US3787935A

US3787935A - Self-attaching button

Info

Publication number: US3787935A
Application number: US00151316A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Kapitan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-06-09
Filing date: 1971-06-09
Publication date: 1974-01-29
Anticipated expiration: 1991-01-29

Abstract

A self-attaching button assembly having a socketed body and a pronged bore. The prong is deformed in the course of engaging it in the socket to unite the parts. The assembly can be quickly attached to articles of clothing without needle and thread or other tools by individuals with no sewing training or experience. A decorative top covers the body which functions as a foundation for the decorative top.

Description

United States Patent [191 Kapitan 1 SELF-ATTACHING BUTTON [76] Inventor: John R. Kapitan, 405 S. Kipling St.,

Lakewood, Colo. 80226 [22] Filed: June 9, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 151,316

[52] US. Cl. 24/113 MP, 24/90 PR, 24/DIG. 11 [51] Int. Cl A44b 1/12 [58] Field of Search 24/94, 95, 96, 113, 153 LS, 24/141, 49 P, 49 A, 49 M, 67 AR, 90 W, 90 T5, 113 MP, 113 R, DIG. 11,90 A, 90 B, 90

R, 90 PR, 103

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,146,231 7/1915 Arant 24/153 LS 1,495,202 5/1924 Riddell 24/DIG. 11

2,030,135 2/1936 Carpenter 24/67 AR 2,401,997 6/1946 Whitman 24/141 X 2,470,980 5/1949 Hajny 1 24/113 MP 2,983,975 5/1961 Hubbell 1. 24/113 MP 3,503,568 3/1970 Galley 1 24/DIG. 11 UX 3,542,321 11/1970 Kahabka 24/DIG. I1 UX 3,705,443 12/1972 Camporese et a1. 24/90 PR Jan. 29, 1974 2/1973 Salvatori 24/113 MP X 3,715,781 1,397,957 11/1921 Gulick 24/113 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,159,495 2/1958 France 24/90 PR 1,408,781 7/1965 France 1 24/90 PR 615,632 6/1961 Italy 24/103 806,174 6/1951 Germany 24/90 W OTHER PUBLICATIONS 359454 6/1943 Stumpf 24-90 W. Published by A.P.C.

Primary ExaminerD0nald A. Griffin Attorney, Agent, or FirmWhee1er, Morsell, House & Wheeler [57] ABSTRACT 4 Claims, 32 Drawing Figures PAIENIEI] JAN 29 I974 SHEET 1 OF 3 FIG. IA

6 FIG.3A

F|G.4A

INVENTOR JOHN R. KAPH'AN W hee le r, Hou s e & Wheele r ATTORN EYS PATENTED 3. 787. 935

SHtEI 2 OF 3 FIG-8 INVEN TOR JOHN 'R. KAPITAN Wheeler. H0use&Wheeler ATTO RN EYS PATENTED 3,787. 935

SHEET 3 UP 3 FVIG.I8 FIG.16 FIG.'|7

INVENTOR JOHN R. KAPITAN Wheeler, House & Wheeler 12 ATTORNEYS SELF-ATTACIIING BUTTON BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Buttons are among the most ancient of clothing accessories. They range in size from less than a quarter inch to more than three inches, and are made in an endless variety of designs, colors, and materials. They are used to fasten clothing, decorate costumes, and even to indicate rank and position. Commercial button displays often resemble jewelry counters. Yet a button used for fastening one part of a garment to another by passing it through a buttonhole or loop and the needle-andthread method for sewing it on have changed little in hundreds of years. Two main types of buttons, those perforated with sewing holes and those furnished with shanks, likewise have remained the main types over the years.

