US2488957A

US2488957A - Button-covering device

Info

Publication number: US2488957A
Application number: US96789A
Authority: US
Inventors: Herbert G Booth
Original assignee: DAVID TRAUM Co Inc
Current assignee: DAVID TRAUM Co Inc; DAVID TRAUM COMPANY Inc
Priority date: 1949-06-02
Filing date: 1949-06-02
Publication date: 1949-11-22
Anticipated expiration: 1966-11-22

Description

v. "'4- 44 2 6 INVENTOR NW. 22, 1949 H. G. BODTH 3 BUTTON COVERING DEVICE Filed June.2, 194s Herbert 0,37

\ ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 22, 1949 BUTTON-COVERING DEVICE Herbert G. Booth, Harrison, N. Y., assignor to David Traum Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 2, 1949, Serial No. 96,789

4 Claims. (Cl. 79-5) It is among the objects of this invention to provide a compact, rugged and inexpensive device by which the conventional sheet metal blanks of a shank type button may be assembled with any desired covering fabric, which device is so simple that its use requires no special skill or training, but can be operated by the housewife for its intended purpose without the need for any special tools, with assurance that the parts making up the covered button product are connected and securely assembled and have the finished appearance of a commercially fabricated button.

According to one feature of the invention a simple two-piece die is used, which consists of a block and a coacting encompassingcollar. The face of the block has the contour and diameter of the button to be formed, so that when a button shell is positioned thereagainst, its side wall will protrude from the block. The collar accommodates the button shank and also said protruding side wall of the shell, and moreover presents an inclined annular cam portion at its outer part to engage and force radially inward the fabric covered rim of said shell and thereby press it securely about the flange of the shank,

According to another feature of the invention,

or concave depression I! therein substantially across the entire face thereof to conform to the convexity and circular contour of the shell M of the button being formed. Thus the diameter of Adjacent the flange l8 the collar is greatly reduced in diameter, as shown at 2|, to present the bore l9. Intervening between bore l9 and the other bore is a horizontal shoulder 22 merging with a concave bevel or annular camming portion 23 which in turn merges with the bore I9.

the collar has an inturned flange to engage the button shank and force the latter inward against the shell concurrently with the camming or crimping action referred to.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a dropped perspective view of one embodiment of the device showing the constituent parts thereof,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the assembled device on a larger scale with the elements of a button therein,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating one of the successive steps in the formation of a cloth covered button, and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the device.

Referring now to the drawings, the button forming device or die shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a collar II and a block l2 which are used to assemble a conventional button which comprises a shank l3 to be engaged by collar H and an encompassing shell I! to be accommodated in block l2.

The block l2 which is desirably cylindrical as shown has a body portion l5 preferably formed integral with a flanged end It. The faceof block I5 although it may be flat. desirably has a curved The embodiment of the die shown in Fig. 4 also includes a block 25 and a collar 26. The block 25 is desirably cylindrical and is of reduced diameter at the upper portion thereof forming a, head portion 21 and a shoulder 28. The face of head portion 21, although it may be fiat, desirably has a curved or concave depression 29 therein substantially across the entire face thereof to conform to the convexity and circular contour of the shell ll of the button being formed.

Collar 26 has a longitudinal bore 3| near one end thereof and a bore 32 of greater diameter at its mid portion to encompass head 21. The outer part of collar 26 presents a shoulder 34 andis tapped at 33 to be threaded as at 35 upon corresponding screw threads 36 adjacent shoulder 28 of block 25. Intervening between bore 3| and larger bore 32 is a horizontal shoulder 39 merging with a concave bevel or annular camming portion 4| which in turn merges with bore 32;

Desirably the block 25 and the collar 26 each has a hand hold associated therewith. To this end, for example, each has a transverse bore 42 and B3 therethrough respectively, and a handle rod 44, 45 is provided positioned in each of said bores respectively and extending therefrom.

In order to form a covered button, the curved bottom surface of the shell l4 thereof is positioned on a piece of fabric 46 at least several times the diameter thereof. The outer edge 41 of the fabric is thereupon brought together over the mouth of the shell and a piece of thread 48 may be wound around the gathered cloth, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The excess material over the wound thread 48 may thereupon be cut off as at 49.

The shank member l3 which may be covered in a manner similar to that heretofore described with respect to the shell, or which may be uncovered as shown in Fig. 2, may then be positioned in the shell and pressed therein by the fingers so that the rim 52 of the shank will enter the encompassing rim of the shell and wedge the fabric between the side walls of the shell and shank, as shown in Fig. 2.

