AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Walker, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Percussion Cap Manufacturer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS."
Sealed the 17th May 1853, and dated the 8th January 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Walker at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 8th January 1853.
T, RICHARD WALKER, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS" to be
as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to effect an economy in the manu-
facture of buttons by substituting a cement for the paper which is
now used as a filling material for the shells of buttons. The use of
the paper is, as is well known in the trade, to preserve the figure of
the shell during the subsequent processes of the manufacture.
In carrying out this Invention I insert into the shells any suitable
granulated substance, such as sand, iron filings, sawdust, &c., by
means analagous to that now used in the manufacture of percussion
caps; and I give the filling material a consistence and hardness by

page_text: the application thereto of some adhesive substance, such as glue, applied
in a liquid state, or shellac or.other resinous gum, and by this means I
obtain a filling of cement, which, while it costs less than the paper filling.
will admit of being more easily applied to the shells of buttons.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Walker in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
RICHARD WALKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Per-
cussion Cap Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excelent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of January, A.D. One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the Sixteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Richard Walker, Her special licence that 1, the said
Richard Walker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Richard Walker, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and. no others, from time
to tinie 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, an Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF BUTTONS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Richard Walker, 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 Richard Walker, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the sanie
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say):

page_text: I will first recite my Provisional Specification, which is as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to effect an economy in the manufacture
of buttons by substituting a cement for the paper which is now used as
a filling material for the shells of buttons. The use of the paper is (as
is well known in the trade) to preserve the figure of the shell during
the subsequent processes of the manufacture. In carrying out this
Invention I insert into the shells any suitable granulated substance,
such as sand, iron filings, sawdust, &c., by ineans analogous to that now
used in the manufacture of percussion caps; and I give the filling
material a consistence and hardness by the application thereto of some
adhesive substance, such as glue, applied in a liquid state, or shillac or
other resinous gum, and by this means I obtain a filling of cement, which;
while it costs less than the paper filling, will admit of being more easily
applied to the shells of buttons.
Having thus recited my Provisional Specification, I will now proceed
to describe more fully the advantages, economy, and mode of realizing
this my Invention. But first it may be necessary for me to describe
the material that I propose to superceed, and the mode of preparing
and applying the same to the manufacture of shell or covered buttons,
that being the description of buttons to which my Invention particularly
apply. In making such buttons two metal dise are required, known
in the trade as the front and back shells, and which shells are stamped
or raised until they assume the form required in the finished button,
and which raised cavity, in the progress of making the button, is filled
or packed with paper in order that the finished button may not be
easily flattened or put out of shape, serving also as an internal support
for the flexible shank usually applied to such buttons.
The manner of preparing this packing is by taking a board of thick
course paper, and by means of suitable tools and a press the paper
board is cut up into round dise, suitable to the size button required;
and in this form, and according to the thickness of the paper, or the
depth of the raised shell, it may be necessary to use one or more of such
paper dise as may be required. And it is important for me to observe,
that those dise are picked up singlely, and placed into the shells at the
time that the buttons are being made. And I may further observe,

page_text: that as the. paper disc are of a uniform thickness, and in most in-
stances the finished buttons are thinner on the edge than elsewhere, it is
obvious that a great amount of pressure is required to press the paper
into the form of the shell, and which excess of pressure in many in-
stances damages the delicate texture of the outer covering. The use of
this material also imposes the necessity of making the fronts of of such
buttons to which it may be used of an even surface, which is objection-
able in many descriptions of fancy buttons, more especially for ladies
wear.
These being the great objections to the present mode and ma-
terial for making covered buttons, I will now proceed to describe my
improvements, whereby I effect a great saving by substituting a less
expencive material than the paper now used for the packing or filling of
such buttons, as also a vast amount of labour in the process of making.
And, in addition to this economy of labour and material, I much improve
the quality and strength of buttons made by my improved means. The
material or materials suitable for my purpose are various and extensive;
provided always, that they are capable of being pulverised or ground,
so as to render it in a granulated state, such as common sand, iron
filings, or wood sawdust, will suit my purpose admirably. With either
of these materials I add, also in a pulverised or liquid state, common
glue, rosin, shillac, or other glutinous or resinous material, as such
having the quality of melting or liquifying at a low temperature. With
either of these materials, seperately or combined, I make the packing or
bodies of such shell buttons. The manner of applying and regulating
the quantity of such material required in each button shell is identically
the same commonly known and used by percussion cap manufacturers
for charging percussion caps, and may be described thus:A plate of
suitable metal is prepared and made true on its upper suface, on which a
quantity of sunken cavities are formed of the shape and size of such front
shells as may be required. The number of such sunken cavities may be
five or five hundred, provided it is not too large to be easily managed
by the person using it. And I may further observe, that such cavities
must be sufficiently far apart, in one direction, to allow of a blank space
to be between each row of such cavities, such blank space being slightly

page_text: larger than what is occupied by the cavities before named. A lot of
shells are placed on this plate, and distributed rudely by the hand, until
all the cavities are filled, when the superfluous shells can be shook or
brushed off. In this state I lay on another thin plate, having pins or
projections fitting in or clipping the under plate, and with as many
holes or perforations through it as there is sunken cavities in the plate
below, the holes being exactly above each cavity. I now require a
third plate, having. holes to correspond exactly with the middle plate,
and fitted to it in such a manner that it may have a sliding motion, as
by this means the top plate may be made to cover over the holes in the
middle plate, or leave them open, as it may be required. The shells
being now in the cavities of the lower plate, and the middle and top
plate resting on it, and adjusted in the proper position, the entrance to
the shells or cavities being cut off by the position of the top plate,
which now is covering over the holes in the middle plate, I take the
inaterial before described, taking care that it has been passed through
a fine seive, and distribute it over the top plate until all the holes are
filled, then, brushing away the surplush, have only to move the top
plate so as to bring the holes over the holes and cavities in the middle
and lower plates, when the granulated material will simultaneously fall
through into the shells or cavities below. The shells being now filled or
charged, I remove the top and middle plates, and take the under one
containing the filled shells, and place it in an oven, or in any suitable
place where a sufficient heat can be applied so as to melt or dissolve
the glue or rosinous material mixed with the sand, filing, or wood dust
before described; and when the materials are sufficiently melted toge-
ther I remove the plates to cool, when the shells are in a fit state to be
finished in the usual way.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same may be carried into effect, as also the material,
consistent with economy, best suited for my purpose, I wish it to be
understood, that I do not confine myself to the precise manner herein
described, or to the materials herein named; but what I do claim as
my Invention is the application to the manufacture of shell and other
buttons of any cheap material or materials capable of being pul-

page_text: verised, ground, or granulated .fine enough to be readily passed through
a fine seive, such material being used for filling or packing the shells
of such shell or covered buttons, whether applied to the shells of such
buttons by the means herein described or by any other suitablé means.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Walker, have hereunto
set my
hand and seal, this seventh day of July One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
RICHARD WALKER. (L.S.)