Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Assembling or joining
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-21
2004-06-08
Hong, John C. (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Assembling or joining
C029S505000, C029S243529, C029S243519, C079S004000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06745451
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to buttons, and to apparatus and methods for manufacturing buttons.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For the purposes of this invention, the term “button” is used herein to describe a multi-component assembly as shown in
FIGS. 1
,
1
A, and
1
B. A flexible laminate
1
, which normally includes a sheet of artwork
3
and a protective transparent film
5
, is overlaid on a domed shell
7
having an annular wall
8
. However, it is not necessary that the artwork
3
and transparent film
5
be bonded to each other. The term “laminate” includes artwork and transparent films that are both separated pieces and bonded pieces. The laminate
1
has a skirt portion
11
that overhangs the free edge
13
of the shell wall
8
. A formed back
9
, which is usually made of steel, is placed against the shell in a manner that tucks the skirt
11
of the laminate around the free edge
13
of the shell wall. The shell wall is crimped around its free edge against an outer frusto-conical wall
15
of the back
9
, thereby bending the wall
8
of the shell and assembling the button
17
. The finished button
17
has a three dimensional appearance that enhances the visual appeal of the artwork
3
. It will be noticed that the shell wall has become frusto-conical in shape, as is shown at reference numeral
19
, and also that the laminate skirt is tucked between the shell wall
19
and the back wall
15
. Those two structural features are characteristic of buttons.
FIG. 1C
shows a typical prior button
18
that is made with a collet
20
instead of a formed back
9
.
Machines for manufacturing buttons
17
are well known. For example, my U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,662; 4,867,013; 6,038,944; and U.S. Pat. Des. No. 308,529 show exemplary button presses capable of high speed production. Other apparatus for making buttons may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 966,778; 988,478; 1,196,076; 3,661,039; 3,662,626; 3,662,627; 3,698,065; 3,795,036; and 4,696,086.
The Parisian Novelty Company of Chicago, Ill., manufactures a pneumatically operated button assembly machine having a C-shaped frame. The Parisian machine includes two work stations in the form of separate sets of dies. The die sets are mounted on a turntable that is indexable through approximately 90 degrees by means of a manually gripped handle to place the correct die set under a reciprocable ram. The C-shaped frame requires a heavy and complicated cast metal structure with intricate machining.
The Technical Products Company of Hubertus, Wis., markets a button assembly machine in which two sets of dies are mounted on a slide. The slide is reciprocable to place the desired die set under a ram. Another Technical Products machine has two die sets arranged in a stack. The stack is invertible to locate the desired die set directly under the ram. Both Technical Product machines have C-shaped frames.
The Instant Buttons Machine Manufacturing Company of Hamden, Conn., markets a semi-automatic button machine having an H-shaped frame. Two sets of dies are mounted on a slide that reciprocates to place the desired set under a ram. An artwork cutout device is included as part of the machine frame. That is a disadvantage, because if either a cutout or an assembly component fails, the entire process is compromised. In addition, production is less than optimum because the machine can be used only for cutting or button making at one time, which prevents simultaneous operation of the cutting and assembly functions by different persons. Another drawback of the Instant Buttons machine is that the handle for operating the ram falls outside of the machine base. Consequently, the entire machine tends to tip over with every handle stroke.
By way of the further background, the term “medallion” historically meant a thin flat disk bearing artwork usually produced by engraving. The medallion was usually set into a shallow recess in the body of a trophy, medal, or other award assembly and bonded there by an adhesive. Looking at
FIGS. 2
,
2
A, and
2
B, reference numeral
30
indicates any of a wide variety of conventional trophies with which medallions were commonly used. The trophy
30
had a shallow standard-sized circular recess with a flat seat
36
. The diameter of the seat
36
was one inch or two inches; in European trophies the corresponding diameters were 25 millimeters and 50 millimeters, respectively. Reference numeral
32
indicates a medallion that fit within the trophy recess. The recess located the medallion
32
relative to the other features of the trophy
30
and also covered the medallion raw edge
38
. Covering the medallion edge
38
was important for aesthetic purposes. The medallion gave a customized appearance to an otherwise generic award such as the trophy
30
. However, due to engraving limitations, the medallions
32
were no more than flat disks, as mentioned, usually bearing some simple generic artwork. The flat prior medallion thus lacked a rich appearance and tended to diminish the overall image of the trophy.
The widespread availability of desktop publishing, together with the proliferation of myriads of colorful clipart and artistic fonts, enables any button maker to incorporate colorful customized artwork to commemorate any event worthy of an award. However, buttons
17
(
FIG. 1B
) have not been used to embellish trophies and awards because the incorporated recesses are too shallow to hide the thick and unattractive button edges. Also, buttons are not of a size that fit the standardized recesses in awards components.
FIG. 2C
illustrates the incompatibility of buttons and awards. In
FIG. 2C
, a button
17
is shown placed in the recess of a trophy
30
. The button edge
42
projects above the front surface
44
of the trophy, which is unacceptable from an appearance standpoint. The fact that the button edge
42
is above the trophy surface
44
also makes it difficult to accurately center the button on the seat
36
. Further, the relatively great distance between the trophy seat and the button formed back
9
makes it difficult to adhere the button to the seat.
Despite the availability of different kinds of button manufacturing machines, it is desirable to make further improvements to them.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, an adapter is provided that enables a universal assembly machine to manufacture different kinds of buttons. This is accomplished by using the adapter to compensate for the differences in the relative locations of a pedestal and a ram required for different kinds of buttons.
The universal assembly machine includes a die table that is rotatably indexable about a column of a box frame to locate a selected one of two sets of dies under a reciprocable ram. The die table is supported by a base that is part of the machine box frame. The die table is indexable about a center column that upstands from the base. A crown is attached to the tops of the center column and an end column. A shifter post has one end joined to the die table and is closely spaced to the frame center column. Consequently, indexing the die table about the center column causes the shifter post to travel in an arc about the center column. Cutouts in the die table contact the end column to accurately locate the die table at two index positions.
The ram is guided in and supported by the frame crown for reciprocating along a vertical axis. Guidance of the ram is by guide elements passing through guide holes in the crown and fixed in a ram plate on the underside of the crown. The ram plate is further guided by one or both of the end column and the center column. One or more ram springs bias the ram plate toward the underside of the crown. There are a pair of holes in the ram plate on opposite sides of the vertical axis.
Fastened to the ram plate is one end face of an inner plug. The second end face of the inner plug is concave. An outer ring is slideable and rotatable on an outer diameter of the inner plug. An internal shoulder on the outer ring is contactable with
Cayen Donald
Hong John C.
Tecre Co., Inc.
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