IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR SOLITAIRES, SLEEVE LINKS, GLOVES, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF JEWELLERY AND DRESS
Year: 1874

page_text: “LETTERS PATENT to Thomas William Dowler, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturer, and John Smith, of Birmingham,
aforesaid, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FASTENINGS FOR SOLITAIRES, SLEEVE LINKS, GLOVES, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF
JEWELLERY AND DRESS."
Scaled the 24th November 1874, and dated the 3rd August 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas William
Dowler and John Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 3rd August 1874.
We, THOMAS WILLIAM DOWLER, of Birmingham, in the. County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, and JOHN SMITH, of Birmingham, aforesaid,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR SOLITAIRES, SLEEVE LINKS, GLOVES, AND OTHER
ABTICLES OF JEWELLERY AND Dress," to be as follows:-
Our improvements in fastenings for solitaires, sleeve links, and other
like articles of jewellery and dress are as follows: The improvements
-

page_text: refer to such solitaires and other like articles as consist of two parts, the
inner face of one part having a tubular stem upon it into which a stem
on the inner face of the other part passes.
We fasten the two parts of the solitairo or other like articles together
by the following arrangement or combination of parts:-In the shell or t
hollow body of the front part of the solitaire a spring slide works
parallel to the plane of the said shell or body, one end of the said slide
projecting from the edge of the said front part of the body or shell and
constituting the push piece of the fastener. On the face of the said
slide and near its inner end is a hooked catch, which catch passes 1
through the centre of the shell or body, and takes into and projects from
a slot in the side of the stem on the inner face of the said front shell or
Lody. The stem on the other or back part of the solitaire into which
the stem on the front part takes has a similar slot in it, into which
last-mentioned slot the hooked catch of the front part of the solitaire 1
snaps when the two parts are pressed together, and thereby firmly
fastens the said two parts in their places. By pressing inwards the
push piece at the edge of the front part of the solitaire the hooked.
catch of the slide is withdrawn from the slot in the stem of the
back part of the solitaire and the two parts are released and may be i
separated.
Or instead of a single slide and catch two slides and catches moving
in opposite directions may be used. In this case two slots in opposite
sides of the stem of the back part of the solitaire are made, with which
'slots the two hooked catches of the slides respectively engage. By
pressing the push pieces of the slides in opposite directions tho two
hooked catches aro withdrawn and the fastening released.
When we use a single slide and hooked catch a bent wire spring may
be used to press the slide home, but when two slides and catches are
used wo prefer to employ coiled or helical springs to press the slides in
opposite directions.
In applying our improvements to glove fastenings the parts are
modified in the following manuer:-The glove fastening consists of two
parts, namely, of a box or case which is sewn or connected to one edge
of the glove, and a slide working in the said box or case. The said slide
has at the middle of one end a hook which is hooked to the hole or
cyclet in the opposito edge of the glove to that at which the fastening is

page_text: "
connected. The opposite longitudinal edges of the said slide are cut
away, and in the cut away parts two spring catches are jointed, the
acting ends of the said catches being hooked, the said hooks in their
normal position projecting from the edges of the slide. In the edges of
the box or case fixed to the glove are slots or holes into which the hooks
of the catches snap so as to fix the slide in the box or case. The catches
extend beyond the hook parts, the extended parts serving to compress
the catches for releasing the fastening. In using the glove fastening
the hook of the slide, when the latter is in its withdrawn position, is
engaged with the hole or eyelet in the glove, and the said slido is then
pushed inwards so as to cause the hooks of the catches on the said slido
to
snap into the holes in the edges of the fixed box or case. The glove
is thereby fastened. To unfasten the glove the two catches are pressed
inwards by grasping the extended parts between the thumb and finger.
The hooks of the catches are thereby removed from the holes in the box
or case, and the tension on the glove pulls the slide outwards to its full
extent, when its hook may be unhooked from the hole or eyelet in the
glove and the glove unfastened.
-
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas William Dowler and John Smith in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th January-1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
WILLIAM DOWLER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer, and JOHN SMITH, of Birmingham, aforesaid,. Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four; in. the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Thomas William Dowler and John
Smith, Her special license, that we, the said Thomas William Dowler
and John Smith, our executors, administrators; and assigns, or such

