Improvements in the Manufacture of Buttons and like small articles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Buttons and like small
articles.
I WILLIAM WILLOTT POPPLEWELL of 17 and 18 Southampton Buildings W.C.
in the County of Middlesex of the firm of Popplewell and Company Patent Agents
do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me from abroad
by Dilman Brucacher Shantz of the Town of Berlin in the County of Waterloo,
Provice of Ontario, Canada Manufacturer) and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement-
The object of the invention is to minimize the amount of labor and material
used in the manufacture of buttons, and at the same time secure perfect accuracy in
the contact of the finishing tools whereby unnecessary waste is avoided, and it
manner that
consists essentially of first preparing the pieces or blanks in such a
when inserted in the lathe they will always accurately assume the exact position
necessary for their proper finishing as hereinafter explained.
Figure 1, is a rough or unprepared piece of material.
Figs. 2 and 4, are prepared pieces of material showing my invention.
Figs. 3 and 5, are cross-sections of Figs. 2 and 4 respectively.
Fig. 6, is a sectional elevation of the grip or clutch of a button machine or lathe,
showing the manner in which the prepared pieces are put into and held in position
in the lathe.
In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A, is an unprepared or rough piece of the material. This piece A, is placed in
an ordinary button lathe and by the usual method turned as shown in Figures 2
and 4, having the finished or partly finished surface b, and the groove C. This
surface, and groove C, may be turned either upon one or both sides of the piece A,
and may be either circular in form as shown, or in any other regular shape.
Heretofore such buttons or other articles have by one operation been turned from
the rough or unprepared piece into a finished article, and in so doing it very
frequently happened that the unprepared piece was not properly inserted in the
chuck or grip of the lathe, and an imperfect button was the result. The material
was consequently useless for any other purpose and became waste.
If, however, in the preparation of the piece A, as above described the groove C,
should be so cut that there would not be sufficient material to finish a button of
the intended size, the picce may be used for a smaller button and all waste avoided.
By preparing the piece A, as above described a saving of material is also effected,
as the operator can out of a piece of material of equal size turn a larger button
than any other method at present in use.
It will be seen that my invention will be a special advantage in the use of
automatic machinery for which purpose it is more particularly intended.
In the practical use of my invention the piece A, having been prepared as above
described may by an unskilled operator or by automatic machinery be placed in
the grip or chuck of a lathe as shown in Figure 6, the groove C, forming
or guide for the grip A, and thus ensure the accurate placing of the piece in the
lathe.
a gauge
In the manufacture of buttons the blanks are fed very rapidly to the finishing
machine and hence it has been found in practice that this renders very uncertain
the placing of the blanks in the grip or chuck of the lathe so that small pieces of
the material cannot be successively used as it is almost impossible in the rapidity
of the feeding operation to position small pieces in the chuck so that a completed
button can be turned up therefrom, and for this reason it is usual to take larger

page_text: pieces of material thus causing a good deal of waste. Further than this should a
piece of the blank material be positioned a little off the centre so that the lathe in
turning the button will pass beyond one edge thereof, this would not only spoil the
button being made, but the entire piece of material for the reason that the action
of the lathe on the blank will so cut the material that it will not be fit for further
use, or be capable of further eduction to a button of smaller size.
It will be seen therefore that my improved process has decided advantages and
the result accomplished by it is a very material one for the reason that as I first
prepare the blank material so that it may be accurately fitted to the chuck of the
grip or lathe I can use very small pieces of stock which can be fed very rapidly to
the finishing machine as the feeder has simply to slip it into place, the chuck of the
lathe fitting the groove previously formed. Further than this as I form a simple
groove in the pieces of stock, these pieces may be sorted for the purpose of making
from them different sizes of buttons. As for instance if it is found that the piece
is of such size as not to be capable of being made into a certain size of button it
may be put to one side and be used in the machine with a finishing tool for the
making of buttons of a smaller size, so there is absolutely no waste.
The groove
which is made previous to the finishing does not deface the stock and does not
prevent it from being made into a button of smaller size.
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. The hereindescribed method of manufacturing buttons consisting in first
forming a circular groove in one face of the rough material, said groove corre-
sponding to the gripping face of the lathe; placing said grooved piece within the
lathe, and finally finishing the button, substantially as described.
2. The hereindescribed method of manufacturing buttons consisting in first
grooving the rough material of which the button is to be made to correspond to the
grip of the lathe, applying the material to the lathe and finally finishing the button,
substantially as described.
Dated this 26th day of January 1892.
POPPLEWELL & Co.