GB1576476A

GB1576476A - Machine for fastening buttons

Info

Publication number: GB1576476A
Application number: GB255377A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: BREVETS IND SARL SOC D EXPL DE
Current assignee: BREVETS IND SARL SOC D EXPL DE
Priority date: 1977-01-12
Filing date: 1977-01-12
Publication date: 1980-10-08

Description

(54) MACHINE FOR FASTENING BUTTONS (71) We, SOCIETE d'EXPLOITATION DE BREVETS INDUSTRIELS s.à.r.l., a Body Corporate organised under the laws of France, of 19, rue dela gare F-74000-Annecy, France, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The present invention relates to a machine for fastening buttons.

Already known are buttons fastened to a fabric by passing through such fabric a piece of plastics material in the form of a pin having a head and a -shank. Part of the shank is retained in the button and the end of the shank sticking out of such button is cut flush with the button surface by using for instance cutting pliers.

To position in series such buttons manually appears to be time consuming and tedious when considering, particularly, that one must hold together the shank, the fabric and the button itself.

The machine for fastening buttons according to the present invention, which may be used with the above mentioned type of button, will achieve the semi-automatic fastening of buttons of such a type, being understood that more sophisticated embodiments could lead to a complete automatization.

In any event, it should be noticed that, according to the embodiment of the machine which will be described hereafter, the fastening of one button is completed within the same amount of time, if not less, than that spent for the sewing of a button through an automatic machine.

According to the present invention, the machine essentially consists of a sliding socket controlled by means of pedal and levers, such socket being secured on a machine body and the end of which being provided with a head-piece for the reception, the positioning and the driving of a pin. Opposite to this socket, another part of the machine body is provided with a well-base where the button to be fastened can be seated, such well-base being interchangeable according to the various sizes of the buttons to be fastened and having a slot, thus allowing sliding of a cutter: of the machine to cut the pin flush with the button surface, the shank of such pin previously having been driven through the fabric and the button.

The operation of the machine will be coordinated according to the following principles: a pin will be inserted into the receiving head-piece, positioned along the axis of the well-base and will be maintained in this position temporarily. The button will be placed into the well-base, then the fabric to which the button must be fastened will be laid down between the well-base and the pinholder head piece.

This positioning of the fabric is preferably achieved by pushing away a preforated safety plate having a hole positioned -t6 determine the path of the pin through thefabric. This plate controlls the blocking of the sliding down of the pin, when pushed away, in order to avoid the operator'having' his finger punched by a pin.

By pressing the pedal of the preferred machine, the operator will first bring thesocket head down to the fabric, the extremity of this head coming through the hole of the safety plate. By further pressing the pedal, a socket stem will go through the socket extremity in driving the shank of the positioned pin through the fabric and then in the button. While the socket extremity is immobilized against the fabric, and the pin is mounted into the button, the control lever of the sliding down of the socket, operated by the pedal, will keep moving down in the motionless socket fork while pressing a trigger, whereas a lever geared to the control lever of the socket will push a cutter that will cut the tip of the pin protruding from the button flush with it, by penetrating into the slot of the button holder well-base.

By releasing the pedal, the machine parts will come back to their original position by means of return-springs or of gravity force, thus releasing the fabric to which the button has been fastened. It is obvious that several adjustments will be provided to set the travel spans, the safety control and the start of the cutting phase of the cutter.

Tlìe invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to. the. accompanying drawings, in which: lig. 1 is an elevation view in part-section showing a machine constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention Fig. 2 is- a partially cut view of the socket head-piece extremity that carries the pin holder with its safety device; Fig. 3 is a sectiori view showing the top part of the socket with the end of its control lever; Fig. 4 is a section view showing the wellbase and the cutter of the machine; Fig. 5 is a section view showing the socket head and the pin- trigger at the end of the socket; Fig. 6 is a section view of the partially cut part of Fig, 1, but represented at a larger scale; and Fig. 7 shows in section the machine parts directly involved in the. process of the button fastening, just after the operation has been perforrned; According to Fig-. 1, the machine consists of abody 1 fixed at 2 on a table 3:. The running.

of the machine is performed by the operator foot pressing, according to arrow 5, a pedal 6 interdependent with a reversing lever 7, that.

swivels around. an axis 8 placed. at the bottom of the machine body 1.

