Unlike the UK where protection is granted through separate registration schemes in America Patent protection is used for Trade Marks & Ornamental Designs as well as Mechanical Inventions; a classic example of which appears on a trade card illustrated in The Collectors Encyclopedia of Buttons Sally Luscomb, Crown 1975 p51 marked `Fowlers English Crape Stone Patented, [Charles A. Fowler 14, 502, (14 years)], Dec 25th 1883 Design Patent Re-issued, [10,495], July 1st 1884 Mechanical Pat. [ 300,459], June 17 1884, Card Patent, Sept. 19 1882', I am not able to find this last one, ( I have only found a single card design online they, some or all, may have been Registered as Trade Marks- making the material difficult to find), so if anyone knows the details... The earliest American patent backmark I am aware of - there may well be many more - is on pewter buttons marked Grilley's patent the details of which I don't have. Rimmed Hard White Pewters are noted to have Patent backmarks in JB May 1975 pp205. There is one Silas Grilley of Waterbury, who took out a patent for an Improvement In The Furnace & Pots For Melting Metals,1838. Rootsweb.ancestry.com has a Silas Grilley in Partnership with Samuel & Henry Grilley in Boston, Ma. c1790-1802, making Pewter buttons in a shop on Bunker Hill & subsequently in partnership with Daniel Clark & Abel & Levi Porter, Waterbury, CT., as Abel Porter & Co. 1802-1811; I do recall reading, (source when I find it), that the Grilley brothers all joined with Clark & the Porter brothers & that the company thus founded later became The Scovill Manufacturing Co. I remember finding many contradictions in the online histories of and references to this company. My next dated backmark reference is another from Sally Luscomb's book p156 which has an entry for Pomeroy Manufacturing Co. Wallingford, Conn. 1840's-50's making patent paper buttons; the illustrated backmark appears to read `Pomeroy MFG Co. Patent' on a four hole sew- thru button. I have found one Elisha M. Pomeroy of Wallingford, Conn. 3,281 23 September 1843, re-issued No. 5,824 November 1843, for improvements in making paper buttons along with another 6,654 21 August 1849 and a further patent, also for paper buttons, 7,102 19 February 1850. See also JB Jan 1975 pp 90 Pomeroy 1840's 50's image. f 76 The backmark reads, ` R.J. & Co's Patent' , the company is likely to be that identified by ABM as Robinson Jones & Co. 1828-1834. I have an identical obverse backmarked Orange Colour; although Google claims to have Patents from 1790 I am unable to find any patents prior to 1834 and button patents pre1837. It is possible to recover them from the USPTO site if you have the Patent number or current classification number - there are many more classes that have buttons included than the, rather less than helpful, help pages suggest. No reference to American, patents can be made without mentioning Goodyear; there are many articles, both on & offline, that appear to be good but unfortunately they don't seem able to agree on dates, frankly, given the contradictory information I have managed to glean from the online Patents I am not really very surprised. As soon as I can find all of the Patents I shall include the dates here; given the discrepancies I don't want to pick a secondary source & go with their dates. Goodyear's own account of his discovery is to be found in: Gum Elastic and Its Varieties, with a detailed account of its application and uses and of the Discovery of Vulcanization, (Wikipedia). It appears that it was Charles' brother Nelson whose refinement of the process was used to make buttons in 1851; references in Nelson's patent make it clear that Charles' vulcanization process was also used and that it is likely that Charles was responsible for the 1849 Patent too. According to Science/howstuffworks.com, Goodyear purchased the Patent rights of one Nathaniel Hayward, whom he met in 1838, Hayward is said to have patented a mixture not dissimilar to Goodyear's final recipe the only obvious difference- apart from the mixture proportions - I've noticed so far is the degree of heat used as Hayward used the heat from the Sun for curing - and called the process Solarization - of course it would help enormously if I could find the Patent... Whilst Charles Goodyear didn't manage to obtain a British Patent for the vulcanization process he did obtain a number of other rubber related UK Patents, as did his son Charles Jr.; both of them were living at very good addresses in London & Paris in the 1850's, ( judging