Improvements in Fasteners.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1896
Improvements in Fasteners.
I, ANTHONY BILLROTH SILVERSTON of No. 5710 Maple Avenue in the City
of St. Louis and State of Missouri, one of the United States of America, Physician,
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:-
My invention relates chiefly to improvements in button fasteners of the class
now commonly used as glove fasteners, and, in which a socket, attached to one
piece or portion of material, receives a stud attached to another piece or portion,
and the main objects of my improvements are, first to provide a button of the class
referred to, in which a spring socket will engage and hold the head of a stud;
second, to provide a fastening which will be suitable for use as a shoe button, as
well as a fastener for gloves and other like purposes; third, to provide a button
which, while easily unfastened when an attempt is made to pull the stud straight
out of the socket, will strongly resist the strain brought upon it when the pieces or
portions of material to which the stud and socket are respectively attached, are
pulled side ways in opposite directions; fourth to provide a button which will be
simpler, cheaper, stronger and more durable than any fastener of the same general
class heretofore devised; and fifth to provide means for detachably fastening bows
or ornamental strips of fabric to a garment.
I attain these objects by mechanism whose preferred form is illustrated in the
accompanying drawing, in which,-
Figure 1 is a front view of my improvement applied to a glove, shown
unfastened;
Fig. 2. is a cross section on an enlarged scale of the outer portion of the
fastening, on line 2-2 Fig. 1;
Fig. 3. is a similar view at right angles to Fig. 2, on line 3-3, Fig. 1, with the
bow shown in Figs. 1 and 2, omitted;
Fig. 4. is a cross section on an enlarged scale through the stud, on line 4-4,
Fig. 1;
Fig. 5. is a combination of Figs. 2 and 4 with the bow omitted showing the stud
and socket in position to be fastened by pressing the socket down over the head of
the stud;
Fig. 6. is a similar view showing the parts fastened together; and,
Fig. 7. is a view similar to Fig. 6, showing the button fastener with the means
for retaining a bow, or strip of fabric omitted.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
A represents the socket portion of the fastening.
It is preferably made of an elastic sheet metal such as sheet brass and preferably
BO stamped or otherwise formed into shape as to produce an annular depression or
groove a, running around its outside between its mouth and its opposite end, and
preferably substantially parallel with the lip a 1 of the socket, and on its inner
side, a corresponding inwardly projecting annular shoulder or ring a 2.
.The shoulder or ring a 2 is divided by means of a series of perforations a 3 into a
series of elastic segments a 4, which however do not necessarily extend clear across
the ring, the forms of the perforations and segments shown are not essential though
desirable. The segments a 4 are curved or bowed between thread ends or points

page_text: of attachment to the edges of the ring a 2 or the body of the socket piece A, their
convex faces being turned inwards. Their outer ends are preferably joined by the
lip or mouth a 1 of the socket, and their opposite ends by the opposite portion a 6.
The perforations a 3 are preferably in the form of slots running at substantially
right angles to the central longitudinal line a of the shoulder or ring a 2 as
shown. It is not essential that they, shall extend clear across said ring. The
top a 7 of the socket piece A is shown closed but, that, though desirable, is not
essential.
To the outer portion of my improved fastener, a clasp or other fastening is
preferably attached where the device is used at a point where it is desirable to
place a bow or strip of ribbon or other fabric, as an ornament. The special form
of this fastener is not essential. It may be made in the form of a ring B. hinged
o the outer portion of the fastener on one side and fastened opposite the hinge by
means of a spring catch. In the drawing this portion of the improvement is shown
attached to the part A, the hinge being lettered 6 and the two portions of the
catch 61 and 62 respectively. As will be observed the hinge and catch are of
common and well known forms..
C. (Figs. 1 and 2) represents a how of ribbon held in place by the ring B.
The socket piece A. is preferably attached to the material in connection with.
which it is used, by inserting it in a hole in such material and preventing its
escape by causing the edges of the material to enter the annular groove a and be
clasped between the lip a 1 and the top a 7 thus substantially riveting the part A
in place. When the part A is thus attached the perforations through it are
preferably hidden by the material to which it is fastened except when the inside of
the socket is examined.
D (Figs. 1, 4, 5, 6, 7) represents a stud adapted to enter and be engaged by the
Bocket A. Its head d is slightly larger than the inside of the shoulder or ring a 2
of the socket and in order to pass such it has to bend the latter's segments outward
and thus slightly enlarge its inside diameter. Below the head d the diameter of
the stud should be smaller than that of the head at its widest part, substantially as
shown at d 1, so as to allow the segments of the ring a 2 to spring inwards when
the head d of the stud passes them. It is immaterial whether the diameter of the
inner end d 2 of the stud be widened, so as to be approximately the same as that of
the head, as shown, or not, as will be obvious. As shown the seat d in the stud
for the ring a 2 curves outwards towards the outer end, and this form of seat is
preferred as it enables the stud to escape from the socket more readily than would
otherwise be possible without preventing the socket from holding the stud as
strongly as is necessary.
The stud may be made in the shape shown, and fastened in position by means of
a rivet d 3 but as will be obvious that special shape and method of fastening are
not essential.
It is easy to regulate the force required to fasten and unfasten my button-
fastener by making the diameter of the head of the stud larger or smaller in pro-
portion, to the inner diameter of the socket ring. Where considerable force is
necessary to expand the ring far enough to admit the head of the stud it is almost
impossible to disengage it by pulling the pieces of material to which the stud and
socket are respectively attached in opposite directions, side ways.
The elastic strength of the ring a 2 may also be varied in ways which will be
obvious.
My improved fastener is not only strong, simple and durable but may be.
manufactured very cheaply.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the value of my said inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. The combination in a button fastener of a spring socket and a stud having a
head engaged by said socket substantially as described.

page_text: 2. A socket having an inwardly projecting perforated annular ring with elastic
segments.
3. A socket encircled by an annular concavity on the outside and having a
corresponding annular convex portion on the inside said concave convex portion
containing a series of perforations dividing it into segments and the segments
between said perforations being elastic, substantially as described.
4. A socket having an inwardly projecting annular shoulder or ring, divided by
a series of slots into curved segments and said segments being elastic substantially
as described.
5. The combination of a stud having a head, and a socket having an annular
shoulder or ring divided up into segments by perforations and said segments
being elastic and said stud being engaged by said segments substantially as
described.
6. The combination of a bow holder and means fastening said holder to a
backing of fabric or leather substantially as described.
7. The combination with a button fastener of a holder for a bow, attached to
said fastener.
8. The combination of a button fastener, consisting of a stud and a spring socket
engaging the stud; and a bow holder attached to the outer part of said button
fastener substantially as described.
9. The combination in a fastener of a socket formed in one piece and having
spring segments integral therewith substantially as described.
10. The combination of a socket or holder having an annular groove on the
outside and a corresponding annular convex portion on the inside, said concavo
convex portion containing a series of perforations dividing it into elastic segments;
and a piece of flexible material entering and held within said annular groove
substantially as described.
Dated this 7th day of February 1896.
Y BILLROTH SILVERSTON.
W. P. Thompson & Co.,
31 High Holborn, W.C., Agents.