Improvements in Fastenings for Corsets and other Articles:
Year: 1886

page_text: Improvements in Fastenings for Corsets and other Articles:
I LOUIS SANDERS of 73 Franklin Street in the City County and State of
New York, United States of America, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This Invention relates to metallic loop fastenings adapted to engage with buttons
or studs for the purpose of attaching adjacent parts of an article together, or
independent piecos or articles to each other. While applicable to other purposes
or uses, the Invention is more particularly intended to be used on corset steels for
closing and opening the two sections of the corset down the front, and the Invention
will hero be described more especially with reference to such use.
The Invention consists in a metallic spring loop fastening substantially as herein-
after described and pointed out in the claims, whereby not only is its engagement
with the button made more secure and the fastening can be readily engaged and
disengaged, but when used as a corset-fastening there will be no liability of its
accidental engagement again when taking the corset off by releasing one fastening
at a time, as is such a common annoyance to ladies wearing corsets the steels of
which are provided with metallic key-hole fastenings.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification in which figure 1 represents a longitudinal face view of a pair of
corset-steels, the one of which is provided with a series of fastenings embodying
my Invention and the other with a corresponding series of buttons or studs with
which said fastenings are shewn engaged. Figure 2 is a face view, upon an
enlarged scale, of the improved fastening detached and button head shewing the
fastening before it is sprung over the button, and figure 3 is a like view of like
parts shewing the fastening as it is sprung to pass over the button. Figures 4
and 5 are views in elevation of the button with the spring fastening in section in
the two positions indicated for it in figures 2 and 3, the sections being on the
lines x and y y in figures 2 and 3 respectively. Similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
•
AA are the corset steels, having a series of my improved fastenings B and the
buttons or studs O with which they engage, on them, respectively. The buttons
or studs may be of the usual or any approved form and construction and be
secured to the steel which carries them, in any desired manner. They are here
represented as made with a rounded head over which the loop fastening passes and
which aids in preventing the accidental disengagement of the fastening.
The loop fastenings B are ench mainly composed of spring wire made to form an
elastic loop b that, upon suitable pressure being applied, will spring over the head

page_text: of the button or stud and subsequently contract to lock or hold the fastening in
engagement with the button or stud. A convenient mode of construction is to
bend and cross, as at od, a piece of spring wire to form a laterally expanding and
contracting loop b with a finger pieces at the outer end of the loop and with the
inner free terminal portions of the wire from the point where they cross at d
extended to form shanks or trunnions e e in line with each other and arranged to
project in opposite directions transversely to the length of the fastening. These
shanks or trunnions e e engage in a free or loose manner with eyes or sockets ff
in a metallic or other holder g which is rivetted or otherwise secured to the steel A
that carries the fastening.
Now, supposing the loop 6 normally to be of such a size that it will simply rest
upon but not pass over the head of the button or stud as shewn in figures 2 and 4
then it will require pressure upon the fastening to spring it and expand the loop
and force it over the enlarged portion of the button or stud as shown in figures 3
and 5, after passing which point it may readily, be still further depressed to hug or
loosely pass on to the shank of the button or stud when the elastic loop b will
contract again and hold the fastening in engagement with the button or stud.
When required to disengage the fastening from the button or stud said fastening
is lifted or pressed outward to again spring the loop and allow it to pass over the
enlarged portion of the button or stud. The finger piece 8 of the fastening affords
a ready means for working the fastening in or out over the button or stud to
engage and disengage it as described and as constructed gives increased tension
to the spring loop fastening, while the loose hinged connection of the wire by its
free ends, shanks, or trunnions e e with the holder both admits of the rocking of
the wire portion of the fastening to pass it in or down over and from off the button
or stud and of the sliding in or out of said free ends to permit of the expansion
and contraction of the loop of the spring fastening.
By the term corset steels is implied any stiffener used in like manner whether
made of steel or other material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is ;-
1. A metallic spring loop fastening constructed to operate in connection with
a button or stud, substantially as specified.
2. The spring wire loop fastening B for buttons or studs having an elastic loop b,
outer finger piece 8, and shanks or trunnions ce at its inner free ends in combi-
nation with the holder g having eyes or sockets ff adapted to freely receive said
shanks or trunnions within them essentially as described.
3. The spring wire loop fastening B for buttons or studs, composed of a piece of
wire bent upon itself and crossed as at c d to form an elastic loop b, finger piece 8
and shanks or trunnions ce at its free ends, substantially as shewn and described.
4. The combination with the corset-steels A A of the buttons or studs C, the
spring wire loop fastening B having an elastic loop b, finger piece s, and shanks or
trunnions e e at its free ends, and the holder g having eyes or sockets ff adapted
to freely receive said shanks or trunnions within them, essentially as specified.