IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS."
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Freman Finch, of Lidbury Street, in the City
of Worcester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
BUTTONS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Freman Finch
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd April 1854.
I, THOMAS FREMAN FINCH, of Lidbury St., in the City of Worcester, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS" to be as follows:-
I take a piece of sole leather in a damp state and secure it to a bench,
and by means of a brace and centre-bit cut circles or circular pieces nearly
through the leather. I then turn it over, and by the aid of another centre-bit
cut the pieces completely out of the leather. I next open out the hole made
in the circular piece of leather by the centre bit by means of a punch. In
this state the leather is ready for forming the head or solid part of the button.
The shank is cut out of what is known in the trade as upper leather; both
ends of the shank are longer than the centre. The head and shank being both
prepared, I force the central part of the shank by means of a hand punch
through the head, and cause it to form a loop at the under side of the head. I
make a hole with an awl through the head of the button and that of the shank

page_text: which has been forced through it, and insert a piece of wire, whereby the
shank will be securely fastened to the head: The two ends of the shank are
trimmed off the head of the button. The buttons may now be dyed or
colored, if required, and whether dyed or not, are placed in heated dies and
pressed, and are then ready for sale.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Freman Finch in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st October 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
FREMAN FINCH, of Lidbury St., in the City of Worcester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of April, in the year
Lord
of our,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Freman Finch, Her special licence that I, the said, Thomas Freman
Finch, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 'I, the
said Thomas Freman Finch, 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, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Thomas Freman Finch, 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 Thomas Freman Finch, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the saine is
_to_be_performed, to be particularly described_and_ascertained_in_and_by_the_
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
My. Invention relates to the manufacture of leather buttons suitable for
boots, shoes, gaiters, overalls, &c. The manner in which my Invention is
performed is as follows:-I take a piece of sole leather in a damp state and
secure it to a bench, and by means of a brace- and centre-bit cut circles or

page_text: circular pieces nearly through the leather. I then turn it over, and by the aid
of another centre bit, cut the pieces completely out of the leather. I next.open
out the hole made in the circular piece of leather by the centre bit by means
of a punch. In this state the leather is ready for forming the head or solid
part of the button. The shank is cut out of what is known in the trade as
upper leather; both ends of the shank are larger than the centre. The head
and shank being both prepared, I force the central part of the shank by means
of a hand punch through the head, and cause it to form a loop at the under side
of the head. I make a hole with an awl through the head of the button and
that of the shank which has been forced through it, and insert a piece of metal
wire or a hard wood peg, whereby the shank will be securely fastened to the
head. The two ends of the shank àre trimmed off the head of the button.
The buttons may now be dyed or colored, if required, and whether dyed or not,
are placed in heated dies and pressed, and are then ready for sale.
Figure 1 of the Drawings annexed represents the first centre-bit, which I
employ in manufacturing buttons according to the method above described.
Figure 2 shews the second centre-bit, which finishes the cutting out of the
head of the button. The brace which I use with these centre-bits is of the
ordinary description. Figure 3 shews the punch for opening out the hole made
by the centre-bits for the reception of the shank. Figure 4 is a perspective
view of a die or punch for cutting out the shanks, which are of the form shewn
in Figure 5. This die or punch is employed in a common fly or other press.
Figure 6 is a side view of an instrument for forcing the central part of the
shank through the hole in the head of the button. The buttons are then
completed in the manner above described.
**
Figures 7 to-17 inclusive, represent a complete series of machines and
apparatus for manufacturing buttons according to my Invention, on a more
extensive scale than the arrangements before described. Figure 7 is a-per-
spective view of a machine for cutting a straight edge to a piece of sole
leather preparatory to its being reduced to an even thickness throughout,
which is essential for the production of buttons of uniform size. A is the bed
of the machine. B is a bar or surface of metal on which the leather-rests
while being cut, and which serves also as a guide to the knife during the cut.
C is the knife, which is centred at D, and provided with a handle E, by which
it is worked. F is a clamp, which is worked by a treadle, and serves to hold
the leather firmly while it is being "cut. Figure 8' is a perspective view of the
reducing or levelling machine, to which the leather is next submitted. A is
the bed of the machine; B is the knife or cutter; and C, a pressing roller, for
holding down the leather while under the action of the knife. D is a screw

