Improvements in Binders or Fasteners for Securing together Sheets of Cloth, Paper, or other Fabric.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Binders or Fasteners for Securing together
Sheets of Cloth, Paper, or other Fabric.
I, SAMUEL LEAROYD, of Sherwood House, Huddersfield in the County of York, and
12, Coleman street, in the City of London, Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to binders for securing together sheets of cloth, paper, leather,
or other fabric, said binders being more especially adapted for securing together
patterns of cloth or the like material such as are used by inanufacturers, merchants,
and tailors to shew to their customers.
Hitherto it has been customary to secure such patterns in bunches or bundles by
glueing or sewing the several patterns together and then binding the edges with a
leather or similar binding. This method has the disadvantage that a pattern once
secured in a bundle cannot be removed or displaced without destroying the bundle,
and in general damaging the patterns and binders, and considerable inconvenience is
experienced owing to the fact that two patterns some distance apart in the bundle
cannot be placed in close proximity for the purpose of comparison and that patterns
cannot be added or removed, moreover this arrangement is costly and difficult of
application. Other methods of securing samples or patterns in bunches involve the
use of the ordinary two-legged sharp pointed paper fastener, the disadvantages
attendant upon the use of these fasteners are well known.
According to my invention I provide for securing samples or patterns in
such a manner that any one or more of the said patterns can be readily
removed from the bunch if desired, or its position in relation to the other samples
forming the bunch altered or other patterns added without risk of damag-
ing the samples or the binders. In a modification of my invention I provide for
securing patterns together in such a manner that the same cannot be removed! with-
out the application of very considerable force or special tools, such arrangements
being desirable where patterns are forwarded to customers' houses in order to prevent
misappropriation of the samples. Furthermore, it is desirable that the fasteners
should be capable of securing together bundles of various thicknesses in order to
diminish the number of sizes in which the fasteners require to be made, and
my invention includes fasteners specially designed to attain this end.
In order that the nature of my invention may be clearly understood I will now
proceed to describe various methods of carrying out the same in practice..
My improved fasteners are in general constructed with a front and back plate or
head the assembled samples or patterns being placed between said plates or heads
hereinafter spoken of as plates which are secured together in various ways. For
example, I sometimes provide a metal strap or tape which is passed through staples
or secured in any other suitable manner to the back plate, the ends of the strap or
tape then passing through holes in the samples to be bound and in the front
plate, said ends being bent or otherwise turned down into depressions formed to

page_text: receive them in-the-front plate, and being covered by a third plate adapted to slide on
said front plate. The sliding plate may be of such dimensions as to cover the whole
of the front plate or only a portion thereof as may be desired. In some cases the
strap may pass through and outside the back plate as well as through the front plate,
or said strap may be in two parts one end of each part being secured to the inner side
of the back plate. I do not confine myself to the use of metal for the strap or tape,
since any other suitable rigid or flexible material may be used, said material being
capable of flexure at certain parts only if desired. For the purpose of allowing any
sample to be withdrawn from the bunch; or to permit a new sample being inserted at
any desired place, I provide for connecting the ends of the strap or tape by a tube or
other suitable connecting part having enda adapted to engage with said ends of the
tube or strap. The front plate if not previously removed may then, with any desired
number of the samples be threaded on to the connecting piece which is then discon-
nected from the ends of the strap or tape forming the fastener, and the desired sample
inserted or withdrawn, after which the ends of the strap or tape are again connected
and the samples replaced in position on the fastener.
In a modification to provide for the same sized fastener being used with bundles of
different thicknesses, the flexible connection between the front and back plates of the
fastener is adapted to be wound round either or both of them until the plates are the
required distance apart.
In a further modification I provide tubes secured to one of the plates which tubes
are passed through the holes in the samples or patterns to be bound the strap or tape
then passing inside the tubes out of contact with the samples.
