US431001A

US431001A - Button-machine

Info

Publication number: US431001A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1890-06-24
Anticipated expiration: 1907-06-24

Description

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1. J. MATHISON. BUTTON MACHINE No, 431,001. Patented-June v24, 1890.

NO MOd L 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. MATHISON.

BUTTON MACHINE Patented June 24, 1890 WITNEEEEE." 8%

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH MATHISON, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

BUTTON-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,001, dated June 24, 1890.

Application filed June 29, 1889. Serial No. 815,985- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH MATHISON, of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Loading or Charging Button-Holders with Buttons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a simple and effective machine for charging tubes or receivers with boot or shoe buttons or other devicessuch as metallic fasteningssaid tubes or receivers being adapted for detachable connection with a machine for applying such buttons orfastenings.

The present invention consists, first, in the combination with a reservoir for buttons, drc, having an agitator whereby the buttons therein are kept in motion, and an outlet through which the buttons that are presented in the proper position pass from the reservoir by gravitation, of a holder formed to receive the upper end of an inclined tube orreceiver and hold the same in position to receive the buttons, &c., from the outlet of the reservoir, so that the tube will be filled or charged with buttons or other devices held by the reservoir when applied to said holder, and a stop orgate which closes automatically to prevent the escape 'of the buttons or other devices through the reservoir-outlet when the tube or chute is removed from said holder, and is adapted to be displaced by contact with the end of the tube when the latter is inserted in the holder, so that the application of the tube opens the outlet.

The invention also consists in the combination, with the reservoir and the holder for the upper end of the tube, of a support for the lower end of said tube arranged to hold the tube in engagement with said holder.

The invention also consists in an improved clutch device whereby the mechanism that operates the agitator in the reservoir may be readily connected with and disconnected from the pulley that gives motion to said mechanism, all of which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

In the accompanying. drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved tube-loading machine. Fig. 2 representsa'front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 represents an enlarged section on the plane of line w 00, Fig. 2, showing the outlet of the button-reservoir closed, the button-tube being removed from said outlet. Fig. 4 represents a section on line a2 00', Fig. 2. Fig. 5 represents a section on line 'y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 represents a front elevation of a portion of the machine, showing the clutch devices. part shown in Fig. 6. spective view of the button stop or gate. Fig. 9 represents a transverse section of the but ton tube or chute.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

I have shown the machine as constructed to hold two button-tubes and to fill the same simultaneously; but it will be evident that the number of button-tubes is immaterial and that the machine may be constructed to hold' one or more.

In the drawings, a represents the buttonreservoir, which is mounted on a supportingstandard b, and is preferably of cylindrical form, its bottom being inclined so that buttons placed loosely in the reservoir will gravi tate to the lower portion of the bottom from which the outlet 0 extends. Said outlet is formed to receive and permit the passage of the shanked buttons 01 when the said buttons are presented to the outlet with their shanks upwardly, as shown in Figs. 3, 4:, and 5, the form of the outlet being such that the buttons cannot enter it in any other position.

6 represents the holder for the button tube or chute. Said holder, as here shown, is an extension of the base or bottom of the reservoir, although it may be made as a separate piece or part.

In the holder is formed a socket e, which constitutes a continuation of the outlet 0, but is somewhat larger than the outlet and is formed to receive one end of the button-tube g and hold said tube so that its inner surface or wall will be flush with the surface or wall of the outlet, as shown in Figs. 4. and 5, the cross-section of the interior of the tube being the same as that of the outlet. It will be seen, therefore, that when the button-tube is inserted in the holder c it constitutes a continuation of the outlet 0, so that the buttons that pass into the outlet will pass into the Fig. 7 represents a top view of the- Fig. 8 represents a pertube and fill the latter, the buttons being prevented from escaping from the tube by a spring 1' at the lower end of the tube, as shown in Fig. 4:.

j represents a stop or gate, which is adapted to obstruct the outlet 0 and prevent the escape of buttons therefrom, as shown in Fig. 3. Said stop is formed on a shank j, which is adapted to slide in a casing 70 and is pressed downwardly by a spring m. The stop has a beveled face j", with which the end of the button-tube comes in contact when the tube is inserted in the holder e and forces the stop upwardly, as-shown in Fig. 4, so that its lower end is above the heads of the buttons. The stop j is provided with a slot 3, Fig. 8, which permits the passage of the upwardly-projecting shanks of the buttons when the stop is raised. YVhen the button-tube is removed from the holder, the stop j is closed by its spring and prevents escape of the buttons.

