An Improved Process and Apparatus for Boring Buttons.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process and Apparatus for Boring Buttons.
A communication by FRANZ JOSEF BARTOSCH, of 4, 'Wilhelm Strasse, Kappel,
near Chemnitz, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 :--
This invention has for its object a process and apparatus for automatically boring
buttons of horn, bone, and more particularly vegetable ivory (stone nut).
The roughly turned stone nut or vegetable ivory button was hitherto secured in
a horizontally placed plate and bored by means of one or two borers in such a way
that the bore holes in the buttons assumed the form shown in Figure 1 of the
accompanying drawing. From this it may be seen that the bore hole is counter-
sunk on one side and diminishes to a cylindrical shape on the other. The drawback
of this is that when these buttons are sewn on articles of clothing the thread is very
much injured by the sharp edges and the button in a short time became loose or
dropped off. Buttons are indeed made at present with holes countersunk at each
side, but these bave to be bored in two operations instead of in one as is the case
with this improved apparatus.
In this improved process the button is no longer fixed horizontally but is held
vertically by a peculiar arrangement, turned in four positions, whilst being bored,
and then automatically discharged finished from the machine.
The two borers, Figures 3 and 4, employed for this purpose are characterised by
the arrangement that the first bores and then countersinks, it being situated on the
front side of the machine, whilst the second borer only countersinks and works from
the other side. The borer shown in Figure 3 bores accordingly from a to b and
then countersinks the bored hole from 6 to c, so that the holes in the button when
completely bored resemble those shown in Figure 2.
Figure 5 shows both borers when in a position for work and allows the mode of
working of the same to be seen.
To return to the process, it may be mentioned that the button is conveyed to a
feeding apparatus by means of a peculiarly formed shaking device, and from this
feeding apparatus the button passes by means of a channel into an automatic
fastening arrangement where it is held fast, and automatically brought into four
positions corresponding to the four holes of the buttons, finally emerging from the
machine by another passage as a bored finished button.
From the foregoing it will be seen that the operation of the borer divides itself
into the following four periods, see Figure 6.
The rear borer 2 first countersinks the button at the point I from the rear side.
The button is then turned about 90° and comes into position II. It is there
perforated by the front borer 1, and then countersunk on its outer edges. The
part IV then comes in place of 1 and is also countersunk, and the operation is then
repeated afresh. The buttons bored with this machine have the further advantage
of being more easily sewn on owing to the slopingly bored holes.
For this object, the two rows of boring spindles s s¹, Figure 7, are arranged
sloping at an angle of 60° to 75°.

page_text: 1st. inе впaking apparatus.
2nd. The feed appatatus.
3rd. The locking device.
4th. The support of the locking device.
5th. The device for automatically rotating the locking device.
6th. The automatic opening and closing of the locking device for discharging or
receiving the button.
7th. The boring apparatus.
8th. The device for carrying away the finished button from the machine.
On the accompanying drawing :-
Figure 1 shows a button perforated in the old way;
Figure 2 is a button perforated by the new method;
•
Figures 3 and 4 show the two borers employed for this object;
Figure 5 shows the method in which the borers work;
Figure 6 is a plan of the four positions for boring;
Figure 7 a view from above of the boring spindles ;
Figure 8 a front view of the machine ;
Figure 9 is an end view of the same ;
Figure 10 a back view of the same;
Figure 11 a front view of the feed and shaking bars when the latter are moved
to the right.
Figures 12, 13 and 14 are plan views of the bars c d e.
Figure 15 is a view of the eccentric for moving the locking device ;
Figures 16, 17 and 18 are three views of the support for the borer;
Figure 19 is a front view of the button feeding apparatus;
Figure 20 is a vertical section on the line C D of Figure 19;
Figures 21 and 21 are two views of the covering lid of the button feeding
apparatus ;
Figure 22 is a front view of the locking device;
Figure 23 is a section of the same on the line A B;
Figure 24 is a front view of the locking device with the cover plate removed;
Figure 25 is a back view of the cover plate for moving the three clamping
jaws 64;
Figure 26 is a front view partially in section of the support for the locking
device, showing the passages 72 and 73 on a smaller scale;
Figures 27-31 are separate views of the shaking up apparatus.
