IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTONS, AND IN ATTACHING BUTTONS TO ARTICLES OF DRESS AND OTHER Å TIMECT TO "
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Fairley, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Commission Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BUTTONS, AND IN ATTACHING BUTTONS TO ARTICLES OF DRESS AND OTHER
Å TIMECT TO "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Fairley at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th November 1880.
THOMAS FAIRLEY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Commission
Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTONS, AND IN ATTACHING BUTTONS TO ARTICLES
OF DRESS AND OTHER ARTICLES."
My Invention relates principally to metallic buttons, and consists of the improve-
ments hereinafter described in the said buttons, and in the means of attaching the
same to articles of dress and other articles.
In place of the ordinary looped shank I make at the back of the button a short
hollow stem, the said stem having in its closed end a slot or opening of a size
suitable to admit the spring stem hereinafter described.
For the purpose of attaching the button I employ a disc and spring stein
constructed in the following manner:-I cut out from thin sheet brass or other
hard and elastic metal or alloy a blank of such configuration that it may be bent
into an arch or bridge form, the arch having on each side a spring tongue, the said
spring tongues being connected at one end with the arch, their other or free ends
extend to near the base of the arch and are inclined outwards so as to make a
nearly right angle with one another. In attaching the button a hole is made in the
fabric or material to which the button is to be attached, the said hole being only
sufficiently large to permit of the passage through it of the spring stem described.
The said spring stem being passed through the hole from the back of the fabric or
material, the shank of the button is put upon the spring stem and pressed thereon
until the spring tongues have passed into the interior of the shank. The said
spring tongues in passing through the slot in the shank are brought parallel, but
as soon as their ends have passed the slot, the tongues spring open and the spring
stein cannot be withdrawn from the shank. The fabric or material is gripped
between the end of the hollow shank and the disc of the spring stem.

page_text: Although my Invention is principally applicable to metallic buttons, yet it may
be applied to buttons made of other substances, the shank of the button and the
spring stem being made of metal.
Buttons made and attached according to my Invention are especially suitable for
gloves, boots and shoes, and other articles of dress, but they may be applied to
other articles, such, for example, as belts and bands, bags and reticules.
In making and attaching large buttons according to my Invention, the action of
the spring tongues may be assisted by means of a coiled or other spring placed
between them, the elasticity of the said spring tending to make the spring tongues
open with greater force.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Fairley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th May
1881.
THOMAS FAIRLEY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Commission
Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTONS, AND IN ATTACHING BUTTONS TO ARTICLES
OF DRESS AND OTHER ARTICLES."
My Invention relates principally to metallic buttons, and consists of the improve-
ments hereinafter described in the said buttons, and in the means of attaching the
same to articles of dress and other articles.
In place of the ordinary looped shank I make at the back of the button a short
hollow stem, the said stem having in its closed end a slot or opening of a size
suitable to admit the spring stem hereinafter described.
For the purpose of attaching the button I employ a disc and spring stem
constructed in the following manner:-I cut out from thin sheet brass or other
hard and elastic metal or alloy a blank of such configuration that it may be bent
into an arch or bridge form, the arch having on each side a spring tongue, the said
spring tongues being connected at one end with the arch, their other or free ends
extend to near the base of the arch, and are inclined outwards so as to make a
nearly right angle with one another.
In attaching the button, a hole is made in the fabric or material to which the
button is to be attached, the said hole being only sufficiently large to permit of the
passage through it of the spring stem described.
The said spring stem being passed through the hole from the back of the fabric
or material, the shank of the button is put upon the spring stem and pressed
thereon until the spring tongues have passed into the interior of the shank.
The said spring tongues in passing through the slot in the shank are brought
parallel, but as soon as their ends have passed the slot, the tongues spring open and
the spring stem cannot be withdrawn from the shank. The fabric or material is
gripped between the end of the hollow shank and the disc of the spring stem.
Although my Invention is principally applicable to metallic buttons, yet it may

