An Improved Bed-clothes Clip or Holder.
Year: 1890

page_text: Pate of Application, 11th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 3r1 June, 1891-Accepted, 4th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Bed-clothes Clip or Holder.
I, ALEXANDER FREDERICK WHITE of 241, Clapham Road in the County of
Surrey, Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a clip or holder for retaining children's bedclothes in
position.
The improved clip or holder is somewhat analogous to a buckle, and consists of
two main members plates or frames hinged together, of which one is apertured and
the other has a tongue hinged to it which is adapted to be protruded through the
said aperture and, by forcing a portion of the fabric through the aperture, retain it
against any strain that may be brought upon it.
For this purpose the tongue and the plate or frame to which it is jointed are
adapted to act as the two members of a toggle, the toggle joint having a spring
action which holds the two members of the toggle in alignment, with sufficient
rigidity to prevent flexure of the joint by end thrust on the tongue due to the
strain on the fabric.
For this purpose the tongue is made preferably of a steel wire bent to a U-shape,
the ends being bent outwards to form pivots which are received in holes in flanges
formed on the other member of the toggle, the said flanges being so formed that in
turning the tongue on its hinge its limbs will be made to spring laterally, the
elasticity of the wire affording the spring action required.
The action of the clip is as follows; The toggle-joint being parallel to the main
joint by which the two principal members of the clip are hinged together as above
described, flexure of the toggle member shortens its effective length with regard to
the other member whilst maintaining the alignment of the tongue with the aperture
in the said member, so that the tongue can be passed through said aperture with
facility. If now, the two main members being swung apart on their hinge, a piece
of cloth be placed between them and laid over the aperture and the two members
be closed together, the rounded end or bow of the tongue will force the fabric
through the aperture and the act of closing the two main members together will
straighten the toggle and, by increasing its effective length, lock the cloth and
tongue in the aperture from which they can only be removed by pressure on the
toggle-joint sufficient to overcome the spring.
To facilitate the operation, the member to which the tongue is hinged is
prolonged beyond the pivot, in the form of a thumb piece.
The main frame is provided at the hinged end with a loop or ring for the attach-
ment of a strap to connect the clip to the bedstead frame.
Dated this 11th' day of September 1890.
A. F. WHITE.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.

page_text: 1
An Improved Bed-clothes Clip or Holder.
I, ALEXANDER FREDERICK WHITE of 241, Clapham Road, in the County of
Surrey, Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer, 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: --
My invention relates to a clip or holder for retaining children's bed-clothes in
position, as illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, forming part of
this Specification, wherein Figure 2 is a side view, partly broken away, Figure 3 a
face view, and Figure 4 a part detail view, the three latter figures being drawn to
double full size.
The same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
The improved clip or holder is somewhat analogous to a buckle, and consists of
two main members, plates, or frames, A and B, hinged together at a, of which the
one A is apertured, as at a¹, and the other B has a tongue C hinged to it at c
which is adapted to be protruded through the said aperture a¹, as shewn in
Figures 2 and 3, and, by forcing a portion of the fabric (represented in dotted lines
in Figure 2) through the aperture a', retain it against any strain that may be
brought upon it. For this purpose the tongue C and the plate or frame B to which
it is jointed are adapted to act as the two members of a toggle, the toggle-joint c
having a spring action which holds the two members of the toggle in alignment
.with sufficient rigidity to prevent flexure of the joint by end thrust on the tongue C
due to the strain on the fabric. For this purpose the tongue is made, preferably, of
a steel wire bent to a U-shape, the ends being bent outwards at right angles to
form pivots c which are received in holes in flanges formed on the other member
of the toggle, the said flanges being slightly bent inwards at 6' so that in turning
the tongue on its hinge its limbs will be forced or sprung toge her laterally, the
elasticity of the wire affording the spring action required, and when the tongue
reaches the position, with regard to the member B, shewn in Figure 2, the side
'members expand beneath the inwardly bent corners of the flanges and the
toggle is thereby retained in the straightened out position.
:
The action of the clip is as follows:-The toggle-joint c being parallel to the
main joint a by which the two principal members A B of the clip are hinged
together as above described, flexure of the toggle members B C (as shewn in dotted
lines in Figure 2) shortens its effective length with regard to the other member A
whilst maintaining the alignment of the tongue C with the aperture al in the said
member so that the tongue can be passed through said aperture with facility. If,
now, the two main members A. B being swung apart on their hinge, a piece of
cloth D. be placed between them and laid over the aperture a' and the two
members A B be closed together, the rounded end or bow of the tongue C will
· force the fabric through the aperture a¹ and the act of closing the two main
members A B together will straighten the toggle B, C, and, by increasing its
effective length, lock the cloth D and tongue C in the aperture a' from which they
can only be removed by pressure on the toggle-joint, in the direction of the curved
arrow Figure 2, sufficient to overcome the engagement of the spring tongue with
the side flanges b. To facilitate the operation, the member B, to which the tongue
is hinged, is prolonged beyond the pivote in the form of an outwardly-curved thumb
piece E. The main frame A is provided at the hinged end with a loop or ring f
for the attachment of a strap F to connect the clip to the bedstead frame.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is:
1. The herein described cliv or holder for retaining children's bed clothes in

page_text: position consisting of the combination of the apertured member and of the toggle-
jointed member hinged thereto, for operation substantially as specified.
2. The herein described clip or holder for children's bed clothes consisting of the
combination of the apertured member and of the toggle-jointed member hinged
thereto, the tongue or end member of the toggle being in the form of a U-shaped
spring its ends engaging with the flanges in which they are pivoted, as, and for the
purpose, specified.
Dated this or day of une fol.
A. F. WHITE.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.