In a further modification the strap is replaced by pins which pass through the top
plate into the tubes in the bottom plate. For the purpose of permitting the pins to
be inserted in said tubes and also held securely therein when inserted I may split the
tubes and pinch the ends together so as to form a spring socket for receiving the pins
by means of which the top plate is secured in position.
I sometimes replace the split tube by two parallel pins secured to the bottom plate
with which two similar pins secured to the top plate can engage, or the tabe may be
provided with a spring catch and the pin formed with a ratchet or otherwise
constructed to engage said catch at various points according to the thickness of the
bunch of patterns. In another construction the ratchet is formed on the tube, by
making transverse saw-cuts at suitable intervals thereon for example, and the catch
formed on the pin so that by rotating the pin the catch thereon is disengaged or not
from the saw-cuts as the case may be.
I sometimes, dispense with the tubes and provide pins which pass through
the samples and are secured to the top and bottom plates in the manner shown, for
example, in my British Specification No. 22045 of 1895. As an alternative, the pins
are secured to one of the plates and adapted to engage with orifices in the other plate,
said orifices are, however, placed at a greater distance apart than the ends of the pins
the latter being separated by bending the plate to which they are attached when it -
is desired to insert them in their respective orifices. When I desire to secure
samples together in such a manner that they cannot be removed I rivet the front and
back plates together through the said samples, preferably using for this purpose
tubular rivets through which a string can be passed by means of which the bundle
may be suspended.
In a modification I use rivets consisting of a pin and socket into which the pin can
be driven but from which it cannot be withdrawn without the expenditure of
considerable force or the aid of special tools.
I have herein described improved fasteners in which the front and back plates are
connected by two connecting parts, I wish it understood however that in some cases
only one connection may be used in which case the plates may be made round or
square instead of oblong, or three or more connectors may pass through the samples.
For making the holes in the samples to be bound I prefer to use the punch
described in my British Specification No. 4129 of 1896, and have found no other
punch so suitable for the purpose.

page_text: The plates of my improved fasteners are specially suitable for being engraved or
otherwise marked with the name of the firm to whom the samples belong, or the class
of goods or other information may be inscribed on said plates.
Dated this 28th day of December 1906
W. P. THOMPSON & CO.,
322, High Holborn, Loudon, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant..
Improvements in Binders or Fasteners for Securing together
Sheets of Oloth, Paper, or other Fabric.
I, SAMUEL LEAROYD, of Sherwood House, Huddersfield, in the County of York,
and 12, Coleman Street, in the City of London, Solicitor, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be perforined to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to binders for securing together sheets of cloth, paper,
leather, or fabric, such binders being more especially adapted for securing together
patterns or samples of cloth or the like material as used by manufacturers, merchants,
drapers, and tailors to shew or send to their customers.
Hitherto it has been customary to secure such patterns in bunches or bundles by
glueing or sewing the several patterns together or binding the edges with a leather
or similar binding. This method has the disadvantage that a pattern once secured
in a bunch or bundle cannot be removed or displaced without destroying the
bunch or bundle, or damaging the patterns and binders. Considerable inconvenience
is also experienced owing to the fact that two patterns some distance apart in the
bunch or bundle cannot be placed in close proximity for the purpose of comparison
and that patterns cannot be added or removed; moreover this arrangement is costly
and difficult of application. Other methods of securing samples or patterns in
bunches or bundles involve the use of the ordinary two-legged sharp pointed
paper fastener the disadvantages attendant upon the use of these fasteners being
scratching of the hands, tearing of patterns, and injury to the counters and tables
upon which the patterns are shewn.
According to my invention I secure the samples or patterns in such a manner that
any one or more of them can be readily removed from the bunch or bundle if
desired, or its position in relation to the other samples or patterns forming the bunch
or bundle can be altered, or other patterns or samples added without risk of damaging
the samples or the binders and without shewing that any pattern has been reinoved
or added. In a modification of my invention I provide for securing patterns or
samples together in such a manner that the same cannot be removed without the
application of very considerable force or special tools, such arrangements being
desirable where patterns or samples are forwarded to. customers' houses for selection
and return in order to prevent misappropriation of the samples or patterns.
