IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTONS AND FASTENINGS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING THE SAME
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tomlinson Bousfield, of Sutton, in the
County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTONS
AND FASTENINGS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING THE SAME."-A
communication from abroad by David Heaton, of the City and
County of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, United States of
America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Tomlinson
Bousfield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition and Declaration, on the 24th June 1874, pursuant to the
9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Tomlinson
Bousfield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition and Declaration, on the 24th June 1874, pursuant to the
9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,. GEORGE
TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey, send

page_text: have petitioned Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria to grant
unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters
Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it is a
communication to me from abroad by David Heaton, of the City and
County of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, United States of
America.
America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention to be as follows:-
The first part of the said Invention relates to an improvement in the
fastening of buttons and similar articles, consisting of a number of
prongs or spurs, which are put through the material of the apparel and
then clinched on the back side. The kind of buttons and articles
referred to are made from cut blanks of sheet metal, and therefore of
uniform thickness throughout, and the prongs or spurs mentioned,
although cut in pointed form at the ends, are by reason of the thickness
of the metal still quite stout at the point and difficult to force through
the material. And the said improvement consists in reducing the metal
of the cut pointed prongs to a thin or attenuated point like that of a
surgeon's lancet to enable the said prongs to more easily penetrate and
cut rather than punch and tear their way through the material, and by
so doing to require less force and be susceptible of being set with less
powerful and far simpler means than heretofore and in a more perfect
manner.
Another part of the said Invention relates to an improved device
for attaching buttons having the usual wire loop or shank to the
material of the apparel instead of by sewing the same thereto in the
usual way; and this consists of a metallic attachment, which is at first
a cut blank of sheet metal with the fastening prongs or spurs above
mentioned and otherwise formed to provide a loop to receive the loop or
shank of the button, and a surrounding flat table on the upper surface
of the material beneath the said button, and with the said prongs so
disposed with reference to each other that when clinched against the
under surface of the material one of the three prongs will be clinched
flatly between the other two, and the three thus clinched together will
form a smooth flat table against the under surface of the material, and
thus avoid abrasion or hurting the under clothing or the person.

page_text: Another part of the said Invention relates to a new and improved
implement and mechanism for setting buttons and fasteners for buttons,
&c., of the character above mentioned in wearing apparel either by the
application of manual force or by motive power, and this consists for
manual use of a pair of forceps or pincers, one jaw of which is pro-
vided with a socket, that is pivoted thereto and swings out of the jaw to
receive the said button by its head and shank and lock afterwards into
the said jaw to grip the button and hold it in the proper position with
reference to the other jaw of the said forceps, which contains the
mechanism for receiving and clinching the said prongs or spurs, and
this consists of an opening in the face of the jaw beneath each of the
prongs thus presented and at the free end of a pivotted lever, beneath
each of which is a fixed inclined surface, whereby when the material or
fabric is placed between the jaws where the button is to be set the prongs
of the button therein are by the act of closing the jaws forced through
the material and into the openings beneath and against the said incline
surfaces, by which said prongs are bent inward towards and across the
plane of each other preparatory to clinching the same, and then by
opening the said jaws the bended prongs are lifted and released from its
under jaws by lifting the said levers, which immédiately fall each into
place and present a flat surface, against which by again shutting the
jaws together the bended levers are forcibly pressed and the said prongs
at once clinched flatly into and again at the back side of the material
in a firm and substantial manner.
Another part of the said Invention relates to the application to the
said setting instrument and mechanism of a gauge to determine the
position and degree of separation of the several buttons in setting the
same, and this consists of a removable and adjustable device which presents
a surface against which the edge of the material is carried and another
surface against which the last button that has been set is placed to
determine the position at which the next button is to be set from both
the edges of the fabric and from each other and in the proper
line.

