BUTTON MANUFACTURE 



553 



Having explained the peculiar form of his improved metallic shanks for buttons, 

 and the tools employed in making the same, he proceeds to describe the machinery or 

 apparatus by which he 

 carries his invention 

 into effect. He takes 

 a sheet of metal, say 

 about 30 or 40 feet 

 long, and of the proper 

 width and thickness, 

 which thin sheet is to 

 be wound upon a roller, 

 and placed above the 

 machine, so that it can 

 be easily drawn down 

 into the machine as required for feeding the punches and dies. Fig. 266 is a plan- 

 view of a machine intended to work any convenient number of sets of punches and 

 dies placed in rows. Fig. 267 is a side view, and fig. 268 a longitudinal section, 

 taken through the ma- 

 chine ; figs. 269 and 270 

 are transverse sections 

 taken through the ma- 

 chine between the 

 punches and counter 

 dies, fig. 269 represent- 

 ing its appearance at 

 the face of the punches, 

 fin&fig. 270 the opposite 

 viewof the counter dies. 

 a a are the punches; 

 b b, the counter dies ; 

 each being mounted in rows in the steel plates c c, fixed upon two strong bars d and 

 c, by counter-sunk screws and nuts ; the punches and dies being retained in their 

 proper position by the plates, which are screwed c to the front of the steel plates, 

 and press against the collars of the punches and dies. The bars d and e are both 



mounted on the guide-pins g g, fixed in the heads h h, of the frame, which guide- 

 pins pass through the bosses on the ends of the bars. The bar d is stationary upon 

 the guide-pins, being fixed to the heads h h, by nuts and screws passed through ears 

 cast on their bosses. The bar e slides freely upon the guide-pins g g, as it is 

 moved backwards and forwards by the crank i i, and connecting-rods j j, as the 

 crank-shaft revolves. The sheet of thin iron to be operated upon is placed, as 

 before stated, above the machine ; its end being brought down as at a a, and passed 

 between the guide-rod and clearing plate Jc, and between the pair of feeding-rollers 

 / 1, which, by revolving, draw down a further portion of the sheet of metal between 

 the punches and dies, after each operation of the punches. 



As the counter dies advance towards the punches, they first come in contact with 

 the sheet of metal to be operated upon ; and after having produced the pressure which 

 cuts out the discs, the perforations of the sheet are pushed on to the ends of the punches 

 by the counter dies ; and in order that the sheet may be allowed to advance, the car- 

 riage which supports the axles of the feeding-rollers, with the guide-rod and clearing- 

 plate, are made to slide by means of the pin in, which works in a slot in the sliding- 

 piece n, bearing the axis of the feeding-roller 1 1, the slide n being kept in its place on 

 the framework by dovetailed guides, shown in^. 270. 



When the counter dies have advanced near to the sheet of metal, the pin m comes 

 in contact with that end of the slot in the piece which is next to the punches, and 

 forces the carriage with seed-rollers and clearing-plate, and also the sheet of metal, 



