IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF BUTTONS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Aston, of Princip Steet Works, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Button Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF
BUTTONS."
Sealed the 25th April 1865, and dated the 1st November 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Aston at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st
November 1864.
I, WILLIAM ASTON, of Princip Street Works, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Button Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN DESCRIP-
TIONS OF BUTTONS," to be as follows (that is to say:-
My improvements in the manufacture of buttons relate to the description
known as "linen buttons," in contradistinction to the description of covered
buttons known as "Florentine," or the usual covered buttons worn on gentle-
men's coats and vests, and consist in making the button of a front and back
shell, the front shell having a concentric hole formed in it for receiving a
corresponding projection on the back shell; and concentrically with such
projection I form a hole for the purpose herein-after named. In making a
button with these two shells a small disc of cloth is laid on the concentric
projection of the back shell, and the front shell being covered with a disc of

page_text: linen with its edges gathered in over the back edge of the said front shell, at
the same time a small circular part is removed from its centre, a trifle smaller
than the hole through the front shell, in order that the fabric at that part may
also be gathered in and pressed radially back around the hole of the shell;
these two parts being put together and closed over with a strong fabric at the
back leaves the button in a finished state, having on the front side a small
concentric projection rising from the concave face of the button; and through
the centre of this concentric projection the needle passes in sewing or securing
the button to the garment on which it is to be used, and which sewing is
rendered less a disfigurement to the button by this mode of manufacture, as
well as affording direction as to where to push the needle through for the pur-
pose of securing it. Notwithstanding in some cases instead of piercing a hole
concentrically through the projection of the back shell as before referred to, it
may be so pierced or otherwise constructed, as to form or provide a bar for the
thread to ride on, used in securing the button to a garment; in that case
although the needle and thread would be passed through the front of the
button when secured the thread would be hid by the front covering, or if
necessary, buttons thus constructed may be sewn on by the back covering.
And as a modification it is not essential that buttons thus constructed should
be covered with linen, as when used for ornament or ladies' dress buttons
they may be covered with silk, and the colour of the centre may be different
from that of the fabric that surrounds it. And again buttons thus constructed
may be provided with a small metal shank with an ornamental front, the said
shank being passed entirely through the button and opened out at the back,
or constructed for this purpose as before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Aston in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ASTON, of Princip Street Works, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Button Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Aston, Her special license that I, the said

page_text: William Aston, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others.
as I, the said William Aston, my executors, administrators, or assigns
should at any time. agree with, and no others, from time 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF BUTTONS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Aston, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 William Aston, 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 (that is to say) :-
My improvements in the manufacture of buttons relate to the description
known as "linen buttons," in contradistinction to the description of covered
buttons known as "Florentine," or the usual covered buttons worn on gentle-
men's coats or vests, and consist in making the button of a front and back
shell, the front shell having a concentric hole formed in it for receiving a
corresponding concentric projection on the back shell, and concentrically with
such projection I form a hole for the purpose herein-after named. Both
shells are formed with an annular flange or projection well understood by
workmen accustomed to the manufacture of shell buttons. In making a
button with these two shells, a small disc of cloth is laid on the concentric
projection on the face side of the back shell, and the front shell being covered.
with a disc of linen with its edges gathered in over the edge of the said front
shell, at the same time a small circular part is removed from its centre a trifle
smaller than the hole through the front shell in order that the fabric at that
part may also be gathered in and pressed radially back around the hole of the
shell; these two parts being put together and closed over with a strong fabric
at the back leaves the button in a finished state, having on the front side a
small concentric projection rising from the concave face of the button; and
through the centre of this concentric projection the needle passes in sewing or
securing the button to the garment on which it is to be used, and which sewing
is rendered less a disfigurement to the button by this mode of manufacture, as
well as affording direction as to where to pass the needle through for the

