Improvements in and relating to Buttons.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 25th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Buttons.
I, ROBERT ELSDON, of "The Highlands," Burnt Ash Hill, Lee, in the
County of Kent, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
to be as follows:-
The first part of my invention relates to improvements in that class of metal
buttons known as imitation solid buttons and is specially applicable to what are
known as
"rim livery buttons," that is to say to imitation solid buttons having
plain burnished faces or crowns and which are not intended to receive a device of
any kind thereon. I construct such buttons of two essential parts, viz. the bottom
or back, and the crown, face or shell. The bottom or back of the button consists
of a metal disc stamped or pressed to the desired shape to represent the back of a
solid button, and having a shank formed of a loop of wire the two ends of which
are passed through the centre of the bottom or back and bent over on the inside
surface thereof; a small washer being preferably interposed between the said
bent-over ends and the inside surface of the bottom or back. The ends of the
shank and the washer are now firmly attached to the inside of the bottom or back
of the button by means of soldering, a hard solder being preferably employed for
this purpose. I then cover the central portion of the inside of the bottom or
back, including the bent-over ends of the shank and the washer, with a more or
less thick coating of soft solder. The bottom or back is now complete and ready
to receive. the crown, face or shell, which is attached thereto by setting, closing or
other process well known in connection with this class of manufacture. Pressure
is now applied to the button thus formed and the soft solder in the central inner
portion of the bottom or back is thereby spread out so as to form a good support
or backing to the crown, face or shell which is thereby enabled not only to resist
the necessary pressure imparted in the process of burnishing, but also to prevent
the same from being dented or similarly damaged in ordinary use.
Tsecond part of my invention relates to improvements whereby the bottom
or back of a button is constantly maintained in close or yielding contact with the
cloth or other material to which it is attached or buttoned, and is more especially
applicable to that class of metal buttons known as set, spun or closed buttons,
which commonly consist of a crown, face or shell set, spun or closed over a bottoni
or back.
I prefer to employ a filling-piece of horn, wood, or other suitable
inaterial, between the crown, face or shell and the bottom or back as described in
the Specification of Letters Patent grauted to me and bearing date 12th July
A.D. 1892, No. 12,835, I form the shank of the button of a piece of wire formed
with a head of any suitable shape, or of two pieces of wire bent over at their
inner ends in opposite directions and soldered together, their outer ends being
straight. I thread on to the straight portion of the shank a short tubular piece of
india rubber, cork, or other suitable elastic material of such a length that, when
in its normal uncompressed state, one end shall bear against the beforementioned
head or bent-over inner ends of the shank, whilst its other end bears against the
inside of the bottom or back when the latter is in place in the crown, face or shell ;
the inner end of the said shank, with the tubular piece of indiarubber thereon,
entering a hole or recess in the centre of the beforementioned filling-piece, where
such filling-piece is employed. The straight ends of the shank, which project
through the bottom or back after the latter has been secured in place, are adapted
to pass through the cloth or other material to which it is to be attached and
through a washer on the back thereof. The said ends of the shank may then be
bent over in opposite directions at right angles and the bent-over portions

page_text: preferably embedded in a groove or hollow formed to receive them in the said
washer, thus avoiding any objectionable projection on the inner side of the cloth
or other material. Or the said washer may be dispensed with and each of the two
wires forming the end of the shank may be passed through a separate hole in the
cloth or other material and bent over either towards or away from each other, or
the ends may be secured in any other suitable way.