page_text: others as we, the said Thomas William Dowler and John Smith, our
exccutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times hereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FASTENINGS FOR SOLITAIRES, SLEEVE LINKS, GLOVES, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF
JEWELLERY AND DRESS," upon the condition (amongst others), that we,
the said Thomas William Dowler and John Smith, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands
and seals, or, under the hand and seal of one of us or them, should
particularly describe 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 same Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas William Dowler and John
Smith, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof; that is to say :-
Our improvements in fastenings for solitaires, sleeve links, and other
like articles of jewellery and dress are as follows:-The improvements
refer to such solitaires and other like articles as consist of two parts, the
inner face of one part having a tubular stem upon it into which a stem
on the inner face of the other part passes..
We fasten the two parts of the solitaire or other like article together
by the following arrangements or combinations of parts: In the shell
or hollow body of the front part of the solitaire a spring slide works
parallel to the plane of the back of the said shell or body, one end of
the said slide projecting from-the-cdgo-of the-said-front-part-of-the-shell
or body, and constituting tho push piece of the fastener. On tho-faco
of the said slide and near its inner end is a hooked catch, which catch
passes, through the centre of the shell or body and takes into and
projects from a-slot in tho. side-of. the stem on the.inner.face of, tho said
front shell or body. The stem on the other or back part of the solitairo
into which the stem on the front part takes has a similar slot in it, into
which last-mentioned slot the hooked catch of the front part of the
solitaire snaps when the two parts are pressed together, and thereby

page_text: firmly fastens the said two parts in their places. By pressing inwards
the push piece at the edge of the front part of the solitaire the hooked
catch of the slide is withdrawn from the slot in the stem of the
back part of the solitaire and the two parts are released and may be
separated.
Or instead of a single slide and catch two slides and catches moving
in opposite directions may be used. In this case two slots in opposito
sides of the stem of the back part of the solitaire are made, with which
slots the two hooked catches of the slides respectively engage. By
pressing the push pieces of the slides in opposite directions the two
hooked catches are withdrawn and the fastening released.
When we uso a single slide and hooked catch a bent wire spring may
be used to press the slide home, but when two slides and catches aro
used we prefer to employ coiled or helical springs to press the slides in
opposite directions.
In applying our improvements to glove fastenings the parts are
modified in the following manner:-The glove fastening consists of two
parts, namely, of a box or case, which is sewn or connected to one edge
of the glove, and a slido working in the said box or case. The said slide
has at the middle of one end a hook which is hooked to the hole or
eyelet in the opposite edge of the glove to that at which the fastening is
connected. The opposite longitudinal edges of the said slide constitute
two spring catches, the acting ends of the said catches being hooked.
In the edges of the box or case fixed to the glove are slots or holes into
which the hooks of the catches snap so as to fix the slide in the box or
caso. The catches extend beyond the hook parts, the extended parts
serving to compress the catches for releasing the fastening.
Having explained the nature of our Invention we will proceed to
describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in elevation, and Figure 2 in section, drawn
double the full size, a solitaire containing a fastening. constructed.
according to our Invention, the two parts of the solitaire being con-
nected together as in use.
.
Figure 3 represents in clevation the two parts of the solitaire detached

