IMPROVED. FASTENINGS FOR WEARING APPAREL."
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William West, of Hockley, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, for the Invention of " IMPROVED. FASTENINGS
FOR WEARING APPAREL."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William West at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th September 1872.
I, WILLIAM WEST, of Hockley, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED FASTENINGS FOR WEARING APPAREL," to be as follows, that is to
say the following arrangements are those that will answer in practice :-
To the back part of the front piece of the stud I secure a hollow plate,
in which I fit a spring catch or equivalent, for the purpose hereafter
described. In the centre of the stud is the shank or solid pin, similar to
that ordinarily used. Through the end of the hollow plate project the
ends of elongations of the catch, or equivalent (which ends might how-
ever, if desired, be brought together so as to form only one end),.

page_text: by pressing here the pressure of the spring is released and the stud
unfastened. The back piece or inner fastener of the stud has a hollow
pin or shank which is to be fitted on to the solid pin herein-before
mentioned, and when this is fitted on the spring catch secures it in its
place and holds the two parts (front and back) of the stud firmly
together.
In order to use this Invention, take the back part, then button the
wristband on putting the large part on the wrist, buttoning each side of
the wristband on to the shank or hollow pin last herein mentioned;
now take the front part and snap it on to the back by pushing the one
shank or pin into the other.
The advantages aimed at by this Invention are:-First, it keeps the
wristband quite close instead of being parted as sleeve links hold the
same; (2), it is easily put on without deranging the cuff, collar, or shirt,
as the case may be; (3), any size of ornament may be adopted for the
front, or any size for the back, which is more comfortable than in the old
arrangement; (4), it is easily detached.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William West in the Great Seal Patent Office, on
the 12th March 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WEST, of Hockley, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William West, Her special licence that I,
the said William West, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William West, 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

page_text: Man, an Invention for “IMPROVED FASTENINGS FOR WEARING APPAREL," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William West, my execu-
tors 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William West, do hereby declare the
nature of my said 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 my Invention is to produce studs or solitaires, or other
similar fasteners, for garments of two separate parts, which are capable
of being attached or detached by the use of the arrangement such as
hercafter described; and such a stud from its greater facility of manipula-
tion, its superior neatness of appearance, and greater comfort to the
wearer, will be found more advantageous than those on any plan hitherto,
adopted.
The above object I effectuate by making one part of the stud as a
hollow plate (or as may generally be preferable) by forming a small box
or case thereon, in which is fitted a spring catch or equivalent, for the
purpose hereafter described. In the centre of one part of the stud is the
shank or solid pin, similar to that ordinarily used. Through the end of
the hollow plate, box, or case project the ends of the catch or equivalent,
which ends might however, if desirable, be brought together to form
only one end. The other part of the stud has a hollow pin or shank
which is to be fitted on to the solid pin herein-before mentioned, and
when fitted on the spring catch secures it in its place and holds the two
parts of the stud or fastener firmly together. By pressing the end of
the spring catch the pin of stud will be released and the two parts can
be separated and removed from the person, if desired.
The Drawings accompanying these Presents show the details of an
arrangement for carrying out my said Invention.
Fig. 1 represents a stud or solitaire of my construction as when put
together; Fig. 2 is a front view of the under side of the top part of the
solitaire; Fig. 3 shews a side view of the same."

page_text: Fig. 4 is the pusher, by which the catch spring in box or case D is
moved.
Figs. 5 and 6 exhibit in profile the top and bottom parts of the
solitaire when separated. In this arrangement the bottom part of the
solitaire is formed of a disc of metal (similar to those used in ordinary
studs) A, on the centre of which is fixed a tube B (of suitable length),
with projecting ring or collar C round the end of it (see Fig. 6). Under
the upper part of the solitaire, the face of which can be made of some
ornamental pattern (see Figs. 2 and 3), I attach the box or case D,
enclosing a spring E, which can be pressed back by the handle F that
slightly protrudes beyond the rim of the solitaire for that purpose. In
the centre of the box containing the spring there is a round hole H,
from the middle of which projects a pin or bar of metal I of a suitable
length and size to go into the tube B which projects from the bottom
part of the solitaire. Within the box D lies the spring catch or pusher
(Fig. 4) to which the spring E is attached at its forked end K; the
centre of this is cut out in an oval form L so that its crescent shaped
end J may protrude across the hole H up to the pin I, but so that when
pressure is applied either by the handle F or by the introduction of the
collar C of the tube B it is pushed back on the spring E. The hole H
in the box or case is made of a suitable size to receive the collar C of the
tube B belonging to the bottom piece, so that when the tube B is pushed
over the pin or bar I of the top part it enters the hole H in the spring
box D, and a slight pressure being used on either part of the solitaire it
forces back the crescent shaped end J of the aperture L in the spring
pusher until the collar C passes beyond it and the spring in its rebound
forces the crescent shaped metal J above it and so catches and holds fast
the tube B, and thus the two parts of the solitaire are firmly united.
To disengage the two parts in order to detach from the garment it is
only necessary to use a slight pressure on the handle F of the spring
pusher which then releases the tube B and the parts are separated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed or put in practice, I hereby declare that I claim the herein
described Invention of improved fastenings for wearing apparel, wherein
the following are important and peculiar features: - The making of
the said fastenings of two parts, one part having a tube and the other
a pin fitting thereon, which is secured by means of a catch arrangement,
-

page_text: substantially similar to that herein-before described; but I do not limit
myself to any particular kind of spring or form of catch or pusher.
In witness whereof, I, the said William West, of Hockley, Birming-
ham, in the County of Warwick, have hereunto set my band
and seal, this Eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
JOHN P. TURNER,
Manufacturer,
Snow Hill,
Birmingham.
WILLIAM WEST. (L.S.)