Furthermore it is desirable that the fasteners should be capable of securing together
bundles of various thicknesses in order to diminish the number of sizes in which the
fasteners require to be made, and my invention includes fasteners specially designed
to attain this end.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will now proceed to
describe various methods of carrying out the same in practice.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 isniperspective view of one form of my improved fastener, and

page_text: Figure 2 is a similar view of the same fastener when the operation of binding is
nearly completed.
Figures 3 and 4 illustrate modifications.
Figures 5 and 6 are side elevations taken at right angles to cach other shewing
another form of the fastener.
Figures 7 and 8 are similar views respectively shewing a modified form.
Figure 9 is an elevation illustrating a further modification.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of another form.
Figure 11 is a side elevation and
Figure 12 is a plan partly sectional of another modification.
Figures 13 to 19 are side elevations illustrating further modifications and
Figure 20 is a plan of Figure 19.
Figure 21 is a perspective view and
I
Figures 22 and 23 are side elevations shewing further modifications and
Figure 24 is a perspective view shewing a cover for the rough edges of the
patterns.
My improved fasteners are in general constructed with a front plate or head A
and a back plate or head B the asembled samples or patterns being placed between
said plates or heads hereinafter spoken of as plates, as shewn in dot and dash lines
at in some of the Figures. Such plates or heads are secured together in
various ways. For example as shewn in Figures 1 and 2 I may provide a metal strap
or tape D which is passed through.staples 13 or secured in any other suitable manner
to the back plate B the ends of the strap or tape passing through holes in the
samples C and through corresponding holes A' in the front plate as shewn in
Figure 1. The ends of the strap are then bent or otherwise turned down into a
depression A formed to receive them in the front plate the whole being then covered
with a third plate E adapted to slide on the front plate A as shewn in Figure 2. The
sliding plate E inay be of such dimensions as to cover the whole of the front plate A or
only a portion thereof as may be desired. In some cases the strap may pass through and
outside the back plate as well as through the front plate, or said strap may be in two
parts one end of each part being secured to the inner side of the back plate. The
back plate may be dispensed with if desired and I do not confine myself to the use of
metal for the strap or tape, since any other.suitable rigid or flexible material may be
used, such material being capable of flexure at certain parts only if desired, or the
same may be rigid and previously bent at the parts desired. In some cases I dispense
with the cover plate and fasten the strap or tape by folding it down or in any desired
manner. Instead of making the cover plate E separate as shewn, I sometimes make
it integral with the straps as illustrated in Figure 3 where the straps D are secured
at one edge of a plate part of which covers the rough edge of the samples or patterns
as shewn at D¹ the other part E formning the front plate which covers over the ends
of the straps. Figure 4 shews a modification in which the plate covers a portion of
the back of the patterns or samples the front plates being substituted by heads D²
covering the ends of the straps. As samples of fasteners in which a portion of
what corresponds to the strap D is rigid I have shewn in Figures 5 to 9 binders
having a rigid stalk or stem and a pivoted or hinged top corresponding to the bent
portion of the strap seen in Figure 1. Figures 5 and 7 and the right hand portions
of Figures 6, 8, and 9 shew the parts of the binders in position to be passed through
the samples or patterns and the left hand portions of Figures 6, 8, and 9 shew the
ends turned down to secure the samples or patterns in place. The binders have a
rigid stem Ds which may be made in one piece with the plate or head B and a
part D pivoted to the stem and adapted to be moved as shown in Figures 5 and 7
into position in line with the stem or to be placed at right angles thereto as shewn
at the left of Figures 6 and 8. In the modification shewn in Figure 9 the stein D
and the part D are duplicated the dimensions of the latter being such that in the.
