A NEW OR IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS For THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS, STUDS, AND SOLITAIRES to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ROBERT ELSDON of Brockley in the County of Kent do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS For
THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS, STUDS, AND SOLITAIRES to be as follows:-
""
This invention relates chiefly to the means and apparatus for the manufacture
of that class of buttons known as fourhole, brace or trouser buttons, but is also
applicable to the manufacture of other varieties of buttons, such for example as
all kinds of fancy and ornamental buttons for ladies' wear, solid livery buttons,
set or closed buttons, flat buttons, furniture and upholstery buttons, ivory or
composition buttons and the like.
In carrying out my invention I take iron, steel, copper or other metal wire of
round, oval, square, or other section, either figured or plain, plated or not, and
I form with such wire endless circular rings of a diameter larger than that of the
button or other article it is desired to form. I then place a number of these rings,
one on the top of the other, into a circular box or recess in which they are kept in
position by any suitable means. Through the walls of this box or recess any
convenient number of radial pressing tools are arranged so that they may be
brought forward simultaneously into the box or recess towards the centre thereof,
so as to press upon the outer circumferences of the aforesaid rings, and consequently
to bend or force them in towards their centres. Or the radial tools may be caused
to operate in sets, one set after the other, according to the shape or design it is
required to produce. Or after the required shape or design has been partially
brought about in one box or recess, the rings may be transferred to another box or
recess in which the shape or design may be carried a step further or completed. It
will be readily understood that if for example four of the beforementioned radial
tools are brought to operate upon a set of rings in the box or recess, the portions of
the circumferences directly actel upon by the four tools, will be bent or forced
inwards simultaneously until they meet near the centre and if after the withdrawal
of these four radial tools pressure is then brought to bear upon the intermediate
portions of the circumferences in a similar manner, the portions first acted upon
will be as it were closed in somewhat in the shape of a wheel with four thread
[Price 6d1

page_text: holes therein. If these wire wheels are then dished in any convenient manner,
four-hole, brace or trouser buttons are obtained having the following advantages
over ordinary stamped and pierced four-hole buttons, viz. cheapness of construction
there being no waste of material and the necessary labour being of a cheaper kind
ornamental appearance, lightness, the threadholes being rounded on their sides, the
sewing on thread cannot be cut thereby and greater facility in buttoning on account
of the roundness and slight irregularity of the outer edges.
In the case of shank buttons the shank may be soldered, rivetted or screwed into
the centre hole which is left or formed by the closing in of portions of the
circumference as above described and in the case of set or closed and flat and
other buttons the fronts or faces (stamped or otherwise) may be fixed to or closed
upon the before mentioned wire wheels. Or the wheels may be used as backings
for ivory or composition buttons, or they may be backed with any suitable material,
or the spaces filled in with various compositions.
It will be seen that this invention is also applicable to the manufacture of studs
and solitaires.
Instead of forming the beforementioned rings from wire they may in some cases
be stamped out of the solid sheet thus avoiding the joint. Or for some purposes
tubing of any suitable metal may be employed.
Dated this seventeenth day of January 1884.

page_text: "
I, ROBERT ELSDON, of Brockley, in the County of Kent do hereby declare the
nature of the said invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS, STUDS, AND SOLITAIRES
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 accompanying sheet of
Drawings and to the letters and Figures marked thereon, that is to say:―
This invention relates chiefly to the means and apparatus for the manufacture
of that class of buttons known as four-hole, brace, or trouser buttons, but is also
applicable to the manufacture of other varieties of buttons, such for example as all
kinds of fancy and ornamental buttons for ladies' wear, solid livery buttons, set or
closed buttons, flat buttons, furniture and upholstery buttons, ivory or composition
buttons, studs, solitaires, and the like.
In carrying out my invention, I take iron, steel, copper, or other metal wire of
round, oval, square, or other section, either figured or plain, plated or not, and
I form with such wire endless circular rings of a diameter larger than that of the
button or other article it is desired to form. Or instead of separate rings, I form
the wire into helical coils. I then place a number of these rings, one on the top of
the other, or a helical coil, as the case may be, into a circular box or recess in
which they are kept in position by any suitable means. Through the walls of this
box or recess, any convenient number of radial pressing tools are arranged so that
they may be brought forward simultaneously into the box or recess towards the
centre thereof, so as to press upon the outer circumferences of the aforesaid rings,
and consequently to bend or force them in towards their centres. Or the radial
tools may be caused to operate in sets, one set after the other, according to the
shape or design it is required to produce. Or after the required shape or design
has been partially brought about in one box or recess, the rings may be transferred
to another box or recess in which the shape or design may be carried a step further
or completed. It will be readily understood that if, for example, four of the
beforementioned radial tools are brought to operate upon a set of rings or a helical
coil in the box or recess simultaneously, the portions of the circumferences directly
acted upon by the four tools, will be bent or forced inwards simultaneously until
they meet near the centre, and if, after the withdrawal of these four radial tools,
pressure is then brought to bear upon the intermediate portions of the circum-
ferences in a similar manner, the portions first acted upon will be as it were closed
in somewhat in the shape of a wheel with four thread holes therein. If these wire
wheels are then dished in any convenient manner, four-hole brace or trouser
buttons are obtained, having the following advantages over ordinary stamped and
pierced four-hole buttons, viz:-
Cheapness of construction, there being no waste of material and the necessary
labour being of a cheaper kind.
Ornamental appearance.
Lightness.
The thread holes being rounded on their sides the sewing-on thread cannot be
cut thereby, and,
Greater facility in buttoning on account of the roundness and slight irregularity
of the outer edges.
In the case of shank buttons the shank may be soldered, rivetted, or screwed
into the centre hole which is left or formed by the closing in of portions of the
circumference as above described, and in the case of set or closed and flat and other