page_text: '
Having thus described the several improvements of the said Invention
I will now proceed to describe the construction and mode of operation
of the same, referring to the accompanying Drawings, in which Sheet 1
represents the first part of my said improvement, Figure 1 being a side
elevation of a lacing or glove button; Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the
same; Figure 3 is a view flatways, and Figure 4 a view edgeways of the
cut sliect metal blank from which said button is made by bending and
swaging Figure 5 is a side elevation of said button shewing the
manner of clinching the prongs of the same; and Figure 6 shews the
button with its prongs properly clinched against the material. Similar
letters of reference mark like parts in all said Figures.
The said button is of the same general construction as that shewn and
:described in Letters Patent No. 2707 granted to George Tomlinson
Bousfield, September 13, 1872, to which reference is to be had. It is
made from the blank, Figures 3 and 4, by cupping and bending the two
· parts a and b together to form a double convex head with the two parts c
and d together and clasped by the hinge f, f, to form a double-clasped
shank n, and with a table G bent at right angles to said neck and two
fastening prongs s, s, extending down from the table in front to receive
the lacing strain, and a third prong s¹ at the rear to sustain the 2
button in an upright position when set in the material as shewn at
Figure 6.
The points of said prongs it will be seen are cut bevilling on each
side, but at the same time the metal is of the same thickness at the
point P, Figure 4, as throughout the other portion of the blank; so that a
the cut bevilled point thus formed is still quite blunt, and only with diffi-
culty pushes its way through the material, viz., leather in which in boots
and shoes it is chiefly used, the effect being to press aside and tear its
way instead of cutting easily through the material; but by the said
improvement this difficulty is removed and the prongs are enabled to a
penetrate the said material with the later and better effect, and result in
the final clinching operation. This is accomplished by thinning or
attenuating the points of the prongs s from that of the metal as it is cut
in the blank, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, thereby producing a thin
sharp point with a thin cutting blade or edge on each side of this point.
This form of point may be produced in the operation of cupping the
two parts a and b of the head by a swaging or pressing surface or

page_text: surfaces, between which said points P are compressed to the proper
degree to attain the required sharpness, the result being a hardening of
the point and an inward curvature of the points by contact with the
clinching surface R, as shewn in Figure 5, which tends to bring the
point itself beneath the surface of the material, as shewn in Figure 6.
The next part of my said Invention, as afore recited, relates to
.the metallic button fastener by which ordinary buttons for shoes, &c.,
with wire loops or shanks are attached to the material or fabric, and
this is clearly shewn in Sheet II. of the accompanying Drawings, in
which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the said loop shank button
attached by the improved device to the fabric; Figure 2 is an upright
view of the said button and device ready for insertion in the apparel;
Figure 3 is a view of the cut metal blank from which the said attaching
device is made; Figure 4 represents the said blank with the loop s
5 formed to receive the loop of the button; Figure 5 represents said blank
with its fastening prongs bent at right angles with the top plate or
table T; Figure 6 represents the said prongs I as clinched on the back
side of the material, and forming a flat table on the under as well as the
upper side of the material. Similar letters in these Figures mark like
O parts in all of them.
The table T of the said metallic attachment is divided by the long
prong I which extends from the front side of the same, and from its
point of junction is bent upwards in the form of a loop S, and then in
line with said table to the rear extremity of its two divisions, as shewn
5 at X in Figures 1 and 5, thus forming a knee or surface on the said
prong which forms part of said table, and also provides an angular
projection by which said prong may be forced in common with the
others into and may be clinched in the material by a common means.
The said loop S is formed in the long prong I' directly after the said
blank is cut, and then the several fastening prongs. are bent at right
angles to the table T, presenting afterwards the form shewn in Figure 5.
In this operation the two parts of the table on either side of the loop S
are depressed and left so as to admit of introducing the button's loop
upon the loop S of the prong, after which the said button may be
6 attached to the fabric in the same manner and by the same means
or implement as the button shewn in Sheet I. of the Drawings. The
points of the prongs being attenuated or thinned in like manner to

page_text: facilitate the penetration and clinching of the same, and the same
operation of setting having the effect to restore the two depressed
parts of the table T to their original position, with the advantage
of more forcibly compressing the same against the upper surface of
the material while the three prongs I, I, and I', meeting and clinching
together as they do, as shewn in Figure 6, form a complete and partially
flat table on both sides of the material with the button B attached firmly
and substantially thereto by a metallic loop instead of sowing thread,
and providing an attachment for such buttons which is better adapted
for the purpose in many respects.
The third part of the said Invention which relates to the means by
which buttons of the character above described are attached to the
apparel is shewn in Sheet III. of the said Drawings, in which FigurĊ 1
is a side view of a pair of forceps containing the improved mechanism
for setting the said buttons; Figure 2 is a top view of the jaws of the
same and gauge mentioned arranged therewith; Figure 3 is a side view
and vertical section of both jaws; Figure 4 is a view of the under side
of the said upper jaw A. and said gauge; Figure 5 is a side view and
section of the same jaw (A) with the socket open; Figure 6 is a plan
of the under jaw B; Figure 7, Figure 8, and Figure 9 are three sections
of the under jaw B shewing the arrangement of the several "openings,"
"incline surfaces," and "levers" therein; Figure 10 is a side view and
section of the said jaws containing a button undergoing the first part
of the setting operation in the material between the jaws; Figure 11
is a like view of the same undergoing the second part of the operation;
Figure 12 is a like view of the same undergoing the final part of the
setting operation. Similar parts in all said Figures are marked by
similar letters of reference.
The said forceps are of the usual construction with a pair of jaws A