A box 6' which tapers at the bottoni is placed above the machine shown in
Figure 8 and serves as a holder for the unbored buttons. Beneath this box there
is the so-called shaking apparatus which works in such a way that only one button
lies on the bar e at a time. When this has been done the button 62 is moved from
left to right by the so-called drawing-in bar, so that it falls through the opening 101
of the rail e into the feed apparatus 10. From thence it finally comes by a
passage into the already opened locking or holding device and is there held
fast.
The two supports of the borers are then moved against the locking or holding
device by means of assistant mechanism which will be hereinafter explained, so that
simultaneously whilst the front part of the machine is boring, the rear part of the
same descends.
A device which will be also hereinafter explained brings the button into four
positions that is to say causes it to turn each time about 90°, in which positions the
separate holes are bored. The locking device is then opened and the finished
button discharged from the machine.
The machine shown on the accompanying drawings contains four holders or
locking devices so that four buttons may be bored simultaneously, but the number
of holders or locking devices may be arranged as required.

page_text: The separate mechanisms and their action will now be explained.
1ST. THE SHAKING APPARATUS.
The
This consists of three bars cd e, Figures 8, 11, 12, 13 and 14, the first of which
has about in its centre slots 36 at equal distances. The drawing-in bar d is placed
beneath the shaking bar c, and is provided longitudinally with circular holes 37
(see Figure 13). The drawing-in bar has for its object to draw into the feed
Another bar e,
opening the correctly placed button which has fallen into it.
arranged under the drawing-in bar, is so designed that it has alternately partially
and entirely perforated openings or holes 38 and 38°, see Figure 14.
openings 38 are not entirely bored out so that a shallow trough is formed in which
the under curve of the button finds a place. If the drawing-in bar be moved to
the right (it being assumed that the button 6, Figure 8, is lying in this trough) it
carries the button with it to the right, and the latter drops through the opening in
the bar into the feed apparatus. The movement imparted to the bar c and d in
the following manner :
A cam disc is arranged on the shaft 30, and has for instance 16 low or small
projections and a higher or larger one 100. A roller k attached to the lever /
travels over this cam disc and is oscillated backwards and forwards by the
projections on the above-named disc. The lever h is supported on the one hand by
a bracket 7 and on the other hand it is connected with the shaking bar c by a
lever g and an eyelet formed on the shaking bar.
If therefore the cam disc a be
As soon however as
rotated, it will impart 16 equal shakes to the shaking bar c.
the projection 100 comes against the roller k, the lever and consequently also the
bar c is pushed to the right until the latter encounters a projection 99 on the end
of the drawing-in bar, see Figure 8. By means of the great height of the
projection 100, the bar e after coming in contact with the projection 99 on the
drawing-in bar d carries the latter along with it; both bars are then moved to
the right and the button falls through the opening 101, Figure 8, into the feed
apparatus. This process is constructively shown in Figure 11, and it allows the
above-named operation to be clearly understood.
In order to bring back the lever on to the cam disc x, and the bar d to its
original position, springs 35 and i are provided. A projection f, Figures 8 and 11,
limits the back motion of the bar d by coming against the frame G, and thus again
places the bar in position for the next button which falls on it.

page_text: turns on being released by the projection 56 and falls consequently in the direction
of the arrow, to the right downwards. In the other case, however, that is to say,
if the convex side of the button be turned to the right hand head 52, the button
slides downward on the left hand side, the arrows indicating the direction of the
movement of the button.
It may thus be seen that, in any case, the button always falls with its edge
downwards, and thus always comes edgewise through the passage hereinafter
described into the actual locking or holding device.. On the two side walls of this
button feed apparatus, are slots 59, Figure 20, in which the bolts 60, on a lid or
cover, Figures 21 and 214, provided with a handle 62 for manipulating same, may
be inserted.
3RD. THE LOCK OR HOLDING MECHANISM.
As soon as the button has quitted the feed apparatus, it drops through the
passage 72, Figure 26, into the locking or holding device in the same direction as
it emerged, that is to say, at about an angle of 60 degrees. This lock fits into a
bed plate n, Figure 26, which is suitably attached to the machine frame.
The lock consists of a disc 68, Figure 24, which is provided with four grooves in
which three clamping jaws 64 may move. These clamping jaws have each a
projection 69, which may be moved by means of a mechanism hereinafter described.
