A NEW CONSTRUCTION OF FASTENING FOR SECURING BOOTS AND SHOES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS OR WEAR, SUCH FASTENINGS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR CLOSING OR SECURING RECEPTACLES, WRAPPERS, OR OTHER FLEXIBLE ARTICLES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Saxon John Maccarthy, of Charlotte Street,
Fitzroy Square, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"A NEW CONSTRUCTION OF FASTENING FOR SECURING BOOTS AND SHOES AND
OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS OR WEAR, SUCH FASTENINGS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE
FOR CLOSING OR SECURING RECEPTACLES, WRAPPERS, OR OTHER FLEXIBLE
ARTICLES."
Sealed the 6th April 1869, and dated the 10th October 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Saxon John Maccarthy
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th October 1868.
I, SAXON JOHN MACCARTHY, of Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A NEW CONSTRUCTION OF FASTENING FOR SECURING BOOTS AND
SHOES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS OR WEAR, SUCH FASTENINGS BEING ALSO
APPLICABLE FOR CLOSING OR SECURING RECEPTACLES, WRAPPERS, OR OTHER
FLEXIBLE ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the contrivances and means herein-after
described by which I form a fastening for holding together the flexible

page_text: edges of boots and shoes, and other articles of dress or wear, and of
receptacles, wrappers, or other flexible articles, the edges of the said
articles being by my Invention closed, secured, or held together, or
unloosened, opened, or separated at will without the aid of laces, buttons,
hooks, strings, or other of the ordinary means employed for this purpose.
According to my Invention I attach to or form upon those edges of
the articles which it is desired to close or hold together flexible ribs,
grooves, or guides, such flexible ribs, grooves, or guides being formed of
"flexible metal," metal pieces, links, or chains of suitable form, leather,
vulcanized india-rubber, ebonite, horn, metal, or other suitable flexible
substance alone or combined with other materials. Upon, around, or
within the two flexible ribs, grooves, or guides secured to the two edges
of the article as above described I arrange a sliding piece or pieces
formed of metal or any suitable material, such sliding pieces being so
formed as to be readily moved along the said ribs, grooves, or guides,
but at all times to be retained upon, around, or within both of them, the
sliding pieces being so formed as to bring the two edges of the article as
near together as may be desired at that part where the sliding piece or
pieces are placed, and when such sliding piece or pieces are withdrawn
from or moved to one end of the said flexible ribs, grooves, or guides,
the edges of the material to which they are attached can be opened,
loosened, or separated from one another. The sliding pieces above
described may be formed in one piece, or they may be formed in two or
more parts, hinged together or capable of being separated, and they may
be so formed as to clasp the said flexible ribs, grooves, or guides, and so
remain at any part at which they may be placed, or they may be so formed
as to be secured at any desired point by means of pins, springs, catches,
"snaps," or other suitable contrivances. Where several of such sliding
pieces are arranged upon one pair of the said flexible ribs, grooves, or
guides the sliding pieces or some of them may be attached to one another
by means of a chain, or other flexible or elastic connection which may be
secured at one end to the article, so that upon moving the first one of
such sliding pieces so connected along the flexible ribs, grooves, or
guides it will draw the other sliding pieces after it at suitable distances
for holding the two edges of the article together, and by securing the
first one of such sliding pieces so connected by a pin, catch, or other
suitable means the whole of such sliding pieces will be retained in the
desired positions.

page_text: The "flexible metal" before referred to from which according to one
part of my Invention I form the said flexible ribs, grooves, or guides is
formed from metal wire interwoven or interlaced, and in order to render
it more compact such gauze may be flattened or compressed so as to
present a comparatively smooth and even surface, and securely interlock
the wires of which the gauze is composed with one another.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Saxon John Maccarthy in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th April 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAXON
JOHN MACCARTHY, of Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Saxon John Maccarthy, Her special
licence that I, the said Saxon John Maccarthy, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Saxon John Maccarthy,
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
"A NEW CONSTRUCTION OF FASTENING FOR SECURING BOOTS AND SHOES AND OTHER
ARTICLES OF DRESS OR WEAB, SUCH FASTENINGS BRING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR
CLOSING OR SECURING RECEPTACLES, WRAPPERS, OR OTHER FLEXIBLE ARTICLES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Saxon John
Maccarthy, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Saxon John Maccarthy, 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 :-
My Invention consists in the contrivances and means herein-after
described by which I form a fastening for holding together the flexible
edges of boots and shoes, and other articles of dress or wear, and of
receptacles, wrappers, or other flexible articles, the edges of the said articles
being by my Invention closed, secured, or held together, or unloosened,
opened, or separated at will without the aid of laces, buttons, hooks,
strings, or other of the ordinary means employed for this purpose.
According to my Invention I attach to or form upon those edges of
the articles which it is desired to close or hold together flexible ribs,
grooves, or guides, such flexible ribs, grooves, or guides being formed of
"flexible metal," metal pieces, links, or chain of suitable form, leather,
vulcanized india-rubber, ebonite, horn, metal, or other suitable flexible
substance alone or combined with other materials. Upon, around, or
within the two flexible ribs, grooves, or guides secured to the two edges
of the article as above described I arrange a sliding piece or pieces formed
of metal or any suitable material, such sliding pieces being so formed as
to be readily moved along the said ribs, grooves, or guides, but at all
times to be retained upon, around, or within both of them, the sliding
pieces being so formed as to bring the two edges of the article as near
together as may be desired at that part where the sliding piece or pieces
are placed, and when such sliding piece or pieces are withdrawn from
or moved to one end of the said flexible ribs, grooves, or guides the
edges of the material to which they are attached can be opened, loosened,
or separated from one another. The sliding pieces above described may
be formed in one piece, or they may be formed in two or more parts,
hinged together or capable of being separated, and they may be so formed
as to clasp the said flexible ribs, grooves, or guides, and so remain at any
part at which they may be placed, or they may be so formed as to be
secured at any desired point by means of pins, springs, catches, "snaps,"
or other suitable contrivances. Where several of such sliding pieces are
arranged upon one pair of the said flexible ribs, grooves, or guides,
the sliding pieces or some of them may be attached to one another by
means of a chain or other flexible or elastic connection, which may be
secured at one end to the article, so that upon moving the first one of

