Improvements in Buttons and Studs.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 15th June, 1899-Accepted, 15th July, 1899
Improvements in Buttons and Studs.
I, HALSEY MEEKER LARTER, of 50, Clinton Place, in the City of Newark, County
of Essex and State of New Jersey, United States of America, Manufacturing
Jeweller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates to studs or buttons such as are worn in the bosoms of
men's shirts, ladies shirt waists, etc., and the objects of the invention are to
secure greater strength in the stud so that it may be forced into position in the
eyelet hole or button hole with less danger of breaking; to provide a stud which
can be inserted with greater ease and which will retain its place more securely;
to enable the cross head forming the inner part or base of the post to be central-
ized in its relation to the upper part or shank of said post, and to secure other
advantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection
with the description of the several parts.
The head of the button or the part adapted to lie outside of the shirt front may
be of any suitable and appropriate construction and design desired. The post of
the button I form of a metal rod which extends backward from said head and at
a suitable point is bent so that the portion beyond said bend forms an arm lying
at right angles to the other part or shank and parallel to the button head.
The shank or part extending directly backward from the head of the button
extends through the button hole or perforation in the garment and the arm or
portion bent over is adapted to lie against the inner surface of the garment, the
bend between said parts being suitably curved or rounded to enable the entire
post to be pushed through the button hole into place.
The shank may be bored out adjacent to the head of the button to save metal,
but at the bend or curved part I leave the metal solid so as to strengthen this
point, which has heretofore in buttons of this class been hollow or else a soldered
joint, and consequently locking in strength.
The bent over portion or arm of the post is centrally bored out, to form a barrel
open at both ends and adapted to receive a plunger arranged to slide therein
telescopically.
It will obviously lessen the cost of manufacture and accomplish the same result
if I form the entire post out of a piece of metal tubing with a filler of solid wire
or rod inserted in said tubing at the bend in the post. The said filler is inserted
before the tubing is bent and is thus held firmly in place, and its end may be
hored off when the bore of the arm is extended through its side at the rounded
bend.
The plunger lving in the barrel is considerably longer than the barrel and nor-
mally projects therefrom at the rear end to complete the cross head of which the
barrel forms one arm. The plunger is preferably made of metal tubing and inside
of said tubing is a spiral spring acting to draw the forward end of the plunger
backward into the barrel. Said forward end of the plunger preferably has its
edges slightly flared and over these flared edges are curled the edges of a cap or
ID 77

page_text: finger piece. Said cap, which is preferably hollow, is conical or pointed at its
forward extremity to facilitate insertion through the button hole; it may further
serve as a stop to engage the end of the barrel and limit the inward movement
of the plunger under the force of the spring.
The hollow plunger is slotted along its side for a suitable distance and through
said slot projects a lip bent radially inward from the edges of the forward end
of the barrel, or a pin, and which serves as a bearing for the forward end of the
spring and also prevents the plunger from twisting around in the barrel.
The rear end of the plunger is preferably closed to make an end bearing for
the spring, and is beveled or rounded to conform to the rounded bend of the post
and not project therefrom when the plunger is at its extreme forward position.
A small stop projection may be arranged on this rear end and adapted to enter
a recess provided therefor at the bend of the post, thus limiting the forward move-
ment of the plunger and preventing undue compression of the spiral spring.
To insert the button into a garment, the barrel is thrust through the button
hole, the conical head facilitating the insertion. The said conical head is then
grasped on the inner side of the garment and the plunger is drawn longitudinally
within the barrel to its forward limit of movement, when the draft comes upon the
barrel, and with a slight change in direction of draft, the post is drawn through
the button hole so that the head lies against the front of the garment and the
bevelled end of the plunger in beyond the under surface. The conical end piece
is then released and the plunger resumes its normal position and lies against the
inner surface of the garment.
1000
I, HALSEY MEEKER LARTER, of 50, Clinton Place, in the City of Newark, County
of Essex and State of New Jersey, United States of America, Manufacturing
Jeweller, 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:.
The invention relates to studs or buttons such as are worn in the bosoms of
men's shirts, ladies' shirt waists, etc., and the objects of the invention are to secure
greater strength in the stud so that it may be forced into position in the eyelet
hole or button hole with less danger of breaking; to provide a stud which can
be inserted with greater ease and which will retain its place more securely; to
enable the cross head forming the inner part or base of the post to be centralized
in its relation to the upper part or shank of said post, and to secure other advan-
tages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter, in connection with
the description of the several parts.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 is a side ele-
vation of my improved button: Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same,
on an enlarged scale: Figure 3 is a transverse section at liner, Figure 2; and
Figure 4 is a plan of a certain plunger or piston.

page_text: In said drawings, a indicates the head of the button, adapted to lie outside of
the shirt front and be ornamented, set with jewels, or given a plain finish in any
ordinary manner common in jewelry.
