AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANU- FACTURE OR CONSTRUCTION OF BUTTONS
Year: 1834

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ASTON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Button Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the
Fourth, His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain,
bearing date at Westminster, the Tenth day of July, in the fifth year of
His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said John Aston, His especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said John Aston, my exors, admors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Aston, my oñors, admors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OR CONSTRUCTION OF BUTTONS;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso that I, the said John Aston, shall cause a particular descrip-
tion of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in
part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Aston, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascertained

page_text: in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):-
-:
My Invention relates to that description of buttons commonly called
"flexible shanks," wherein a tuft of thread or woven fabric is made to pass
through an opening in what is called a collet, such tuft protruding outwards
for the passage of the needle when in the act of attaching this description of
buttons to a garment.
Figure 1 is an edge view, and Figure 2 a plan of one of the old construction
of buttons, a being the protruding tuft of thread or woven fabric, 6 the ordi-
nary collet. Objections have been raised against these buttons, owing to the
flexible tuft by which the button is attached coming in contact with the sides
of the button hole, and quickly wearing the same away, and making it have a
shabby appearance; and this has been found to be the case to a much greater
degree than the covered buttons, which were formerly very extensively in use,
and in which the covering was performed by hand with the needle. Now, the
intent of my Invention is to obviate the objection above mentioned by an
improvement in the construction of the metal collet to be used in the making
such description of buttons, by which I am enabled to use a flexible shank
which does not protrude, and thus admitting of such buttons being set more
closely to the cloth to which they are attached; and as there are no protruding
shanks, the only parts which will be within the button hole of the garment
will be the threads by which the buttons are sewed or attached, and in this
particular they will very much resemble the buttons covered by hand and with
the needle. My improvement consists in giving to the metal collet of the
button an oblong hole, having the threads which act as the flexible shanks laid
across the short axes of such oblong hole, as shewn in Figures 3 and 4, there
being a soft substance or padding below the threads, which comes in contact
with the face of the garment, to which such button may be attached.
Figure 3 represents an edge view of a button, constructed according to my
improvement; Figure 4 is a plan thereof. In both of these Figures it will be
seen that the hole formed in the collet 6 is oblong, whilst it will further be
seen that the threads a, which act as the flexible shank in this button, are
held across and at right angles to the length of the oblong hole, at the same
time such threads do not protrude but lie close on the surface of the padding
which forms part of the back of the button. It will be evident that by having
the hole formed oblong, the needle may with facility be passed under tho
threads of the flexible shanks, in the direction of the length of the hole of the
collet, as is shewn by the dotted lines; and it is the facility thus offered of

page_text: passing the needle in that direction which renders the protrusion of the flexible
shank unnecessary, and it is with this view that the hole in the collet is mado
oblong. The threads which form the flexible shank will be securely held
down across what may be called the shorter axis of the oblong hole, only a
very small part being left uncovered, and consequently will not be liable to
stretch.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I will describe the best
manner with which I am acquainted for making buttons according to my
improvement.
Figure 5 represents a metal shell, similar to those which are ordinarily used
for making this description of buttons. Figure 6 shews the metal collet. The
difference between which and those heretofore used is that the hole is oblong,
for the purpose before described. I would here remark that these shells and
collets are made by the fly press, as is well understood.
Figure 7 represents a piece of silk or other woven covering of the button.
Figure 8 is the padding which lies under the collet, and it has wound round
the thread a, as shewn in the Drawing, which acts as the flexible shank to the
button. This padding consists of several layers of soft paper, having a piece
of silk or other fabric similar to the covering of the button, this piece of silk
or other fabric forming the surface which comes in contact with the face of
the garment to which the button is attached.
Figure 9 represents a section and plan of the die or mould, into which the
parts of the button are first put, in order to bring the parts properly together
previous to their undergoing. the final pressure by which the button is com-
pleted.
Figure 10 is the punch to the die or mould, Figure 9, which is shewn partly
in section, by which it will be seen to be countersunk.
Figure 11 is a hollow tool, by which the edges of the covering of the button,
Figure 7, are gathered together, and laid over the edges of the shell, Figure 5,
when the covering, Figure 7, and the shell, Figure 5, are at the bottom of the
die or mould, Figure 9, which will be clearly seen in Figure 12, where these
parts are shewn together ready for receiving the collet, and the padding
having the threads a wrapped around it, and lying at right angles to the length
of the oblong hole of the collet. In forming a button, the circular piece of
silk or other fabric, Figure 7, is to be first placed on the face of the die or
mould, Figure 9, at the points c, c, the face of the die or mould being sunk to
receive it. A shell, Figure 5, is then to be placed on the surface of the
covering, Figure 7, and the two together are to be pressed down to the bottom
(by the punch, Figure 10,) of the die or mould, Figure 9, in doing which the

page_text: punch will enter the shell and guide it down. The punch is then to be
removed, and the hollow tool, Figure 11, is to be forced down into the die or
mould, by which the edges of the silk or other covering of the button will be
forced towards the centre of the die or mould, and consequently overlap the
edges of the shell. The collet, Figure 6, containing the padding, is then to be
dropped into the mould or die through the hollow tool, Figure 11, the collet
being uppermost. The punch, Figure 10, is next to be forced down with
pressure through the hollow tool, by which means the collet, the padding, and
the edges of the outer covering of the button, will all be forced into the
shell, Figure 5, which will retain them sufficiently secure till the button
undergoes the final pressure for completing it. The button thus far produced,
is to be removed from the die or mould, Figure 9, by a wire, which is passed
up through the mould for that purpose, as is the usual practice.
Figure 13 is another die, and Figure 14 is a punch, by which the final or
completing pressure is given to the button. The nature of the countersinking
of this die will be evident on inspecting the Drawing; and it will be seen that
the punch, Figure 14, has a plain face. The button, on coming from the die
or mould, Figure 9, is to be placed with the collet downwards; and the same
is pressed into the die, Figure 13, by the punch, Figure 14. At the same
time the workman holds a piece of tissue paper between the button and the
punch to prevent the face of the button being injured in appearance by the
punch.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I lay no claim
to any of the tools or dies or parts of the button herein shewn and described,
they being similar to those heretofore used in making like kinds of buttons;
nor do I claim the making of the flexible shank (or part by which the button
is attached) of thread. But I would have it understood that what I claim as my
Invention of an Improvement in the Manufacture or Construction of Buttons
is the manufacturing or constructing covered flexible shanked buttons with
collets, having oblong holes, by which the flexible shank is not required to
protrude; but the button may with facility be sewed or attached to the gar-
ment by passing the needle under the threads a in the direction of the length
of the oblong hole, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Aston, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.
JOHN (L.s.) ASTON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Seventh day of January, in
the year of our Lord 1885, the aforesaid John Aston came before our said
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Tenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and thirty-five.