IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Edwards, of 77, Aldermanbury, in-the City of
London, and John Skirrow Wright, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF BUTTONS."
Sealed the 8th May 1860, and dated the 10th November 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Edwards and John
Skirrow Wright at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 10th November 1859.
We, JOHN EDWARDS, of 77, Aldermanbury, in the City of London, and
JOHN SKIRROW WRIGHT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to an improved method of forming the backs of
buttons known as shank buttons; we form a hollow in the centre of the back
of the button, into this hollow the shank is inserted, also we form a grove
leading up to the shank to allow the passage of the needle and thread in
sewing the buttons on. The shank is brought level or nearly level with
the back, thus allowing the button, where necessary, to be sewn close to the
garment.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Edwards and John Skirrow Wright in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 10th May 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
EDWARDS, of 77, Aldermanbury, in the City of London, and JOHN SKIRROW
WRIGHT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said John Edwards and John Skirrow Wright, Her special licence
that we, the said John Edwards and John Skirrow Wright, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Edwards
and John Skirrow Wright, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should
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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said John Edwards and John Skirrow Wright, our execu-
tors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or one of our,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 John Edwards, on behalf of myself and
John Skirrow Wright, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings
(that is to say):-
Our Invention relates to the making of what are known as shank buttons
composed of either metal, wood, horn, or other suitable material, or metallic
and non-metallic substances combined, and which are made as follows:-We
form a groove in the back of the button, as shewn in Fig. 1, which is a plan
of the back with the shank in position; Fig. 2 is a section of the same,
showing how the shank is fixed, but we do not confine ourselves to this method
of fixing the shank, as the same may be fixed by soldering instead of riveting

page_text: or turning the ends of the shank back, as shewn in Fig. 2. Into the groove
formed in the back a loop of wire is inserted, which forms the shank, as shewn
in Fig. 2; the groove leading from each side of the back to and under the
shank, allows the free passage of the needle in sewing on. We thus form a
shank which cannot be bent down or broken off by being pressed when
tightly packed, and at the same time prevents the garment from being injured,
as is the case with shanks that project, and also allows the button to be sewn
close to the garment without passing the shank through the cloth, which has
always been a great objection. When we make these buttons of metallic and
non-metallic substances combined, we form the back of horn, wood, or other
suitable material, and which back is made to fit into the front shell, as shewn
in Fig. 3, which is a section of the back with loop or shank in position, ready
to be enclosed in the front shell; and when these buttons are made of horn,
wood, or other suitable non-metallic substances, we form a button as shewn in
Fig. 4, and insert the loop of wire to form the shank, as shewn in Fig. 4, which
is a section of a button made of non-metallic substances.
What we claim as our Invention is, so placing the shank in a groove formed
in the back of a button, as described, that when the button is sewn on it is
drawn close to the garment, and that the shank cannot be bent down or
broken off in packing; also preventing the necessity of passing the shank
through the cloth, as is the case now with ordinary shank buttons when the
button is required to sit close to the garment.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Edwards, on behalf of myself and
the said John Skirrow Wright, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty.
JOHN EDWARDS.
(L.S.)