A New or Improved Button.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 26th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Button.
I, ALBERT HALL, Manufacturer of 90 Pearl Street Brooklyn, County of Kings,
State of New York, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improvement in that class of buttons that can be
permanently fastened to articles by means other than sewing.
The object of my invention is to provide a button of this kind which is simple in
construction cheap can easily be fastened and held on the garment permanently and
securely.
The invention consists in a button having a face and back a pronged shank for
fastening it in the garment all made of a single piece of sheet metal.
The blank consists of a sheet metal disk provided on its rim with four equidistant
short broad wings from the end of each of which a reduced prong projects.
The central part of the top surface of said blank forms the top or face of the
button the remaining part of the disk being doubled or folded under said central
part so as to form the back of the button from the centre of which back the shank
projects downward. This shank is formed of the four said wings on the aforesaid
blank which four wings when the metal is doubled over are brought in contact at
the corners of their outer ends and side edges triangular spaces being formed
between the side edges of said wings on the under side or back of the button. The
said prongs project downward from the shank.
To fasten the button on a garment or other article the prongs are forced through
the material and then by means of a suitable die the prongs are doubled over
inward so as to pass into the material again. The prongs are thus firmly
and securely clinched on the material and the button is held absolutely firm and
tight.
By using suitable devices the button can be forced through the material and the
prongs bent over and clinched in a single operation.
Heretofore considerable difficulty has been found in producing buttons of this
character which would be serviceable owing to the fact that they had such short (if
any) shanks, indeed if the shauks had any considerable length the metal was
necessarily so stretched in stamping that it was very much weakened. Again the
buttons having such shanks were liable to wobble on and pull through the cloth
or else to push further into the cloth with the result that the latter soon
wore out.
But in the improved button above described the shoulders thereof strike the
cloth where the button is first applied and the prongs are pushed through and the
metal above such shoulders forms a strong shank which curves gradually outward
into the back. The prongs being of reduced size are bent over by a proper
machine with comparative ease yet if such machine exert a too powerful pressure
the size and stiffness of the said wings as well as their contact at their corners will
prevent their being bent.
If desired the top of the button may be left flat or by means of a suitable die it
may be made concave or dished.
The prongs may be made of greater or less length as circumstances may
require.
The advantages of my button are the following:-It is simple in construction
and strong and durable for the reason that it is made of a single piece of metal, it
can be made cheaply as it requires but few operations and no handling of parts, it

page_text: can be attached very rapidly and easily as it consists of only a single piece and
thus requires very little manipulation.
Dated this 29th day of November 1892.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Button.
I, ALBERT HALL, Manufacturer of 90 Pearl Street, Brooklyn, County of Kings,
State of New York, United States of America, 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 to an improvement in that class of buttons that can be
permanently fastened to articles by means other than sewing.
The object of my invention is to provide a button of this kind which is simple in
construction, cheap, can be easily fastened and held on the garment permanently
and securely.
The invention consists in a button having a face and back a pronged shank for
fastening it in the garment all made of a single piece of sheet metal.
In the accompanying drawings :
Fig. 1 is a side view of my improved button.
Fig. 2 is a top view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a bottom view.
Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view.
Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the button fastened on a garment, and
Fig. 6 is a blank of which the button is made.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout.
The blank consists of a sheet metal disk A provided on its rim with four
equidistant short broad wings B from the end of each of which a reduced prong C
projects.
The central part of the top surface of said blank A forms the top or face a of the
button the remaining part of the disk being doubled or folded under said central
part so as to form the back of the button from the centre of which back the
shank D projects downward. This shank is formed of the said four wings B on the
aforesaid blank A. which four wings when the metal is doubled over are brought in
contact at the corners of their outer ends and side edges-triangular spaces E being
formed between the side edges of said wings on the under side or back 6 of the
button. The said prongs C project downward from the shank D.
To fasten the button on a garment or other article the prongs C are forced
through the material F and then by means of a suitable die the prongs C are
doubled over inward so as to pass into the material F again as shown again in
Fig. 5. The prongs are thus firmly and securely clinched on the material and the
button is held absolutely firm and tight.
By using suitable devices the button can be forced through the material and the
prongs C bent over and clinched in a single operation.
Heretofore considerable difficulty has been found in producing buttons of this
character which would be serviceable owing to the fact that they had such short
(if any) shanks; indeed if the shanks had any considerable length the metal was
necessarily so stretched in stamping that it was very much weakened. Again the
buttons having such shanks were liable to wobble on and pull through the cloth or
else to push further into the cloth with the result that the latter soon wore out.
But in the improved button above described the shoulders S thereof strike the cloth
where the button is first applied and the prongs C are pushed through and the

page_text: metal above such shoulders forms a strong shank O which curves gradually outward
into the back b. The prongs b being of reduced size are bent over by a proper
machine with comparative ease yet if such machine exert a too powerful pressure
the size and stiffness of the said wings B as well as their contact at their corners
will prevent their being bent.
If desired the top of the button may be left flat or by means of a suitable die it
may be made concave or dished as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The prongs C may be
made of greater or less length as circumstances may require.
The advantages of my button are the following:
:-
It is simple in construction and strong and durable; for the reason that it is
made of a single piece of metal it can be made cheaply as it requires but few
operations and no haudling of parts; it can be attached very easily and rapidly as
it consists of only a single piece and thus requires very little manipulation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I would remark that I am
aware buttons have heretofore been made with integral prongs but I am not aware
that those prongs have ever projected from broad wings such as described and
illustrated whereby the hereinbefore described advantages are gained and I there-
fore declare that what I claim and claim only is:
1. As an improved article of manufacture the herein described button made of a
single piece of sheet metal, the same comprising a face, a back, consisting of the
underturned extension of the face and of broad wings extending therefrom, a shank
consisting of the down-turned ends of said wings, which wings abut at their
corners and prongs projecting from the ends of the wings, said wings having
shoulders at both sides of the prongs substantially as set forth.
2. A blank for making buttons consisting of a sheet metal disk of greater
diameter than the head of the button to be formed said disk having wings and
prongs projecting from said wings substantially as set forth.
Dated this 26th day of August 1893.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.