The third part of my invention relates to a removable case, covering or mask
whereby an ordinary cloth-faced or other button, on a coat for example, may be
readily made to appear like a livery or other button. The case, covering or mask
consists of a crown, face or shell, stamped or pressed similarly to that of an ordinary
button, but preferably so shaped that a slight bed is formed on its internal circum-
ference to receive a loose ring or keeper. This loose ring or keeper is circular on
its entire outer circumference but has one or more projecting portions on its inner
circumference. The bottom or back of the case, covering or mask consists of a
similarly shaped ring to that last above described but is connected to the circum-
ference of the crown, face or shell by closing, spinning, or soldering, in the ordinary
manner, whereas the beforementioned loose ring or keeper is free to rotate more or
less between the internal surfaces of the crown, face or shell and the bottom or
back. When the loose ring or keeper is in its normal position, its internal outline
coincides with that of the bottom or back, and in this position the case, covering
or mask may be placed over the button and the loose ring or keeper being then
turned round so as to bring its projecting portion or portions behind another part
of the button, the area of the opening through which the button was passed is
thereby reduced and the case, covering or mask secured on the button. This move-
ment of the loose ring or keeper may be effected by means of a tang or pin formed
thereon or secured thereto, which tang or pin passes through a guide slot formed
in the bottom or back. The case, covering or mask is thus held securely on to
the cloth-faced or other button and imparts thereto the appearance of a livery or
other button according to the nature and design of the crown, face or shell of the
case, covering or mask. On restoring the loose ring or keeper to its normal
position by means of the beforementioned tang or pin, the case, covering or mask
may be readily removed.
Dated thin 05th Jan of Wahun 1902
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Buttons.
I, ROBERT ELSDON, of "The Highlands" Burnt Ash Hill, Lee, in the County
of Kent, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
>>
The first part of my invention relates to improvements in that class of metal
buttons known as imitation solid buttons and is specially applicable to what are
known as "rim livery buttons that is to say to imitation solid buttons having
plain burnished faces or crowns, and which are not intended to receive a device
of any kind thereon.
Figure 1 of the accompanying sheet of drawings illustrates in transverse
section a button constructed according to this part of my invention. The
button consists of two essential parts, viz. the bottom or back A and the crown,
face or shell B. The bottom or back of the button consists of a metal disc A
stamped or pressed to the desired shape to represent the back of a solid button
and having a shank A' formed of a loop of wire the two ends A³ of which are

page_text: In
passed through the centre of the disc A and bent over on the inside surface
thereof as shown, a small washer A' being preferably interposed between the
bent-over ends A' and the inside surface of the disc A. The ends of the
shank A and the washer A' are now firmly attached to the inside of the disc A
by soldering, a hard solder being preferably employed for this purpose.
order to still further add to the security of the shank I then cover the central
portion of the inside of the disc A, the bent over ends A³ of the shank A, and
the washer A with a more or less thick covering of soft solder or other suitable
material A. The bottom or back-comprising the disc A, shank A³, washer A'
and soft solder A-is now complete and ready to receive the crown, face or
shell. B, which is attached thereto by closing spinning or other process well
known in connection with this class of manufacture. The pressure applied to
the button, formed as above described, causes the soft solder or other suitable
material A on the central inner portion thereof to spread out so as to form a
good support or backing to the crown, face or shell B which is thereby enabled
not only to resist the necessary pressure imparted in the process of burnishing
but also to prevent the same from being dented or similarly damaged in ordinary
wear.
The second part of my invention relates to improvements whereby the bottom
or back of a button is constantly maintained in close or yielding contact with the
cloth or other material to which it is attached or buttoned and is more especially
applicable to that class of metal buttons known as set, spun or closed buttons
which commonly consist of a crown, face or shell set, spun or closed over a
bottom or back.
Figure 2 illustrates in transverse section a button constructed in accordance with
this second part of my invention.
Figure 3 is a plan view of same with the crown, face or shell removed, and
Figure 4 is a plan view of the bottom or back of the button.
