Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1887
Complete Left, 10th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 13th Jan., 1888
I, JAMES NATHAN GOTENDORF junior, of 11 Rue Bergère Paris, France Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:—
This Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of covered buttons
whereby the same metallic parts forming the shell of the button may be used for
buttons of various sizes and kinds and whereby the number of parts used in making
the button may be reduced to a minimum. To this end I employ a machine which
serves both for cutting out the covering fabric and for clenching together the
different parts which constitute the button.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification in which figures 1 and 3 are respectively cross-sections of a button of
ordinary dimensions before and after the parts are clenched together, and figures 2
and are similar views of a button of large dimensions. Figure 5 is a face view of
the cardboard disc used in figures 1 and 3, and figure 6 is a rear face view of the disc
used in figures 2 and 4. Figure 7 is an edge and face view of the collet used when
the button has a metal disc. Figure 8 shews a button in which the cardboard filling
of the flexible shank is reversed. Figure 9 is a vertical section of the machine for
making the buttons. Figure 10 is a part sectional elevation of a modified form of
machine and figure 11 is a horizontal sectional plan of the same. Figure 12 shews
the clenching device.
The improved button of this invention consists, first, of a cardboard disc a held
either by the inwardly turned flanges of a metal disc or shelle (as in figures 1 and 3)
or by the penetration of the edges of this last mentioned piece in an annular groove g
made for this purpose, in the back of the disc (as shewn in figures 2, 4, and 6.) this
shell or disc being always of the same dimensions whatever may be the size of the
button, secondly-of a collet e which secures the covering fabric f and over which

page_text: the inner edges of the annular disc or shell d are turned after clenching (as shewn in
figures 3 and 4).
c is the ordinary flexible shank of cloth, and b is the ordinary cardboard filling of
the same.
A metallic shank may be substituted for the cloth shank (as shewn in dotted
lines in figure 1) the parts being united by clenching, in any suitable manner.
It will be understood that the combination of parts described, constitutes a button
which is strong and easily manufactured at a low cost. The above construction
described as applied to a flat button, may also, it will be evident, be applied to all
kinds of covered buttons whether round, hemispherical, olive shaped, and other
tailors' and dressmakers' buttons, either with flexible or with metallic or wire shanks.
If a metal disc be employed, the part d of the shell which holds the disc is provided
with a toothed circumference to facilitate the assemblage and uniting of the parts.
In the button shewn in figure 8, the cardboard filling 6 of the flexible shank is
reversed the other parts of the button being however similar to those shewn in the
other figures.
The machine shewn in figure 9, for making these different kinds of buttons, consists
essentially in the combination with a die or punch and a cam lever for actuating the
punch, of a spring actuated follower contained in the cavity of the bed die which may
be formed in a fixed or movable plate. The stem e of punch f slides in a socket of
bracket frame g and is raised by a spring s and depressed by a cam 6 of the lever
handle a working on a centre d. The radius of the cam is made variable, in order
that it may be adjusted to the work to be done, this being effected by providing either
the cam or the frame with one or more holes c¹ c² to receive centre pin d. The punch
f descends centrally into the cavities i in which are placed in a suitable manner, the
different parts constituting the button, so that on the descent of the punch they will be
united together. These cavities are formed in the plate h which, in the example
shewn, is represented as capable of being rotated around the column g of the frame
which is connected to the bed t, by a bolt u. The disc is provided with beds or
solid portions of any suitable material, to support the fabric whilst being cut out by
a circular cutter which for this purpose is mounted on a punch f by means of a
bayonet screw or other joint. The cavities are of different sizes and correspond to
the different dimensions of the buttons to be made, and any one of them may be
brought axially into line with the punch, in which position it is retained by a latch n
pressed by a spring m into one of a series of notches in the periphery of the disc h.
q is a spring follower, on which the parts to be united are supported. It is
depressed under the action of the punch and raised by its spring k when the stop is
released, from the notch x. This follower serves also to guide the fabric, and to
support it under the action of the punch, and the latter is guided in its motion by any
suitable means.
