An Improved Construction of Spring Button Fastener for Gloves, Boots, Purses, Pocket Books, Umbrellas, and other Articles.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Construction of Spring Button Fastener for Gloves,
Boots, Purses, Pocket Books, Umbrellas, and other Articles.
I JAMES KERSHAW of 97 Wood Street, City of London, Glover, do hereby declare
the nature of my said 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 this invention is a novel construction of spring button fastener for
gloves, boots, and other articles, and belongs to that class or description of fasteners
brought into use within the last few years, which have the advantage of dispensing
with the button hole, and it is based on the principle of a split spherical button capable
of being contracted while being pushed into an eyelet, and held therein by reason of
its expansive action when forced far enough into the eyelet.
According to my invention I take a piece of metal having four wings, two of which
I stamp or indent as cups or semi-spheres, the other two serving as wings by means
of which it can be fixed in a base and secured by an eyelet to the leather of the glove,
boot or other article. The part between, and those forming the two wings are arched
to give a desired springiness or elasticity below the semi-spheres and the base.
The cap which receives the spherical button is shaped for the reception of an eyelet
for fixing it to the leather, a washer being first forcibly inserted in the upper part
as a support for the eyelet.
My invention is also distinguished by the simplicity of the tools required for
affixing the button and the socket or cap.
The manner in which the invention is put into practice will be understood by
reference to the annexed drawings, the figures of which are on an exaggerated scale
except those figures referring to the tools.
The button with its socket or cap is shown in section Figure 1.
The piece of metal with the four wings a, a, b, b, to form the button is cut out
and stamped to the configuration shown in plan and section views Figures 2
and 3.
The two parts a, a, are then bent upwards as at Figures 4 and 5, the two
wings b, b, and their connecting portion arched as shown in the elevation Figure 4.
The piece of metal thus prepared has its wings b, inserted into its base c and
when it has to be fixed to the glove or other article a cone ring or washer c¹ is inserted
into the base and then an eyelet is passed through a hole in the leather to which
this part of the button has to be attached, the flange of the eyelet and the cone
washer c¹ being pressed into the leather of the glove or other article which is between
them. This pressure tends to spread out the lower flange d¹ of the eyelet d
(see Figure 6) against the cone washer c¹ to lock the parts and the leather firmly
together.
Figures 7 and 8 show in elevation and in plan the button placed temporarilly in
its base, it then only requires the eyelet which is to connect them permanently and the
cone washer c¹ and to affix them to the glove or other article by the aid of the
reversible tool shewn in the Figure 9 on a reduced scale, and in detail full size
Figure 10.
It is
This machine serves alike for affixing the button and the cap or socket.
composed of a punch fand a matrix g which may be reversed for use for the button
or for the cap. When employed for affixing the button it has the blade h uppermost,
the blade occupying the slit to maintain the separation of the two semi-spherical
parts. The punch is capped with a thimble i held in position by a set screw and
whose flat head presses upon the base of the button.
The socket is composed of a cap shewn separately in elevation, Figure 11,
enclosing a washer m and a gutter shaped ring n, in which cap at the time of
affixing the socket, the eyelet is inserted, shewn in Figures 12 and 13, this eyelet

page_text: resting against the washer m shewn in the section Figure 1 and with its flange
against the leather to which it is attached by pressure.
The connection of these parts and the fixing on the glove or other article is effected
by the aid of the tool previously described, the only changes being that the thimble i
is taken away leaving the naked punch with its hollowed part having the shape
of the cap; the matrix g is reversed so as to present the nipple p for regulating the
diameter of the eyelet collar.
The object of inserting the washer m between the cap and the eyelet is not only to
strengthen or consolidate the socket but also to exert a tightening action which ensures
the nip and hold on the button in spite of the movements of the wrist tending to
force the button and cap apart and unfasten them.
I am aware that split and other shaped bulbs or spheres have been used as part
of a glove or like fastener but these have been made with a flange for sewing or
rivetting directly on to the glove or other article therefore 1 make no claim to the
use of such spheres except when the wings 6 are arched and employed in combination
with the base c, cone washer c¹ and eyelet d for the purpose described.
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. The arrangement of button having the appearance of a hollow sphere split in two
parts forming springs when passing through the neck of the eyelet in the cap, the
button being formed of a piece of metal with arched wings and connected to a base
by means of an eyelet which fixes said button to the glove or other article.
2. The arrangement of the cap k with the washer m and gutter ring n interposed
between it and the eyelet d which fastens it to the glove, purse or other article and
having the advantages above described.
3. The combination of the several parts indicated at Figure 1, arranged in the
manner described and constituting a spring button fastener for Gloves, Boots, Purses
and other articles.
Dated this 22nd day of May 1880
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the said J. Kershaw.