AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COVERED BUTTONS AND COVERED ORNAMENTS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Aston, of Birmingham, and John Brant, of the
same Place, Button Makers, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF COVERED BUTTONS AND COVERED ORNAMENTS."
'
Sealed the 20th February 1857, and dated the 8th December 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Aston and John Brant,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the
8th December 1856.
We, JOHN ASTON, of Birmingham, and JOHN BRANT, of the same Place,
Button Makers, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COVERED BUTTONS AND COVERED ORNAMENTS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in the manufacture of
covered buttons and covered ornaments. For this purpose the front metal
shell has the central part removed, and the edges around such opening are
raised, in order to become or act as a frame to receive and to have fixed
therein a central ornament, which may be covered, or plain, or embossed, or
such ornament may be of pearl, shell, or of glass, or of metal, or of any suitable
material. In making up a covered button or covered ornament, when using
a shell such as above explained, by dies and pressure, it is not necessary to
remove or puncture the central part of the disc of fabric which covers the

page_text: front of the button or ornament. The interior and back of a covered button
or a covered ornament are produced similarly to the means heretofore used
in making the interiors and backs of covered buttons and covered ornaments.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Aston and John Brant, in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 8th June 1857..
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
ASTON, of Birmingham, and JOHN BRANT, of the same Place, Button Makers,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John Aston and John Brant, Her special licence that we, the said John Aston
and John Brant, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said John Aston and John Brant, our executors, administrators, and
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
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COVERED BUTTONS AND COVERED
ORNAMENTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Aston
and John Brant, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us
or them, 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 Aston, on behalf of myself and
John Brant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in the manufacture of
covered buttons and covered ornaments. For this purpose the front metal
shell has the central part removed, and the edges around such opening are
raised, in order to become or act as a frame to receive and to have fixed

page_text: therein a central ornament, which may be covered, or plain, or embossed,
or such ornament may be of pearl, shell, or of glass, or of metal, or of any
suitable material. In making up a covered button or covered ornament,
when using a shell such as above explained by dies and pressure, it is not
necessary to remove or puncture the central part of the disc of fabric which
covers the front of the button or ornament. The interior and back of a
covered button or a covered ornament are produced similarly to the means
heretofore used in making the interiors and backs of covered buttons and
covered ornaments.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention, we will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews a plan and sectional view of the disc of metal froni which
the front metal shell is produced, and this Figure also shews the front shell
in progress of being formed, and the finished front shell; a being the metal
disc; a', the disc when raised at its edges by suitable tools, as is well under-
stood; a is the raised disc a' when it has been perforated in the centre by
suitable perforating tools, as is well understood; and a³ is the complete shell
when the edge around central opening has been raised by suitable tools, which
will readily be formed by a tool maker.
Figure 2 shows a plan and sectional view of the disc of metal used for
making the back shell of a covered button or covered ornament when no
protruding shank is used, but if it bo desired to have a protruding shank then
the same will be produced and applied as heretofore, and as is well understood.
This Figure also shews the disc raised and formed in suitable tools, as is
well understood, into a back metal shell 6, suitable for forming the back of
a button or a covered ornament for a garment.
Figure 3 shows plan and sectional view of a disc of strong fabric c
suitable for the back of a covered button or covered ornament; and Figure
4 shows a disc of fabric d, suitable for covering the front of a button or
ornament for a garment; and it may be stated that by this mode of making
covered buttons and covered ornaments it is not necessary to perforate the
front covering fabric, the central portion thereof in making up a covered
button or covered ornament passing behind the central part, which is fixed
in the perforated and raised centre of the front shell, as hereafter explained.
Figures 5 and. 6 show two ornamental centres, the one Figure 5 being a
covered shell or of embossed paper, the other Figure 6 being of glass, of
china, or of other solid substance; and we would state that the central

page_text: ornament to be applied according to our Invention may be of any suitable
material; and we would state that we make no claim to the application of
a central ornament to the front surface of a covered button or of a covered
ornament to be attached to a garment, such not being generally new. And
we would further state that the peculiarity of our Invention consists in
making the front shell with a central opening or projecting frame, suitable
for receiving the ornamental centre, such central opening or projecting frame
holding the central ornament by being pressed or closed down on the cir-
cumference of the central ornamenting material.
Figure 7 shows a front view and edge view of a finished covered button
or covered ornament made according to our Invention. The form and
character of covered buttons and covered ornaments made according to our
Invention may, however, be greatly varied, depending on the taste of the
maker, on the form of the shells used, and on the materials employed for
covering, and for the central ornamental parts of the covered buttons or
covered ornaments for garments.
Figure 8 shows a front view, a section, and a back view of the covering
material after it has been fixed on the front shell and the ornamental central
part have been fixed together. In this state the covering disc and the parts
are in the proper condition to be made into a covered button or covered
ornament in suitable dies, as is well understood in making up ordinary
covered buttons or covered ornaments for garments.
The parts shown in Figure 8 are brought together in the following manner,
and by means of the tools which we will now proceed to describe, we would,
however, remark that the form and arrangement of tools may be varied, but
we believe they will be found to be those which are most suited for carrying
out our Invention.
Figure 9 shows a plan, a vertical section, and a side view of the lower
tool, the nature of which is clearly shown in the Drawing; and it will be seen
that the upper surface of the stem e is hollow, and sunk suitably to receive
the particular form of central ornament which is to be fixed in the central
opening or frame formed to the front shell.
Figure 10 shows a plan, an under side view, and a section of the tool f
which is placed on the stem e of the lower tool.
Figure 11 shows a plan, an under side view, and a section of the tool g,
which is placed on the tool f.
Figure 12 shows a vertical section of the tools e, f, g, and punch h, which
are used in combining the parts shewn at Figure 8, and the parts are brought
together as follows:-The toolf being on the stem of the tool e and supported

page_text: by the spring i, the central ornament is first placed in the hollow or recess
at the top of the stem e; the disc of front covering material is next placed
in the tool g, which is then placed on the tool f; the front shell is then placed
on the covering material, and the punch is to be caused to descend, when
the several tools and parts will be caused to assume the positions shown in
Figure 18, which represents a vertical section, and of the tools and parts of
a button or ornament immediately after the descent of the punch h.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, we would have it understood that we do not confine
ourselves to the details herein described, so long as the peculiar nature of
our Invention be retained; but what we claim is the mode herein described
of fixing central ornamental parts to covered buttons and covered ornaments
for garments.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Aston, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
JOHN ASTON. (L.S.)