Improved Method of and Apparatus for Covering Eyelets and other Articles with Plastic Materials.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of and Apparatus for Covering Eyelets and other
Articles with Plastic Materials.
I, ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, of Newton, County of Middlesex, State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentlemau, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to eyelets for boots, shoes and other articles, the object of
my invention being to provide a novel method and apparatus for pressing a
covering material or substance upon and beneath the face flanges or lips of the
eyelets.
An apparatus embodying my invention contains at least two members, one of
which is adapted to hold the eyelet and the other to press the covering material
thereupon.
One of the novel features of the apparatus embodying my invention is a support
on the eyelet holding member for the face flange or lip of the eyelet, and over
which said face flange or lip projects, to leave a space beneath and surrounding
the edge of the same into which space the covering material may be pressed, and
thereby perfectly enclose or cover said flange or lip.
Another feature of an apparatus embodying my invention consists in providing
the pressure member with a central projection or a plunger of a size preferably to
fit the smallest diameter of the eyelet shank, but leaving a sufficient space between
the said plunger and the wall of the recess in the eyelet holding member to receive
the shank or body of the eyelet, the purpose of said projection or plunger being to
enter or it may be pass through the eyelet shank or body and work or wipe the
covering material smoothly and nicely down to and upon the metal at the interior
of the eyelet or its shank or body.
The method comprehended by my invention will be best understood after a full
description of the apparatus and its operation by which to practice said method.
In the drawings,
Fig. 1, in vertical section, shows a pair of die members constituting part of an
apparatus embodying my invention, the eyelet being shown in position with the
covering material indicated in dotted lines above it.
Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the two dies brought together, and the covering
material forced or compressed about the face flange or lip of the eyelet.
Fig. 3, a top or plan view of the eyelet holding die member showing a series of
seats or supports for eyelet shanks; and
Figs. 4 and 5, a side elevation and vertical section respectively of an eyelet
covered by the dies shown, and by the method comprehended by my invention.
I will first describe one form of apparatus for practicing my invention, and
referring to the drawings A and B are two members which I shall hereinafter
designate respectively as eyelet holding and pressure members.
The eyelet holding member A is provided with one or more, preferably a series
of, holes a, the tops of which are formed within a separate face piece a', shown as let
into the face of the member proper A, but in effect forming a part of the member A
and as such will be hereinafter designated.
The face piece a¹ has one or more holes or recesses registering with the holes a
in the member proper A, and surrounding the preferably flaring entrance a² to the

page_text: several holes or recesses a" are the supports a for the eyelets, said supports
elevating the eyelets to leave clear spaces under their respective face flanges or
lips, said supports being herein shown as raised above the surrounding surfaces a,
which latter, preferably, constitute the bottoms of as many ring-like or annular
depressions or recesses a concentric with and surrounding the entrance to the said
holes a.
The pressure member B is shown as provided with one or more depending pro-
jections or plungers 6, for the best results made somewhat tapering or conical at
their ends, as shown, there being one plunger for each hole a, a, each plunger
being of a size to fit the smallest diameter of the eyelet, and enough smaller thin
the surrounding hole of the die member A to leave an intervening space between
it and the plunger for the reception of the body or shank of the eyelet, cach
plunger at its base being surrounded by a preferably concentric ring-like cutting
edge or shoulder b', between which and the base of the plunger is the cup-shaped
and annular depression of a shape corresponding to the contour desired for the
face of the eyelet when completed and covered.
The die members are guided in their movements toward and from each other by
suitable usual pins c, c, which bring the working parts of the dies always in
proper registering positions.
In operating the dies, the eyelets e, preferably of a shape substantially as shown
in Fig. 1, and provided at their tops with suitable face flanges or lips el, are placed
with their shanks or bodies in the holes a' of the die member A with their face
flanges resting upon the supports a³, the edges of the said flanges, however, pro-
jecting over the said supports sufficiently to leave, in the present instance, a clear
space beneath and around their edges within the depression a".
The covering material, preferably some plastic material, such for example as
celluloid, and which may be in the form of a strip f, shown in dotted lines Figs. 1, 2
and 3, is laid above the faces of the eyelets in the holding member A, covering the
eyelets and the depressions surrounding the same.
Celluloid and others of the so-called "plastic "materials are normally in a
relatively hard or stiff condition they being commonly rendered plastic for the
purpose of working or molding by the application of heat, and for this purpose
prior to the filing of this application for patent, it has been my custom to place
both die members A and B, the former filled with eyelets, upon a steam heated
table until sufficiently heated, when the covering material fis placed upon the
eyelets.
The heated die member B is then taken from the steam table and placed in
working position, as shown in Fig. 1, and the heat renders the covering material
plastic, enabling the latter to be freely molded by the descending member B.
As the member B descends its plungers or projections & first act upon the plastic
covering material fand casily pass through the same and enter the eyelets, the
ring-like cutting edges b' acting upon the said plastic covering material cutting
the same to form as many disks or washers of a diameter substantially that of the
depressions a into which said disks or washers are forced.
The projections 6 center or position the plastic washers, and the cup-shaped
depressions & immediately thereafter press or force the surplus material into the
depressions a, surrounding and beneath the edges of the face flanges or lips of the
eyelets, thus completely covering or enclosing the same.
The edges co-operate with the edges of the depressions a' in forming
the peripheral edges of the disks or washers, and by seating firmly upon the bottoms
of the depressions the said edges thereafter operate to form clean peripheral edges
to the coverings for the eyelets.
The plungers or projections 6 which first enter the shanks of the eyelets in the
dies herein shown reach the bottom of the smallest diameter of the said shanks by
the time the edges b' act upon and force the then ring-like covering material into
the depressions a, so that the bringing of the two members together causes the
plastic covering material to be not only tightly compressed about the face flanges

