AN IMPROVED RIVETTING PRESS FOR SECURING BUTTONS TO FABRICS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Davies, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn,
in the County of Middlesex, and No. 87, St. Vincent Street, in the City
of Glasgow, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED RIVETTING PRESS FOR SECURING BUTTONS TO FABRICS."-A com-
munication from abroad by Willoughby Hahn Reed, of New York, in
the United States of America.
Sealed the 19th March 1867,, and dated the 27th October 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Davies at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
October 1866.
I, GEORGE DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of
Middlesex, and No. 87, St. Vincent Street, in the City of Glasgow, Civil
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED RIVETTING PRESS FOR SECURING BUTTONS TO
FABRICS," (a communication to me from abroad by Willoughby Hahn Reed,
of New York, in the United States of America,) to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of certain mechanism described hereafter, whereby
buttons can be rivetted to articles of wearing apparel with ease and rapidity,

page_text: the mechanism being such as to adjust both button and rivet to a proper
position before the former is secured, the rivetting being effected by the
combined turning and gradual pressure of a punch. against the shank of the
rivet instead of the usual process of imparting a blow to the same, and the
objectionable sharp edges of the head being forced out of the way into the
fabric. The framework of the rivetting press consists of a base and an arm
east in one piece. In the arm near the outer end of the same is an opening
for the reception and guidance of a spindle, which can both slide vertically
and turn in the said opening. A shoulder is formed on the spindle, and
between this shoulder and an annular projection in the opening intervenes
a spiral spring, the tendency of which is to force the spindle upwards. The
spindle is made conical at the top, and its lower extremity terminates in a
pressing punch, which is pointed at the end, and which fits snugly but so as
to slide freely in an opening in the bottom of a socket or sleeve, the latter
being fitted snugly but so as to slide freely on the spindle, to which the sleeve
is connected by a pin in such a manner that it can have a limited vertical
movement independent of the spindle, which, however, on being elevated
above this limit will carry the sleeve with it. A spiral spring intervenes
between a shoulder on the spindle and the upper edge of the sleeve so as to
depress the latter. A hand lever is hinged by a pin to projections on the
arm, and on one side of this lever is a projecting rib or cam, the bevilled
edge being arranged to bear against the conical or bevilled top of the spindle
which carries the punch. The button which has to be rivetted to the fabric
has on the under side a projection formed by making a cavity in the upper
face, and to this cavity is adapted a projection on the bottom of the sleeve
above mentioned. When the hand lever is elevated and thrown back the
spindle is raised by the spiral spring, carrying with it the sleeve to such a
height that it cannot interfere with the ready adjustment of the rivet, fabric,
and button to their places. The shank of the rivet is passed through a
hole in the fabric and through the button, and the whole are so adjusted that
the convex head of the rivet will rest in a concave recess formed in the base
of the franie immediately below the centre of the spindle. In the end of the
rivet's shank is a conical recess adapted to the pointed end of the pressing
punch. When the lever is depressed the excentric bevilled projection or cam
will force the spindle downwards, thereby permitting the sleeve to descend
simultaneously with the spindle, its projection fitting into the cavity of the
Lutton, which is thus caused to assume its proper horizontal position, at. the
same time the pressing punch takes its place in the conical recess in the end

page_text: of the rivet, and should the latter not be adjusted in a vertical position in the
first instance the descending pointed pressure punch will soon right it and
adjust it to a proper position for receiving the final pressure, which is effecte:l.
by a further depression of the hand lever. The moment this pressure is
applied the resistance presented by the rivet causes the bevilled edge of the
excentric projection or cam to bear with such force against one side of the
conical top of the spindle that the latter must turn simultaneously with the
descent of the punch, which expands the end of the rivet's shank and effec-
tually secures the button to the fabric. The effect of this combined pressing
and turning action of the punch on the shank of the rivet is very different
from that of a blow imparted to a spindle which does not turn, as the former
plan is certain to result in a uniform expansion of the end of the rivet's shank
which presents a neat appearance, whereas a blow imparted to the punch
might in many cases distort the end of the shank and render the same
unsightly. The cavity in the base of the frame for the reception of the rivet's
head does not coincide with the latter, but is deeper than the head, so that
the edges of the latter will be forced upwards and compressed into the fabric
when pressure is applied to the rivet; the objectionable exposure of sharp
edges is thus avoided. Teeth may be formed on the bevilled edge of the
excentric projection or cam for gearing into similar teeth on the conical top
of the spindle to render the turning of the latter certain; but this will be
unnecessary if proper care be taken in the formation of the bevilled edges of
the excentric and spindle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
and No. 87, St. Vincent Street, in the City of Glasgow, Civil Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto nie,
the said George-Davies; Her special licence that I, the said George Davies,

