IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Keats, of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Boot
Manufacturer, the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF BUTTONS."
Sealed the 7th September 1875, and dated the 17th March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Keats at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th March 1875.
I, JOHN KEATS, of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Boot Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements on a Patent granted to me
and bearing date September 17th 1874, No. 3179, in the Provisional
Specification of which I have described a mode of making buttons from
thin sheet metal.
The present application relates to the production of a better class of
article, and consists chiefly in obtaining a solid button which will admit
of being wormed into the fabric either through a punched hole or a

page_text: button hole, or through the meshes of the fabric, and securely attached to
the fabric when required by simple pressure. To this end if it is desired
to produce, say, a plain metal button with a solid head, I take a piece of
metal of suitable size; and by a lathe or equivalent means I shape the
head and turn down the metal to form the stem or shank of the button,
leaving thereon two flanges, one of which constitutes the termination
of the stem, while the other is situate at such distance therefrom as
will suit the thickness of the fabric to which the button is to be applied;
or I produce the same by means of casting. In the lower flange I drill
an excentric inclined hole and make a diagonal cut therefrom through
the flange.
When preparing buttons that are intended to be permanently attached
to the fabric, I separate, by bending the pointed portions of the lower
slit flange, so as to form out of this flange a kind of screw thread. By
inserting the pointed end of the lower flange into the fabric, and giving
the button a whole turn, the fabric will be embraced by the two flanges
of the button. The lower flange may then be pressed down upon the
fabric, and the button will be secured in place. When preparing
detachable buttons for dresses, cuffs, and like articles, I make a broad
tangential cut from the excentric hole through the flange, and omit the
bending of the flange. A button of this construction will admit of
being readily withdrawn from a button hole of half the usual size, and
it will be far less liable to fall out of place than studs of the ordinary
construction.
It will be understood that the button will admit of ornamentation by
way of embossing the head, or covering it with thin metal or horn, or
other material.
When applying the Invention to the manufacture of bone or pearl
buttous, I form the stem and its flanges of metal as described, but
without a head, and the upper end of the stem I hollow out, or other-
wisc shape, so that it will spread on pressure being applied thereto in
the direction of the axis of the stem. The under side of the bone or
pearl head I countersink at the centre to receive the stem, and by the
application of pressure I cause the stem to spread in the countersunk
hole and effect a firm junction with the head. This arrangement
applics also where the head, of whatever material it is made, is required
to. be of much larger diameter than the flanges.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Keats in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 17th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JoпN
KEATS, of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Boot Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Keats, Her special licence
that I, the said John Keats, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Keats, 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Keats, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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 John Keats, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say) :-
This Invention relates to improvements on a Patent granted to me
and bearing date September Seventeenth, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-four, No. 3179, in the Specification of which I have

page_text: The present application relates to the production of a better class of
article, and consists chiefly in obtaining a solid button which will admit
of being wormed into the fabric either through a punched hole or a
button hole, or through the meshes of the fabric, and securely attached
to the fabric when required by simple pressure. This solid button, as
manufactured according to my Invention, is illustrated, in the accom-
panying Drawings. The Figures show it as made wholly of metal in its
plain and ornamental form, also with a pearl or bone head.
Fig. 1 shows in several views a plain solid metal button reduced from
a piece of metal of a suitable size by means of a lathe or equivalent
cutting and shaping device. a is the head formed by turning down the
metal; is the stem or shank of the button; and c, d, the two flanges (the
latter of which constitutes the termination of the stem). These flanges
arc situate at such a distance apart as will suit the thickness of
fabric to which the button is to be applied, or I produce the same by
means of casting. In the lower flange I drill an excentric hole and
make a diagonal cut therefrom through the flange, as shewn best in the
sectional Figure. I then separate by bending the pointed portions of
the lower flange, so as to form out of this flange a kind of screw thread.
By inserting the pointed end of the lower flange into the fabric and
giving the button a whole turn the fabric will be embraced by the two
flanges of the button as already explained.
When preparing detachable buttons for dresses, cuffs, and like articles,
I make a broad tangential cut from the excentric hole through the
flange, as shown in Figure 2, which is an under side plan view, and
omit the bending of the flange. It will be seen that on inserting the
point of the flange and turning the button in the direction of the arrow
there will be comparatively little strain upon the material until the
line 1, 1, is reached. From this line to the complete insertion of the
flange the hole or slit in the material will be extended, and the material
after the insertion of the flange will, by its elasticity, clasp the stem
sufficiently to prevent its playing too freely, and rendering the button
uncomfortable to the wearer. The upper flange will, it should be
remarked, enable this stud or button to resist accidental side strain, and
remove the risk of the points of the lower flanges injuring the wearer
of the stud. A button of this construction will admit of being readily
withdrawn from a button hole of half the usual size, and it will be

page_text: far less liable to fall out of place than studs of the ordinary con-
struction.
The solid button will admit of ornamentation by way of embossing
the head, or covering it with thin metal; an illustration of this is given
at Figures 3, which represent in partial sectional elevation and plan view
a button covered by embossed sheet metal.
When applying the Invention to the manufacture of bone or pearl
buttons I from the stem and the flanges of metal as described with
reference to Fig. 1, but without a head, and the upper end of the stem
I hollow out or otherwise shape, so that it will spread on pressure being
applied thereto in the direction of the axis of the stem. The under side
of the bone or pearl head I countersink at the centre to receive the stem,
and by the application of pressure I cause the stem to spread in the
countersunk hole and effect a firm junction with the head. This modi-
fication is illustrated at Figures 4, which show a pearl head button in
partial section, and also the countersunk head in inverted plan view.
This arrangement of stem expanding into a countersunk hole applies
also where the head, of whatever material it is made, is required to be
of much larger diameter than the flanges.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements
in the Manufacture of Buttons," and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above
in part recited Letters Patent I claim, the manufacture of solid double
flanged buttons in the manner and for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Keats, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
TATAL
רדד