IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COVERED BUTTONS
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, Jonn
ASTON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, and WILLIAM ELLIOTT,
of the same Place, Button Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Fourth day of April, in the sixth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and grant unto us, the said John
Aston and William Elliott, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that we, the said John Aston and William Elliott, our exors,
admors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Aston and William
Elliott, our exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and
others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COVERED BUTTONS;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that we, the said John Aston and
William Elliott, or.one.of us, shall cause a particular description of the nature
of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar

page_text: months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance. with the said proviso, we, the said
John Aston and William Elliott, do hereby declare that the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed,
are fully described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say) :-
Our Invention relates,-
First, to combining the use of a flexible cement with the back surface of
the covering fabrics of die and pressure made buttons, in order to cause the
weavings to be made more secure, and less liable to have the separate threads,
of which the woven fabrics may be composed, separated, particularly when the
patterns of weavings are such as have many threads of the warp side by side,
floated over by several successive shoots of the weft thread, which description
of weavings are very liable to have the patterns opened by the act of making
covered buttons, or in the wear of buttons covered with such fabrics; at the
same time, the use of a flexible cement to the back surfaces of the covering
materials of die and pressure made covered buttons is not confined to any
particular class of weaving, as the same will be found generally useful as a
means of giving strength and durability to the covering fabrics used in
the manufacture of die and pressure made covered buttons.
Secondly, our Invention relates to a mode of forming the front metal shell
of covered buttons, and of applying covered fabrics thereto, whereby less
quantity of costly fabric is required for covering the front of a button than is
generally required, by which the cost of manufacturing covered buttons of the
best descriptions will be reduced.
A
And in order that our Invention may be most fully described and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the means pursued by us in
carrying out our Invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS OF APPLYING A FLEXIBLE CEMENT TO THE BACK
SURFACES OF THE COVERING FABRICS OF DIE AND PRESSURE MADE BUTTONS.
Process No. 1. We take two pounds of bottle india-rubber and soak it in
warm water for twelve hours; we then cut it into small tubes about a quarter
of an inch square; we then put it into a tin vessel, and add to it twelve pounds
'of best spirits of turpentine; we then place the vessel containing the above
mixture upon a sand bath heated to about two hundred degrees of Fahrenheit

page_text: for thirty-six hours, we then remove it and work it well together with a roller
of wood, till the india rubber and turpentine form one homogeneous mass.
The solution should then stand for a day or two, and is then ready for use.
To apply the above to the back of the silk or other fabric to be used in
covering die and pressure made buttons, we take a brush made of stiff
bristles and spread the composition upon it, we then hang up the silk; so
dressed, for about two hours, and dust it over upon the india rubber side with
very fine sand. It is then ready for the workman to make into buttons.
Or in place of the above, we use Process No. 2.-Take india rubber one pound,
prepared as before stated, to which add seven pounds of spirits of turpentine;
when perfectly dissolved, according to the former process, add to it, whilst
warm, one pound of bees' wax, take half a pint of spirits of wine, in which
four ounces of camphor have been dissolved, add to it the ingredients before
named, and when thoroughly mixed the mixture is fit for use apply it as
before. The fabrics thus covered with a flexible cement are then cut into
proper discs or pieces, each for covering a button; the object in applying such
cement being to cement the threads together, so that they will not readily
separate, either in the act of covering of buttons by dies and pressure, nor by
the wear to which the buttons are subjected. And we would remark, that
although we have given the particulars of the exact matters used by us,
we do not confine ourselves thereto, provided suitable flexible cement, wether
of the same or other materials is applied, which will allow of the fabrics
being bent and folded in the act of covering a button without injury to
the cement, and yet hold the separate threads together side by side.
And we would remark, that we do not claim the coating of fabrics over with
a cement of india rubber and other materials, excepting when combined in the
making of covered buttons by dies and pressure, the discs or portions of fabric;
each for the covering of a button, and coated at the back surface with a
flexible cement, are then to be used as similar discs of fabric have hereto-.
fore been used, and may be employed in the covering of buttons made by dies
and pressure, according to any of the various modes by which such description
of buttons are produced.
We will now proceed to describe the second part of our Invention, which
has for its object the saving of much of the valuable fabrics used in the manu-
facture of die and pressure made covered buttons. It is well known that in
the manufacture of covered buttons, that much of the rich silk fabrics now
employed is necessarily folded into the interior of the button, between the
front shell and the back shell or collet, by which the covering of any sized
button has generally required to have a piece of fabric much larger than is

