IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTONS AND IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF
Year: 1884

page_text: I FRIEDRICH LOUIS NIEDERMEYER of Schönebeck, near Magdeburg in the
Empire of Germany do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTONS AND IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE
THEREOF to be as follows:-
The improved button consists of a covered foundation secured in a cup shaped
back and provided with a shank or tag for attachment to the articles to which the
button is to be applied. The said foundation consists of two discs one flanged over
the other. One disc is formed with a hole through which a flanged sleeve passes.
The shank is secured to a washer within the foundation and consists of a strip of
metal or a piece of wire or is composed of woven or other suitable material. In
some cases the metal shank is passed through the material and through a perforated
washer to secure the button in lieu of sewing. The ends of the wire are looped
and clenched within the foundation or project through the back as preferred. In
one method of securing the shank it is passed through a flanged hole in the washer
and the flanges are pressed down to hold the shank. The foundation is made
ornamental or is covered with cloth or with mother of pearl, tortoise shell or other
material. When the parts are put together the end of the aforesaid sleeve is
expanded by means of a punch to fill a conical hole in the aforesaid cup shaped
back or the sleeve is dispensed with and the looped shank is passed through a
washer and expanded by means of a tool. A tool used for the purpose consists of
two jointed levers one carrying a taper punch to expand the loop of the shank
and the other two sliding dies which are acted upon by springs and yield as the
loop is expanded. In a machine used for securing the parts together, the
foundation with the covering material in place is forced into a cylinder which
turns up the edges of the material. The back is then placed over the said edges
and a forked support passed into position. The cylinder is fitted to slide upon a
piston and being forced down by means of an inclined slot the parts of the button
are pressed together. The cylinder is then placed under a screw punch which
expands the end of the aforesaid sleeve.

page_text: I FRIEDRICH LOUIS NIEDERMEYER of Schönebeck, near Magdeburg in the Empire
of Germany, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BUTTONS AND IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF," 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:
-
The improved button consists of a covered foundation secured in a cup shaped
back and provided with a shank or tag for attachment to the articles to which the
button is to be applied. The said foundation consists of two discs one flanged over
the other. One disc is formed with a hole through which a flanged sleeve passes.
The shank is secured to a washer within the foundation and consists of a strip of
metal or a piece of wire or is composed of woven or other suitable material. In
some cases the metal shank is passed through the material and through a perforated
washer to secure the button in lieu of sewing. The ends of the wire are looped
and clenched within the foundation or project through the back as preferred. In
one method of securing the shank it is passed through a flanged hole in the washer
and the flanges are pressed down to hold the shank. The foundation is made
ornamental or is covered with cloth or with mother of pearl, tortoise shell or other
material. When the parts are put together, the end of the aforesaid sleeve is
expanded by means of a punch to fill a conical hole in the aforesaid cup shaped
back or the sleeve is dispensed with and the looped shank is passed through a
washer and expanded by means of a tool. For this purpose and for securing the
parts together the special tools hereinafter described may be used.
In order that my said Invention may be properly understood I will now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, reference being had to the annexed sheet of
drawings.
The connection of the parts composing the improved button may be effected in
two different manners, the first method being illustrated by Figs: 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8,
and the second by Fig: 9 of the drawings.
:
Fig 1. shews a cross section and plan view of the aforesaid cup formed back
a. having in the centre an opening b. corresponding in diameter with the sleeve c.
shown in Fig 2ª. This sleeve is formed at one end with a flange whereby it is
held between the two parts h and f. as shown in Fig: 2. To furnish means for
attachment of the button to the garment or material I provide a bent wire or eye g.
as shown in Fig: 3. or a staple g² and washer l. as shown in Figs: 4. 40 and 8. or
a cloth tag gas shown in Fig: 5. The eye g. and the tag g' are used when the
button is to be sewn on; the said staple and washer when the button is to be
secured by clenching. To fix the eye g. I punch an opening in the disc h Fig: 6.
allowing the "rag" to remain as seen in Fig 6. The eye g. is then introduced
and the said "rag" bent back again as seen in Fig: 6b whereby the eye g. is
firmly held. As seen in Figs: 2 and 3. the disc h. lies between the parts & and f
so that the eye g. is surrounded by the sleeve c. above which it slightly projects as
shown. In applying the staple shown in Figs: 4 and 8 the staple may either
be thrust through the holes in the diso h. leaving the clenching ends projecting as
shown in Fig: 4. or this application may be inverted as in Fig: 8. and the free
ends of the staple be clenched over the disc h. as shown. When a cloth tag g' is
employed as seen at Fig: 5. the cloth to form the tag is folded over a disc i which
is held between the parts d and f. the whole being secured by the clenching of the
sleeve c The herein before described second part or foundation may be provided
with any suitable covering of cloth or other material and be secured to the cup
formed back by the means shown at Fig: 7. When the parts are put together the