page_text: Figure 4 represents a plan of the front part of the solitaire, the stone
or ornament and covering plate being removed.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 represent parts of the solitaire and a modification
thereof.
The same letters of reference indicate the samo parts.
The front part of the solitaire is marked A and the back part B. In
the shell of the front part A is a slide f, the said slide working
between tho parallel ribs d, d, on the inner sido of the said shell c; f' is
the push picce of the slidef. The shell c is represented detached in plan
and cross section in Figure 5, and the slide fis represented separately in
Figuro 6. The said slide f is urged in the direction of the arrow,
Figure 4, by the coiled spring bearing at one end against the end of
the slide, and at the other end against the flange or edge of the shell c.
Or instead of a coiled spring a bent wire spring may be used, as repre-
sented in Figure 4A. On the face of the slide f, and near its inner end,
is a hooked catch h, the shape of which is best scen in Figure 6. The
hooked catch of the spring slide f passes through an opening i in the
centre of the shell c, and takes into and projects from a slot & in
the elliptical stem or peg 7 on the inner face of the front part A of the
solitaire. On the inner face of the back part B of the solitaire is an 1
elliptical hollow stem m which takes upon the stem of the front
part A. In the said hollow stem m on the back part B is a slot n,
similar to the slot & in the stem or peg 7 on the front part A. In using
the solitaire the stem m on the back part B is inserted in the eyelet
hole in the sleeve or other article of dress, and the stem or peg 7 on the 1
front part A passed into the hollow stem m, and the two parts A, B,
pressed together. As the hooked catch ½ of the spring slide fenters
the stem m the said catch is first pressed back, and when it has been
brought opposite the slot n in the said stem m, the said catch snaps
into the said slot n by the action of the spring slide f, and thereby
fastens the two parts A and B firmly together, as seen in the section,
Figure 2. By pressing inwards the slido f by its push picco f' at the
edge of the solitaire the hooked catch is withdrawn from the slot n
in the stem m of the back part B, and the two parts of the solitaire are
released and may be separated, as illustrated in Figure 3.
The two parts A, B, of the solitaire may be made capable of swivelling
or rotating upon one another when fastened together. A solitaire of

page_text: this kind is represented in Figure 7, which represents the front part A
in elevation, and the back part B in section.
Figure 8 represents the back part B detached from the front part. In
this arrangement the end of the cylindrical stem m of tho back part is
provided with an internal collar or annular shoulder m³ instead of a slot
as before described, with which internal shoulder the hooked catch h
of the front part A engages, as seen in Figure 7. When so engaged ör
fastened together the two parts A and B may be swivelled or turned
upon one another.
Figure 9 represents in elevation the front part A of a solitaire in
which two slides and two hooked catches moving in opposite directions
are employed; and Figure 10 represents the back part B of the solitaire
to be used with the front part, Figure 9. The two spring slides are
marked respectively f' and f* (indicated in dotted lines) and the hooked
_catches are marked * and *. The stem or peg 7 has two slots in it at
opposite sides to receive the two catches ³, h, and the elliptical stem m
of the back part has two slots m³, m³, in it at opposite sides for the two
catches h³, h, to engage in when the two parts of the solitaire are
pressed together. The releasing of the fastening is effected by pressing
O inwards the push pieces f³,f", of the slides ƒ³,ƒ'.
Instead of making the hooked catch moveable, and the stem or peg
on the front part A of the solitaire stationary, the latter may be
moveable and the hooked catch stationary. This modification of our
Invention is illustrated in Figures 11, 12, 13, and 14, Figure 11 repre-
5 senting in section the two parts A, B, connected together, and Figure 12
representing á back elevation of the front part A; Figures 13 and 14
represent parts of the same detached. In this modification the stem or
peg p of the front part A is attached to the spring slide q, and the
hooked catch, is stationed in the middle of the fixed disc or plate .
O The spring slide q carrying the peg p is represented detached in
Figuro 13, and the disc or plate r carrying the stationary hooked
catch is represented detached in Figure 14. The hooked catch ª
passes through a slot in the spring slide 9 and occupies the slot ps
in the moveable stem or peg p, the said stem or peg p in its motion
5 working over the fixed catch 7. When the moveable stem or peg p
of the front part A. is pressed into the hollow stem s of the back part B
the said pegp advances over the fixed hooked catch 7, and when the