C is the crown, face or shell, set, spun or closed over the bottom or back D in the
usual manner. I prefer to employ a filling piece E of horn, wood or other
suitable material between the crown, face or shell C and the bottom or back D
as described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me and bearing
date 12 July A.D. 1892 No. 12,835. F is the shank of the button which I form
of a piece of wire formed with a head of any suitable shape or of two pieces
of wire bent over at their inner ends F¹ in opposite directions as shewn, and
preferably soldered together, their outer ends F being straight. I thread on
to the straight portion of the shank a short tubular piece of indiarubber, cork
or other suitable elastic material G of such a length that when in its normal
uncompressed state one end shall bear against the beforementioned head or bent
over inner ends F¹ of the shank whilst its other end bears against the inside of the
bottom or back D when the latter is in place in the crown, face or shell C, the
inner parts of the shank F with the tubular piece of india rubber G thereon
entering a hole or recess E' in the centre of the beforementioned filling piece E
where such filling piece is employed. The ends F2 of the shank F which project
through the bottom or back D after the latter has been secured in place are
adapted to pass through the cloth or other material H to which it is to be
attached and through a washer I on the back thereof. The ends F' may be
then bent over at right angles in opposite directions as shewn in Figures 2 and 4
and. the bent over portions preferably embedded in a groove or hollow formed
to receive them in the said washer I thus avoiding any objectionable projection
on the inner side of the cloth or other material H. Or the washer 1
may be
dispensed with and each of the two wires forming the end of the shank may be
passed through a separate hole in the cloth or other material H and bent over
either towards or away from each other, the wires being so bent as to clasp and
retain the cloth securely. Or the ends F' may be secured in any other
suitable way without detaching such cloth-faced or other button from the coat or
other garment.

page_text: The third part of my invention relates to a removable case, covering or mask
whereby an ordinary cloth-faced or other button, on a coat for example, may be
readily made to appear like a livery or other button. Figures 5 and 6 illustrate in
transverse section and underside plan view respectively a case, covering or mask
constructed in accordance with this part of my invention. The case, covering or
mask consists of a crowu, face or shell J, stamped or pressed similarly to that of an
ordinary button, but preferably so shaped that a slight bed J' is formed on its
internal circumference to receive a loose ring or keeper K. This loose ring or
keeper K is circular on its entire outer circumference as shown but has one or
more projecting portions K¹ on its inner circumference. The bottom or back of
the case, covering or mask consists of a ring L of similar shape to that of the loose
ring or keeper K but fixed to the circumference of the crown, face or shell by
setting, closing, spinning, or soldering, in the ordinary manner, whereas the loose
ring or keeper K is free to rotate more or less between the internal surfaces of the
crown, face or shell and the bottom or back. L¹ is a projection on the ring L
corresponding in shape to the projection K' on the ring K. When the loose ring
or keeper K is in its normal position as shown in full lines in Figure 6 its internal
outline coincides with that of the fixed ring L which forms the bottom or back, and
in this position the case, covering or mask may be placed over a cloth-faced button
for example attached to a coat and the loose ring or keeper K being then turned
round so as to bring its projecting portion or portions K' behind another part of
the button, as indicated by the straight dotted line in Figure 6, the area of the
opening through which the button was passed is thereby reduced and the case,
covering or mask secured on the button. This movement of the loose ring or
keeper K may be effected by means of a tang or pin K³ formed thereon or secured
thereto, which tang or pin passes through a guide slot L' formed in the bottom or
back. The case, covering or mask is thus held securely on to the cloth-faced
button, on the coat for example, and imparts thereto the appearance of a livery or
other button according to the nature and design of. the crown, face or shell J of
the case, covering or mask. On restoring the loose ring or keeper K to its normal
position by means of the beforementioned tang or pin K³ the case, covering or
mask may be readily. removed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
First. In imitation solid buttons the combination of the disc A, shank A'-with or
without the washer A-the crown, face or shell B and the covering of soft solder or
other suitable material A substantially as herein before described, and illustrated
in Figure 1 of the drawings, and for the purposes specified.
Second. In a spring-shank button the shank F and a tube of india rubber or other
suitable elastic material G, combined, arranged and applied substantially as herein-
before described, and illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, and for the
purpose specified.
Third. In a removable case, covering or mask the combination of the crown, face
or shell J with the fixed and movable rings L and K provided with projections L
and K, arranged, combined and operating substantially as hereinbefore described,
and illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 25th day of November 1893
R. ELSDON,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, Agent.