US564487A

US564487A - Tag-fastener

Info

Publication number: US564487A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1896-07-21
Anticipated expiration: 1913-07-21

Description

J. R. JOHNSON.

TAG FASTENER.

No. 564,487. Patented July 21; 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JULIUS R. JOHNSON, OF ELMIRA, NEl/V YORK.

TAG-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,487, dated July 21, 1896.

Application filed February 17 1896. Serial No. 579,484. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS R. JOHNSON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at El:

mira, in the county of Ohemung and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Tag-Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in tag-fasteners in which one j aw passes through a slot or opening in the other so that the jaws may be forced apart by pressing the two parts, back of their intersection, between the thumb and finger; and the objects of my improvement are, first, to provide a fastener made from one piece of stiff sheet metal that shall be strong and durable; second, to so fashion the teeth or claws upon the jaws of the fastener that they shall take strong hold upon the cloth, in order that the fastener may only be removed when the jaws are pressed apart; and third, to provide the fastener with a ring from which the tag may be readily removed when itbecomes necessary to change or renew it. I attain these objects by the construction shown in the accompanying draw ings, in which- Figure 1 is a top View of the fastener with a tag attached. Fig. 2 is an end view showing the relative position of the teeth. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the fastener and ring in closed position. Fig. 4 is a side view showing fastener and ring in open position, and Figs. 5 and 6 are top and side views showing a modification in the arrangement of the teeth.

Similar letters refer to similar parts thro ughout the several views.

A is the fastener, B the ring, and O the tag.

The fastener A is made preferably of springbrass and is stamped out in one piece from the sheet metal. The part a is left straight, the remaining portion of the strip of metal being bent around at b, forward at c, upward at d through the slot e in the part a, and finally forward at f to form with the corresponding portion of part a the jaws of the fastener. The part a is broadened where it is slotted in order that the slot may be of sufficient length across it to permit the jaw f to be pushed through at full width. The slot is also narrow, its width being only such as will allow for the necessary end play in part d as the jaws are opened and closed. The jaw portionsare stamped out with V-shaped projections, which are afterward bent back and sharpened to form barbed teeth. The jaw f is shorter and narrower than the jaw portion of the part a and is provided with two barbed teeth, which come between and a little toward the rear of the two barbed teeth on the part a, as shown, when the jaws are pressed together. As the end of jaw f comes against a. between and toward the rear of the teeth thereon, it presses the fabric down upon these teeth in a most effective manner. A piece of rather hard rubber is placed between the parts a and c at the bend b, and is held in place by the tag-ring, which passes through it and corresponding holes in a and c. This rubber piece adds stiffness to the spring of the metal, and also prevents the parts a and c from being jammed together at the bend b. WVhere the metal is stiff enough, I may use hard wood or other suitable material for the piece '6, in which case it serves to keep the bend b in shape, or I may do away with this piece altogether. I prefer, how ever, to use apiece of rather hard rubber, for the reason already set forth.

The construction of the ring B is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. It is made of springwire, one end of which is passed through the holes in the fastener and stiifening-pieoe,bent

downward around the other end, then upward, and finally bent over to form a hook j about ona line with the part a. The other end is bent around to form the ring which holds the tag, and has its extremity 7c bent upward, as shown, and adapted to be engaged by the hook already described.

In operation the tag is slipped over the free end is of the ring B, this end is snapped into the hook j, and the tag is then securely held upon the ring. The parts a and c are pressed toward each other between the thumb and finger, which throws the jaws apart, as shown in Fig. 4. The cloth is inserted between the jaws and they are allowed to come together. The jaw f being shorter than the other jaw and having its teeth in position to come in between the teeth upon the other jaw, the cloth is pressed into these lower teeth and a slight pull backward will firmly fasten the barbs into the cloth. The fastener is removed by pressing the jaws apart, at the same time pushing the fastener slightly forward to release the barbs.

\Vhile my fastener would work well on single thicknesses of cloth if there were no teeth on the jaw f, I prefer to provide both jaws with teeth, as it is frequently necessary to at tach the fastener to two or more thicknesses, and by this construction the upper and lower 1a yers are firmly gripped by both jaws.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown a modification in which jaw f has but one tooth, which comes down between the teeth on the lower jaw, as shown, pressing the cloth well into said teeth.

I am aware that fasteners for various purposes have been made in which one jaw is bent through a slot in the other, also that the jaws of such fasteners have been provided with claws and serrated teeth, and I do not, therefore, claim these things broadly.

hat I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1.. In combination, a tagfastener stamped out of one piece of sheet metal and bent into shape substantially as described, a stiffening-piece in the bight of the fastener, and a ring, to which the tag is attached, passed through corresponding holes in the fastener and stiffening-piece to hold the latter in place.

2. In combination, a tag-fastener, stamped out of one piece of sheet metal and bent into shape substantially as described, a stiffening-piece in the bight of the fastener, a wire passed through corresponding holes in the fastener and stiffening-piece, one end of the wire being bent out and around to form a hook and the other end being bent down around the bight of the fastener, around the first end and then up and turned over to form a catch for the end of the hook.

3. A tag-fastener of sheet metal bent into the form described, one of its jaws being shorter than the other and provided with barbed teeth so located as to press in between like teeth upon the longer jaw, a stiffeningpiece of rather hard rubber in the bight of the fastener and held in place by the tag-rin g which passes through corresponding holes in the fastener and stilfening-piece, all combined and arranged substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

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

JULIUS R. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

A. S. DIVEN, HoLLIs H. MILLS.