page_text: of the eyelets, but also by means of the plungers or projections the sail covering
material is worked or tapered down to the material of the interior of the eyelet
shanks or bodies, leaving, when the plungers are removed, cleanly finished edges
which in no way obstruct the open center of the eyelet.
So far as known to me I am the first to rest the face flanges or lip of the eyelet
upon a support at the entrance to the shank receiving opening of the die, leaving
the said face flange or lip to project over the support in order to leave a space
around and beneath its edge to be subsequently filled by the plastic covering
material, my invention thus providing for a continuous clinching lip of covering
material turned inwardly under the face flange.
Lacing hooks may be covered as well as eyelets by my improved method, and in
such case the lacing hook will be supported by one die suitably fashioned to hold
the book while another die will mold the plastic material about the head, as in the
case of eyelets.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In dies for covering the face flanges of eyelets, an eyelet supporting member
having an opening to receive the shank of the eyelet, and surrounded by a pressure
face, a pressure member having a ring-like depression to press the plastic covering
material upon and about the face flange of the eyelet and against said pressure
face, and a tapering plunger to enter the eyelet shank and stand in the opening
made in the covering material in line with the central opening of the shank.
2. The use for covering the enlarged flaring flanged ends of metallic eyelets, of
a die to hold the shank of the eyelet with the entire flaring flange exposed, and a
heated co-operating molding die having a tapering projection entering the mouth
of the eyelet, and a surrounding concentric rim provided with an annular concavity,
the projection entering a hole in the disk-like covering material lying at the face
of the eyelet, the annular concavity shaping the face of the eyelet and causing the
covering material to embrace the flanged end.
3. The method of covering the heads of eyelets with a plastic material, which
consists in forming the metallic eyelets and the plastic washers separately, inserting
the metallic eyelet in a hole in a die, and the washer in a recess surrounding the
entrance to the said hole, centering the washer within said eyelet, by means of a
conical projection entering the washer and eyelet, and simultaneously molding the
washer and fixing it to the eyelet by means of heat transmitted to the die.
4. In dies for covering the faces of lacing eyelets, an eyelet supporting member
having a shank-receiving opening, surrounded by a ring-like depression or recess, and
a pressure member having a plunger or projection, the diameter of which is less than
that of said shank-receiving opening, to leave a space for the eyelet shank when
the dies are closed and a concentric rim surrounding the projection and separated
therefrom by an annular concavity, said rim being adapted for entrance in the said
ring-like depression.
5. In dies for covering the face flanges of eyelets, an eyelet supporting member
having a shank-receiving opening, and having a substantially flat molding face
encircling said opening, and a pressure member having a central plunger or pro-
jection registering with sad shauk-receiving opening, and an annular concavity
encircling said projection, the said concavity co-operating with the molding face
surrounding said shank-receiving opening to mold between them the plastic covering
inaterial to thereby form an eyelet covering having a broad flat pressure resisting
seat and a crowning top face.
6. The method of covering the heads of eyelets with plastic material which
consists in forming a metallic eyelet, arranging the same in a hole in a die,
arranging over the face flange of the said eyelet the covering material, heating the
said covering material, and molding or forming the said material upon and beneath
the face flange, and allowing the covering to set thereupon.

page_text: 7. The method of covering the face flanges of eyelets with plastic material
which consists in forming metallic eyelets and separately forming plastic washers
from which the covers are to be made, placing the washer in contact with the face
flange or rim of the eyelet, and molding or forming the said washer about the rim
of the eyelet by compression between two die members, one or both of which are
heated.
8. The method of covering the heads of eyelets with a plastic material, which
consists in forming the metallic eyelets and the plastic washers separately, inserting
the metallic eyelet in a hole in a die, and the washer in a recess surrounding the
entrance to the said hole, centering the washer within said eyelet by passing a
conical projection through the washer into the eyelet from above, and simul-
taneously molding the washer and fixing it to the eyelet hy means of heat
transmitted to the die.
9. The method of covering heads of eyelets, lacing-hooks, etc., with plastic
material, which consists in forming metallic blanks and plastic washers separately,
assembling the blank and washer, then molding, or forming the washer about the
head of the eyelet, or lacing-hook, by compressing with a heated die, while retaining
the blank by a companion die.
Dated this 24th day of February 1896.
ELEAZER KEMPSHALL.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.