Improvements in Buttons or Fasteners for Application to Articles of Dress and to Envelopes or the like for Securing the same.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 13th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Buttons or Fasteners for Application to Articles
of Dress and to Envelopes or the like for Securing the same.
I, RICHARD BRUNO, of 117, Edith Road, West Kensington, in the County of
Middlesex, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
-
The object of my invention is principally to provide a device for use in com-
bination with envelopes, or the like, by which they can be readily secured but
cannot be opened without it becoming apparent that the envelope has been opened.
My invention relates to the class of button or fastening wherein one part has a head
or knob which is forced between springs to secure the parts of the fastening
together. These buttons or fastenings have hitherto been made so that they occupy
a considerable space and therefore are not suitable for securing envelopes or the
like or in other cases where a flat button or fastener is necessary. According to
my invention (which I will describe as applied to an envelope although it is to be
understood that my invention is not limited to that application) I secure to the flap
and to the body part of the envelope the parts of the fastening so that when the
flap is folded down the two parts of the fastening meet. The one part of the fastening
consists of a disc or plate of metal whose edges are turned down over another disc
or plate which is flat and is cut in such a manner that an orifice in it, will yield to.
pressure. A similar orifice is formed in the first named disc or plate. The other
part of the fastening consists of a disc or plate with a projecting knob with a flattened
underside and a rounded top part. The two parts are made so as to occupy by their
thickness as little space as possible. When the parts are pressed together the knob
on the one part enters the holes in the other part and the springy character of the
flat disc or plate which is cut as described allows the rounded side of the knob to
press the spring parts of the plate aside so as to enlarge the hole so that the knob
passes it and then the springy character of the flat disc or plate allows it
to return to its normal position and the flattened side of the knob renders it
impossible to withdraw the one part of the fastening from the other.
Dated 13th day of June 1890.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Buttons or Fasteners for Application to Articles
of Dress and to Envelopes or the like for Securing the same.
I, RICHARD BRUNO, late of 117, Edith Road, West Kensington, now of
21, Wolverton Gardens, Hammersmith, both in the County of Middlesex,
Merchant, 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 :-
The object of my invention is principally to provide a device for use in com-
bination with envelopes, or the like by which they can be readily secured but
cannot be opened without it becoming apparent that the envelope has been opened.
My invention relates to the class of button or fastening wherein one part has a
head or knob which is forced between springs to secure the parts of the fastening

page_text: together. These buttons or fastenings have hitherto been made so that they occupy
a considerable space and therefore are not suitable for securing envelopes or the
like, or in other cases where a flat button or fastener is necessary. According to
my invention (which I will describe as applied to an envelope although it is to be
understood that my invention is not limited to that application) I secure to the flap.
and to the body part of the envelope the parts of the fastening so that when the flap
is folded down the two parts of the fastening meet.
The accompanying drawings represent in
Figure 1 in section one part of a fastening according to my invention.
Figure 2 represents the part 6 separately.
Figure 3 shows the other part of the fastening.
Figure 4 shews the parts of the fastening secured together and
Figure 5 shews an envelope with the parts of the fastening illustrated in Fig. 6
combined therewith,
Figure 6 being a modification of the fastening as hereinafter described.
The one part of the fastening shewn in Figure 1 consists of a disc or plate of
metal a whose edges are turned down over another disc or plate which is flat
and is cut in the manner shewn at 2 and 3 so that an orifice & in it will yield to
pressure.
A similar orifice a' (sufficiently large to allow the head or knob c² to pass) is
formed in the first named disc or plate a. The other part of the fastening
(Figure 3) consists of a disc or plate e with a projecting head or knob c² with a
flattened underside c³ and a rounded top part . The two parts are made so as
to occupy by their thickness as little space as possible. When the parts are pressed
together the head or knob e² on the one part enters the holes a and b in the other
part and the springy character of the flat disc or plate which is cut at 2
described allows the rounded side of the head or knob c² to press the spring parts
of the plate aside so as to enlarge the hole so that the head or knob c² passes it
and then the springy character of the said flat disc or plate allows it to return to
its normal position and the flattened side 3 of the head or knob c² renders it
impossible to withdraw the one part of the fastening from the other.
as
The respective parts of the fastening may be secured to the two articles or two
parts of the same article to be joined in any suitable way-for instance presuming
the one part is to be secured to the flap of an envelope and the other part to the
body of the envelope as shewn in Figure 5 the head or knob c may be passed
through a hole in the envelope and the disc c be secured to the envelope directly
by cement or by cernenting a piece of paper or other material over it and the
surrounding part of the envelope whilst the other part of the fastening may be
secured to the envelope by, for instance, making the plate a with a turned up rim
at a² like an eyelet which can be turned down to pinch the edge of a hole made in
the envelope to receive it as shewn at a³ in Figure 4 where d and e represent the
two parts of the envelope secured by the fastening. Either of the parts may be
secured to the flap and the other part to the body of the envelope. I do not limit
myself to securing the plate 6 in the plate a as described for instance the spring
plate may be under the plate a which may be unperforated as shewn in Figure 6.
The plate a may in this case be held in position by cementing it round the edge to
the envelope or in either arrangement the part of the fastening containing the
plate may be secured by cementing a piece of paper or other material over it and
the surrounding part of the envelope. I have described the fastening as applied
to an envelope but its use is not limited to that application as it may be used for
fastening other articles or parts of articles together.
b
Having 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
1. A fastening consisting of or containing the flat plate and slit as described
and shewn with a head or knob such as c² all made as herein before described.

page_text: 2. In combination with an envelope a fastening made in two parts each formed
as hereinbefore described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
3. The fastenings constructed as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
shewn in the several figures of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of March 1891.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.