page_text: exposed externally of the button; and this was the general practice till within
a short period, when Mr. Chatwin obtained Her Majesty's Letters Patent for
a mode of manufacturing covered buttons, wliereby the covering fabric was
held by the folding of the circumference of the front shell, in place of closing
the covering fabric. between the front shell and the back shell or collet, by
which he was enabled to save much of the covering fabric formerly employed.
Now the object of the second part of our Invention, is to obtain a similar
result to that described by Mr. Chatwin's Specification, but by a different
mode, whereby we are enabled to obtain a like saving of fabric.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a plan and edge view of a circular disc of brass suitable
for making the front-shell of a button. Figure 2 shews a pair of dies, by
which the disc of metal is sunk into the shape, Figure 3, where a plan and
section of the sunk shell is shewn. This shell is further sunk by the pair of
dies, Figure 4, and rendered into the shape shewn in plan and section at
Figure 5. The shell, Figure 5, is next operated on by the pair of dies,
Figure 6, in order to turn up the outer edge or circumference, thus producing
à groove or recess all round the shell, in order to receive the edges of the
fabrics used for covering the front and the back of the shell. Figure 7 shews
a shell in plan and section suitable to receive the front and back coverings,
a being the groove or recess formed around the shell. And it is the mode of
constructing die and pressure made buttons by using shells such as are shewn
in Figure 7; with a groove or recess all around it, combined with the mode of
applying the covering materials to the back and front thereof, which constitute
the peculiar novelties in constructing. die and pressure made buttons, according
to the second part of our Invention. It should be stated that the metal is to
be annealed when making the shells above described, when the metal employed
requires that process, as is. well understood. The next operation of forming
the button is to apply a covering to the back of the shell, and such covering
may be of cotton or other common material when compared with the covering
for the front of the button. b represents the covering for the back of the
front shell a, and it is cut through in the centre in order that it may allow of
its being pressed into the interior of the shell when applying the back collet
and shank. The shell a is next to be placed in covering die c, Figure 8, the
nature of which is clearly shewn, there being a circular recess formned at the
bottom to receive the shell a, the covering material for the back of the shell
being first placed over the die c, and then the punch d is caused to descend,.
carrying down the covering material, and the shell a on the upper surface
1

page_text: thereof, as is shown in the die c, Figure .9;..the tube e is then forced into the
die c by hand, which gathers the edge of the covering material 6 over the
groove of the shell a, as is shewn in the die c, Figure 10, and then the punch
or upper die d is again caused to descend, in this instance passing through
the tube e, which will press the edge or circumference of the governing
fabric 6 into the groove or recess around the shell. a, and the shell is then
pressed out of the die c by a rod or wire forced from below upwards, as is well
understood. Figure 11 shews. a shell a, with its back covered in the manner
above described, and, as part of the back covering in this case is to be seen on
the face of the button, I prefer to make it of a strong woollen or worsted
fabric, the central front portion of the button being of an ornamental weaving
according to taste; but when the back covering fabric is not to appear on the
front of the button, then I prefer to use a more common fabric of cotton or
other material. The shell a, with its back covering of fabric; is now ready
for receiving the front covering, which may be of any elegant fabric, such as
are now used in the manufacturing the better classes of die and pressure made
covered buttons, and as the front covering fabric has not to be folded into the
interior of the button between the front shell and the back shell or collet, the
size of fabric required will be much less for a given size of button than is
generally required. f is a disc of: covering fabric. Figure 12 shows a pair of
dies used in applying the covering material to the face or front of the button;
the covered shell a being introduced into the lower die, the covering fabric f
is placed over the die, as is shewn in Figure 12, and then. the upper die or
punch is caused to descend, and force the edges of the covering fabric f into
the recess or groove formed around the shell a, and the shell' a will thus be
covered on both sides, as is shewn at Figure 13, where a plan and edge: view
in section are shewn. The button thus far formed is next operated on by the
dies, Figure 14, by which the, edge or circumference of the metal is folded
down, retaining the edges of the two fabrics b and f in the groove or recess;
the forcing of the shell a through the lower of the dies, Figure 14, causing
the shell to assume the appearance and shape shewn at Figure 15, which
represents a plan and section of the covered shell a. The front shell á of a
button so covered is next to receive the back collet and shank, which is per-
formed in a die shewn at Figure 16, where g is the lower die and is a tube;
which is introduced therein, forming the sides of the lower die, which, being
made separate, facilitates the removal of the button, allowing that operation to
be performed without a rod from below, the pressure of which, with some
fabrics such as velvets, is prejudicial. i is a tube which is introduced.through
the tube h, and the collet and shank having been introduced through the tube i

page_text: as is shewn in Figure 17, the punch or upper die j is caused to descend and
press the parts together, and the parts of the button will be combined, as is
shewn in plan and section at Figure 18. The button is next to be submitted
to the pressure of the pair of dies, Figure 19, which press the outer edge or
circumference of the shell a over the back shell or collet, as is shewn in plan
and section at Figure 20. The button is then to receive the finishing pressure
by means of the dies, Figure 21, which will render the button into the form
shown in Figure 22. In case it be desired that no part of the back covering
fabric b should be seen on the face of the button, then we cause the edge ór
circumference of the shell a to be turned up to a less depth in respect to the
sinking of the centre of the shell a, as is shewn in Figures 23, 24, and 25,
which shew the various stages through which the metal passes in order to
render it into a proper form according to this part of our Invention, and
Figure 26 shews a plan and section of a finished button without any of the
back covering fabric b being seen on the front of the button. We have
not thought it necessary to shew the different dies for producing this
variation, as a workman will readily make the slight variations required, and
he will make his dies in all cases for raised or flat buttons according to the
class he desires to make. We would remark, that in thus describing the
various processes resorted to in carrying out this part of our Invention we have
shewn many dies similar to those heretofore used and others which differ very
little from some before used. We do not, therefore, claim the construction
of the dies shewn, this part of the Invention being for the mode of construct-
ing die and pressure made buttons, by using the shell a, and applying a back
covering b, as herein explained.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the best means we
are acquainted with for performing the same, we would remark that we do not
confine ourselves to the precise details shewn, provided the peculiar character
of our Invention be retained. But what we claim is,-
First, the mode of manufacturing die and pressure made buttons by coating
the back surface of the front covering fabric with a flexible cement, as above
described; and,
Secondly, we claim the mode of making covered buttons by using front
shells and covering the same in the manner above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Elliott, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-three.
WILLIAM (L.S.) ELLIOTT.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Third day of June, in the
year of our Lord 1843, the aforesaid William Elliott came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Third day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty-three.