The fourth of these clamping jaws is always moved upwards by the spring 65, that
is to say, is constantly pressed against the button. On the circumference of the
disc 68, there are four indentations 70, which exactly correspond to the four
positions of the holes in the button. On the left hand side there is a wider passage,
and Figure 24 shows, by the direction of the arrow, how and in which way the
button falls down through the passage 72 between the clamping jaws. On the
under side of the disc 68, there is also a ratchet wheel 33 which is operated in a
manner hereinafter explained. A second disc 66, Figure 25, is placed over this
disc 68 which loosely revolves in a ring 12. This ring 12 is, however, suitably
fastened by means of four screws to the plate n which forms the bed or support of
the lock or holding device, so that only the inner part 66 can revolve without
interruption. This last named disc 66 has also three grooves 67, Figure 25, which
are equally distributed at a given angle to one another, and the disc 66 fits on the
projections 69 by means of these grooves.
If the rear ratchet wheel 33 be revolved, the disc 68 with its clamp cheeks 69,
and consequently also the disc 66, are set in rotation. On the front side of the
disc 66, that is to say, outside the same, Figure 22, two lifting cams 13 and 14 are
attached. If then, for instance, pressure is brought to bear on the cam 14 in a
left handed direction, the disc.66 will revolve in consequence. As, however, the
disc-66 has grooves in which the projections 69 engage, the above named rotation
causes the clamping jaws to move radially outwards, that is, open, and close in the
opposite case. The first movement takes place, therefore, when the finished button
is ejected by the passage 73, the latter movement when an unbored button is to be
clamped fast.
Figure 22 shows a front view of the locking mechanism, and it allows the various
parts which come into play in this movement, to be more clearly recognised.
In order to allow for all sizes of buttons, the outer disc may be adjusted by
means of springs 75 and 76, so that the play of the grooves 67 may be increased or
diminished. The lock, with the parts hereinbefore more particularly described,
rests, as has already been mentioned, in the bed plate n. The disc 68 has, as
already stated, four indentations 70. A catch pin 71, pressed upwards by a
spring 74, springs from below into these indentations.. If, therefore, the whole lock
or holding device be revolved, such rotation can only continue until the catch pin
snaps into one of the recesses. The lock can then no longer rotate, the consequence
of which is that the boring process takes place. As soon as a mechanism which
will be hereinafter explained comes into play, a.further rotation of about 90 degrees
takes place.

page_text: 4TH. THE LOCK OR HOLDING DEVICE SUPPORT.
The support or bed of the lock or holding device is suitably secured between the
bars G G of the frame, and has as already statel a circular slot in which the lock
or holding device, together with the clamping jaws and the other accessory parts
appertaining thereto, may freely revolve. A passage or channel 72, Figure 26, is
arranged at the upper left hand side of the circular slot, from which passage 72, the
button falls into the lock or holding device. A similar passage 73 is arranged at
the under part of this support and serves for conveying the button away when
completely bored. The catch or stop pin 71, which is always pressed inwards by
means of a spring 74, fixes the holding device in the usual manner in four positions,
see Figures 24 and 26. The circular openings in the support or bed stand at a
giveu distance apart, six or more of such openings may be arranged.
5TH. THE DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY ROTATING THE LOCKING
DEVICE.
On the rear side of the machine, that is, on the side on which the button is
countersunk, there is, as already stated, a ratchet wheel 33, Figures 23 and 10,
projecting backwards behind each iocking device. This ratchet wheel has four
teeth, by means of which, during one rotation, the four positions corresponding to
the four holes to be bored, are fixed.
This ratchet wheel 33 is operated by means of pawls 34 which are movably
arranged on a bar p. This bar is supported in the parts G G of the frame. A
spring 21 has a constant tendency to press the bar p to the right and thus to always
keep the pawls disengaged from the indentations of the ratchet wheel.
q.
This bar p is somewhat prolonged to the left and is connected with a push bar
This latter is movably arranged on the arm 7 of the frame and carries a roller w,
which travels on a peculiarly shaped cam 26, Figures 15 and 10. As soon as the
cam 26 revolves, it imparts to the roller, and therefore also to the pawls 34, the
usual back and forward motion, and consequently rotates the ratchet wheel in
the usual manner.
