Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1893

page_text: grinding and driving spindles can be properly adjusted and centered with relation
to the chuck, while as will be seen, the grinding spindle is made readily removeable
from position, so that it can be easily replaced by other spindles when the grinding
wheel has worn enough to make that desirable, or when a different shape or size
of grinding wheel is to be used. These grinding wheels are made of any suitable
material, such as emery or corundum, and are secured on the grinding spindles
illustrated in Figure 2, by a nut and screw-thread clamping the grinding wheel
against a shoulder on the spindle. The grinding wheels are given various configu-
ratious for forming the faces and backs of pearl buttons two shapes different from
that shown in Figure 2, being illustrated by Figures 5 and 6.
h
89
Between the boxes e e¹ the driving spindle G' is provided with a pulley / connected
by a belt with a pulley carried by a shaft upon the top of the plate C, which
shaft has another pulley connected by a belt, not shown, with the driving shaft,
the pulleys and belts being arranged to give the driving spindle a high rate of
speed. The belt is shown as running over an adjustable idler by which the
belt can be tightened. Guard-fingers h³ are provided to prevent contact with the
running belt ¹.
By mounting the grinding spindle upon an adjustable carrying plate the position
of the grinding wheel with reference to the chuck can be adjusted, so as to secure
the best position for the efficient and rapid working of the machine, and also to
allow that position to be changed to adapt the machine to operate with grinding
wheels of different diameters and with button blanks of different thicknesses so
that buttons of various sizes and styles can be made upon the same machine.
In the frame B beneath the table A is mounted the chuck spindle H, which is
stepped at its lower end on the outer end of a pivotted arm H, and is thrown
upwardly by a treadle H' against the tension of a spring H³. This vertical chuck
spindle passes through guiding-bearings ii, upon the frame and carries at its upper
end the chuck-head I. This chuck-head is a cylindrical block having three slots *
cut longitudinally in its sides at points equidistant around its circumference.
Arms I are pivotted at their lower ends in these slots and project upwardly to
points near the upper end of the chuck-head I, where they engage, by means of
pins, with blocks I working in radial slots in the upper end of the chuck block.
To the radial blocks I are secured three plates 1' forming the gripping jaws of the
chuck, these plates being shaped to leave at their inner approaching edges a circular
opening to receive the button-blank. The gripping plates 1' are removeably
secured to the sliding blocks 1' by any suitable means, such as a screw and pin, as
shown, so that gripping plates giving different sizes of central openings and having
different thicknesses may be substituted in order to adapt the machine for forming
buttons of various sizes and styles. When the chuck spindle is at the lower limit
of its movement the clamping plates 13 are on a level with the surface of table A,
or nearly so, so that the button blanks k (Figure 7) can be readily pushed by the
fingers of the operator over the table and into the chuck opening without picking
them up. Surrounding the chuck head I and embracing the arms l' is a collar K
grooved on its outer surface and connected by a suitable loose band with guide
blocks working on vertical pins k² and drawn downwardly by spiral springs
the pins and the springs being attached at their lower ends to a stationary
part of the frame, as shown in Figures 1 and 7. The arms I¹ are thrown outwardly
against the collar K by springs located back of them in the slots, and these arms
incline outwardly below the collar K, so that when the chuck spindle is moved
upwardly, the arms I¹ move for a limited distance through the collar, which forces
the arms inwardly until the plates 13 clamp the button blank when the further
movement of the arms through the collar is arrested and the collar moves upwardly
with the arms against the tension of the springs. When the chuck spindle drops
again, the blocks k' strike stationary blocks on the pins and arrest the further
downward movement of the collar before the chuck spindle reaches the limit of its
downward movement, so that the arms I will slide to a limited distance out of the
collar and will be released, throwing the clamping plates l'outwardly and releasing

