CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTONS OR OTHER SUCH FASTENINGS, AND IN APPLY- ING OR AFFIXING THEM TO WEARING APPAREL
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Joseph Smith, of Stretford, in the
County of Lancaster, Salesman, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTONS OR OTHER SUCH FASTENINGS, AND IN APPLY-
ING OR AFFIXING THEM TO WEARING APPAREL."
Sealed the 9th November 1858, and dated the 7th September 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Joseph
Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his.
Petition, on the 7th September 1853.
I, WILLIAM JOSEPH SMITH, of Stretford, in the County of Lancaster,
Salesman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CER-
TAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTONS OR OTHER SUCH FASTENINGS, AND IN AP-
PLYING OR AFFIXING THEM TO WEARING APPAREL," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates, firstly, to a new form or construction of button;
and, secondly, to a new method of applying or affixing the same to
wearing apparel, so as to supersede the ordinary method of affixing
them by sewing. The button, which may be of metal or other material,
is dished or hollowed, and has one large hole in the centre thereof.
The button is attached to the wearing apparel by means of a hollow

page_text: rivet and washer. The rivet is formed with a flange. The neck of the
rivet being passed through the hole in the button, and through the cloth
or other material, the washer is placed over the end of the same, and
rivetted by means of a punch or otherwise. The hollow rivet inay (if
preferred) form part of the button itself.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Joseph Smith in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 7th March 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM JOSEPH SMITH, of Stretford, in the County of Lancaster,
Salesman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said William Joseph Smith, Her
especial license that I, the said William Joseph Smith, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Joseph Smith, 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 Inven-
tion for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTONS OR OTHER SUCH FASTENINGS,
AND IN APPLYING OR AFFIXING THEM TO WEARING APPAREL," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Joseph Smith, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Joseph Smith, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: sanic is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is
to say):
My Invention relates, first, to a novel formation or construction of
button; and, secondly, to a new method of applying or affixing the same
to wearing apparel in general. The button or button top, which may
be made of metal or other material, is either dished or hollowed out
or flat, and has one large hole (which may be of about one third its
diameter) in the contre thereof. The button is to be attached or affixed
to the wearing apparel by means of a hollow rivet (formed as a small
tube) and washer. The rivet may be formed with a flange or may be
simply tubular. The neck of the rivet being passed through the hole in
the centre of the button, and through the cloth or other material to
which the button is to be affixed, the washer is placed over the end of
the same at the back of the cloth, and the whole of these three pieces
rivetted or closed together by compression, either by a suitable punch
struck by the hand or by a small press adapted to this purpose, as may
be found most desirable, or the hollow rivet may, if preferred, form part
of the button itself, so that it would in such case only comprise two
pieces, the button and the washer.
In order that my Invention may be perfectly understood I have
attached to these presents a small Drawing, shewing clearly the details
of my improvements. Fig. 1. is a plan view of the button; Fig. 2, a
section taken through the middle of the same. a, a, is the button; b,
the hollow rivet and c, the washer; (each shown detached below); and
, d, is the cloth or other material to which the button is to be affixed
by rivetting the whole together by means of a blow from a punch or
other tool passed through the centre. In Fig. 3, a, u, is the button top;
1. the hollow rivet, which in this mode of application has a slight metallic
top or cap either detached and placed over it, or it may be soldered on
to the hollow rivet, or punched on at the time of closing up the whole.
that is, affixing the button to the cloth as may be found most conve-
nient; this peculiar construction of button being particularly applicable
in such cases where the hole in the top requires to be made up or
closed so as to prevent the admission of water, as in boots, &c., besides

page_text: allowing for cheap ornamentation of the centre of the button, by em-
bossing, patterns thereon by a die formed on or in the central punch,
and effected simultaneously with the operation of closing or affixing the
whole to the-cloth or other material.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark, in
conclusion, that I claim as of my Invention the novel and peculiar
improvements in buttons or other such fastenings, and in applying or
affixing them to wearing apparel, substantially as herein described and
set forth and exhibited in the Drawings attached.
In witness whereof,' I, the said William Joseph Smith, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Sixth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One, thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
....
WILLIAM JOSEPH SMITH. (L.B.)
WILLIAM JOSEPH SMITH. (L.B.)