Figure 15 shows this cam on a larger scale, and from it, its peculiar construction
may be recognised. It may also be remarked that the injection or feed of the
button takes place on the course of the cam from V to VI, and the ejection of
the button on the course from VI to VII. It must also be noted that, during this
rotation as already stated, the part 68 and the part 66, Figure 23, that is to say,
the entire lock, is set in rotation, whilst the part 12, that is the fastening ring, is
screwed firm on the support or bed n.
6TH. THE AUTOMATIC OPENING AND CLOSING OF THE LOCK OR HOLDING
DEVICE AFTER EJECTION OR RECEPTION OF THE BUTTON RESPEC-
TIVELY.
A bar m is arranged on the front or boring side of the machine shown in
Figure 8 similar to that on the rear side. This bar may be moved backwards and
forwards in guides or bearings in the frame and in the supports. The rear part is
connected with a double-armed lever rr, one arm of which carries a roller t. This
roller is operated by two projections and u, Figure 8, in the following
manner :-
V
The projection u is rounded at its point, whilst the other projection is pointed.
Both these projections are attached to the already described cam disc x. If this
cam disc moves in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 8, the roller will
first slip off the projection u and consequently push the bar m to the left. As,
however, this bar has projections 15 at equal distances apart, and the holding
device is provided with similar projections 13 aud 14, the projection 15, on moving
as before mentioned to the left, encounters the projection 14 and turns the cover of

page_text: arrangement of cam grooves is provided in the right hand part of the machine,-
Figure 9, and the construction of the same, as well as of the tubular support, is.
the same only with the difference that, on this side, the borer 2 is fixed, which
effects the countersinking of the button. All the other constructive parts are the
same for this support.
Above the spindle carrier there are two oil vessels 42, which operate the oiling
of the very rapidly revolving spindles. The spindles are all driven from rope-
pulleys 6, arranged on a shaft Z driven from the belt pulleys 3 or 4.
As the main driving gear is situated on the right hand side, the movement.is.
conveyed to the left hand shaft by means of belts. The rotation of the shaft 30,
together with the various cam discs mounted thereon, is effected by means of a
worm S (Figure 10) on a worm wheel 20. The levers h and 9 (Figures 8 and 9).
are supported on a commou shaft l.
8TH.
THE DEVICE FOR REMOVING THE FINISHED BUTTON FROM THE.
MACHINE.
The removing device has been already mentioned several times, and it need.
only be stated that inclined chutes 5 are arranged beneath the passage 73, down.
which chutes the released buttons slide and fall into a box placed beneath them.
A peculiar form of arrangement of the shaking apparatus is shown in Figures 27"
-31, and the explanation thereof is as follows :-
:-
The drawing-in bar does not consist, in this modification, of one bar, but of
several pieces d', Figures 30 and 31, which are each provided with a hole 82, and
a bolt 78 rivetted thereto and projecting downwards. These pieces d', six or more
of which may be employed, lie loosely on the carriage c¹. A pressure spring 80 is.
also fastened on the carriage c', and tends to press the projecting bolt constantly
to the right, Figure 29. An adjustable projection 79, attached to a slide e¹,.
however prevents this movement to the right. This slide e' moves in suitable slots
and is moved backwards and forwards by means of a lever 83 connected with the
elbow lever ¹ 77. One arm 77 of this elbow lever travels over the cam disc 29.
mentioned before, which has a projection 76 on its periphery, Figure 27. As soon
as, by the rotation of the cam disc, the projection 76 encounters the arm 77, the
latter is lifted, and consequently the lever 83, with the slide e', is moved to the
right. The result of this is that the stop of the bolt 78, that is to say the sliding
projection 79, moves to the right and the spring 80 comes into play, moving the
bard to the right so that the opening 82 comes over the button-feeding apparatus,
and a fresh button drops into the same in the usual way.
The slide e moves backwards and forwards in guides 81. The bar d' stands,.
after what has been before stated, with its opening over the button-feed
apparatus 10. It remains in this position until the projection 76 releases the
arm 77, and then the latter drops again by means of a spring on to the edge of
the cam disc 29, and consequently brings the slide e¹ and also the projection 79 into.
their former positions. The apparatus is then ready for the repetition of the
process of working.