page_text: buttons, the fronts or faces (stamped or otherwise) may be fixed to, or closed upon,
the before mentioned wire wheels.
Figure 1 of the accompanying sheet of Drawings illustrates an apparatus suitable
for the carrying out of this invention, and Figure 2 is a cross section of same.
A is a box in which are arranged a number of radial pressing tools B and B¹
working between guides D and operated by means of the radial screws E and E
which pass through screwed holes in the walls of the box A. F is a cover plate
and Ga centre pin passing through the cover plate F and into the bottom of the
box A.
In carrying this invention into effect any convenient number of wire rings J (see
Figure 3) are placed one on the top of the other in the centre recess of the box A
and surrounding the centre pin G, or a helical coil or coils of wire as herein before
described is or are so placed. These rings or coils are then held down in place by
the cover plate F which is secured in any convenient manner as for example by
screws passing through the said cover plate F and screwed into the holes H in the
guides D. Or the rings or coils may be held in position by means of a weight or
other device. The centre pin G is then inserted for the purpose of keeping the
rings or coils central whilst they are being bent as hereinafter described. The four
radial pressing tools B are then caused to approach the centre of the box A
simultaneously by any suitable or convenient means for example, by turning the
screws E until the said pressing tools B assume more or less the position shown in
dotted lines in Figure 4 when the wire rings J or helical coils will have been forced
somewhat into the shape shown in the same Figure, or if the wire rings J or helical
coils of wire are smaller in diameter they will take the form shown in Figure 10.
In some cases I form the button from the frame thus obtained as hereinafter
described with reference to Figures 10 to 13 but I sometimes after withdrawing
the radial pressing tools B, cause the radial pressing tools B₁ to approach simul-
taneously towards the centre in a similar manner to that described with reference
to the operation of the radial pressing tools B, and the four arms of the cross J¹
(see Figure 4) will now be compressed by the tools B' and will take the form more
or less as shown in Figure 5. The frames or wheels J' (Figure 5) are now removed
from the box A, and when helical coils are employed a cut is made through the
thickness of the wire from one end of each coil to the other and a number of frames
or wheels are thus formed according to the number of convolutions of the helix.
These frames or wheels may now be dished by stamping by any well known or
convenient means. I sometimes cover a portion of this frame with thin metal,
which forms a finish to the button, as shown in plan and section in Figures 6 and 7,
or 1 may cover the bottom as well as the top. Figures 8 and 9 show sections of
flat, and set or closed buttons respectively, constructed according to this invention
the fronts or faces of which (stamped or otherwise) may be fixed to or closed upon
the wire frames or wheels, and it will be readily understood from these examples
that buttons of various other kinds, studs, solitaires and other similar articles
may be constructed with the improved frame or wheel. In Figure 8 the shank K
is shown screwed into the hole left in the centre of the frame or wheel by the
centre pin G of the above described apparatus, but the said shank may be fastened
into the frame or wheel in a variety of other ways, for instance, by bending over at
the back as in Figure 9, by rivetting, soldering, etcetera. These frames or wheels
may also be used as backings for ivory or composition buttons, or they may be
backed with any suitable material or the spaces filled in with various compositions.
Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13 shew in plan and section another modification of
construction. In this case the wire frame J¹ is formed as hereinbefore described
and shown in Figure 10. A metal blank L (Figure 11) is then stamped or
otherwise formed with notches or recesses M, and the frame J is placed therein,
and the whole is then stamped or subjected to other pressure by any suitable
means, and the two parts are thus thoroughly secured and locked together and at
the same time may be dished and figured with any required name or device (see
Figures 12 and 13).
་

page_text: It will be understood that the means described and shown for actuating the
radial pressing tools B and B' may be varied according to circumstances; for
example, each set may be advanced towards the centre or retired therefrom by
means of cam surfaces, levers or any other well known or suitable device-And
any required number of radial pressing tools may be employed, singly, in sets, or
all at one time. The set of screws E or E¹ may be respectively geared or connected.
together by tooth or worm gearing or otherwise so that all four screws of each set
shall be operated simultaneously and to the same extent.
Instead of forming the beforementioned rings of wire they may in some cases be
stamped or cut out of the solid sheet thus avoiding a joint. Or for some purposes
tubing of
any suitable metal may be employed.
In some cases I employ besides the centre rod G other guide rods and forms for
the purpose of ensuring accuracy of shape for the finished frame or wheel. These
rods or forms may be inserted through holes formed in the cover plate F.
In order to strengthen the before described frames or wheels they may be
soldered, brazed or otherwise secured at the points of contact.
In the case of set or closed buttons the frame or wheel may be dished or domed
upwards towards the front or top of the button so as to afford additional support
thereto thus enabling thinner metal to be used for the front or top than has been
the practice heretofore.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
First-The new or improved means of manufacturing buttons or button frames
by bending, forcing or pressing rings or helical coils into looped 'wheel or
cross-like forms the inner loops of which serve as holes for the sewing-on
thread and the outer loops or circumferences either as the bodies or frames
of four-hole brace or trouser buttons or as the frames for the fronts or
backs or both of such buttons, or of set or closed or ornamental buttons,
substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated in Figures 3 to 13 of
the Drawings hereto annexed.
Second-The apparatus consisting of a box or recess with radially acting
pressing tools for the purpose of forming the frames from rings or helical
coils substantially as herein before described, and illustrated in Figures 1
and 2 of the Drawings hereto annexed.
Dated this 17th day of October 1884.