The juncture
of the parts I and H forms in effect a hook recess which is especially adapted to
receive and hold the lace C. When the hook H is closed down upon the eyelet D
as indicated in Fig. 2, it will be seen that the portion I rests upon the flange E of
the eyelet, and the projection i extends downward over the top thereof and forms
no obstruction or projection upon which anything can catch. In applying the
improved lacing hook to a shoe the eyelet is preferably set so that the hinge on the
lacing hook is arranged at an angle to the line of the lacing hooks or edges of
the parts to be drawn together as is very clearly seen by an examination of Fig. 1.
The angle of this hinge of the lacing hook is in opposite directions upon each side
of the space between the two parts which are to be drawn together. While this
angular arrangement of the hinge is preferable nevertheless the invention is not
confined to it. In applying the lace to the improved hooks it will be seen that
when the hooks are thrown open into the position shown at the upper part of
the shoe of Fig. 1, the lace is drawn through the inside of the arch of the hook H
as shown at the left hand side of Fig. 1, is then drawn downward and then over
the underside of the lateral tongue I and immediately inside of the flange i as
indicated at the right hand side of Fig. 1. Upon then drawing the lace upward
it will be seen that the hook H rotates about its axis F, h and closes down upon
the eyelet, and in so doing the part I passes over back of the lace and the lace
is left in the hook portion S as is clearly shown in Fig. 1. The lacing hook is
then retained in position by the tension put upon it by the lace itself.
the lace is loosened or removed, the hooks H drop down by gravity into the position
indicated at the upper part of the shoe in Fig. 1. From this it will be observed
that no springs are necessary, and when the shoe is properly laced it will be
practically impossible for any of the lacing hooks to become disconnected from the
lace, since the lateral tongue I extends under the lace to a considerable extent and
prevents it accidentally disconnecting itself from the hook H.
When
From the construction of the improved lacing hook as above described it will be
seen that the entire device may be formed of stamped sheet metal, securing great
rigidity with simplicity and cheapness of manufacture.
In the construction shown in Fig. 5 the hook H is loosely journalled at J to a
staple K, such for instance as is usually employed in securing buttons upon shoes
and as a substitute for the eyelet. The hook piece at its free end is similar to the
construction above described. In place of the staple hook K an eyelet with the
bearing F¹ as indicated in Fig. 6 may be employed.
In the construction shown in Fig. 7 the hook H is shown bent at its end adjacent
to the hinge but with its main portion arranged horizontally. In this case the
pivot is arranged obliquely. In the construction shown in Fig. 2 the pivot bearings
are at right angles to the hook H, but in the construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8
they are arranged obliquely thereon; otherwise the construction is substantially the
same. When this modification of the improvements is applied to a shoe the hook H
moves through a somewhat different angle than the hook H of the construction
shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
While the construction shown is preferred the invention is not confined thereto,
as the details may be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
claim is :-
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what
First: The pivoted arched lacing hook hinged on an oblique axis to a primary
part attached to the article or garment.
Second The primary part adapted for attachment to the garment or article,
:

page_text: combined with an arched lacing hook jointed thereto at one end and having at its
free end a lateral tongue which seats upon the primary part on the side opposite to
the joint when the hook is closed.
JOHN MADDOCKS
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.