Improvements in Clasp or Fastening Devices.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Clasp or Fastening Devices.
I, WILLIAM HENRY HARRIS, of 5, Waldeck Road, Ealing, in the County of
Middlesex, Secretary, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of clasp- or fasten-
ing-devices. It is designed particularly as an improvement on buckles, hooks and
eyes, clasps and the like, with the object of providing means for effectually
fastening, and for lessening the risk of accidental separation of, the parts.
One portion of the improved fastening-device consists of a metal or other suitable
shank provided with a head or projection. The other portion consists of a clip or
retainer comprising a U-shaped piece, the ends or other portions of the arms being
furnished with heads or projections. The arms are just sufficiently far apart to
allow the aforesaid shank to move freely between them but so that the head of this
shank cannot be passed between them.
In lieu of imparting a U-shape to the clip, I may use two arms which, instead of
being joined together by a curve, may be inserted into or otherwise secured to
a base, and the ends of the arms may be made to approach each other.
The shank is sprung or forced between the heads on the arms of the U-shaped
clip or retainer which are made with sufficient ** spring "for that purpose. The
shank is attached in any suitable manner to one end, edge, side or other portion of
the article to be fastened, and the clip is similarly secured to the other end, or to
an end of another article.
After fastening, the shank cannot be disengaged from the clip or retainer except
by forcing the shank between the heads on the clip.
A modification of the above consists in imparting a curve or hook to the clip or
retainer in such a manner that each arm is bent back and furnished with a curve,
the plane of which may be approximately at right angles to the plane of the
U. The curve may he merely a slight bend-just sufficient to prevent the pull
from tending to open the arms and so let the shank pass through. This modifi-
cation will be found specially advantageous when the fastening is subjected to
severe strains.
Similarly the end of the shank fitted with the head may be curved so that when
the clasp is in use it will present a neater appearance.
The shank and the retainer may be made of any suitable material and may be
twisted to increase their strength, or otherwise fashioned as desired. The heads or
LD

page_text: knobs may be formed with the shank or the retainer, or may be screwed on, or
otherwise attached to, the same.
For the Applicant,
GEDGE & FEENY,
Chartered Patent Agents,
60, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.
I, WILLIAM HENRY HARRIS, of 5, Waldeck Road, Ealing, in the County of
Middlesex, Secretary, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of clasp- or fastening
devices. It is designed particularly as an improvement on buckles, hooks and eyes,
clasps and the like, with an object of providing means for effectually fastening,
and of lessening the risk of accidental separation of, the parts. One portion of
the improved fastening device consists of a metal or other suitable shank provided
with a head or projection. The other portion consists of a clip or retainer which
may comprise a U-shaped piece the ends or other portion of the arms thereof being
furnished with heads or projections. The arms are at least sufficiently far apart
to allow the aforesaid shank to move freely between them but so that the head of
this shank cannot be passed between them.
The shank is sprung or forced between the heads on the arms of the U-shaped
clip or retainer which are made with sufficient "spring" for that purpose.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings for a fuller explanation of the
invention:
Figure 1 is a plan view of the simplest form of the clip or retainer.
Figure 2 being a similar view of one form of the headed shank.
Figure 3 illustrates in plan view the operation of the fastening device when
applied to a purse or pouch.
Figure 4 shews a side view of the device when the arms of the retainer and the
shank are provided with curved ends.
Figure 5 represents the adaption of the curved end to the headed shank.
Figure 6 shews a modification of the shank portion of the device.
Figure 7 shews the securing of this modification upon the clip or retainer.
Figure 8 shews the application of a similar modification to the flap of the purse
shewn in Figure 3, the body of the purse being provided with a circular or horse-
shoe clip.
Figure 9 illustrates in plan another form of clip or retainer.
Figure 10 shews the addition of a cross bar to the shank.
Figure 11 shews a longitudinal section of one of the heads upon an arm or shank.
One portion of the improved fastening device consists of a metal or other suitable
shank provided with a head or projection a¹ or with an evelet, ring, or other
loop having, if desired, a bar or strut across preferably the centre, see Figure 6,
and this or any portion or portions of the fittings may be worked into the design
of an article so as to appear to be part of the pattern. The other portion consists
of a clip or retainer 6 which may comprise a U-shaped piece the ends or other
The
portions of the arms 61 being furnished with heads, beads or projections c.
arms b¹ are at the very least, just sufficiently far apart to allow the shank a to move

