Improved Button-making Machine.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improved Button-making Machine.
I, WALTHER CARON, of Rittershausen, near Barmen, in the Province of
Westphalia and Kingdom of Prussia, Germany, Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:
The object of the present invention consists of a machine which is capable
of producing two-part buttons automatically from raw materials in a finished
state, and comprises a button making machine characterized by the arrange-
ment that, firstly, a blank is stamped out of a strip of tin plate corresponding
to the upper part of a button by means of a stamp, that the said blank is then
provided with an edge and perforations for the thread holes by means of an inner
stamp arranged in the aforesaid main stamp, and at the same time a blank
corresponding to the under part of a button is stamped out by a second stamp
from another strip of metal, and said under part is shaped and provided with
perforations by means of another inner stamp placed within said second stamp,
and is also lifted and held fast until secondly, the aforesaid partly prepared
upper portion of the button is brought under the suspended lower part, and the
latter when it has reached the right position is pushed off, and thirdly, after
the two parts of the button lying loose one upon the other have been brought
under a third main stamp, the edge of the upper part is folded over the under
part by means of the said third main stamp, and the finished button is held
fast in the last main stamp by means of its internal stamp, and is allowed to
fall into a recess, from which the buttons are delivered to their collecting place.
The said main and inner stamps being collectively actuated from the driving
shaft, upon which cams are keyed and against the peripheries of which rest
rollers mounted on springs and fixed to the upper parts of the stamps.
The essential novelty of the machine consists in the special construction and
operation of the mechanisms acting relatively one to another, which render it
possible to produce and deliver a finished button from the machine at each
revolution of the driving shaft. Consequently the workman has nothing more
to do than to provide the machine at relatively long intervals of time with fresh
material, namely, strips of tin plate.
Although the button is only finished after three revolutions of the driving
shaft, each revolution discharges a finished button out of the machine because
there are continuously three buttons under operation.
The supply of the raw material to the machine is effected as follows:-
Behind the supports there are placed two rollers from which are unrolled the
strips of tin plate out of which the blanks for the buttons are stamped; each
strip is so wide that seven blanks can be stamped out of it side by side. A double
motion is therefore necessary. Firstly, the tin plate strip must move forwards,
and secondly it must be moved six times sideways. The first motion is attained
like all the other motions by means of a shaft on which is keyed an eccentric.
Against the track of this eccentric is pressed the upper part of a two-armed
lever by means of bars and a weight. Consequently a hook secured in pivots

page_text: attached to a counterweighted lever makes a motion at each revolution of the
driving shaft, and advances a wheel one tooth further, and the front part of the
hook does not come into contact with the teeth of a stop wheel, because it is
held up by the lever. Only after each seventh revolution of the shaft the
lever aforesaid is depressed by means of a bar and lever, the hook advances
the stop wheel another tooth, and consequently moves correspondingly other
wheels or rollers, and the strip. is pushed forward by the opposite motion of
the rollers.
The sideways motion of the strip is likewise effected by means of a weighted
lever. To this are attached two hooks, which oscillate a bar. Through this
motion another bar is also oscillated. This second bar produces a sideways motion
of the catches of pivots fixed to a two-armed lever. These catches engage in a
tooth rack which is fastened to the roller support capable of being displaced
sidewise on prisms or bars. When the catch engages it causes the roller to move
carrying with it, the tin plate which passes under the stamp six times consecu-
tively sideways to the left, once at each revolution of the driving shaft. After
this, the sideways motion must ceasc once so that time is given for the above
described forward motion of the tin plate strip. This is effected by disengaging
the hook. A stop wheel projection raises the leaf spring and consequently also
the hook resting by means of a pin upon it, consequently the carrier stands
still.
During the left motion of the plate the hook was held out of action by means
of a pin thereof resting upon a tin plate rail. As the final position, however,
to the left the pin falls through the jerk of the bar over the right end thereof;
the catch is actuated, and draws the carrier with the tin plate roller to the right.
The strips for the under parts are supplied in a similar manner, only of course
the strips on the under roller do not need to have the full width which is possessed
by those on the upper roller.
W. P. THOMPSON. & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.
I, WALTHER CARON, of Rittershausen, near Barmen, in the Province of
Westphalia and Kingdom of Prussia, Germany, Manufacturer, 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:
The object of the present invention consists of a machine which is capable of
producing two-part buttons automatically from the raw materials in a finished
state.
-
The essential novelty of the machine consists in the special construction and
operation of the mechanisms acting relatively one to another, which render it
possible to produce and deliver a finished button from the machine at each
revolution of the driving shaft: Consequently the workman has nothing more
to do than to provide the machine at relatively long intervals of time with fresh
material, namely, strips of tin plate.
In the accompanying drawings the machine is illustrated as follows:
Figure 1 is a front elevation.
Figure 2 a side elevation.
T

page_text: Figure 3 a section on the line AB, Figure 1, and CD, Figure 2.
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 illustrate the stamping mechanism of the machine.
Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13 the mechanism for guiding the material.
