Improvements in Apparatus or Machinery for the Manufacture of Buttons from Horn and other Equivalent Substances Materials.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 25th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 28th Sept., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus or Machinery for the Manufacture
of Buttons from Horn and other Equivalent Substances
Materials.
or
1, EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER of 33 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex,
Fel. Inst. P.A. do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to
me from abroad by Domenico Robbiati of Milan, Italy) to be as follows:-
This invention refers to apparatus or machinery for the manufacture of buttons by
mechanical means, and the invention refers to improvements on an invention for
which a patent was granted to me dated 26th August 1885 No. 10121 for "Improve-
ments in the method of and apparatus or machinery for the manufacture of buttons
from horn and other equivalent substances or materials," and these present improve-
ments refer-1st. To the construction of apparatus or machinery which is more
compact than heretofore and in such manner that a press can be worked by a single
operator; 2nd. To the application of an air exhaust whereby the surface of the
moulds containing the blanks to be pressed, is fed with a current of air.
In this manner the high temperature heretofore caused by the pressure is lowered
or decreased whereby the buttons remain bright when the operation is finished.
To reduce the space occupied by the machine it is preferred to construct a double
press, worked by two operators.
Water under pressure is introduced to any part of the body of the pump by three
or any other convenient number of tubes each of such tubes being in communication
with an accumulator or other apparatus furnishing water at different pressures say
at 1, 3 and 6 atmospheres. The pressure in the body of the pump need not be
varied except when the size of the buttons to be pressed is changed; for this reason
the arrangement of taps inserted in the tubes need not he worked by the attendant at
the press, but by a lever or crank which is close by the foreman directing the making
of the articles.
There is a tap which makes communication alternately between the body of the
pump on one side, and the escape pipe or the inlet pipe on the other side. The inlet
pipe remains closed when communication is established between the exhaust and the
body of the numn.

page_text: India rubber springs are wound round the piston rod, these springs press the piston
towards the end of the body of the pump when communication is established between
the exhaust and the body of pump and so doing without the counterweight described
in the specification of aforesaid patent No. 1012185.
The axis of the moulds is in the same straight line as the axis of the piston rod.
The moulds are guided through a groove on the bench of the machine.
In the central part of the line of moulds where the box for receiving the pressed
buttons is situated, the guides or slides extend also above the moulds so holding or
embracing them completely.
In the upper part of the slides there are apertures by which the atmospheric
air is drawn into a tube which is fitted with an air exhaust, and so caused to travel
over the surface of the moulds, submitted to pressure. The pipe has a valve to
regulate the speed of air drawn in.
The moulds are filled and emptied on the work bench of the machine. A division
piece is fitted between the two united presses on the same frame the position of
which can be changed at will according to the length required for the line of
moulds and consequently according to the duration of the pressure.
When there is not any pressure in the body of the pump, the moulds are taken
from the slides by the hand; the extraction of the moulds containing the buttons
pressed forward is done at the extremity of the line of moulds which abut against
the separation piece or the moulds are guided underneath.
The order of the operations to be done by the workman supposing he is working
the left hand press is as follows: The attendant at a given moment takes out at
the right hand extremity of the row a pair of moulds which were in contact with the
separating piece and turns on the pressure by means of a tap, the compressed
buttons are withdrawn from the pair of moulds and thrown into the box for receiving
same; the attendant then lays the bolt which was held between the moulds on the
table of the machine and places in each of the moulds a blank to be pressed, this
pair of moulds is then placed in the oven to be heated just at the end of the other
moulds which are in a line, namely in the coldest part. Next the attendant takes
from the oven the pair of moulds which are at the opposite extremity of the row in
the oven, and which is consequently the hottest, with the horn blanks which are
contained therein; he then inserts between one mould and the other, the bolt which
is on the bench or table, works the tap so as to communicate the body of the pump
with the exit, takes out the pair of moulds which is found to the right of the column
near the separation piece, pushes the column forward a corresponding distance to the
length of a pair of moulds, inserts at the tail end of the column in the slides a pair
of moulds in which the bolt has just been put, repeats the pressure, and so on.
One oven alone might be used for three double presses, it is preferred to place an
oven in the centre of a rectangle of which three presses form three sides, while the
fourth is open for passage.
Dated this 25th day of November 1887