Recent advances in the production of synthetic fibers and new textile finishes are having a deep effect on the weaving and sewing of cloth into clothing and the attachment of fasteners and accessories. As the production of synthetic fibers is extended, the difficulties encountered in working with man-made fibers grow. For instance, heavy thread sewn repeatedly through a small areal section of vinyl-coated synthetic fabric causes a permanent hole encompassing a larger area to be formed. Synthetic and plastic-coated fabrics need to be handled lightly, without pins, basting or tacks. Punctures in plastics made by a needle remain. Adhesives can be used as an efficient substitute to replace certain conventional basting and needle-and-thread operations, and are being used in increasing amounts to bond a variety of new materials like vinyl-coated cotton, neoprene-coated nylon, wet look vinyl foamed laminates and crush-crinkle polyurethane-coated knits and fabrics. A seam binding tape backed with a polyesterbased adhesive can be used to replace some stitching with bonds that are free of stiffness and can withstand washing and dry cleaning. Plasticized film vinyls can be heat sealed or electronically sealed, rather than being stiched into rainwear. In these applications, the synthetic clothing functions well under stress and strain but the sewn-on buttons keep coming off.

The sewing on of conventional holed and shanked buttons to synthetic clothing involves multiple penetrations with needle and thread of the puncturevulnerable button site. This weakens the immediate area of the material supporting the button, opening the way to loosened holding thread tension and to premature fraying and tearing, a primary cause of dangling and lost buttons. The self-attaching button of the present invention is designed to replace the less useful sewn-on button, to stand up straight, and to strongly resist coming off even under hard wear and tear, especially when applied to synthetic clothing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the principal object of this invention to provide an improved button which provides integrally the ton assembly together and is permanently locked with adhesive sealing.

It is another object of this inventionto provide in another embodiment a self-attaching singlepronged button having mechanism which binds the button assembly together including a compressible prong which locks with a snap-lock action. I

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel type of button that functions as a foundation button when attached to garments so that a desirable decorative top may later be attached as a costume accessory.

Another object of this invention is to make a sturdy and practical self-attaching button for fastening one part of a garment to another and which can be safely laundered and dry cleaned.

Another object of this invention is to provide a selfattaching button useful for both disposable and nondisposable apparel, for garments made of natural, synthetic, or blended fabrics, woven or nonwoven, for plastic-coated fabrics, plastic-to-leather laminates, and substrates of synthetic rubber and calendered polyvinyl chloride sheet, among others.

Another object of this invention is to provide a selfattaching button that can be quickly secured to articles of clothing without any tools and by individuals with no sewing training or experience.

Another object of this invention is to provide a selfattaching button that will permit its body to be attached in one operation and its decorative top in a separate operation thereby facilitating the manufacture of buttons and the sewing of clothes.

The aforesaid objects and further objects, details and benefits of the invention will become more clearly understood from a perusal of the following specifications and related drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of the botton surface of the socketed body of a two-pronged self-attaching button.

FIG. 1A is a top plan view of the body shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 1B is a bottom plan view of the body shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the subbase with double prong fastener.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2, with the base turned ninety degrees.

FIG. 2B is a side view of the subbase with double prong fastener.

. FIG. 2C is a bottom plan view of the subbase of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a modified embodiment of double prong fastener.

FIG. 3A is a top view of a modified embodiment of the subbase.

FIG. 3B is a side elevational view of a subbasewith the double prong fastener as shown in FIG. 3 and 3A.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the top surface of the slotted body with the double prongs inserted and partly spread.

FIG. 4A is a plan view of the slotted body with the double prongs fully spread.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the decorative top or cover portion of the double-prong button assembly.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the decorative button top or cover partly pressed down on the body of the two-pronged button assembly.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the assembled twopronged button.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the decorative top portion of the button assembly.

FIG. 8A is an inverted plan view of the button cover, showing a protective release liner covering the under surface of the cover.

FIG. 8B is a view similar to FIG. 8A but with the liner partly peeled off to expose a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the exterior surface of an antifray seal covered with a protective release liner.

FIG. 9A is a view similar to FIG. 9 but with the protective backing paper partly peeled off, exposing the pressure-sensitive adhesive.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the anti-fray seal showing an adhesive foam coating on one side of the seal and a thin adhesive film coating on the other side.

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the protective release liner being peeled from one side of the self-adhesive coating on the anti-fray seal.

FIG. 12 is an exploded top perspective view of the component parts of a double-prong button assembly.

FIG. 13 is an exploded bottom perspective view of the component parts of a double-pronged button assembly.

FIG. 14 is a side view showing the completely assembled two-prong button attached to a fabric material base.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a modified embodiment of a button base with vertical hole adapted to receive a fastener with a single attaching prong.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a single-pronged button subbase with snap-lock pin top.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an anti-fray seal for the single-pronged button assembly.

