Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1888
Specification Accepted, 1st June, 1888
[Communicated from abroad by JOHN COLLINS HUNT, of Concord, Middlesex, State of
Massachusetts, and WILLIAM DAVID SCHIEFER, of Fort Wayne, in the County of
Allen, State of Indiana, both in the United States of America.]
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex 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 especially to a device for removing buttons from shoes and
other articles of wearing apparel. It comprises a case preferably of metal adapted
to hold and contain the removed buttons and having a slot or recess extending
longitudinally upon one side thereof from end to end. The case upon the side
containing the slot or recess preferably is flat and the entrance to each end of the
slot is preferably formed by an enlargement of the slot. There is arranged upon each
side of the slot a guide or ledge which extends inwardly and which serves to hold and
stretch the button from the boot, shoe or other material to which it is attached in
order to present the thread by which it is united to the said boot or shoe or other
material, into position to be severed by the thread cutting instrument or instruments,
which comprise a blade or blades extending across the slot to present one or more
sharpened edges against which the thread is drawn by the movement of the case in
relation to the boot or shoe or other material or vice versa. To prevent the escape of
buttons from the entrance to the slot or recess I prefer to arrange traps to auto-
matically close the same which are adapted to yield only to admit the passage of a
button, and the case also has a hole or passage through which the buttons may be
removed from it, and which is closed by any suitable device.

page_text: Referring to the drawing
Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a device embodying the present invention.
Figure 2 is a view in plan representing a slight modification.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 show another modified form of the invention.
Figures 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 show a further modification of the invention.
A represents the hollow case rounded on its back and made substantially flat on
its operative face. This face is provided with the long slot B extending from end to
end of the case and at each end expanded in width to form the mouths or entrances C.
The end walls of the case are cut out as represented in Figures 1 and 2, plates or
traps D are provided to automatically close the same, each plate or trap being pivoted
to its end wall or between the side walls of the casing and provided with a suitable
spring e to hold the same against or in close proximity to the ribs or flanges E. These
ribs or flanges are formed one upon each side of the slot B and preferably by folding
or turning towards the interior of the case a section of the metal or plate from which
the case or its working face is made, and the flanges are rounded or curved on their
edge from their longitudinal centre towards each opening C, and serve to force or draw
inward the head of the button as the shank thereof is passed through the slot B.
There is also arranged to extend across the slot at a suitable distance from the edges
of the ribs or flanges E a cutting device F which may have one or more cutting edges
and may be in one or more parts and in any suitable shape.
1
In Figure 1 I have represented the cutter as comprising a single blade secured to
the face plate and arranged to extend across the slot B, its point extending into a
shallow recess in the flange upon the opposite side, and both the edges f, f¹ of the
blade are sharpened so that it serves to cut the thread holding the button whichever
way it is presented to it.
In Figure 2 we have represented the use or employment of two cutting blades
arranged to extend across the slot B from opposite sides thereof, and providing two
additional cutting edges.
In Figure 3 the blade is represented as secured in a recess in the front plate formed
from its outer surface, and the traps are represented as spring plates. In Figure 6 1
show a cutter which is circular in shape, and a portion of which extends across the
slot B. This cutter may be free to rotato upon its holding screw, or it may be
fastened to the case in a manner to permit new portions of its cutting edge to be
brought into use as required from time to time. In Figure 7 I show a cutter secured
in a recess in the front plate preferably in the form of a square piece of steel bevelled
and sharpened on its four sides so as to provide four cutting edges any two of which
may be utilized at one time; the said cutter blade is secured in its depression by
means of a screw passing through a perforation therein, and which screws into the
caso, and it is secured in fixed position so as to bear a diagonal relation to the face of
the case see Figure 7.
To remove the buttons from the case I have provided it with a hole g which is
closed by a pivoted slide plate g¹ (see Figures 1, 8 and 10). It may have, however,
another form of opening and cover therefor, and in Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 I have
shown a portion of the end plates as hinged to open outwardly to accomplish the same
purpose.
I would say that it is not essential that the slot have an opening at both ends
through which the button and its thread may be presented to the cutter, although I
prefer this form of construction.
The operation of the device is as follows:-The case is advanced by the user
towards the button to be detached until the button enters a mouth or entrance of the
slot and by a continued movement of the case, the head of the button is drawn
downward or inward by the flanges E causing the thread to be drawn taut and to be
held in a position to be acted upon by the cutting device, which, by the continued
movement of the case, is immediately brought against the same and severs it, the
button falling into the cavity of the case. The head of the button as it is moved
along the flanges or guides E throws the trap or spring plate e inward, which, however

page_text: resumes its normal position after the button passes it and acts to prevent the escape
of buttons from the case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is
First As a device for removing buttons a case having a slot extending across one
face thereof and a cutting device extended across said slot, and which is adapted to
be moved against the thread securing the button to sever the same, substantially as
described.
Second In a device or implement for removing buttons, a button receiving case or
holder, a slot formed in said case or holder having an opening of sufficient size to
receive the head of the button, a device for drawing the button from the material to
which it is secured after it has been inserted in said slot to expose the thread to the
action of the cutter and a cutting device carried by said case for severing the thread,
substantially as described.
Third The combination in a device for removing buttons of the case having a slot
extending across its face provided with enlarged openings, traps or plates for
automatically closing said enlarged openings, flanges extending inward from the edge
of the slot and bevelled towards each opening, and a thread cutting device extended
across said slot, substantially as described.
Fourth In a device for removing buttons, the combination of the case having a
long slot provided with one or more enlarged openings, a spring plate or trap for
closing the said opening, flanges or bearing extensions for the button head extending
inward and adjacent to the slot and having their edges inclined towards the opening
or openings, a thread cutting device extended across the slot, and an opening to the
case for removing buttons therefrom and means for closing the same, substantially as
described.
Fifth The combination of the longitudinally slotted case or holder, and the double
acting or two edged cutter, substantially as described.
Sixth The combination of a hollow casing provided with a slot and a cutter blade
movable to present new or fresh cutting edge or edges in the slot, substantially as
described.
Seventh The combination of the case having the slot in its face plate with a
cutting device comprising two blades extending from opposite sides of the slot across
the same, as and for the purposes, described.
Dated this 30th day of April 1888.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.