บ
The parts above described are supported on a base fixed by a clamp z or any other
suitable means, to the table or other support. The finished buttons are discharged
from the cavity of the bed die into a shoot. The covering fabric may be folded over the
frame or shell of the button either directly by the action of the cavities or by means
of a socket of suitable dimensions.
The machine represented in figures 10 11 and 12 is provided in combination with a
punch which serves both for cutting out the fabric and for clenching the metal
portions of the button, with the inner stem capable of being moved up and down
independently, by means of a hand lever, and serving to bring the covering fabric to
the desired tension and position before pressure of the punch is exerted to clench the
parts; the lower end of this stem being of such form that it acts as a die or punch
for clenching the back shell of the button over the collet, the stem then partaking in
the motion of the punch itself. This stem e¹ has a head f1 at its upper end, and is
raised by spring h. At its lower end it has a die or punch g¹. It is operated by a
lever pivoted at and working in a slot of the outer stem. This downward
motion of the inner stem, which is at a given moment partaken in by the punch, serves
to stretch the fabric which is previously placed in the cavity i of the plate h. At this
moment, the shell of the button and the collet having been placed in proper position,

page_text: punch e¹ is brought down by acting on lever a and cam 6 bringing down also the
clenching die g; the extremity of the punch being itself terminated by the clenching
punch m² which acts on the toothed edge of the collet.
It will be seen that the angular motion of the levers k¹ and a produces all the
motions necessary for making the button. When the punch is intended to be used
for cutting out the fabric, the clenching punch m¹ is unscrewed and reversed, and
screwed on to the punch, in the position shewn in figure 10.
J. N. GOTTENDORF, JUNIOR.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Covered Buttons and in
Apparatus therefor.
I, JAMES NATHAN GOTENDORF junior, of 11 Rue Bergère, Paris, France, Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
This Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of covered buttons and
in apparatus therefor.
The object of the invention is to simplify and improve the construction of the button,
and to provide a tool which will serve both for gathering inwards the covering fabric
and for clenching the metallic parts whereby the fabric is secured upon the shell of
the button, and also for cutting out the covering fabric.
Reference is to be had to the accommpanying drawings forming part of this
specification in which figures 1 and 2 are respectively cross-sections (drawn on an
enlarged scale) of a button before and after the parts are clenched together. Figure 3
is an elevation of the collet. Figure 4 shews the blank from which the collet is made,
and figure 5 is a section of the collet before the teeth receive their final form. Figure 6
is a vertical section of the machine for covering the buttons, the parts being shown in
the position they occupy after the button is clenched. Figure 7 shews in the position
after the parts of the button have been pushed down in the mould and before being
clenched, the punch i being lowered in advance of the other part of the tool as when
used for pushing the parts of the button down in the cavity of the mould. Figure 8
is a plan, the upper part being removed. Figure 9 shews a section of the combined
punches and ring cutter, separately and in position for using the cutter.
The metallic shell of the button is composed of a disc a and a back b united to the

page_text: disc a by the edges of the back 6 being turned over and embracing the edges of the
disc a.
This is performed in two operations by means of the usual punches and dies
whereby the edges of the back are turned up and then clenched or turned down over
the face of the disc a, this clenching operation being performed after the cloth shank d
has been introduced as hereafter described. The back b has formed in one with it a
neck c which is produced by first cupping the back at the centre and then punching
out the bottom of the cup, this being done in two operations by means of ordinary
punches and dies, as is well understood.
The shank d is formed of a disc of cloth preferably of such size that its edges will
overlap the edges of the disc a and be tightly nipped between them and the turned over
edges of the back b. e is a cupped metal disc which becomes wedged in the neck c
and assists to retain the shank & securely in place. In putting these parts together,
the fabric d is first pushed the proper distance, by means of a suitable tool, through
the neck c of the back and the latter is laid neck downwards in a die, the cupped
disc e is then placed in the neck c and the disc a placed in position within the upwardly
turned edges of the fabric d and of the back b which latter is then clenched by its
edges being turned downwards and inwards by a concave faced punch being brought
down upon it. The shell is then ready for being covered which is performed by means
of a tool such as that represented in figures 6, 7, and 8.
f is the covering fabric stamped out in the form of a disc of sufficient size to cover
the face and be wrapped round the edges of the shell, and be secured at the back
thereof by a collet g as hereafter described. This collet g is a cupped annular disc
having a central aperture adapted to pass over the neck e of the back b and having a
toothed circumference, the points of the teeth g¹ being slightly convergent or directed
towards the centre so that when pressed against the inwardly turned portions of the
covering fabric fat the back b of the shell as hereafter described, they will pierce the
fabric and on meeting the back b will be bent directly inwards towards the centre of
the button, thus by their inwardly hooked form firmly retaining the covering fabric.
