US3596329A

US3596329A - Button attachment

Info

Publication number: US3596329A
Application number: US769607A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ernestine A Hoban
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-10-22
Filing date: 1968-10-22
Publication date: 1971-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 1988-08-03

Abstract

A kit which eliminate the need for thread in affixing buttons to garments wherein the button is affixed by means of fairly stiff wire and a special receptacle for same, to prevent unwinding and injury to a user. The special receptacle includes a disc with two holes and a peripheral flange on its wall. The wire is passed through holes in the button, fabric, and the holes in the disc and then the wire end are twisted together inside of the receptacle and a cap placed therein.

Description

United States Patent Inventor Ernestine A. Hoban 91 llolliston St, Medway, Mus. 02053 Appl. No. 769,607 Filed 0m. 22, 1968 Patented Aug. 3, 1971 BUTTON ATTACHMENT 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 24/90, 24/93 1nt.Cl A44b1/18 Field of 24/90 W, 93, 103 UX References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 763,512 6/1904 Schmidt 24190 W UX 818,983 4/1906 Smith 24/90 W UX 2,425,031 8/1947 Dewald 24/103 UX FOREIGN PATENTS 786,195 8/1935 France 24/90 W 151,816 10/1920 Great Britain 24/90 W Primary Examiner-Bernard A. Gelak Attorney-Richard F. Benway ABSTRACT: A kit which eliminate the need for thread in affixing buttons to garments wherein the button is afiixed by means of fairly stiff wire and a special receptacle for same, to prevent unwinding and injury to a user. The special receptacle includes a disc with two holes and a peripheral flange on its wall. The wire is passed through holes in the button, fabric, and the holes in the disc and then the wire end are twisted together inside of the receptacle and a cap placed therein.

PATENTED AUG 3197i Fig. 4

INVENTOR.

ERNESTINE A HOBAN BY W ATTORNEY BUTTON ATTACHMENT This invention relates to buttons, particularly in attaching same to garments. It is all too common to have a button break loose from a garment. A number of people have a great deal of difficulty in replacing a button such that it will remain in place for any length of time. Orie of the problems is that the thread loosens up the fabric where attached, such that when additional thread is put in the same location it cannot be tightened effectively. Moreover, the abrasion to which the thread is exposed when in place also causes a shortened life. lt is therefore an object of the present invention to replace thread with an abrasive-resistant stiff wire.

The use of stiff wire to attach a button to a garment, in place of ordinary thread, presents several difficulties. The chief being that it has to be attached in such a way that it will not work its way loose. Furthermore, when stiff wire is used, some means must be provided to protect the wearer from the sharp ends that may protrude. In the present invention, stiff wire is utilized to replace the thread, moreover means have been provided to prevent the wire from unraveling and at the same time protect the wearer from sharp edges that may project out from the ends of the wire.

Another difficulty in the use of wire lies in the spacing of the button from the garment. lf heavy garments must be buttoned together, some means must be provided to space the buttons from the fabric a considerable distance, and at the same time protect the thread from abrasion. Presently, with the use of thread, it is accomplished by winding thread between the button and the fabric after it has been sewn on with several loops. This fills the space between the button and the fabric and raises the button a small distance from the fabric. If a single turn of wire, or at most a double turn of wire is used to attach a button, as contemplated by the present invention, the button will, of course, be too close to the fabric so it may be necessary to provide some means of raising the button from the fabric. Accordingly, the present invention provides means for raising the button away from the fabric and at the same time protect the wire from abrasion.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be better understood when read in connection with the attached drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a button and the component parts of the present invention.

FlG. 2 is an illustration of the present invention as used in attaching a button to fabric.

FlG. 3 is an illustration of the same invention but with a raised section between the button and the fabric.

FlG. 4 is an illustration of the raised portion in somewhat greater detail.

Referring to FIG. 1, we'see button 11. The multiplicity of styles, types, and shapes of buttons demands that any invention or device that will be used to attach buttons to fabrics must accommodate all of the buttons that are presently available in all their various styles. This is absolutely essential, and accordingly, button 11 is any style, shape, or size button that may be available. Button 11 is provided by the user as opposed to the supplier of the present invention. Wire 13 is preferably stainless steel wire that has not been annealed..The use of stainless steel wire prevents the clothing, even if washable, from developing stains communicated to the fabric by corroding wire. Copper wire may be satisfactory; however, it being of such a nature that it could corrode, it would spread to the fabric. However, if copper wire is utilized, it must be varnished very heavily in order to prevent the copper from corroding and actually staining the fabric. We also see a second button shaped portion 12. This is a hollowed-outdisc with holes 16 in its base to accommodate the wire passing therethrough. In addition, there are gripping sections 30 about the inner perimeter of this device. We also see cap 14, which has an extended inner surface 31 and an outer perimeter 32.