As. shown more clearly in Fig. 6, the top part of the reversing lever 7 ends with a fork 10; housed by this fork 10, is a screw 11 screwed into the machine body 1 and locked in position by a lock-nut 13, which, since its head 14 rests on the side. 15. of the fork 10, limits the path of the- reversing lever 7 when the pedal 6 comes back by gravity, in the.

opposite direction to that shown by arrow 5.

Beneath the fork 10,. passing through reversing lever 7, is a screw 16,. parallel to the.

screw 11,. that. may be locked. in a definite position with the help of a lock-nut 18 and that induces the movement of a cutter 19 through the machine body 1.

The movement of the reversing lever 7, transmitted from the pedal 6,, is transfered to an arm 25 that hinges on an axis 24 at one of its extremities with the said lever 7. The other extremity of the arm 25 is connected by an.

axis 26 to one extremity of a lever 27 that.

pivots on.a spindle 29 mounted at the top part.

of the machine body 1. The other extremity 30 of V the lever- 27 is provided with an enlarged- portion.28 with parallel flat sides, housed in a fork 34 set at the top part of a- socket 35 that slides in a bore 37 of the machine body 1..

The sliding down movement of the socket 35 is. achieved by the bearing: of part 28 of extremity 30 of lever 27 on a trigger. The trigger is arranged for. sliding in a bottomed bore 42 that has the same axis as that of the socket 35 and that can compress a spring 43; when the socket 35 is achieving its sliding down movement. The end of the movement is determined by a nut 45 and a lock-nut 46, since the side 47 of the nut 45 butts against a raised side 48 of the machine body 1.

After the fastening of a button, the lever comes back by gravity to its original position and allows the said socket back up. The top of portion 28 presses on a roller 49 that locks the socket fork 34.

As particularly shown in Fig. 2 and 5, the bottom extremity of the socket 35 receives a stem 51 which is set by its base 52 to the said extremity, fixed in it by a screw 53 and carries at its bottom part'. a head-piece 55 for the reception, the positioning and the driving of the pin..

The head-piece 55 can slide; but is locked against rotation on the-stem- 51, by the- means of a stop-bolt 57 inserted in a groove 58 of the said stem 51.

A coil spring 56, set on the same axis as that of the stem 51,. rests by its extremities against the shoulder 52 on the one hand,. and the shoulder 59 of the head-piece 55 on the other hand, thus resiliently maintaining the head piece in the low position.

The head-piece 55 is provided with a guide piece 60 protruding obliquely towards the upper and front part of the machine, this guide piece consisting of a fork between the arms of which slides a pin such as the one, 61, actually placed between the said arms, this pin being held by its head 64 which is approxiamately shaped as a portion of a sphere;.

up to the time it enters a cylindrical chamber 62 that has the same longitudinal axis as the' one of the socket 35 and a diameter at least slightly bigger than that of the head 64 of the pin 61. The chamber 62 extends by a chamfer 63 to connect. the said chamber to the bore 66 which leads to the. exit of head-piece 55, this bore 66 having a diameter which is slightly smaller than that of the head. 64 of the pin 61, which will. therefore remain within the chamber.

The extremity of the stem 51 destined to come into contact with the head 64 of the pin during the button-fastening operation, has a recess 65 shaped like a portion of a sphere that matches the shape of the head 64, a pit 67 being provided in its center as well, in order to receive a possible casting projection.

of the pin 61.

At the base of the machine body 1 (Fig. 4) and-in a plan perpendicular to the longitudi-nal axis of the socket 35, is seated a table 82.

that bears. a removable: slotted. well-base- 83.

positioned along the same longitudinal axis as that of the socket 35 and destined to receive the button to. be fastened, being understood that to the many models of buttons will.

correspond different wellibases. The well-base 83- is kept in position by the penetration, in its slot. 85, of the extremity 87 of. the. cutter 19, they last being: norlaally remov'ed from the path 88' of the shanlr of the pin in the said well-base 83. This cutter 1.9 is kept resting against the upper side 89 of its path in the table 82 by means of à biased trigger 8-6; during the driving of the pedal 6, According to arrow 5, this cutter 19 is actuated by the screw 16 achieving its downward movement that bears onthe extremity 17 of this cutter 19.

A safety device is mounted on the machine body 1 in order to prevent the socket 35 from sliding down if the space between the extremity 69 of the head-piece 55 and the table 82, more particularly the well-base 83, is obstructed by the operator's- fingers for instance.