position shewn at the left hand of the Figure the two stems are pressed apart and
tend to prevent the parts D+ from returning to the position.shewn in the right hand
half. Instead of providing two parts D as shewn in the Figures I sometimes

page_text: employ only one part, and sometimes I sharpen one of the parts to make the binder
capable of piercing a hole to pass through the patterns. In some cases I make the
stem Ds hollow, in others solid, and in some cases. I insert a spiral spring or elastic
in the hollow tube so, as to adapt the fasteners to different thicknesses of patterns,
and in other cases I dispense with the tube and fasten the spring or elastic to the
plate B-
With the devices shown in Figures 5 to 9. I may interpose a front plate between
the parts D' and the samples if desired.
For the purpose of allowing any samples or patterns to be withdrawn from the
banch, or to permit a new sample being inserted in auy desired place I connect the
ends of the strap or tape by a tube or other suitable connecting part having
extremities adapted to engage with said ends of the strap or tape. The front part
if not previously removed may then with any desired number of the samples or
patterns be threaded on to the connecting piece which is next disconnected from the
ends of the strap or tape forming the fastener, and the desired sample or pattern
inserted or withdrawn, after which.the ends of the strap are-again connected and the
samples replaced in position on the fastener.
In a modification shewn in Figure 10 the flexible connection Ds between the front
and back plates A and B of the fastener is adapted to be wound upon the front plate,
which may be suitably shaped to receive it, until the plates are the required distance
apart and press themselves-tightly upon the intermediate patterns or samples.
I sometimes provide tubes secured to one of the plates which tubes are passed
through the holes in the samples or patterns to be bound, the strap or tape or
flexible connection then passing inside the tubes out of contact with the samples.
In a further modification the strap is replaced by pins which pass through the
top plate into the tubes in the bottom plate. For the purpose of permitting the
pins to be inserted in said tubes and also to cause them to hold securely therein when
inserted I may split the tube and pinch the ends together so as to form a spring
socket for receiving the pins by means of which the top plate is secured into
position. Or I sometimes make the tube and pin with a catch and slot, and some-
times of varying size and diameter so as to engage with each other when turned
in one direction and be free and loose when turned in a contrary direction. To this
latter method of fastening, however, I do not make any claim.
Where the samplea or patterns are required to be secured without being readily
removable the pins may pass through the tubes and be rivetted or clinched over.the
back plate.
In Figures 11 and 12 I shew a modification of this arrangement in which the
split tube is replaced by two parallel pins F, F secured to one plate with which
two similar pins G G secured to the other plate can engage, the pins being either
plain or some or all of them being serrated if desired. In another modification
the tube may, he provided with a spring catch F and the pin formed with a
ratchet G as shewn in Figures 13 and 14 or otherwise constructed to engage said
catch at various points according to the thickness of the bunch or patterns. In
another construction shewn for example in Figures 16 and 16 the ratchet is formed
on the tube by making transverse saw cuts at suitable intervals thereon and the
catch Gia formed on the piu so that by rotating the pin the catch is disengaged
or not from the saw cuts as the case may be.
Further modifications of these devices are shewn in Figures 17 to 20 in all of
which the plates A and Bmay be fixed at varying distances apart. In Figure 17
Gs is a pin which screws.into a split sleeve I which can slide up and down in the
tube F Said pin has a conical portion G' which enters a corresponding seating
in the end of the sleeve H so that when it is rotated in the direction of the arrow by
neans of its head the sleeve H is expanded and jams tightly in the tube F, thus
preventing relative movement of the parts. To slacken the device the pin G is
rotated in the opposite direction. In Figure 18 the pin G is tapered in the opposite
direction so that rotation in the direction of the arrow renders the parts loose..
Figures 19 and 20 shew a similar device with the milled head replaced by a lever G

page_text: It will be obvious that the varying lengths of shafts which can be made rigid at any
⚫point can be used for various purposes.