page_text: said hooked catch has been brought opposite one of the slots in the
stem & the said slot snaps by the action of the moveable peg p and
slide q upon the said hooked catch, and the two parts of the solitaire are
fastened together, as illustrated in Figure 11. By pressing upon the
push piece q* of the slide q the moveable stem p and the stems of the 5
back part B move together in the direction of the arrow, Figure 11.
The stems of the part B is thereby disconnected from the hooked
catch and the two parts A, B, may be separated.
Figure 15 represents in elevation, and Figure 16 in section, the front
part of a solitaire in which both the stem or peg and the hooked catch 1
are moveable. In this arrangement two spring slides t, u, are employed,
their push pieces 1, 2, being situated at opposite edges of the solitaire.
The slide (shown separately in Figure 17) has at its inner end a peg or
stem, and the slide u (shown separately in Figuro 18) has at its inner
end a hooked catch u³.
1
When the two stems of the solitaire, provided with the compound
spring slides, Figures 17 and 18, are engaged together the peg t³ and
hooked catch u³ approach one another and compress the springs of the
slides carrying them, and when the slot in the stem of the back part of
the solitaire has been brought opposite the hooked catch ³ the latter 2
engages with the said slot by the action of the spring slide u, the
moveable peg or stem and the stem. on the back part B at the same
time moving away from the catch by the action of the spring slide ".
To release this fastening both the push pieces P, u³, are simultaneously
pressed inwards.
Although we have only described the improved fastenings represented
in Figures 1 to 18, both inclusive, as applied to a solitaire, yet the said
fastenings may also be applied to sleeve links and other articles of
jewellery and dress.
2
Figure 19 represents in plan and elevation one part of a glove 3
fastening constructed according to our Invention, and Figure 21 repre-
sents in side elevation and cross section the other part of the fastening;
Figure 20 represents in horizontal section the two parts of the fastening
connected together. The said fastening consists of a box or caso a
which is sewn or connected to one edge of the glove and a slide 6 3
working in the said box a, a hook c on one end of the slide being
hooked to the hole or eyelet in the opposite edge of the glove to that at

page_text: which the box a is connected. d, d, are spring catches on the slide b,
the said catches having hooks ď, d³, near their ends. The parts ³, ď³,
beyond the said hooks are for releasing the fastening. In the edges of
tho box a are slots or holes a³, a³, (see Figure 21) in which the
hooks d³, d³, when the slide is introduced into the box snap, and thereby
fix the slide to the said box. In using the glove fastening the hook c of
the slide b, when the latter is in its withdrawn. position, is engaged with
the hole or eyelet in the glove, and the said slide is then pushed inwards
so as to cause the hooks d³, d³, of the spring catches d, d, to snap into the
holes a², a², in the edges of the fixed box or case, as represented in
Figure 20. The glove is thereby fastened. To unfasten the glove the
two catches d, d, are pressed inwards by grasping the extended
parts ď³, ď³, between the thumb and finger. The hooks of the catches
aro thereby removed from the holes in the box or case, and the tension
3 on the glove pulls the slide outwards to its full extent, when its hook c
may be unhooked from the holo or oyelet in the glove and the glove
unfastened.
The fastening, Figures 19, 20, and 21, besides being applicable to
gloves, is also applicable to bracelets and other articles where the snap
and end fastening is commonly employed.
Having now described the nature of our Invention and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we
do not limit ourselves to the precise détails herein-described and illus-
trated, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of
our Invention. But we claim as our Invention,―
First. The improvements in fastenings for solitaires, sleeve links, and
other articles of jewellery and dress herein-before described and illus-
trated in Figures 1 to 10, both inclusive, of the accompanying Drawings,
that is to say, the combination, with fastenings of the kind described, of
) a hooked catch carried by a spring slide on one part of the solitaire or
article engaging with a slot or internal annular shoulder in the stem of
the other part of the solitaire or article, substantially as described and
illustrated; also the combination of two hooked catches, moving in
opposite directions, carried by spring slides on one part of the solitaire
5 or article engaging with two slots, or with an internal annular shoulder
in the stem of the other part of the solitaire or article, substantially as
described and illustrated.

page_text: ¨ Secondly. The arrangement or combination of parts herein-beforo
described and illustrated in Figures 11, 12, 13, and 14, of the accom-
panying Drawings, in which the hooked catch is stationary, and the peg
or stem is carried by a spring slide.
Thirdly. The arrangement or combination of parts herein-before 5
described and illustrated in Figures 15, 16, 17, and 18, of the accom-
panying Drawings, in which both the hooked catch and peg˜or stem-aro
carried by spring slides moving in opposite directions.
Lastly. The combination or arrangement of the parts of glove
fastenings herein-beforo described and illustrated in Figures 19, 20, 1
and 21, of the accompanying Drawings; also tho application of the
same to bracelets and other articles where the snap and end fastening is
commonly employed.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas William Dowler and John
Smith, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-fifth 1
day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand cight
. hundred and soventy-five.
THOMAS WILLIAM DOWLER. (L.S.)
(L.S.)
Witness,
RICHARD SKØRRETT,
JOHN SMITH..
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.