FIG. 18 is a perspective viewof the decorative top or cover portion of the single-pronged button assembly.

FIG. 19 is an enlarged cross section through a modifled button assembly incorporating the parts of FIGS. 15 and 16.

FIG. 20 is an exploded botton perspective view of the component parts of the single-pronged button assembly.

FIG. 21 is a side view showing the completely assembled single-pronged button attached to a fabric material base.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structure. The scope of the invention is defined in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, like parts are given like reference characters.

FIGS. 1 through 14 pertain to the double-prong selfattaching button assembly embodiment of this invention. In this embodiment the pronged button subbase 5 with double prongs 6 is disposed at the under side of the fabric material 18 (FIG. 14). After the double prongs 6 are pushed through the material 18 and through the slots 3 in the slotted or socketed body 1 disposed at the top of the fabric material 18, the prongs 6 are deformed by bending them and are spread into the recessed rectangular bed or socket 4 of the body 1, thereby clamping the assembly together. As shown in FIGS. 1-18, the body 1 of the button assembly may comprise a disk with a spacer shank 2 perforated with a pair of slots 3 for the reception of the double prongs 6 which attach the pronged subbase 5.to the body 1. FIGS. 4 and 4A illustrate the inserted and. spread prongs 6.

The double prongs 6 may be suitably embedded or molded in as an insert in the subbase 5 in their manufacture (FIG. 2B). The double prongs 6 are preferably made of metal, for instance, aluminum of annealed or quarter hard temper to provide a ductility adapted for easy bending. The metal used must be ductile enough to provide bends with a zero inside radius without cracking. In molding the subbase 5, various low-cost plastic materials may be used, e.g., polystyrene, a rigid thermoplastic that can be formed by injection or compression molding, and which is lightweight, strong, and easily formulated in an unlimited variety of colors. In another embodiment, the subbase 5 may be stamped out of aluminum, zinc, or brass sheeting as illustrated in FIGS. 3-38. The tips 7 of the prongs 6 arebrought to a sharp point to facilitate their insertion through plastic material, woven or nonwoven.

After the subbase 5 of the button assembly has been attached to the body 1 by passing the double prongs 6 through the slots or sockets 3 in the body 1 and spreading them, a further step is performed to permanently lock the assembly together. This final step consists of peeling the protective release liner 15 from the pressure-sensitive adhesive coated decorative button cover or top 14, shown in FIGS. 8-88, and pressing the'decorative top 14 on the upper surface of the body 1 of the assembly. FIG. 5 shows the decorative cover or top 14. FIG. 6 shows the decorative top partly covering the body 1, and FIG. 7 the completely assembled twopronged button. As indicated in FIG. 14, the margins of the body 1 overlie the fabric sheet 19 which contains a buttonhole 20 through which the button body 1 is passed in the course of fastening the

sheets

18, 19.

The width and thickness of the slots or sockets 3 inv the body 1 should have dimensions that closely match those of the prong 6. A good fit that excludes slackness will prevent the bent and spread prongs 6 from being loosened under heavy stress. Likewise, the recessed elongated socket bed 4 in the body 1 should be of a depth that allows the spread prongs 6 to lie flush with the top surface of the body 1 and in contact with the adhesive-coated underside of the decorative button top or cover 14. One side of a double-sided thin film adhesive is laminated to the under surface of the decorative top 14 and the other side of the film adhesive is covered with a protective release liner 15 until the top 14 is ready to be applied to the surface of the body 1. The decorative top 14 may be comprised of any material dictated by fashion or utility, inasmuch as industrial strength thermoplastic adhesives provide an economical means of bonding dissimilar surfaces. Commercially available tacky thermoplastic adhesives provide both adequate initial tack and strong adhesion over the life of the article on which they are used.

