AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING STUDS OR SHANK-BUTTONS MOTHER OF PEARL
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
IN
I, ERNEST DE PASS, of 68 Fleet Street, in the City of London, Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING STUDS OR SHANK-BUTTONS
MOTHER OF PEARL, communicated to me from abroad by La Société May frères et
Compagnio, of 1 Boulevard Saint-Denis, Paris, France, Manufacturers, to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to a machine for manufacturing studs or shank-buttons
of mother of pearl by means of the grinding action of sandstone, sand, or other
suitable material which is directed upon two smooth cast iron discs presenting in
section the counterpart of the shape of the button.
The block of mother of pearl, cut to the required size, is ground between the
two cast iron discs which, by gradually approaching each other tightly hold the
button by sustaining an equal pressure on its two sides. The discs revolvo rapidly,
and very quickly grind or wear away the block to be worked and impart to it the
desired form of the stud or button.
This improved machine consists of a mandril for carrying the block, from which
the stud or button is to be made, and this mandril is fixed to a puppet head of an
ordinary lathe. This mandril, furnished with the block or blank, is placed in the
centre of the machine and on a level with the two discs whose section is so shaped
as to give to the stud or button the required form; these discs, driven by suitable
gearing, are brought together to hold the block and to commence their action, or
are removed from the mandril on the button being completed, by means of two
articulated levers and a cam set in motion by a weighted lever. These two jointed
levers are moveable on their axis of articulation which is fixed to the framework
of the machine.
The grinding discs are mounted on carriages supported on a frame work carried
by the jointed levers, and screws regulate the position of these carriages, according
to the size of the disco

page_text: To bring together the two discs and to commence the work a hand lever is
disengaged from its hook; it is then lowered by its counterweight and by this
movement causes the cam to turn, which, by forcing the lower arms of the jointed
levers to separate, draw together their upper ends and bring the discs into an
almost tangential position. On the stud or button being completed, the lever is
raised and is again held by its hook, and the cam no longer acting on the levers,
these latter are restored to their normal position by a spring.
To keep the driving belt tight on the pulleys, whatever be the position they
may occupy, owing to the approach or separation of the discs, whose motion the
pulleys follow, a counterweighted tightener is provided for this purpose.
A suitably mounted lever fixed at one of its ends to a ring brings the ring of
the mandril towards its conical end and consequently clamps it more or less
according to the requirements.

page_text: I, ERNEST DE PASS, of 68 Fleet Street, in the City of London, Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING STUDS, OR SHANK-BUTTONS, IN
MOTHER-OF-PEARL, communicated to me from abroad by La Société May frères et
Compagnie, of 1, Boulevard Saint-Denis, Paris, France, Manufacturers, and in what'
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
This invention relates to a machine for manufacturing studs or shank-buttons, of
mother of pearl, by means of the grinding action of sandstone or sand, or other:
suitable material, which is directed upon two smooth_cast iron discs presenting, in
section, the counter part of the shape of the button.
The block or blank of mother-of-pearl, cut to the required size, is ground
between the two cast iron discs which, gradually approaching each other, tightly
hold the button, which sustains an equal pressure on its two sides. The discs
revolve very rapidly and grind or wear away the block to be worked, and impart
to it the desired form of the stud or button.
The working of the button, which requires a very skilful operative and costly
hand labour, can, by this machine, be oxecuted rapidly and at a trifling cost.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings,
Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a front elevation and a plan of the machine
constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged view shewing the circular cutters used in the manufacture
of the stud or button.
Fig. 4 shews the block or blank from which the stud or button is to be
made, and
Fig. 5 shews the finished stud or button.
a, is a chuck for holding the block or blank from which the stud or button is to
be made; this chuck a, is fixed to the headstock of an ordinary lathe.
The chuck a, furnished with the block or blank 61, is placed in the centre of the
machine, and on a level with the two discs c, c, which are so shaped as to give to
the stud or button the required form. These discs, driven by suitable gearing, are
brought together to hold the block or blank and to commence their action, or are
removed from the chuck on the stud or button being completed, by means of two
jointed levers d, d, and a cam f, set in motion by a weighted lever g. These two
jointed levers d, d, are moveable on their joint pin p, fixed to the frame o.
The screws i, i, serve to regulate, according to the dimensions of the discs c, the
position on the frame of the carriages j, carrying the said discs, which carriages are
supported by the levers d.
The pullies m, m³, m¹¹, communicate to the discs c, the rotary motion transmitted
to them by the driving pulley n.

page_text: In order to bring together the two discs o, c, and commence the working of the
button, the lever g, is disengaged from its retaining hook q; it is then drawn down
by its counterweight h, and by this movement causes the cam f, to turn, which,
by forcing the two lower arms of the jointed levers d, d to draw apart, bring
together their upper ends and place the discs c in an almost tangential position.
Upon the completion of the stud or button the lever g, is raised and again
retained by the hook q, the cam f, no longer acting on the levers d, these latter
aro restored to their normal position by the spring r.
The stretcher 8, with weight t, serves to keep tight the belt driving the machine,
whatever position the pullies m, m², m¹¹, may occupy, by reason of the drawing
together or away from each other of the discs c, the movement of which they
follow.
The lever u, fixed by one of its ends to a ring v, and jointed at y, has for object
to draw the ring v¹, of the chuck towards the taper end of the same, and
consequently to tighten it more or less as required.
By means of this invention the rate of production of studs or buttons is greatly
augmented, and the form given to the same is perfectly regular. The breakage
which is considerable in the case of hand turning, is here nil, and a single operator
may work several machines. The result is a saving of raw material, of time and
of hand labour,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, is
The machine for manufacturing studs or shank buttons, having its parts
arranged, combined and operating substantially as described and illustrated.
DLL. TOAL
T11005.