Improvements in Buttons or Fasteners for Securing Doors and Windows.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Nov., 1886.
Complete Left, 29th Aug., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 30th Sept., 1887
Improvements in Buttons or Fasteners for Securing Doors and
Windows.
I, FRANCIS ROBERT BAKER of Arcade Chambers Snow Hill Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has for its object principally to simplify the construction, and to
render more convenient and efficient when in use, fasteners for doors and windows,
commonly known as buttons; and which said fasteners or buttons are commonly
employed for securing doors, cupboards, windows and other like objects; and consists
essentially of an incline sided circular boss, with a spring or yielding middle, which
admits of the button being moved aside, on the edge of a door striking it when closed.
In carrying out my invention, I take a circular boss having its edges or front side
inclined or chamfered off into a coned figure, with its front face slightly sunken below
the front of the incline, and with its back face left plain and through the middle or
axis of the said coned stud, a sleeve or pipe with extended flanged ends, passes.
The hole in the middle of the button is considerably larger than the sleeve, so as to
allow the button which is yielding, to be moved aside on being struck by the edge of
a door; and between the outside of the sleeve, and the inside of a bushed or recessed
middle of the button, a volute or ribband spring is disposed, which keeps the button
always in a central position with respect to its affixing axis, when pressure is
relieved from it. Thus when the inclined sides of the button are struck by a door, it
moves out of the way, and allows the said door to close, but on pressure being
relieved, the button returns to its normal position by the action of the spring, and
secures the door, by the overlapping of the back face or back of the button.
The pipe or axis may be supported centrally and kept in position, and allows the
button to yield, by a coiled or other spring, or by a rubber washer kept in position by
a back plate.

page_text: The button is affixed in position by a long screw or nail passing through the
central axis of the pipe, which thus allows the said button to rotate upon its affixing
expedient, as a centre; and further, the back of the button is prevented from coming
into direct contact with the object on which it is secured.
Instead of employing a spring for bringing back the button to its normal position,
I employ in conjunction with the button, an incline slotted plate, and within the said
slot, a necked stud or headed pin on the back of the button works and slides; thus
when a door strikes the button, it slides away up the inclined slot, and on pressure of
the door being relieved, the button returns again down the slot to its normal position,
by gravity or by its own weight.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Buttons or Fasteners for Securing Doors and
Windows.
I, FRANCIS ROBERT BAKER of Arcade Chambers, Snow Hill, Birmingham in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The object of my said invention, is to simplify the construction, and to render
more convenient and efficient when in use, fasteners for doors and windows, commonly
known as button fasteners.
The button fastener consists of an inclined sided and annular bottom like boss, with
a spring or yielding centre part, which admits of the fastener being moved aside, on
being struck upon its edge, by a door.
Thus, I take a circular boss, preferably coned inwardly, from back to front, and
with its front face slightly sunken below the front edge of tlie incline.
The front face as aforesaid, has an enlarged middle part or hole, and through which,
the sleeve or pipe, with the extended flanged ends, passes. This hole is considerably
larger than the diameter of the sleeve, so as to allow the button fastener, which is
yielding, to move aside, on being struck by the edge of a door.
Enclosed within the shell of the button fastener, is a volute, ribband, or other
spring, disposed preferably spirally around, and connected at its inner end, to the
sleeve or pipe as aforesaid, while the outer end is connected to the inside part of the
shell of the fastener; so that on a screw or nail being passed through the bushed
sleeve or pipe, the button admits of changing its position in any direction; so that on
its inclined sides being struck by a door, it moves momentarily aside, or out of the

page_text: way, until the door has passed it, when it again returns automatically to its normal
position, by the centralising action of the spring.
Instead of employing a metallic spring, a yielding rubber washer disposed centrally
may be employed instead; and instead of the button fastener acting or moving in any
direction, it may be made to take a determinate course, by connecting the affixing
screw movably with it. This I do, by making the inner end of the attachment screw
or spike, work within a longitudinal groove, and with the said inner end, also
encircled by a spring.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawing, the
manner in which the same is to be performed.
