AN IMPROVED FASTENING FOR BOOTS, SHOES, AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED FASTENING FOR BOOTS, SHOES, AND OTHER ARTICLES."-A
communication from abroad by François Jean Guillaume Gobin,
alias Daudé, Manufacturer of Hooks and Eyes, of 13, Boulevart St.
Martin. Paris.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 4th July 1868.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
5 of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED FASTENING FOR BOOTS, SHOES, AND
ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved fastening applicable to boots,
shoes, and other articles. The fastening is composed of metal or other

page_text: material in the form of a button or stud and hook combined, a suitable
number of which are disposed on the boot or shoe. These hooked studs
enable a boot or other article to be fastened much more readily than by
other means and further possess great strength. The hooks are disposed
along each side of the opening in the boot, bag, or other article to which
they are applied. These hooks serve for attaching and holding the lace
or tie used for fastening the article, which is passed alternately from one
to the other on opposite sides, and then pulled so as to draw the two sides
together, after which the lace is secured by tyeing.
This improved fastening is represented in the accompanying Drawing
as applied to a boot.
Figure 1 shows a boot provided with the fastenings; Figure 2 is a
side view; and Figure 3, a plan of the hook detached; Figure 4
shows the mode of fixing the hooked stud to the article; and Figure 5,
a plan of the hook in the flat. The same letters serve for all the
Figures.
A, piece of metal or other material made in the form shown in
Figure 5 consisting of two discs a, b, connected by a part c; the disc a is
provided with a shank or stem d, Figure 2, forming a stud, the part 6
forming the hook. The part A is bent of the form shown in Figures 2
and 3 so as to bring the disc b over part a and form a hook c for holding
the lace; the stems d of the hooks are then introduced through holes
made in the leather or other material of which the article is composed
on either side e, e, of the opening f, Figure 1, and rivetted either by
machine or by hand in the manner shown at Figure 4, so as to firmly
fix the hooks in position; or the hook may be straight instead of the
disc form b, and be fixed as before by means of the stem d forming the
distinctive feature of the Invention. At the lower part of the opening in
the shoe or other article to be fastened, and on either side is disposed an
eyelet g, Figure 1, through which the lace is passed; the two ends of
the lace are then engaged in the hooks in the manner shown and united
at the upper part by a knot j.
The improved fastenings of this Invention are applicable, among other

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 2nd January 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,.
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-cight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark,
Her special licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander
Melville Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter 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 "AN IMPROVED FASTENING FOR BOOTS, SHOES, AND OTHER ARTICLES," a com-
munication. to me from abroad by François Jean Guillaume Gobin, alias.
Daudé, Manufacturer of Hooks. and Eyes, of 13, Boulevart St. Martin,.
Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander-
Melville Clark,. my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 said Letters:
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, 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, reference being had to the Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to an improved fastening applicable to boots,
shoes, and other articles, such as gaiters and leggings. The fastening

page_text: is composed of metal or other material in the form of a stud and hook
combined. A suitable number of which are disposed on the boot, shoe,
or other article; these hooked studs enable a boot or other article to be
fastened much more readily than by other means, and further possess
great strength. The hooks are disposed along each side of the opening
in the boot, bag, or other article to which they are applied. These hooks
serve for attaching and holding the lace or tie used for fastening the
article, which is passed alternately from one to the other on opposite
sides, and then pulled so as to draw them together, after which the
lace is secured by tyeing..
This improved fastening is represented in the accompanying Drawing
as applied to a boot.
Figure 1 shows a boot provided with the fastenings; Figure 2 is &
side view, and Figure 3 a plan of the hook detached; Figure 4
shows the mode of fixing the hooked stud to the article; and Figure 5,
a plan of the hook in the flat. The same letters serve for all the
Figures.
A, piece of metal or other material made of the form shown in Figure 5,
consisting of two discs a, b, connected by a part c; the disc a is provided
with a shank or stem d, Figure 2, forming a stud, the part 6 forming the
hook. The part A is bent of the form shown in Figures 2 and 3 so as
to bring the disc b over part a, and form a hook c for holding the lace;
the stems d of the hooks are then introduced through holes made in the
leather or other material of which the article is composed on either
side e, e, of the opening f, Figure 1, and rivetted either by machine or
by hand in the manner shown at Figure 4, so as to firmly fix the hooks
in position, or the hook may be straight instead of the disc form b, and be
fixed as before by means of the stem d forming the distinctive feature of
the Invention. At the lower part of the opening in the shoe or other
article to be fastened, and on either side is disposed an eyelet g, Figure 1,
through which the lace is passed; the two ends of the lace are then
engaged in the hooks in the manner shown and united at the upper part
by a knot j.
The improved fastenings of this Invention are applicable, among other
purposes, to boots, shoes, gaiters, leggings, articles of dress, harness, bags,
and other articles.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be

page_text: protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
improved fastening described to be applied to boots, shoes, gaiters,
leggings, and other articles herein enumerated, said fastening being
composed of a shank or stud to be fixed to the article in combination
with a hook or button for securing the lace, the whole arranged and
applied substantially in the manner shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Second day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)