IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SECURING BUTTONS TO FABRICS
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Davies at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents. with his Petition,
25th April 1865.
the
1. GEORGE DAVIES. of No. 1. Serle Street. Lincoln's Inn. in the County of
Middlesex, and No. 28, St. Enoch Square, in the City of Glasgow. Civil
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SECURING BUTTONS TO FABRICS," (it
communication to me from abroad by William James Gordon and Edmund
David Gilbert, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.)
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in certain mechanism for securing buttons to fabrics
by means of, metal rivets, the stems of the latter being first passed upwards
through the fabric and then through the buttons, on to which they are
rivetted.

page_text: The mechanism consists principally of a work plate in which slides hori
zontally a feeding bar for supplying the rivets. and an arm projecting above
the former in which a needle and a punch slide vertically. The rivet is first
carried beneath the fabric by means of a sliding bar actuated by a lever with
which a pin on a revolving disc comes into contact, and the fabric is then
pierced immediately above the rivet by a sharp-pointed rod or needle round
which is a split tube or sleeve, the needle and tube being depressed by a pin
on a revolving disc; the needle is then raised by a spring into the split tube
and the latter still further depressed, so that its lower end may enclose the
stem of the rivet and firmly grasp the same; it is then raised by another
spring, carrying the rivet with it, until the stem projects upwards through the
fabric. The tube is then raised out of contact with the rivet and the latter is
grasped between two plates, and (by means of a slide and lever actuated by a
crank) carried with the fabric on to an anvil or plate beneath the punch.
The buttons are contained in a case adjacent to a sliding tube which holds the
punch, the buttons being introduced separately from the case into the lower
end of the tube and carried by a downward motion of the latter (caused by
the lever and crank above-named) and passed on to the stem of the rivet; the
upper end of the punch is then struck by a hammer which is operated by a
spring hook on a bar actuated by the motion of the driving shaft, so that its
lower end may be brought smartly against and form a head upon the rivet.
thus securing the button firmly to the fabric.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th October 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1. GEORGE
DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
and No. 28, St. Enoch Square, in the City of Glasgow, Civil Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Iler most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself. Iler heirs and successors. give and grant unto
me, the said George Davies, Her special licence that I, the said George
Davies, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George Davies, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should

page_text: 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 "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SECURING BUTTONS TO FABRICS," (communicated
to me from abroad by William James Gordon and Edward David Gilbert,
both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. United States of America.) upon the
condition (amongst others) that I. the said George Davies. my executors or
administrators. by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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 George Davies, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to he
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Sheets
of Drawings, that is to say:-
The
This Invention consists in certain mechanism for securing buttons to fabrics
by means of metal rivets. the stems of the latter being first passed through
the fabric and then through the buttons, on to which they are rivetted.
rivet is first carried beneath the fabric, and the latter is pierced by a sharp-
pointed rod or needle round which is a split tube or sleeve, the needle being
then raised into the tube, so that the latter may enclose the stem of the rivet,
The
grasp the same, and raise it until the stem projects through the fabric.
tube is then raised from contact with the rivet, and the latter is grasped
between two plates and carried with the fabric on to an anvil or plate beneath
the punch. The buttons are contained in a case adjacent to a sliding tube
which holds the punch, the buttons being introduced separately from the case
into the lower end of the tube and carried by a downward motion of the
latter on to the stem of the rivet, the upper end of the punch being then
struck by a hammer, so that its lower end may be brought smartly against
and form a head on the rivet, thus securing the button firmly to the fabric.
Improved
Such being the nature and object of the said Invention for
Apparatus for Securing Buttons to Fabrics," I will now proceed to describe
more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed
or carried into practical effect. And in order that the same may be distinctly
understood. I have annexed hereunto two Sheets of Drawings illustrative thereof,