t represents an arm projecting horizontally from the lower portion of the standard I). At the outer end of said arm is an inclined seat at and an upwardly-projecting lug o. The lower end of the button-tube has a plate 9, which is soldered or otherwise attached to the back of the tube and projects beyond the lower end thereof for engagement with a socket on the machine to which the tube or receiver is attached. Said plate rests on the inclined seat u, and projects through a slot in the lug o, said slot being wide enough to receive the plate g, but narrower than the button-tube g, so that the lower end of the button tube bears against the upper side of the rib o, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and is prevented thereby from slipping downwardly, the engagement of the plate g with the slotted rib preventing lateral movement of the button-tube. Said tube is therefore firmly supported at its lower end, the described construction being such that the lower end of the tube may be readily raised from the said lower support and then withdrawn from the holder 6 by an endless movement. I do not limit myself, however, to the lower support, and may rely entirely on the holder e as the support of the button-tube.

The agitator for the buttons in the reservoir a is here shown as a shaft A, journaled in a bearing in the bottom of the reservoir, and having a head B within the reservoir, to which are attached radiating tufts O O of bristles. The shaftA is reversely rotated by means presently described, and the brushes are thus caused to agitate the buttons so that they will pass one by one into the outlet or outlets and fill the button tube or tubes.

The shaft A is provided with a crank or arm E at its lower end, which is connected by a rod F with a crank G on a shaft II. Said shaft H is journaled in a bearing M on the supporting-standard, and is movable endwise in said bearing. A spring N, interposed between the crank G and a loose pulley J on said shaft, normally holds the shaft in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, in

stud, revolved by the rotation of the pulley,

will revolve the crank. The motion thus imparted to the crank is communicated through the rod F and crank E to the shaft A, which is thereby rocked or reversely rotated. The shaft II is held in the position last described by a finger K on the inner side of a knob L, mounted loosely on the shaft H, said finger bearing against one end of the bearing M, as shown in Figs. 6 and '7. YVhen it is desirable to stop the operation of the agitator, the operator turns the knob L until the finger K coincides with a socket K, formed to receive it in the bearing M, said socket permitting the knob L and shaft H to be moved by the spring N to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. The operator is thus enabled to readily start and stop the agitator. When a button tube or tubes are applied to the holder, as described, they require no attention until they are filled, when they are removed and applied to the button-sewing machines and empty tubes substituted for them.

Although I have described the machine as adapted to deal with shoe-buttons, it is obvious that it may be constructed to feed other devicessuch as nails, staples, or other metallic fasteningsto a holder or receiver to be used in an organized machine for applying or inserting said devices.

I claim 1. The combination of a button-reservoir provided with an outlet 0, formed to permit the passage of buttons from the reservoir, an agitator in said reservoir, the inclined and extended base having a socket or holder formed to receive and permit the removal of one end of a button-receiving tube,'and the springpressed gate or stop supported by said base and having a beveled face arranged to be acted 011 by the said tube when the latter is inserted in the socket, as set forth.

2. The combination of a button-reservoir provided with an outlet 0, formed to permit the passage of buttons from the reservoir, an agitator in said reservoir, the inclined and extended base havinga socket or holder formed to receive the upper end of a removable button-receiving tube, and a support for the lower end of said tube havinga seat or rest for the latter, whereby the tube is held in engagement with the socket, as set forth.

3. The combination of a button-reservoir having an outlet 0, an agitator within said reservoir, the inclined base havinga tube-receiving socket forming a continuation of the outlet, and the fixed arm t, arranged to support the lower end of a tube whose upper end is inserted in the said socket, said arm having an inclined seat 10 and upwardly-projecting lug Q), as set forth.

4:. The combination of the reservoir, the agitator therein, the supporting-standard, the longitudinally-movable shaft having a crank which is connected with a crank on the agitator, the loose driving-pulley on said shaft, said pulley having a projection adapted to engage the crank on said shaft, a spring whereby the shaft is normally moved to hold the crank out of the path of said projection, and I 5 a knob mounted loosely on the shaft and having a finger whereby the shaft maybe held in engagement with said projection, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of 20 two subscribing witnesses, this 18th day of June, A. D. 1889.

' JOSEPH MATHISON.

Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN, A. I). HARRISON.