This device, as shown in Fig. 2, consists of an arm 70 swiveling around a spindle 71 on the machine body 1. A plate 72, which is connected at 74 by one of its ends to the arm 70, slides between the head-piece 55 and the well-base 83. This plate 72 is punched with a hole, of the same longitudinal axis as that of the socket 35, which has a diameter large enough to clear the path of the extremity 69 of the head-piece 55, during the button fastening process. When positioning the button and/or the fabric, the operator pushes away the plate 72, thus slewing the arm 70 round its spindle 71. Subsequently, the extremity 78 of the said arm 70, which is shaped like a heel of pawl, blocks the sliding down of the socket 35, by penetrating into a recess 80 provided in this socket 35.The positioning of the button and/or the fabric being done, the operator, pulling out his fingers from the head piece 55 area, lets the arm 70 return to its original position by gravity, in resting, by its part 73, against a thrust-block 77 carried by an adjustable eccentric, adjustment of which secures the match between the axis of the hole 75 and that of the socket 35.

The machine will be used in the following manner: The operator will place, between the arms of the guide piece 60, a pin 61, which, by gravity, will slide downwards, set in position into the head-piece 55. After pushing away the plate 72, thus leading to the blocking of the socket, the operator will place in the well-base 83 a button and will lay down the fabric upon the table 82 on top of the button 90, noting the fastening location of this button 90 through the hole 75 of the plate 72 which has come back in position.

These operations being performed, the operator will push away the pedal 6 with his foot. By the simultaneous effect of the reversing lever 7, the arm 25, and the lever 27, the socket 35 will start sliding down. By going through the hole 75 of the plate 72, the extremity 69 of the head-piece 55 will press softly against the fabric.As the socket 35 continuous to slide down, the stem 51 will come down into the head-piece 55, pushing the spring 56 and Eivings the pin 61 through the- fabric 92, and the' button 90; up t'a the time the' head 64 of the pin meets against the fabric'. The stem 51 resting against the head 64 of the pin 61, and the side; 47 of the' nut 45 resting On the side 48 of the: machine body 1, the: lever 27, by keeping on. sliding down into the- fork 34, wilt drive in: the trigger, pushing its: spring 43f permitti--ng further' movement of the reversing lever 7, this further movement being utilized by the screw 16 to push frolitl wards the cutter 1::9 whose edge 87 will cut the" extremity 95 of the pin 61 flush with the bottom of the-button 90 (Fig 7). By rëleasiPn-g the pedal 6,. the machine parts will come back to- their original startling' point by means of springs and gravity, < since the blocking of the side 15 of the fork 10 of the reversing lever 7 under the head 14 of the screw 11 fixes the end of the path.

If desired, it can be arranged that the machine includes means for blocking sliding downward movement of the socket 35. Moreover, an intermediary control lever which controls movement of the socket can comprise an adjustable member for blocking rising movement of the said socket.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A machine for fastening buttons using pins of plastics material each pin comprising a head and a shank, characterised in that the machine comprises a sliding socket mounted on a machine body and controlled by means of a pedal and levers, the said socket bearing a head-piece for the reception, the positioning and the driving of the pin, and opposite to this socket a part of the machine body on which seats an interchangeable well-base for placing the button to be fastened, the wellbase having a slot, thus allowing sliding of a cutter provided on the machine, so as to cut flush the protruding shank of a pin driven through fabric and a button.

2. A machine according to Claim 1, characterised in that the said head-piece comprises a guiding fork for guiding in of the pin to a position where it is held by its head and lies coaxial with the axis of the headpiece.

3. A machine according to Claim 2, characterised in that the said head-piece has a shoulder within its bore for centering of the pin in the head-piece.

4. A machine according to Claim 1, characterised in that the socket extremity which comes through the head-piece to drive the pin has a recess shaped to receive a spherical pin head, thus contributing to the guiding of the pin, and a recessed axial pit for receiving any casting profusion which is on the pin head.

