IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS WHICH MAY BE INSTANTANEOUSLY
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Strawson, of No. 9, Royal Arcade, New
Oxford Street, London, in the County of Middlesex, Agent for Patent
Sewing Machines, Machine Needles, &c., for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS WHICH MAY BE INSTANTANEOUSLY
Sealed the 15th August 1863, and dated the 18th February 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Strawson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th February 1868.
I, EDWARD STRAWSON, of No. 9, Royal Arcade, New Oxford Street, London,
in the County of Middlesex, Agent for Patent Sewing Machines, Machine
Needles, etc., do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS WHICH MAY BE INSTANTANEOUSLY ATTACHED.
WITHOUT SEWING," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in forming buttons which can be instantaneously
attached without sewing. One method is to have the button made in the
shell form, a small hole is made in the face near the edge, and a large one in
the centre of the back, a curvilinear pin is passed through the hole in the face
and takes hold of the material to which it is to be attached through the hole
in the back, and is then forced into the inside of the button, which can be
turned round on it and so make it perfectly secure. Another mode is to have
a hole stamped in the back of the button, the edges, of which are turned
inwards, and the fastening is formed of a piece of wire in the shape of a staple

page_text: with harpoon points, which is forced through the cloth and into the hole in
the button, which compresses the points till they have passed the inverted
edge, when they immediately expand from their own elasticity and form a
secure fastening, allowing the button to revolve. Another mode is to have a
hole stamped in the back of the button with the edges turned slightly inwards,
the fastening to which is formed of a piece of bent wire with the ends turned
down or terminating in harpoon points, which is first forced through the cloth
and then into the hole at the back of button, when the ends hook over the
edge of the flange and are perfectly secure, at the same time allowing the
button to revolve.
To attach buttons to leather garments, a ring of leather is doubled together,
two holes are made in the material to which it is to be attached, through
which it is then passed, then both ends of the ring are put through a hole in
the back of the button, which can be made single if necessary, and a pin is then
put through them, which secures them and also allows the button to revolve.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Strawson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th August 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
STRAWSON, of Number 9, Royal Arcade, New Oxford Street, London, in the
County of Middlesex, Agent for Patent Sewing Machines, Machine Needles,
etc., send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Strawson, Her special licence that I, the said Edward
Strawson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Edward Strawson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS WHICH MAY BE INSTANTANEOUSLY
ATTACHED WITHOUT SEWING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Edward Strawson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in

page_text: writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Strawson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, 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:-
The said Invention consists in forming a button in the shell form, a small
hole is made in the face near the edge and a large one in the centre of the
back, a curvilinear pin is passed through the hole in the face and takes hold
of the material, to which it is to be attached through the hole in the back, and
is then forced into the inside of the button, which can be turned round on it,
and so make it perfectly secure. Another mode is to have a hole stamped in
the back of the button, the edges of which are turned inwards, and the
fastening is formed of a piece of wire in the shape of a staple with harpoon
points, which is forced through the cloth and into the hole in the button,
which compresses the points till they have passed the inverted edge, when
they immediately expand from their own elasticity and form a secure fastening,
allowing the button to revolve. Another mode is to have a hole stamped in
the back of the button, the edges of which are turned inwards, and the
fastening to which is formed of a piece of bent wire with the ends turned
down or terminating in harpoon points, which is first forced through the cloth
and then into the hole in the back of button, when the ends hook over the
edge of the flange and are perfectly secure, at the same time allowing the
button to revolve.
To attach buttons to leather garments, a ring of leather is doubled together,
two holes are made in the material to which it is to be attached, through
which it is then passed, then both ends of the ring are put through a hole in
the back of the button, which can be made single if necessary, and a pin is
then put through them which secures them, and also allows the button to
revolve.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figures 1 to 4 represent a button most suitable for trousers; Fig. 1 shows
the face of the button with a hole in it near the edge, marked A; Fig. 2 is

