Method of Covering Lacing Studs and similar Articles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar., 1896-Accepted, 16th May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Method of Covering Lacing Studs and similar Articles.
We, FREDERICK EGGE, of 107 Park Avenue, Inventor, and NELSON MILES
BEACH, of 225 Noble Avenue, Manufacturer, both of Bridgeport, Connecticut,
United States of America, 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:-
Our invention relates to the manufacture of lacing studs and similar articles and
has for its object to produce a novel method of covering the heads with celluloid or
other plastic material.
With this end in view we have devised the novel method and mechanism for
carrying the same into effect which we will now describe referring by numbers to
the accompanying drawing formning part of this Specification, in which,
Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section on the line - in Fig. 2
illustrating mechanism for carrying our novel method into effect.
Fig. 2 a plan view, the guide plate being broken away to show a sheet of
material lying above the die, and the sheet and die being broken away to show the
lower plate.
Fig. 3 a section of the punch and an ordinary lacing stud on the line y-y.in
Fig. 4, and
Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the punch.
The mechanism we employ consists of a plate 1 carrying a series of punches 2, a
guide plate 3 having openings 4 through which the punches pass, a die plate 5
which is provided with openings 6 which receive the heads to be covered and the
upper edges of which serve as the dies to cut blanks of material from the sheet to
form the covers, and a lower plate 7 having recesses 8 to receive the bases of the
studs or other articles to be covered and having pins 9 extending upward from the
bottoms of the recesses over which the studs or other articles to be covered are
passed and the upper ends of which support the heads. 10 denotes the article to
be covered, in the present instance a lacing stud as already stated, which is simply
the ordinary lacing stud blanked out from sheet metal and drawn and formed to
shape, or which may be formed from wire if preferred. 11 denotes a sheet of
celluloid or other plastic material from which the covers are blanked out. The
punches cut the covers to the exact size required to cover the tops and edges of the
heads. In use the articles to be covered are placed upon the pins, recesses 8 in the
lower plate being so shaped as to receive them in the exact position in which they are
required to be placed to be operated upon, the heads of the articles extending above
the plate and lying when the parts are in operative position in openings 6 in the die
plate. The punches aud dies are of course made to cut the covers to the exact size
required and the bases of the punches are provided with countersunk recesses, 12
which just correspond to the shape of the heads to be covered. The sheet of
covering material is placed between the die plate and the guide plate and the
punches and the die plate and the guide plate with the sheet of covering material
between them are heated to a temperature that will soften the sheet of covering
material sufficiently to make it plastic. Just before placing the die plate, guide
plate and punches in operative position we place a small quantity of adhesive
solution upon each head. The heads are slightly roughened before they are placed
in position to be operated upon. The special adhesive solution used is not of the
essence of our invention although we ordinarily use a solution of celluloid and
D

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collodion. In practice the adhesive solution may be placed upon the heads by
mechanical means or by hand, the special means used not being of the essence of
our invention. The die plate, guide plate and the punches are then placed in
operative position upon the lower plate, the three plates being held so that the
openings in the guide plate and die plate will register with the recesses in the lower
plate by pins 13, see dotted lines, which are secured either to the guide plate or
the lower plate and pass through holes in the die plate. For convenience in illus-
tiation we have simply shown a single line of punches. In practice we use a
Dumber of punches carried by a single plate and make the openings in the guide
plate and die plate and the recesses in the lower plate to correspond with the
punches. In this manner a gross, more or less, of studs or other articles may be
covered at a single operation. When the parts are in position a single blow from
the gang of punches cuts out the covers carries the covers down into the die plate
and sets them firmly on the heads of the studs or other articles. As already stated
the bases of the punches are countersunk or recessed out so as to correspond with
the shape of the heads to be covered. The punches are allowed to remain in the
lowered position for a short time until the covers have become sufficiently plastic
under the action of the heat to be combined with the adhesive and firmly set on the
heads. The gang of punches is then raised, the guide plate and the die plate
removed, and a new lower plate with studs thereon is placed in position. The
sheet of covering material is then moved between the die plate and the guide plate
to such a position as to cause a solid surface to register with openings 4 and 6 and
the die plate aud guide plate with the sheet of material between them and the
punches are again heated as before.
As above stated, the punches are heated and also the die plate and guide plate
with the sheet of covering material between them. Without this heating of the
material, the latter could not be practically applied to the heads, as it is too
resilient to be held by the adhesive on the rounded surfaces of said beads.
By subjecting the covers to the action of heat, they are made sufficiently plastic
to be readily changed from the flat shape to the shape caused by the heads and
punches, and yet, owing to the use of the adhesive, the covers do not require to be
made so plastic as to retain this shape independently of the adhesive. Furthermore,
the heating of the covers and the adhesive causes them to combine and become
firmly set on the heads.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :
The improvement in the art of providing metallic heads with covers of
non-metallic material which consists in interposing adhesive material between the
heads and the covers, and subjecting the adhesive and the covers to the action of
heat while under pressure on the heads.
Dated this 4th day of Manch
AD 1906
FREDERICK EGGE.
NELSON MILES BEACH.