GB812357A - Improvements relating to covered buttons - Google Patents

Abstract

812,357. Buttons; buckles. BERNING, O., and BERNING, R., [trading as BERNING & CO., O.]. June 24, 1955 [June 26, 1954; Sept. 14, 1954], No. 18395/55. Class 43 Two part metal buttons and buckles comprising unitary upper and lower parts respectively have the upper part which is initially convex formed to a desired contour by a die-stamping operation in which a piece of covering material is simultaneously bonded to the upper surface of said part, the so-covered upper part being afterwards engaged with the lower part and united by crimping the overlapping covered margin. Fig. 3 shows the metal upper part 1 of a button blank supported by a forming tool 6 part of which is surrounded by a sleeve 7 with a widened upper portion that provides an abutment shoulder for a compression spring 8, and also provides an internal seating to support a piece 4 of covering material. A thermo-adhesive sheet 3 is located centrally between the blank 1 and the covering material. A die 9 is mounted above the assembled parts within a sleeve 10 having a rim 10<SP>1</SP> dimensioned to fit within the upper end of sleeve 7 and trap the margin of covering material against the part 7<SP>1</SP> of the inner surface of the sleeve 7 when the upper sleeve 10 carrying the die 9 is urged downwardly by a heated press platen 11, with the result that the parts 6 and 9 co-operate to contour the blank 1 and simultaneously stretch and contour the covering material 4 and due to the heat transmitted to the sheet 3 from the platen, the covering material is attached to the upper surface of the blank, as shown in Fig. 4. This Figure shows the sleeve 10 and die 9 together with the covered part 1 of the button positioned for attachment to the lower part 2 which is supported upon a tool 13 provided with a surrounding spring-pressed sleeve. Depression of a plunger 18 upon the die 9 causes the overlapping margin 14 of covering material to engage the bevelled edge 19 of the lower sleeve and fold upwardly around the edge 15 of the part 1 of the button, in which position it is retained when further movement of the die causes it to be caught between the upturned edge of the lower button part 2 and the overlapping edge 15 of the upper part 1. In a modification, Figs. 6-10 (not shown) the covering applied to the upper part 1 of the button comprises a fabric or other material with a superposed disc or piece of transluscent or transparent thermoplastic material which is pressed upon it by apparatus similar to that shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In this case also the platen and hence the die is heated so that the thermoplastic securing disc or piece easily takes the shape of the forming tool.