IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR SHOES, GLOVES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Salter Hall, of San Francisco, in the County of
San Francisco, State of California, one of the United States of America,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR SHOES,
GLOVES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said John Salter Hall at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th October 1877.
JOHN SALTER HALL, of San Francisco, in the County of San Francisco, State of
California, one of the United States of America, Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FASTENINGS FOR SHOES, GLOVES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL."
My said Invention consists in the combination with a raised bead or fillet
secured around the opening in a shoe or other article, of a sliding fastening which
clasps the bead on both sides of the opening, and upon being drawn up acts to
draw the edges of the opening together.
The object of my Invention is to provide a strong and simple fastening to take
the place of buttons, hooks, lacing, and other fastenings which are more or less
objectionable and imperfect in their operation or office of keeping the opening
closed in these articles.
In the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe with my Invention applied to it.
Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the front of a shoe showing the
operation of the sliding fastenings as the shoe is being opened or closed.
Figure 3 is a view of a section of a gaiter front showing the arrangement of
elastic webbing with the fastenings.
Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view of the fastening.
Figure 5 is the said Invention as applied to a glove.
The accompanying Drawing shows a raised bead or fillet of leather, gutta percha,
or other suitable material secured upon and around the edge of the opening in the
shoe. This bead A is either secured directly to the edge of the material around the
opening, or it is arranged upon a separate piece or strip C of elastic or non-elastic
material, which piece is then secured by stitching or otherwise to the edge of the

page_text: opening. This construction is shewn in Figure 3 of the Drawing. With this bead
A is arranged and combined a sliding clasp B, which constitutes the fastening to
draw and hold the edges together. This fastening B is made with curved arms or
ends b, b, extending from each side, and a straight bar or plate c against them.
These parts grasp and hold the rounded or raised bead upon the edge of the opening,
and several of these fastenings are connected together at proper distance from each
other by a cord, by means of which they are caused to slide up or down upon this
bead or rounded edge, and to open or close the parts of the shoe or other article.
By drawing upon the end of the cord, the fastenings will be drawn toward the
top of the opening, and its edges closed and held tightly together. These fastenings
are made substantially of the form shown at B in the Drawing, with the ends b, b,
more or less curved to properly embrace and engage the bead or rounded edge of
the opening, and with a plate or bar c beneath the bead, which acts to hold the
curved ends securely down into their position. This form and action of the parts of
the fastening will be readily understood by reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the
Drawing.
My said Invention is also applicable to gloves and other garments to close and
hold together their openings; and in Figure 5 is shown a portion of a glove with
my improved fastenings applied thereto.
The bead or raised edge, which is secured to and around the opening of the
article, is either fastened directly to and upon the edge, or it may be formed upon a
separate piece that is then secured to the edge of the opening.
The fastenings may be made and used without the ornamental button heads,
shown in Figure 1, and they are adapted to be used in all cases as a substitute for
buttons, books, or lacings.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and manner of constructing
and working the same, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters
Patent is,-
1st. The herein-before described fastening as a substitute for buttons, hooks, or
lacing, consisting of a slide B with curved enda b, b, and a plate or bar c opposed to
them, in combination with a raised rim or head placed around the edge of the
opening to be closed, constructed and operating substantially as herein described.
2d. In combination with a raised bead or fillet, of any suitable elastic or non-
elastic material placed upon or around the edge of an opening, a sliding fastening
constructed and applied to grasp the bead, and to be moved up and down upon it
to draw and hold the edges of the opening together, substantially as herein
described.
3rd. The strips C of elastic or non-elastic material with a raised rim or bead upon
its edge adapted to be placed upon or around the edge of an opening, and having
the sliding fastenings B arranged and combined therewith, substantially as herein
described for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Salter Hall, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this 26th day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
JOHN SALTER HALL. (L.S.)