IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARABLE BUTTONS AND ANALOGOUS ARTICLES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Irad Lawton Garside, of Paterson, in the County of
Passaic and State of New Jersey, one of the United States of America, for
an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARABLE BUTTONS AND ANALOGOUS
ARTICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Irad Lawton Garside at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th July 1880.
IRAD LAWTON GARSIDE, of Paterson, in the County of Passaic and State of New
Jersey, one of the United States of America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARABLE
BUTTONS AND ANALOGOUS ARTICLES."
My Invention relates to improvements in separable buttons and analogous articles
of use and ornament, of which the following is a Specification
-
I will describe the device as a sleeve-button, and as made of gold or of a suitable
metal coated with a precious metal, it being understood that the corresponding
device may be made of the same or different size, and of the same or different
material for shirt studs and other uses including ordinary buttons.
The improved sleeve-button is of that class which is made in two parts, and
applied together in the cuff to avoid the necessity for passing the smaller part,
ordinarily termed the shoe, through the button-hole. Various devices have been
produced for the purpose, the preferable having a flat stem of a width something
less than the length of the ordinary button-hole. My button has marked
advantages.
The parts are attached and detached by turning one part a portion of a
revolution relatively to the other. A spring of proper tension is mounted in the
interior of the main part, and induces a constant tendency to the locked position.
Unlocking only occurs when the parts are forcibly held and turned about a quarter
of a revolution, the one relatively to the other, and then drawn apart. This
condition will never obtain by accident, but is easily realized without tools and
with very moderate skill when it is desired to remove or insert the button.
I have so formed the shank that it will tend to remain with gentle force in the
garment after the head or main body of the button is removed, thus avoiding the
D

page_text: liability of the shank to escape from the hole and from the fingers, and become lost
in the act of separating the parts.
A box may itself serve as the body of the button, or may be attached to a
decorative shell, which may be of any tasty form to serve as the front and
ornamental portion of the device. What I term the middle plate is mounted
stationary in the body, and peculiarly perforated. What I term the back plate is
correspondingly attached in the proper position to form the rear or back face of
the box.
I employ a turning piece securely held between the middle plate and the back
plate, but with freedom to partially revolve. Its neck extends out through a
liberal circular orifice in the back plate. A pin extends forward from the turning
piece into a curved slot in the middle plate.
A volute spring is attached to the turning-piece and to the interior of the body.
It is so mounted as to turn the piece in one direction, and hold the pin with gentle
force in one end of the slot. designate as the body of the button the box with
its middle plate and back plate and the turning part and spring permanently
connected. It may carry a stone.
The shoe may be of any convenient form, as a disc with smooth edges. It is
adapted to stand on the opposite side of the fabric from the body or head of the
button, and to be held to the body, and to constitute a useful button by a proper
shank and means of connection. I employ a flat shank, a collar, or a thickening
ridge, a narrower extension of the shank, a still narrower further extension, and a
widening by what I will term wings at the extreme end of the shank. The
difference in width of wings and the narrower part constitutes notches or offsets.
The form and proportions of these parts are such that when properly applied
together, all of the shank forward of the collar is contained within the body
of the button, and only the collar, the wide part of the shank, and the shoe extends
out rearward therefrom. This is the proper condition of the parts for use in a
garment. The engagement of the parts of the shank with the body is peculiar.
The shank may be readily inserted in the long narrow aperture in the turning
part; but with the parts in their ordinary positions, it cannot be thrust fully
home. To attach the shank to the body it is first inserted in the turning piece,
and then turned a quarter revolution, so as to carry the pin around to the opposite
end of the curved slot. In this position the flat shank coincides with the two
rectangular notches at the opposite sides of the aperture in the middle plate, and
the shank may then be thrust home. On liberating it after being thus fully thrust
in the spring turns the piece, and with it the shank and shoe, a quarter revolution,
and locks the shank firmly by engaging the notches with the middle plate. The
parts will remain locked until they are again forcibly turned a quarter revolution
in opposition to the force of the spring.
It will be understood that the narrow part of the shank is sufficiently narrow
to allow it to turn in the round orifice in the middle plate, and that the locking
is effected by the engagement of the wings beyond the middle plate after their
insertion.
The collar performs two important functions, first, its extended face bears firmly
against the adjacent face of the turning-piece, and thus supports the shank against
shaking. The shank and shoe are stiffly held by the engagement of the wings
beyond the middle plate, and thus drawing the front face of the collar firmly
into contact. Another function which the collar performs additional to its stiff
support of the shank in the body, is the retention of the shank and its connections
in the garment after it is disconnected from the body of the button. The shirt-cuffs
come between the shoe and the collar. The separation of the shank from the
body is liable to occur suddenly. In such case, the shank and its attachments
are liable to slip out from all contact with the garment, and to fall and be lost.
The collar guards very usefully against this evil. Its pressure on the opposite
face of the garment offers a sufficient obstacle to the removal of the shank to

