IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTON HOLDING AND IN APPARATUS FOR THE SAME, SPECIALLY APPLICABLE IN BOOT-MAKING
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Kenny, of Dover Road, in the County of
Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTON HOLDING AND
IN APPARATUS FOR THE SAME, SPECIALLY APPLICABLE IN BOOT-MAKING."
Sealed the 28th February 1873, and dated the 4th September 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Kenny at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th September 1872.
I, JOHN KENNY, of Dover Road, in the County of Surrey, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTON
HOLEING AND IN APPARATUS FOR THE SAME, SPECIALLY APPLICABLE IN BOOT-MAKING,”
to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in laying a cord or its equivalent into a
piece of leather or other suitable material and blocking it in the form
of a button hole, which. piece of leather or suitable material thus treated
has to be afterwards worked up into the structure of the article in which

page_text: button holes are required, whereby strong and improved button holes
will be obtained.
The apparatus or machine used in performing the work consists of a
framing supporting a horizontal bar free to move in its supports, and
having on its end a die provided with a groove in the form of a button
hole. This bar has a slide working therein, such slide being free to
move within the bar; on the end of the slide is a core passing through
the die. A part of the framing is in such position as 'to support a bed
or plate having a recess into which the core before mentioned passes.
The outer edge or periphery of the die and also of the bed or plate is
bevilled, so that when brought into contact a groove is formed by the
bevils, the die and bed or plate are held in contact by the pressure
of a spring, the material for the button hole being laid, on the edge or
periphery of the die and bed, and consequently over the groove formed
by the bevils. A feed lever holding the cord lays it on to the material,
and by its action draws it into the groove and between the face of the
die and plate. A cam or cranked lever pressing on the other end of the
bar stamps the button hole into form, which is then removed to make
room for another, the operation being completed by a cutter severing
the cord.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Kenny in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th March 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
KENNY, of Dover Road, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Kenny, Her special licence that I,
the said John Kenny, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Kenny, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time

page_text: to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTON HOLEING AND
IN APPARATUS FOR THE SAME, SPECIALLY APPLICABLE IN BOOT-MAKING," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Kenny, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or onc
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Kenny, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
These improvements consist in laying a cord or its equivalent into a
piece of leather or other suitable material, and blocking it in the form of
a button hole, which may be afterwards worked up into the structure of
the article required, and in apparatus for effecting the same.
The apparatus or machine used in performing this work consists
mainly of a framing supporting a horizontal bar free to move in its
supports, and having on its end a die provided with a groove in the form
of a button hole. This bar has a slide working therein, such slide being
free to move within the bar. On the end of the slide is a core passing
through the die. A part of the framing is in such position as to support
a bed or plate having a recess into which the core before mentioned
passes. The outer edge or periphery of the die and also of the bed or
plate is bevilled so that when brought into contact a groove is formed
by the bevels. The die and bed or plate are held in contact by the
pressure of a spring, the material for the button hole being laid on the
edge or periphery of the die and bed, and consequently over the groove
formed by the bevils. A feed lever holding the cord lays it on to the
material, and by its action draws it into the groove and between the
face of the die and plate. A cam or cranked lever pressing on the other
end of the bar stamps the button hole into form, which is then removed

