IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COVERED BUTTONS
Year: 1842

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CHATWIN, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Button Manufacturer;
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Sixteenth day of July, in the sixth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Chatwin, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said John Chatwin, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Chatwin, my exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might maké, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COVERED BUTTONS;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said John
Chatwin, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inŕolled in
Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent;
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Chatwin, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention relates to covered buttons, made by dies and pressure.
It
is well known that in making such description of covered buttons, that very
expensive covering materials are used, a very large portion of which is
folded within and enclosed in the interior of the buttons in the process of
making. Now the object of my Invention is to so manufacture covered buttons
by dies and pressure as to save much of the covering materials heretofore
necessary for folding within the buttons; and in order that my Invention
may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and the means pursued by me in carrying out my improvements.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a disc of brass, or other suitable material (I prefer
brass), for making the shape or front of a button. This disc is dished or
sunk into the shape a, shewn at Figure 2, by suitable diés, as is well under-
stood, and then annealed. Into this metal shell a disc d of covering material
for the front or face of a button is placed by hand, and the raised edge of
the metal shell a is to be turned or folded down, as is shewn in plan and
section at Figure 3, by means of the dies shewn in section at Figure 4, 6
being the punch or upper die, and c the lower die. These dies are suitable
for being worked in a fly press or stamp, as is commonly practised by button
manufacturers, and such is the case with respect to the other dies hereafter
mentioned. The shell a of Figure 3 is next to be still more closely pressed
down at the edge, in order to hold the covering material d securely, as is
shewn at Figure 5 in plan and in sidė section, and this is accomplished by
means of the dies Figure 6, which are shewn in section, e being the punch
or upper die and the lower die; and in case the buttons to be produced
are to be "domed " or convex buttons, then each shell is sunk into the shape
shewn in Figure 7 in plan and in side section, and the proper dies for
performing this operation are shewn in section at Figure 8, 9 being the punch
or upper die, and h the lower die. When the convexity of a button is to
be considerable, then I prefer to sink the shell a nearly to the desired con-
vexity before introducing and fixing the covering material d, and in such
cases the diameter of the covering material would be slightly larger than
g

page_text: the diameter of the interior of the shell a. The shell a, from the dies Figure 6,
is next raised into the shape Figure 9, the covering material being at the
external surface, and this process constitutes one peculiarity of my Invention,
and is accomplished by means of the dies Figure 10, i being the punch or
5 upper dic, and j the lower die, the nature of which is clearly shewn in the
Drawing; and when the sunk disc a, Figure 7, is passed through the
die Figure 10, to raise it into a shell, then a convex punch or die i is to be
used in place of that shewn. The covered metal shell a, Figure 9, is now
prepared to receive the filling of button board, and the back shell or collet
and the shank. This process is done by hand, and will be better understood by
examining Figures 11, 12, and 13, the parts of which are drawn to an enlarged
scale, in order that they may be better seen and understood. Figure 11 shews
the section of the button before it is flattened; Figure 12 shews a plan or back
view of the parts in the state shewn in Figure 13; and Figure 13 shews a section
of the. button after it has been flattened and finished by suitable dies, as
heretofore practised when finishing other covered buttons after they come from
the covering tools. a is the metal shell, covered at its external surface with
the covering material d, such covering material being securely held by the
folding down of the edge of the metal shell a, as above described. k is a
filling of button board; 1 is the flexible shank; and m is the back metal shell
or collet, through which the flexible shank protrudes, as is well understood,
the parts k, l, m, being similar to the parts used heretofore for the same
purposes, and they are introduced into the shell a by hand, in place of using
the covering tools heretofore employed, such covering tools in the present
instance not being necessary, as the covering material is securely held by
the front shell a. I would remark, that although I prefer to use flexible
shanks, yet I do not confine myself thereto, as this part of my Invention does
not relate to the description of shank which is used, but to the mode of
securing the covering material which may be employed for covering the face
of the buttons; and it will be seen that in place of the covering material being
folded into the interior of the button, as heretofore practised, the outer
circumference of the covering material is held securely by the folding over
of the metal at the outer edge of the metal shell a, as above described, by
which means that quantity of the covering material which was heretofore
necessary for folding into the interior of the button is saved, and a much less
quantity of covering material is required for a given sized button than
heretofore; this will be understood on examining Figures 14 and 15, where
two portions of covering materials are shewn, that at Figure 14 being about
the size heretofore used when making a flat-faced button, called "36 lines," and