To best understand the use of the present invention, description of its assemblage is in order. Button 11 is placed up against fabric 22 of FIG. 2 and wire 13 is passed through hole 15 of the button. It is first passed through one hole and then through the fabric with the button held in place, the wires bent and fished through the second hold and again through the fabric such that two wire ends emerge from the inside fabric, as the button is held snugly up against it on the outside surface of the fabric. Cap 12 then is placed on the inside of the fabric such that the wire ends are fed through holes 16. While these are held in place, wire 13 is twisted together and shown as 17. The wires are then bent over and stuffed within the hollowedout portion of disc 12. Cap 14 with its inner surface is then pressed into disc 12, such that gripping perimeters 30 totally press against the inner circumference 31. One continues to press in until outer perimeter 32 is in close proximity to the perimeter of disc 12. By so doing, the twisted wire is forced to be held down in such a manner that it would be impossible to unravel, for its raveled section 17 is bent over to its normal direction of rotation for raveling and unraveling. When wire is in such a position, 90? to the rotational angle at which it was wound together, no amount of force or pull on the button can develop a force vector which will be directed in such a direction as to cause the wire to unwind. Here then is an unwindable wire connection in the attachment of buttons to fabric. Moreover, cap 14 presents a smooth surface in the internal portion of the button arrangement. Therefore, a wearer will be perfectly comfortable wearing a garment that has such buttons attached thereto. The smooth cap protects the wearer from the wound up wire, which is within the underneath side of the cap, providing maximum comfort.

Illustration of HG. 2 is directed to a button which has a single set of openings for attaching a button to a fabric. In many cases, these buttons have four openings. In such cases, one wire could be fed through, twisted, and tucked into disc 12, then another wire can be fed through, also twisted together, and tucked into the disc 12. If a larger wire is used, of course, it could be fed through like a thread held and then fed through a second time through the additional holes and twisted together to attach the button to the fabric. However, there will be substantial room within disc 12, such that two wires can be twisted together in the same disc and pressed down. When one wire is twisted together and pressed in, the second wire can be offset lightly to prevent their own raveling and producing the minimum of bulk within the disc.

As we alluded to earlier, with the use of wire, out ability to space the button from the fabric when thick fabrics are to be buttoned together, for instance in an overcoat, and equivalent to that which normal use requires a thread to be wound many times between the button and the fabric, is accomplished by spacer 20, as shown in FIG. 3. Spacer 20 is shown in greater detail in FlG. 4. Here the button is fed through the fabric with the spacer placed between the button and the fabric, and as before the button is held pressed up against spacer 20, which is pressed up against the fabric, while disc 12 is attached on the underneath side. it is preferred to have spacer 20 a small round donut-shaped plastic element. The reason is that no sharp surfaces will therefore be presented. Furthermore, the distribution of pressure of the button against the fabric is maintained uniform. Furthermore, when the fabric is buttoned together, as in an overcoat, the small donut-shaped unit will be free to move, and further, will present no sharp edges to the buttoned portion of the outer garment. The button, spacer 20, serves several functions, in addition to spacing the button from the fabric. It is smooth and free to rotate, it maintains uniform spacing of the button and further spreads the force of the button to areas further away from the perhaps weakened portion of the fabric where the button has been attached thereto. However, the donut-shaped spacer is not wider than disc 12, accordingly, a smooth continuous uniform pressure is therefore maintained. The donut, of course, is free to rotate and will therefore distribute the wear from movement of the button and fabric as they are attached together, thus extending the life of the overall arrangement to a maximum.

In order to accommodate various color requirements of cer tain garments, it may be found necessary to have the wire come in various colors. To accomplish this, a colored lacquer can be used or a sheath of colored plastic. With the latter, an adhesive must be introduced between the sheath and the wire to manufacture so that the sheath doesn't peal back when fed through the fabric.

Many substitutions and variations in the present invention can be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from its true scope and spirit. Accordingly, l only wish to be limited by the appended claims, of which:

I claim:

1. A button attachment comprising,

a button,

a fabric,

a wire capable of being manually bent, for attaching said wire is stainless steel.

3. A button attachment according to claim 1, wherein said wire is colored lacquer coiled wire.

Claims

1. A button attachment comprising, a button, a fabric, a wire capable of being manually bent, for attaching said button to said fabric, a disc having an upstanding wall along its perimeter including an inturned flange and said disk having at least two holes, said wire having two portions extending through said button, fabric, and said holes and their ends being twisted together within said perimeter, a cap positioned tightly between said wall and flange thereby covering and pressing said wire and its twisted portions against said disc whereby the wire does not unravel.

2. A button attachment according to claim 1, wherein said wire is stainless steel.