IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF FASTENING SHOES, STAYS, GLOVES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Félicité Noëmi Thurel, of 2, Rue Sainte Appoline,
Paris (France) and of 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF FASTENING SHOES, STAYS, GLOVES,
Sealed the 7th January 1862, and dated the 26th July 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Félicité Noëmi Thurel at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th July 1861.
I, FÉLICITÉ NOEMI THUREL, of 2, Rue Sainte Appoline, Paris (France)
5 and of 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, do hereby declare the nature of
my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF FASTENING SHOES, STAYS,
GLOVES, AND OTHER WEARING APPAREL," to be as follows, that is to say:―
My Invention consists in the construction and employment of eyelet holes
for fastening shoes, stays, gloves, and other articles of wearing apparel in lieu
of those now in use. They are arranged perpendicularly in the direction in
which they are now generally used, and may be made of different shapes and
materials and of all sizes. With the eyelet holes now in use the tightening is
effected by drawing the lace over the part to be compressed, as in the lacing
of boots and shoes, gloves, stays, and other like coverings, when desired to

page_text: loose them some time is consumed and an effort is required to undo the
lace. By my Invention the above inconveniences are remedied, the lacing
and unlacing being performed instantaneously. The new eyelet holes are
made in preference of metal and are composed of two distinct parts, which are
the eyelet hole proper, and a tail or shank for supporting and fixing the
eyelet hole; this part may be made distinct and of a different material from
the eyelet hole. I think it preferable, however, to cut out of the piece of
metal which is to form the new eyelet hole, one or two enlargements wide
enough to form one or two special eyelet holes for fixing the new eyelet hole
either to the article to which is to be applied, or to a ribbon, or to any other
material which can be sewed or attached to the shoes, to dresses, stays, or
other-articles of dress. A lace is passed through the new eyelet holes, the
two extremities are united by a ligature or by a kind of pincer which holds the
two ends of the lace, and which is opened to set them free.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Félicité Noëmi Thurel in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th January 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FÉLICITÉ
NOEMI THUREL, of 2, Rue Sainte Appoline, Paris (France) and of 4, South
Street, Finsbury, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Félicité Noëmi Thurel, Her special licence that I, the said Félicité Noëmi
Thurel, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Félicité Noëmi Thurel, my executors, administrators, and 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE METHOD OF FASTENING SHOES, STAYS, GLOVES, AND OTHER WEARING
APPAREL," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Félicité
Noëmi Thurel, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe

page_text: 5
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 Félicité Noëmi Thurel, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :--
My Invention consists in the construction and employment of eyelet holes
for fastening shoes, stays, gloves, and other articles of wearing apparel in lieu
of those now in use. They are arranged perpendicularly to the direction in
which they are now used, and may be made of different shapes and materials
and of all required sizes. With the eyelet holes now in use the tightening is
effected by drawing the lace over the part to be compressed, as in the lacing
of boots and shoes, gloves, stays, and other like coverings. When desired to
loose them some time is consumed and an effort is required to undo the lace.
By my Invention the above inconveniences are remedied, the lacing and
unlacing being performed instantaneously. The new cyelet holes are made
in preference of metal and are composed of two distinct parts, which are the
eyelet hole proper and a tail or shank for supporting and fixing the eyelet
hole, this part may be made distinct and of a different material from the
eyelet hole. I think it preferable, however, to cut out of the piece of metal
which is to form the new eyelet hole, one or two enlargements wide enough
to form one or two special eyelet holes for fixing the new eyelet hole either
to the article to which it is to be applied, or to a ribbon, or to any other
material which can be sewed or attached to the shoes, to dresses, stays or
other articles of dress. A lace is passed through the new eyelet holes, the two
extremities are united by a ligature or by a kind of pincer which holds the
two ends of the lace and which is opened to set them free.
This improved system of fastening remedies all the defects resulting from
the employment of the eyelets in use; it may be applied to boots in general
of whatever form and material, to gloves, dresses, corsets, and to all the uses
where the lace is or may be employed. When employed for boots it can
replace the tagged lace, the sewed and metallic eyelet, the hook and buckle,
and other contrivances, which increase the price of the boots, at the same
time wear badly, and are unsightly. The improved fastening can be adapted
to every form of glove and supersede the fasteners hitherto in use, it can be