page_text: prevent such a disaster. The shank and shoe of my button can be easily removed
after the body is disconnected; but it is retained with sufficient force by the
presence of the collar to prevent its slipping out unintentionally.
Modifications may be made in the proportions. Some parts of the Invention
may be used without the others.
Ŏne modification may be by such a form of the aperture in the middle plate that
the shank will be stopped by direct contact with the edges of the aperture at each
extreme of its vibratory or partly turning motion. This form avoids the necessity
for the curved slot and pin.
I prefer to use a spring of sufficient length to coil three or more times quite
around in the interior of the button, after the manner of the main spring of a watch.
This facilitates giving a long action to the spring with gentle force. It also avoids
overstraining the metal of the spring, and promotes the durability of the device;
but I have found one complete coil to be sufficient. Other forms of spring may be
used if preferred.
The exterior form of the button need not be circular; it may be made of any
ordinary or suitable pattern, so long as it provides for the turning of the parts,
and affords the required locking means and space for the spring.

page_text: A is the front face and rim of a box, which may itself serve as the body of the
button, or which may be as I have here shown it, attached to a decorative shell M,
which may be of any tasty form, and serves as the front and ornamental portion
of the device.
A¹ is what I term the middle plate, mounted stationary on the part A and
peculiarly perforated, as will presently appear.
A3 is what I term the back plate, correspondingly attached in the proper position
to form the rear or back face of the box, of which A is the front and sides.
B is a turning piece securely held between the middle plate A¹ and the back
plate A2, but with freedom to partially revolve. Its neck B2 extends out through
a liberal circular orifice in the back plate A².
A pin B³ extends forward into a curved slot e in the middle plate.
D is a volute spring attached to the turning piece B and to the interior of the
part A. It is so mounted as to turn the piece B in one direction, so as to hold the
pin B3 with gentle force in one end of the slot e.
I will in this Specification designate as the body of the button the box A, with
its middle plate A¹ and back plate A³, and the turning part and spring permanently
connected. It may carry a stone.
G is a shoe of any convenient form. I have shown it as a disc with smooth
edges. It is adapted to stand on the opposite side of the fabric from the body or
head of the button, and to be held to the body, and to constitute a useful button by
a proper shank and means of connection.
G is a flat shank; G3, a collar or a thickening ridge; G³ is a narrower extension
of the shank; G+, a still further narrower extension, and G³, a widening by what
I will term wings at the extreme end of the shank. The difference in width of the
wings G³ and the narrower part G* constitutes notches or offsets which I will
mark g.
The form and proportions of these parts are such that when the parts are properly
applied together all of the shank forward of the collar G is contained within the
body of the button, and only the collar G³, the wide part G¹ of the shank, and the
shoe G extend out rearward therefrom.
This is the proper condition of the parts for use in a garment.
The engagement of the parts of the shank with the body is peculiar. I and J
are the overlapping portions of the cuff which are held together by, my button.
The shank may be readily inserted in the long narrow aperture b in the turning
part B; but with the parts in their ordinary positions it cannot be thrust fully
home. To attach the shank to the body, it is first inserted in the turning piece B,
as just described, then turned a quarter revolution so as to carry the pin B³ around
to the opposite end of the curved slot e.
In this position the flat shank coincides with the two rectangular notches a¹ at
the opposite sides of the aperture a, and the shank may then be thrust home. On
liberating it, after being thus fully thrust in, the spring D turns the piece B, and
with it the shank and shoe, a quarter revolution, and locks the shank firmly by
engaging the notches g with the middle plate A'. In other words, it causes the
wings G5 to sweep partially around on the front face of the middle plate A¹.
The parts will remain locked until they are again forcibly turned a quarter
revolution in opposition to the force of the spring D.
It will be understood that the part G' of the shank is sufficiently narrow to allow
it to turn in the round orifice a in the middle plate, and that the locking is effected
by the engagement of the wings G³, beyond the middle plate A', after their
insertion through the notches a¹.
The collar G performs two important functions.
First, its extended face bears firmly against the adjacent face of the turning
plate B, and thus supports the shank against shaking. The shank and shoe are
stiffly held by the engagement of the wings G³ in front of the middle plate A', and
thus drawing the front face of the collar G2 firmly into contact.
Another function which the collar G² performs additional to its stiff support of