from their patent notices in The London Gazettes), but it is often asserted that Charles Sr. died penniless and his confinement for debt in Paris when his French Patent was disallowed on a technicality supports that view. I'd love to get a peek at his will. (insert British connection Thomas Hancock & Stephen Moulton link ). f 81 Original) and f 82 reproduction, Carol Cienna reports that the repro' is easily distinguishable from the original being black shiny and not even made of rubber Carol also noted the central depression between the holes and mentions a rough mould line on the edges. The repro's were, (2007), available from a site called roadrunner at a very reasonable $1.85 each; unfortunately the International postage was not so reasonable at $9.95 which was more than three times the usual price to get a button here from the US. Anyone might think they are ebay commission dodgers. Speaking of ebay do take care as I have already seen several of the repro's. up for sale one with some sort of filler making the central depression a slight mound and another with the central area `roughened up' and gouged -probably with a large needle - don't forget as the years go by and the buttons lose their sheen time will aid the fakers with their task-in a way far different from a lapidary drum and a handful of gravel.A further cautionary note is that I have seen one example with a central raised extrusion point as in some injected plastics - as opposed to the usual depressed circular area common in plastics- so there may well be another reproducer. In all honesty one should, I suppose, refer to these people as fakers because if they really cared about people mistaking them for the real thing they would mark them as reproductions at the point of manufacture as opposed to the defence `we don't sell them as genuine' thus attempting to avoid their responsibility for others doing so... The NRC appears to have confined itself to the manufacture of pictorials and abstract designs. The earlier and scarcer backmark reads Novelty Rubber Co. New York Goodyear's Patent 1849-1851. Anyone with a spare or images to share please contact me; in the meantime an illustration appears in The Button Sampler Albert & Adams, Gramercy , p103. & In Button Heritage Chamberlin & Miner Heritage Press 1967 plate 66; the latter source also gives one marked Goodyear's P-T 151, & that when the 1849 was omitted the words `New York' were retained for a while.(note - invariably replaces = in this source). Variations: Novelty Rubber Co. New York Goodyear's Patent 1849-1851; Novelty Rubber Co. New York Goodyear's Patent 1851; (BBB & Button Heritage), Godyear same sources give another variant mis-marked 1581-[NRC?].BBB notes a variation with a reversed R Another manufacturer of Goodyear marked buttons was the IRC who appears to have limited their production to plain and imitation thread patterns. f 99 Another rubber . BBB gives us the Dickinson Hard Rubber Company, Springfield Mass. and the information that this is probably not a patent date but the date of incorporation of the company; can anyone confirm that with a source please? f Is a button box Manufactured by Huntington Rubber Mills, Portland Oregon, Marketed as the Ever On with Patent marking No. 1619541 3/1/1927, [patented by Charles A. Rehor, Portland, Oregon, for a variably flexible rubber button], there is a Biography of one of the founders in: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, pp 749-750,1928, Published & Authored by The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company. The aforementioned Biography states that the company was established in 1912 as Portland Rubber Mills and renamed Huntington Rubber Mills in 1921. Goodwin's Patent buttons 166,091 July 27 1875 f101, the patent was for the shank. The figure at f3 in the patent drawings shews the legs of the shank at right angles to the external plane of the shank which is the same as the Armfield shank probably used around WWI, this type of shank is very common on Civilian buttons and I have come across several US patents with this type illustrated or described. Goodwin's Patent is the earliest use on US buttons of the crimp shank of which I am aware but there are earlier patents detailing a solderless metal shank type. Peter Kirkham, Waterbury, Conn., took out a Patent No. 6953 December 18 1849, assigned to W.R. Hitchcock & Co., of the same place, for covered metal buttons utilising wooden moulds on a collet type with the shank attached by means of a wire shank inserted through