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus or Machinery for the Manufacture
of Buttons from Horn and other Equivalent Substances
Materials.
or
I, EDWARD GRIFFITH Brewer of 33 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex,
Fel. Inst. P.A., do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to
me from abroad by Domenico Robbiati of Milan, Italy) and in what manner the same
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention refers to apparatus or machinery for the manufacture of buttons by
mechanical means, and the invention refers to improvements on an invention for
which a patent was granted to me dated 26th August 1885 No. 10121 for "Improve-
ments in the method of and apparatus or machinery for the manufacture of buttons
from horn and other equivalent substances or materials" and these present improve-
iments refer, 1st. To the construction of apparatus or machinery which is more compact
than heretofore and in such manner that a press can be worked by a single operator;
2nd. To the application of an air exhaust whereby the surface of the moulds or
matrices containing the blanks to be pressed is acted upon by the air current, in order
to cool the said surfaces and lower the temperature at which the pressure takes place,
and thus cause the buttons to preserve a polished appearance at the completion of the
operation.
To reduce the space occupied by the machine it is preferred to construct a double
press worked by two operators.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 shews (half in vertical section and half in side elevation) a double machine
constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a view of the same machine, half being in plan and half in horizontal
section. Figure 3 is a vertical cross section on the line ab of Figure 1, but drawn to
a larger scale. Figure 4 is a vertical cross section on the line c d of Figure 1, also
drawn to a larger scale than the latter figure.
h, Figure 1 are three tubes through which water under pressure is introduced
to the body of the machine, each of such tubes being in communication with accu-
mulators or other apparatus furnishing water at different pressures say at 1, 3 and 6
atmospheres.
The pressure in the body of the pump need not be varied except when the size of
the buttons to be pressed is changed; for this reason the valves inserted in the tubes
are so arranged as not to be worked by the attendant at the press, but controlled
by the foreman, directing the making of the articles, by means of cranks or hand
wheels.
7'
The tubes h, h, 2 open to a canal e which conducts the water to the three way
cock which establishes connection between the press cylinder f, and outflow pipe'm,
or the feed canal e; the canal e remains closed as soon as the outflow pipe m and the
cylinder comununicate.

page_text: India rubber springs t¹ are placed round the piston rod t, these springs press the
piston g towards the end of the press cylinder when communication is established
between the exhaust and the body of the said cylinder, and thus doing without the
counterweight described in the specification of aforesaid patent No. 1012185.
XX are the matrices or moulds which receive the horn discs, that are to be pressed,
there being a press stamp between every pair of the said matrices.
The axis of the moulds, or matrices, is in the same straight line as the axis of the
piston rod. The moulds are guided by a groove on the bench of the machine passing
under the overhanging guide u, on which the box for receiving the pressed and
completed buttons is situated, the said guides or slides thus holding or embracing the
moulds completely.
At the back of the overhanging guides u there are apertures by which the atmo-
spheric air is drawn down a tube o, which is provided with some suitable air exhausting
apparatus and the produced draught of air, so caused, travels over the surface of the
moulds submitted to pressure. The tube o has a valve o' to regulate the air drawn in,
and in this manner the outer surfaces of the moulds are cooled and the polished
appearance of the finished buttons is not impaired.
The moulds are filled and emptied on the work bench or table n of the machine by
the attendant. A division piece i is fitted between the two united presses on the same
frame, the position of which can be changed at will, i.e., replaced by a thicker or a
thinner piece, according to the length desired to be given to the columns formed by
the pairs of button moulds, and consequently according to the duration of the
pressure.
When there is not any pressure in the body of the pump, the moulds are taken
from the slides by the hand; the extraction of the moulds containing the pressed
buttons takes place at the extremity of the line of moulds which abut against the
separation piece where the pair of moulds are only guided by the under groove.
P
The order of the operations to be done by the workman supposing he is working
the left hand press is as follows: The attendant at a given moment takes out at the
right hand extremity of the row a pair of moulds which were in contact with the
separating piece and renews the pressure by means of the three way cock 7,
the compressed buttons are then withdrawn from the pair of moulds and thrown into
the box for receiving same; the attendant then lays the press stamp or bolt which was
held between the moulds on the table n of the machine and places in each of the
moulds a blank to be pressed, this pair of moulds is then placed in the oven to be
heated just at the end of the other moulds which are in a line namely in the coldest
part. Next the attendant takes from the oven the pair of moulds which are at the
opposite extremity of the row in the oven, and which is consequently the hottest, with
the horn blanks which are contained therein; he then inserts between one mould and
the other, the press stamp or bolt which is on the bench or table n, turns the cock
so as to cause communication between the press cylinder and the exit m, takes out the
pair of moulds which are to the right of the column X X near the separation piece i,
pushes the column forward a corresponding distance to the length of a pair of moulds,
inserts at the tail end of the column in the slides a pair of moulds in which the press
stamp or bolt has just been put, repeats the pressure, and so on.
One oven alone may be used for three double presses, it is preferred to place an
oven in the centre of a rectangle of which three presses form three sides, while the
ourth is open for passage.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In apparatus or machinery for the manufacture of buttons from horn and other
equivalent substances or materials, the elastic springs t¹ on the piston rod t for causing
the return stroke of the piston in the cylinder f, together with the feed canal e on the
body of machine which may be brought into communication with said cylinder f
the said canal being supplied with liquid under varying pressures at will by the

page_text: tubes h, h, according to the dimensions of the buttons to be pressed all substantially
as described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In apparatus or machinery for the manufacture of buttons from horn and other
equivalent substances or materials, the overhanging guide having aperture therein,
communicating with air suction pipe o, provided with valve o' and in connection with
any convenient or well known suction apparatus or device, whereby a draught of air
is caused to act on and cool the moulds under pressure, and the polished appearance
of the finished buttons is preserved substantially as herein set forth.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts composing the hereinbefore described
machinery or apparatus for the manufacture of buttons from horn and other equivalent
substances or materials, and consisting essentially of the cylinders, pistons and
piston rods t with springs t, the valves, exits m, pressure canal e and tubes h, h³, 12,
the guide groove for the moulds and division block i together with the air draught
apparatus for cooling the said moulds during pressure, all substantially as described and
illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 24th day of August 1200