Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Aug., 1887
Complete Left, 16th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 17th Feb.. 1888
Wo, GOTTLIEB HEIDMANN and EMILL HÖTTGES Manufacturers and CARL EGEN,
Foreman, all of Barmen, in the Empire of Germany, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
Apparatuses hitherto used for the manufacture of cloth buttons have been suitable
only for the production of buttons of one size so that it has always been necessary to
provide a separate apparatus for each size of button. The said apparatuses are con-
sequently expensive and it has for this reason been sought to construct a machine by
which several different sizes of buttons can be produced.
This invention relates to the construction of a machine of this description the
invention consisting mainly in the upper and lower stamps or dies being adapted to
be moved away from one another in such a manner that the upper stamps or dies can
be used with lower stamps or dies of different sizes.
For this purpose we fix the lower stamps or dies on a rotating disc so that any one
of them can be brought into a position corresponding with the upper stamp or die; or
the upper stamp or die can be fixed on a rotating column so as to allow of the upper
stamp or die being brought over any one of the lower stamps or dies placed at the
same radial distance from the column.
In the former case the upper stamp or die of the machine is operated by a hand
lever which is brought back to its normal position by a spiral spring, the said lever
working in a column fixed on a base plate. This stamp or die is provided at its lower
end with a recess in which fits the shank on the under side of the button.
.
The lower stamps or dies are fixed on a plate rotating round the said column; they
each consist of a cylindrical block or pillar flat on its upper end and provided with a
sleeve and a detachable collar or ring containing a die.
The sleeve can be moved in a vertical direction on the block or pillar and is provided
with an angular slot through which is passed a screw. The upper part of the sleeve
is enlarged and provided with a groove in which fit two pins fixed to the collar or
ring. The upper edge of the sleeve is slotted at two places to allow the collar or ring
to be placed in the enlarged part of the sleeve it being then connected by turning the
pins into the hereinbefore described groove somewhat in the manner of a bayonet-
гр

page_text: joint. In the collar or ring the die which it contains can move in a vertical direction
its movement being limited by a pin working in a groove. The lower side of the
said die is provided with a central recess the periphery of which forms a sharp edge
which effects the connection of the back of the button with the front or top part.
The manufacture of the button consisting of a cloth covered top or shell, a cloth
part forming the shank, an eyelet or tubular portion and the back is effected in the
following manner.
The collar or ring with its die is first removed from the sleeve which is brought
into its raised position and supported by the pin entering the horizontal part of the
angular slot. The circular piece of fabric to form the covering is then placed in the
enlarged part of the sleeve and on is placed the top or shell with the shank and
eyelet. The hand-lever is then lowered and the said parts of the bution are thereby
pressed into the sleeve by means of the upper stamp or die, the edge of the fabric
forming the covering being turned up round the edge of the top or shell of the button.
The back of the button having been fixed by a slight pressure of the finger in the
lower part of the removeable die the collar or ring is connected to the sleeve which is
turned until the vertical part of the angular slot will allow the sleeve to be lowered;
the sleeve with the collar or ring is then pressed down by hand as far as possible
whereby the edge of the cloth covering is turned over onto the back of the eyelet by the
inner inclined edge of the collar or ring after which the connection of the back of the
button can be effected by a sharp downward movement of the die in the collar or ring
given by means of the top stamp or dic. The outer edge of the back is thereby
caused to grip the edge of the cloth covering whilst the inner edge of the top stamp or
die connects the inner edge of the back with the other parts of the button. After
removing the collar or ring from the sleeve, the finished button can be taken out of the
machine.
In order to exactly adjust the rotating plate so as to place the lower stamps or dies
under the upper stamp or die, the said plate may be provided on the edge with notches
through which is passed a pin entering the base-plate.
In the second case hereinbefore referred to the plate which bears the lower stamps
or dies is fixed whilst the column with the upper stamp or die is arranged so as to
rotate on the said plate. A screw and suitable recesses on the rotating column serve
to adjust the upper stamp or die over the lower stamps or dies.
The machine may also serve for making covered buttons of other kinds. Then only
the die in the collar has to be modified correspondingly.
Dated this 9th day of August 1887
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: We, GOTTLIEB HEIDMANN and EMIL HÖTTGES, Manufacturers, and CARL EGEN,
Foreman, all of Barmen, in the Empire of Germany, 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:—
Apparatuses hitherto used for the manufacture of cloth buttons have been suitable
only for the production of buttons of one size, so that it has always been necessary to
provide a separate apparatus for each size of button.
The said apparatuses are consequently expensive, and it has for this reason been
sought to construct a machine by which several different sizes of buttons can he
produced.
This invention relates to the construction of a machine of this description, the
invention consisting, mainly, in the upper and lower stamps or dies being adapted to
be moved away from one another in such a manner that the upper stamps or dies can
be used with lower stamps or dies of different sizes. For this purpose we fix the
lower stamps or dies on a rotating disc, so that any one of them can be brought into
a position corresponding with the upper stamp or die; or the upper stamp or die can
be fixed on a rotating column so as to allow of its being brought over any one of the
lower stamps or dies placed at the same radial distance from the column.
In order to enable our invention to be fully understood we will proceed to describe
how it can be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawing in
which
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of a machine for making several different
sizes of covered buttons according to our invention, the lower stamps or dies being
moveable.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the machine, the section being taken through
the column or support of the upper stamp or die.
Figures 3 to 6 are detached views of parts of the machine.
Figures 7 and 8 are similar views to Figures 1 and 2 but shewing a machine in
which the upper stamp or die is moveable.
We will first describe our invention by reference to Figures 1 to 6.
A, in figure 1, indicates the upper stamp or die of the machine. This stamp or die
is operated by a hand lever B which is brought back to its normal position by a spiral
spring D; the lever B works in the coluinn F, figures 1 and 2, fixed on a base
plate E. The stamp or die A is provided at its lower end with a recess a in which fits
the shank on the underside of the button.
The lower stamps or dies, three of which are shewn in the drawing, are fixed on a
plate G which can be rotated round the column F; they each consist of a cylindrical
block or pillar H, flat on its upper end and provided with a sleeve L and a detachable
collar or ring M containing a die N,

