IMPROVEMENTS IN SHANKED BUTTONS
Year: 1886

page_text: We, JOHN PEMBERTON TURNER and WILLIAM SPITTLE both of Snow Hill
Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHANKED BUTTONS," to" be as
follows:-
Our invention consists in so forming or constructing buttons, that the base or
attachment plate of the shank lies within a trough or channel crossing the back of
the button in such a way, that the eye or hole of the shank is disposed in the same
plane as the channel, while the shank itself is lowered relative to the back of the
button.
By thus reducing the height of the shank, a button is made to lie much closer
to a garment than when the shank plate rests upon the back of an ordinary
button.
In carrying out our invention, we proceed as follows.
Crossing the back or underside of the button, we form a sunken channel or
recess; and within this channel, the shank of the button is secured upon a base or
attachment plate, which takes of the conformation of the channel; that is, the
shank attachment plate seats itself within the sunken back, with the eye or hole
of the shank lying in the longer direction of the channel.
By attaching the base of the shank within the middle of a channel or groove
as described, buttons so provided, can be readily and expeditiously sewn to a
garment, as the needle can take a direct course up the channel and through the eye
of the shank, without the necessity of inclining the needle; and further, the said
buttons when attached to a garment, they stand out, but only to a short distance,
as the top of the shank is only a little beyond the back of the button, the actual
shank or eye lying crosswise within the middle of the channel.
1000
JOHN PEMBERTON TURNER.
WILLIAM SPITTLE.
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham,
Agent to the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Shanked Buttons.
We, JOHN PEMBERTON TURNER and WILLIAM SPITTLE both of Snow Hill
Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHANKED BUTTONS," and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
Our invention consists in so forming or constructing buttons, that the base or
attachment plate of the shank lies within a trough or channel crossing the back of
the button in such a way, that the eye or hole of the shank is disposed in the same
plane as the channel, while the shank itself is lowered relative to the back of the
button.
By thus reducing the height of the shank, a button is made to lie much closer
to a garment than when the shank plate rests upon the back of an ordinary
button.
In carrying out our invention, we proceed as follows.
Crossing the back or underside of the button, we form a sunken channel or
recess; and within this channel, the shank of the button is secured upon a base
or attachment plate, which takes of the conformation of the channel; that is, the
shank, attachment plate seats itself within the sunken back with the eye or hole
of the shank lying in the longer direction of the channel.
=
By attaching the base of the shank within the middle of a channel or groove
as described, buttons so provided, can be readily and expeditiously sewn to a
garment, as the needle can take a direct course up the chanuel and through the
eye of the shank, without the necessity of inclining the needle; and further, the
said buttons when attached to a garment, they stand out but only to a short
distance, as the top of the shank is only a little beyond the back of the button, the
actual shank or eye lying crosswise within the middle of the channel.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing
the manner in which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 shows in side elevation a button provided with improvements made
according to our invention. Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same, and
figure 3 is a plan. Figure 4 represents a part section upon the dotted lines A B
figure 3, and figure 5 represents the body of the button separately, and figure 6
the shank separately. Figure 7 is a plan of the shank plate, and figure 8 is a
longitudinal vertical section of the said shank plate. Figure 9 represents our
improvements applied to a different form of button.
a is the body of the button having upon its underside a sunken channel or
recess b, and within this channel the loop of the shank c is secured. D is the base
or attachment plate, of the same configuration as the channel, and to which said
plate the shank ĉ is secured; so that the eye or hole in the shank of the latter, is
in the same direction as the trough in the former.
By forming the backs or undersides of buttons as described, the height of the
shank is greatly reduced, and the button to which it is attached, is made to lie
closer to a garment, which is unattainable in buttons of the ordinary kind; and
4

page_text: further, buttons provided with channels or grooves on their undersides are very
readily and expeditiously sewn to a garment, as the needle for sewing on can take
a direct course up the channel and through the eye of the shank, without the
necessity of inclining it.
The shank instead of being secured to a base plate, it may be made to embed or
secure itself within the material of the body of the button; such for example, as
glass, vulcanite or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
Forming or sinking within the under or attachment side of buttons, a cross
channel or groove, wherein a shank, eye or other attachment part (with or without
a base plate) lies crosswise, substantially as and for the purpose herein-described
and set forth.