Year: 1886

page_text: I, FRANKLIN A. SMITH Jun. of City and County of Providence, State of Rhode
Island, United States of America, Solicitor, 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 relates to a new and useful improvement in Instruments or
machines for securing buttons to fabric by means of metallic fasteners composed of
a table provided with penetrating prongs bent at right angles thereto, one of said
prongs being bent near its junction with the table to form a staple to engage the
eye of a button in attachment.
Instruments of this class as heretofore made have been provided with a smoothe
surface on the under part of the upper or button and fastener holding member, so
that when a fastener provided with a side loop so called has been placed in said
holding member, the fastener will tip and render its attachment uncertain and.
unsatisfactory.
The object of my present invention is to overcome this difficulty, and to produce
an instrument or machine, in which it is impossible to place the fastener in an
improper position, by reason of the peculiar construction of the holding member,
rendering the proper reception of the fastener an absolute certainty in every case.
To this end my invention consists essentially in forming the lower surface of the
holding member of a button setting instrument, in two planes, the inner edge of
the lower plane being formed square with said plane, and adjacent to the lower
inner edge of the groove in the lower surface of said holding member, said groove
being adapted to receive the staple of the fastener in position for attachment to a
fabric.
In the drawing :—
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a button fastener setting instrument embodying my
improvement.
Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the upper or button and fastener holding member
of the instrument.
Fig. 3 is an end view in partial section of the same.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the fastener used with my improved instrument.
In the drawing A represents the upper, or button and fastener holding member
and B the lower or clinching member, of my improved instrument, the two
members operated by the handles C and D in the usual manner of pincers.
[Price 8d1

page_text: The member A is formed in the present instance with a recess E. opening from
one side, for the reception of the button head, the bottom of the recess being of
an inclined or tapering shape, from the rear to the front of the same, and is
provided in the centre with a slot F, extending through the bottom of said recess
and having an arched groove a³ in the face of the member. The lower surface of
this member is formed in two parallel planes a² and a, the inner edge of the plane a
being square with said plane, forming a perpendicular shoulder a³, located adjacent
to the groove a¹, as fully shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing.
The member B is provided in its upper surface with the clinching dies b b in the
present instance consisting of two parallel grooves of equal length formed crosswise
of said member and designed to operate on the prongs of the fastener, to secure the
same to fabric. The fastener designed to be used with my improved instrument
is shown in Fig. 4 and consists of a table provided with penetrating prongs, the
single prong b¹ being bent to form the loop staple s for the reception of the eye of
a button. I do not desire however to make any claim to the fastener. In securing
a button to a shoe or other article, the eye of the button is passed over the prong b¹
into the loop or staple 8 the combined button and fastener is then placed in the
member A the bottom of the button resting in the recess E, and the loop staple s
in the groove a¹ the prong b¹ resting against the shoulder a³ of the plane a, the
prongs of the fastener standing straight, square with said plane, the upper surface
of the table of the fastener resting against the plane a³, as fully shown in Fig. 1.
The fastener being in position as described, is secured to material in the usual
manner, by passing the prongs through the material, and clinching them on the
under surface by contact with the dies in the member B, I have shown and
described my improvement as applied to hand instrument, the same form of
member, substantially as described may be employed in connection with an
organized machine to be operated by treadle or other suitable power, with which
a fastener like the one shown, is used, the object sought being, to provide the under
surface of the fastener holding member with a shoulder located adjacent to the
slot in said member, so that when the fastener and button is placed in said
member, the perpendicular shoulder will prevent the fastener from tipping in the
direction of the staple prong, and this result to be attained without the aid of a
movable mechanical appliance.
The advantage of my improvement is readily apparent, as with a smooth
unbroken surface on the lower face of the holding member there is absolutely
nothing to prevent the fastener from tipping, while with my improvement it is
impossible to tip the fastener, and it must of necessity stand straight and square,
ready for use in attachment.
My improvement also greatly facilitates the attachment of the fastener, as the
shoulder forming a bearing back of the staple prong, holds the fastener firm against
any lateral movement, thereby causing the prongs to be forced through the
material straight, and to follow the contour of the clinching die more closely, and
also prevents the staple prong from bulging, or bending outward during the
clinching operation. The lower plane of the holding member being substantially
the same thickness as the table of the fastener, prevents the two members from
being brought too closely together, and thereby saves the fastener from being
injured by a too close pressure in attachment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is.
1st In an implement for attaching buttons to fabric, a slotted button and
fastener holding member, having its lower surface formed in two planes, the
inner edge of the lower plane forming a perpendicular shoulder located adjacent
to the slot in said member, and adapted to retain a fastener in vertical position for
attachment, while the staple of the fastener remains in said slot, substantially as
and for the purpose specified.

page_text: 2d In a button setting implement, a slotted button and fastener holding
member, having a perpendicular shoulder on the face of, and located adjacent
to the slot in said member and adapted to hold a fastener and support it in an
upright position for attachment, substantially as described.
3d In an implement for attaching buttons to fabric, the member A, provided
with a recess E, having a slot F, provided with a shoulder a³ located adjacent to
said slot, and the member B provided with clinching dies b b all arranged and
combined for use, substantially as herein set forth.