page_text: Qu, presser foot; R, punching cam; R³, punching cam lever; R",
punching cam presser; S, stamping cam; S¹, stamping lever; T, picker
bar lever; T, picker cam; Tu, picker bar; U, tilting cam; U¹, tilting
cam lever; U¹¹, forked tilt; V, fixed spindle; ✗, cord cutter lever; X³,
cord cutter slide; X", cord cutter at a suitable angle; Y, slotted guide
rods; Z, cutter punch; 12, return spring for stamping bar; 13, punching
cam presser roel; 14, punch spring; 15 and 16, springs; 17, link; 18,
link; 19, buffer or break.
The leather or other material for forming the button hole is damped
or moistened to a suitable condition and placed on the table plate N and
under presser foot Qu. The cord being threaded through the eye
piece 21 and placed between the back arms of cord wheel F and springs
thereof; then on turning the handle 20 the projection on cam p
operating on regulating screw P¹¹ communicates motion by regulating
lever P¹ to presser foot Qu, thereby causing the material to travel the
required distance, placing it immediately over the edge or periphery of
die C and bed plate D (this position is shewn by the Drawing in side
elevation), the projection on punching cam R acting on punching cam
lever depresses the punching cam lever R" by means of the rod 13,
causing the cutting punch Z to cut and notch the material, as shewn in
Diagram 19, thereby severing it (the piece required to form the button
hole) from the body of the materials. Simultaneous with this motion
has been given to cord wheel F by cam groove I acting on a roller fixed
to lever J, communicating a downward movement to slide K², and con-
sequently to star wheel K by pawl or click K", thereby causing the cord
wheel to turn and bring the cord into position immediately over the cord
grippers (a detent holding the wheel in that position), which in their
upward movement have arrived into the position (shewn in the end
elevation), Fig. 2, where they have just closed on the cord. The cord
at this time as been severed by cord cutter X", which is operated by
slide X' and cord cutter lever X, worked by the projection on feed lift
cam Q, which forces the blade of the cutter between the 2 springs that
are brought opposite the end of the cutter, the cord being now held by

page_text: in
the grippers which have a link g¹¹ knuckled to the head of each. The
other ends of each link turn on pins fixed into standards A¹¹¹. The pins
are furnished with coil springs acting as a drag and causing friction to
be overcome; the downward motion of slide G causes the grippers to
close hard, thus securing their hold on the cord in pulling down and
causing them to open freely in coming up the slotted guide rods Y,
which the links work freely, serving to keep the grippers in position.
Motion is given to slide G by lever H', which has a roller taking into
cam groove H, which by the downward stroke carries the cord on to
the material as it is punched off, and draws it down between the die C
and plate D and on the point of the picker bar T" and core plate C¹,
the
die C and plate D having been brought in contact by the action of
lever S¹ on stamping bar plunger, caused by the slight projection on
cam S, bringing the lever up to the bolt head of plunger. A further
projection on cam S presses the bolt hard into the bar, and consequently
closes the spring 22 on the end of the stamping bar, thus stamping or
molding the button hole into the form given by the die and plate. When
the action of S ceases the pressure of S¹ is withdrawn, the die C on end
of stamping bar is slightly drawn back from contact with plate D by the
action of the return spring 12. The bar T having the button hole
.formed round its point is now by the action of cam T pressing on
lever T" in conjunction with link 18 caused to withdraw the button hole
from between the die C and plate D, and carry it up on to the forked
tilt U", the bar T" taking between the fork and laying it thereon, and
the cam U acting on U¹ and thence by link 17 causes the tilt U¹¹ to
draw it off the point of T" and tilt it over, where it falls into any
receptacle placed to catch it. The cam Q acting on Q' causes pressure
to be taken off the presser foot Q", the return spring causing it to back
picker bar T, and by action of coil spring 16 is returned to its normal
position as also the tilt by action of spring 15.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my Invention, in what manner the same is to be performed
or put in practice, I hereby declare that I claim the herein described
Invention of improvements in button holeing, and in apparatus for the
same, specially applicable in boot-making; the nature and character of
which Invention are set forth by the words preceding the words descrip-
tion of the Drawings, and further exemplified of the statements herein

page_text: contained, referring to the said Drawings which illustrate the said
description, it being understood that I do limit myself to the precise
details herein-before stated, which may be varied without departing from
the scope and objects of my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Kenny, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of March, in the year of our
. Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
THOMAS MORGAN,
Secretary,
Inventors' Patent Right Ass., Limited,
21, Cockspur Street,
S.W.
JOHN KENNY. (L.S.)