page_text: the back of the button with a large hole in the centre, marked B; Fig. 3 is a
curvilinear pin, one end of which is passed through the hole in the face and
protrudes through the hole in the back, when it then takes hold of the
material to which the button is to be attached, and is then forced into the
inside of the button, which can be turned round on it, and so made perfectly
secure; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the button when attached. A is the
button; B, B, B, the pin; C, C, the cloth.
Figures 5 to 8 represent a button for general use; Fig. 5 is the face
of the button; Fig. 6 is the back, which is raised; there is a hole stamped
in the raised part, the edges of which A, A, are turned inwards; Fig. 7 is
the fastening, which is made in the form of a staple with harpoon points,
which are forced through the cloth and then into the hole in the back of the
button, which compresses them till they have passed the inverted edge, when
from their own elasticity they immediately expand and hook over it, and form
a secure fastening, allowing the button to revolve; Fig. 8 is a sectional view
of the button when attached. A is the button; B, B, the fastening; C, C, the
cloth.
Figures 9 to 12 is a modification of Figures 5 to 8. Fig. 9 represents the
face of the button; Fig. 10, the back, in which there is a hole stamped,
marked A, the edge of which is turned inwards; Fig. 11 is the fastening,
which is a pin terminating in harpoon points, which is forced through the
cloth and then into the hole in the back of the button, when it hooks over the
inverted edge and forms a secure fastening, allowing the button to revolve;
Fig. 12 is a sectional view of the button when attached. A is the button;
B, B, the fastening; C, C, the cloth.
Figures 13 to 16 represent another mode of fastening. Fig. 13 is the face
of the button; Fig. 14 is the back, in which there is a hole stamped, the edge
of which is turned inwards, as seen in Fig. 16A; Fig. 15 is the fastening,
which terminates with a hook at each end, it is first put through the cloth and
then into the hole in the back of the button, when the hooks catch the edge
that is turned in and firmly secures it, at the same time allowing the button
to revolve; Fig. 16 is a sectional view of the button when attached. B, B,
is the fastening; C, C, the cloth.
Figures 17 to 21 represents a mode of attaching buttons with a ring or
loop of leather or metal. Fig. 17 shews the face of the button when attached.
A is the button; B, B, B, is the pin; C, C, is the ring or loop. The mode
of attaching is as follows:-The ring or loop, Fig. 19, is doubled together,
both ends of it are then passed through the material to which it is to be
attached, two holes having been made in the same for that purpose, the ends

page_text: of the ring or loop are then passed through the holes in the back of the
button, Fig. 18, A, A, and a flat pin with a shoulder at each end, Fig. 20, is
then inserted into the doubled ends of the ring or loop, which is thus made
perfectly secure. By having but one hole through the button it will revolve.
Fig. 21 is a sectional view of the button when attached. A, A, the button;
B, the pin; C, the ring or loop; and D, D, the cloth.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and
orginal, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,--
First, the construction of the buttons as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use of buttons so constructed as to be instan-
taneously attached without sewing, substantially as herein-before described.
Third, the hole in the face or edge of the button A (Fig. 1) for the passage
of a curvilinear pin, by which means it is attached, and substantially for the
purposes herein-before set forth.
Fourth, a button constructed with a hole in the back, with the edge turned
inwards, A (Fig. 8).
Fifth, the employment of a flexible harpoon staple shank or fastening
(Fig. 7) in combination with Fig. 8, as and for the purposes herein-before set
forth.
Sixth, the mode of attaching buttons by means of a curvilinear pin with
harpoon points B, B, (Fig. 12), as herein-before set forth.
Seventh, the mode of attaching buttons with a staple shank with hooked
ends, Fig. 15, and B, B, (Fig. 16), as herein-before described.
Eighth, the mode of attaching buttons by means of a doubled ring or loop of
leather or metal in combination with a flat pin with a shoulder at each end,
C, C, (Fig. 17), B, B, B, (Fig. 17), Fig. 18, Fig. 19, and Fig. 20, substantially
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Strawson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fourth day of August, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-three
EDWARD (L.S.) STRAWSON.