page_text: the button blank. A cup, l, at the lower end of the chuck-head I is intended to
receive any dust that may work down through the table around the chuck and
prevent it from reaching the bearings beneath the table.
The chuck spindle H is provided above the bearing i with a conical friction
wheel L, when the chuck spindle is thrown upwardly, the conical wheel L engages
with another conical friction wheel M which is sleeved on a spindle M' parallel
with the chuck spindle H.
The friction wheels may be made of any suitable material and construction,
the wheel L being shown for illustration as made of iron, while the wheel M is
built up of paper wood, leather or similar material. The conical friction wheel M
carries at its upper end a pulley M* which is connected by a belt, not shown, with
a driving shaft. The wheel M and pulley M2 are capable of vertical movement
on the spindle M', being pressed downwardly by a spiral spring m.
The friction wheel M being constantly rotated as explained, by connection with
a power shaft, only imparts its movement to the chuck spindle when that spindle is
thrown upwardly so as to bring the wheels L and M into contact, when the two
friction wheels are carried upwardly together for a short distance against the tension
of the spring m so as to ensure a firm contact between the wheels.
Passing vertically through the chuck spindle and the chuck-head is a stationary
rod N which passes at its lower end through a part n of the frame, in which it is
adjustably secured by the nuts n'. This rod at its upper end projects centrally into
the blank opening of the chuck, so that when the chuck drops down the rod N will free
the button from the clamping plates. This rod is so adjusted at its lower end that it
projects very slightly above the end of the chuck-head upon which the button-blank
rests, so as not to interfere with the ready placement of the button-blank in the
chuck opening, the function of the rod being only to start the button from its position
when the chuck drops downwardly and prevent it from sticking in the jaws of the
chuck. A tray o is shown at the left hand side of the table A in Figure 1 for
holding the button blanks, although the table itself may be made large enough for
that purpose.
To the right hand side of the table is attached a discharge tube p, into which
the buttons are pushed as they are slid out of the chuck and which delivers them into
a proper receptacle. Dust suction pipes, not shewn are used with the machine to
carry off the dust during the grinding operation, as is well understood in connection
with machinery where similar operations are performed.
The operation of the machine will now be readily understood. The power
connections being made to the pulleys and M³, the grinding wheel will be rotated
at a high rate of speed, while the friction pulley M will be rotated at a slower rate
of speed, and the chuck will be at rest. The operator sitting or standing in front
of the machine and having the tray o filled with circular button-blanks of a definite
size for the particular button for which the machine at the time is adjusted, slides
one of the blanks with his fingers across the table into the circular chuck opening.
The operator then depresses the treadle H2, throwing upwardly the chuck spindle.
The first effect of this movement is to cause the button blank to be grasped by the
chuck as it rises through the table A. This effect is produced by the sliding of the
arms I through the collar K, when the chuck in its further upward movement
carries the collar along with it, the loose band around the collar permitting of the
rotation of the collar with the chuck. The friction cone L on the chuck spindle.
then comes into contact with the friction cone M connected with the power shaft,
and the chuck spindle is made to rotate in a plane perpendicular to that of the
grinding wheel, or in other words at right angles with the shaft of the grinding
wheel. The continued depression of the treadle H* carries the cone-wheels up
together, and the rotating pearl button-blank is brought in contact with the rotating
grinding wheel which gives its surface the desired configuration. The operator
then releases the treadle, the chuck spindle falls back to its position of rest, causing
in this movement first, a disconnection between the cone friction wheels, second a
release of the chuck arms from the encircling collar, and lastly, a loosening of the

page_text: button from the chuck by the rod N. The operator now slides the button out of
the chuck opening and moves it across the table into the discharge pipe and at
the same time or subsequently moves another button-blank into the chuck opening.
The operation of the machine is then repeated.
The rapidity with which the button-blanks can be handled and operated upon
and the buttons discharged, is greatly increased by the fact that the grinding wheel
and chuck are located in a vertical plane so that the blauks can be brought into
position and the buttons can be discharged by sliding them across a horizontal table
or plate and without the necessity of picking them up. The automatic chuck,
which is normally out of connection with the source of power but is brought into
connection with it as it rises and grasps the button, also greatly facilitates the work
of the operator.
While the features of the present invention are shown in connection with a
machine which is not entirely automatic but requires an operator to place and
remove the blanks and to raise and lower the chuck, the several features of invention
are also applicable to an automatic machine; and it is also evident that various
changes in the detail of the construction and arrangement of the parts can be made
without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to, be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1. In a pearl button forming machine, the combination with a rotating grinding
wheel, of a vertical chuck spindle carrying a horizontal chuck, a horizontal table
or plate with whose surface the chuck is flush, or nearly so, means for moving
the chuck vertically above the table or plate and towards the grinding wheel,
means for opening and closing the chuck operated by its movement, and a
power connection with the chuck spindle brought into operation by the forward
movement of the chuck, substantially as set forth.
2. In a pearl button forming machine, the combination with the rotating
grinding wheel of a chuck moveable towards and away from said wheel, arms
pivotted in the chuck-head carrying the clamping plates, and a collar encircling
said arms and forcing them inwardly as the chuck is moved forward substan-
tially as set forth.
3. In a pearl button forming machine, the combination with the moving chuck,
of the pivoted arms carrying the chucking plates, the encircling collar, and the
springs connecting said collar with the frame substantially as set forth.
4. In a pearl button forming machine, the combination with the chuck moveable
towards and away from the grinding wheel, of a stationary rod passing through the
chuck and loosening the blanks from the chuck as it moves backwards substantially
as set forth.
5. In a pearl button forming machine, the combination with the rotating grinding
wheel, of the automatic chuck mounted upon a moveable spindle, and the cone
friction wheels connecting the chuck spindle with the power as the chuck is moved
forward, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 24th day of January 1803.
B. J. B. MILLS,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.