[Fig. 190.] is a representation of a shank, the cut through the disc or back being effected by a parallel rib on the die, and corresponding groove in the shaping punch, instead of the semi-circular or crescented cut shown in [fig. 185.]; [fig. 191.] is a view of another shank, the separation of the sides of the loop being performed by straight edges in both punch and die. He prefers finishing this shaped shank (that is, giving it the rounded form, to prevent its cutting the threads), by detached punches, and dies, or pincers, as will be hereinafter described. [Fig. 192.] is a representation of one of the improved shanks, which has merely portions, f f, of the back of the button connected to its ends. This shank may be used for buttons which have a metal shell to be closed in upon the bevelled edges of the ends, or the shank piece may be otherwise connected to the face part of the button. [Fig. 193.] is a representation of a shank raised out of a small disc of metal g g, intended to be soldered to the disc of metal forming the button, or it may be otherwise fixed to the back; [fig. 194.] is a representation of another shank for the same purpose, having only portions of metal h h, for soldering or otherwise attaching it to the back of the button, as by placing a ring or annular piece over it forming the back, which shall be confined to the face, as before described; [fig. 195.] is a representation of a shank raised upon a dish or bevelled piece of metal, and is intended to be used for buttons made from pearl-shell, horn, wood, paper, or other substances. The back part of the button has a dovetailed recess formed in it to receive the dish-shaped back, which is pressed into the recess, the edges of the dish being expanded in the dovetailed parts of the recess by the ordinary means, and thereby firmly fixing it to the button, as shown in [fig. 196.]
Having now explained the peculiar forms of his improved shanks, he proceeds to describe the tools, or punches and dies, by which he cuts the disc or back from out of a sheet of metal, and at the same operation produces and forms the shank complete. [Fig. 197.] is a longitudinal section taken through a pair of dies and punches when separated; [fig. 198.] is a similar section, taken when they are put together, and in the act of forming a shank after cutting out the disc or back of the button from a sheet of metal; [fig. 199.] is a face view of the punch; and [fig. 200.] is a similar representation of the counter die, with the tools complete, a is the punch or cutter, and b the counter bed, by the circular edges of which the disc of metal is cut out of the sheet; c is a die, fixed in the cutter a, (upon which the name of the button-maker may be engraved). [Fig. 201.] is a face view of this die when removed out of the punch; d is the counter die to the die c. It will be perceived that these dies c and d, together with the punch and bed, compress the disc of metal into the form required for the back of the button; that shown in the figures, as before stated, is of the shape used for buttons to be covered with Florentine or thin plate metal, in a round shell closed in upon the inclined or bevelled edge of the back; e is the cutting and shaping punch of the shank, which is fixed within the counter die; this punch cuts through the metal of the disc, and forms the shank as the dies approach nearer together, by raising or forcing it up into the recess or opening in the die c, where it is met by the end of another shaping punch f, fixed in the punch a, which compresses the upper part of the shank into the recess g, in the end of the punch e, thereby giving the shank its rounded figure, and at the same time forming the other part of the shank into the required shape, as described at [figs. 185.] to [189.] The ends of these shaping punches fit into and over each other, as will be seen by the detached figures of the punches designed for forming the shank first described. [Fig. 202.] is a representation of the punches when apart and removed out of the dies; [fig. 203.] is a longitudinal section of the same; [fig. 204.] is another view of the punches as seen on the top. The sharp edge of the recess h, in the punch e, comes in contact with the cutting edges of the projecting rib i, of the die c, and thereby cuts through so much of the metal as is required. The edge k of this die keeps the outside ends of the shank of a spherical figure, as before explained, while the punches force up the metal, and form the elevated loop or shank: u u are holes made through the counter die d, for the passage of clearing pins, which force out the shank or back piece from the counter die when finished; the operation of which will be shown when describing the machinery hereafter. There are adjusting screws at the back of the punches and dies, by which they can be regulated and brought to their proper position one to the other.
Although he has shown the punches which form his improved shanks, fixed into and working in conjunction with the punch and dies which cut out and shape the discs of metal for the back of the button, yet he does not intend to confine himself to that mode of using them, as flat blanks or discs for the backs of buttons may be cut out in a separate stamping press, and afterwards shaped in the same press or in another, and then brought under the operation of the punches which form his improved shanks, fixed in any suitable press. This last-mentioned mode of producing button shanks and backs he prefers when such metals are employed as require annealing between the operations of shaping the backs and forming the shank. [Fig. 205.] is a section taken through a pair of dies, in which the operation only of forming the shank is to be performed, the backs being previously shaped in another press. In this instance the punches e and f are mounted in guide-pieces m and n, which keep them in the proper position towards each other, the die c being mounted in the piece n, and acting against the face of the guide m. The blanks or backs of the buttons may be fed into these dies by hand or any other means; and after the shank is formed, the finished back can be pushed out of the lower die by clearing rods passed through the holes u u, and removed by hand, or in any convenient manner.
When his improved shanks are formed out of iron or other metal which is too brittle to allow of the shank being forced up and finished at one operation in the dies and punches, he prefers cutting out and shaping the blank or back of the button first, and after annealing it, to raise or force up the portion of metal to form the shank into the shape shown in [fig. 206.], that is, without the edges of the metal being turned to prevent their cutting the threads, and after again annealing it, to bend or turn the edges into the shape shown in [fig. 191.] by means of suitable punches in another press, or by a pair of pincers and punch as shown in [fig. 207.], which is a side view of a small apparatus to be used for turning the edges of the shank by hand, with a partly formed shank seen under operation. a, is the upper jaw of a pair of pincers, this jaw being fixed on to the head of the standard b; the under jaw c, is formed by the end of the lever or handle d, which has its fulcrum in the standard b. e, is a small punch, passed through a guide hole in the head of the standard, one end projecting into the jaws of the pincers, the other against a piece f, attached by a joint to the lever d, and working through a slot in the head of the standard; this piece f, has an inclined plane on the side next the end of the punch, which, in its descent, projects the punch forward against the top of the loop of the shank, (placed at g,) as the pincers are closed by forcing down the lever d, and, in conjunction with the jaws of the pincers, compresses the shank into the required form, as shown at h, and in the enlarged [fig. 191.] A spring, i, acts against a pin fixed into the punch e, for the purpose of bringing it back as the jaws open after forming a shank. [Figs. 208.] and [209.] represent the face and section of the dies mentioned before, for cutting the slits in the discs, as at [fig. 190.]