AN IMPROVEMENT IN BUTTONS AND IN FASTENINGS THEREFOR
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philippe William Gengembre, of Boston, in the State
of Massachusetts, of the United States of America, for the Invention of
Sealed the 22nd July 1864, and dated the 2nd February 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philippe William
Gengembre at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 2nd February 1864.
I, PHILIPPE WILLIAM GENGEMBRE, of Boston, in the State of Massachusetts,
of the United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the In-
vention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN BUTTONS AND IN FASTENINGS THEREFOR," to be
fully described and represented in the accompanying Drawings, of which
Figure 1 denotes a section of a piece of cloth with a button constructed and
fastened to it in accordance with my Invention.
Figure 2 denotes a front side view of the back plate of the button, the
Drawing being made on an enlarged scale so as to particularly exhibit the
said Invention, the nature of which consists in a button as provided with a
locking catch and plate and a tubular spring, the whole being constructed
and arranged in manner and so as to operate substantially as herein-after
explained.
In Figure 1 of the Drawings A denotes the body of an army button, the
said body being formed of two plates or discs a, b, the outer of which is
concavo-convex and confined to the other at its edge in the usual manner.
B represents a piece of cloth to which the said button is fastened by my
improved means, which, although affording great security of the button to the

page_text: cloth under all ordinary circumstances and preventing wear of the button hole,
yet renders the button readily detachable from the cloth or a garment or of
easy application thereto as circumstances may require. C is a catch whose
shank c terminates in a head d and at its front end in a triangular projection
or foot e (or the mechanical equivalent therefor) formed as shewn in Figure 1.
The shank c is surrounded by a tubular spring D composed of vulcanized
india-rubber, the said spring being interposed between the cloth B and the
back plate 6 of the button, and operating so as not only to draw the head d
closely up to the cloth but to press the body of the button in a direction away
from the cloth. The plate 6 is provided with an aperture f for the part e to
be passed through; and furthermore it has a groove or recess g arranged so as
to cross the aperture at or about at a right angle to it. After the triangular
foot e may have passed through the aperture of the button plate 6 the catch Č.
should not only be pressed firmly toward the button so as to contract the
spring D, but be revolved through an are of ninety degrees, so as to enable the
part e, when the catch C may be relieved from the pressure of the hand to slip
or be drawn back into the recess or groove g, in which case the said groove or
recess and the spring will so co-operate as not only to connect the button
body and the catch together, but confine the button to the cloth or garment.
In order to remove the button from the cloth or garment it will first be
necessary to press the button body A back upon the spring and catch and turn
the said body so as to allow the spring to operate in such manner as to draw
the catch out of the button, after which the catch may be drawn out of the
spring and the cloth.
An equivalent for my Invention would be to extend the shank and its
head e directly from the plate b as it is from the head d and to make the
head d with such a slot and recess for reception of the shank c and foot e
as herein-before described as found in the plate b.
What I claim as my Invention is the combination of the tubular spring (D)
with the button body and a locking catch or mechanism made and applied to
the button, substantially in manner and so as to operate as specified.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Philippe William Gengembre in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 30th July 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE, PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PHILIPPE 35
WILLIAM GENGEMBRE, of Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, of the United
states of America, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of February, A.D. 1864, in the twenty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Philippe William Gengembre, Her special
license that I, the said Philippe William Gengembre, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Philippe William
Gengembre, 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, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN BUTTONS AND IN FASTENINGS THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Philippe William Gengembre, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Philippe William Gengembre, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manuer the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following Specification and the accompanying Drawings, of which Figure 1
denotes a section of a piece of cloth with a button constructed and fastened to
it in accordance with my Invention.
Figure 2 denotes a front side view of the back plate of the button, tho
Drawings being made on an enlarged scale so as to fully exhibit the said
Invention, the nature of which consists in a button as provided with a locking
catch and plate and a tubular spring, the whole being constructed and
arranged in manner and so as to operate substantially as herein-after
explained.
In Figure 1 of the Drawings A denotes the body of an army button, the
said body being formed of two plates or discs a, b, the outer of which is
concavo-convex, and confined to the other at its edge in the usual or in
any suitable manner. B represents a piece of cloth to which the said button
is fastened by my improved means, which, although affording great security of
the button to the cloth under all ordinary circumstances and preventing wear
of the button hole, yet renders the button readily detachable from the cloth or
a garment, or of easy application thereto as circumstances may require. C is
a catch whose shank c terminates at its rear end in a head d, and at its front

page_text: in a triangular projection or foot e (or the mechanical equivalents thereof)
formed as shown in Figure 1. The shank c is surrounded by a tubular
spring D composed of vulcanized india-rubber, the said spring being disposed
between the cloth B and the back plate (b) of the button and operating so
as not only to draw the head d closely up to the cloth but to press the body of
the button in a direction away from the cloth. The plate is provided with
an aperture f for the part e to be passed through, and furthermore it has a
groove or recess 9 arranged so as to cross the aperture at or about at right
angles to it. After the triangular foot e may have been passed through the
aperture of the button hole plate 6 the catch C should not only be pressed
firmly toward the button so as contract the spring D, but be revolved through
an angle of ninety degrees, so as to enable the part e, when the catch may be
relieved from the pressure of the hand, to slip or be drawn back into the
recess or groove g, in which case the said groove or recess and the spring will
so co-operate as not only to connect the button body and the catch together
but confine the button to the cloth or garment. In order to remove the
button from the cloth or garment it will first be necessary to press the button
body A back upon the spring and catch and turn the body on the catch so as
to allow the spring to operate in such manner as to draw the catch out of the
button, after which the catch may be drawn out of the spring and the cloth.
An equivalent for my Invention would be to extend the shank with its
head e directly from the plate as it is from the head d, and to make the
.said head d with such a slot and recess for the reception of the shank c and
foot e as herein-before described as formed in the plate b.
What I claim as my Invention is the combination of the tubular spring
(D) with the button body (A) and a locking catch or mechanism made and
applied to the button substantially in manner and so as to operate as
specified.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 18th May
1864
PHILIPPE WILLIAM GENGEMBRE. (L.S.)