Improvements in Machines for Making Buttons from Nutshell, Horn, Bone, Mother of Pearl, and similar Materials.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 20th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 24th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Making Buttons from Nutshell, Horn,
Bone, Mother of Pearl, and similar Materials.
We, LEOPOLD HERMANN ECKERT and GUSTAV HENTSCHEL of Chemnitz, in
the Empire of Germany, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is a machine for producing buttons from horn, bone.
or similar material, which is sa constructed that a spindle is provided for each of
the following functions vis. preliminary shaping, finishing shaping, polishing and
boring, which spindle is automatically disengaged and throws out the working
piece after having completed its operation thereon, and which spindle must be
engaged again by the attendant after having introduced a fresh working piece, so
that the time of rest is dependent on the assistant.
The two or four holes of a button are made with one and the same bore while
the button is turned on about its axis for 90 or 180 degrees between each up and
down movement of the bore spindle, whereby an exact position of the holes is
attained.
By means of the improved machine, the buttons can be shaped, turned,
polished, bored etc. either successively or several of these functions may be effected
simultaneously.
The machine is in the main constructed as follows:
On a main shaft connected by a strap laid over a fast-and-loose-pulley, is
mounted a strap pulley and a worm. From said strap pulley is actuated by
another pulley an upper shaft which is perpendicular to the main shaft and whose
other pulleys operate whirls and their spindles. The worm referred to gears with
a worm wheel, thereby slowly revolving a shaft, on which is mounted for each
working spindle a clutch-coupling one part of which is loose, while the other is
rigidly secured on the shaft. Into a notch of the loose part catches a bolt secured
to the machine frame thereby preventing a helical spring surrounding the shaft
inside the coupling pieces from separating the latter. As soon as this shaft has
made a revolution, whereby the tool of the respective spindle has performed its
function, the said bolt arrives at a considerably widened part of the notch and
consequently the loose coupling part pushed by the spring out of reach of the
stationary part and set at rest.
Thereby also a disc mounted on the loose part is rendered inoperative and the
tool remains in its raised position.
The supports of the tool spindles are vertically displaceable in revoluble slide
guidings and are normally drawn downward by suitably placed springs to whose
pressure however they can only yield when the discs mounted on the loose coupling
pieces and having one, two, or four hollowings or projections.
If, for instance the bore secured in the spindle is to make four holes in a button
the disc mounted on the loose coupling piece raises four times a lever and thereby
the respective spindle support, which parts are as often lowered by the springs
referred to, three lifting heights being only high enough for lifting the bore with
certainty out of the button, while the amount of the last lifting is large enough to
cause a lever arrangement to open the working piece holder and throw out the
button. Subsequently the loose coupling part continues moving until the lever
actuated by its disc has assumed such a low position that the throwing-out knif
mentioned hereafter does not form an obstacle to laying in a fresh button.
The working piece holders consist of clamping pieces cut open crosswise and
conically tapering to the top. The holders are closed by a surrounding sleeve

page_text: drawn down by springs and having an annular groove. A knife connected with
said sleeve throws out the button on the holder being opened, which is effected by
lifting the sleeve through the above mentioned lever arrangement which engages
by two pins with the sleeve.
In order to allow the spindles, when boring to be so turned that four or two
holes are bored at precisely equal distances, the lifters of the disc mounted on the
loose clutch piece push a bolt influenced by a spring and having a click, into a
ratchet wheel surrounding the spindle. The backward movement of this ratchet
wheel is prevented by a spring catching into a ratchet wheel at the bottom of the
spindle.
Dated this 21st day of February 1891.
HUELSER & Co.,
Agents for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Making Buttons from Nutshell, Horn,
Bone, Mother of Pearl, and similar Materials.
We, LEOPOLD HERMANN ECKERT and GUSTAV HENTSCHEL, of Chemnitz
in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturers, 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 :—
This invention relates to machines for making buttons from nutshell, horn, bone,
mother of pearl and similar materials and has for its purpose to overcome the
following drawbacks inherent to similar machines hitherto used.
In all button shaping and boring machines employed heretofore a revolving disc
is used, into which the working piece is laid, while the disc is for a certain time at
rest. Thereby accidents frequently occur and the buttons are often introduced
unevenly and become spoiled, while the revolver disc and other appliances wear
unequally so that the resting points of the disc cannot remain the same; the
buttons do not come into the central position to the tool and are not uniformly
shaped. Moreover the holes cannot be made at equal distances as is particularly
required for buttons destined to be sewn on by machine. Also the size of the
holes, each of which is bored by a separate tool, cannot be uniform.
To obviate these drawbacks, a separate spindle is provided in the improved
machine for each of the following functions viz. preliminary shaping, finishing
shaping, polishing and boring, which spindle is automatically disengaged and
throws out the working piece after having completed its operation thereon, and
which spindle must be engaged again by the attendant after a fresh working piece
has been introduced, so that the time of rest is dependent on the workman. The
two or four holes of a button are all bored with one and the same bore, while the
button is turned about its axis for 90 or 180 degrees between each up and down
movement of the bore spindle, whereby an exact position of the holes is attained
with certainty.
Referring to the accompanying drawings Sheet I and II,
Fig. is a side view and partial section of the improved machine.
Fig. 2 is part of the front view, the protective box being removed.
Fig. 3 illustrates the boring contrivance for buttons with elevation.
Fig. 4 is a rear view of the automatic disengaging contrivance.
Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate
in section.
on
an enlarged scale the disengaging coupling
Figs. 7 and 8 are longitudinal sections of the tool holder and thrower-out.
Fig. 9 shows the eccentric and transporter for two-hole boring machines.
Fig. 10 is a plan of the transporting mechanism.
Figs. 11 and 12 are top view and plan of the tool holder for the preliminary
shaping spindle.