In attaching the two-pronged-button assembly to a symthetic or natural clothing material, an anti-fray'seal 13 as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 9A may first be adhesively applied to the under side of the fabric material 18. The anti-fray seal 13 will reinforce the raw edges of fabric 18 where the prongs have penetrated it and thus prevent raveling, especially with loosely woven fabrics. The anti-fray seal 13 will also prevent ripping and tearing of the fabric material 18 at the button site when the button itself is subjected to extraordinary pulling stresses. The seal acts as a further reinforcement by spreading pressure at the button anchoring site over a larger area. In the case of the vinyl fabrics which do not have give, the seal will provide the extra strength needed for such button sites. One side of the seal 13 is coated with a self-adhesive closed-wall vinyl foam 17 (FIG. 10) and the other side of the seal 13 is coated with a self-adhesive thin extensible film adhesive 16. Both sides are covered with a protective release paper backing until the seal 13 is ready to be used. These two basic types of self-adhesive fasteners are comparable to the foam adhesive MACmount and the film adhesive MACbond manufactured by Morgan Adhesives Company, Stow, Ohio. Both types of adhesive are double-sided: one side of the adhesive is laminated to the back or bottom of an item to be adhesively fastened and the other side of the adhesive is covered with protective release paper until the item is ready to be mounted. The pulling off of the protective release paper 15 from one side of the adhesive-coated anti-fray seal 13 is shown in FIG. 11. FIGS. 12, 13, 14 show the assembly sequence of the component parts of the selfattaching double-prong button viewed from above, below, and the side.

In application, the backing paper 15 is peeled off the pressure-sensitive adhesive foam l7 and the seal 13 is pressed on the under side of the fabric material 18, marking, in the process, the exact site where the button will be attached. The adhesive foam 17 is particularly suited for adhesion to irregular surfaces such as a fabric material substrate. The backing paper 15 on the other side of the anti-fray seal 13 is then peeled off, exposing the thin film adhesive 16 laminated thereon. After this preparatory step, the double prongs 6 of the subbase 5 are pushed through the slots 3 in the anti-fray seal 13, and through the fabric material 18. The shank 2 of the button base I- is fitted over the prongs 6 protruding from the right side of the fabric material 18. The prongs 6 are then spread into the recessed elongated bed or socket 4 in the button body 1. Finally, the decorative top 14, with its underside pressure-sensitive adhesive film 16, freed of protective backing paper 15, is pressed on the assembly.

The anti-fray seal 13 is preferably made of a flexible thermoplastic, like polypropylene, which has unusually high resistance to tearing and puncturing, and whose density, melt index, and additives can be tailored to meet different applications. A sufficiently strong antifray seal 13 can be obtained in a thickness of about 0.0l0 inches, in using this type of material.

Another embodiment of the self-attaching button assernbly of the invention is in the fonn of a single prong fastener as illustrated in FIGS. 15 through 21. In the single-prong version, the circular button body 8 has a vertical socket hole 10 bored through its spacer shank 9, parallel to its axis, as shown in FIG. 15. Inside the vertical socket hole 10 is a throat or wedge collar 11 (FIG. 19) for locking the single-prong subbase 12 with snap-lock pin top 31 when it is inserted or snapped into the socket of body 8. The single prong 30 as shown in FIG. 19', has a head 31 with a partially hollow interior cavity 32 which permits the side walls of the prong to be narrowed or collapsed by compression. The head 31 is compressed as it is forced through the aperture neck formed by the wedge collar 11 inside the vertical socket hole 10 in the shank 9. To facilitate this yielding, the hole 10 has tapered cam sides 33 which coact with the conical top 34 of head 31. Once the snap-lock pin top 31 has slid past the wedge collar 11 inside the shank 9 it is released from compression, and in springing back to its original shape, i.e., in its elastic recovery, locks the button assembly together. The enlarged view in FIG. 19 illustrates the snap-lock action.

The shanked body 8 and the single-pronged subbase 12 can both be inexpensively molded out of suitable thermoplastic or thermoset material. As illustrated in FIGS. 20 and 21, the assembly of the single-prong selfattaching button is the same as that of the double-prong embodiment in respect to the anti-fray seal 13 and decorative button top 14. The anti-fray seal 13 (FIG. 17) as used with the single prong assembly, however, has a hole to fit over the single prong, whereas the seal 13 (FIG. 9) for the double-prong assembly is slotted. The anti-fray seal used with the single-prong assembly is shown in FIG. 17, and the single-prong subbase with snap-lock pin top in FIG. 16. The decorative button top 14 for the single-prong assembly, as shown in FIG. 18, is the same as that for the double prong assembly, except that it has a marginal flange which embraces the edge of the body 8 and forms a recess into which the body is received.