page_text: be applied to buttons made of other substances, the shank of the button and the
spring stem being made of metal.
Buttons made and attached according to my Invention are especially suitable
for gloves, boots and shoes, and other articles of dress, but they may be applied to
other articles, such, for example, as belts and bands, bags and reticules.
In making and attaching large buttons according to my Invention the action of
the spring tongues may be assisted by means of a coiled or other spring placed
between them, the elasticity of the said spring tending to make the spring
tongues open with greater force.
I will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing,
the manner in which my Invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in elevation, and Figure 2 in section, a metallic button,
constructed and attached to a glove or other article of dress, or other article,
according to my Invention, the said button being drawn to a large scale. Figure 3
represents the button in the act of being fastened to the article of dress or other
article; Figure 4 represents in elevation and plan of underside the button without
the spring stem; and Figures 5 and 6 represent elevations taken at right angles
to one another; and Figure 7 a plan of upper side of the spring stem separately;
Figure 8 represents the cupped disc before the spring tongues are attached to it;
and Figure 9 represents the blank from which the spring tongues are made.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawing.
a is the metallic button, having at its back a short hollow stem b. In the base
or partly closed end of the stem b is a rectangular slot or opening c (see the plan,
Figure 4). The said button is made of two shells a, b, joined together in the
manner shown in the sections, Figures 2 and 3. The spring stem, which is
situated at the back of the article of dress or other article and is used for fastening
the button, consists of an arch or bridge shaped piece d, having on each side a
spring tongue e, the free ends of the said spring tongues e, e, extending to near the
base of the arch d, and being inclined outwards as represented in Figures 2, 5, and
7. The bridge or arch shaped piece d carrying the spring tongues e, e, is connected
at its base to the disc The said bridge or arch shaped piece d and spring
tongues e, e, are made from the blank represented in Figure 9.
From the parts
d, of the said blank the bridge piece d is made, and froin the parts e², e², at right
angles thereto the spring tongues e, e, are made. At the base of the bridge pieces
d², d², are wing pieces d³, d, having curved outer edges.
By bending the blank, Figure 9, in the manner represented in Figures 5, 6, and 7
the spring tongues and bridge piece are forined, and by placing the wing pieces
3, d³, of the spring stem in the cupped disc, Figure 8, and closing the flange f2 of
the said disc upon the said wing pieces, the spring stem with its disc is completed,
as seen in Figures 5, 6, and 7. The manner in which the flange f2 of the cupped
disc, Figure S, is closed upon the wing pieces d³, d³, of the spring stem is seen in the
sections, Figures 2 and 3, and the plan, Figure 7. In order to fix the wing pieces
ds, d³, at the proper distance apart, a filling piece d' is placed between them and
fixed by the closing of the flange f of the cupped disc.
Instead of employing a separate filling piece d, the wing pieces d³, d³, at
the curved parts are extended in the manner indicated in dotted lines in
Figure 9. When the modified blank, as indicated in Figure 9, is folded and
fixed in the cupped disc f, the ends of the extended wing pieces meet in the
middle line of the disc f, and no filling piece is required.
In attaching the button to a glove or other article of dress or other article, a hole
g is made in the glove or other article for the passage through it of the spring
stem d, e.
The button a, b, being placed against the front of the article of dress
and the spring stem d, e, at the back of the said article in the manner illustrated in
Figure 3, the spring stem d, e, is passed through the hole g in the article and
pressed into the slot or opening c in the base of the shank b of the button. On
the spring tongues e, e, passing through the slot c in the base of the shank b, the

page_text: said spring tongues are brought parallel, but as soon as the free ends of the said
tongues have passed the said slot c the said tongues spring open by their elasticity
and engage with the bottom of the hollow shank 6 of the button in the manner
illustrated in Figure 2. The spring tongues c, e, are thereby prevented from being
withdrawn from the shank band the button is firmly attached to the article of
dress or other article, the fabric or material being gripped between the end of the
hollow shank b'and the disc f of the spring stern, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Or the fastening of the button to the article of dress or other article may be
effected by first passing the spring stem d, e, through the hole g in the fabric or
material and pressing the shank b of the button upon the said spring stem.
In the case of delicate fabrics or materials, an india rubber or leather ring or
washer may be put on the back part of the fastening before it is engaged with the
front part, the india rubber or leather ring or washer as well as the fabric or
material in this case being gripped between the two parts of the fastening, and
there is consequently less strain upon the fabric or material.
When necessary or desirable to increase the elasticity of the spring tongues e, e,
of the spring shank, a coiled or other spring may be placed between them.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention,-
The improvements in buttons and in attaching buttons to articles of dress and
other articles herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing;
that is to say, making at the back of the button a hollow stein in place of the
ordinary looped shank, the hollow stem having in its end or base a rectangular slot
or opening, and attaching the said hollow stem buttons to articles of dress or other
articles by means of a separate spring stem, constructed substantially as described
and illustrated, passed from the back of the said article through a hole therein, and
made to engage with the interior of the base of the hollow stem of the button
situated at the front of the article in the manner described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Fairley, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
WILLIAM DUGAN.
Belfast.
THOMAS FAIRLEY. (L.S.)