Improvements in or connected with Hooks and Eyes for Garments.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd July. 1896
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Apr., 1897-Accepte1, 8th May, 1897
Improvements in or connected with Hooks and Eyes for Garments.
1, ELIZABETH LORRAIN, of Kingsdown, Dover, in the County of Kent, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The main object of my invention is to improve the form and or construction of
hooks and eyes for garments so as to render the operation of fastening and unfastening
the same more simple and easy. This is effected chiefly by the employment of what I
shall for the purposes of this specification term a tongue-lever.
For the purpose of facilitating description I shall assume that my hooks and eyes
are attached to the waist-band of a woman's skirt and that the said skirt is lying flat
on a table, so that the surface of the said waist-band which would point backwards
when the skirt is in position on its wearer, shall now, when on the table, project.
upwards. I shall also for the purpose of facilitating description refer first, and that
by way of a type or illustration, to one specific form in which I contemplate carrying
my invention into effect. In the said specific form, instead of making the eye of the
nsual horse shoe form, I make the loop of the eye much broader and give it a form
resembling three sides of a rectangle, the stitching loops being at the free extremities
of the first and third of such sides. When sewn on to a waist-band placed as above
described the said stitching loops are in a horizontal plane, and the first and third
sides aforesaid extend laterally in the same plane and parallel to one another. They
then rise vertically (or nearly vertically) upwards and are joined by the second side
aforesaid. Looked at from a point vertically above it, it will be understood that this
eye has a form, somewhat resembling the letter U turned through a horizontal angle
of 90 degrees and somewhat square at the corners.
The hook (so called) in this contemplated form of my invention consists of a base
piece and the device hereinbefore referred to as the tongue-lever. The said base piece
may resemble the eye just described; and the tongue-lever is articulated or hinged
in any convenient way, as for example by means of bent loops, to the angles
between the second and the first and third sides of the base. The said bent loops
may either be integral with the base piece or the tongue-lever. The said tongue-
lever is also somewhat similar, when seen in plan, to the said eye or the said base
piece, except, that it has no stitching loops. The said tongue or lever is hinged
or articulated by the free ends of the first and third sides to the angles of the
base piece and its second side instead of being straight or nearly so as in the case
of the eye and base piece is more rounded, being in some cases of a semicircular
shape or even of a shape resembling a pointed or Gothic arch. As seen in side
elevation the tongue or lever of this specific form of my invention is bent into a
gentle curve in such manner that when so seen in side elevation with the tongue
or lever in its extended or open position, the said curve is upwardly concave from the
articulation to the free end.
The mode of operation of my invention can now be explained. Let us assume that
the part constituting the eye is attached to one extremity of the waist-band and that
the part constituting the hook is attached to the other. Let us also assume that the
tongue or lever is in its closed or folded position that is to say the position in which it
is folded over on the base piece. Let it be further assumed that the parts thus placed
do not reach one another. If now the tongue or lever be raised and moved angularly
round its articulation till it occupies its open or extended position that is to say
CD

page_text: through an angular distance of about 180 degrees, and its free end introduced under
what I have termed the second side of the eye and then raised or moved angularly so
as to bring it back to its closed or folded position it will now bring the eye with it
and will pull the latter till it slips over the hook or so called second side of the base
piece and is then retained in position whilst the tongue or lever may conveniently be
retained folded over the base piece. By this means it is possible to easily fasten a
waist-band which cannot readily be pulled up sufficiently tightly to be fastened by a
hook and eye of ordinary construction.
My invention is susceptible of considerable modification. For example the so called
second side of the base piece may in some cases be dispensed with. My invention
may be of such construction that when the hook and eye are in their normal or
fastened position, the strain of the eye may be thrown on either a part of the base
piece or on a part or extension of the tongue or lever. In one contemplated form of
tongue-lever the first and third sides are provided with humps or projections which,
as the eye passes over them, serve to guide the latter safely over the articulation. In
another contemplated form of my invention the tongue lever is articulated in such
manner that it can be slipped longitudinally through the articulating loops of the base
piece so as to take up less room in the closed position.
Dated this 2nd day of July 1896.
Improvements in or connected with Hooks and Eyes for Garments.
I, ELIZABETH LORRAIN, of Kingsdown, Dover, in the County of Kent, 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 main object of my invention is to improve the form and construction of hooks
and eyes for garments so as to render the operation of fastening and unfastening more
simple and easy. This is effected chiefly by the employment of what I shall for the
purposes of this specification term a tongue-lever.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figures I and I are respectively a plan and a side elevation of an eye constructed
in accordance with my invention.
Figures II and IIA are respectively a plan and a side elevation of a hook constructed
according to my invention and adapted to engage the said eye, the said hook being
shown in its open or extended position.
Figures III and III show in plan and side elevation respectively the said form of
hook and eye in engagement and with the parts in a position intermediate between
the open and the closed position.
Figures IV and IVA show the same parts in their closed position.
Figures V and VA show in plan and side elevation respectively a modified form
of hook.
Figures VI and VIA show this form of hook in its normal closed position.
Figures VII and VIIA, VIII and VIIIA represent modified forms of eye.
Figures IX, IXA, IXB, X, and XI represent further modifications.
Referring now to the form illustrated in Figures I, I, II, II, III, III, IV
and IVA, instead of making the eye A of the usual horse shoe form, I make the loop 1
of the eye much broader and give it a form resembling three sides 2, 3, 4 of a
rectangle, the stitching loops 5, 6 being at the free extremities of the first (2) and
third (4) of such sides. When sewn on to a waist-band placed flat on a table the said
stitching loops are in a horizontal plane, and the first and third sides aforesaid extend

