A New or Improved Spring-clamp or Clip for Tightening or Supporting Garments or Shortening Bands, Straps, and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 5th Jan., 1900-A ccepted, 24th Feb., 1900
A New or Improved Spring-clamp or Clip for Tightening or Supporting
Garments or Shortening Bands, Straps, and the like.
I, JOSEF POLKE, of 26-28, Kohlgasse, Vienna, V, in the Empire of Austria,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is a new or improved spring-clamp or clip which
is intended to be sewn into or otherwise permanently secured to, garments, bands,
straps, neck-ties or the like, and admits of tightening or shortening the garment
or other article by one single, simple, and easy manipulation.
The principal advantages of my new spring-clamp or clip, as compared with
known devices serving the same or similar purposes, are that the clip is sewn
into or otherwise permanently attached to the garment or other article and there-
fore cannot be lost or left behind, that the tightening or shortening of the garment
or the like is effected by one simple and easy manipulation, that spontaneous
folding up or unfolding of the clip is obviated by its construction, that it does
not show through the fabric of the garment, and finally, that it can be produced
in quantities at so low a price as to be practically within the reach of everybody.
The new or improved clip will be found specially useful to cyclists, pedestrians,
and generally to people of both sexes indulging in outdoor exercises and sports
for tightening and securing the trousers around the ankle, shortening skirts,
sleeves, belts, bands, or generally where an expeditious method of and means for
tightening or shortening garments or the like, made of soft and pliable material,
is required.
My new or improved spring-clamp can be made to consist of either two or three
separate parts or links, attached to each other in such manner as to admit of their
being folded against each other in order to effect their purpose as described, and
to be securely held in their given position so as to prevent spontaneous folding
up or unfolding of the parts.
The three-link clamp or clip has a middle piece to which levers are hinged at
each end in such manner that one lever will fold against one side and the other
against the opposite side of said middle piece; when the clip is folded up the
middle piece has therefore a lever bearing against each of its surfaces. In order
to prevent spontaneous folding up or unfolding of the said levers against or from
the middle piece, the latter has at each end between the hinge bosses or eyes a narrow
tongue or lappet cut out from its body, which tongue or lappet is so arranged as
to elastically engage with suitably contrived projections provided on the hinge
ends of said levers, so that when the clip is being folded up or unfolded, as the case
may be, the power of the spring tongues or lappets has to be overcome in each
The three component parts as described, ie the middle piece and both.
levers have conveniently distributed perforations through which the clip is sewn
on or otherwise attached to the garment or the like when in its unfolded or
extended condition. The garment is therefore correspondingly tightened or
shortened when the clip is folded up.
case.
In the two-link clamp or clip, specially adapted for shortening skirts, sleeves,

page_text: and the like, one link is made in the same manner as before described middle
piece with spring tongue or lappet, while the other link is made like the described
levers with a projection to engage against the said spring tongue or lappet.
The component parts of the new or improved clip may be provided with suit-
ably perforated cross pieces at their free ends so as to admit of more secure
fastening to the garment or the like.
CAMBIE & WINCKELSETT,
Warwick Buildings, 40, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
For the Applicant.
A New or Improved Spring-clamp or Clip for Tightening or Supporting
Garments, or Shortening Bands, Straps, and the like:
I, JOSEF POLKE, of 26-28, Kohlgasse, Vienna, V, in the Empire of Austria,
Manufacturer, 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:.
The object of this invention is a new or improved spring-clamp or clip which
is intended to be sewn into or otherwise permanently secured to, garments, bands,
straps, neck-ties or the like, and admits of tightening or shortening the garment
or other article by one single, simple, and easy manipulation.
The principal advantages of my new spring-clamp or clip, as compared with
known devices serving the same or similar purposes, are that the clip is sewn
into or otherwise permanently attached to the garment or other article and there-
fore cannot be lost or left behind, that the tightening or shortening of the garment
or the like is effected by one simple and easy manipulation, that spontaneous
folding up or unfolding of the clip is obviated by its construction, that it does
not show through the fabric of the garment, and finally, that it can be produced
in quantities at so low a price as to be practically within the reach of everybody.
The clip will be found specially useful to cyclists, pedestrians, and generally to
people of both sexes indulging in outdoor exercises and sports for tightening and
securing the trousers around the ankle, shortening skirts, sleeves, belts, bands,
or generally where an expeditious method of and means for tightening or
shortening garments or the like, made of soft and pliable material, is required.
My new or improved spring-clamp can be made to consist of either two or
three separate parts or links, attached to each other in such manner as to admit
of their being folded against each other in order to effect their purpose as de-
scribed, and to be securely held in their given position so as to prevent spontaneous
folding up or unfolding of the parts.
The three-link clamp or clip, shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, has a middle
piece or plate a to which lever-pieces b and c respectively, by hinges d. d, are
hinged at each end in such manner that one lever for example 6 will fold against
one side and the other lever c against the opposite side of the middle piece a
so that, when the clip is folded up, the middle piece has one of the levers bearing
against each of its surfaces. In order to prevent spontaneous folding up or
unfolding of the said levers against or from the middle piece, the latter has at
each end between the hinge bosses or eyes a narrow springy tongue or lappet f
cut out from or formed by slitting its body, which tongue or lappet so arranged
as to elastically engage with suitably contrived projections provided on the
hinge ends of said levers, so that when the clip is being folded up or unfolded, as
the case may be, the resisting power of the spring tongues or lappets ff. has, to

page_text: be overcome in each case. The three component parts as described, i.e. the middle
piece d and both levers b and c have conveniently distributed perforations re-
presented by h h through which the clip is sewn on or otherwise attached to the
garment or the like when in its unfolded or extended condition. The garment
is therefore correspondingly tightened or shortened when the clip is folded up.
In the two-link clamp or clip (shewn in Figures 5, 6 and 7) specially adapted
for shortening skirts, sleeves and the like, one link is made in the same manner
as the before described middle piece with spring tongue or lappet f, while the
other link is made like the above described levers a and b with a projection k
to engage against the said spring tongue or lappet f.
The component parts of the new or improved clip may be provided with suitably
perforated cross pieces such as indicated in dotted lines at their free ends, so
as to admit of more secure fastening to and a better bearing on the garment
or the like.
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:-
-
1. A clip or clamping device consisting of three pieces connected together in
alignment the two end pieces being spring-hinged to the middle pieces in such
manner as to be capable of being folded one on each side of the middle piece,
and when so folded to offer a resistance to being opened out again; each end piece
being pierced with holes to enable the clip to be sewn or otherwise attached to
a pliable article of wear, or part thereof, as and for the purpose described.
2. A clip or clamping device consisting of two pieces connected together in
alignment and spring-hinged one to the other in such manner as to be capable
of being folded one on the other and when folded are held so by the spring action
of the hinge offering a resistance to being again opened out, each piece being
pierced with holes to enable the clip to be sewn or otherwise attached to a pliable
article of wear, as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 5th day of January 1900
PHILLIPS & LEIGH.
No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C,.
Agents for the Applicant.