US2716794A

US2716794A - Fabric covered button

Info

Publication number: US2716794A
Application number: US364533A
Authority: US
Inventors: Zelenay Ludwig
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-06-29
Filing date: 1953-06-29
Publication date: 1955-09-06
Anticipated expiration: 1972-09-06

Description

Sept. 6, 1955 1 zELENAY FABRIC COVERED BUTTON Filed June 29, 1953 aow/6* Zfzew/Qff,

INI/EN TOR.

@Uvex/EMS' United States Patent O FABRIC COVERED BUTTON Ludwig Zelenay, Culver City, Calif.

Application June 29, 1953, Serial No. 364,533 1 Claim.y (Cl. 24-113) This invention relates to a fabric covered button, to devices enabling buttons to be easily produced that have fabric coverings, and may be regarded as an improvement over the construction disclosed in my application Serial No. 230,943, led I une 11, 1951, now United States Patent No. 2,649,634, issued August 25, 1953.

Explanatory of the present invention, there are many instances in articles of clothing Where it is desirable to have buttons covered with a fabric. Such fabric may be of the same fabric as that of which the article of clothing is formed and to which the button is to be ultimately applied. In other instances, the fabric applied to the button may be of a decidedly contrasting type of fabric.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction which will greatly facilitate the application of a fabric covering to an element of the button and facilitate the assembly therewith of other parts which will firmly hold the covering in applied position, which will enable the attachment of the button to an article of clothing, and which will resist forces that tend to separate the assembled button.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claim, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, where:

Figure 1 is an exploded view in perspective of parts of the improved button illustrating their manner of assembly;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, parts being broken away and shown in section, illustrating the improved button as having been partially assembled;

Fig. 3 is a partial view in vertical section, illustrating the elements of the button in assembled relationship and showing the position assumed by the flanges on the backing plate; and

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 but showing the position assumed by the flanges on the backing plate when forces are applied to the backing plate that tend to separate the assembled button.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved button consists of a concavo-convex outer support of generally the size and shape of the finished button. This outer support is preferably formed of sheet metal and has at its margins relatively narrow side walls 11 which terminate at an internal annular flange 12 that is relatively narrow in width. This flange cooperates with the body portions of the support 10 to deiine an internal annular recess 13 on the concave side of the support of suliicient width to partially receive a split spring expanding ring 14. The expansion ring 14 is split at one side only, see Fig. 1, and its ends are preferably rebated as indicated at 15 and 16 so that there may be a substantial overlapping of the ends without an increase in thickness where the overlap occurs.

In conjunction with the parts above described, there is a backing plate 17, the center of which may be domed as at 18 and apertured as at 19 to provide sewing holes through which thread may be passed in sewing the button onto a garment. The backing plate 17 is likewise preferably formed of sheet metal and is equipped with U-shaped, hinge-like member, broadly designated by 20, one leg 21 of which projects upwardly as viewed in the accompanying figures to present an annular projection on the backing plate 17. The hinge member 20 is inclined from the vertical and the bight 22 thereof bears against the fabric C which causes the latter to bear against the flange 12 when the button is assembled. Depending from leg 23 of hinge 20 are spaced, resilient, L-shaped flanges 24 that in cooperation with the hinge member 20 partially embrace the ring 14. The free end of the short leg 25 of L-shaped flange 24, which is inclined toward hinge 20, lies in substantially the same plane as the bight of hinge member 20 when forces are applied to the backing plate 17 that tend to separate the assembled button, as may be seen in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The diameter of the hingelike member 20 and L-shaped lianges 24 are such that they and the backing plate 17 can be forced or snapped through the expansion ring 14 when the expansion ring is within the concave side of the support 10. The L-shaped flanges 24 in being forced through the expansion ring 14 expand outwardly and serve to lock the parts in assembled relationship as shown in Fig. 3. The L-shaped anges 24 in this position serve to hold the expansion ring 14 against contraction or collapse.

The support or face plate 10, the expansion ring 14, and the backing plate 17 are normally supplied to the user who desires to equip a garment with covered buttons. In preparing a covered button employing these parts a patch of fabric or cloth C of adequate size and shape to more than cover the convex face of the support 1l) is applied to the convex face. The edges of this fabric are drawn together so as to cause the fabric to smoothly cover the face of the support and are then passed through the expansion ring 14. While the fabric is held in a taut condition with the edges extending through the ring 14 the ring is forced downwardly into the concave side of the support. In so doing, the ring is collapsed or contracted slightly on passing through the covered annular flange 12. When the ring occupies a position opposite the recess 13 it is released and permitted to expand under its own inherent resiliency. The expansion of the ring against the fabric C causes the fabric to be held thereby in a taut condition, covering the face of the support 10. The excess portions of the fabric can then be trimmed off although adequate margins should be left on which the expansion ring 14 can be effective.

When the parts have been thus assembled somewhat as depicted in the lower portion of Fig. 2, the backing plate 17 may then be assembled. This is accomplished by merely forcing the L-shaped iianges 24 through the expansion ring so that ultimately the parts assume the position as shown in Fig. 3, wherein the expansion ring is held by the L-shaped flanges 24 in its expanded condition, holding the fabric C applied around the support 10. The L- shaped flanges 24 as they spring outwardly beneath the expansion ring, serves to hold the backing plate against withdrawal from the expansion. Forces applied to the backing plate 17 that tend to separate the assembled button causes leg 23 of the U-shaped, hinge-like member 20 to expa'nd outwardly toward the split ring 14, resulting in a greater force being exerted thereagainst and therebeneath by L-shaped flanges 24. Such a force causes expansion ring 14 to be urged toward the internal side of ange 12 which resists the forces applied to backing plate 17, as may be seen in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

From the above-described construction it will be appreciated that the face plates or support members for buttons embodying the present invention can be easily produced by forming sheet metal stampings. The expansion rings are likewise capable of being economically formed and the backing plates can also be produced from forming sheet metal stampings. In this manner the improved button can be very economically manufactured.

The design is such that the parts may be easily and quickly assembled together and when the covering has been properly applied it will be found to be very effectively retained in a smooth, taut condition over the convex face of the face plate 10.

Various changes may be made in the details of con struction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A button construction for making covered buttons comprising a support over which a covering material is placed,

said support having an inwardly extending flange about the periphery thereof to form an internal recess within which said covering material is positioned, a split expansion ring partially receivable in said recess to retain the covering material therein, a plate, a U-shaped hinge on the peripheral edge of said plate, and a plurality of spaced apart flanges on said hinge that are urged against said split ring by said hinge when said plate is snapped within the confines of said support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,446,801 Kuckelsberg et al Feb. 27, 1923 FOREIGN PATENTS 62,626 Denmark Aug. 28, 1944 641,165 Germany Jan. 21, 1937