5. A machine according to Claim 1, characterised in that the socket comprises means for blocking the sliding downward movement of the said socket.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. 19, they last being: norlaally remov'ed from the path 88' of the shanlr of the pin in the said well-base 83. This cutter 1.9 is kept resting against the upper side 89 of its path in the table 82 by means of à biased trigger 8-6; during the driving of the pedal 6, According to arrow 5, this cutter 19 is actuated by the screw 16 achieving its downward movement that bears onthe extremity 17 of this cutter 19. A safety device is mounted on the machine body 1 in order to prevent the socket 35 from sliding down if the space between the extremity 69 of the head-piece 55 and the table 82, more particularly the well-base 83, is obstructed by the operator's- fingers for instance. This device, as shown in Fig. 2, consists of an arm 70 swiveling around a spindle 71 on the machine body 1. A plate 72, which is connected at 74 by one of its ends to the arm 70, slides between the head-piece 55 and the well-base 83. This plate 72 is punched with a hole, of the same longitudinal axis as that of the socket 35, which has a diameter large enough to clear the path of the extremity 69 of the head-piece 55, during the button fastening process. When positioning the button and/or the fabric, the operator pushes away the plate 72, thus slewing the arm 70 round its spindle 71. Subsequently, the extremity 78 of the said arm 70, which is shaped like a heel of pawl, blocks the sliding down of the socket 35, by penetrating into a recess 80 provided in this socket 35.The positioning of the button and/or the fabric being done, the operator, pulling out his fingers from the head piece 55 area, lets the arm 70 return to its original position by gravity, in resting, by its part 73, against a thrust-block 77 carried by an adjustable eccentric, adjustment of which secures the match between the axis of the hole 75 and that of the socket 35. The machine will be used in the following manner: The operator will place, between the arms of the guide piece 60, a pin 61, which, by gravity, will slide downwards, set in position into the head-piece 55. After pushing away the plate 72, thus leading to the blocking of the socket, the operator will place in the well-base 83 a button and will lay down the fabric upon the table 82 on top of the button 90, noting the fastening location of this button 90 through the hole 75 of the plate 72 which has come back in position. These operations being performed, the operator will push away the pedal 6 with his foot. By the simultaneous effect of the reversing lever 7, the arm 25, and the lever 27, the socket 35 will start sliding down. By going through the hole 75 of the plate 72, the extremity 69 of the head-piece 55 will press softly against the fabric.As the socket 35 continuous to slide down, the stem 51 will come down into the head-piece 55, pushing the spring 56 and Eivings the pin 61 through the- fabric 92, and the' button 90; up t'a the time the' head 64 of the pin meets against the fabric'. The stem 51 resting against the head 64 of the pin 61, and the side; 47 of the' nut 45 resting On the side 48 of the: machine body 1, the: lever 27, by keeping on. sliding down into the- fork 34, wilt drive in: the trigger, pushing its: spring 43f permitti--ng further' movement of the reversing lever 7, this further movement being utilized by the screw 16 to push frolitl wards the cutter 1::9 whose edge 87 will cut the" extremity 95 of the pin 61 flush with the bottom of the-button 90 (Fig 7). By rëleasiPn-g the pedal 6,. the machine parts will come back to- their original startling' point by means of springs and gravity, < since the blocking of the side 15 of the fork 10 of the reversing lever 7 under the head 14 of the screw 11 fixes the end of the path. If desired, it can be arranged that the machine includes means for blocking sliding downward movement of the socket 35. Moreover, an intermediary control lever which controls movement of the socket can comprise an adjustable member for blocking rising movement of the said socket. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A machine for fastening buttons using pins of plastics material each pin comprising a head and a shank, characterised in that the machine comprises a sliding socket mounted on a machine body and controlled by means of a pedal and levers, the said socket bearing a head-piece for the reception, the positioning and the driving of the pin, and opposite to this socket a part of the machine body on which seats an interchangeable well-base for placing the button to be fastened, the wellbase having a slot, thus allowing sliding of a cutter provided on the machine, so as to cut flush the protruding shank of a pin driven through fabric and a button.

6. A machine according to Claim 1,

characterised in that an intermediary control lever for the sliding movement of the socket comprises an adjustable member for blocking of the rising movement of the said socket.

7. A machine according to Claim 6, characterised in that the intermediary control lever for the sliding down of the socket comprises an adjustable trigger operating the pin cutter.

8. A machine according to Claim 1, characterised in that a control lever extends into a fork of the socket at the end remote from the head-piece and bears an elastic trigger that permits extension of the path of the levers, such an extension of the path being arranged to permit the control of the pin cutter.

9. A machine arranged, constructed and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.