IN BUTTONS, AND IN ATTACHING; BUTTONS TO GARMENTS OR FABRICS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Augustus Huddart, of Brynkir, in the
"IMPROVEMENTS
County of Carnarvon, Gentleman, for the Invention of
IN BUTTONS, AND IN ATTACHING; BUTTONS TO GARMENTS OR FABRICS,"
Sealed the 20th April, 1866, and dated the 25th October, 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Augustus Huddart
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th October, 1865.
I, GEORGE AUGUSTUS HUDDART, of Brynkir, in the County of Carnarvon,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN BUTTONS, AND IN ATTACHING BUTTONS TO GARMENTS OR FABRICS," to be
as follows:
This Invention relates, firstly, to an improvement in the manufacture of the
class of button which admits of being attached to a garment by the simple
application of pressure, the object being to ensure the expansion of the shank
under a moderate pressure and without marking the face of the button;
secondly, to an improvement in the mode of attaching this class of buttons to
fabrics, whereby the tendency of the button to tear the fabric will be avoided.
In manufacturing metal buttons and cloth or covered buttons according to
this Invention I insert a small disc or stud within the shell of the button,
which shell is composed of two circular pieces of thin sheet metal connected
together by the face piece overlapping the edge of the back piece. The stud
I form out of thick sheet metal by a stamping press, which, while stamping

page_text: out a disc, throws up the centre in the form of a hollow cone. The back plate
of the shell is stamped with a central hollow pierced boss, which forms a
recess for the loose stud and receives the hollow end of the shank of the
button, which shank is intended to expand under pressure applied to the
button when put together to attach the same to a garment. It is to facilitate
or rather ensure the expansion of the hollow end of this shank that the loose
conical stud is employed. The pressure of the inserted end of the shank is
taken by the conical stud which causes its hollow end to spread within the
shell of the button, and thus attach the fabric firmly to the button.
My improvement in the mode of attaching buttons of this class to fabrics is
as follows: I first insert in the fabric, at the spot where the button is required
to be fixed, an eyelet, applying it in the usual way, and in the eyelet so
applied I insert the shank of the button and secure it to the shell in the way
above described. In this case a somewhat longer shank will be required to
allow of a greater thickness of material lying between the head of the shank
and the back of the shell.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Augustus Huddart in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th April, 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
AUGUSTUS HUDDART, of Brynkir, in the County of Carnarvon, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Augustus Huddart, Her special licence that I, the said George
Augustus Huddart, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George Augustus Huddart, my 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTONS, AND IN ATTACHING BUTTONS TO GARMENTS OR
FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Augustus
Huddart, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under

page_text: my, or their, or one 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 is 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 George Augustus Huddart, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates, firstly, to an improvement in the manufacture of the
class of button which admits of being attached to a garment by the simple
application of pressure, the object being to ensure the expansion of the shank
under a moderate pressure and without marking the face of the button;
secondly, to an improvement in the mode of attaching this class of buttons to
fabrics whereby the tendency of the button to tear the fabric will be avoided.
In the accompanying Drawing Figures 1, 2, and 3 shew, on an enlarged
scale, a cloth or covered button manufactured according to this Invention,
Fig. 1 being a plan of the inner face of the button without the shank; Fig. 2
a cross section with the shank placed for application, and Fig. 3 a cross
section shewing the button attached to the fabric. The shell of the button is
composed of two circular pieces of thin sheet metal a, b, connected together
by the face piece overlapping the edge of the back piece, and the face piece is
covered by a disc of cloth c, the edge of which is lapped in between the pieces
of sheet metal. Within this shell I insert a small stud d, which I form out of
thick sheet metal by a stamping press, and which, while stamping out a disc,
throws up the centre in the form of a hollow cone. The back plate 6 of the
shell is stamped with a central hollow pierced boss 6', which forms a recess
for the loose stud d, and is intended to receive the hollow end of the shank e
of the button. This shank I form of soft brass or copper by means of a die
and plunger, by which I strike up a head that will serve to nip the cloth
between it and the shell of the button, and I hollow the inner end of the
shank like those of my former Patents in order that it may expand under
pressure applied to the button when the shank is inserted in the shell for the
purpose of attaching the same to a garment. It is to facilitate the expansion,
or rather to ensure the proper expansion of the hollow end of this shank that
the loose conical stud d is employed. The pressure of the inserted end of the
shank is taken by the conical stud, the apex of which entering its hollow end
causes that end of the shank to spread within the shell of the button, and

page_text: thus, while ensuring its own permanent connection to the shell attaching the
fabric firmly to the button.
My improvement in the mode of attaching buttons of this class to fabrics
consists in inserting the loose shank in an eyelet previously attached to the
fabric at the spot where the button is required to be fixed. The eyelet is
applied in the usual way, as shewn in section at Fig. 4, and any construction
of button of the class above indicated may be used in connection with the
applied eyelet. Thus the covered button above described may be used with
the eyelet; but for simplicity of illustration I have shewn this part of my
Invention applied in connection with a solid metal and a pearl button at
Figs. 5 and 6. The shank of the button, Fig. 5, is not loose, but is in one
piece with the button, and when inserted in the eyelet a head is formed by
pressing the end of the shank into a hollow mould. In the case of the pearl
button, the shank passes through the pearl and is formed with a retaining
head. The shank being inserted into the attached eyelet is subjected to
pressure, which will convert it from its original dotted form to a spread or
rounded head, as shewn. In these cases a somewhat longer shank will be
required to allow of a greater thickness of material lying between the head of
the shank and the back of the shell than when the eyelet is not employed.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of improvements in
buttons, and in attaching buttons to garments or fabrics, and explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that
under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
First, the means above described for facilitating the expansion of the shank
under pressure.
Secondly, the means above described for removing the tendency which
buttons attached to fabrics by pressure have to tear those fabrics.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Augustus Huddart, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
GEO. A. HUDDART. (L.S.)