At the same time that the teeth g¹ are bent inwards, the end the neck c is splayed
outwards and clenched over the back of the collet g so as to hold the collet securely in
position with its teeth firmly embedded in the covering fabric. The collet g is formed
by punching out a serrated blank, as shewn in Figure 4 by means of a correspondingly
serrated punch and die, then cupping the blank as shewn in figure 5 by means of a
convex punch and cupped die whereby the teeth are turned up parallel to the axis.
A central hole is then punched in the cupped disc, and finally the teeth are caused to
slightly converge towards the axis, as shewn in figure 3 by the pressure of a concave
or hollow faced punch whilst the disc is held in a suitable cup or die.
The combined tool whereby the covering fabric f is gathered inwards and the
collet g and neck c are simultaneously clenched, comprises a double punch i k, a
circular gathering hollow tool for turning inwards the edges of the covering fabric
in advance of the clenching action of the punches. These parts are mounted on a
sliding plunger m guided vertically in a bracket arm or frame, the plunger being
raised by a spring m¹ and depressed by a cam n pivoted at n¹ in the head of the
bracket and operated by a lever n², the cam bearing directly on the head of the
plunger m. The central punch i whereby the neck c of the shell is rivetted over
the collet 9 is preferably carried by an inner stem sliding through the main
plunger m which is tubular and is slotted at the upper part to admit a small hand
lever pivoted at 3 on the bracket arm whereby the punch i may be brought down
independently of the punch k for the purpose of pushing the parts of the button down
into proper position in the cavity of the bed plate before the pressure is applied for
clenching them together the punch i being normally held up in the plunger m by a
spring The punches ik act however, together as one, the punch i having a
shoulder whereby when plunger m is depressed by the lever cam n, the punch i will
be brought down also and the two punches will act concurrently.
I therefore reserve the right to make the punch i a fixture on the lower end of the
plunger m, in which case the sliding stem ¹, spring i and lever i would be dispensed
with.

page_text: The punch is screwed on the lower end of the plunger m, so as to be readily
removable and reversible thereon, as hereafter described, and upon this punch k is
fitted to slide the hollow gathering tool 7 by which the edges of the covering fabric f
(which when pushed down along with the shell in the cavity of the bed die stand up
against the sides of the cavity) are forced inwards towards the centre over the rear
side of the back b. The punch k and the gathering tool / have inwardly bevelled
acting faces so as to force the teeth of the collet and the edges of the covering fabric
in the desired direction whilst the acting face of the punch i is bevelled in the opposite
direction and hollowed so as to clench the neck c over the back of the collet. The
hollow gathering tool is free to slide on the punch k to which it is attached by stud
and slot connections and it is carried down in advance of the punch k by a
spring confined between the end of the tool and a flange k³ on the end of the punch,
this spring yielding on the gathering tool meeting the button in the die and
permitting the punch & to come down and do its work on the collet.
In one with the tool is formed an oppositely directed ring cutter h for cutting out
the covering fabric. This is brought into use when required, by reversing the
punch and gathering tool on the plunger m. In this position (shewn separately
in figure 9) the acting face of the gathering tool 7 abuts against the bevelled edge of
the abutment shoulder m² on the plunger m so that the pressure is transmitted
directly from the latter to the cutter and the studs are not strained. By screwing
the nut formed in the punch k tightly upon the plunger m, the punch will be raised
within the cutter h until the punch also bears against the shoulder m² whereby
sufficient room will be provided within the cutter for cutting out thick fabrics or
several thicknesses of fabric at once.
