Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 6th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 10th Feb., 1888
I EMIL BRILL of the firm of Gebrüder Brill of Barmen Rhenish Prussia in the
Empire of Germany Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
:-
My said Invention relates to buttons having a metal backing and a facing of
cloth or other material such as bone, pebble, mother-of-pearl, horn or other suitable
substance. According to my invention the said metallic backing is made in such
a manner as to clip hold of, embrace or engage with the front part of the button
the component parts of the button being thus held firmly together. For example
in making a flat button according to my invention, the metallic backing, which is
made preferably of thin sheet metal, is serrated or nicked round the circumference.
In the case of a button having a cloth facing a disc of cloth of the proper size is
laid on the backing and the serrations are bent up and over the margin of the cloth.
The backing is preferably formed with a sunk groove near the circumference into
which the teeth draw the cloth and stretch it so that the cloth facing is flat and taut
upon the button. Holes for sewing on the button are made through the backing
and cloth, the rag produced in punching the hole being clenched over the cloth in
front. By a modification in producing a more expensive class of button the
backing is curved behind and a metallic plate or disc, similarly curved but towards
the front of the button is laid on the backing. The cloth disc is then laid on this
curved face and a ring on the margin of the cloth disc. The serrated edge of the
metallic backing is then bent over this ring so as to press the ring upon the cloth
which is thus held firmly in position. In a button of this latter class the eye by
which the button is attached is, punched or pressed out of the backing. A
button having a curved or dome shaped cloth covered face may also be made by
cupping the back plate the serrated circumference being folded over so as to catch
and hold the cloth facing. An eye for attaching the button may be secured to the
cupped backing by punching clips in the crown of the dome which clips fold over a
disc formed at the end of the shank of the eye, the eye projecting clear of the cup so
as to be readily handled. In buttons having facings of material other than cloth, the

page_text: bone or other facing is set in the backing and the edge folded over the circumference
of the facing which is thereby securely held. Instead of folding the serrations in the
backing over the edge of the facing as described the said serrations may be caused to
engage with the cloth facing at the back of the button, thus drawing the cloth tight
over the metallic facing disc, or to render the connection still more secure the said
metallic facing disc may have a series of eyes pressed out near its circumference the
serrations engaging with the said eyes and also with the cloth facing. By a
modification the said serrations might be pressed into a groove in a ring attached to
or forming part of the facing plate, the serrations engaging at the same time with the
cloth facing and drawing it tight over the face of the button.
Dated this 7th day of March 1887.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.
I EMIL BRILL of the firm of Gebrüder Brill of Barmen, Rhenish Prussia, in the
Empire of Germany, manufacturers 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 and accompanying drawings:
:-
My said Invention relates to buttons having a metal backing and a facing of cloth
or other material such as bone, pebble, glass, mother-of-pearl, wood, horn, or other
suitable substances or products. According to my invention the metallic backing is
fashioned in such a manner as to be capable of being caused to clip hold of, embrace
or engage with the front part and facing of the button, the various parts of the button
being thus held firmly together.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I will now
proceed more particularly to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
sheet of drawings.
Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a simple form of my improved button in course of
manufacture. Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the button in
its finished condition. As will be seen from these figures the button is composed of
two parts viz. the backing p of thin sheet metal and the facing of cloth. The
backing consists of a circular disc, the outer periphery of which is serrated or
notched as in Fig. 1. At the root of these serrations is a dished groove marked a.
In the course of manufacture the cloth facing is laid on the backing i and the
serrations are bent, pressed, or turned downward so as to nip the cloth i at the edge
and draw it into the dished groove a, the cloth being stretched and held tightly by