page_text: applied to corsets in general. It may be made in various ways as shown in
the annexed Drawing, in which Figures 1, 2, & 3, show an arrangement of
fastening for men, women, and children's boots, to shoes and women's boots
which may be opened above or from the inside.
By reference to Figures 1 and 2 it will be seen that this arrangement
consists of a small metallic tube a, of a length and diameter proportionate
to the size of the boot to which it is to be adapted; this small tube a forms
part with a stem or shank terminated at its end on the side opposite to the
tube by a small cross bar a¹ of a T form, as shown at Figure 1; this part a¹
must be introduced between the lining and the top of the boot, and be fixed
there by a seam or rivet, so that the tubes a may be held parallel to each
side of the opening; a lace b is placed through these tubes and passes from
one to another, being arranged as shown at Figure 3; the two extremities of
the lace are fixed by a runner or by an ornament forming a nipper with or
without spring. I can also construct this system of fastening by means of an
ornament in the form of buttons of a size proportionate to the size or kind
of boot or other article to be closed. These buttons have underneath them
a cavity in the form of a hollow mushroom, in which is soldered a ring or
kind of eyelet which may be entirely concealed by the said button; the shank
soldered 'under the button has at its end two metallic parts which may be
flattened, and when once introduced into the upper leather or material these
two parts are opened and riveted down right and left and held between the
upper leather and the lining; these eyelet buttons are placed perpendicularly
A stitch may
to those now in use and may be fixed by any suitable means.
also be run in the length of both sides of the opening to hold them fast; the
fastening is completed by a lace passed through each of the rings or eyelets
and crossed as shewn at Figure 3, and also knotted at the opening. This
arrangement will be suitable for gloves, and with an india-rubber lace stitched
on it will not be necessary to tie it. I have found in general that it is
preferable for use to make these new eyelets and to place them on bands
which the manufacturers can afterwards fix on the articles to be laced.
Among the means which may be employed for uniting these new eyelets to a
band of cloth or to a strong ribbon I have found that the common eyelet
possesses great advantages, with the view of profiting by it I have employed
the arrangement represented by Figures 4 and 8 of the annexed Drawings.
Figure 4 shows two projections of an eyelet a fixed on a band of a double
ribbon b; these new eyelets are united to the band by means of the old
metallic eyelets which form one with the new, and the whole is made in the

page_text: following manner :-The, piece is at first cut off a band of brass or other
metal operating at the time upon a' greater or less number of similar pieces
according to requirement and the power to be disposed of, then the part a'
is punched out of the form shewn in Figure 5, & the part a is, rolled &
receives a double curve, as shown at Figure 6.
It will be understood that in this state the new eyelet a being, placed in its
position is perpendicular to that which the eyelets usually occupy, and in
consequence of this position the lace does not rub so much but slides with
greater facility without requiring so considerable an effort. When the
tightening is effected it suffices to tie the two ends of the lace to keep the
whole perfectly closed, but the knot may be replaced as I have stated by an
ornament by which the two ends of the lace are pressed together, then the
whole will be held perfectly tight. When it is desired to unlace the parts
so laced it is merely necessary either to untie the knot or to open the ornament
forming a nipper for holding the two ends of the lace, then the latter will easily
slide in the new eyelets and the unfastening will instantly be effected.
I have said firstly that the piece a may be cut off with the necessary place
for forming an eyelet for uniting the two extremities, see Figures 7 and 8.
In this case a space is made in the extremity a², in such a manner that in
folding the entire piece and giving it the double curve composing the new
eyelet, this space will correspond with the raised part at the opposite
extremity a', so that by placing these two parts in front of a hole made in
a band of ribbon b, either single or double, it is merely necessary to rivet
these two parts one in the other to obtain the effect shown at Figure 8.
It will be understood that this latter arrangement gives great strength,
although the one previously described will answer for ordinary use, the latter
may be employed in cases in which it is required to resist considerable
pressure. There may also be employed for this kind of closing round eyelets
held from one side and placed as I have stated perpendicularly to those in
use.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and the manner
of performing the same, what I claim, is,-
First, the peculiar system or mode of fastening boots, corsets, gloves, and
articles, wherein the same may be usefully employed, as herein-before described
and represented in the annexed Drawing.
Secondly, the construction and employment of eyelets in a plane perpen-
dicular to that in which they are usually employed, as herein-before described
and represented in the annexed Drawing.

page_text: Thirdly, the joining to the eyelet of a kind of shank with or without the
ordinary eyelet, to fix it as described and represented.
Fourthly, the employment of a band of a single or double ribbon or band to
hold the new eyelets, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Félicité Noëmi Thurel, have hereunto 5
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
N. THUREL. (L.S.)