page_text: freely between them but so that the head of this shank cannot normally be passed
between them.
Instead of forming the heads e at the ends of the arms b' they may be secured
to or formed at other portions thereof as may be found desirable.
The headed shank a is sprung or forced between the heads c on the arms b¹ of
the clip or retainer which latter may resemble in shape a U, Figure 1, a V,
Figure 9 or a C, Figure 8, or be formed of two parallel arms secured to a tail
piece or stem, as shewn in Figure 7; they may also be formed separate or loose (like
the heads and stems of "movable" studs) and be kept in position, if desired, by one
or more springs, and the arms of the clip may be of any suitable shape or form.
In all cases, however, the arms of the clip or retainer are made with, or have
imparted to them, sufficient "spring" for the purpose of resuming their normal
position after the shank a has been forced through the heads c of the retainer.
It will be seen, therefore, that after fastening the shank a cannot be withdrawn
01 disengaged from the clip or retainer except by similarly and backwardly forcing
the shank between the heads c on the clip. In some cases however, it may be found
ossible to pass the head a¹ between the arms 61 61 when these latter have been
sprung outwardly to a sufficient extent.
The shank a is attached directly or indirectly in any suitable manner to one end,
edge, side, or other portion of one of the articles to be fastened and the clip is
similarly secured to the other end or to an end, or other convenient portion of the
article.
A modification of the above arrangement as shewn on Figure 4 consists in
curving the arms 61 or portions of the arms b¹ provided with the heads c, and the
ends of the stem a in such a manner that each arm is bent back and furnished
with a curve, the plane of which may be approximately at right angles to the plane
of the body of the shank or the clip or retainer, see Figures 4, 7, and 10. Alter-
natively I may elect to curve only the shank a, the clip or retainer remaining in
the simple form; such an arrangement is illustrated in Figure 5. The clip and
the shank will in this case be placed at an angle or be inclined one to the other,
instead of being approximately parallel. The curve imparted to the shank or to
the arms of the clip, may be merely a slight bend-just sufficient to prevent the
pull from tending to open the arms and so let the shank pass through and escape,-
or it may take the form of a hook, the head or heads being formed on or secured
to the end or ends of the arm or arms. Or in this case I may use the sliding clip
or attachment hereafter referred to and shewn on Figure 1, to prevent the heads c
from being too easily forced apart and thus allowing the shank a or its head a¹ to
escape.
These modifications of one or bent or curved arms will be found specially advan-
tageous when the fastening is subjected to heavy or severe strains.
Thus on Figure 3 I have shewn the shank a secured to the flap of a purse by
means of a loop or eyelet stitched to the material of the flap, the head a¹ projecting
forward upon the shank a. The clip in this figure is secured to the body of the
purse, as shewn in dotted lines.
In lieu of the headed shank a I may use an eyeletted shank resembling that
shewn on Figure 6. This eyelet consists of a loop or ring d with or without one or
more bars or struts d' extending across from one side to the other, preferably across
its lesser diameter, and this or any portion thereof may be worked into the design
of an article so as to appear to be part of the pattern or configuration. The eyelet a
may be connected to the shank a, as shewn on Figure 6, or it may be inserted in the
material of one of the articles to be fastened (see Figure 8) and it is sprung or
passed over the heads c of the retainer the arms of which when in position would
be separated by the aforesaid bar or strut.
In some cases it may be found desirable to form the projections on the outside of
the arms of the clip, as shewn on Figure 9 in which case, the loop or eyelet, divided
by a central bar if desired, is forced over the projections which are previously forced
inwards, and retained in position by the tendency of the arms to spring outwards
to their normal position; in this modification the arms or arm of either the clip or

page_text: the shank will be bent. Also, the clip may be furnished outside and inside its
arms with projections and the ring made with the central bar so that both fastenings
may be used together.
The shank a and the arms b¹ need not be formed in one piece with their loops,
stems or sockets but be made separate and be screwed thereto. They may be kept
in their desired positions when it is desired to give additional strength of spring
to the arm, by means of small flat or spiral springs. A suitable flat spring is shewn
on Figure 7, being screwed or riveted to one of the arms and bearing outwardly
against the other arm, and a U-shaped or horse-shoe shaped spring is illustrated in
Figure 10, being applied in a similar manner to the interior of the arms of the
clip but tending to force them inwards or together. may also employ a spiral
spring between the arms or any other suitable spring may be used to cause the
heads to normally tend to draw or close together.
In cases where, for examples, the arms of the retainer need not be made
long and thin, the "spring" thereof being consequently not very powerful, I may
strengthen this action of the arms by means of an attachment or clip secured upon
the arms of the retainer and capable of sliding thereon, such as I have illustrated
on Figure 1. This attachment could be slid along the arms b₁ 61 (see dotted lines)
after the head of the shank or its equivalent has been passed between the beads c
thereon, and thereby practically shorten the arms 61 61 and strengthen their
gripping or spring" action.
$
The heads may also be formed loose on the shanks or arms and be rotatable
thereon, so as to avoid undue wear in one particular place, and in this case the knob
or head may be retained in position by a rivet with or without a washer, or between
a shoulder and a screw cap (as shewn on Figure 11) or by other suitable means.
Where the shank or where the arms is or are beut or curved, I may attach a
T-head or cross bar to the other engaging and uncurved portion of the fastening
device so that the cross bar will pull directly against the curved portion, and in
this case it is optional to use the round head or knob in addition to the T-head
or cross bar. The cross bar thus acts as the head, and where the knob or rounded
head is used this latter may serve as an ornament or even as a handle.
The shank and its retainer, as also the various heads or projections, are formed of
any suitable metal or other material and the various amis may be twisted to
increase their strength or otherwise.fashioned, as desired.
This invention is applicable to numerous articles and in addition to those already
mentioned, I mention in particular, baskets, boxes, belts, gloves, bracelets, and
other articles of jewellery.
The arms of the retainer or clip may be, as shewn on Figure 3, concealed from
view and the bent up portions pass through a loop or eyelet formed in or secured to
the material of one of the articles. It will be evident that other methods may be
employed to conceal portions of the shank and arms, and to thus give a neat
appearance to the fastening device.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A fastening or clasp-device, consisting, of a double-armed clip or retainer
provided at the ends or other suitable portions of the arms with heads, beads, or
other projections, and of a stem or shank also headed or provided with an eyelet
or loop, adapted to engage with said clip or retainer by being sprung in position and
retained by means of the arms or the head or by both, substantially as above
described.
2. In a clasp device the combination with a clip b having arms b1 6 provided
with projections c, of a stem or shank a having a head or eyeletted loop a¹, and
adapted to engage with and be retained by said clip, substantially as described.
3. In a clasp device, the combination with a clip 6 having arms 6' 6 provided
with projections c, and of a stem, shank, or arm a having a head or projection a¹,
b

page_text: the arms of the clip or of the shank or of both, being curved towards its end or
their ends, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 26th day of January Toyo.
For the Applicant,
GEDGE & FEENY,
60, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.
Chartered Patent Agents.