DIV IV - Links and Studs - Patents

Preface: The purpose of this section is to provide background and examples of links and studs as defined in Div IV, Section 6 in the NBS Classification Guide¹ (Blue Book). In the past, studs and links were assigned separate sections in Division IV of the Blue Book. This separation was most likely created to simplify competition definitions and was arbitrarily based on the mechanical features for attachment to the garment (links were button-like objects with movable parts and studs were button-like objects with a post or rod attached to a foot that has no movable or separable parts). The current Blue Book brings links and studs into a single section to better facilitate an understanding of their history and usage.