IMPROVEMENTS IN CLASPS."
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Caspar Wetter, of the Firm of Herbert and Company,
Solicitors of Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLASPS." A communication from
abroad by Bennet Greig, of New York, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Caspar Wetter at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th June 1879.
CASPAR WETTER, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Solicitors of Patents,
of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
A communication from abroad by Bennet Greig, of New York, United
CLASPS."
States of America.
The Invention relates to a clasp which is intended to display dry goods and
other articles in show windows, and consists in the combination in clasps, such as
stated, of two jaws stamped or cut out of sheet metal, flexible lugs formed on the
edges of the shanks of said jaws, and a spring, the ends of which are firmly retained
by said lugs, the shank of one of the jaws being provided at its end with hooks
adapted to catch over a cord or wire or in a sheet of textile material, while the
shank of the other jaw is provided with a spring clamp adapted to hold a ticket
indicating the price or quality of the article to be displayed by the clasp. This
Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 represents
a front view; Figure 2 is a vertical cross section; Figure 3 is a horizontal section
in the plane cc, Fig. 2. Similar letters indicate corresponding parts. In the
Drawing the letter A designates the clasp, which consists of two jaws a, a', the
edges of which are by preference serrated, so that they are adapted to take a firm
hold of the article placed between them. Said jaws, together with their shanks
b, b', are stamped out of sheet metal, and each of said shanks is provided with two
flexible lugs or ears c, c', which project from its edges and which can be turned
over, so as to catch over and firmly retain the ends of a spring d, as shown in
Figs. 2 and 3. This spring serves to retain the two jaws in the proper relation
towards each other, and its tension is such, that it has a tendency to close the jaws;
while, by pressing the outer ends of the shanks b, b, towards each other, the jaws

page_text: are caused to swing open, the spring forming, so to speak, an imaginary pivot on
which they swing. The shank b of the jaw a is provided at its outer end with
two hooks which are adapted to catch over a cord or wire ƒ from which the
articles to be displayed are suspended, and on the end of the shank b¹, of the jaw a¹,
is formed a spring clamp e' adapted to retain a ticket g (Fig. 2), on which is
marked the price or the quality (or both) of the articles to be displayed. It will
be observed from this description that the clasp is composed of three pieces, viz.,
the two jaws and the spring, the latter serving to retain the jaws in the proper
relation to each other and to form the fulcrum on which said jaws swing when
being opened or closed. By reference to Fig. 1, it will also be observed that the
hooks e are made to spread or diverge from each other, so that they are adapted to
retain the clasp in a vertical position, when it is suspended from the wire or cord f
or even if the article secured in the jaw a, a¹, is not evenly balanced. The ends of
the hooks e are, by preference, sharp pointed, so that they can be securely fastened
in the cord or in cloth, which may be suspended in the show window. Claims.―
1. The combination in a clasp of two jaws, flexible cars projecting from the edges
of the shanks of said jaws and a spring which is placed between the jaws, and the
ends of which are fastened to the shanks of said jaws by means of the flexible ears,
all constructed and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purpose shown
and described. 2. The combination in a clasp of two jaws, flexible ears projecting
from the edges of the shanks of said jaws, a spring placed between the jaws and
held in position by the flexible ears and hooks formed on the shank of one of said
jaws, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 3. The combination in a
clasp of two jaws, flexible ears projecting from the edges of the shanks of said jaws,
a spring placed between the jaws and held in position by the flexible ears, hooks
formed on the shank of one jaw and a spring clamp formed on the shank of the
other jaw, the whole being constructed of three pieces, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Caspar Wetter, havo hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of June, A.D. 1879.