SEPARABLE BUTTONS FOR CLOTHING AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Elkan Shrier, of the City and County of San Francisco,
State of California, one of the United States of America, Merchant, for an
Invention of "SEPARABLE BUTTONS FOR CLOTHING AND OTHER PURPOSES."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Elkan Shrier at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd June 1880.
ELKAN SHRIER, of the City and County of San Francisco, State of California,
one of the United States of America, Merchant. "SEPARABLE BUTTONS FOR
CLOTHING AND OTHER PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to certain improvements in that class of buttons in which
an independent detachable disk and shank are employed to secure the button to its
place, whether it be a sleeve or collar button, or a button of any other form which
may be employed upon coats, pants, and other articles of wearing apparel.
Various devices have been employed to secure the button and disk together, and
in some cases the shank has been notched at a point where it enters the button and
the catches by which it is held in place are loosened or released by means of
projecting ends of arms, which are compressed or forced inward for the purpose.
My Invention contemplates the employment of a button having a hollow sleeve
projecting outward from its center and lower side, and adapted to receive a pointed
shank which is rigidly secured to the securing disk. Small holes are inade in cach
of the sides of the shank, and a holding pin or bolt passes through the side of the
hollow sleeve at a point where it will just enter one of the holes in the shank when
the latter is forced into place. A spring holds the pin in, and a small head upon
the edge or beneath the button inay be used to retract the pin and release the
shank when desired.
Referring to the accompanying Drawings for a more complete explanation of my
Invention,―
Fig. 1 is a front view of a sleeve button; Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the
same, showing the two parts separated; Fig. 3 is a view of the inner disk of the
button with its pointed shank and the transverse holes; Fig. 4 is a transverse
section of a button which may be covered and used for clothing; Figs. 5 shows a
detailed view of the same; Figs. 6 & 7 are views of a military button constructed
with my Invention.

page_text: A is the shell of the button which is stamped or struck up in a die, or it may be
spun from sheet metal as may be desired. From the center of the lower side of
this button a square standard B projects a short distance, and has a square hole in
its center. A slender pin a extends from the edge of the button to the standard,
and enters a small hole in the latter so as to pass across the longitudinal square
hole. A small spiral spring keeps it in place as shown, and when it is to be
retracted, it may be done by drawing upon a small knob c which forms the head of
the pin a, and lies just beneath the edge of the button.
The disk D has a shank or stem e which may be round near the disk, but which
is made square at that portion which enters the socket in the standard B, and this
portion is drawn down to a point, so that when introduced to the socket it will
force the pin a back to allow it to pass. This shank has holes bored entirely
through it, so that there is a hole upon each of its four sides, which will admit the
end of the pin a when the shank has been introduced far enough to bring the holes
opposite the pin.
The shank may thus be introduced in any manner, and it will always be locked
in place as soon as the holes come opposite the pin. When my button is to be used
as a sleeve or collar button, the lower part may be left open if desired; but when
the button is to be covered, as in the case of lasting buttons, a supplemental plate F
is fitted around the standard, and its flanges fit into the opening around the
underside of the button. The lasting or other covering may then be drawn over
the button and secured by this plate. This button will also be found very useful
as a military button, or for use upon all sorts of heavy clothing, and it will be seen
that the pointed stem is a very important feature of the Invention, as it enables
me to attach the button instantly at any point, and without the use of any needle
or perforating tool, the stem making its own hole, this hole will not be large
enough to defaco the goods, and from the manner in which the stem separates the
fibres of the cloth, the hole will readily close up whenever the stem is withdrawn
and the button removed.
Having thus described my Invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure
by Letters Patent is,―
1st. The button A having the hollow square standard B adapted to receive the
square shanke of the disk D, said shank being perforated upon its four sides so
that the spring pin a may enter and lock it in place in whatever position it may
be introduced, substantially as herein described.
2nd. The square shank e of the disk D having its end pointed and perforated
transversely as shown, in combination with the button A, having the square socket
B and the transverse spring pin a with its knob or head c, whereby the disk and
buttons may be united or detached, substantially as herein described.
3rd. In a separable button, the shell A provided with the tubular standard B,
having the locking spring-actuated pin a, c, in combination with the disk D, having
the pointed stem e provided with the transverso perforations near its end, and
adapted to enter the standard B, and to be removably attached to the locking pin,
substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Elkan Shrier, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Second day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sight