page_text: represent the shaping toois aut
Figs. 15 and 16 the bores.
Fig. 17 shows the polishing device. By means of the improved machine the
buttons can be shaped, turned, polished bored etc. in succession or several of these
functions may be performed simultaneously.
On main shaft a' connected by strap and fast and loose pulley with the
transmission device are mounted strap pulley and worm c From pulley 12
with the transmission device, are mounted the strap pulley 3 and worm e'.
From
pulley are actuated strap pulley and shaft, whose pulleys rotate the
pulleys wa
and the appurtenant spindles d' &² d³
The worm
gears into worm wheel thereby slowly revolving the shaft c, on which is mounted
for each working spindle a clutch coupling mm', part m being fast and part m
loose on the shaft. A bolt m² secured to frame A engages in a notch or groove
provided in part. m³, thereby preventing spring F from forcing the two parts of the
clutch coupling apart.
As soon as shaft has made a revolution and consequently the tool of the
respective spindle has done its work, bolt arrives at a considerably widened
portion of the groove, and spring F forces part m² so far back as to place it beyond
the influence of part m, thereby causing it to become inoperative.
Thereby also discs connected to part m¹ is set at rest and the tool remains
lifted up, Fig. 1.
of the tool spindles d¹ d² da
arc
The supports e e² e³
vertically
movable in guidings G1 G2 etc. revoluble about a and and tend to descend by
the action of springs ff2 etc., to which however, owing to said supports bearing on
the fore ends of levers S¹ S*
they can only yield, when the discs s'
provided with one or more cam projections are in such a position as not to resist
said spring action.
If, for instance, the bore fixed in spindle d' is to bore four holes into the button o,
lever S and spindle support et are lifted four times by disc and as many times
lowered by the springs. three lifting heights being only sufficient for
lifting the bore with certainty out of the button, while the amount of the last
lifting is sufficient for causing the link E connected with e to open the working
piece holder g' and throw out the button, Fig. 8.
After the button has been thrown out, the coupling sleeve m' continues to move,
until lever S has descended sufficiently to prevent knife w from being an obstacle
to laying-in a fresh working piece, Fig. 1.
The working piece holders are crosswise cut clamping picces tapering conically
upwards Figs. 7 and 8, which are closed by a shifted-on sleeve or collar
provided with annular groove and adapted to be drawn down by springs v¹.
The button is thrown out, by a knife w laid into sleeve g', on the holder H¹
being opened, which is effected by lifting the sleeve g' by means of the link E¹
engaging into the latter with two pins.
In order to so turn the spindle d' or d² when boring, that four or two holes are
bored at exact distances, the lifters i push the bolts, drawn to the right (Fig. 10)
by the action of springs, and the clicks secured to the same, against ratchet
wheels k¹ the return movement of which is prevented by springs K' catching
into ratchet wheels K.
For boring buttons with elevation, the device shown by Fig. 3 is provided, in
which the vertical shaft W2 is connected by angle wheels with a horizontal shaft
carrying the working piece holder g2, which. is perfectly equal to that shown by
Figs. 7 and 8. The link E' is so arranged that the vertical movement is converted
into a horizontal movement Fig. 3.
For
During preliminary shaping, finishing shaping and polishing the tool holders
are set fast and the engaging and disengaging devices are set out of action.
preliminary shaping, the working piece holder Fig. 12, is made adapted to hold a
square piece of material.
For polishing, a piece of wood with covering of felt or similar material is clamped

page_text: into the tool spindle and polishes the button with the application of a suitable
polishing powder.
To allow the bored holes to be simultaneously countersunk, the tool is given the
shape shewn by Fig. 15, a set screw provided in support e¹ determining the extent
of boring.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :
spindles add
In a machine for making buttons from nutshell, horn, bone, mother of pearl and
similar material, the combination of a main shaft a', fast and loose pulley b¹²,
pulley worm & pulley 4, shaft with pulleys, pulleys www
worm wheel c³, shaft e with friction coupling m m¹ for
each working spindle, part m having a groove widened at one end and adapted to
receive a bolt m², spring F, discs having one or more cam projections, tool
spindles d d d³
supports ee² e³
vertically adjustable in revoluble
levers S¹ S'
guidings G'G'
springs f
working piece holder H.
و
links EE.
consisting of crosswise cut, upwardly conically
tapering clamping pieces, springs and grooved sleeve y', discs ¹ with lifters i,
bolts influenced by springs and having clicks at one end, ratchet wheels k' cog
wheels K, springs K', substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 20th day of November 1891.
LEOPOLD HERMANN ECKERT.
GUSTAV HENTSCHEL.
Per Huelser & Co.,
Their Agents.