US56265A - Improved snap-hook - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES QPATENT OFFICE.

J. QUINN AND o. sUMMEEs, OE oOLIIMBUs, OHIO.

lMPRovED `SNAP-HOOK.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,265, dated July 10, 1866.

To all 'whom it may conce/rn:

Beit known that we, JOSEPH QUINN and CHARLES SUMMERs, ot' Columbus, in the county ot' Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rein-Snaps; and wc do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure l is a front view of our improved snap. Fig. 2 is aback view ot' the same, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section thereof.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures ot' the drawings indicate corresponding parts.

Spring-snaps for reins and other parts of .harness have been constructed in various ways, and in some instances the tongue or retaining-stop of the hook has been made entirely of light spring metal, and when thus made the general construction of the snap is such as to permit of the tongue being depressed by the thumb of the human hand. Snaps of this character more closely resemble ours than any others which have been devised 5 but there is an objection to this character of snaps, because, in the irst place, the spring-tongue is not durable and. irm enough to bear the direct wear and strain which comes upon it. In the second place the tongue soon becomes ineffective for the purpose intended, and very soon the snap is thrown aside as useless; and in the third place it is necessary to have the tongue formed of spring metal which is quite stift' and strong, and, owing to this, it is inconvenient to Open the snap by pressure of the thumb upon the spring-tongue. Especially is this the case when the spring-tongue has become corroded or impaired in its temper from use and exposure.

To obviate these objections we have devised an improved mode of constructing the snap, which has its tongue operated by pressure of the human thumb upon its shank at a point between the hinge and curved' retaining end of the same, which improved construction is as follows:

We cast the shank A of the hook B of the snap with a bulge both laterally and vertically. The lateral bulge is indicated by the letters a a, and the vertical upward bulge is indicated by the letter b. This bulging portion forms a nearly circular frame, as represented, there being an opening through it into which the shank of the tongue is titted loosely and allowed vertical play. Just forward of this opening, but not intersecting it, an inclined slot, c, is cast in the hook, as shown, so as to admit the curved retaining part of the tongue into the hook of the snap, and just in rear of the first-mentioned opening a pivotal rib, d, is cast on the shank ot' the snap, and beyond this rib a narrow slot, c, is cast in the shank, as represented.

The tongue G ot' the snap is made of cast metal, and its shank also has an upward and a lateral bulge, h, given to it, so as to correspond with the shank within which it is fitted, and also present a large surface for the thumb to bear upon in opening the snap. Forward of this bulged portion the curved tongue C is cast on the shank in the form and manner represented in the drawings, and in rear ot' said bulged portion a straight extension, f, with a semicircular depression, f', in it, is cast, as shown. This cast tongue is connected to the hook by having its curved portion C passed through the inclined slot c into the hook, and its recessed extension ff fitted to the rib d, as shown. The two parts thus put together are held so by means of a light fiat spring, g, applied to the shank of the hook by a rivet, and binding with its free end against the under side or rear surface of the extension f, as represented.

From -the foregoing description it will be seen that we make a snap-hook with a strong cast-metal tongue, and employ a verv light spring to insure the return of the tongue to a closed position when the pressure is withdrawn from it.

Our snap is operated by placing the thumb within the nearly circular openin g and pressing against the bulged portion of the tongue. This arrangement for operating the tongue avoids any obstruction from the hand to the passage of the rein into and out of the snaphook.

We are aware that snaps made oi' two castmetal portions and with a spring for closing the tongue are not new.` We also are aware that a tongue operated by a tingerlever or extension are not new; but we believe a snap made of two cast-metal portions and with a. spring l As a new article of manufacture, the Within. for closing` the tongue in the manner We have described snap-hook, constructed, arranged, shown and described is new, and a. decided und operating substantially asset forth. improvement over anything which has hereto- 1 fore been invented for the purpose intended. We do not claim the spring for closing the tongue. Witnesses What We claim as our invention7 and desire GEO. L. CONVERSE, to secure by Letters Patent, is- J. P. REMMY.

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