page_text: this operation. Holes d d for sewing on the button are formed by punching the
metallic backing, the rag produced in punching the metal being folded over the
cloth facing as in Fig. 3 thus providing an additional holdfast for the cloth.
Figs. 4, 5, and 6 illustrate the manufacture of a more elaborate class of button.
In this instance I first produce the metallic backing p shown at Fig. 4 which is
curved behind. The periphery is serrated as in the former instance and out of the
curved or bulged portion I fashion the eye whereby the button is sewn on.
This
eye is stamped or pressed out of the metal of the bulged portion, part of it being
flattened as at pp' so as to allow a free way o through the eye 1. The remaining
parts of the button appear at Fig. 5 and consist of a second plate s curved similarly
to the backing p but in a contrary direction and which is laid on the backing. I then
place the cloth facing i on this second plate and cover the margin by a ring r which
in the present instance is of an inverted Ushape. I then bend, hammer or press the
serrations of the plate pover the ring binding the whole together and thus
completing the button. The plan view Fig. 6 shows the back of the completed
button.
Figs. 7, 8, and 9 show another form of button in which the backing p is pressed
or bulged upward so as to form a dome as seen at Fig. 7 and in plan at Fig. 8. The
outer edge of the backing is serrated as before and clips are punched or pressed out
of the crown of the dome, the use of the said clips being to lay hold of the foot m of
the shank of an eye o' by means of which the button is sewn on. The eye o' and
the method of attaching it by the clips is clearly seen at Fig. 9. The cloth facing i
is drawn tightly over the dome by means of the teeth or serrations which are bent
inward as shown at Fig. 9 so as to nip and hold the cloth facing firmly.
Fig. 10 is a sectional view of a button having a facing s¹ of bone, wood, mother-
of-pearl or other material or substance. The teeth or serrations of the backing p are
bent over the edge of the facing s which has preferably a circular periphery as
shown, so as to afford a better catch for the teeth. The eye for sewing on the
button is fashioned in the manner described with reference to Figs. 4, 5, and 6.
The remaining figures 11 to 19 refer to the manufacture of buttons in which
the cloth facing is drawn over the periphery of the plate s which is placed on the
backing p, an uninterrupted facing of cloth being thus presented. In manufacturing
this form of button I first produce the sheet metal backing p with serrated rim as
at Fig. 11. Fig. 12 is a section of the backing p, curved downward and having
an eye for sewing on the button. Fig. 13 shows a disc s for placing beneath the
cloth facing i When the button is being put together the cloth i is drawn over
the discs and the serrated backing p is applied beneath as in the lower sectional
view Fig. 13. When the parts have been pressed together as in Fig. 14 the button
is complete. The act of pressing the parts together causes the cloth to be drawn
tightly over the face of the discs. To increase the security of the hold still further
I might press a series of eyes or catches out of the metal of the discs as shown at
Fig. 15 and pass the clenching teeth or serrations through the said catches as shown
clearly at Figs. 16 and 17. The backing p the cloth and the discs are in this
instance more firmly bound together than in the former case. In Fig. 18 a dished
plate is placed over a ring having a curved collar and is secured thereto by
folding the dished margin of the plate s over the periphery of the ring. The
cloth facing i is now placed over the discs and the margin turned inward beneath.
The serrated backing is then applied, the teeth penetrating the cloth and becoming
secured in the grooved collar so as to hold all of the parts of the button together
as shown in the sectional view Fig. 19. The means for securing the button to the
garment have been already particularised in referring to foregoing figures.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is -
(1.) The general arrangement and construction of the improved forms of buttons
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.

page_text: (2.) The improved button composed of a backing p of sheet metal having teeth
or serrations at its periphery in combination with a facing i of cloth stretched and
held in position by means of the said serrations in the manner and substantially
as described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
(3.) A button composed of a backing p of sheet metal having teeth or serrations
and formed with an eye in combination with a disc s, cloth facing i and ring r
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6.
(4.) The improved button composed of a metallic backing P with serrated
periphery and carrying an eye o₁ attached by means of punched clips in combi-
nation with a cloth covering i, the parts being arranged combined and secured
together substantially as herein before described and shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9.
(5.) The improved button shown at Fig. 10.
(6.) The construction of button illustrated in Figs. 11 to 17 consisting of
metallic backing p with serrated periphery in combination with the disc s either
with or without catches and cloth facing i substantially as described and shown.
(7.) The construction of button hereinbefore described and illustrated with
reference to Figs. 18 and 19 of the drawings.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.