In a further modification illustrated in Figure 21 the pin Ga which may be either
flat or pointed is. sharpened so as to pierce holes in the assembled sheets for itself,
and its point is provided with a hook or 'burb G which is received in and engages
with the sides of the tube F provided on the bottom plate. Instead of a tube the
bottom plate may be formed with two slots B2 through which project the legs J of
a catch suitably formed to engage the barhed end of the pin as shewn in Figure 22.
In another arrangement to prevent removal of the patterns or samples by an
unauthorized person the pin is screw threaded or provided with a catch to engage
with the bottom plate and a key is provided for use in disengaging the latter from
the pin.
I sometimes dispense with tubes and provide pins which pass through the samples
and are secured to the top and bottom plates in the manner shewn, for example
in any British Specification No. 220154 f 1895, and to this arrangement I here
make no claim. An alternative device is, however, illustrated in Figure 23 in
which pins K are secured to the plate B adapted to engage with orifices A³ in the
other plate. Such orifices, are, however, placed at a greater distance apart than the
ends of the pins, that is to say, the distance a is greater than the distance 6 the
pins being separated and the distance made equal to a by bending the plate to
which they are attached when it is desired to insert them in their respective orifices
as shewn in dotted lines in the Figure.
When I desire to secure patterns or samples together in such a manner that they
cannot be removed 1 rivet the front and back plates together through the said
samples, preferably using for this purpose tubular rivets through which a string can
be passed by means of which the bundle may be suspended.
In a modification I use rivets consisting of a pin and socket into which the pin can
be driven but from which it cannot be withdrawn without the expenditure of
considerable force or the aid of special tools.
For covering the rough edges of the samples or patterns I may provide a bent
piece of metal or other suitable material such as shewn in Figure 24 having holes
corresponding to the holes through the samples or patterns. Said metal piece is
placed in position en the assembled samples or patterns before the fasteners or binders
are applied and is bound up with the handle or bunch.
To adapt this device to varying thicknesses of bunches or bundles of patterns I
sometimes provide that the part 1 of the device which covers the edges and which
unites the front and hack plates shall be extensible, that is to say be made of two
parts one of which works in a slot or slides on the other part the position of the parts
may be fixed by a catch or ratchet.
I have berein described improved fasteners in which the front and back plates are
connected by two connecting parts, I wish it understood, however, that in some cases
only one connection may be used in which case the plates can be made round or
square instead of oblong, or three or more connectors may pass through samples.
Furthermore either of the plates may be made in two or more pieces connected to
the other plate as above described. All these variations are included' in my invention.
For making the holes in the samples to be bound I prefer to use the punch 1
described in my British Specification No. 4129 of 1896, and know no other punch so
suitable for the purpose.
The plates of iny improved fasteners are specially suitable for being engraved or
otherwise marked with the name of the firm to whom the samples belong, or the
class of goods, or season, or other information may be iuseribed on said plates.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. For securing together sheets of cloth, paper, or other fabric, a device consisting
of two plates between which the sheets are held, said plates being connected by a

page_text: flexible connection in such a manner that the distance between said plates can be
varied to suit the thickness of the assembled sheets, and with a cover plate for
covering the ends of the flexible connection, substantially as described.
2. The modification of my invention wherein the connection between the plates is
stiff or rigid with a suitable number of flexible joints, substantially as described.
3. The modification wherein the connection between the plates is constituted by
two parallel pins secured at right angles to one plate and engaging with two similar
pins secured to the other plate, substantially as described.
4. The modification wherein the connection between the plates consists of a tube
secured to one plate and a pin secured to the other plate, said pin being sharpened
or not and provided with means to engage with the tube secured to the first plate,
substantially as described.
5. A stud or fastener in which the pin is inserted in a tube and is capable of being
rigidly fixed at any thickness or distance as shewn in Figures 13 to 20 substantially
as described.
6. Devices constructed and operating substantially as described with reference to
Figures 4 and 10 or to Figures 21 to 24 of the accompanying drawings.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London,, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.