and other Analogous Articles.
Year: 1885

page_text: and other Analogous Articles.
I, JAMES MCILWRAITH BALLANTYNE, of 63 Glassford Street, Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Commission Merchant, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SOLITAIRES, SHIRT AND COLLAR
STUDS, BUTTONS AND OTHER ANALOGOUS ARTICLES, to be as follows:-
This invention, which relates to improvements in Solitaires, Shirt and Collar
Studs, buttons and other analogous articles consists in forming the said articles in
two separate parts viz :-the head and the shank, and in the mechanical arrange-
ment for holding the two together.-The head is formed of an upper, and a lower
plate, with a curved plate spring in a recess between the two; the two plates being
held together by a ring piece.-Through this ring-piece a hole is formed for the
passage therethrough of the upper part of the shank, and the lower plate of the
head is slotted radially so that the said shank may pass in to the centre thereof.
The spring arranged within the head, presses the shank into, and maintains it in
its central position. The shank is formed with a shoulder which is pressed down
by the spring upon the lower plate of the head.

page_text: Improvements in Solitaires, Shirt and Collar Studs, Buttons,
and other Analogous Articles.
I, JAMES MOJLWRAITH BALLANTYNE, of 63 Glassford Street, Glasgow in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Commission Merchant do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SOLITAIRES, SHIRT AND COLLAR
STUDS, BUTTONS AND OTHER ANALOGOUS ARTICLES and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
My Invention, which relates to improvements in solitaires, shirt and collar studs,
buttons and other analogous articles, consists in forming the said articles in two
separate parts namely:-the head and the shank, and in the mechanical arrange-
ment for holding the two together.-The head is formed of an upper and a lower
plate, with a curved plate spring in a recess between the two; the two plates being
held together by a ring-piece. Through this ring-piece, a hole is formed for the
passage therethrough of the upper part of the shank, and the lower plate of the
head is slotted radially so that the said shank may pass in to the centre thereof.
The spring arranged within the head, presses the shank into, and maintains it in
its central position. The shank is formed with a shoulder which is pressed down
by the spring upon the lower plate of the head.
In order that my said Invention may be properly understood and readily carried
into effect, I will now proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed :-
Figures 1 to 12 (inclusive) are views of detached portions of the head or upper
part of a solitaire constructed according to my present invention and all hereinafter
more particularly described.
Figures 13, 14 and 15 are respectively a plan of the upper side, a side elevation
and a plan of the underside of such head or upper part when complete.
Figures 16 and 17 are respectively a side elevation and a plan of the shank or
lower part of a solitaire constructed according to my present invention.
'
Figure 18, is a plan of the underside of a complete solitaire at a time when the
shank or lower portion is being connected to the head or upper portion.
Figures 19 and 20, are respectively a plan of the underside and a side elevation
of a solitaire constructed according to my present invention and after the operation
of connecting together the upper and lower parts has been completed.
The several parts of the head of the solitaire as constructed according to this
invention consists first, of the upper or ornamental portion a, which is represented
in plan and in side elevation at Figures 1 and 2 respectively, and which said
portion a, may be of metal, ivory or other suitable material.
At Figures 3 and 4 of the annexed drawings I have represented respectively in
plan and side elevation, the ring piece b, in which the portion a, and other parts of
the head of the solitaire are contained. This ring piece b, is provided with the
annular projection c, and with the recess d, which recess admits the upper part e, of
the shank, being passed therethrough as hereinafter more particularly explained.
The plate g, which is represented at Figures 5 to 8a (inclusive) is that in which

page_text: the plate spring, is secured, and the said plate g, is provided with the projecting
plates i, between which the said spring is situated when in position. The pro-
jecting plates i, as shewn more particularly at Figures 7, 8 and Sa, in which
Figures the plate g, is represented respectively in plan of underside, and sections on
the lines A B and C D Figure 5, are stamped out of the said plate g, and are bent
at right angles thereto. The parts j, of the projecting plates i, are formed so that
they may be bent over the spring h, and the projection or lip k, is so formed as to
admit the end of the said spring below it. Figures 5 and 6 represent the plate g,
respectively in plan and in edge or front view. The plate spring h, is constructed
of the form indicated in plan at Figure 9 and in edge view at Figure 10. After all
the parts herein before described have been arranged in their respective positions
within the ring-piece b, the plate l, is secured in the said ring-piece by the edge
thereof being turned over the said plate l, that is to say in the manner indicated
more particularly at Figures 15, 18 and 19 of the annexed drawings. The plate 1,
as represented in plan at Figure 11, and in edge view at Figure 12, is formed with
the central opening m, from which the tributary recess n, which is of less width
than the said opening m, extends outwards to the edge of the said plate 1. The
shank f, is formed with the upper part or head e, which head is so constructed that
the annular projection o, thereof is pressed by the spring h, on to the back of the
plate, while the portion of the head e, of smaller diameter fits into the opening m,
at the centre of such plate.
In securing together the two parts of the solitaire, the head e, of the shank f, is
pushed along the recess n, the underside of the said head bearing against the back
of the plate l, and the head on reaching the centre of the said plate is pressed into
the opening m, in the manner hereinbefore described. To disengage the two parts
of the solitaire from each other they are pressed so that the head is withdrawn
from the opening m, and the upper part of the solitaire is slipped off the lower
part in a manner the reverse of that hereinlast described.
At Figure 21 of the annexed drawings I have represented the underside of the
head of a solitaire wherein the recess n, in the plåte l, does not extend outwards to
its edge. Under this construction the central opening m, is made in the plate l, as
in the before described example, and the opening 2, is also formed therethrough
the said two openings being connected by the slot q. The opening p, is of size
sufficient to allow the head e, of the shank f, being passed therethrough for the
purpose of connecting the two parts together.-When the head e, has been so passed
through the opening p, the upper part or head of the solitaire is pressed down upon
the shank f, and at the same time the said shank f, is slipped radially inwards until
it reaches the opening m, into which the underside or reduced portion of the head e,
is pressed by the spring h, in the manner hereiubefore described.
8
In place of using a spring of the form represented at Figures 9 and 10 of the
annexed drawings, that is to say, of the form of a plate spring, I may employ
spring of circular or approximately circular form such as is shewn at Figure 22.
This spring is formed convex at its underside, and when the two parts of the
solitaire are being placed together, the head e, of the shank f, slides upon the said
convex surface, and by the elasticity of the said spring the head of the shank f, is
pressed into the opening m. Instead of a spring constructed according to either of
the forms hereinbefore described, there may be substituted a spiral spring or &
spring composed of India-rubber or its equivalent so located as to exert its pressure
upon a metal disc which is free to slide within the ring-piece b.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. Improvements in solitaires, shirt and collar studs, buttons and other
analogous articles consisting of a spring either of the form shewn at Figures 0
and 10 or at Figure 22 or the mechanical equivalent thereof so arranged within
the upper or head portion as to press the head e, of the shank ƒ, into an opening m,

page_text: in the plate 7, admission to which opening m, is had by the said head passing into
and along the recess n, all. substantially as and operating in the manner herein-
before set forth with reference to the annexed drawings.
Second Improvements in solitaires, shirt and collar studs, buttons and other
analogous articles consisting of a spring so arranged as to press the head e, of the
shank f, into an opening m, in the plate l, admission to which opening m, is had
by the said head passing through the opening p, and along the slot q, all sub-
stantially as herein before set forth with reference more particularly to Figure 21 of
the annexed drawings.