Improved Lace Fasteners for Boots, Shoes, and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1896-Accepted, 11th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Lace Fasteners for Boots, Shoes, and the like.
I ALBERT SMITH of 66 Wells Street Hackney, London N.E. Boot Maker do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates to certain improvements in lace fasteners for boots and
shoes and the like articles of wearing apparel the object being to provide a stud or
cleat which will receive and retain the free end of a lace without tying same but
which may nevertheless be readily freed from the fastening.
In order that the invention may be well ascertained there is annexed hereto a
sheet of drawings illustrative thereof and the same will be referred to in the
following description by figures and letters of reference.
Fig. 1 is a plan view, Fig. 14 a side view thereof, Fig. 1B a like view with a
modified form of the shank.
Fig. 2 an end view, Fig. 3 a like view with the tangs of the back plate clamped
down through and under the material to which it is applied.
Fig. 4 further illustrates the application and mode of securing the lace end.
Upon a back plate a there is secured or formed of a piece therewith, a stud
like shank b which terminates in a second plate or flat head c, the said stud or
shank b, being preferably angular in cross section that is square, triangular or
polygonal but it may be rounded in part and have a flat side or two flat sides (in
the drawings this shank b is shown of rectangular shape) the distance between the
two plates a, and c being less than two thicknesses of the lace used.
In Figs. 1 and 3 the said shank c is shown with an incline 6' thereof. The
back plate a is to be fastened to the "upper" of the boot or shoe above the lace
holes (see Fig. 4) in line therewith for uniformity, by means of tangs d, of the
metal of the plate a which tangs d, will be put through the leather or material of
the "upper" and then be turned down to effect the attachment as shown in Fig. 3
and indicated by the dotted lines Fig. 14. The attachment may however be by
stitching through holes in the back plate a or by rivetting or by eyeleting.
In use the lace e will be made to take a full turn around the stud or shank b
between the two plates a, b (or in some cases a double turn) and then be drawn
tight so as to bring two thicknesses of the lace in superposed position one over the
other and binding one upon the other under the top plate c so affording a firm grip
or fastening of the lace."
The detachment of the lace will be readily effected by pulling the free end of
the lace outward from under the top plate.
Two or more of these fasteners may be used if found desirable.
In some cases the head-plate c may be attached to the shank 6 in position
obliquely to the plate b (so that it will have the appearance of being slightly tilted
upon the shank) so as to bring one edge of the plate e nearer to the plate a at the
point where the lace is crossed in fastening as aforesaid. This fastening may
advantageously be employed for other purposes where lacings are made use of as
for instance for gaiters, waistbands or belts, corsets, gloves and so forth.
It will be obvious that the shape of the plates a and c may be varied in
plan from that shown in the drawings and further the head plate c may be
ornamented.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The improvements in fastenings for the free ends of laces characterised by the
combination of the plate a shauk 6 and head plate c with the lapping around of the
lace as and for the purpose herein set forth and as described in reference to and
shown by the respective figures of the drawings.
Dated this 30th day of May 1896.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
Agents for Applicant.