AN IMPROVEMENT IN BUTTONS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Poupard, of Wych Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN BUTTONS,
Sealed the 28th August 1857, and dated the 2nd March 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Poupard at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd March 1857.
I, WILLIAM POUPARD, of Wych Street, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
BUTTONS, AND MEANS OF FASTENING BUTTONS TO GARMENTS AND FABRICS," to be
as follows:-
My Invention consists in forming the backs of buttons in metal with an
aperture in the centre, and with a flap turned up at a point between the inner
and outer edge of the back; and the method of fastening buttons with such
backs to garments and fabrics consists of a metal pin, which is inserted
through the fabric, and then has one end inserted into the metal back on the
opposite side of the fabric through the central aperture in the back; the
opposite end of the pin is introduced through the opening left or afforded by
the raised flap, which, after the pin has been so introduced, is turned down,
and renders the fastening firm and complete. The pin forms a loop on the
side of the fabric opposite to that on which the button is placed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Poupard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd September 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
POUPARD, of Wych Street, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of March, in the year of our Lord Onc
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Poupard, Her special licence that I, the said William Poupard,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Poupard, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 IMPROVE-
LIENT IN BUTTONS, AND MEANS OF FASTENING BUTTONS TO GARMENTS AND FABRICS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Poupard, 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 William Poupard, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say-
My Invention consists in forming the backs of buttons in metal with an
aperture in the centre, and with a flap turned up at a point between the inner
and outer edge of the back; and the method of fastening buttons with such
backs to garments and fabrics consists in the employment of a metal pin,
which is inserted through the fabric, and then lias one end introduced into
the metal back on the opposite side of the fabric through the central aperture
in the back; the opposite end of the pin is introduced through the opening
left or afforded by the raised flap, which after the pin has been so introduced
is turned down and renders the fastening firm and complete. The pin forms

page_text: a loop on the side of the fabric opposite to that on which the button is
placed.
Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings is a top view or plan, and Figure 2 is
a view of the under side of one of these buttons. Figures 3 and 4 are sections
through the lines a, b, and c, d, of Figure 2 respectively; Figure 5 is an edge
view of the same; and Figure 6 shows the pin, tongue, or point. e is the
back or under side of the button, in the centre of which a hole f is formed.
In this back e are two cuts at or about right angles to one another, which
form the flap g. the edge of which is sufficiently raised from the back e to
allow the pin, shewn at Figure 6, to be admitted. h, h, are recesses formed
on the inner side of the back c.
To secure a button, the pin is first passed twice through the fabric, whereby
a sort of loop of the fabric is formed; both ends of the pin are then on the
side the button is to be fixed; one end of the pin is now introduced through
the aperture f in the centre of the metal back e; the loop formed in the
fabric likewise enters this aperture f, and the other end of the pin is placed
under the flap g, when the button is turned round until the pin enters the
recesses h, h; the flap g is then turned down, and the attachment is complete,
as seen in Figure 7.
Figure 8 is a view in plan, and Figure 9 in section, of a metallic cup, disc,
cone, or guard for protecting the fabric. To use this guard, the pin is first
passed through the material from the side at which the button is to be fixed;
the pin is then passed through the slots or holes formed in the guard; the
end of the pin is now again passed through the fabric, and the button attached,
in the manner before described. A view of this arrangement is given at
Figure 10. I do not confine myself to the employment of a flap for the
adinission of the pin as an opening without a flap will answer, neither do
I limit myself to the shape or form of button, as it may be altered at will.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the improvement
in buttons, and the means of fastening buttons to garments and fabrics,
herein-before described, and represented in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof I, the said William Poupard, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven.
WILLIAM POUPARD.
(L.S.)