Finally, as regards the capabilities of execution of this machine, it may be-
stated that, in an eight hour working day, it can turn out 200 gross of buttons,.
a quantity which requires four days when the ordinary machines are used in which
the bottom is arranged horizontally.
The mode of working of the machine is so simple as to require no extra.
working strength, in fact, a child is able to attend to the same, it being only
necessary to keep the supply box constantly filled with buttons which are to be bored..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :
1. A process for automatically boring buttons made of any suitable material.

page_text: :
such as horn, bone and more particularly vegetable ivory (stone nut) which
consists in the button which is to be bored being caused automatically to undergo,
by means of suitable mechanisms, several successive processes, being first conveyed
by a shaking apparatus to a button feed apparatus, turned therein from a
horizontal into a vertical position, then conveyed into a lock or holding device,
where it is held fast in a vertical position, revolved and bored on both sides
simultaneously by means of boring and counter-sinking apparatus, and finally
conveyed by suitable means out of the machine; substantially as herein before
described and shown on the accompanying drawings.
2. In the process described in Claim 1, a machine for boring buttons, which
consists in the arrangement of a shaking device, a button feed apparatus, a boring
device and a lock or holding device, so that the button, after one rotation
of the main shaft (30), is brought by the shaking device from its original
position into a suitable position, and conveyed into the button feed apparatus
through which it drops into the lock or holding device in such a way that always
the same side of the button is, turned in a vertical position to the automatically
acting borers and countersinkers, and held fast there, in order to be then revolved
with the lock, or holding device, and bored, and countersunk, whilst the finished
bored button is conveyed out of the machine by a discharge passage, substantially
as described and shown.
3. In the machine described in Claim 2, shaking apparatus consisting of two
sliding pieces c and d, the first of which is suitably moved to and fro by means of
a lever arrangement operated by a suitably shaped can disc a, until a button has
fallen in the correct position into the trough-shaped recess in the bar e, the sliding
piece e being moved to the right when the greatest projection of the cam disc a is
reached, and by means of the projection 99, the slide d is also carried with the
slide to the right in order, in this way, to convey a button to the feed apparatus ;
substantially as described and shown.
4. In the machine described in Claim 2, a button feed apparatus, in which, by
means of two knobs 52, shaped like rivet heads and a projection 56, the button is
conveyed in such a way as to fall into the succeeding apparatus with always the
same side presented to the boring and countersinking devices; substantially as
described and shown.
5. In the machine described in Claim 2, a vertically placed lock or holding
device in which the button (which has fallen therein) is held fast by means of
three clamping jaws operated by a grooved disc 66, is brought, by means of a
turning device, into four positions and afterwards released; the clamping or the
releasing of the button being effected by means of the grooved disc 66, by a
bar m encountering projections 14 or 13, and thereby moving the front part of the
locking device to the left, whilst a catchpin 71 retains the lock or holding device
in its respective positions, substantially as described.
6. In the machine described in Claim 2, a boring device consisting of a borer
support 19 moving in guides, which is pushed backwards and forwards by means
of a cam 9 in such a way that the borer at suitable inoments is brought within, or
out of, reach of the button, this adjustment of the carriage being brought about
by means of cam grooves which operate, by means of a roller and lever, the cam 9
in such a way that the latter presses on the screw head 41 with the object of
effecting the in and out movement of the borer, substantially as described and shown.
7. In the lock or holding device described in Claim 5, an arrangement for
revolving the lock or holding device, consisting of a bar p moving to and fro,
provided with a pawl 34, which bar is moved in such a way by means of a lever q,
roller w, and cam 26, that the locking device each time describes a revolution
corresponding to the ratchet wheel, substantially as described and shown.
8. A modification of the shaking device described in Claim 3, which consists in
making the drawing in bar of several plates d provided with downwardly
projecting pins 78, which are all pushed to the left by slide projections 79, and
returned to the right on the cessation of the pressure by means of a spring 80, so

page_text: that thus the openings 82 of the separate feed apparatus stand opposite, and the
button can easily drop into them, the movement of the slide el being effected by
means of the elbow lever h¹ 77 and the cam 29; substantially as described and.
shown.
Dated thin 9th dow of Tun 1901
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.
Agents.