page_text: and have marked the same with figures and. letters of reference corresponding
with those in the following explanation thereof, that is to say:
In the annexed Drawings (Sheet 1) Figure is a side elevation of the
improved machine for securing buttons to fabrics: Figure 2. a sectional
elevation: Figure 3 (Sheet 2). a section on the line 1. 2. Figure 2. looking
in the direction of the arrow Figure 4, a plan view of the base plate of the
machine: Figure 5. an inverted plan view of the base plate: and Figures 6,
7. 8. and 9. detached views of different parts of the machine drawn to an
enlarged scale. Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several
views.
A represents the base plate of the machine, and B an arm secured to and
projecting over the same. Through a bracket C projecting from the upper
side of the arm B passes a shaft. 1. to one end of which is secured a disc D.
and on the edge of the latter are three projections a. a. a. from the side of
each of which projects a pin b. On the other end of the shaft 1 is secured a
disc D'. on the edge of which are projections c. c. c. and with the latter engages
a pawl d hung to the inner side of a lever E which vibrates freely on the end
of the shaft 1. To the rear end of the lever E is jointed the end of a rod E'.
the other end of which is connected to a crank on the driving shaft of the
machine, and in a slot e in the arm E slides a pin f for a purpose described
hereafter. To the side of a bracket C. projecting from the arm B. is hung
an L-shaped lever F. and in a bracket C is hung a beni lever F. the lower
end of which projects through the base plate A. To the front end of the
arm B is secured the button case G, a short distance below the lower end of
which is a plate g, and on the latter slides a plate h. which is connected to a
rod II sliding in brackets at the side of the arm B. The rod is maintained
at the limit of its forward movement by a spring 2, and the inner end of the
rod is bent, as shown in Figure 1. for a purpose described hereafter. In the
end of the armr B. adjacent to the button case, slides a iube 1. which is main-
tained at the limit of its upward motion by a spring 3. and in the lower end
of the tube is a slot i and a ledge 4, the latter, when the tube is raised, being
level with and adjacent to the plate g. On the lower end of the imbe are two
hugs . . for a purpose described hereafter. Within the tube is a smaller
tube J, the lower end of which is bevilled, as best shown in Figure 8, and
which encloses the punch K. a shoulder of the latter resting on il Corre-
sponding shoulder in the tube J, the tube with the punch being maintained in
an elevated position by a spring 5. From one side of the tube J. near the
top of the same, projects a pin j, with which the lever E engages when it is
turned to the position shown in Figure 1; and from the opposite end of the

page_text: lever projects a pin
which engages with: the bent lever F when the rear
end of the lever-is raised. and. with the long arm of the lever F when the
lower end of the lever E is depressed. In the arm B. a short distance back
of the tube I slides a smaller tube L. in which is a bar M. and to the lower
end of the latter is secured a sharp-pointed rod or needle N. To the lower
end of the lube L is secured a split tube sleeve which surrounds the
needle: the end of this tabe, when both the needle and tube are elevated.
bearing against the said needle just above a shoulder y. To the upper end of
the tube is secured a plate m. and to the upper end of the rod Ma
plate m. each plate sliding on a guiding rod 6. round which is coiled a
spring 7: the latter tending to maintain the tube and rod in the elevated
position shown in Figure 1. Each of the plates m. m. projects beyond the
guiding rod to a position near the edge of the disc D. the plate m being cut
away: as shewn in Figure 2: for a purpose described hereafter. To a shaft. 8.
turning in the bracket C', are secured. the rods 9 and 10. the former having
on its outer end a hammer 11, and the outer end of the latter being curved
and engaging with a spring hook on a bar which is operated by the motion of
the driving shaft.. or in any other suitable manner. In the base plate A,
beneath the overhanging portion of the arm B. is an opening X which is
covered by a work plate P, the said opening extending a short distance into
a projecting portion A of the base plate. Through this portion of the base
plate, beneath the rear edge of the work plate P. slides a feeding bar Q. in
which are openings 12 adapted for the reception of rivets, as shown in
Figures 4 and 5. On the rear edge of the feed bar Q is a rack which
engages with the teeth of a cog wheel 13. hung to a pin on the under side of
the base plate. In the portion A' of the base plate is a longitudinal recess Y,
the bottom of which is somewhat below the bottom of the recess X, and in
the forward portion of this recess slides a bar R, and in the rear portion a
bar R, and from the inner end of each bar projects a plate n. the end of
which is cut away to adapt it to the stem of a rivet. To the bar R is hung
a pawl o, which, when the bar moves forward, engages with the teeth of a
ratchet wheel 14 on the under side of the cog wheel 13. In the portion A¹
of the base plate is a slide S in the sides of which are recesses adapted for
the reception of spring plates p, p, one of which is secured to each edge of
a block T, the latter sliding on a guide rod (Figure 3) projecting from the
under side of the slide S. In the base plate A the portion A, and in the work
plate P', are two parallel recesses Z through which the spring plates p. p. may
move as the slide S is carried back and forth, and to each of the spring plates p
above the base plate, is secured a plate s, the edges of which are maintained in