The shank 6 of the button consists of a piece of metal tubing extending per-
pendicularly backward from the head a, for a suitable distance to form a post b¹,
and being bent at right angles to itself to form one arm or barrel 611, of the cross
head of the button, which cross head lies against the inner surface of the garment
and holds the stud in place. The head of the button is soldered or otherwise
fastened to the end of the post 6', and the arm or barrel 611, lies parallel to the
shirt front, as will be understood, the bend in the shank being curved or rounded
to facilitate its passage through the button hole or eyelet.
In the said arm or barrel 6", of the tubular shank, is arranged a plunger d,
which works telescopically within said barrel.
The said plunger is considerably longer than the barrel formed by the arm 611,
and projects therefrom at its opposite ends, the amount of rearward projection
from the bend in the shank being sufficient to form the other arm of the cross
head of which the barrel is one arm. The said barrel is open at its forward or
free extremity and is perforated at the rounded angle, as at c, in line with the
bore of the barrel to permit of the out passage of said piston or plunger d, as will
be understood upon examination of Figure 2.
The tubular shank is strengthened at its bend by a filler c¹, of solid wire which
is fitted closely within the chamber or bore of the shank and is of a length sufficient
to lie in and fill the curved or rounded bend, thus giving increased strength. In-
asmuch as the shank is bent after the introduction of said filler c', the latter is
firmly held in place in the rounded bend, and after the bending is accomplished
the end of the filler may be bored off in perforating the side of the shank near
the rounded end to allow the out passage of the plunger at c, as has been described.
The plunger d, is considerably longer than the barrel and normally projects
therefrom at the rear end to complete the cross head of which the barrel forms one
arm. The said plunger d, is tubular and has a spiral spring e, arranged therein
which normally draws the forward or handled end of the plunger back into the
barrel.
The plunger d, is tubular to receive what may be termed the rearward part of
the spring e, which spring thus lies normally partly in the arm or barrel 6", and
projects out therefrom into the projecting part of the plunger forming the movable
member of the cross head. Said spring thus serves to return the handled or
knobbed end of the plunger into the barrel and inasmuch as the spring lying as
it does in both the barrel and normally projecting part of the plunger may be
made longer than by prior constructions, the distance of movement of the plunger
and the normal projection of the plunger can be correspondingly increased so
that the projection of the barrel at one side of the post and the projection of the
plunger at the opposite side will be about of equal length.
By this construction, the cross head cannot be drawn through the slotted button
hole of the shirt because of the length of the movable arm of the cross head and
the improved button can be used equally as well with oblong button holes as
with round eyelets.
The side of the plunger toward the head a, is slotted longitudinally as at f, and.
at the projecting end of the barrel I form an integral lip ", which is bent inward
or toward the longitudinal axis of the barrel, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. This
lip serves as a stop, or, more particularly, as an end bearing for the spiral spring e,
and is of a width suited to enter the longitudinal slot f. of the plunger or piston,
the said slot extending out to the forward extremity of the plunger, as shown in
Figure 4, to permit the insertion of said lip when assembling the parts.
The forward end of the plunger preferably has its edges slightly flaring and
over these flared edges are curled or turned the edges of a knob or finger piece g,
as shown in Figure 2. The knob 7, which is preferably hollow, is conical or
pointed at its forward extremity to facilitate insertion through the button hole;

page_text: it
may further serve as a stop to engage the end of the barrel and limit the inward
movement of the plunger d, under the force of the spring.
The opposite end of the tubular plunger is closed to provide an interior bearing
for the spring e, either by filling said tube with solder, inserting a block of metal
therein and holding it in place by any suitable means, or by swaging the tube
so as to force the metal thereof toward the axial centre and thus form the desired
bearing. The end thus closed is, at its outside, bevelled or rounded, as at h, shown
in Figures 1 and 3, and conforms in outline to the convex surfaces at the bend in
the shank.
At the bevelled or rounded extremity, the plunger is provided at the end of the
bevel furthest from the shank with a stop projection d', adapted to enter a small
recess i, in the shank, the said projection engaging the inner wall of the recess
and thus limiting, positively, the movement of the plunger against the pressure
of the spring and preventing undue pressure being exerted upon the lip c", and
guarding said lip c, from injury.
To insert the button into a garment, the barrel is thrust through the button
hole, the conical head facilitating the insertion. The said conical head is then
grasped on the inner side of the garment and the plunger is drawn longitudinally
within the barrel to its forward limit of movement, when the draft comes upon
the barrel and, with a slight change in direction of draft, the shank is drawn
through the button hole so that the head lies against the front of the garment
and the bevelled end of the plunger is beyond the under surface. The conical
end piece is then released and the plunger resumes its normal position and lies
against the inner surface of the garment.
