Untitled record

L. M. CHIPLEY. Corset-Clasp.

No. 207,253. Patented Aug. 20, 1878.

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K. PETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, 0. C.

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United States Patent Office.

LUCIEN M. CHIPLEY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORSET-CLASPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 207,253, dated August 20, 1878; application filed June 24, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lucien M. Chipley, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Clasps for Corsets and other Articles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My improvement relates to that class of metal clasps which have lips bent around to secure the metal to the edge of the article; and my improvement consists in making each member of the clasp with both a loop and a catch, as shown, one loop being made narrow to allow its passage through the other.

Another feature of my invention is, that each member is stamped out of a single piece of sheet metal.

The peculiar construction admits of the parts being under a spring-tension when engaged, so that the fastening is not liable to become detached accidentally.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an outside view of the two members of the clasp before attachment to the corset or other article. Fig. 2 is an inside view of same. Fig. 3 is an outside view of clasp secured to the stiff edge of a corset and fastened. Fig. 4 is an inside view of same. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section at x x, Fig. 3.

Each member consists of a single piece of sheet metal, with clips to engage it to the edge of the corset or other article, and a loop and hook or catch, the hook of each member.engaging in the loop of the other. The member A has a loop, «, and a catch, a¹. It has also a lip, a², which is formed in making the loop a. The end a³ forms another clip when bent around, as shown in Figs. 3,4, and 5, where it is represented as applied to a corset. The hook a¹ is formed by a point stamped up in the plate.

In some cases the members would be attached by sewing to the article; and for this purpose the part a³ may be slotted or perforated for the thread, as shown at C in Figs. 1 and 2.

The member B has a loop, δ, and a hook, δ¹, similar to that (a¹) of the other member, and formed to engage the loop a at the same time as the hook a' is engaged in the loop b. (See Figs. 3 and 5.) The member B has clip δ²stamped out in forming the loop δ, and an end, δ³, which may, like that a³, be bent down to form a clip (see Figs. 4 and 5) or perforated.

The shape of the members is such that they are slightly sprung in engaging the loops a b upon the hooks a¹ b¹, so that the spring-tension will tend to prevent the parts being accidentally detached from each other.

The stiffening-bar at the front edge of the corset is shown at D, Figs. 3, 4, and 5.

In engaging the clasp, the loop δ is passed through the loop a, ami each loop engaged over the hook of the other member. (See Figs. 3 and 5.)

This clasp has special value as applied to corsets and similar uses, because it is thin and has no prominent projections, as found in the ordinary corset-clasp; but I do not confine myself to the use of the clasp for any special purpose, but propose to use it wherever it may be applicable, and to make it of various sizes.