page_text: sleeve c. projects through and slightly above the opening b. The button is then
laid on its face on the bed block k. and a punch 8. is used to clench or rivet the
edges of the sleeve c. over the edge of the opening b. The opening b. may be made
straight or conical in formation. The completed button is shown in section at
Fig: 3. The attachment of buttons by means of the staple and washer shown at
Figs: 4 and 8 will be easily understood. In Fig: 4. the free ends of the staple g'
are thrust through the material and through the two holes in the disc l. over
which the said ends are then clenched. In Fig 8. the loop end of the staple glis
thrust through the material and through a hole in the disc and clenched as
shown.
Fig: 9. shows the aforesaid second method of connecting the parts of the button.
The bent wire g' is held between the parts d and f. as shown so that when the
covered upper part is placed in the cup formed back the said bent wire projects.
through, as shown in dotted lines. A disc m is then placed over the bent wire and
the wire is bent into an eye as shown whereby the parts of the button are held
firmly together. To form the bent end of the wire ginto this eye I use the tongs
shown in Figs: 10 to 12. of the drawings. One of the members z of the said tongs
is forked and carries two movable slides n. n¹ which are forced towards and against
each other by the springs y. y. An U shaped notch is formed between the slides
and to the front as shown in Fig: 12 so as to permit of the entrance of the point of
the punch p. The double end of the wire g seen at Fig: 9. is laid upon the
Blides n. n and over the U shaped notch so that when the tongs are closed the
punch p. expands the wire into an eye at the same time causing the slides n. n' to
recede from each other continuing however as they recede to support the eye in the
course of formation. Fig: 10 is a plau view showing the position of the slides on
the completion of the eye.
The apparatus for covering the foundation of the button and for uniting the
parts together is partly represented by Figs: 14 and 15. Fig: 14 being a side
elevation and plan and Fig: 15 a partial section. A sole G. carries a boss 7. which,
fits a sleeve M. A pin or stud t. projects from the boss r. the said stud fitting a
spiral slit 8. formed in the shell of the sleeve M. The bore of the sleeve M. is
slightly enlarged at the upper part and holes are provided to admit the ends of the
wire staple D. shown in Fig: 14 In using this apparatus to cover the foundation
of a button with cloth the wire D. is withdrawn and a disc u. of cloth of the
requisite size is laid concentrically upon the upper edge of the sleeve which is
supported by the stud t. as shown in Fig: 15. The foundation o. of the button is
then laid on the cloth disc u. and both are thrust by the hollow punch E into the
enlarged portion of the bore of the sleeve M, as seen in Fig: 16. whereby the over-
lapping edge of the cloth disc is turned upwards. The foundation o. and the cloth
disc u are then driven or pressed down the contracted bore of the sleeve until they
rest on the top of the boss r. as shewn in Fig: 17 and whereby the cloth covering u.
is drawn tight over the face of the foundation o. The cupped back w. is then placed
in the enlarged upper part of the sleeve M. and the wire D. is put through the
holes in the sleeve so as to bar the return of the part w.
The sleeve M. is now
turned until the opening & comes opposite to the stud t. and allows the stud to
enter the spiral slot a. The lengths of the entrance slot 8¹ of the boss r. and of the
contracted bore of the sleeve are so proportioned to one another as that when the
sleeve has been pressed down into the position shown in Fig: 18 the small sleeve
of the button will project through and slightly beyond the cupped back w. The
sleeve M and the boss r. are then turned against each other so as to cause the
stud t. to mount in the spiral formed slit 8. whereby the united parts composing
the button are firmly pressed together against the wire D. In this condition the
apparatus is placed beneath the screw spindle of the press shown at Fig: 19. and
the punch being caused to descend, clenches the projecting edge of the small sleeve
over the edge of the hole in the cupped back w. so as to effect a firm and secure
union of the foundation, cover and back of the button, The punch is then raised
and the finished button removed,
'

page_text: Fig: 20 shows a simple form of apparatus for use in cases where it is considered
desirable to secure the covering material to the foundation by means of sewing.
The cloth disc.u and the foundation o. are pressed into the recessed upper part of
the cylinder M¹ and the sewing is effected through the holes l. the plan view
Fig: 20 showing the manipulation of the needle. When the sewing is completed
the unfinished button can be knocked out of the cylinder by means of a pin
introduced through the hole m' and the cupped back be afterwards attached in
the manner described with reference to the foregoing figures.
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. In buttons composed of two parts the construction of the upper portion
consisting of two parts d. and f. between which is retained a flanged sleeve c.
which surrounds an attachment which may consist of a wire g. a clenching staple gl
or g² or a tag g³ substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
2. Securing together the two parts composing the button by means of a sleeve c.
the edge of which is pressed outwards or clenched over the edge of the opening b.
in the cup shaped back substantially as described and shown.
3. The construction of button shown in Fig: 9 having a foundation consisting
of two parts d and f. between which the attaching wire g is held and the method
of firmly uniting the two parts of the button by forming the projecting part of
the attaching wire into an eye substantially as described and shewn.
4. The construction of tongs for forming the attaching eye substantially as
described and shewn in Figs. 10 to 12 of the drawings.
5. The described apparatus for covering the foundation with cloth and for uniting
the two parts composing the button consisting of a boss r. with a stud t. in
combination with a sleeve M. having a spirally formed slot and an enlarged
upper part together with the staple formed wire D. substantially as described and
shown.
Dated this 21st day of November 1881.