Figure represents in front elevation, a button fastener made according to this
invention. Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same, upon the dotted
lines A B figure 1; this sectional view also shows the button fastener affixed to a
door, by a screw or pin passing through the bushed or piped middle part. Figure 3
represents a front elevation, like that of figure 1, but with the front flange of the pipe
partially removed, in order to exhibit the piercing thereunder, to adinit of the
fastener moving laterally, or away, when struck by a door. Figure represents a
horizontal section upon the dotted lines CD figure 2, thus exhibiting the yielding or
pliant centre, about which the fastener universally moves.
4
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of
the drawing.
a is the shell or body of the fastener, pierced at front and back, with a central hole
or opening a², wherethrough a bushed sleeve or hollow axis passes, which is
provided with extended flanged ends, which cover over and enclose the front and
back middle piercings a³, as aforesaid; and enclosed within the said shell or hollow
part of the fastener, is a volute, coiled or other spring c, whose inner end c², is
fixedly secured to the bushed sleeve or hollow axis, while its outer end 6³, is secured
to the inside of the outer part of the shell of the fastener. is a screw pin or spike,
which passes through the bushed sleeve or hollow axis, and secures the fastener to
the framing of a door, and with the edge of the fastener, overhanging the edge of the
frame.
The periphery of the edge of the fastener is inclined or chamfered off, so that the
door striking it upon the said incline, it retreats backwards, and allows the door to
close, and when closed, the fastener returns to its normal position, and secures the
door.
Figure 5 represents in front elevation, and figure 6 in back elevation, another form
of my invention. Figure 7 is a transverse vertical section of the same on the dotted
lines EF figure 5, while figure 8 represents a front elevation, with the top plate
removed, and figure 9 represents a horizontal section taken at right angles to that of
figure 7.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in figures 1 to 9.
a is the shell of the fastener, a² is the front part, and a³ the back part; and with
the periphery or boundary edges a inclined or chamfered off, and against which
incline, the edge of a door strikes on being closed.
The back of the fastener has a longitudinal slot a³, wherein the shank end of a
screw d works. The inner end of this screw is movably connected to a fixed guide
plate a having a longitudinal slot a', corresponding to the slot a in the back as
aforesaid, and within which said slot a², the inner end d², of the said screw d, slides,
and is kept in position, or up to its bearing, by back and front collars d³.
Surrounding the inner end of the shank, is a spring c, attached at its inner end to
the screw, and at its outer end to the shell of the fastener.
In attaching the button fastener to a door, rotate it in a forward direction, when
the screw which is movably connected to it, is driven home into the wood of a door
frame and when in position, the longitudinal slots are disposed in the direction of the
motion which the fastener is designed to take.
Instead of an evolved spring, or a coiled spring being employed and compressed,
flat bow springs may be substituted therefor.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :—
First. An automatic button fastener, for doors, and windows, with a yielding, or
spring suspended middle part, which is free to move in the same plane, in all
directions, or in only a determinate direction, on its edge, or its inclined edge being
struck by a closing door, substantially as set forth.
Secondly A button fastener, for doors and windows, consisting of a shell or
body, back and front piercings a², flanged ended sleeve or hollow axis b,, encircled
by, and connected to the inner end of a volute or coiled spring, whose outer end is
fixedly connected to the fastener shell or body, and which said button fastener acts
automatically, and is constructed, arranged and combined, substantially as described
and illustrated in figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawing.
Thirdly. A button fastener for doors and windows, consisting of a shell or
body a, a, a, with back slot a³, which works longitudinally upon a screw or spike,
whose inner end is movably connected to, and works within a longitudinal slot a
carried by a back plate a; and which said screw or spike is encircled or surrounded
by, and connected to, or influenced by a spring or the inner end of a spring or
springs, whose outer end or ends, is or are connected to, or take their bearings upon
the fastener body or shell, substantially as described and set forth in figures 5, 6, 7, 8
and 9.