Improvements in the Manufacture of Certain Kinds of Buttons.
Year: 1899

page_text: Comala
Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1899
0716
1000
Accented
00 Cont
4000
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Certain Kinds of Buttons.
I, ROBERT ELSDON, of 381, Hagley Road, in the City of Birmingham, Gentle-
rian, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference more particularly to the manufacture of those
metallic buttons which are known as "solid" "set" or' spun" livery navy and
military buttons and other ornamenial metallic buttons of the better kinds
but my invention can also in part be applied to the manufacture of ornamental
horn, vulcanite and other composition buttons.
My invention enables me to produce each class of the said buttons at con-
siderably less cost and superior in appearance and finish.
In carrying out my invention as applied to the said "solid" buttons the centre
part carrying the design is made of a raised thin sheet metal blank the edges of
which are closed round. the back part which carries the shank and these are now
placed within what I call an edging ring which is made of gilt or plated metal or
other suitable ductile metal and fits round the periphery of the button and these
are struck in dies which raise the required crest or other device or pattern on
the front of the button and tightly secure the ring thereto and round off the
outer edge of the ring and finish the button which will have a much better
appearance and finish than solid buttons which are made in the usual way
particularly as the ring can be made of a different colour to the centre part.
Moreover the cost of production is considerably decreased as I dispense with the
usual clipping edging and other processes.
In some buttons the said thin sheet metal covering may be dispensed with;
the button will then be formed of solid sheet or cast metal carrying the shank
and having the edging ring secured round the same by stamping in dies or by
other means as above described.
For some kinds of buttons such as set or spun buttons the thin sheet metal
front has or may have the device or pattern stamped on it before being closed
round the back as above described, and the ring is then secured around the same
by a light tap or blow in the dies to make the button complete.
The back of the button may if desired be cast of aluminium or other suitable
metal with the shank and then covered by the thin metal front and secured in the
edging ring by stamping as above described.
The said edging ring which I employ and which is fixed round the button as
aforesaid may be formed in various ways, it may for instance be a soldered jump
ring, or a split ring, or a ring cut off a length of tube, or it may be pierced from
sheet metal, or raised from sheet metal into a suitable shape in cross section and
then closed round the periphery of the button.
According to another part of my invention I fix a suitable metallic edging ring
round the periphery of a vulcanite or horn or other solid composition button the
said edging ring being stamped and pressed or otherwise fixed around the edge of
the button so as to improve the appearance and finish of the same.

page_text: According to another part of this invention the thin metallic covering or front
of the button is perforated with a suitable device or pattern and the interior
metallic portion of the button is enamelled or otherwise suitably ornamented so as
to shew through the said perforations. This part of my said invention is
applicable also to those covered metallic buttons which are not provided with
my edging ring above described.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Certain Kinds of Buttons.
I, ROBERT ELSDON, of 381, Hagley Road, in the City of Birmingham, Gentle-
man, 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:-
23 66
دو
*
This invention has reference to the manufacture of those metallic buttons
which are known as solid" set or spun "livery navy and military buttons
and other ornamental metallic buttons of the better kinds.
My invention enables me to produce each class of the said butions of all sizes
and sections and at less cost and fully equal in appearance and finish to those
which have heretofore been manufactured in the usual way.
set" or
16
I will describe my invention by referring to the accompanying drawings on
which Fig. 1 is a front view of a button constructed according to this invention
of similar appearance to what is known as a "hollow
spun" gilt or
plated button; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 3 is a back view of the
same; Figs. 4, 5 and 6 shew separately the parts of which the said button"is
formed; Fig. 6* shews the front and back parts of the said button fixed together;
Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of portions of the dies in which the button is struck
shewing also the parts of the button in position in the bottom die ready to be
struck by the top die; Fig. 8 is an inverted plan of the top die and Fig. 9 is a plan
of the bottom die; Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation of what is known as a
* 'solid'
gilt or plated metal bution constructed according to this invention.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
In carrying out my invention as applied to the manufacture of the button
represented by Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I provide a circular centre part A which is
raised from a thin sheet blank of gilding metal or German silver or other suitable
metal with its edge al turned up all round to receive the solid back part B which
carries the shank band which is made of aluminium or other suitable ductile
metal and is of the proper size and shape to fit within the front part A. The
parts A and B are by preference slightly domed to correspond with the domed
shape of the finished button. The front part A is rather deeper than the back B
and the edge a of the former is closed over and around the latter as shewn in Fig.
G* so as to secure these parts together. Around the front part AI place what I call
an edging ring C (shewn separately in Fig. 4) which is made of the proper size
to fit round the said front and is made of gilding metal or German silver or
other suitable ductile metal and these are now placed in the bottom die D (as
shewn in Fig. 7) which has a circular recess d' which is just of the proper size
to receive the ring C. The die D also has a recess d² to receive the button shank.
The top die E is sunk with the required crest or other device or pattern on the front
of the button, and the bottom die D is sunk with the name or other mark which is

page_text: required to be impressed on the back of the button. When the parts A, B and C
are struck or pressed by the descent of the top die E they are all firmly secured
together as in Fig. 2 as the blow or squeeze causes the front A and back B to
spread out tightly within the ring C which latter is prevented from spreading by
fitting in the recess of the bottom die. The blow also strikes the pattern or
device or other mark on the front and the mark if required on the back of the
button thereby finishing the button as represented in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The
button will thus have as good an appearance and finish as a
hollow "set" or
"spun" button made in the usual way and moreover the cost of production
is considerably reduced as I dispense with the usual force" which is used in
combination with the top die in striking the button front, and I also save the
processes of closing and spinning the front on to the back of the button.
a
"
66
"
The buttons represented by Fig. 10 and by Figs: 11 and 12 which are made
in accordance with this invention have the same appearance as what is known as
"solid" button which is usually made from a thick solid blank of gilding
metal or plated metal or other metal and struck in dies and then the edge has to
be clipped off and rounded and dry silvered. I make this so called "solid"
button in practically the same way as hereinbefore described with reference to
the button represented, by Figs. 1, 2 and 3 except that in the
button represented by Figs. 10, 11 and 12 the back or filling up part B is
made thinner so that the finished button will be no thicker than an ordinary
"solid" button.
that in making the so-called solid
buttons I save the clipping rounding and dry silvering processes and
that there is much less wear and tear on the dies which consequently last longer
than when they have to stamp and raise a device on a thick solid blank. The
edging ring C may be made of various widths and sections and colours accord-
ing to taste. The button shewn in Figs. 11 and 12 has for instance a wide
and flat edging ring. Moreover the said edging ring may be formed in various
ways it may for instance be a soldered jump ring or a ring cut off a length of
tube, or it may be pierced or raised from a sheet metal blank.
It will be seen
وو
In my drawings the shank b¹ is represented as rivetted to the back part B
but if desired the said shank may be cast with the back part B, or otherwise
formed therewith.
For some kinds of butions in which the device or pattern stands up in high
relief the thin sheet metal front A has or may have the device or pattern stamped
on it before being closed round the back B as above described and the ring C is
then secured around the same and the raising of the device or pattern finished
by a light tap or blow in the dies to make the button complete.
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―
Ornamental metallic shanked buttons made from the following parts in com-
bination, namely, a ductile solid metallic back carrying the shank, a raised thin
sheet metal front enclosing and filled by said back, and a metal edging ring
fitting around the said front and forming the edge of the button, the whole being
struck or pressed in dies which compress and secure said parts together and raise
the required device crest or pattern or other mark on the front, and when
required also mark the back of the button, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 18th day of January 1900.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.