page_text: laterally in the same plane and parallel to one another. They then rise vertically
(or nearly vertically) upwards as shown in Figure IA and are joined by the second
side 3 aforesaid. Looked at from a point vertically above it, it will be understood
that this eye has a form, somewhat resembling the letter U turned through a horizontal
angle of ninety degrees and somewhat square at the corners.
The hook (so called) B in this form of my invention (see Figures II and I14)
consists of a base piece 7 and the device hereinbefore referred to as the tongue-lever 8.
The said base-piece 7 somewhat resembles the eye A just described; and the tongue-
lever 8 is articulated or hinged in any convenient way, as for example by means of bent
loops 9, to the angles between the second and the first and third sides of the base (see
Figures IX, IXA) or as in the case illustrated in Figures II to IVA to the free ends
of the first and third sides of the said base. The said bent loops may either be integral
with the base piece or with the tongue-lever. In this case illustrated in Figure II
the loops are made integral with each. The said tongue-lever 8 is also somewhat
similar, when seen in plan, to the said eye or the said base piece, except, that it has
no stitching loops. The said tongue or lever is shown hinged or articulated by the
free ends of its first and third sides to the angles of the base piece in Figures 1X
and IXA, or in Figures II and II^ to the loops at the free ends of the first and third
sides of the base piece. The second side 10 of the tongue 8 instead of being straight or
nearly so as in the case of the eye and base piece illustrated, is more rounded, being
in some cases of a semicircular shape or even of a shape resembling a pointed or
Gothic arch, or with a re-entrant curve as in the figure. As seen in side elevation
the tongue or lever of this specific form of my invention is bent into a gentle curve
in such manner that when so seen in side elevation (see Figure IIA) with the tongue
or lever in its extended or open position, the said curve is upwardly concave from the
articulation to the free end.
The mode of operation of my invention can now be explained. Let us assume that
the eye A is attached to one extremity of the waist-band of a skirt and that the
hook B is attached to the other. Let us also assume that the tongue or lever 8 is in
its closed or folded position, that is to say, the position in which it is folded over on
the base piece as shown in Figures IV and IVA. Let it be further assumed that the
parts thus placed do not reach one another. If now the tongue or lever be raised
and moved angularly round its articulation through an angular distance of about
180 degrees, till it occupies its open or extended position (see Figures II and II^)
its free end 10 can then be introduced under what I have termed the second side 3
of the eye. If now the tongue 8 be raised or moved back angularly so as to bring it
towards its closed or folded position it will now bring the eye A with it (see
Figures III and III) and will pull the said eye till the latter finally slips over the
articulation loops of the base piece B as shown in Figures IV and IVA, or over the
hook or so called second side of the base piece (see Figures IX, IXA, IXB) and is
then retained in position, whilst the tongue or lever may be conveniently retained
folded over the base piece as shown in Figures IVA IVA. By this means on account
of the great reach of the tongue 8 and its acting as a lever it is possible to easily
fasten a waist-band which cannot readily be pulled up sufficiently close or tightly to
be fastened by a hook and eye of ordinary construction.
In Figures VII and VIII show a modified form of eye in which a bar 11 is
provided which may be stitched to the cloth for stronger attachment.
Figures VIII and VIII illustrate yet another form of eye in which the curve
of the side 3 enables the eye to be more evenly pulled by the tongue of the
hook.
Figures IX and IXA show a form of book 12 which has been already referred to,
and which differs from that shown in Figures II and II in that the tongue is jointed
to the angles between the second and the first and third sides of the base piece instead
of to the loops on the free ends of the first and third sides of the base piece. This
base piece is further illustrated in perspective in Figure IX".
In some cases the second side of the base piece may be dispensed with. Such a case
is shown in Figure X where it will be seen that the said side being dispensed with

page_text: what remains consists of two separate sides or bars with articulating loops at one end
and stitching loops at the other.
In Figure XII show a curve or bend 13 which enables the hook to lie better in
position.
In Figures V and VA I show in plan and side elevation respectively a modified form
of hook (hereinafter termed my sliding form) in its open or extended position. In
Figures VI and VIA I show the same. form in its normal closed position. In this
form after the eye has been pulled up-tight by the angular movement of the tongue
lever 8 so as to cause the side 3 of the eye to rest in the position 14 the tongue lever
is pushed along laterally so as to separate the loops 9 apart from the loops 9 as shown
in Figures VI and VIA.
When desired I may provide the tongue levers with humps or bends which, as the
eye passes over them in the act of being pulled up, serve to guide the latter safely
over the articulation.
My hooks and eyes may be made of wire bent to shape, or of stamped metal, or
otherwise as practised in the art.
The base pieces and eyes may be stitched either through the stitch holes when such
exist or over the side bars or otherwise as may be desired.
Although specially applicable in the case of waist-bands of skirts my invention is
also applicable to a wider range of garment.
1 desire it to be understood that I do not lay any claims to the forms of eye which
I have set forth per se as I understood that such forms have been used with other
kinds of hooks.
The precise forms of the base piece and tongue lever may be varied to an indefinite
.extent.
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. In a hook for garments the employment of a tongue lever substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
2. In a hook for garments the combination of a base piece and a tongue lever
substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with a hook as claimed in Claim 2 of an eye adapted to slide
over the tongue lever of the hook and be retained in position between the said
tongue lever and the base piece when the hook is in its closed or folded up position
substantially as set forth.
4. The arrangement and combination of parts substantially as set forth with reference
to Figures II, II, III, III, IV, and IVA.
5. The arrangement and combination of parts substantially as set forth with reference
to Figures V, VA, VI, and VIA.
Dated this 2nd day of April 1897.
E. LORRAIN.