page_text: such sliding pieces so connected along the flexible ribs, grooves, or
guides it will draw the other sliding pieces after it at suitable distances
for holding the two edges of the article together, and by securing the
first one of such sliding pieces so connected by a pin, catch, or other
suitable means the whole of such sliding pieces will be retained in the
desired positions.
The "flexible metal" before referred to from which according to one
part of my Invention I form the said flexible ribs, grooves, or guides is
formed from metal wire interwoven or interlaced, and in order to render it
more compact such gauze may be flattened or compressed so as to pre-
sent a comparatively smooth and even surface, and securely interlock
the wires of which the wire gauze is composed with one another.
Figure 1 of the Drawing hereunto annexed is a side view, and
Figure 2 a plan shewing one mode of applying a fastening made
according to my Invention to a boot. In this case the boot is shewn to
open in front, but my improved fastening may be applied to boots which
open at the side or otherwise. Figure 3 shews a plan, and Figure 4 a
section of part of the flexible edges of a boot (as shewn at Figures 1
and 2) or other article held together by one of the links or sliding
pieces b; and Figure 5 shews a front, and Figure 6 an edge view of one
of such sliding pieces 6 separately. a, a, are strips of metal enclosed in
leather, the leather being stitched securely together over such strips a
and also secured to the uppers of the boot. By this means a flexible rib
or guide is formed on each edge of the boot which it is desired to close
and hold together, and upon such ribs or guides are placed the links b,
which are so formed that they can be moved along the flexible ribs or
guides. It will be seen that by moving the links or sliding pieces b
down until they are together at one end of the flexible edges or guides
such edges can be separated from one another and the boot opened, and
upon moving and placing such sliding links at intervals along the
flexible edges the boot can be closed. c is a chain connecting the sliding
pieces, such chain being connected to the hook d when the boot is
closed. The form and material of the flexible ribs or guides and of the
sliding piece or pieces may be greatly varied when forming a fastening
according to my Invention.
Figure 7 is a section, and Figure 8 a plan of part of the flexible edges of
a boot or other article held together by a sliding link or picce d' according
to my Invention. In this case the flexible rib is formed by enclosing

page_text: pieces of catgut e, e, in a leather or other suitable covering which is
attached to the boot or other article, or the edges of the article itself
may be turned and stitched over the catgut. The sliding links or
pieces d¹ for holding the two edges together as previously described may
be formed of ivory or other suitable material.
Figure 9 is a section, and Figure 10 a plan of part of the flexible
edges of a boot or other artiole held together by a sliding link or piece f
according to my Invention. In this case the flexible ribs g, g, are
formed of "flexible metal" or "tissue allemand;" such metal tissue is
bent over at the edge so as to form a flexible ridge or guide, and is
secured to the boot or other article by rivets or other suitable means, the
link sliding upon the flexible ribs or guides as and for the purpose
previously described.
Figure 11 is a section, and Figure 12 a plan of part of the flexible
edges of a garment or other article held together by a sliding link h
according to my Invention.
Figure 13 is a side, and Figure 14 an edge view of one of the links h.
In this case flexible ribs or guides are formed along the edges of the
garment at that part where it is to be secured by enclosing pieces of
catgut, string, or other suitable material as shown, so as to form guides
for the sliding links h. Covers i, i, may be formed as shewn, so as to
screen the part of the garment or article where the fastening is applied.
In witness whereof, I, the said Saxon John Maccarthy, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
SAXON JOHN MACCARTHY. (L.S.)
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, W.C.