Fastening Wearing Apparel or other Articles which Require to be Laced.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 27th July, 1892-Accepted, 27th Aug., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Fastening Wearing Apparel or other Articles which Require
to be Laced.
I ELLEN ELIZA WOOD of Abbey View House, Bath do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object the facilitating the operation of lacing whereby
the lace may be drawn tight or released by one movement, the necessity of
threading or unthreading the laces in the eyelet holes each time the boot or shoe
is put on, or off, being thereby avoided.
The description below relates to its application to boots and shoes, but it is also
applicable to gloves leggings stays dresses medical bandages, or generally wherever
laces are used to draw together or unite the edges of articles.
It consists of suitably sized rings having about a fourth of the circumference
straightened in order to turn freely in a piece of metal as wide as the straight part
of the ring is long. This piece of metal is doubled to receive the ring, the ends
are pressed flat, and a slot is stamped out in them to receive a pin. Then a series
of cuts being made in the lining of the boot or shoe at suitable intervals and at a
distance from the edge equal to the space occupied by the rings, the ends are
inserted and fastened by the pins being passed through the outside leather, the
ends, and the lining. These pins are formed of small pieces of metal doubled, and,
where doubled, pressed flat into a small head. After being fixed in their places
the ends are turned right and left and clenched by a blow or pressure. Through
these rings the laces are threaded from side to side alternately crossing each other
in doing so, the ends being brought to the front through an eyelet hole on each
side at the termination of the lacing, for the purpose of fastening. It is sufficient
merely to unfasten these for the whole of the lacing to become loosened—and one
or two pulls on each lace is sufficient to tighten them again and draw the edges
together when they can be fastened as before. The rings being on the inside there
is nothing to be seen externally save the two eyeletholes where the laces are tied
and the heads of the pins which can be made black. These rings and the parts for
fastening them in can be made small and light for ladies boots and shoes, and larger
and of stouter material for gentlemen's.
The rings may also be fastened in another way. The piece of metal may be
stamped out with two arms, like a T, at one end but only one at the other to allow
the ring to be slipped on, for which purpose also the shoulder is rounded off. The
piece is then doubled, the ring slipped on and the ends pressed flat. It is then
sewn between the outside material and the lining, the latter terminating at the
point where the rings hinge, the projecting arms bearing against the sewing.
This method is more suitable where the material is not strong enough to hold
the pin.
This invention may also be effected in a third way. Instead of rings, the strip
of metal where doubled may be formed into a tube having the ende enlarged on the
outside to enable the laces to slip more easily and to avoid fraying. They are to
be inserted and fastened as in the first way mentioned.
Dated this 26th day of October 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Fastening Wearing Apparel or other Articles which Require
to be Laced.
I, ELLEN ELIZA WOOD, of Abbey View House, Bath, in the County of
Somerset, Gentlewoman, 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 lacing boots and shoes, gloves,
leggings, stays, dresses, surgical bandages, and articles generally with which laces
are employed to draw together or unite their edges; and has for its object the
facilitating of the operation of lacing whereby the laces may be drawn tight or
released by one movement, the necessity of threading or unthreading the laces in
the eyelet-holes each time being thereby avoided.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood and carried into
practice, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accom-
panying sheet of drawings illustrative of the invention as applied for example to
a boot.
Figure 1 shews the front and Figure 2 the back of a boot upper laced according
to my invention.
Figures 3 to 8 shew details of the same and modifications thereof on an enlarged
scale.
In carrying this invention into practice, I attach a number of loops or rings a
to the edges to be laced together. As shewn at Figure 1, these rings a may be
secured at some distance from the edge of the material in order that the lace may
be completely covered over by the same and not exposed to the view on the
outside. It is obvious that the rings may be placed on the inside or outside of the
article as may be desired. At Figure 1 these rings are shewn attached to the lining
of the boot upper which does not extend to the edge of the outer layer of leather.
One of these rings is shewn in elevation and plan on an enlarged scale at Figures 3
and 4, made with a straightened portion so that it somewhat resembles the
letter "D" in form.
The object of this straightened portion is to allow of the ring turning freely
within its socket 6 by which it is secured in position. This socket consists of a
strip of metal doubled upon itself to receive the flattened portion of the ring a and
is provided with a slotted opening to receive the fastener by which it is secured to
the material. This fastener, shewn at c Figure 1, consists of a doubled band of
suitable material, having a head or enlargement at its upper end like a paper
fastener after the manner of which it is employed; that is to say, its doubled end
is inserted through an opening in the material of the boot or other article and also
through the slot in the socket 6, and its ends separated and turned back at right
angles as is shewn at Figure 1. Instead of employing the fastener c, the socket b
may be stitched in position for which purpose it will be provided with a number of
holes as shewn at Figure 34 to receive the thread.
e
с
An eyelet d is formed at one end of each of the rows of rings a and is intended
to permit of the passage of the lace c through the material of the boot or other
article to the front thereof in order that it may be tied or otherwise secured. The
lace is passed through the opposite rings at one end of the rows of the same and
afterwards crossed and re-crossed so that each end of the lace passes through every
alternate ring, one on one side, and one on the other as is clearly shewn at Figure 1,
the further ends of the laces e being then passed through the eyelets d to the
outside garment.
With this method of fastening the two parts of the garment become readily
drawn apart without the necessity of unthreading the lace, and further they may be
drawn together by simply drawing the ends of the lace, there being no need to
successively tighten the portions lying between each pair of rings.

page_text: In a modified arrangement I dispense with the use of the split fastening c and
secure the socket b to the garment by means of stitching. For this purpose I form
the said socket with one T-shaped, and one L-shaped end and bend the latter part
back after it is passed round the flattened portion of the ring a. The two other
arms and that one bent back then lying parallel to the edge of the material may
be held in position by the row of stitching along the same. This arrangement is
shewn at Figures 5 and 6, the dotted lines in Figure 5 indicating the shape of
the L-shaped end before the same is bent backwards.
According to a further modification I construct the ring a and socket 6 in one
piece as shewn at Figures 7 and 8. In this case a strip of metal is bent round a
suitable mandrel so as to assume a hollow cylindrical form, its ends being brought
together and provided with a slotted opening as previously described. The open
ends of this cylinder are curved outwards so as to give a flaring mouth to the
same and permit of the free insertion and passage of the laces therethrough.
Where it is desired to employ but oue lace, I place the rings or eyes alternately
on each side i.e. each ring lies opposite the space between two adjacent rings on
the opposite edge of the garment. The lace fastened at one end and threaded
through all the rings has only to be drawn tight to draw the edges together.
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 :-
As a means for lacing garments and other articles, the employment of a row of
rings, eyes, or loops, along the edges to be laced, such rings, eyes, or loops, being
held in, or formed in one piece with, sockets secured to the edges of the articles
to be laced by means of split fasteners, or by stitching, substantially as and for
the purpose herein before set forth and described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated is 27th day of my L
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.