US472078A

US472078A - Shoe-lace fastener

Info

Publication number: US472078A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1892-04-05
Anticipated expiration: 1909-04-05

Description

(No Model.)'

. E. H. ROBERTS.

- SHOE .LAGE FASTENER.

No. 472,078. 'PatentedApr. 5, 1892.

WITNESSES. MWFOB.

'NITED STATES,

ELMER H. ROBERTS, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

SHOE-LACE FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 472,078, dated April 5, 1892. Application filed November 18, 1891. Serial No. 412,264. (No model-) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER H. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lace-Fasteners; and I do 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, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a plan view of my invention. Fig. 2 is-a side elevation of the same device.

The object of this invention is to produce a cheap and efficient means for securing the ends of shoe strings or laces, when the shoe is laced, withouttieing or knotting them.

To accomplish the abovenamed object, I form a base-plate from sheet metal, as represented in the drawings by the letter A. Any Well-known means may be employed for securing the base-plate to the leather or other material of which the shoe is composed; but I at present prefer to form points or prongs integral with the base-plate and at approximate right angles to the same, as shown at a a a a. A bail is formed of wire, preferably flattened on its inner side, so as not to bring an excessive wear upon the lace or string from being repeatedly drawn underneath it, and is represented by the letter B. The bail is bent so as to form an eye or opening between itself and the base-plate at one end, preferably the lower end, and is shown at b. The other or upper end of the bail is made to converge, so as to very nearly touch the plate at its upper end. The bail is held in position by being placed between the prongs a a a a in a manner readily comprehended by reference to the drawings. The prongs are then passed through the material of which the shoe is composed and clinched by bending the prongs in opposite directions. As will readily be comprehended, the bail is thereby clamped betweenlthe shoe and the base-plate, but in such a manner as to admit of a slight lateral swing or movement, which forms an important feature of this invention,

as will be more fully hereinafter made apparent.

The operation of the device is as follows: The fastening being secured to the shoe inthe manner described, the shoeis laced in the usual manner. The end of the lace-string is then passed through the eye or opening between the bail and the base-plate and then draw up underneath the converging portion of the bail, where it is held by frictional contact, after the manner of the Well-known garmentsupporter. Furthermore, it will be seen that as the strain is put upon the lace -string the tendency isto swing or draw the bail in the direction from which the strain is applied, and as the bail is pivoted beneath the base-plate it is obvious that any movement of the bail arising from the above-described cause, closes 0r reduces the space between the base-plate and the bail, thereby clamping the lace-string more firmly and securely.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patout, is

1. As an improved article of manufacture, a lace-fastener consisting of a base-plate and a swinging bail formed of wire and having its ends bent inwardly, opposing each other and engaging the base-plate at its rear side, said base-plate and bail forming conjunctively a receiving-eye terminating at one end in a tapering slot, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, a lace-fastener consisting of a base-plate provided at each end with a pair of inwardlystruck securing prongs, and a swinging wire bail having its ends bent inwardly, opposing each other, and seated behind the base-plate between the respective pairs of prongs, the bail being bent to form a receiving-eye between the same and the base-plate, said eye terminating at one end in atapering slot, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELMER I-I. ROBERTS.

Witnesses:

HERMAN HEss, M. E. POMEROY.