As an independent component, the decorative button top or cover 14 can be manufactured in an infinite diversity of designs and finishes and an unlimited variety of fabricating techniques and materials because it is not affected by any fabrication or material requirements demanded of the button base to which it is attached. As it usually costs far more to attach a button than to buy it, especially where appearance is important, the double-prong and single-prong versions of the selfattaching button of this invention will help reduce overall button costs by the economy of their installation labor. The improvement over sewn-on buttons will also be evident in the inventions overcoming of the drawbacks of hard-to-conceal double threads, buttons that do not hang on straight or sit up, and buttons that come off.

I claim:

1. A self-attaching double-prong button used for fastening one part of a garment to another by passing it through a buttonhole, said double-prong button comprising a body having a shank, recessed bed, and a pair of slots axially through the shank, a subbase with double prongs, said body and subbase being adapted to be installed on opposite sides of an article of clothing so that as the said body and subbase are clamped together by the spreading action of the inserted prongs into said bed the double-prong button is simultaneously assembled and installed on said article of clothing, an antifray seal being disposed between the article and the subbase, said anti-fray sealbeing slotted for doubleprong entry, a coating of pressure-sensitive adhesive foam on one side of the seal and a coating of pressuresensitive adhesive film on the other side of the seal, and protective release liners covering the adhesive on bothsides.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 and further comprising a separate cover and means for fastening the cover on said body over said bed to cover the portion of said prongs contained in said bed, said cover comprising a top portion including a separate button top with an underside coated with pressure-sensitive adhesive, a protective release liner thereover, said separate top, when pressed on said button assembly, sealing said prongs engaged in said recessed bed in said body.

3. A self-attaching button assembly comprising a body adapted to be passed through a buttonhole and having a margin adapted to overlie the buttonhole margin, and a subbase, said body and subbase being adapted to be disposed at opposite sides of an article of clothing or the like, said body having a socket and said subbase having a prong adapted to penetrate through said article and enter the socket, said prong being deformable in the course of engaging it in said socket whereby to unite said body and subbase in the course of installing the body and subbase on said article and assembling the body and subbase, and an anti-fray seal between the subbase and the article, said anti-fray seal comprising a perforated disk having opposed adhesive faces to adhere to the subbase and article respectively.

4. A self-attaching double-prong button used for fastening one part of a garment to another by passing the button through a buttonhole, said pronged button comprising a body having a shank, recessed bed, and a pair of slots axially through the shank, a subbase with manually defonnable double prongs, said body and subbase being adapted to be installed on opposite sides of an article of clothing so that as the said body and subbase are clamped together by the spreading action of the inserted prongs into said bed the double-prong button is simultaneously assembled and installed on said article of clothing, a separate cover and means for fastening the cover on said body over said bed to cover the portion of said prongs contained in said bed and to retain said prongs in said bed.

Claims

1. A self-attaching double-prong button used for fastening one part of a garment to another by passing it through a buttonhole, said double-prong button comprising a body having a shank, recessed bed, and a pair of slots axially through the shank, a subbase with double prongs, said body and subbase being adapted to be installed on opposite sides of an article of clothing so that as the said body and subbase are clamped together by the spreading action of the inserted prongs into said bed the doubleprong button is simultaneously assembled and installed on said article of clothing, an anti-fray seal being disposed between the article and the subbase, said anti-fray seal being slotted for double-prong entry, a coating of pressure-sensitive adhesive foam on one side of the seal and a coating of pressure-sensitive adhesive film on the other side of the seal, and protective release liners covering the adhesive on both sides.

4. A self-attaching double-prong button used for fastening one part of a garment to another by passing the button through a buttonhole, said pronged button comprising a body having a shank, recessed bed, and a pair of slots axially through the shank, a subbase with manually deformable double prongs, said body and subbase being adapted to be installed on opposite sides of an article of clothing so that as the said body and subbase are clamped together by the spreading action of the inserted prongs into said bed the double-prong button is simultaneously assembled and installed on said article of clothing, a separate cover and means for fastening the cover on said body over said bed to cover the portion of said prongs contained in said bed and to retain said prongs in said bed.