IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING BUTTONS AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Guy Wilson, of the British and Foreign Patent Office,
71, Market Street, in the City of Manchester, Mechanical Engineer and Patent
Agont, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING
BUTTONS AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES." A communication from abroad by
Friedrich Gottlob Keller, of Krippen, near Schandau, in the Empire of
Germany.
Sealed the 25th May 1880, and dated the 27th November 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Guy Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th November 1879.
JOHN GUY WILSON, of the British and Foreign Patent Office, 71, Market Street,
in the City of Manchester, Mechanical Engineer and Patent Agent.
" IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING BUTTONS AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
A communication from abroad by Friedrich Gottlob Keller, of Krippen, near
Schandau, in the Empire of Germany.
This Invention relates to a new and improved machine capable of producing
from the same quantity of raw material a greater number of buttons of the same
size and in considerably less time than has hitherto been practicable, the machine
being also useful in the economical manufacture of wooden and other plates or discs
and other similar articles.
The machine consists of a frame supporting a head stock, the mandril of which
is driven by pulleys or in any other suitable manner. The saine frame also carries
a slide, to which is applied the nut holding apparatus, and which is of such a con-
struction that it constitutes together with the slide motions a universal joint. A
turning plate connected with this slide is mounted upon a vertical bolt provided
with a handle and a nut, which latter being unscrewed allows the plate to be
turned in a horizontal direction. On this turning plate are arranged two pedestals,
bearing one a centre and the other a three pronged fork, which holds the nut
requiring to be cut between itself and the centre, this fork being turned and adjusted
by means of a ratchet wheel and pawl.
By the universal joint motion of the apparatus all faces of the nut are capable of
being presented to the revolving tools. Tools of proper construction are connected
to the mandril by means of a tool holder, to the projecting end of which is fixed

page_text: the cutter for cutting the upper face of the button. The other cutter is connected
to a box movable in a horizontal direction on the mandril, but forced to follow its
revolutions. This cutter, which is designed to cut the lower face of the button, is
so arranged that by an advance of the box its edge runs in a spherical or curved
direction. The said box is moved to and fro by means of a suitable clutch fork,
the amount or degree of its motion being limited by a screw or in any other suitable
manner.
The action of this machine as applied to button cutting is as follows:-The nut
held between the centre and fork as aforesaid is first caused to approach the tool
for cutting the upper face of the button, the mandril being meanwhile set'in motion.
Having thus finished the upper face of the button the box with the second cutter
is caused to approach the nut, and the lower face of the button is so cut out of such
nut by the influence of this tool and the box successively advancing. The button
so formed may remain fixed to the nut by a small centre piece, whilst by suitably
adjusting the slide and the nut holder another part of the surface of the nut may
now be submitted to the tools, and thus a greater number of buttons can be cut out
of one nut than was practicable when the same required to be chucked in a lathe
as heretofore, involving as it did several distinct manipulations.
It will also be apparent that this machine is equally applicable for cutting other
similar articles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Guy Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th May
1880.
JOHN GUY WILSON, of the British and Foreign Patent Office, 71, Market Street,
in the City of Manchester, Mechanical Engineer and Patent Agent.
" IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING BUTTONS AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
A communication from abroad by Friedrich Gottlob Keller, of Krippen, near
Schandau, in the Empire of Germany.
This Invention relates to a new and improved machine capable of producing
from the same quantity of raw material a greater number of buttons of the same
size and in considerably less time than has hitherto been practicable, the machine
being also useful in the economical manufacture of wooden and other plates or discs
and other similar articles.
On the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal side view;
and Fig. 2, a plan of a machine constructed in accordance with this Invention.