The bed die is formed in a circular plate p which has a number of cavities in it of
different sizes as required for buttons of different dimensions the plate being mounted
to rotate about a central pillar s immediately over the base plate t. Any one of these
cavities may be brought in line beneath the punch plunger m upon which a
combined tool (such as shewn in figures 6 & 7.) of corresponding diameter to the
cavity is secured. In the base plate t is fitted a spring follower u, the head of which
rises in the cavity of the bed die to a sufficient height to form a support for the
covering fabric and shell when they are first placed in the cavity, and keep them
horizontal whilst being forced down in the cavity of the bed plate previous to the
clenching pressure being applied. The upward motion of the follower is limited by a
stop, and on being depressed it is prevented from again rising by a latch actuated
by a spring engaging in a notch in the stem of the follower. In this lowered
position, the head of the follower is recessed in the base plate t.
The disc of covering fabric having been placed over the cavity and the metal
shell having been placed face downwards upon it and the two having been pushed
down to the bottom of the cavity by depressing the punch i by means of lever i
(or by hand if the punch i is not independently movable) the collet g is placed teeth
downwards within the parallel part of the gathering tool which it fits so as to be
retained therein and the punches ik and gathering tool are then brought down
together by means of the cam n and lever n whereby the gathering tool / which is in
advance of the punches, first turns the edges of the covering fabric inwards, and then
the punch forces the teeth of the collet through said fabric and clenches them whilst
the punch i clenches the neck of the shell over the collet as above described. The
finished button may then be ejected downwards, by first turning the plate p partly
round on its centre so as to uncover the bottom of the cavity. Upon returning the
plate to position, the catch v is released by hand, and the follower allowed to rise, iu
readiness for making another button.
Besides the cavities in the plate p, there are beds w of lead or ebonite for the
cutters to cut out the covering fabric upon either of which may be brought into
position when the cutter is used.
The plate p is held in proper position for use by a spring latch bolt a engaging in
its periphery.
It is to be understood that the disc a of the shell may be either flat or convex

page_text: according as a flat or convex face button is to be formed, the spring follower u being
made concave accordingly. Or, instead of using the follower, the cavity may be
simply closed at bottom by the base plate t or by a removable slide fitted in the base plate
and having a concaved or other surface corresponding in form to the face of the button.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;
1. A shell for a covered button constructed of a back portion b with a neck c formed
in one piece therewith the back b having its edges turned inwardly overand embracing
the edges of a disc a substantially as shown and described.
2. A shell for a covered button, constructed of a back 6 made in one piece with a
neck c and having its edges turned inwardly over and embracing the edges of a disc a
in combination with a cupped disc e within the shell for retaining the flexible shank d
substantially as shewn and described.
3. In a covered button, the combination with the shell a b and the covering fabric,
of the collet g having convergent or inwardly directed teeth adapted to pierce and
hold the covering fabric, as described.
4. In a covered button in which the covering fabric is secured by an annular
collet g having inwardly directed or convergent teeth adapted to pierce the fabric and
become bent inwards so as to hold the fabric as described, the combination with said
collet, of the neck c formed on the back b of the shell, and clenched over the back of
the collet, substantially as specified.
5. In a tool for use in covering the buttons herein described, the combination of
the oppositely bevelled punches i and k for clenching the neck and for forcing the
teeth of the collet inwards and into the covering fabric, substantially as described.
6. In a tool for covering the buttons herein described the combination with the
double punches ik of the gathering tool fitted to slide on the punch k and the spring 1²
whereby the gathering tool is brought down with and in advance of the punches and
fter completing its work yields and allows the punches to act, substantially as
specified.
7. The reversible tool consisting in the combination with the punches ik and
gathering tool 1, of the ring cutter h, substantially as specified.
8. In a tool for covering the buttons herein described the rotary die and cutter bed
plate in combination with the cam and spring actuated rectilineally movable punching,
gathering, and cutting tools, substantially as specified.
9. In a tool for covering the buttons herein described the combination with the
rotary die plate, of the spring follower and its latch, substantially as specified.
10. The combination of parts constituting the herein described tool or machine for
use in cutting out the covering fabric and applying the same upon a button shell, the
whole constructed arranged, and operating, substantially as specified.
Dated this 10th day of December 1887.
JAMES N. GOTENDORF, JR.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.