Upon the driving shaft 1 (Figure 1) are placed three pairs of cams 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
by means of which a three-fold stamping mechanism is actuated. Each of the
three stamps consists of a principal stamp. 89, 10 Figures 1, 4 and 5, said
stamps being normally, held up by means of springs and bars 11 12 and 13.
Rollers 14, 15, and 16 attached to the cam ends of the stamps 8, 9 and 10, pressing
against the right hand cams 2, 4 and 6.
To this main stamp 8 9, 10 is attached a second stamp 20 21, 22 which,
like the main step, is pressed against the left 3 5, 7 of one of the non-circular
discs, and consequently receives motion therefrom, so that all motions of the
three stamps are produced primarily by the driving shaft alone. These six
stamps form the button from the raw material (preferably strips of tin plate)
in the following manner.
"The stamp 8 cuts a round disc out of a strip of plate 23; the stamp 20 presses
the cut-out blank through the conical hole 24, whereby a vertical edge is set up
thereon. The counter stamp 25 possesses as many pins as the button is required
to have holes for the purpose of sewing it to the garment. These pins fit in
corresponding apertures of the stamp 20. By means thereof the blank 26 having
a set up edge which is designed to form the upper part of the button is per-
forated with openings.
During the effecting of this operation by the first stamp the second stamp is
simultaneously forming out of another strip of tin plate 78 the correspondingly
smaller end part of the button, by stamping it out by means of the stamp 9; the
blank is then perforated by the pins of the stamp 21, and remains hanging from
the said pins until the return stroke of the said stamp 21. At this moment a
displacement of the carrier 30 (Figures 7 and 8) to the left takes place, carrying
with it the upper part 26 of the button. This motion is effected by means of a
bar actuated by the driving shaft 1 (Figure 1) as follows:-
The eccentric disc 31 placed upon the said shaft reciprocates the bar 33 in
guides by means of the bar 32. This bar 33 in turn operates another bar 34
which engages with the shorter lever arm of a triangle 35, the longer lever arm
whereof is conveniently connected to the slide 30. When the blank 20 forming
the upper part of the button has been passed by means of the left motion of the
carrier 30 (Figure 7) exactly beneath the stamp 9, 21, the said stamp 21 retreats
and disengages the under part of the button from its pins against the sloping
sides of the stamp 9, consequently the said part of the button is deposited exactly
within the upper part of the said button (Figure 8). After this the carrier 30
again returns to the right. The two parts of the button lying loosely together
are after moving a little to the right prevented from taking part in the further
right motion of the carrier 30 by being held fast by the lever 36 (Figure 7).
When the carrier 30 has again resumed its right final position and commences
again to move towards the left, a projection 37 (Figure 1) on the driving
shaft 1 pushes down a bar 38 which rests upon the other lever arm of the lever 36,
and thus enables the button parts to again participate in the left motion of the
carrier 30. By this means the two parts of the button lying one loosely upon
the other, which now rest upon the part 39, pass under the last stamp 10, 22
(Figures 7, 8). In this position the correct relative position of the parts one
to another is assured by means of the engagement of the blunt pins of the
stamp 22 in the openings of the upper and lower blanks of the button; after
this, the stamp 10 is depressed, and thereby the hitherto perpendicular edge of
the upper part of the button is gradually bent down over the under part thereof,
and thereby the connection of the two parts is secured. As the pins of the
stamp 22 hold somewhat tightly in the holes of the button the finished button
will be lifted by the rising of the stamps 10, 22, and will only then be pushed
off by the further rising of the stamp 22. When the recess 40 of the guide 30

page_text: is underneath the stamps 10, 22, by means of this recess 40 the button is further
carried to the right until at the final left position of the carrier it falls out of
the machine through the hole 41 in the frame.
Although the button is only finished after three revolutions of the driving
shaft, each revolution discharges a finished button out of the machine because
there are continuously three buttons under operation.
_
Conse-
The supply of the raw material to the machine is effected as follows:-
Behind the supports 42 and 29 (Figures 7 and 3) there are placed two
rollers 43, 44 (Figure 3) from which are unrolled the strips of tin plate out of
which the blanks for the buttons are stamped; each strip is so wide that seven
blanks can be stamped out of it side by side. A double motion is therefore
necessary. Firstly, the tin plate strip must move forwards, and secondly it
must be moved six times sideways. The first motion is attained like all the other
motions by means of the shaft I on which is keyed an eccentric 45 (Figure 1).
Against the track of this eccentric 40 is pressed the upper part of a two-armed
lever 46 (Figure 2) by means of the bars 47 and 48 and a weight 49.
quently the hook 49 secured in pivots attached to the counterweighted lever 48
makes a motion at each revolution of the driving shaft 1, and advances the
wheel 50 one tooth further, and the front part of the hook 49 does not come into
contact with the teeth of the wheel 51, because it is held up by the lever 52.
Only after each seventh revolution of the shaft the lever 52 is depressed by means
of the bar 53 and lever 54, the hook 49 advances the wheel 51 another tooth,
and consequently moves correspondingly wheels or rollers 55, 56, 57, 58
(Figure 3) and the strip 23 (Figures 10, 11) is pushed forward by the opposite
motion of the rollers (60, 59)."