page_text: purpose of securing it. Notwithstanding in some cases instead of piercing a
hole concentrically through the projection of the back shell as before referred
to, it may be so pierced or otherwise constructed as to form or provide a bar
for the thread to ride on used in securing the said button to a garment; in
that case although the needle and thread would be passed through the front of
the button, when secured the thread would be hid by the front covering, as the
needle in that case must be passed from the back obliquely on the side of the
bar, and through the front covering, and returned at an opposite angle through
the same hole of the front covering, and back the other side of the bar, so that
the thread may ride on the bar, or if necessary buttons thus constructed may
be sewn on by the back covering which may be strengthened for the purpose.
And as a modification it is not essential that buttons thus constructed should
be covered with linen, as when used for ornament or ladies' dress buttons
they may be covered with silk or other approved fabric, and the colour of the
centre may be different from that of the fabric that surrounds it. And again,
buttons thus constructed may be provided with a small metal shank with an
ornamental front, the said shank being passed entirely through the button and
opened out at the back; in that case the front ornament may be diversified
or set with real or artificial jewels, or the button may be constructed for this
purpose as before described.
But in order that I may be well understood as to the nature and extent
of my Invention, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Fig. 1 represents in plan the front shell, and Fig. 2 a central section of the
same through the dotted line.
a, a, is the flange before referred to, within which the outer edge of the
top covering will be gathered in and held in the finished button as also the
outer edge of the back covering.
Fig. 3 is a front view of the back shell; and Fig. 4 a section of the same
as at Figure 2, the flange b, b, being required as a further security for holding
in during the process of making the back covering, and although I have here
shown the desired shape of the back shell as formed of one piece of metal,
nevertheless the same result may be obtained by using two shells, as would be
well understood by a competent workman, but for economy I prefer the single
shell.
Fig. 5 is a section of Figures 1 and 3 in their respective positions as put
together to form a button, but the fabric is omitted.
In the process of making I take a disc of fabric as at Fig. 6 of the desired
material, and by means of suitable tools and a fly press, appliances well under-
stood, the said fabric is placed in position over the front shell the outer edge

page_text: being gathered in around the flange a, a, shown in Figure 2, and the inner
edge where the cloth has been removed will also be gathered in and spread
out radially around the edge of the pierce hole in Figure 1, and defined as c, c,
Figure 2; and although I have described Figure 6 as of one fabric, the said
disc may have been cut from two fabrics laid one on the other, which in many
cases is preferable, as a fine delicate fabric may be used for the face while a
stronger fabric may be beneath it.
And in like manner the disc of fabric at Fig. 7 may be used single or double,
and by tools, dies, and a press as before referred to be pressed down concentri-
cally over the projection d, d, Figure 4, and at the same time the disc Fig. 8,
which may be of a strong fabric and double or single as preferred, may be
pressed on the lower surface of the shell, Figure 4, and its outer edge gathered
over the flange b, 6; and with these preliminary processes the front and back
shell, with their respective coverings, are closed together and may vary in bulk
according to the shape of the tools and the amount of pressure applied to them
by the press used in their production.
But the shape as exhibited in the section at Fig. 9 may be considered
preferable to a thinner or more angular form.
Figs. 10 and 11 are simply a front and edge view of the finished button,
and of which Figure 9 purports to be the section. And from this description
it will be obvious the fabrics covering the convexed centre may differ in texture
and colour from the outer or annular covering, and this may be desirable when
such buttons are intended to be used for ladies' dresses or outside wear, and in
that case the means of sewing on may either be by the back covering or by
forming or applying a suitable bar across the pierce hole in the back shell, as
exhibited in dotted lines at Figure 3, which would permit of the button being
secured by passing the needle and thread through the button, and returning it
obliquely through the same hole in the front covering through which the
needle had first passed, but leaving the thread by which it is being attached to
ride on the bar; and this plan may be applied whether this button is used as
an ordinary linen button, as well as the means of securing it on by passing the
needle through the front and back fabric in the ordinary way in which sewn
through buttons are secured, in which case I prefer using a strong under layer
of fabric over the convexed concentric projection of the button for that purpose.
But in cases where a front metal ornament may be desirable with this descrip-
tion of button, the said ornament may be secured to a soft wire shank, by
preference of a half round shape in its transverse section, and the shank being
passed centrally through the front and back fabric, it may be opened out
into a circular form, imparting to it the usual shape given to button shanks,

page_text: and this form of shank and front ornament I have exhibited in a detached
side and front view at Figs. 12 and 13.
Having thus given a general description of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same may be carried into effect, I wish it understood that what
I claim as new and of my Invention, and protected by these my in part recited
Letters Patent is, the manufacture of buttons as herein described and
exhibited.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Aston, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
:
WILLIAM LOACH,
Clerk to James S. Cockings,
Patent Agent,
Birmingham.
WILLIAM ASTON. (L.S.)