Improvements in Machinery for Making Buttons.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Machinery for Making Buttons.
I JOHN MARK CARLYLE of Portland Street Aston Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Manufacturer 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:-
This invention has for its object improvements in machinery for making buttons
and has particular reference to forming and finishing the faces of buttons from discs
which have already been prepared by a previous machine such for instance as the
one set forth in the specification of my previous patent N° 14673 A.D. 1885.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practice I have appended hereunto a sheet of drawings upon which is
illustrated a machine by the help of which I shall be able to inake known the
nature of my improvements and some of the various, means which may be used in
giving effect thereto.
Figure is a side elevation of the machine with its bed C broken through
because I do not tie myself to any particular distance between the two ends or to
any particular length of cutting tool which would of course be placed in the
holder A of the Headstock B but to this I lay no claim.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same machine showing the various parts in the same
position as in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through the slide D showing its
internal parts.
Figure 4 is an end view of the jaws E which holds the disc or button from which
the button is to be formed by the cutter which revolves with the cutter or tool
holder A.
The disc from which the button is to be made is placed in the recess c¹ of the
jaws E and the hand wheel F is turned which operates the right and left hand
screw of its spindle so as to both lift the bottom jaw E and depress the upper
jaw E in order that the disc may be held quite central with the horrizontal axis of
the spindle of the headstock B. There is however provision for the vertical centre
of this jaw E to be moved horrizontally either to the right or left by means of the
adjusting screw H and moveable blocks K which are shown by dotted lines. In
the modification shown the jaw E is pivoted at M. Figure 3 and is opened by the
operation of the spring bow N and this I have found to work quite satisfactorily as

page_text: facility is afforded for changing the jaws E to suit the various sized discs or buttons
but I do not confine myself to this particular kind of jaw as there may be more
than two and they may be operated without running through to the back end by
being fast to the front end of a solid slide D. I do not bind myself to operate the
jaws by a hand screw for I find it convenient and a considerable saving in labour
to attach a foot motion to the jaws such as that shown by the dotted lines where
P is a wheel carrying two grooves with one chain passed round to the left and the
other to the right and also passed through the guide wheels p¹ and p³ from whence
they hang down and finish the one with a weight W and the other with a foot
loop S and I may either use the weight or the foot to close the jaws but I prefer
the weight because I can vary it for different sized discs so as to give a constant and
proportionate pressure the foot would then only open the jaws. It will be obvious
that I may fix a lever and waist or breast rest by which the operator may open or
close the jaws and the weight may be replaced by a spring. When the disc is
secured in the jaws, and the cutter is revolved upon the spindle of the head stock
I bring the disc forward by a movement of the hand Lever R upon its centre r¹ in
the direction of the arrow and the tail of the lever is pivoted at with a connecting
rod T in such a manner that the slide is brought up very rapidly during the first
part of the movement of R but during the latter part when the centre has been
brought round to the front the motion is very slow and this is regulated to be so
just as the disc comes against the cutter but a crank or cam may be used to bring
the slide up. It will of course be obvious that I can only operate upon one side of
the disc at once but by using two machines or turning the button in the same
machine I form both faces of the disc into a button. It will also be clearly
understood that by holding the button true to the horrizontal axis of the cutter and
by moving it either to the right hand or left by the screw H I am able to put a
variety of patterns upon the face of such buttons. The adjustable stop prevents
the slide D being carried too far and thus regulates the ultimate thickness of the
button.
The wire o fixed under the nut and being between the top and bottom jaws E
always ensures the disc or button being brought out of the jaws and thus prevents
what would otherwise be considerable waste of time as they very often stick after
pressure.
The pattern and shape of buttons already made may be modified in this general
machine.
Having therefore now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is
First. In machinery for manufacturing buttons the moveable jaws E operated
substantially as herein set forth.
Second. In machinery for manufacturing buttons the moveable jaws E in
combination with the lever R for bringing the material or button gradually
against the work and of the extracting rod o substantially as herein set forth.
Third. The machinery substantially as herein set forth for forming and
ornamenting the faces of buttons.