Improvements in and relating to Buttons.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Buttons.
I, NATHAN DWIGHT INGRAM, of No. 511 High Street, in the City of Holyoke,
County of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
sane is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in buttons for garments, and more
particularly to that class thereof which are secured to wearing apparel and similar
articles without sewing, and are detachable at will.
The object of this invention is to provide a button of the above named class,
of improved construction, and it consists in the improved details thereof, all
as hereinafter fully described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.
In the drawing forming part of this Specification,
and
Figures 1, 2, and 3 are plan views of the rear or collet sides of a button,
Figure 7 is a transverse section thereof about on line x-x, Figure 2, embodying
my improvements, said Figures 1, 2, and 3, showing the collet partly broken
away in order to clearly disclose the arrangement of that part of the button-
securing bar contained therein.
Figures 4 and 5 also show the collet partly broken away, and illustrate a
slightly different disposition of that part of the button securing bar therein, from
that shown in the preceding figures.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a section of one of the button collets,
illustrating certain essential structural features hereinafter described.
In the drawing a indicates the face of the button, and b, the rear side, or
collet thereof.
The button proper illustrated in the drawing is constructed preferably of sheet
metal as is usual in metal buttons, and embodies said two parts, viz., a face, and
a collet, these parts being united around their borders by crimping or folding
the border of one, say the face a, onto the border of the collet b, as shown
clearly in Figure 7, wherein the button is shown with its collet or rear side
upward. The folded over border in that figure being indicated by o.
The said face a, substantially, is of the description used in metal buttons. The
collet b, however, is constructed as follows, to co-operate with the button-securing
devices.
Figure 6 illustrates a portion of said collet, in which, as well as in Figures 2, 4, 5,
and 7, are clearly shown a slot f¹, and a notch z, in the inner border thereof. The
button fastening clement consists of a piece of spring wire, a portion e, of which.
is located in the interior of the button between the collet b, and the face a, thereof.
One extremity, of said wire, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 7, extends transversely
beneath a slot i, formed in the inner edge of the collet b, and is so bent as to lie,
normally, up against the inner wall of said collet, as shown in Figure 7. From
said end, the wire extends either in the form shown in Figures 1 and 2, around
near the border within the button, or it has the loop or loops formed therein,
shown in Figures 3 and 5. The looped construction is found, at times, to assist in
maintaining the wire steadily in position within the button.
A second slot m, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7, is formed in the border of the collet b,
opposite said slot i, through which the free end
of the wire passes.

page_text: Said end c, of the wire e, which is outside of the rear of the button, is bent to
about the form shown in Figure 7, to impart such shape thereto as renders it most
convenient to serve as the bar by which the button is attached to a garment or
other article. Said end or har c, has a pin-point, and is set to extend, normally,
somewhat laterally of the center of the button, and so that its point, when outside
of, and unattached to the collet b, rests beyond the extremity f, of the wire e, which
extends across the slot i, in the collet.
is
C is determined or maintained
The said position of the pointed end of the wire
by its engagement in said slot m, in the border of the collet.
The said pointed end of the wire c, is also set to stand, when free, up away from
the collet b, substantially in the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 7.
In operating the button to attach it to a garment, the point of the bar
entered into and through the fabric and its free eud is then swung laterally against
its spring resistance, over and downward through the slot i, forcibly against the
end of the wire beneath said slot, deflecting the same, and then moving the point
of the bar c, along over said end f, to a position beyond the same, as shown in
Figure 2, and in that position the bar becomes engaged in a notch, which serves,.
in addition to the extremity f, of the wire e, which acts as a spring-latch, to prevent
the pointed end of the bar c, from becoming disengaged, whereby the button could
be separated from the garment.
If preferred, the notch z, may he emitted from the collet in the constructions
shown in Figures 1, 2, and 7, in which the extremity f, of the wire within the
collet, passes under the slot i.
In the constructions, however, shown in Figures 4 and 5, in which the end of
the wire e, does not extend across said slot i, the notch z, is essential to the
maintenance of the pointed bar c, in the button-retaining position illustrated in
said last-named figures.
From the foregoing it will be seen that the described construction relative to
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 7, ensures the most complete results as to the absolute security
of the button-fastening or attachment, for the pointed bar c, can not be disengaged
from the collet b, without first depressing the end f, of wire e, then deflecting the
pointed end of said bar clear of the notch z, and swinging it over said end f, into
the slot i.
In manipulating the construction shown in Figures 4 and 5, the point of bar c,
to fasten it to the collet, is simply passed through slot i, and is swung into notch z,
partly by hand force, and partly by the spring action of the bar itself, under the
tendency it has, when moved laterally from its normal position, to spring back. Thus
the bar is held in the securing notch, but not so firmly as it is held against detachment
when guarded by the extremity f, of wire e.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A button comprising a face and a netal collet, combined with a fastening
element therefor for attaching the same to a garment or similar object, consisting
of a coil of wire in the button having one end emerging therefrom through a slot in
one edge of the collet, with which slot said end is normally engaged, said end
extending across the under side of the button for engagement by its extremity
under the opposite edge of the collet, substantially as set forth.
2. A button comprising a face, and a metal collet having two oppositely located
slots in its inner border, combined with a fastening bar for said button normally
engaging in one of said slots aud having a free, pointed extremity to be deflected
and passed through said second slot and engaged under the opposite edge of said
collet, said bar being continuous of a coil between said face and collet, substantially
as set forth.
3. A button comprising a face and a metal collet having two oppositely located
slots in its inner border, combined with a fastening bar for said button normally

page_text: engaging in one of said slots, and having a free pointed extremity to be deflected
and passed through said slot and engaged under the opposite edge of said collet,
said bar being continuous of a coil between said face aud collet, the inner end of
said coil extending across said last-named collet-slot and being spring-held against
the inner surface of the collet, substantially as set forth.
4. A button comprising a face, and a metal collet having two oppositely located
slots m and f1, in its inner border, and a notch a, therein near said slot f', combined
with a fastening bar for said button normally engaged in said slot m, and extending
therefrom across the button and having a free pointed extremity to be deflected
and passed through said slot f¹, and engaged in said notch, substantially as set
forth.
5. A. button comprising a face and a metal collet, combined with a fastening
element therefor for attaching the same to a garment or similar object, consisting
of a coil of wire in the button having one end emerging therefrom at one edge of
the collet, said end extending across the under side of the button for engagement
by its extremity under the opposite edge of the collet, that part of said coil between.
the face and collet having one or more loops therein, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 6th day of December 1895.
NATHAN DWIGHT INGRAM.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.