page_text: that at Figure 15 being about the size now used by me for making a like
sized button, producing a very important saving, the value of which is greater
in proportion as the covering material used is more costly. In the above
description I have described the Invention when working in such a manner
as to produce covered buttons where that portion of the sheel a which comes
to the back of the button is not covered, but in making the best classes of
buttons it is desirable that the whole of the shell a should be covered, and
I will now. describe the means pursued by me in order to the whole of the
shell being covered. Figure 16 shews a shell a, into which a surface of
any suitable covering material has been introduced, and a second disc n, of
any suitable material. I prefer a strong woven fabric, which should be of
a less costly material than is employed for the face of the button. This
disc n is cut from the centre in radial directions, as is shewn. The edge of
the shell a is then to be turned down by the dies Figure 4, and then flattened
by the dies Figure 6, which will produce it into the shape Figure 17. The
shell a, having the covering materials d and n affixed thereto, is next to be
sunk into the shape Figure 18, by the dies.Figure 10, when the points. of
the covering material may be readily removed by hand from the face of the
button, and turned over and folded into the interior of the. shell a, Figure 19,
which shews a side section and inside view of the shell a, having the points
of the fabric n folded into the shell; this will be better understood by examin-
ing Figures 20, 21, and 22, where the parts are shewn on an enlarged scale;
in order to the nature of each part being more readily seen and traced:
Figure 20 shews a section of the button before being pressed or flattened
into shape by the flattening dies. Figure 21 shews a back view of the
finished button, and Figure 22 shews a section of the finished button; a being
the metal shell; d, the.covering material; k, the button board; 1, the flexible
shank; and m, the back shell or collet. In this case the ordinary covering
dies or tools are used, in order that the covering material n may be drawn
tight. In putting the parts together the covered shell a is forced into the
lower die or tool by the punch; the outer side of the turned up edge of the
shell sliding tightly into the tool, causes the disc of covering material n to
be drawn tightly over the edge of the shell a; the back shell or collet with
the shank is then introduced by means of the tube, and the punch or upper
die presses the parts together, the collet or back shell m drawing the covering
material tightly into the shell a. The button is then to be removed from
the covering dies, and finished by flattening dies, as is well understood.
these buttons also I do not confine myself to use flexible shanks, as others
may be employed. I would remark, that in addition, to the advantage resulting
In

page_text: from the saving of covering material, the mode of fixing the covering material
will be found very useful when the covering material & bas a central 'pattern
or ornament thereon, as when once the disc of covering material d is correctly
cut out, with the ornament or pattern in the centre, it will not be liable to
be placed out of the centre of the button by the act of making up of a covered
button by dies and pressure, which was heretofore liable to be the case. I
would remark, that I do not claim the making of covered buttons with central
patterns generally, a Patent having been before taken by Mr. William Elliott,
of Birmingham, for such purposes, my Invention relating only to the modo
of applying and fixing the covering material d, whatever be the nature of the
covering material used. In the above description I have shewn the shell a
to be formed of such a depth that when the button is made the front covering
material passes beyond the edges of the button to the back thereof, but by
sinking the shell (a) deeper in the first process, so that the edge to be folded
down is deeper, the covering material d, for the face of the button, may be
hid near the outer edge thereof, and a margin or edge of the material n may
thereby be brought to the face of the button. In some cases I make covered
buttons without shanks, according to my Invention, such buttons being
suitably formed for being affixed by passing a needle through the covering
fabric, and through the shell, that shell being perforated. Figure 23 shews
a section, inside view, and a front view of a button, so far formed as will
result from passing a covered perforated disc through the dies Figure 10, the
only difference in the partly-formed button Figure 23, and that shewn in
Figure 9, is the circumstance of the shell used in Figure 23 being perforated
with holes for the passage of a needle when affixing the button. The parts
Figure 23 are then to be placed in finishing dies, and brought into the shape
shown at Figure 24, in back view, section, and front view. I would remark,
that although I have only thought it necessary to shew one sized button,
the workman will readily vary the dies when making other sizes.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best means I
am acquainted with for performing the same, I do not confine myself to the
precise details shewn and described, provided the peculiar character of my
Invention be retained. But what I claim is,-
First, the mode of manufacturing die and pressure-made buttons, by causing
the covering of the fronts of the buttons to be affixed to the shells by folding
the edges thereof over, as above described.
Secondly, I claim the mode of forming the shells of die and pressure-made
covered buttons, by causing the shells to be pressed into form after being
covered, as described in respect to Figures 9 and 10.

page_text: And, thirdly, I claim the mode of applying the covering material n as
above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Chatwin, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-three.