page_text: close contact by the elasticity of the springs c, and are recessed to receive between
them the stem of a rivet. In the base plate. directly below the punch K, is an
anvi Q, in the face of which is a recess adapted to the head of a rivet, both
sides of the anvil being inclined towards the recesses Z. as shewn in Figure 3.
for a purpose described hereafter. To the end of the bar R is secured a
curved spring 15 which tends to draw the bar forward, and from the rear end
of the block S projects a rod s, the end of which is maintained against the
lower end of the lever F¹ by a spring 16, and from the end of the bar R¹
projects an arm W to a lug . on which is jointed one end of a link U. The
outer end of the link U is connected to the lower end of a lever V. hung to
the side of the arm B. the upper end of this lever being adjacent to the
disc D and engaging with the pins on the same. To the outer end of the
arm W is connected a rod f. Figure 5. which slides in a bracket Wand
bears with its outer end against one end of a lever 17 hung to the base plate.
the opposite end of the said lever bearing against the outer end of the bar R.
Round the inner end of the rod is coiled a spring 18 which tends to force
the rod, and the bar R¹ connected to the same. towards the rear end of the
machine. The case G is filled with buttons. a rivet is inserted in each of
the openings in the bar Q, and the cloth is placed on the work plate, so that
the point at which the button is to be attached shall be directly beneath the
needle N. after which the bar Q is pushed forward until one of the rivets
drops into the recess Y. The lever E is moved from a vertical position in
the direction of the arrow, Figure 1. and the rod H is carried back as the
pin is brought in contact with the same, so that the lowermost of the buttons
in the case G will be carried by the movement of the plate h attached to the
rod H into the tube I. As the pin passes from contact with the rod II, the
latter is carried back by the spring 2 to its first position, and the pawl then
engages with one of the projections c of the disc D. and the latter and the
disc D are carried round in the direction of the arrow. Figure 2. As the
disc D revolves one of the pins strikes and carries back the lever V, which
moves forward the bar R'. while the bar R, through the medium of the rod t
and lever n, is carried back, the rivet in the recess Y being thus moved to a
position beneath the needle N, and retained firmly in its place. As the disc D
continues its revolutions, one of the projections a strikes the plate m and forces
down the latter, the tube L, and bar M. until the needle N and its sur-
rounding tube K, are forced between the plates s. s, and through the fabric.
The projection a then passes from contact with the plate m, the bar M rising
and drawing the needle N into the tube K, while the latter is further
depressed until it covers the stem of the rivet directly below it in the recess Y

page_text: As the projection a passes from contact with the plate n the tube K rises.
drawing with it the rivet, the stem of which is thus brought between the
plates s. s. and through the fabric. As the lever E continues its vibration
the pin is brought in contact with the lever F. the lower end of which is
thus moved forward. carrying with it the slide S, block T. springs p. and the
plates s. s, with the rivet between them as well as the cloth, to the position as
shown in Figures 2 and S. the rivet being thus placed on the anvil Q directly
beneath the punch K. As the lever E continues its motion its upper end is
brought into contact with the pin j. and the tube J with the punch K are thus
depressed. the lower end of the punch being inserted in the opening in the
button. and the lower end of the tube J resting on the button around the
opening. As the tube J is further depressed by the movement of the
lever E: the pin is brought against the tube I. and the latter is also
carried downwards until the button is passed on to the stem of the rivet,
and the lugs . . on the bottom of the tube strike the plate s. s, the latter
being depressed and forced on to the anvil Q'. As the edges of the plates s
are brought against the inclined sides of the anvil they are separated and
entirely removed from contact with the rivet, and at the same time the
hammer falls, the lower end of the punch K being thus brought smartly
against the end of the rivet stem, distending the latter and forming a head
which effectually secures the button to the fabric. The fabric is then drawn
forward until the button is drawn through the slot i, and is thus released from
the tube 1. the lever E and the slide S, with the paris connected to the same,
returning to their first positions. When a second button has to be secured
the operations are repeated as before. except that it is unnecessary to move
forward the rivet bar Q by hand, as the pawl O, on the forward movement of
the bar R, engages with the ratchet 14, turns the latter and the cog wheel 13,
so that the bar Q is moved laterally sufficiently to allow another rivet to drop
into the recess Y.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention for
Improved Apparatus for Securing Buttons to Fabrics," together with the
manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect. I would remark in conclusion that claim as the Invention
communicated to me by the above-named William James Gordon and Edmund
David Gilbert.-
Firstly, the within-described devices, or their equivalents, for attaching
buttons to fabrics, whereby the shank of the rivet may be introduced through
the fabric, the button placed on the rivet, and secured to the same, all
substantially as described.

page_text: Secondly, the rod N and its split sleeve when arranged and operating so
as to pierce the fabric, grasp a rivet, and introduce the stem of the same
through the fabric, substantially as set forth.
Thirdly, the feed bar Q. sliding above the recess Y. and operating in
combination with the bars R and R', or their equivalent, substantially as
specified.
Fourthly, the bars R and R'. with their plates : n', combined and ope-
rating with the feed bar Q. and the rod N and its sleeve, substantially as
described.
Fifthly, the plates s. s. secured to the spring plates p. p. and constructed
and operating in combination with the rod N and its sleeve the tube 1. and
the anvil Q with its inclined sides, substantially as specified.
Sixthly, the button case G and the tube I in combination with the within-
described devices, or their equivalents, so as to introduce the button from the
case into the tube and carry it on to the stem of the rivet.
Seventhly, the tube I. centering tube J. and punch K. combined and
operating substantially as described.
In witness whereof. I. the said George Davies, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
GEORGE DAVIES. (L.S.)