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:-
1. The herein described stud or button comprising a recessed shank formed of
a piece of metal tubing bent at right angles and having the bend rounded to
facilitate passage through a button hole, a head fastened to one end of said shank,
a solid filler arranged inside at the bend and a tubular plunger in the other end,
the shank and filler being perforated at the bend to provide an out passage for
said plunger, an integral lip bent radially inward at the free end of the arm in
which the plunger lies and the plunger being longitudinally slotted to receive
said lip, a spiral spring lying in said plunger and bearing at one end against said
lip and at the other end against the closed end of the plunger, a conical cap at the
forward end of the plunger and a stop projection, at the rear end adapted to
enter a recess i, in the shank and engage the filler to limit the forward movement
of the plunger, substantially as set forth.
2. In a stud or button, the combination with a head a, and shank b, having a
tubular arm 11, parallel to the said head and open at both ends, of an integral
lip, at one extremity of said arm and bent inward to lie across the bore of said
arm, a hollow plunger sliding in the said arm and projecting therefrom at both
ends and being slotted to receive said lip c", a spiral spring arranged in said
plunger and bearing at one end against said lip and at the other against the closed
end of the plunger, an outwardly projecting stop at said closed end of the plunger
and means on the shank for engaging said stop and limiting the forward move-
ment of the plunger, substantially as set forth.
3. In a stud or button, the combination with a head a, of a hollow shank b,
bent at right angles to form an arm or barrel 6, and post 61, said shank being
round at the bend, a filler c', arranged in the shank at said bend, and a longitu-
dinally slotted hollow plunger d, sliding in the arm or barrel, which arm or barrel
is parallel to the plane of the head, said shank and filler being perforated at the
bend to allow a sliding movement of the plunger and said arm or barrel having,
at the end opposite said bend, an integral lip projecting inward through said slot
in the plunger, and a spring arranged within the plunger and the arm or barrel 6",

page_text: and at one end bearing against the end wall within the interior of the plunger
and at the other end bearing against the said lip, a finger piece at the torward end
of the plunger for drawing it forward, and a stop d, at the rear end to engage
the shank and limit the forward movement, substantially as set forth.
4. The improved stud or button comprising a tubular shank bent at right
angles, provided with a head at one end, perforated at the bend, and forming a
tubular arm or barrel 6, at the other end, substantially parallel with the head,
the said tubular arm or barrel 6", being open at the end opposite the perforation
at the bend of the shank, an inserted filling piece independent of the tubular shank
and bent in conformity to the bend of said shank and fitting the interior thereof,
a plunger d, lying in said tubular arm or barrel and having its forward end pro-
vided with a knob or finger piece and its opposite end beveled to fit the bend of
the shank and means for retaining the plunger within the tubular arm or barrel,
substantially as set forth.
5. In a stud or button, the combination with the tubular shank, b bent at right
angles to itself with a rounded bend and having a filler c¹, inserted in said bend,
said shank being perforated at the bend in line with the bore of that portion of
the shank lying inside the garment, of a plunger sliding in the barrel thus formed
and having its rear end bevelled and rounded to conform to the rounded outer
surface at the bend in the shank and having a stop adapted to enter a recess in
said shank when the plunger is drawn forward and limit the movement so that the
end of the plunger shall lie flush with the surface of the shank and close the per-
foration therein, substantially as set forth.
6. The improved stud or button herein described, comprising a head, a shank
attached to said head bent at right angles to form a post and barrel, said barrel
being open both at the right angle where it connects with the post, and at its
opposite end, and at the latter being provided with a spring bearing, a tubular
plunger projecting out from said opening at the angle and at its projecting end
being closed to form an interior spring bearing, said tubular plunger having a
knob or finger piece whereby it may be drawn into the barrel at the angle, and a
spring arranged in said projecting part of the plunger and extending from the
interior spring bearing to the spring bearing of the barrel, substantially as set
forth.
7. The improved button comprising a head, a shank attached to said head and
bent at a point back from said head and forming a post and barrel, the latter of
which lies perpendicular to the said post, the said barrel forming a part of a rear
cross head and providing a receptacle for the hollow or tubular plunger, which
receptacle is open at the angle or bend in the shank and at the projecting end
thereof, the said projecting end of the barrel having an end bearing for a spring,
said hollow or tubular plunger being adapted to slide in said barrel and normally
projecting out from the opening at the bend in the shank to complete the cross
head, said plunger having a finger piece or knob lying at the out side of the open
projecting end of the barrel, the said plunger, both where it lies within the barrel
and out from the bend opening, being chambered to receive a spring and within
its end normally projecting out from the bend opening having a bearing for the
spring, and said spring extending through the chamber within the plunger from
said bearing to the end bearing at the projecting end of the barrel, whereby a
long spring is employed and an ample length of movement of the plunger and a
greater projection of the same normally out from the bend in the shank is obtained,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 15th day of June 1890
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.