page_text: Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the block H and sleeve L, some of the parts to
form a button being shewn placed on the latter.
Figure 6 is a detached sectional view of the sleeve.
Figure 4 is a plan of the detachable collar or ring M and die N.
Figure 5 is a vertical section of the collar or ring, with the die therein shewn in
elevation.
The sleeve L can be moved in a vertical direction on the block or pillar H
and is provided with an angular slot d through which is passed a screw pin O,
figures 1 and 3. The upper part of the sleeve L is enlarged and provided with a
groove i in which fit two pins o fixed to the collar or ring M.
The upper edge of the sleeve L is slotted at two places e, e, as shewn in figures 2
and 6, to allow the collar or ring M to be placed in the enlarged part of the sleeve, it
being then connected by turning it and thereby causing the pins o to pass into the
groove i somewhat in the manner of a bayonet-joint, as shewn in Figure 1.
In the collar or ring M the die N which it contains can move in a vertical direction,
its movement being limited by a pin v working in a groove ƒ.
The lower side of the die N is provided with a central recess the periphery of which
forms a sharp edge which effects the connection of the back of the button with tho
top or shell .
The manufacture of the button consisting of the top or shell, with the shank, a
cloth disc for covering the top, and the back, is effected in the following manner.
The collar or ring M with its die N is first removed from the sleeve L which is
brought into its raised position shown in full lines in figure 3, and supported by
turning the horizontal part of the angular slot d over the pin O.
The circular piece of fabric g to form the covering is then placed in the enlarged
part of the sleeve, as indicated in figure 3, and on it is placed the top or shell 6 with
the shank, the shank being upwards. The hand-lover B is then lowered, and the said
parts of the button are thereby pressed into the sleeve L (into the position indicated
by the dotted lines in Figure 3) by means of the upper stamp or die A, the edge of
the fabric forming the covering being turned up round the edge of the top or shell of
the button. The backs of the button having been fixed, by a slight pressure of the
finger, in the lower part of the removeable die N, the collar or ring M is connected to
the sleeve L, which is turned until the vertical part of the angular slot d will come
into position to allow the sleeve to be lowered; the sleeve with the collar or ring is
then pressed down by hand as far as possible, whereby the edge of the cloth covering g
is turned over onto the back of the top or shell by the inner inclined edge of the
collar or ring M, after which the connection of the backs of the button can be effected
by a sharp downward movement of the die N given by means of the top stamp or
die A. The outer edge of the back s is thereby caused to grip the edge of the cloth
covering, whilst the edge x, of the die N connects the inner edge of the back with the
tubular portion of the shell. After removing the collar or ring M from the sleeve L
the finished button can be taken out of the machine.
In order to adjust the rotating plate G, so as to place the lower stamps or dies
exactly under the upper stamp or die, the plate G can be advantageously provided on
the edge with notches p into which is passed a pin t entering the base plate E.
In the machine shewn in figures 7 and 8 the plate G' which bears the lower stamps
or dies is fixed, whilst the column F' with the upper stamp or die is arranged so as to
rotate on the plate G¹; a screw u and suitable recesses V on the rotating column F'
serve to adjust and secure the upper stamp or die over the lower stamps or dies.
The machine may also serve for making covered buttons of other kinds. Then
only the die in the collar has to be modified accordingly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A machine for making covered buttons, in which the upper and lower stamps or
dies are adapted to be moved away from one another in such a manner that the upper

page_text: stamp or die can be used with lower stamps or dies of different sizes, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
2. A machine for making covered buttons of different sizes with a single
upper stamp or die, the said machine comprising a rotating or a fixed base-plate
carrying various sized lower stamps, (each consisting of a block, a sleeve and a collar
or ring containing a die) an upper stamp or die having a recess and operated by
means of a hand-lever mounted on a fixed or a rotating column, the said upper stamp
or die acting, during one portion of the operation, directly on the back part of the
button, the collar or ring having been removed and the sleeve raised and, at another
portion of the operation, on the die in the collar or ring after the latter has been
connected with the sleeve by means of the bayonet-slot.
3. The improved machines for making covered buttons hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicants.