Improvements in Collar Buttons, Studs, and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 29th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 14th May, 1898
Date of Application1, TOLUUTY, 1007
Complete Specification Left, 29th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 14th May, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Collar Buttons, Studs, and the like.
I, ACHILL BIPPART, of South Orange, Essex County, State of New Jersey,
in the United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:
My invention has reference to improvements in collar buttons, studs and the
like, and has for its object to provide an improved and durable form of button
or stud in which the front is not detachable; but is rotatable, upon the shank,
parallel with the back, and which can be cheaply and readily manufactured.
The construction is also adapted to hold the front securely and yet movably in
a position parallel with the flattened sides of the shank, or at right angles thereto,
so that it may be readily inserted in the button hole, or held securely from
disengagement with the same.
To this end my invention consists of a button or stud comprising a back having
a flattened shank attached rigidly thereto, a front connected with the shank by a
central pivot, a head upon the pivot to retain the front upon the shank, and a
spring arranged to co-operate with the head to hold the front in the two positions
required.
It has been common heretofore to form a shank with two members pressed
elastically toward one another and provided with a rectangular socket in which
a square pivot upon the front is held rotatably, and secured from displacement by
a head upon the pivot; but I am not aware that the head of the pivot has ever
been used in co-operation with a spring, as the means for holding the front in
positions at right angles to one another, as in my construction.
By my improvement I avoid the use of a split shank and I am enabled to conceal
the head (which holds the front rotatably) inside of the front or the back with the
spring which retains it in the desired position.
The shank is soldered, or otherwise attached, to the back in a usual manner,
and is provided at its outer end with a head and a contracted neck, which forms
a pivot upon the axial line of the shank, for the attachment of the front.
The front is made hollow and of oblong shape to pass conveniently through a
button hole, and its inner side is closed by a closing plate; within which is secured
a spring plate; the ends of the spring fitting the opposite ends of the hollow front,
which thus holds the spring transversely to the head.
The closing plate is provided with a central aperture or perforation, adapted
to fit the pivot or neck upon the shank; and the plate is split longitudinally for
nearly its entire length, by the slit, so that it can be sprung into position about the
neck, after which the front and plate are secured together in a usual manner, thus
closing the front, and securing the same movably upon the shank so that it may
turn, or be rotated, parallel to the back.
The head is provided with grooves placed at substantially right angles to each
other, which said grooves are tapered to admit the body of the spring plate, which
is adjusted to press elastically into such grooves and thus operates normally to

page_text: hold the front in either of two positions, at right angles to one another, upon the
shank.
The shank is made substantially rectangular or of flattened elliptical section, to
prevent the button from turning in the button hole when inserted therein. In
applying the collar button, the front is turned into the plane of the shank and
passed through the button hole; and when used for securing a collar, the ends of
the collar, having button holes, are then passed over the front, and the latter is
then turned in a plane at right angles to the shank and, consequently extends
across the line of button holes. The front is held against accidental displacement
by the pressure of the spring plate within the grooves in the head; the spring being
crowded out of the grooves by their tapering sides, when the front is rotated;
until the spring falls into the succeeding groove.
In the construction thus described, the pivot is rigid upon the shank and the
head and spring are enclosed within the front; but the head and spring may be
enclosed in the back of the button, by making the pivot within the shank. The
pivot is formed as a stem which is secured to the front and extended through the
interior of the shank, and through a closing plate upon the back; and the head
is attached to the pivotal stem within the closing plate, to retain the front
rotatably upon the shank. The spring plate is arranged within the back to co-
operate with transverse grooves upon the head, and as the back is circular, the
spring plate is modified (to prevent it from moving therein) by widening. one
end to contact with the rim of the back, and embracing to the opposite end
between pins.
Another modification is that in which the shank is hollow and its upper end
bellied outwardly upon its flat sides to substantially the width of the front; to
facilitate the unbuttoning of the collar. In this modification the head is formed
with a cylindrical stem which is inserted through the closing plate of the front,
and is afterward secured in a socket formed upon the outer end of the shank.
With such construction, the stem forms the pivot upon the shank, and does not
require that the closing plate of the front should be split; as a round hole in the
centre of the closing plate admits the insertion of the stem through
the closing plate, before such stem is secured in the shank.
If desired, the spring plate, instead of pressing directly in the grooves upon
the head, may be provided with a pyramidical projection adapted to press into the
intersection of the grooves upon the head; the corners of the pyramid thus serving
to hold the front rotatably in either of two positions.
From the above description it will be seen that in all the constructions illustrated,
the front is connected with the shank by a pivot and such pivot is provided with a
concealed head to retain the front in place, and a concealed spring is also employed
to co-operate with the head, so as to hold the front either in the plane of the shank
or at right angles thereto.
I therefore claim such construction without reference to the location of the spring
in the back or the front.
T 1
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100

page_text: this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement: -
My invention has reference to improvements in collar buttons, studs and the
like, and has for its object to provide an improved and durable form of button or
stud in which the front is not detachable; but is rotatable, upon the shank, parallel
with the back, and which can be cheaply and readily manufactured.
The construction is also adapted to hold the front securely and yet movably in
a position parallel with the flattened sides of the shank, or at right angles thereto,
so that it may be readily inserted in the button-hole, or held securely from
disengagement with the same.
To this end my invention consists in the combination in a button or stud having
its front mounted upon the shank to rotate in a plane parallel with its back, of a
back having a flattened shank attached thereto, a front connected with the shank
by a pivot having a concealed head for retaining the front in place and movable
only in a plane parallel with the plane of the back, a concealed spring arranged to
extend across and to engage with said head, and means formed on said head to
co-operate with the spring for holding the front either in the plane of the shank
or at right angles thereto.
The nature of the invention will be understood by reference to the annexe'l
drawings, in which :—
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation, partly in section where hatched, of a collar
button embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 shows the inner side of the front with a section of the shank on the
line 2-2 in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the button (looking toward the top of the shank)
with the front removed.
Fig. 4 is a view of the front, upon the inner side, in perspective.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the spring-plate 6, used within the front.
Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partly in section where hatched, of a modified form of
the button.
Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 in Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 is a face view of a modified form for the spring plate.
Fig. 9 is a side elevation, partly in section where hatched, of a second
modification.
Fig. 10 is an end elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 9.
Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the
several views of the drawings.
Referring at present to Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings, numeral 1 designates the
back of the button, 2, the shank, and 3, the front.
The shank is soldered or otherwise attached to the back 1 in a usual manner,
and is provided at its outer end with a head 4 and a contracted neck 5, which
forms a pivot upon the axial line of the shank for the attachment of the
front 3.
The front is made hollow and of oblong shape to pass conveniently through a
button-hole, and its inner side is closed by a closing plate 7, within which is
secured a spring plate 6, shown in detail in Fig. 5, the ends of the spring fitting
the opposite ends of the hollow front, which thus holds the spring transversely to
the head 4, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. This closing plate 7 holds the front 3
to the contracted neck 5 of the shank 2 to permit only a movement in a plane
parallel with the plane of the back, that is, the head cannot move in the
longitudinal direction of the shank.
The closing plate, as shown in Fig. 4, is provided with a central aperture or
perforation 8. adapted to fit the pivot or neck 5 upon the shank, and the plate is
split longitudinally for nearly its entire length by the slit 9 shown in Fig. 4, so
that it can be sprung into position about the neck after the front and plate are
secured together in a usual manner, thus closing the front and securing the same
movably upon the shank, so that it may turn or be rotated parallel to the back.
"

page_text: The head 4 is provided, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, with grooves 10 placed at
substantially right angles to each other, which said grooves are tapered to admit
the body of the spring plate 6, which is adjusted to press elastically into such
grooves and thus operates normally to hold the front in either of two positions at
right angles to one another upon the shauk.
