A New or Improved Fastener for Securing the Ends of Boot and Shoe Laces.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 7th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 13th Apr., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Fastener for Securing the Ends of Boot and
Shoe Laces.
We, THOMAS OWEN HUTCHINSON and THOMAS HUTCHINSON, both of
15 Great Queen Street, London, W.C., Manufacturers of Masonic Jewellery, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a new or improved fastener for securing the ends of
boot and shoe laces whereby the same may be securely held without being tied.
According to this invention, the fastener we employ consists of a dog or grip
piece pivotted between two cheeks formed on a suitable plate or base which is
secured in any convenient manner to the upper leather of the boot or shoe. The
surface of the dog opposed to the said plate is preferably serrated and slightly
curved eccentrically with regard to the pivot, and the dog is so arranged that when
the lace is passed between it and the plate or base any attempt to withdraw the lace
from the fastener will cause it to be gripped tightly between the serrated surface
of the dog and the plate or base.
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Chartered Patent Agents,
19, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.
A New or Improved Fastener for Securing the Enas OI BOOL and
Shoe Laces.
WC, THOMAS OWEN HUTCHINSON, and THOMAS HUTCHINSON, both of
15 Great Queen Street, London, W.C., Manufacturers of Masonic Jewellery, 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 a new or improved fastener for securing the ends of
boot and shoe laces, whereby the same may be securely held without being tied.
According to this invention, the fastener we employ consists of a dog or grip
piece pivotted between two ears provided or formed upon a suitable baseplate
which is intended to be secured in any convenient manner to the boot or shoe.
That surface of the dog or grip piece which is opposed to the said baseplate is
preferably serrated or roughened and is slightly curved eccentrically with regard
to the pivots, and the dog or grip piece is so arranged as that when the lace has
been passed between it and the baseplate, any attempt to withdraw the lace will
cause it to be tightly gripped between the serrated surface of the dog and the
baseplate.

page_text: We will now proceed to more particularly describe the nature of our invention
and the manner of performing the same, having reference to the accompanying
drawings in which similar letters refer to corresponding parts in all the figures, and
in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 is an end view, and Fig. 3 is a plan of a fastener
for boot and shoe laces constructed in accordance with our invention.
Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional side elevations, on the line 1-2 Fig. 2, shewing
clearly the action of the fastener.
Fig. 6 represents a suitable blank from which the body of the fastener may be
produced.
Fig. 7 is a detached eud view of the dog.
All the above figures are drawn to about twice the actual size.
Fig. 8 illustrates, about actual size, the fastener applied to a boot.
a is the baseplate of the fastener which is provided upon each side with the
ears, and which may also be provided with
any suitable means, such as the
fangs, whereby it may be attached to the leather of the boot or shoe. The body
of the fastener represented in Fig. I may, and would preferably, be stamped from a
blank such as represented in Fig. 6. is the dog or grip piece, on each side of
which there are formed the pivots, the said dog with its pivots being preferably
produced by stamping between suitable dies, as will be readily understood. These
pivots e enter the holes formed during the process of manufacture in the ears b.
The acting surface of the dog d is serrated or roughened, as shewn in Figs. 4 and 5,
and is curved eccentrically with regard to the pivots e, consequently, when a strain
is put upon the lace g tending to withdraw the same from the fastener, the dog d
will compress the lace against the baseplate a and will grip it tightly, as shewn in
Fig. 4, said grip increasing with the strain on the lace. Fig. 5 shews the position
assumed by the dog d when the lace is being inserted in the fastener. In practice,
after the lace g has been inserted in the fastener, the dog d should be pressed down
upon the same so as to have a slight initial grip upon the lace, and this may be
conveniently done by pressing the thumb or finger nail upon the projection or tail
formed on the dog d.
Referring to Fig. 8, in which A represents the top of a boot in side elevation, it
will of course be understood that a fastener is to be provided upon each side of the
boot or shoe, and that each lace end is to be led to its fastener from the opposite
lacing edge of the boot.
It will be obvious that the shape of the dog d may be varied if desired, for
example it may take the form of a pivotted eccentric disc with serrated or
roughened periphery. Any suitable means may be employed, in substitution for
the fangs c, for securing the fastener to the boot or shoe, for instance, holes may
be stamped in the baseplate a through which holes suitable rivets may be passed,
or an eyelet may be produced upon the said baseplate, by drawing, in the well
known manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The use in combination with a boot or shoe, of a lace fastener constructed and
arranged substantially as described and illustrated.
2. A boot and shoe lace fastener, consisting of a baseplate a provided with two
ears 6 between which there is pivotted a dog or grip piece d' having its acting
surface serrated or roughened and curved eccentrically with regard to its pivots
and so arranged that when moved in one direction by the pull on the lace it will
grip the same between its said acting face and the baseplate, substantially as
described and illustrated.
3. A boot and shoc lace fastener, consisting of a baseplate, two ears, and a
fastening device, such as the fangs e, all stamped from a inetal blank, combined

page_text: with a dog d pivotted between the said ears, the whole constructed, arranged and
operating substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 6th day of March 1895.
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Chartered Patent Agents,
19, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.