page_text: on its pivot, and when thercafter it is swung each into position with the
jaw, the button is placed in exact position with reference to the other
jaw to properly present the protruding fastening prongs of the button to
the mechanism, by which the same are set in the material which is
introduced between them for that purpose. The lower jaw B is provided
with a number of openings i, i, i, corresponding with and directly
beneath the fastening prongs of the button as it is held in the upper jaw,
and tliese openings are each at the free end of a pivoted lever l, m, n,
Figure 6, and 7, 8, 9, and beneath each of said openings an incline
surface is arranged that deflects each of the said prongs from the opening
at which it enters the jaw inward and across the plane of those on each
side, so that all are bent in the proper condition with reference to each
other to be clinched flatly against the surface of the material or fabric.
After being thus bent together the said prongs are lifted from the said
openings of the under jaw without disturbing their bended form by
opening the jaws A, B, in doing which the pivoted levers l, m, n, beneath
the free ends of which the said prongs have become curved are lifted
freely by the curved part of the said prongs, as shewn in Figure 11,
which are thereby released and the levers then dropping back into place
form a flat surface or face to the said jaw B against which by a
succeeding closing movement of the jaws the curved prongs are forcibly
pressed flatly against the material with the requisite clinching effect to
firmly secure the button to the fabric or apparel, as shewn in Figure 12,
thus in two operations of said jaws effectually attaching the button in
the manner intended by very simple and inexpensive machinery.
The buttons besides being each set in a firm and substantial manner
are also required to be set accurately in position with reference to cach
other, and the edge of the opening in the apparel which the same are
intended to close and secure. To this end the gauge before-mentioned
has been provided and as shewn is attached to the upper jaw A of the
said forceps. This gauge consists of a sliding piece H in a groove
formed across the said jaw from left to right as shewn in Figure 4,
and said piece H is provided with a slit through which passes a screw y
with a thumb nut W, Figures 1 and 2, by which it may be adjusted and
set to determine the space asunder at which the buttons are to be set
and the said sliding piece H is formed at its outer end with a recess in
which slides another piece L formed with a projection to rest against
the edge of the material to determine the distance from said edge at

page_text: which the buttons shall be set. The two parts of the said gauge thereby
determining or fixing the exact position of each button without any
necessity of marking or other means for accomplishing the said purpose.
The said socket for holding the button in position and the combination
of openings, inclines, and levers described for putting through and
clinching the prongs of such buttons in the material are susceptible of
employment in a power machine by automatic devices working in
concert, and this application of the same is herein contemplated and
intended by incorporating the socket and its appliances with a vertically
moving plunger of such a machine, and the said bending and clinching.
mechanism with the base or a stake forming part of or arranged
with the part of the machine beneath such plunger, and the whole co-
operating with a suitable feeding mechanism that will deliver the said
buttons singly to the plunger with precision and accuracy to be set in
the material in the manner herein set forth or intended so to be.
So
also in regard to the gauge herein described it is obviously applicable to
power machines as well as those to be operated only by hand as in the
instance described, and such use and application is herein contemplated
and claimed.
Having thus described my said Invention, I claim as my Invention,--
First. In combination with buttons and fastenings for buttons and
other articles, consisting of prongs or spurs that are put through the
material and clinched on the under side, an attenuated point produced
by thinning the material or metal to a sharp point and edge, substantially
as described.
Second. I claim the button fastener, substantially as described, for
attaching buttons having wire loops or shanks to wearing apparel, the
same being constructed of metal substantially in the manner and to
accomplish the purpose herein specified.
Third. I'claim the pivoted socket of the one part, and the combination
and arrangement of the openings and inclines and levers of the other
part, of mechanism for setting the buttons and fastening of buttons
herein described, substantially in the manner specified.
Fourth. I claim the combination with mechanism for setting such
buttons, as described, a gauge or device for determining the position of

page_text: substantially as specified.
ՆԵՆՑ ՆԱԵԱԼԱՆ,
In witness whereof, I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, this Eighteenth day of June,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
GEO. T. BOUSFIELD. (L.S.)