US2901796A - Buttons - Google Patents

Description

FIG. 2

DE7I4CHABLE FIG. 4

INVENTOR JAMES HOPE BY J. Arm/mgr United States Patent BUTTONS James Hope, Jamaica, N.Y.

Application September 26, 1957, Serial No. 686,525 1 Claim. (Cl. 24-108) This invention relates to buttons and more specifically to the type thereof requiring no needle-and-thread attachment to fabrics.

For centuries buttons have been attached to shirts, dresses and other wearing apparel by threasds sewing the buttons to the fabric. At first this was done by hand but later the buttons were attached by machine. Even with this improvement much time and effort was required. Moreover, the buttons could not be easily detached for cleaning, change of button design, etc.

A great advance was made in the button art, at least for certain dress designers, when the two-piece button which did require sewing was introduced. This made possible an easier attachment to the fabric, and also made feasible an easier detachment when elaborate buttons were used and which should be removed to prevent breakage during cleaning. A typical button of the two-piece type consists of a lower portion which has a peg which projects through the fabric and into an upper portion or cap on the other side of the fabric. The present invention relates to improvements in this type of button.

Devices of this general type in the prior art have used a sharp-pointed peg for piercing the fabric but once pierced this peg has presented a problem for it has either (1) had to be covered up by the cap, (2) remained visible at the bottom of an open cup and thus limited the types of designs possible, or (3) been exposed and thus presented a hazard, causing scratches or bruises.

It is an object of the present invention to alleviate these difficulties in two-piece buttons.

The foregoing and related objects are attained in accordance with the invention by providing a two-piece button which has for its peg or male member a readily detachable tip. The fabric is pierced by the tip and then the tip is broken off when this function is performed. The peg is engaged tightly by the opening in the female member which has a number of pliable tongues therein which make possible the insertion of the large head of the peg and a tight grip around the smaller shaft thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the male member of the two-part button in accordance with the invention, showing the detachable tip thereon;

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the female member of the two-part button;

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Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the male member of the button after the tip has pierced the fabric and has been broken off; and

Fig. 4 is an elevation view of the button with portions of the female member in section, after the female member has been placed over the male member and the fabric.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, Figs. 1 and 2 show, by way of example, a two-part button in accordance with the invention, Fig. 1 showing the male member 10 and Fig. 2 the female member 11. They are made of any suitable material, preferably polyethylene or some other similar plastic material or materials. The main criterion is that the female member 11 or at least the lower portion 12 thereof be made pliable.

The male member 10 comprises a base 13 and a shaft 14 projecting therefrom which has a relatively large head 15 with a detachable tip 16. The tip can be a separate member which fits into a hole in the top of the head 15 or it can be attached to the head and broken off at the neck 19.

The female member can take any convenient form but it is shown in Fig. 2 as having a lower apertured portion 12 and a rim portion 17. As mentioned above, the portion 12 should be pliable so that the tongues 18 therein can be forced apart by the entry of the head 15 and then tightly grip the shaft 14. If the material is pliable enough, the tongues may not be required.

In assembling the button, the tip 16 of the member 10 is pushed through the fabric 20. The tip is then removed and the female member 11 pushed down over the member 10, the tongues .18 giving way to the head 15 and then gripping tightly the shaft 14. The buttonhole (in another piece of material, not shown) is slipped over the rim 17 and this material is held in position between the rim and the fabric 20. If it is desired to remove the button from the fabric (as for cleaning), the member 11 is pulled away and the member 10 slipped through the fabric.

The base 13 can, if desired, be made in such a way that it serves as the top of the button. Moreover, the member 11 can be made flatter and the member 10 more compact, if a thin button is desired. Various other changes can be made in the embodiments shown and described :without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the claim.

What is claimed is:

A two-member button adapted to be applied to a first piece of fabric or other material and to be used with a second piece of material having a buttonhole comprising a male member and a female member, said male member comprising a substantially flat circular base, a shaft, small in diameter compared with said base, projecting upwardly from the middle of said base, said shaft having a head at the upper extremity thereof which is of larger diameter than said shaft and has a substantially flat, unbroken top surface, and an easily detachable tip projecting upwardly from said top surface, said tip being sharp enough to penetrate said first piece of material to which said button is to be applied and which material then lays fiat against said base, and said female member, free of attachment to either piece of material, comprising a dish-shaped member having member and the base of the female member leaving 10 2, 5

space between the said first piece of material and the lower portion of the annular rim of the female member to receive and hold in position said second piece of material containing the button hole adapted to be used with said button.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 553,938 Reichelt Feb. 4, 1896 2,439,000 Hasenzahl Apr. 6, 1948 Huelster May 4, 1948 2,497,305 Issac Feb. 14, 1950

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