US642788A - Shoe-lace clasp. - Google Patents

Description

No. 642,788. Patented l-eb. 6, I900.

A. M. ENGLISH.

SHOE LACE CLASP.

(Application filed Mar. 13, 1899.)

(No Model.)

MM ANALDUMENELEH rNE NORRIS FEYERS ca. PHOYO-LITHO., WASHINGTON, D Q

UNITED STATES ANALDO lll. ENGLISH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ADOLF E.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHNSON, OF WAKEFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE-LAC E CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,788, dated February 6, 1900.

Application filed March 1 3 1 8 9 9.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANALDO M. ENGLISH, of Boston, county of Suffolk,and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Tracing-Clamps for Shoes, &c., of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on'the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of an improved clamp by which to holdshoe and other lacings in place to keep an opening closed.

My improved clamp consists, essentially, of a body and one or more connected levers, one or both of said levers having preferably a hole or passage through which the string or lacing to be held may be threaded or passed, the strain on the stretched string or lacing in use causing the lever to be turned normally to pinch the string or lacing between itself and the rim at the back of the body of the clamp, said body concealing said lever at the point of connection therewith, the free end of said lever being slightly bent or curved to better cooperate with the said rim. When the strain upon the string or lacing is to be released, it is only necessary to grasp the body of the clamp between the thumb and forefinger and move it outwardly away from the object upon which it is seated, such movement of the body instantly putting the clamp into such position that the lever no longer bites the string or lacing between itself and the body of the clamp.

My invention may be employed to hold one or both free ends of a string or lacing.

Figure 1 shows a laced shoe with its string held by myimproved clamp. Fig. 2 is a muchenlarged cross-section of the clamp in the dotted line Figs. 3, 4, and 5 show enlarged details of the clamp separated. Figs. 6 and 7 show modifications of my invention. Fig. 8 shows the clamp shown in Fig. 2, with one of its levers engaged with an end of a string, the opposite lever being entered by the opposite end of the string; and Fig. 9 shows a modified form of lever slotted for the entrance of the string by a lateral movement.

The body of my improved clamp is shown as composed of a shell 0, preferably of metal Serial No. 708,832. (No model.)-

and of any suitable shape, it being herein represented as circ ular in outline and as having a backwardly-extended rim; but the external shape of the body is not material, as it might be square, oblong, diamond shape, or of any other shape so long as it forms a base to sustain the lever or levers b b, and substantially conceals the point of junction of the lever with the body, leaving the free end of the lever to cooperate with the rim of the body. Each lever is pivotally mounted substantially centrally with relation to the rear side of the body or shell a by or through a suitable interior bridge or plate ct, shown as flanged at 0.

terior bridge or plate 0., shown as flanged at 0 said flange being embraced by the inturned inner edge of the rim or shell a. The baseor plate a has an elongated central opening a and four smaller openings a Between the base or plate a and the interior of the rim of the shell a. I place a spring-plate 0, (shown detached in Fig. 4,) it having two springs 0' 0 The levers b b each'have hooks b at one end and at their other ends a string or lacing opening or passage b and the outer ends of these levers are bent or inclined somewhat inwardly (see Fig. 2) toward the rim of the body, and said ends terminate at or near the rim of the body to enable said ends to coact with said rim and form a clamping-surface.

These levers, preferably two, have their hooked ends passed through the slot a and the hooked ends are acted upon by the springs c and c and said springs normally act to keep the lovers 1) b in the position shown in 0 Fig. 2, the free ends of said levers being borne by the force of said springs against the inturned inner edge or rim of the shell a. When the levers are turned, as they may be,

in the slot a the hooked ends I) enter the 5 openings a and when the said levers stand with their faces substantially contiguous then the change of position of the hooked ends is such that the springs act to keep the levers in such position; but as soon as the levers are started from their position toward the edge of the shell 11 then the springs act to facilitate the movement of the levers in that direction.

In the modification Fig. 6 I have shown the lever (1, it taking the place of the lever b, as provided with an elongated opening d, which may be caught over a hook upon the uppermost hook or lacing-stud e of the shoe A, it having usual eyeleted holes 6 at opposite sides of the front opening of the shoe, the said eyeleted holes and hooks being engaged to keep the top of the shoe firmly together about the foot by means of a shoe-string e In the modification Fig. 7 one of the levers, asf, it taking the place of thelever b,is provided with a series of prongs f, which may be inserted through the eyeleted edge e of the shoe A and then clenched, thus permanently fastening the clamp upon one-half of the shoe-top. In use it is preferred that each lever have a passage, as 12 and the free ends g g of the string 6 are inserted through the holes or passages in the ends of said levers, the string is drawn tight through the eyeletholes and about the lacing-stud and the two ends of the string or lacing are then passed through the openings 79 and subjected to strain by an outward pull on the ends of the string, and the string having been drawn sufficiently taut to bring the front of the shoe together to the proper point, the clamp in the meantime bysuch strain being seated against the front of the shoe, the strain on the ends of the string is relaxed, leaving the lever free to act and hold the string or lacing against any backward slipping of the string or lacing in opposition to the strain used to seat the body of the clamp on the shoe. By the strain exerted on the outer ends of the string, said strain being outwardly, the ends of the string being separated, the clamp is seated operatively, and as soon as the string or lacing is relaxed the levers immediately act to clamp the string or lacing between themselves and the body of the clamp, as at the left, Fig. 8. The strain on the string or lacing exerted by the working of the leg or foot in the shoe causes the string or lacing to be pinched or clamped firmly.

