IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTONS AND FASTENINGS FOR THE SAME
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Mac Millan, of the City of London, Manu-
facturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTONS AND FASTENINGS
FOR THE SAME."
Sealed the 11th October 1878, and dated the 24th April 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Mac Millan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th April 1878.
ALEXANDER MAC MILLAN, of the City of London, Manufacturer.
MENTS IN BUTTONS AND FASTENINGS FOR THE SAME."
"IMPROVE-
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of buttons which are
secured to garments and other articles by separate fastenings, and for which no
sewing or eyelets are required; and my improvements in buttons and fastenings
for the same are applicable to all kinds of buttons, such as either solid or shell
trousers buttons, Florentines, fancy or other covered buttons, and buttons for boots,,
shoes, gaiters, and other articles where buttons are required, the main object of my
improvements being to allow of such buttons being applied to any article with ease
and facility, at the same time rendering them easily removeable at pleasure without
injury to either the button or its fastener, which is not the case generally with
buttons hitherto in use.
For the sake of simplicity I will describe my improvements by reference to an
ordinary Florentine or fancy button.
I form the button in two parts as usual, but the bottom or under side is formed
with a projecting neck with a hole in the centre. In each side of the said neck
I form a slot, in which slides a spring catch or snap consisting of two arms united
together at one end, the other ends being free and turned outwards. The fastener
for this button consists of a stem of metal or other suitable material with a flange,
washer, or collet at its lower end, the other end being pointed or coned, and formed
with a groove at a short distance from the said end.
To apply a button of this construction to a garment or other article the pointed
end of the fastener is passed through the cloth or fabric, and the spring catch or

page_text: snap in the neck of the button being pulled or drawn outwards the pointed end
of the fastener is passed into the hole in the centre of the neck of the button, and
the spring snap being then pushed inwards the two arms thereof will take into the
herein-before described groove of the fastener, and the button will be securely
fastened at the same time that it can freely turn on its fastener.
To remove the button it is simply necessary to pull the snap outwards, when the
fastener can be withdrawn.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Mac Millan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th October 1878.
ALEXANDER MAC MILLAN, of the City of London, Manufacturer. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BUTTONS AND FASTENINGS FOR THE SAME."
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of buttons which are
secured to garments and other articles by separate fastenings, and for which no
sewing or eyelets are required; and my improvements in buttons, and fastenings.
for the same are applicable to all kinds of buttons, such as either solid or shell
trousers buttons, Florentines, fancy or other covered buttons, and buttons for boots,
shoes, gaiters, and other articles where buttons are required, the main object of my
improvements being to allow of such buttons being applied to any article with ease
and facility, at the same time rendering them easily removeable at pleasure without
injury to either the button or its fastener, which is not the case generally with
buttons hitherto in use.
For the sake of simplicity I will describe my improvements by reference to an
ordinary Florentine or fancy button.
I form the button in two parts as usual, but the bottom or under side is formed
with a projecting neck with a hole in the centre. In each side of the said neck I
form a slot, in which slides a catch, consisting of a slotted slide piece. The fastener
or keeper for this button consists of a stem of metal or other suitable material with
a flange, washer, or collet at its lower end, the other end being pointed or coned,
and formed with a groove at a short distance from the said end.
But to make my Invention better understood I will proceed to describe the same
by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which,
Figure 1 is a view of the under side of a button with its catch constructed
according to my Invention.
Figure 2, plan of the slotted catch.
Figure 3, plan of the under side of the button, the catch being removed.
Figure 4, elevation of Figure 3, shewing the slot in the neck for the catch.
Figure 5, elevation of the fastener or keeper.
Figure 6, side elevation of the button.

page_text: Figure 7, elevation, shewing the button applied to a piece of cloth or other fabric ;
and Figure 8, section of Figure 7.
Similar letters in all the Figures represent similar parts.
a is the bottom or under side of the button; b, the projecting neck of same;
c, the hole in the centre of the neck; d, Figure 4, shews one of the slots in the side
of the neck; e is the slotted catch sliding in the slots d in the neck. The slot e¹ is
enlarged at one end f, the said enlarged part f corresponding in size with the hole o
in the centre of the neck. g is the stem of the fastener or keeper, the diameter of
the said stem being such as to allow it to pass freely but without shake through
the hole c in the neck of the button and the enlarged part f of the catch. h is the
groove in the stem; and i, the conical end of the stem; j is the washer or collet at
the lower end of the stem.
To apply a button of this construction to a garment or other article the catch e
is pushed inwards until its enlarged part f corresponds with the hole c in the neck.
The conical end i of the fastener or keeper is then passed through the cloth or
fabric k, and through the hole c in the neck of the button and the enlarged part f
of the catch, and this latter being then pulled outwards into the position shewn in
Figure 1 the slot e' will take into the groove h in the stem g of the fastener or
keeper, and the button will be securely held to the cloth or fabric at the same time
that it can freely turn on the fastener.
To remove the button it is merely necessary to push the catch inwards until the
enlarged part f of its slot corresponds with the hole c in the neck, as herein-before
described, when the fastener or keeper can be withdrawn and the button will be
free.
I would observe that the catch e is slightly curved or bent, so as to press against
the slot & in the neck, and thus act as a spring, and prevent the catch from sliding
too easily.
I sometimes place the catch inside the button, as shewn in Figure 9, which is a
plan, shewing the under side or bottom of the button removed. Figures 10, 11, 12,
and 13 are views of this arrangement, corresponding with Figures 1, 6, 7, and 8.
The action is similar to that herein-before described.
Having thus described my Invention, and the manner of performing the same,
what I claim is, the improvements in buttons, and fastenings for the same, as
herein-before described and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Mac Millan, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-tbird day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South St.,
Finsbury.
ALEXANDER MAC MILLAN. (L.S.)