IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTONS AND ORNAMENTS FOR DRESS, AND THE MACHINERY FOR MAKING THE SAME RESPECTIVELY,
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ASTON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Third day of July, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, in the fifteenth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Aston, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said John Aston my exors, adñiors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Aston, my exors, adññiors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and 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, the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTONS AND ORNAMENTS FOR
DRESS, AND THE MACHINERY FOR MAKING THE SAME RESPECTIVELY," commu-
nicated to me from a certain Foreigner residing abroad;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said John Aston, shall cause
a particular description of the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar 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, I, the said
John Aston, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and the

page_text: manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained 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:-
с
The Invention is applicable in the manufacture of die and pressure-made
covered buttons and dress ornaments, consists,―
First, of employing moulds or forms cut from solid wood, as hereafter
explained, in place of thin sheet metal as heretofore employed. And,
Secondly, the Invention consists of improvements in machinery for cutting
out the proper moulds or forms from substances, and for putting buttons and
dress fastenings together when made therewith.
And, in order that the Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe, by reference to the Drawings,
the means pursued by me in carrying out the said Invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING, SHEET 1.
9.
which
The machine for cutting the moulds, of which the interior of the buttons or
ornaments are to be made, is shewn in the accompanying Drawings. Figure I
is a plan of the machine, Figure 2 is an elevation of the front, and Figure 3
is an elevation of the end. The machine is a kind of lathe, and has two
spindles a and b, working in a sliding frame c, c, c, which is moved backwards
and forwards on the tongued bed of the lathe f by means of the connecting
link d, which link is worked by the eccentric cam e, driven by the shaft
receives motion from the main shafts in manner shewn in the Drawing. his
an eccentric cam for working, by means of the levers i, j, and k, the wheels
1, 1, on the axle m by means of the ratchet wheel n, which is operated upon s
by the pallo; p is a set screw for regulating the distance of the movement;
the axle m works in the moveable gudgeons q, and the fixed gudgeons 1, r,
which being open in front admit of a horizontal movement in the direction of
the opening. The strip of wood S (being previously cut to the requisite size
to be operated upon) is introduced between the wheels and the plate t, and is
held fast in its place by the brass springs u, u, and by the catch frame v, and
is operated upon at regular intervals by the cam w worked by the lever and
the rod y attached to and actuated by the eccentric z fixed on the axle g. The
spring N is for the purpose of pressing back the catch frame v into the several
notches of the cam wheel w during the operation described above, to give 3
room for the strip or fillet of wood to pass downwards, which it does at such
intervals as allow for the cutting or turning out of the back and front of each
mould.

page_text: Having thus called attention to the principal parts of the machine, its
action may be described as follows:-The main shaft A is driven by straps
and pullies worked by a drum on the shaft of the engine, and drives by means
of the two pullies B and C, which turn at a rapid speed the two spindles
a and b, to which are affixed the chucks D and E, into which are fitted the
cutters F and G for turning the buttons. The said cutters may be made of
such forms as to cut any pattern of button or other mould for dress ornament
which may be required, and they operate upon the lath or fillet of wood S,
out of which the button moulds are to be cut or turned by means of the frame
or carriage c, c, which is worked backwards and forwards, as already described,
and brings into action first, the spindle a with its chuck and the cutting tool F
which turns the back face of the moulds; and secondly, the spindle b with its
chuck and cutting tool G which turns the front face of the moulds, thus com-
pleting (when the button consists of two pieces) one half of the mould for
the button, the other half being produced with tools of a suitable pattern by
means precisely similar. H is a worm on the main shaft, which drives the
shaft I by means of the wheel K and gives motion to the shaft g for working
the above described excentric cams by means of the pullies and straps shewn
at Land M. O is a lever for throwing the pulley L in and out of gear; and
P is the handle for running the driving strap off and on the loose pulley Q
to give motion to or stop the machine. Figure 4, Nos. 1, 2, and 3, is the
cutting tool F enlarged for turning the inside face of a mould for the front of
a button; and Figure 5, Nos. 1, 2, and 3, shews the cutter G for the outside
of the same mould. Figures 6 and 7 shew the cutters for the two sides of
the back mould to form the bottom of the button.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING, SHEET 2.
Figure 1 is a plan of a pair of presses, such as are used for the purpose of
combining the moulds and various parts into a button. Figure 2 is a front
elevation of them. Figure 3 is a side elevation of the press A. Figure 4 is
a side elevation of the press B. a, Figure 3 is a treadle for working the
press by means of the foot of the operator; b, the connecting rod; c, the lever;
d, the frame; and e, the sliding bolt, forming in fact the press; f, an iron ball or
weight for giving force to the motion. The tools which are required in
working the above may be described as follows: g, Figure 5, is the punch on
which the top mould h of the button is fixed, and is retained in its place by a
small spring i fixed in the side of the punch, as shewn; k is the die on the
top of which is placed the textile fabric to form the top cover of the button.
The punch 9 is then depressed by means of the treadle, so as to force down the