The shank 2 is made substantially rectangular or of flattened elliptical section, to
prevent the button from turning in the button-hole, when inserted therein. In
applying the collar button, the front is turned into the plane of the shank, as
shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and passed through the button-hole, and when used for
securing a collar, the ends of the collar having button-holes are then passed
over the front, and the latter is then turned in a. plane at right angles to the
shank and consequently extends across the line of button-holes.
held against accidental displacement by the pressure of the spring plate 6 within
the grooves in the head 4, the spring being crowded out of the grooves by their
tapering sides when the front is rotated until the spring falls into the succeeding.
groove.
The front is
In the construction thus described, the pivot is rigid upon the shank and the
head 4 and spring 6 are enclosed within the front, but the head and spring may
be enclosed in the back of the button, by making the pivot movable within the
shank, which construction is shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In these figs. the pivot is
formed as a stem 11 which is secured to the front and extended through the
interior of the shank and through a closing plate 13 upon the back, and the
head 4 is attached to the pivotal stem within the closing plate to retain the front
rotatably upon the shank. The spring plate 6 is shown arranged within the
back to cooperate with transverse grooves 10 upon the head 4, and as the back is
circular, the spring plate is modified (to prevent it from moving therein) by
widening one end to contact with the rim of the back, and embracing the opposite
end between pins 12, the spring thus operating as already described with reference
to Fig. 1.
Another modification is shown in Figs. 9 and 10, in which the shank 2* is
shown hollow and its upper end bellied outwardly upon its flat sides to substantially
the width of the front 3, to facilitate the unbuttoning of the collar. In this
modification the head 4 is shown formed with a cylindrical stem 15, which is
inserted through the closing plate of the front, and is afterwards secured in a socket
formed upon the outer end of the shank. With such construction, the stem forms
the pivot upon the shank, and does not require that the closing plate of the front
should be split, as a round hole in the centre of the closing plate admits the
insertion of the stem through the closing plate before such stem is secured in
the shank.
If desired the spring plate, instead of pressing directly in the grooves upon the
head, may be provided, as shown in Fig. 8, with a pyramidical projection 14
adapted to press into the intersection of the grooves 10 upon the head 4, the
corners of the pyramid thus serving to hold the front rotatably in either of
two positions.
From the above description it will be seen that in all the constructions illus-
trated, the front is connected with the shank by a pivot and such pivot is provided
with a concealed head to retain the front in place, and a concealed spring is also
employed to cooperate with the head, so as to hold the front either in the plane
of the shank or at right angles thereto, and that the head is movable only in a
plane parallel with the plane of the back.
I have therefore claimed such construction without reference to the location of
the spring in the back or the front and without regard to the precise form shown
in the drawings for the spring and head.
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:-
1
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page_text: rotate in a plane parallel with the back, the combination with the back 1 having
the flattened shank 2 attached thereto, of a front connected with the shank by a
pivot having a concealed head for retaining the front in place and movable only
in a plane parallel with the plane of the back, a concealed spring arranged to
extend across and to engage with said head, and means formed on said head to
cooperate with the spring for holding the front either in the plane of the shank or
at right angles thereto, substantially as described.
2. In a button or stud having the front mounted upon the shank to rotate in
a plane parallel with the back, the combination with the back 1 having a flattened
shank 2 with axial pivot upon the end, of a hollow front having a closing plate with
the central perforation fitted to such pivot and permitting movement of the front
only in a plane parallel with the plane of the back, a spring plate located within
the front, and means formed upon the pivot to cooperate with the spring plate for
holding the front either in the plane of the shank or substantially at right angles
thereto, substantially as described.
3. In a button or stud having the front mounted upon the shank to rotate in
a plane parallel with the back, the combination with the back 1 having the
flattened shank 2 attached thereto with axial pivot upon the end, of a hollow front
having a split closing plate centrally perforated to fit upon the pivot and permitting
movement of the front only in a plane parallel with the plane of the back, a spring
plate extending across the interior of the front, and a pivot having within the
front a head having grooves at right angles adapted to be engaged by the spring
plate when the front is rotated, substantially as described.
Doted this 20th day of March 1900
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.