page_text: my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Davies, 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 "AN IMPROVED
RIVETTING PRESS FOR SECURING BUTTONS TO FABRICS," (a communication to me
from abroad by Willoughby Hahn Reed, of New York, in the United States
of America,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Davies, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in 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 George Davies, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing and on reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
that is to say :-
This Invention consists of a certain mechanism described hereafter whereby
buttons can be rivetted to articles of wearing apparel with ease and rapidity,
the mechanism being such as to adjust both button and rivet to a proper
position before the former is secured, the rivetting being effected by the com-
bined turning and gradual pressure of a punch against the shank of the rivet
instead of the usual process of imparting a blow to the same, and the
objectionable sharp edges of the head being forced out of the way into the
fabric.
Such being the nature and object of the said Invention for "An Improved
Rivetting Press for Securing Buttons to Fabrics," I will now proceed to
describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be
performed or carried into practical effect; and in order that the same may be
distinctly understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative
thereof, and have marked the same with figures and letters of reference
corresponding with those in the following explanation thereof, that is to
say:―
On reference to the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 is a vertical
section of the improved button rivetting press; Figure 2 an exterior side

page_text: view, rigure 3a front view, and Figure 4 a diagram illustrating the
Invention.
The framework of the rivetting press consists in the present instance of the
base A and arm B cast in one piece; the construction and form of the frame
5 may, however, be modified without departing from the main features of the
Invention. In the arm B, near the outer end of the same, is an opening for.
the reception and guidance of a spindle D, which can both slide vertically and
turn in the said opening. A shoulder e is formed on the spindle, and between
this shoulder and an annular projection a intervenes a spiral spring h, the
tendency of which is to force the spindle upwards. The spindle terminates
in the pressing punch i, which is pointed at the end as shown in the Drawing;
and which fits snugly but so as to slide freely in an opening in the bottom of
the sleeve E, the latter being fitted snugly but so as to slide freely on the
spindle D to which the sleeve is connected by a pin m in such a manner that
it can have a limited vertical movement independent of the spindle, which,
however, on being elevated above this limit will carry the sleeve with it. A
spiral spring n intervenes between a shoulder 9 on the spindle and the upper
edge of the sleeve so as to depress the latter; a hand lever H is hinged by a
pint to projections p, p, on the arm B, and on one side of this lever is a
projecting rib w, the bevilled edge of which is eccentric with the pint, the
said bevilled edge being arranged to bear against the conical or bevilled top
of the spindle D. The button 6 which has to be rivetted to the fabric & has
on the under side a projection formed by making a cavity in the upper face,
and to this cavity is adapted a projection on the bottom of the sleeve E.
When the band lever H is elevated and thrown back the spindle D is raised
by the spiral spring h, carrying with it the sleeve E to such a height that it
cannot,interfere with the ready adjustment of the rivet, fabric, and button to
their places. The shank of the rivet G is passed through a hole in the fabric
and through the button, and the whole are so adjusted that the convex head
of the rivet will rest in a concave recess formed in the base A of the frame
immediately below the centre of the spindle D. In the end of the rivet's
shank is a conical recess adapted to the pointed end
When the lever H is depressed the excentric bevilled projection w will force
the spindle D downwards, thereby permitting the sleeve F to descend
simultaneously with the spindle, its projection a fitting into the cavity of
the button, which is thus caused to assume its proper horizontal position; at
the same time the pressing punch 6 takes its place in the conical recess in
the end of the rivet, and should the latter not be adjusted in a vertical position
of the pressing punch i.

page_text: in the first instance the descending pointed pressure punch will soon right.it
and adjust it to a proper position for receiving the final pressure, which..is
effected by a further depression of the hand lever. The moment this pressure
is applied the resistance presented by the rivet causes the bevilled edge of the
excentric projection w to bear with such force against one side of the conical
top of the spindle that the latter must turn simultaneously with the descent of
the punch, which expands the end of the rivet's shank and effectually secures
the button to the fabri. The effect of this combined pressing and turning
action of the punch on the shank of the rivet is very different from that of a
blow imparted to a spindle which does not turn, as the former plan is certain
to result in a uniform expansion of the end of the rivet's shank, which presents
a neat appearance, whereas a blow imparted to the punch might in many
cases distort the end of the shank, and render the same unsightly.
It will be observed on reference to Figure 4 that the cavity in the base A of
the frame for the reception of the rivet's head does not coinside with the
latter, but that the cavity is deeper than the head, so that the edges of the
latter will be forced upwards and compressed into the fabric when pressure is
applied to the rivet; the objectionable exposure of sharp edges is thus
avoided.
.
Teeth may be formed on the bevilled edge of the excentric projection w
for gearing into similar teeth on the conical top of the spindle to render
the turning of the latter certain, but this will be unnecessary if proper
care be taken in the formation of the bevilled edges of the excentric and
spindle.
.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention for "An Improved
Rivetting Press for Securing Buttons to Fabrics," together with the manner
in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as the Invention (com-
municated to me by the above-named Willoughby Hahn Reed),-
Firstly, the lever H in combination with the spindle D, having a pointed
projection i, when the lever is provided with a bevilled excentric projection w,
or its equivalent, and when the spindle is so constructed and arranged in
respect to the lever that on operating the latter the spindle will turn round
as it descends for the purpose specified.
Secondly, the combination of the spindle D, having a projection i adapted
to the rivet, with the sleeve E, having a projection adapted to the cavity in
the button, the whole being arranged for joint action substantially as and
for the purpose described.

page_text: Thirdly, the concavity so formed in the base A in respect to the head of
the rivet that on forcing the latter into the said concavity the edges of the
said head will be turned, up as and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Davies, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of
our Lord. One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
GEORGE DAVIES. (L.B.)