The machine consists of a frame or base A supporting a head stock B, the
mandril E of which is mounted in bearings C, and driven by pulleys D, or in any
other suitable manner. The same frame also carries a slide holder q', p', on which is
applied the nut holding apparatus, and which is of such a construction that it con-
stitutes together with the slide notions a universal joint. A turning plate is
connected with this slide, and is mounted upon a vertical bolt m' provided with a
handle n' and a nut o¹, which latter being unscrewed allows the plate ¹ to be
turned in a horizontal direction. On this turning plate are arranged two
pedestals and ", bearing one a centre a¹, which is screwed in position by the
handle c', and secured by the lock nut e', and the other pedestal carries a spindle,
the extremity of which is formed with three prongs or forks b¹, between which and
the centre a¹ the nut is supported during the cutting operation. This spindle is
locked and adjusted by the following mechanism:-The ratchet wheel kis fixed
to the pedestal 71, whilst the handle which carries the pawl h', ', is fixed to the
end of the spindle of the fork b'. Now if the pawl is in gear with the ratchet
wheel k¹, by the influence of the spring h¹, the fork b¹ is locked securely in position,
but by pressing upon the handle of the said pawl the same may be disengaged
from the ratchet wheel k¹, and so renders it possible to turn the nut which is held
between the centre and the fork, and so to fix it in a new position and present a
fresh surface to the action of the cutters. Owing to the universal motion of the
apparatus it will be seen that all faces of the nut may be so presented to the
tools.
The tools or cutters are fitted to the mandril E, and the box f, the tool holder,
is forined flat at its front extremity, whilst its rear end is conical and fits accurately
inside the corresponding central hole in the mandril E. At the front of the tool
holder is fixed the cutter 6 by the clamping piece c and its appertaining screw.
9,
The box fis embraced by the fork i, i, to produce its horizontal movement, as
hereinafter described, whilst it is compelled to revolve with the mandril E owing
to the small square h¹ being screwed to the mandril and passing through the slot
as illustrated. The connecting pieces o-p branching from the cross-piece o² is
mounted between the brackets n, n, projecting from the front of the box f. This
connecting piece is jointed to the cutter d, and serves to cut the back portion of
the button. The cutter d is movable round the pivot e as the box f traverses the
mandril, and so by describing a partial circle the edge of the cutter & is enabled to
perform a spherical cut. The connecting piece o-p consists of two pieces, the
length of which may be adjusted by the screw q. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 represent the
tool holder and tools drawn about full size. The fork i, i, embracing the box f is
connected to a slide piece / provided with a toothed rack, which may be caused to

page_text: traverse to or fro by gearing with a toothed pinion 1, to which motion is imparted
by the handle m, and thus the box f may be advanced or caused to retire, and
along with it the cutter & which so performs its functions.
The slide is provided with a screw r, which limits the extent of its motion.
The ivory nut or other article to be operated upon by the cutters is held between
the centre punch a¹ and the fork b', and being caused to approach the tool holder,
and the mandril being set in motion, the face of the button is cut by the cutter b,
whilst the other cutter remains in its recess. The face of the button being then
finished the box f and consequently the cutter & is advanced, and the rear portion
of the button is thus cut by the action of the tool d. The button so cut out of the
solid nut may remain fixed to the nut by the small centre piece x, as seen in
Fig. 3.
By a suitable adjustment of the slide and the nut holder another part of the nut
is next submitted to the cutting action of the tools. From the foregoing it will be
readily understood that by means of this improved machine a greater number of
buttons or other similar articles may be cut out of a given quantity of raw material
than has hitherto been practicable. It will also be apparent that the same
apparatus is equally useful for cutting discs and other articles required of the same
form, and in large numbers by varying the shape of the cutters accordingly.
Having thus particularly described the Invention so communicated to me as
aforesaid, I wish it to be understood that I claim,―
1st. The combination and arrangement of apparatus for holding and adjusting
ivory nuts and other material required to be operated upon by revolving cutters,
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated on the
accompanying Drawings.
2nd. The improved combination of tool holder or cutters when mounted and
operated, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
Drawings.
3rd. The box f, connecting pieces o, p, and cutter d, when mounted and operated
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, J, the said John Guy Wilson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this 26th day of May, in the year of our Lord 1880.