With respect to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the button partially assembled, as above described, may be positioned on base I2 so that the face of the covered shell ll rests in the concavity l'l therein and its side wall protrudes from said block l2. The collar II is thereupon positioned over the body of the base, as shown in Fig. 2, to encompass the button part of the shank of which is accommodated in bore l9. As shown in Fig. 2 the thickness of the button made up of its shell and shank is such that it supports collar II and permits the two die elements to be pressed together. To this end the user need merely place the base i2 upon a rigid surface such as a table and give a smart blow with the hand or a small hammer to the upper face of the collar which will cause the latter to move downwardly.

As the beveled portion 23 of cover H rests on the fabric covered rim 53 of shell i4 and as the shoulder 22 rests on the top surface 54 of shank 13, the shank will be moved into the shell while at the same time the downward movement of beveled or camming portion 23 will cam said rim 53 radially inward, thereby tightly to press against the side wall 55 of shank portion l3, securely to clamp the fabric thereagainst.

Preferably the button is assembled by placing the cover I I upon a rigid surface such as a table and dropping the shank portion is thereinto so that the surface 54 of the shank rests on shoulder 22. The covered shell portion 14 is thereupon placed over the open mouth of the shank portion I3 with the convex portion of the shell facing upwardly. The block 12 is then inserted into the collar so that the concave face ll thereof rests on the convex fabric covered surface of the shell and by giving a smart blow with the hand or a small hammer to the upper face of the block, the latter will move downwardly to clamp the shank and shell together in the manner previously described.

With respect to the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the partially assembled button may be positioned on block 25 with the fabric covered shell resting in the concavity 29 of its face. Collar 26 is thereupon threaded on block 25 and the user then need merely grasp hand holds or handle bars 44, 45 and rotate the block and collar in opposite directions to force the shank into the shell and cam the edge of the shell over that of the shank as previously described with respect to the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2.

In this embodiment also, it is preferred to drop the shank portion 13 into the collar 26 resting on a table and to position the shell portion H over the shank portion with the convex face of the shell portion facing upwardly. The block 25 may thereupon be threaded into collar 26 and said two die elements rotated in opposed directions to force the shank portion into the shell and clamp the two together as previously described.

Thus, if it is desired to cover a button with material matching a dress or coat or other garment to which it is to be attached, instead of sending the goods to a tailor or button manufacexpense, even the unskilled housewife by the use of the relatively simple devices herein described, may assemble a button with the desired covering at but a nominal cost and in but a few minutes.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be be made without departing from the scope of the claims. it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A device for making fabric covered buttons of the type comprising a shank and a shell that encompasses the rim of such shank, said device comprising a die including a block having a face of the diameter and circular contour of such shell so that the side wall of a fabric covered shell positioned against said face will protrude beyond said block, said die having a collar to encompass both said block and the protruding side wall of such shell, said collar having an annular camming portion integral therewith for forcing the rim portion of such fabric covered shell wall radially inward against said shank portion for assembly of the button.

2. A device for making a fabric covered button that comprises a sheet metal shell and a sheet metal shank, said device comprising a two-piece die including a shell face accommodating member and a shank-engaging member, said former member having a face of substantially the diameter and contour of the face of the shell, said shank-engaging die member having an annular wall to be telescoped with respect to the companion die member, the inner portion of said shank engagin die member having an integral annular camming conformation to engage the rim portion of the covered shell wall, whereby upon compressive thrust against the die members with interposed fabric covered shell and shank, said shell and shank will become assembled with the fabric covered shell rim forced inward against the shank.

3. A device for makin fabric covered buttons that comprise a shell having an upstanding wall encompassing a shank with a corresponding wall, said device comprising a two-piece die affording a cavity therebetween to accommodate the parts of the button to be assembled therebetween and having conformations to engage respectively the face of the fabric covered shell and the face of the shank element of the button to be formed, whereby a compressive thrust against the correlated die elements will force the shank member into the shell member, said shank-engaging die element having an annular camming conformation to engage and encompass the rim portion of the shell wall to force the latter radially inward for compressing the fabric between the shell rim and the shank flange by such thrust action.

4. A two-piece die for assembling a fabric covered button that comprises a flanged shell and a flanged shank member, said die comprising a generally cylindrical block having a face of substantially the diameter and contour of the face of the fabric covered button to be formed, the companion die member comprising a collar to telescope over said block, the bore of said collar turer which would involve considerable delay and being of greater height than said block to afford its bore for forcing the rim of such fabric covered 5 shell flange inwardly in operation of the die.

HERBERT G. BOOTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date I 2,464,956 Winter Mar. 22, 1949 Menkin Feb. 3, 1920 15 Number FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain of 1887 Great Britain June 9, 1921 Sweden Jan. 22, 1923 Sweden Jan. 22, 1923 Sweden June 6, 1923 France Mar. 14, 1924 Switzerland Oct. 1, 1925 Australia May 9, 1944 Sweden Nov. 1, 1944