Lace and like fastening

Application filed February 20, 1930, Serial No. 430,072, and in Germany September 8, 1928.

Lace fasteners for corsets, foot-wear and the like in the form of plates having apertures through which the lace can be threaded, are already known. These fasteners, 5 particularly after some use, are not quite reliable in that they allow the laces to slip and get loose.

The object of the present invention is to produce a fastener which remains perma10 nently reliable, and the invention consists in the provision of a plate having one or more clamping slits which are narrower than the thickness of the lace and one or more gateways opening at an angle into said 15 slits for leading the lace ends into the latter.

Being narrower than the thickness of the lace, the slits will cause the lace to be gripped and to be effectively prevented from slipping, under the ordinary stress to which 20 the lace is exposed. This is particularly the case with elastic laces which are stretched on introduction into the clamping slits and which thereupon tend to regain their normal thickness, thereby building up a ridge 25 of material against the edges of the slit.

The fastening may be made still more secure by the provision of one or more apertures through which the lace can be threaded before it is introduced into the slits. In 30 this case the lace will withstand considerable forces.

Two sets of gateways and clamping slits may be provided, one for each end of the same lace or for connecting parts of differ35 ent laces, and the plate itself may be given various forms, some of which are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings.

Figs. 1 to 7 of the accompanying draw40 ings represent views of different forms of the fastening plate according to the invention,

Fig. 8 is a cross-section of a plate provided with a cover,

Fig. 9 is a plan of this plate in open position,

Fig. 10 is a cross-section of a covered plate of modified construction,

Fig. 11 is a plan of this form shown in 50 open position,

Fig. 12 is a cross-section of a further modification of a covered plate,

Fig. 13 is a plan of the latter in open position,

Fig. 14 is a view of an annular form of 55 the device,

Fig. 15 is a cross-section on the line 15--15 of Fig. 14 on a reduced scale, and '

Fig. 16 is .a view of a modification-of the annular form. fio

The. plate p is formed with one or more clamping slits b -which are narrower than the thickness of the lace so that the latter, on being introduced into the .slits will be retained therein and ..prevented normally 55 from slipping. For introducing the lace into the slit, a gateway a is provided which is formed with a flared mouth .so that the lace wilbbe readily admitted. The gateway opens at an angle into the slit, δ; preferably 70 at. the. centre of.the latter so .as to form a T, .and the.lace can then be introduced into . _:.either .branch of the slit b. Alternatively two lace ends may be introduced one in. each branch of . the slit. Two or more sets of -slits and gateways may be provided in the same _;plate for .receiving different parts of the; same lace or for. connecting the ends' or parts of different laces. Such .an arrangement .is shown in Fig. 2 wherein.the plate is of a round construction. The plate in Fig. •1 is also of iound. construction ; it has only one clamping slit and gateway but it has also an aperture c through which the lace can be threaded before or after its introduc- B5 tion into the slit, so as to render the fastening more secure.

The entrance to the gateway may be disposed at the edge of the plate as shown in -Figs. .1 and 2,. but it can also be formed -90 by an aperture r/ in the body portion of the plate as shown in Fig. 3 and in various other figures. In Fig. 3 the. aperture dprovides the. entrance for. two sets of slits and gateways. The plate is moreover .elongated and 395 has two additional lace apertures c one .for •each set of clamping slits. Fig. 4 shows another form of plate with two sets of clamping slits and additional lace apertures. More than one additional aperture may be pro- '100

1,806,162 vided for each set of clamping slits as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The application of the lace to a plate of this type is illustrated by way of example in Fig. 6. One end of the ₅ lace is threaded through apertures c and e and then introduced into the slit δ. The other end is threaded first through the aperture c, then introduced into the slit, thereupon threaded through the aperture e, and l₀ finally tucked under the lace portion passing from c to δ. Where the slits and gateways form a T shape, the two branches of the clamping slit δ may be utilized for both ends of the lace. This is also shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 7 shows an arrangement with three auxiliary lace apertures c, e for each end of the lace and where the ends of two laces are connected together, one of the ends may be attached merely to the aperture c, e, as ₂₀ shown in this figure.

A dished plate p' may be employed as shown in Figs. 8 and 9 and connected by a hinge g to a companion plate / serving as a cover for the fastener and forming a sort '25 of button. In this case both plates may be provided with clamping slits as well as with one or more lace apertures c. The free ends of the lace may be enclosed between the plates or extended through apertures or. 30 slits in the plates. The entrance to the gateway may be at the edge of the plate or formed by an aperture d as shown.

These slits and apertures may be made in a depressed portion I of the plate p' as 35 shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

Figs. 12 and 13 also show a construction . presenting two dished, hingedly-connected plates p',f, but the clamping slits are here made in a plate h which is connected to the <0 plate p' and set off from the letter by a space i. The additional lace aperture is moreover fitted with a flanged eyelet c' which also serves as a connecting element for the plate h.

The plate may be formed into a ring or sleeve as shown in Figs. 14 to 16 which also show different formations of slits and apertures. One end of the ring or sleeve may be closed so as to form a box.

When the slits δ are shown at right angles to the gateway, the angle may be varied according to requirements.

The branches of the slits δ must be at least as long as the lace is wide, but they are 55 preferably made much longer. The apertures c, e should be substantially of the same width as the lace.

The plates may be made of any suitable material such as horn, celluloid, vulcanite, 60 metal or the like.