US407770A - Corset-clasp - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

W. F. BROOKS.

N4 Puma, mmuanp m. Wilhiuginn, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM F. BROOKS, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

CORSET-CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,770, dated July 30, 1889. Application filed February 16, 1889. Serial No. 300,182. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. BRooKs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CorsetOlasps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new anduseful improvements .in corset-clasps, and has for its object to afford a secure means for fastening the meeting edges of corsets, while at the same time the clasping and unclasping of my improvement is a very simple and rapid operation, and, moreover, constitutes one of the chief recommendations of my invention to the public.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation in detached condition of a pair of steels provided with my improvement; Fig. 2, a similar view showing the bottom stud hooked and the stud next above in proper position with respect to its hook, preparatory to being clasped; and Fig. 3, an elevation similar to Fig. 1, but showing the steels attached together by means of my improved fastening.

Similar letters and figures denote like parts in the several figures.

A B are the steels, the former having secured thereto the usual headed studs 1.

2 are hooks secured to the steel B. All these hooks, except the bottom one, are open, as shown at 3. The bottom hook has a closed slot 4, leading at the top into an enlarged eye 5, contracted at 6, and leading at the bottom into an upwardly-extending recess 7, a locking-point 8 being thus formed, which resists the side-thrust of the bottom stud when the latter iswithin said recess, as will be presently explained.

The rear walls of the slots 3 project above the front walls thereof to afford shoulders 9, which latter act as stops to prevent the overthrow of the studs during the operation of clasping. The top edges of the upper hooks are inclined, as seen at 10, to facilitate the forcing of the studs within the slots 3, as will be readily understood from the operation of my improvement, which I will now describe.

The bottom stud is first introduced through the eye 5 and drawn up within the contracted portion .6, so as to prevent any disengagement of said stud, and the steel A is swung lat-erally to bring the stud next above upon the incline 10, as shown at Fig. 2. The steel A is now forced toward the steel B, the result being that the latter will be sprung by the foreing of the stud up said incline until said stud has entered its slot 3, whereupon the steel B will by virtue of its resiliency return to normal position, thus automatically throwing the slot 3 upward to clasp the stud. The remaining studs are secured in like manner. After the upper studs are all in position within the slots 3, the lower stud is drawn down and forced beyond the locking-point 8 up into the recess 7, thus securely locking the steels together. After the upper studs have reached the bottom of the slots 3 during the drawing down of the bottom stud, the latter will be a short distance above the point 8, and it becomes necessary to spring the steel B in order to throw said stud within the recess '7, this springing being accomplished by the camming of said stud against the outer wall ofthe locking-point 8. Of course the closed hook may be located at the top of the steel, or, in fact, it may be located at any part of the steel, the operation being the same in all instances.

No amount of wrenching on the corset-sectionssuch as is incident to the ordinary use and wear of a corset-can disengage my improved clasp, since the bottom stud will be drawn up within the recess 7 and retained therein by the normal condition of the steel B, and the point 8 will successfully oppose any lateral thrust of the bottom stud.

To disengage my improved clasp, the steel B is sprung by the obviously ordinary manipulation of the corset-sections, so as to bring the bottom stud out of the recess '7 and outside of the point 8, and when said stud has been withdrawn from the eye 5 all the other studs will be simultaneously disengaged at a single manipulation of the said sections, as will be evident from the drawings.

I do not lay claim, broadly, to the open hooks, nor do I.claim such hooks, broadly, in combination with a bottom closed hook, since I am aware that these are not new; but

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure hook, the latter having a closed slot, an up by Letters Patent, is wardly-extending inclined recess, and a lock- 1. In a corset-clasp, the combination, with ing-point between said slot and recess, subthe stud secured to one of the steels, of the stantially as shown, and for the purposes I 5 5 hook secured to the other steel and having a herein set forth and described.

closed vertical slot leading at the top into an In testimony whereof I affix my signature in eye and at the bottom into an inclined recess, presence of two witnesses.

substantially as set forth. WILLIAM F. BROOKS.

2. In a corset-clasp, the combination, with Witnesses: 10 the open hooks and the studs adapted to be S. S. WVILLIAMsoN,

engaged as described, of the lower stud and F. W. SMITH, Jr.

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