IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTONS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cope, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BUTTONS."
Sealed the 5th February 1858, and dated the 19th November 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cope at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
November 1857.
I, JOHN COPE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTONS,"
to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in constructing sewn-through buttons, or buttons
which are attached to garments by sewing through a fabric or fabrics which
constitute the central portion of the button, in the following manner :-I con-
struct the body of the button of an annular piece of bone, ivory, wood, or shell;
a perforated disc of metal, over which a disc of linen or other fabric is placed,
is situated in front of the body, and the edge of the fabric is turned over the
edge of the metal disc, and the edge of the latter is turned over and secured to
the bone or other body of the button. The button thus exposes a linen front
and edge and bone or non-metallic back, the metal disc with which the fabric is
attached to the body being wholly concealed. I sometimes also cover the
bone or other back of the button with a second disc of linen or other fabric.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Cope in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th May
1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN COPE,
of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Cope, Her special licence, that I, the said John Cope,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Cope, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTONS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Cope, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Cope, 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 state-
ment thereof, that is to say:-
My improvements consist of the method or methods heroin-after particularly
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, of constructing sewn-
through buttons, or buttons which are attached to garments by sewing through
a fabric or fabrics which constitute the central portion of the button. I
construct the body of the button of an annular or ring-like picco of bone, ivory,
wood, or shell, or other non-metallic substance, the said non-metallic body
being perforated in the centre and covered with a suitable fabric or fabrics.
A perforated shell or disc of metal over which a disc of linen or other fabric is
placed, is situated in front of the body or non-metallic disc, and the edge of
the fabric is turned over the edge of the metal shell, and the edge of tho said
metal shell is closed upon and secured to the bone or non-metallic body of the
button.

page_text: The button thus constructed has a bone or non-metallic back and a metal
front, the surfaces of the said bone or non-metallic back and the metal front
being wholly covered with a fabric or fabrics. The Figures in the accompanying
Drawing are drawn of a larger size than the buttons themselves, in order that
the several parts of the same may be more intelligible.
In carrying my Invention into effect, I take discs of bone, ivory, or other
non-metallic substance of the form represented in plan at a, and section at b
in Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing, the said disc having a perforation
c at its centre, as represented; or, instead of the perforation c, the said disc
may have two or more holes for the needle to pass through. The edge of the
said disc, Figure 1, is bevilled, as shown in the section b. I next take circular
discs of woven or other fabric suitable for covering the backs of sewn-through
buttons, and I draw the said dises through tools, so as to cause the edges of
the same to be turned up, the said dises thereby assuming the cup-like form
represented in plan in Figure 2, and in section in Figure 3. I introduce the
ivory or non-metallic disc, Figure 1, into the cup-like blank, Figure 3, the
said disc, Figure 1, assuming the position in the cup-like fabric represented in
Figure 4. I next take a perforated metal shell, such as is commonly employed
in making sewn-through buttons, and I cover the surface of the said metal
shell with a suitable fabric, the edge of the said fabric being made to lap over
the turned-in edge of the perforated metal shell. A perforated metal shell of
the kind described, covered with a fabric, is represented and marked d in
Figure 5, which said Figure 5 represents in section a button constructed
according to my Invention. In the said Figure 5, e represents the non-
metallic body, Figure 1, and g the fabric represented in Figures 2 and 3.
The disc or boly e is combined with the metal shell d, and the edge of the
fabric of which the said body e is covered is turned over the edge of and secured
to the said disc e, as seen in Figure 5, by the operation of a pair of dies, as is
well understood. By the pressure of the covering tools or dies the edges f, f,
of the part d are made to close upon the part e, the said dies pressing the
parts & and e into close contact, and thus forming a sewn-through button, the
fabrics of which the parts d and are covered, being securely held in the
manner described and represented. A finished button made according to my
Invention is represented in front plan in Figure 6, in edge view in Figure 7,
and in back plan in Figure 8.
Instead of covering the face of the front shell d of the button with a plain
fabric, I sometimes cover the said front shell with a fabric ornamented
with central or other patterns or designs, the said patterns or designs being
woven or formed in or on the fabrics during their manufacture. And instead

page_text: of covering the bone or non-metallic back of the button with a single disc of
linen or other fabric, I sometimes employ more than one disc for covering the
said back of the button. I sometimes also use a double fabric for covering
the front of the button, particularly where I employ an ornamental fabric for
the front of the button.
By constructing sewn-through buttons in the manner described and repre-
sented, they are stronger and more durable than sewn-through buttons made
in the ordinary manner.
I have not thought it necessary to describe or represent the machinery by
which the parts composing my new or improved button are put together, as
the said machinery is well known, and commonly employed, and constitutes no
part of my Invention; neither have I thought it necessary to explain in detail
the method of gathering in the edges of the fabric employed, and turning the
same over the edges of the metallic and non-metallic portions of the buttons,
as these processes are well known and commonly practised in the manufacturo
of various kinds of buttons, and I believe that my Invention will be fully
understood by any one acquainted with the manufacture of sewn-through
buttons by the description herein given, and the accompanying Drawing.
But I claim as
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
carying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein-described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my Invention.
my Invention the improvements herein-before described and represented
in the accompanying Drawing in constructing sewn-through buttons, that
is to say, constructing the said buttons of a metal shell forming the front or
face of the button, and a disc of ivory, bone, or other non-metallic material
forming the back and body of the button, the said metal shell and non-
metallic body being both wholly covered with a woven or other fabric, the
fabric employed for covering the front of the button being either plain or
ornamented, as described and represented.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Cope, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOHN COPE. (LS.)