IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR SLEEVE. LINKS, SOLITAIRES, BROOCHES, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF JEWELLERY.
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Reuben Cornelius Lilly, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Jeweller, and James Sunderland, of Birmingham,
aforesaid,. General Dealer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FASTENINGS FOR SLEEVE. LINKS, SOLITAIRES, BROOCHES, AND OTHER ARTICLES
OF JEWELLERY.".
Sealed the 9th February 1866, and dated the 15th August 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Reuben Cornelius Lilly
and James Sunderland at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 15th August 1865.
We, REUBEN CORNELIUS. LILLY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,.
Jeweller, and JAMES SUNDERLAND, of Birmingham, aforesaid, General Dealer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FASTENINGS FOR SLEEVE LINKS, SOLITAIRES, BROOCHES, AND OTHER: ARTICLES OP
JEWELLERY," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to construct such a fastening for sleeve links.
and other articles to which the same may be applicable, as shall be simpler in
its construction, neater in its appearance, and more durable, and be produced
at a lower cost than those now generally used.
We first provide a flat disc of metal (which is to form the back of the
sleeve link or other article), which may be either oval, round, oblong, or of
any other convenient shape. The disc being placed in a press, two holes are
pierced therein, opposite each other, and by the same action of the press the

page_text: disc is slightly raised, and two joints are also formed upon the disc.. One of
these joints is that in which the shank is to work, and the other is that in
which a swivel snap is to work, and into which swivel snap the free end of the
shank is to take, as herein-after described. The front of the sleeve link
(which is to form the face thereof) is now affixed to the disc of metal by
soldering or otherwise, a shank of the usual kind being provided; it is hinged.
upon the disc in the usual manner, and as is well understood. We then pass
through one of the holes in the disc before mentioned a piece of steel watch
spring (or any similar kind of spring may be employed), which is passed out
through the other hole. The spring is so placed that one end thereof will
press against that end of the shank which is nearest to the joint upon which
the shank works, and so that the other end may press against a three-quarter
half-round tube or stamping, which is to form a swivel snap, and which works
upon a joint opposite the other joint upon which the shank works. This
swivel snap has a flat pierced top, into which the free end of the shank (which
is provided with a catch) takes when pressed down, and is secured thereby.
When it is desired to release the shank nothing more is required than to press
against the outer part of the swivel snap, when the catch being released the
shank will be forced upwards by the action of the spring.
We consider this Invention may be applicable as a fastening for sleeve
links, solitaires, brooches, watch hooks, scarf rings and pins, studs, Albert
guard fasteners, collar buttons, bracelets, and other articles of jewellery.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters. Patent, filed
by the said Reuben Cornelius Lilly and James Sunderland in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 14th February 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, REUBEN
CORNELIUS LILLY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Jeweller,
and JAMES SUNDERLAND, of Birmingham, aforesaid, General Dealer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Reuben Cornelius Lilly and James Sunderland, Her special licence that we,.
the said Reuben Cornelius Lilly and James Sunderland, our executors, adminis-
'trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Reuben Cornelius Cornelius

page_text: Lilly and James Sunderland, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 SLEEVE LINKS, SOLITAIRES, BROOCHES, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF
JEWELLERY," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Reuben
Cornelius Lilly and James Sunderland, our executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said Reuben Cornelius Lilly and James
Sunderland, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is to construct such a fastening for sleeve links
and other articles to which the same may be applicable as shall be simpler in
its construction, neater in its appearance, and more durable, and be produced
at a lower cost than those now generally used.
We first provide a flat disc of metal (which is to form the back of the
sleeve link or other article), which may be either oval, round, oblong, or of
any other convenient shape. The disc being placed in a press, two holes are
pierced therein, opposite oach other, and by the same action of the press the
dise is slightly raised, and two joints are also formed upon the disc. One of
these joints is that in which the shank is to work, and the other is that in
which a swivel snap is to work, and into which swivel snap the free end of
the shank is to take, as herein-after described. The front of the sleeve link,
(which is to form the face thereof) is now affixed to the disc of metal, by
soldering or otherwise, a shank of the usual kind being provided; it is hinged
upon the disc in the usual manner, and as is well understood. We then pass
through one of the holes in the disc before mentioned a piece of steel watch
spring (or any similar kind of spring may be employed), which is passed out
through the other hole. The spring is so placed that one end thereof will
press against that end of the shank which is nearest to the joint, upon which
the shank works, and so that the other end may press against a three-quarter
half-round tube, or stamping, which is to form a swivel snap, and which, works
upon a joint opposite the other joint upon which the shank works. This

page_text: 'swivel snap has a flat pierced top, into which the free end of the shank (which
is provided with a catch) takes when pressed down, and is secured thereby.
When it is desired to release the shank nothing more is required 'than to press
against the outer part of the swivel snap, when the catch being released the
shank will be forced upwards by the action of the spring.
We consider this Invention may be applicable as a fastening for sleeve
links, solitaires, brooches, watch hooks, scarf rings and pins, studs, Albert
guard fasteners, collar buttons, bracelets, and other articles of jewellery.
That our Invention may be better understood, we have annexed Drawings
thereof, which we now proceed to describe..
Fig. 1 is a plan of a sleeve link to which our improved fastening is applied;
Fig. 2.is a section through the sleeve link complete; and Fig. 8 is a detail of
the case, having the shank, swivel snap, and spring removed. The same letters
of reference are used to indicate similar parts in all the Figures, which for
the sake of clearness are drawn about four times the real size.
a is the flat or slightly raised back plate of the sleeve link, and is secured
to the front or face thereof, b, by soldering or otherwise; c, d, are two holes
formed in the back plate by the press tool, as herein-before described; and
e, e, f, f, are four joints raised at the same time and by the same operation.;
g is the shank, which is hinged at one end to the joints f,f, and notched at
the other end to form a catch h. The hollow stamping i, which forms the
swivel snap
is hinged to the joints e, e. The pierced top k is so formed as to
engage with the catch h of the shank 9, and hold it securely. is a piece of
flat spring, which is passed into the body of the case 6 through one of the
holes provided therein, say, through c, and out at the other end d. One end
of the spring presses against the swivel snap i, keeping it engaged with the
shank 9, and the other end of the spring presses against the shank g near its
hinged joint, so that when the shank g is disengaged from the swivel snap k
(which may be done by pressing the part m in the direction of the arrow), the
spring forces the shank 9 upwards clear of the swivel snap. The sleeve link
is closed and fastened by simply pressing the shank 9 down upon the top of
the swivel snap k, when the snap is forced inwards in the direction shown by
the arrow,
but returns to the position shown in the Drawings by reason of the
catch h engaging in the snap k, and the spring 1, 1, being then in a state of
tension the shank is held firmly in its position.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same may be performed, we desire it to be understood that we do
not limit ourselves to the precise details herein-before described, as these may
be varied or modified to some extent without departing from the nature of our

page_text: said Invention; but what we desire to claim as the Invention to be protected
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
Firstly, the employment of a flat metal spring in connection with a swivel
snap, as herein-before described; and,
Secondly, the general mode or manner of constructing fastenings for sleeve
links, solitaires, brooches, and other articles of jewellery, substantially as
herein-before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Reuben Cornelius Lilly and James
Sunderland, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirteenth
day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-six.
Witness,
G.. R. HOLLAND,
Patent Office,
Birmingham.
R. C. LILLY.
(L.S.)
JAS. SUNDERLAND. (LS.)