page_text: the shank and its connections in the body is the retention of the shank and its
connections in the garment after it is disconnected from the body of the button.
The shirt cuffs I, J, come between the shoe G and the collar G².
The separation of the shank from the body is liable to occur suddenly. In such
case the shank and its attachments are liable to slip out from all contact with the
garment and to fall and be lost. The collar C2 guards very usefully against this
evil. Its pressure on the opposite face of the garment offers a sufficient obstacle to
the removal of the shank to prevent such a disaster. The shank and shoe of my
button can be easily removed after the body is disconnected, but it is retained
with sufficient force by the pressure of the collar G³ to prevent its slipping out
unintentionally.
Additional Figures represent an important modification on so large a scale and
so completely shown as to preclude the necessity for much description. There are
two springs forcing two locking dogs inward over a beveled catch on the front end
of the shank,
Figure 12 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the device complete.
The succeeding Figures show details of this.
There are two boxes or fixed cases, one larger than the other.
Figure 13 is a face view of the innermost. The outermost serves only as a means
of attaching the parts.
Figure 14 is a front view of the revolving plate, which is permanently but loosely
mounted in the button.
Figure 15 shows the same in place in the box.
Figure 16 is a face view of one of the slotted locking dogs, of which there are two.
Figure 17 is an edge view of the same.
Figure 18 is a face view of the revolving plate, with one of the dogs in position.
Figure 19 shows both dogs with their locking springs in position in the box.
Figure 20 represents the inside face of the back plate, and
Figure 21 the outside of the same.
The operation of this modification of my button is as follows:-
The shoe G is attached to the body by its shank G¹ being simply pushed through
the notch b in the plate B, when its wedge shaped head pushes back the dogs P
until the notches under the head present themselves to the latter, which then spring
inward and hold the shank G¹ firmly.
When it is desired to disengage the shoe the body of the button is turned a
quarter revolution relatively to the shank, and by the cam-like action of the edges
of the plate B against the corresponding shoulders on the under faces of the dogs
the latter are forced back.
By making the form of the cams of greater or less steepness, the dogs can be
caused to withdraw from their engagement with the head by a greater or less
revolution of the body. I prefer a gradual shoulder so proportioned that the ends
of the dogs will be withdrawn from over the slot 6 in a quarter revolution.
The dogs P are held from revolving with the plate B by fitting in a broad
shallow groove A³ in the top plate A¹.
All the parts of both modifications, except the springs, can be stamped out of
sheet metal of proper thickness.
Modifications may be made in the proportions and details of both forms of the
Invention.
Some of the parts of the Invention may be used without the others.
The modification shown in Figure 11 presents such a form of the aperture in the
middle plate that the shank will be stopped by direct contact with the edges of
the aperture at each extreme of its vibratory or partly turning motion. This form
avoids the necessity for the curved slot e and for the pin B³, but I prefer for other
reasons the form shown in Figures 1 to 10.
Referring to Figures 1 to 10 I prefer to use a spring D of sufficient length to
coil three or more times quite around in the interior of the button, after the
manner of the main spring of a watch. This facilitates giving a long action to

page_text: the spring with gentle force. It also avoids overstraining the metal of the spring,
and promotes the durability of the device; but I have found one complete coil to
be sufficient. Other forms of spring may be used if preferred.
I have shown the shell M as formed with a stone with a rim as a setting; this
may be varied indefinitely. The exterior form of the button need not be circular;
it may be made of any ordinary or suitable pattern, so long as it provides for the
turning of the parts, and affords the required locking means and space for the
spring. The turning piece B may be a plate the full size of the under part of
the button, and allowing it to revolve within the circular opening formed by the
bezel or outside rim of the button or box A, but for various reasons I prefer to use
a disc of much smaller proportions.
The aperture in the turning part B may be of any shape necessary to perform
its functions in connection with a properly constructed shank, but I deem it
preferable to use a flat shank and a correspondingly narrow straight aperture in
the turning part B.
The turning plate or part B can be made from a thin piece of metal if desired,
but I regard as more advantageous that it be constructed from a tolerably thick
and solid piece of metal on account of the additional support which it renders to
the shank G by means of the increased depth of aperture.
Having thus described my Invention, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the exact details as shown and described, so long as the peculiar
characteristics of my Invention be retained substantially as described,
But what I do claim as my improvements in separable buttons or analogous
articles is,
First. The shoe G having a shank G¹ and notch or offset g in combination with
the button A, having the perforated middle plate A', a, and with the volute
spring D exerting a force to turn the shank around and to hold it engaged, as
herein specified.
Second. The turning piece B in combination with the body A having two
plates A1, A2, perforated as shown, and with the spring D, all adapted to serve
relatively to each other and to a properly formed shank, as and for the purposes
herein specified.
Third. The enlargement G2 on the removable shank G' adapted to serve the two
functions of affording a bearing and promoting the rigidity of the connection to
the button head, and of retaining the shank with gentle force in the garment after
the button-head is removed, as herein specified.
Fourth. A button or analogous device having a turning plate or piece engaged
with the body in combination therewith and with a spring, so as to allow it to
revolve or partially revolve and to serve relatively to a properly shaped shank,
substantially as herein specified.
Fifth. A separable button or analogous article arranged and constructed sub-
stantially as shown and described in reference to Figures 12 to 21.
In witness whereof, I, the said Irad Lawton Garside, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lozi 1880
Witnesses,
WILLIAM COLBORNE BROOKES.
THOMAS DREW STELSON,
Patent Solicitor,
New York City, N.Y., U.S.A.
IRAD LAWTON GARSIDE. (L.S.)