To unloosen the string or lacing to remove a shoe provided with my improved clamp, the

.wearer has simply to engage the body a of the clamp between the thumb and forefinger and lift it from its seat on the shoe, such movement of the body leaving the string entirely free,so that it may render easily through the openings in said levers.

It will be noticed that the clamp is not attached to the shoe, but is readily movable, as may be desired. The body a may be composed of any usual or suitable metal more or less expensive, and it may be more or less ornamented, according to taste.

In some instances it may be desired to use this clamp with a string having one end exposed, and in such event the clamp may be modified, as represented in Fig. 6, leaving a lever (Z with an elongated or proper-shaped opening d to fit over and engage a lacingstud e or equivalent device fixed on the shoe, or, if desired, one of the levers, as f, in Fig. 7, may have a series of prongs f to be inserted through and clenched into one part of the shoe, it remaining permanently attached to the shoe. By inturning the free ends of these levers it becomes possible by pulling on the free ends of the lacing in directly-opposite lines to release the pinching or clam ping action of the levers on the string or lacing, thus permitting a free rendering of the string or lacing through the openings of the levers, which are pivoted one opposite the other.

Prior to my invention I am not aware that a clamp for strings or lacings of boots and shoes and other articles using strings or lacings was ever used composed of a body and a lever, the lever receiving through it and holding in position on the shoe a string or lacing alone, the strain on the string in use acting to maintain the opening of the shoe closed and keep the clamp seated and in full operative position.

I have referred to the levers as having holes or passages and have shown said passages as made through the levers; butit will be understood that the shape of the openings in the levers is immaterial so long as it serves to receive the string or lacing and support it in such manner that strain on that part of the string located between the lacing hook or eyelet and the lever will cause the lever to grip the string between itself and the body of the clamp. For instance, Fig. 9 shows a form of lever 71 wherein the opening is slotted at its side to enable the string or lacing to be drawn into placein the lever. It will be seen that the pivotal point of the lever on or with relation to the body is at one side of the line of draft of the string (see left of Fig. 8) as it is subjected to strain between an eyelet hook or stud and the lever, such strain exerted by a bight of the string or lacing about the end of the lever, causing the string or lacing to be nipped or held firmly, the greater the strain the more firmly the clamping of the string or lacing between the lever and the body.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A clamp of the class described consisting essentially of a body presenting at its back a rim and a pivoted lever presenting a passage at its end for a string or lacing, the free end of said lever being inturned to cooperate with said rim and pinch or clamp said string or lacing firmly between itself and said rim when the lacing is subjected to strain when in use.

2. A clamp of the class described, consisting essentially of a body presenting a depression at its back surrounded by a rim and a lever pivoted at one end at the rear side of said body, and having a hole at its other end for a lacing, the free end of said lever being inturned and extended substantially to said rim to cooperate therewith and pinch or clamp said string or lacing firmly between itself and said rim as the lacing is strained in use.

3. A clamp of the class described, it consisting of a body and a plurality of opposed pivoted levers, each lever having a passage for the reception of a string or la'cing, said levers under the strain-of the string or lacing acting to clamp or pinch the said string or lacing between itself and the rear side of the body of the clamp.

4. A lacing-clamp consisting of a body having at its rear side a backwardly-projecting rim and having an interior bridge or plate, a lever pivoted to said bridge or plate at the back of said body and provided with a passage for a lacing, said lever being extended substantially diametrically across said body, the end of the lever terminating substantially at said rim, strain on the string or lacing in use causing it to be pinched or clamped firmly between said rim and said lever.

5. A clamp of the class described, it presenting a body and a plurality of levers provided each with a hole at its free end and pivoted to the rear side of said body and when in operative position pointing oppositely from their point of connection with said body, strain on a lacing exerted from its central portion toward its end causing the lacing to be clamped between a lever and the body of the clamp.

6. A clamp of the class described, it presenting a body and a plurality of opposed pivoted levers carried by said body, each lever having an opening to receive a string or lacing, the pivotal points of the levers with the body be: ing at one side of the line of draft of the string or lacing on or about the levers, whereby the harder the draft the more firmly the string or lacing may be pinched or clamped between said levers and said body.

7. In a shoe-lacing clamp, a body having mounted upon its back oppositely-extended levers, each provided with a passage for a lacing and adapted to be carried permanently by the lacing in the shoe, strain on the free ends of the lacing seating the clamp upon the part of the shoe to be held closed by the lacing.

8. A lacing-clamp composed of a body and a hooked lever pivoted at the rear side thereof, said lever having its free end inclined toward said body and extended to substantially overlap the. edge of the body, said body substantially concealing the lever at its point of j unction with the body, said lever'having its free end provided with an opening to receive a string or lacing, said lever and body acting to clamp firmly between them the lacing when strained and extended through said opening.

9. A lacing-clamp composed of a body and a plurality of levers oppositely pivoted at the back of said body, each lever having at its free end an opening, said body substantially con: cealing both said levers, the strain of a lacing extended through the openings of the levers and between said levers and the body causing said lacing to be firmly clamped between the back .of the body and said levers at opposite points, said clamp being adapted to be readily freed from the lacing by engaging opposite points of the body and lifting thelatter from its seat on the shoe.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANALDO M. ENGLISH.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. GREGORY, ALEX. C. PROUDFIT.

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