page_text: clamp, into which one end of the leather is secured; and E is a screw with a
winch handle F, by which motion is given to the screw clamp, so as to cause
the leather to be passed under the knife and roller B, C. The leather is then
submitted to the punching apparatus, shewn in Figure 9, which is worked by a
fly press of the common description. This apparatus punches rows of holes in
the leather at distances apart, corresponding to the size of the buttons to be
produced. Figure 10 is a view of a punch for opening out the holes, formed,
as just mentioned, to fit them for the reception of the shanks. Figure 11 is a
perspective view of a punch or stamp for cutting out the shanks, which are
formed of what is known in the trade as upper leather. This punch is worked
by a fly press or other convenient means. The shanks, after having been cut
out are prepared with powdered French chalk, and then inserted in the holes
made for them by the machine shewn in Figure 12. This machine consists of
a punch B, mounted in the frame A, and worked by a treadle. A spring C
is fitted to the punch, so as to return it to its first position after each stroke.
The piece of leather with the row of shanks in it is then put into the clamp,
shewn in Figure 13, where it is held firmly between the jaws A, A, by
depressing the treadle B, and the shanks are then raised to the proper length
by an awl, shewn in Figure 14. The surplus leather from the top of the
shanks is then cut off, and the leather with the shanks inserted in it is
submitted to the piercing machine, shewn in Figure 15, by which the holes are
formed through the heads of the buttons for the introduction of the pins;
which secure the shanks and heads together. This machine has a series of
awls or points A, A, which are worked by the handle B, so as to form the
holes in the leather, as before mentioned. The pieces of wire which are to be
inserted in these holes are cut to the proper length by the machine shewn in.
Figure 16, which consists of a pair of rollers A, B, one of which, A, is plain,
while the other, B, is formed with grooves or flutes, equal in width to the
length of the pieces of wire to be cut off. The rollers are screwed down,
so as to work in close contact, and are driven by the handle C on the axis
of the roller B... The pieces of wire are introduced into the holes and forced
into the full extent by hand, after which the buttons are cut out from the
-piece by the punching-machine,-shown in Figure-17: The punch A in this
machine is hollowed out on the face, and the dies B, against which the
punch works, are countersunk to the same extent as the punch, so that the
buttons are pressed at the same time that they are cut out. They are
then dyed and pressed in heated dies, which completes the process of manu-
facturing.
Figure 18 is a perspective view of a machine for cutting out the heads

page_text: of several buttons at the same time, which will economise labour very con-
siderably in manufacturing the buttons singly by hand, as first described.
A, A, is the frame, on which the different parts of the machine are mounted.
B, B, are a series of centre-bits of the form shewn in Figure 19, which are
fitted in the revolving stocks C, C. These stocks are set in motion by cords
from the pulley spindle D, which itself is driven by a cord E passing round
the pulley F, on the axis of the fly wheel G, and over the two guide pulleys
H, H.
The fly wheel G is driven by the handle I. The leather to be
operated on is placed on the bed J, which is depressed by a treadle acting on
the springs K, K, on which it is supported. The springs are then allowed to
re-act, so as to raise the leather against the centre-bits, which are kept in rota-
tion until the pieces which are to form the heads of the buttons are cut about
half through, when the piece of leather is turned, and the pieces are cut com-
pletely out on the opposite side. The buttons are afterwards completed in the
manner before described.
I do not confine niyself to making the shanks of leather, as they may also
be made of catgut, cord, or metal, but I prefer the use of leather, as before
mentioned; and in some cases I dispense with the use of the piece of wire or
peg, before mentioned, and secure the shanks simply by pressure.
.And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as my
Invention is,
The manufacture of leather buttons with solid heads and flexible shanks, in
the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Freman Finch, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of October, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-four.
THOMAS FREMAN FINCH.
(L.S.)