B U T T O N. 



d'lf^illin^ appavat'.is for condcnfiiig and rccowiirg the vohti- vttttd into buttons of this and various other kinds. See 



llfed mercury. In the tub G tlic principal p.ivt would be Foil-stonts and Srvns 



recovered ; for, of what may Hill pal's on, a part woi Id be Shell tti:ioiis. This name is given to thofe buttons which 



condenfcd in afcendinir the tube H, and fail back, wli'lc the confill of a back which is generally of bone wiihcmt any 



remainder would be efTcflually caught in tlie tub or e:ifl< I, fliank, but cordtd with catgut, and covered in front with 4 



open at the top, and partly tilled with w:iter. The latter thin pl.ue of metal ilrnck with a die. They arc now, iiow- 



tub (lionld be on the outfide of the building, and the def- ever, much icfa in life than formerly. The backs arc cut 



cending branch of the tube H fliould go down into it at out with a brace whofc bit is a circuhr law, like that of a 



Icaft iS incht:., but not into the water.- T!ie chimney or furgcon's trephine, and the four holes through which the 



the a(h-pit fhould be furniflied with a damper to regulate the catgut pafles arc drilled by four drills moving parallel to 



he»t of the lire. 



The water may be occafionally drawn out of the tubs by 

 • .liphon, and the mcrcui"y clogged with heterogeneous mat- 

 Kr may be triturated in a piece of fianuel till it paffes 

 through, or placed in a pan of fhcct iron, like a dripping. 



each other, and acting at once. Thiy arc tlicn corded by 

 children who tie the catgut on the inllde ; tlie cavity is 

 filled witii melted rcfin, and the metal (hell applied warrr'. 

 The button is then pred'ed between two centres in a lathe, 

 which are forced together by a weight afting on a lever. 



pan, in a fuflicient degree of heat, giving it a tolerable in- (an ingenious applicaliijn of this engine frequently made ufe 



clination, fo that the mercury, as it gets warm, may run 

 down and unite in the lower part of the pan. J5ut the mer- 

 cury will be mort effeftually recovered by expolirg the refi- 

 ijuum left in the flannel bag to diltillation in a retort made 

 of iron or of earthen ware. 



When the mercury is volatilifed from the buttons, or, as 



of in this inanufafture^, and the edge of the (hell tuincd 

 down during its revolution with a fmall burnilher. 



In the year 179c, a patent was granted to Mr. Henry 

 Clay of Birmingham for a new method of manufacturing 

 buttons of flate, or (lit ftone ; and in iSoo, Mr. Jofeph 

 Barnett of the fame place obtained a patent for an improved 



the workmen denominate it, when the buttons are dryed off, mode of making buttons, by fixing two (hanks, or other 



tbey are finally bumifiied, and are then finillied and fit for faftening, on one button, one on each fide, on the miderfur. 



carding. face, oppofite to each other, inftead of only one in the 



The reader unacquainted with this branch of m.annfafture centre, 

 will be furprifed to learn how far a fmall quantity of gold, The praiSice of wearing buttons confiding inerely of a 



incorporated with mercury, will Ipread over a fmooth furface mould covered with the fame kind of cloth as the garment 



of copper. Five grains, w-orth one (hilling and threepence, itfelf, being at prefcnt extremely general, it may perhaps 



on the top of a giofs, that is, T44 buttons, each of one be proper to remark, that this is prohibited on pain of pe- 



inch diameter, are fuflicient to excufe the manufafturer from cuniary penaltits, from 40s. to jl. per dozen, by fevcral (la- 



the penalty inflifted by an aft of parhament ; yet many, 

 upon an aflay are found to be deficient of this fmall quan- 

 tity, and the maker fined and the buttons forfeited accord- 

 ingly. Many hundred grolTcs have been tolerably gilt with 

 half that quantity ; fo extremely far can gold be fpread. 



tutes which have been made at different times for the pro- 

 motion of this manufaflure ; and under which, feveral con- 

 viftions have taken place within a few years. Thefe arc, 

 10 W. 3. c. 2. 8 Ann. c. 6. 4 Geo. c. 7. and 7 Geo. 

 c. 12. The importation of buttons is prohibited on pain of 



when incorporated with mercur)', over the furface of a forfeiture, and penalty of lool. on the importer, and 'Jol. 



fmooth piece of copper". Philofophical Magazine, N°33. on the feller, by ij & 14 C. II. c. ij. § z. and 4 W. III. 



p. 19, &c. c. 10. § 2. 



The white metal buttons which a'-c compofed of brafs By j6 Geo. III. c. 60. any perfon putting falfe markson 



alloyed with ditierent proportions of tin, after having been gilt buttons, erafing any marks except fuch as exprefs the 



cad as before mentioned, are poliflied by turning them in a real quality, or any other word.-, except ^f/A or plated., incurs 



lathe, and applying fuccefiively pieces of buffalo (liin glued the penalty of forfeiting fucli buttons, and alio 5I. for any 



on wood, (or buffs as the workmen call them) charged with quantity not exceeding 12 dozen ; and if above, after the 



powdered grindtlone and oil, rotten (tone and crocus martis. rate of ll. for every 12 dozen. The penalty, however. 



They are then ivhite-boiled, that is, boiled with a quantity does not extend to thofe who mark the words double and 



of grain tin in a folution of crude red tartar, or argol, and treble gUt, provided, in the cafe of double gilt buttons, gold 



lallly, finifhed with a buff with finely prepared crocus. fhall be equally fpread upon their upper furface, exclufively 



Glafs buttons. Thefe articles are alfo frequently wholly of the edges, in the proportion of 10 grains to the furface 



compofed of glafs of various colours in imitation of the opal, of a circle 1 2 inches in diameter ; and in that of treble gilt, 



lapis lazuli, and other ftones. The glafs is in this cafe kept the gold (liall amount to 15 grains in the fame proportion. 



" in fufion, and the button nipped out of it whilll: in its plaf- The penalty 011 making falfe bills of parcels, cxprcfling any 



tic ftate, by a pair of iron moulds, like thofe ufed for calling other than the real quality of fuch buttons, is 20I. ; and 



pillol (hot, adapted to the intended form of the button : that on mixing buttons of dift'ereut qualities, forfeiture of 



the workmen previoufiy inferting the fhank into the mould the fame, and 5I. for any number between one and li do- 



fo that it may become imbedded in the glafs when cold. zen, and above this number, il. for every 12 dozen. In 



Mother of pearl buttons. This fubftance is alfo freqiiently order to afcertain what (hall be deemed gilt or plated but- 



lifed in the manufafture of buttons; in which cafe, the mode tons, gilt buttons fliall have gold equally fpread upon the 



of fixing in the (liank is fomewhat ingenious. It is done by upper furface in the proportion of five grains to the furface 



drilling a hole at the back which is under-cut, that is, lar- of a circle 12 inches m diameter; and plated buttons (hall 



ger at the bottom than the top, like a mortife, and the have the fuperficies of the upper furtace made of a plate of 



-fhank being driven in by a fteady (\roke, its extremity ex- filver fixed upon copper, or a mixture of it with other me- 



pands on linking agaiuft the bottom of the hole, and it be- tals, previoully to its being rolled into (liects or fillets. All 



comes firmly rivetted into the button. To thefe, foil-Hones pecuniary penalties may be recovered by aftion or fuit with- 



are alfo freqtiently added, in which cafe, they are ufually in three calendar months, in the courts of Wcllminfter, and 



attached with ifinglafs-glue. Steel duds are alfo often ri- one jultice may, by warrant, canfe metal buttons liable to 



4 H 3 forfei- 