page_text: mould into the die k, carrying the fabric along with it. In this state a little
glue is applied to the concavity of the mould for the purpose of holding the
other mould which forms the bottom of the button firmly in its place. The
back of the button is prepared in the manner shewn in the press B and at
large in Figures 6, 7, and 8. Figure 6 is a plan of the die m; Figure 7 is
an elevation, and Figure 8 a section of the die and the work connected
therewith marked m in all the Figures. n is a moveable pin that works up
and down the die m by means of a continuous pin o, which passes through the
work bench and is acted upon by the knee of the operator. p is a hollow
punch fixed in the plug e of the press B, having a moveable pin 2 flattened at
the point, regulated by a set screw r. I now take the covers for the bottom
of the button, which is pierced with a hole in the centre, and place it on the
pinn, Figure 8. I next take the wood mould t and place it also on the pin n;
I then take a piece of cotton or silk cord u and place it over the centre hole
of the mould resting on the pin n, the punch p is then pressed down upon the
materials thus arranged, as shewn in the Drawing, by means of the treadle a,
and they are forced down into the die m, the pin g pressing the cord to form
the shank through the hole in the centre of the mould, as shewn in Figure 9.
I then take the die k from the press A, charged with the upper mould and
cover of the button and place it face downwards on the die m of the press B,
as shewn in Figure 9, and again press down the punch p, which forces down
the moveable plug in the die k and presses the upper and lower parts together,
completing the button shewn in section at v, the top and side being shewn at
w and x. Note. Observe there is a brass spring round the punch p and the
die m, and the action of them is as follows: The spring round the die m is
twice the strength of that round the punch p, so that when the punch with the
mould upon it is pressed down into the die the spring on the die m is
sufficiently strong to resist the pressure without moving, and when the upper
die, Figure 9, is put on it having the mould and cover for the front of the
button in it, the upper spring p gives way first and lets the front down into the
bevil of the die m and presses it tight, turning the cover over inside the
mould, and the same pressure being continued moves the lower spring down
and allows the back to come up and unite with the front; this finishes
the button.
The Drawings at Figure 10 shew the button manufactured without the
cord shank, the cover of the back being intended to be sewn through when
placed on the garment.
Figure 11 shews an ornament for dress with a shank or loop made with
tools differing in form, but acting as before described.

page_text: Figure 12 shews an ornament for dress, made as before described, with a
considerable extent of elongated loop on one button and a shank on the other.
In this case I find it convenient to draw the cord forming the loop through
the hole in the die m, by means of the hook shewn at Figure 13, and proceed
as before. Note.-In this case the pin n is withdrawn to allow the hook to be
passed through the hole in the die m. And note.-The kind of wood I find
to answer best is sycamore, but birch, maple, and many other woods will
answer, taking care that they are well dried when used.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, I would remark that I
am aware that "moulds" or "forms" of wood and of other matters have
before been used in making buttons and dress fastenings when the same have
been covered by hand and the covers fastened by sewing; I do not, therefore,
claim such a manufacture. But what I claim is,-
First, the employment of moulds or forms cut from the solid, as herein
described; and,
Secondly, I claim the improvements herein described in machinery for
cutting out the proper moulds or forms for and putting buttons and dress
fastenings together when made with such like moulds or forms.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Aston, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this First day of January, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-two
Enrolled the Third day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-two.