The sideways motion of the strip is ilkewise effected by means of the weighted
lever 48 (Figure 2). To this are attached two hooks (61, 62) which oscillate a
bar 63 by means of the parts 65, 64 (Figure 3). Through this motion, the bar 68
is also oscillated by the interposition of the bar 67 (Figure 3). This bar 68
produces the sideways motion of the catches 70, 71 of pivots fixed to a two-
armed lever 69 (Figure 12). These catches engage in a tooth rack 72 which is
fastened to the roller support 66 capable of being displaced otherwise on prisms
or bars. When the catch 71 engages it causes the piece 66 to move, and conse-
quently the roller 43 carrying with it the tin plate which passes under the stamp
six times sideways to the left, once at each revolution of the driving shaft. After
this, the sideways motion must cease once so that time is given for the above
described forward motion of the tin plate strip. This is effected by disengaging
the hook 62 (Figure 2). The stop wheel projection 77 raises the leaf spring 76
(Figure 3) and consequently also the hook 62 resting by means of a pin upon it;
the bar 63 and consequently also the carrier 66 stand still.
During the left motion of the plate the hook 70 was held out of action by
means of a pin 73 thereof resting upon a tin plate rail 74. At the final position,
however, to the left the pin falls through the jerk of the bar 68 over the right
end thereof the catch 70 is actuated, and draws the carrier 66 with the tin
plate roller 43 to the right.
In like manner as above described for the supply of the material to the
stamps 8 and 20, the supply to the stamps 9, 21 is effected, only of course the
strips on the roller 44 do not need to have the full width which is possessed by
those on the roller 43.
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:-
1. A button making machine characterized by the arrangement that, firstly, a
blank 26 is stamped out of a strip of tin plate 23 corresponding to the upper part of
a button by means of a stamp 8, that the said blank is then provided with an edge
and perforations for the thread holes by means of an inner stamp 20 arranged

page_text: in the aforesaid main stamp 8, whereby at the same time a blank 28 correspond-
ing to the under part of a button is stamped out by a second stamp from another
strip of metal 78 and said under part is shaped and provided with perforations
by means of an inner stamp 21 placed within the said second stamp 9, and is
also lifted and held fast until secondly, the aforesaid partly prepared upper
portion 26 of the button is brought under the suspended lower part 28, and the
latter when it has reached the right position is pushed off; and, thirdly after
the two parts of the button lying loose one upon the other have been brought
under a third main stamp 10, the edge of the upper part 26 is folded over the
under part 28 by means of the said third main stamp 10, and the finished button
is held fast in the last main stamp 10 by means of its internal stamp 22, and
is allowed to fall into a recess 40, from which the buttons are delivered to their
collecting place 41. The said main and inner stamps being collectively actuated
from the driving shaft 1 upon which cams 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, are keyed and against
the peripheries of which rest rollers mounted on springs and fixed to the upper
parts of the stamps.
2. In a button machine, such as set forth in Claim 1, the delivery of the
previously produced blanks under the separate stamps by means of a carrier 30
moving in guides, and carrying the matrices which also receive their recip-
rocating motion from the driving shaft 1.
3. In a button machine such as set forth in Claim 1, the device for holding
fast the blanks lying loosely one upon another after the second portion of the
process, which consists of a double armed lever 36 one arm of which holds the
parts of the button on their lower support 39 until by means of the pressure
upon the other arm of the lever the said button parts are released, and the
pressure upon the second lever arm is effected by means of the projection 37
on the driving shaft 1 acting upon a pressure bar 39.
4. In a button machine such as set forth in Claim 1, the device for the
periodical, single forwards and repeated sideways motion of the two strips of tin
plate under operation, principally for the purpose of moving one of each such
strips, said device consisting of a hook 49 regularly moved to and fro by power
derived from the driving shaft 1, which hook comes regularly at given intervals
of time to engage in a tooth wheel 51, and thereby moves the tin plate strips
forwards; further, of a pair of hooks 61, 62 regularly actuated by the same
mechanism in like manner as the part 49, which hooks by means of intermediate
parts and of two catches 70, 71 engaging alternately at definite intervals of time
in a rack 72 cause the carrier 66 supporting the tin plate strips to move sideways
by jerks at consecutive intervals of time.
5. In a button machine such as set forth in Claim 1 the mechanism for
utilizing tin plate strips of any desired length and breadth, characterized by the
use of a tooth roller 57 driven by means of intermediary gearing 36 from the
parts 49, 51 as set forth in Claim 4, in which a tooth wheel 58 rigidly connected
to the guide roller 60 of a roller 43 from which the tin plate strip 23 unrolls
engages in every position of the carrier 66, which carrier is capable of being
displaced sideways, and in which the revolving of the tooth roller GO draws the
said strip forwards by means of the friction thereof between the said roller 60
and the second roller 59.
6. The herein before described machine for stamping out and forming metal
buttons, constructed and operating substantially as described with reference to
the accompanying drawings.