the mold - it's worth pointing out that any backplate with a hole in the reverse is referred to as a collet by the majority of patentees, whereas the majority of collectors will probably only think of covered buttons in this respect - see f11 UK page for an example of a covered button with collet backplate. A patent by E.A. Robinson, Waterbury, Conn. Assignor to The United States Button Company of the same place. No. 57,260 14 Aug. 1866, details the first American crimp type shank - that is to say the shank is held in place by a riveting or folding action rather than being braised - that I have found so far. There are three other buttons in my collection with the same general construction features as the Goodwin patent, ( but the Farrell and Wilson designs are with externally brazed shanks), marked: John R. Farrell Patd Nov 16 1875, ( the patent was for the design of a domed button with a lined field and the BRS Monogram Des. No. 8,794); three Years earlier Farrell patented, ( 5,974 9 July 1872), A GAR button but I have yet to see an example exactly replicating Farrell's lettering all of the examples I have seen have been the same style as the Goodwin type above with slight variations - however I've just noticed the Scovill button in Albert's Bicentennial book with that design so I'm now hunting an example, patent marked would be a joy! J.H.Wilson Phila. Patented 24 September 1878 Des. No. 10845; A.P.Davis patd Nov 20th 1888 Pittsburgh PA; A.P.Davis Pat'd (No.18,740), Nov 20th 1888 ; also reported by ABM, with a Patent Applied for backmark, on a sons of veterans button which is the design for the patent, example anyone? Not patent marked but the same basic construction idea of a rim holding front & rear together was used by Jennens on this Royal North British Dragoons button- assuming the lathe marks on the rear plate of this example are indeed to hide the joining of rear and rim. f 103 look at the join between the rim and the scalloped edge. Glass Dec 1880 backmarks f 105 examples are, according to: Black Glass Buttons and the Return Engagement of Black Glass Buttons, commonplace in the US. The Inventor was August Hamann, of Hoboken, NJ No 236,022 Dec. 28, 1880 which was for improved shanks on black glass buttons, the Patent was assigned to John A. Deknatel. You can find out all about Deknatel & his designs at buttoncountry.com Frank A. Fox had two Patents for uniform button covers the first, presumably less well known as I could not find it in Albert or ABM, was No. 316, 253 21 April 1885 , the composition four hole reverse screws to the non ferrous yellow metal Massachusetts State seal obverse. The second Patent f107 is marked FOX PAT AUG 3 86 (outside) and PAT MAY 27 87. (inside). Frank A. Fox 346, 649 3 August 1886. Intriguingly the filing date is 12 May 1880! Strange things seem to have happened to the filing date information some patents have a filing date in the 1830's 1840's and an issue date in the early 1900's & it is not at all clear why. The 1886 date on the sprung brass cover also appears on GAR and other American Uniform Buttons. See the UK page for a sliding button cover not unlike the Fox Patent. Even more like the Fox button is: Warren F. Kaynor, Waterbury Conn. No. 1,626,582 26 April 1927 , Assigned to the Waterbury Button Co., the design is pierced and a cloth disc insert, of the same colour material as the garment, applied behind; a spring is not mentioned or illustrated. The Fox Patent is an interesting button cover & becoming more so the deeper I dig. I have other types of uniform cover but only one that is marked in any way see UK page - along with one Italian shirt button that someone suggested may in fact be a tie pin cover?. I do have some 1930's shoe button covers that are marked & I will include those when I can get them from storage. Mention of Italy always reminds me that I have yet to find an Italian Patent marked button, has anyone else? I believe the Scout button at f 114 is not mechanical patent button at all but another design; the official website says incorporated Feb. 9th 1910; The emblem was patented by Robert Baden-Powell, of Westminster, London, UK, No 41,412 on May 30 1911. I have several backmark variants. f 116 Small brass or ferrous white metal fronted pictorials Pat. 7. 22 .1913 - 2.26 1918 with ferrous white metal backplates. Patent 1,257,642 26 February 1918 by E.D.Simons Assignor to the Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury conn. The Patent was for buttons with wire eyes `...rigidly united with the front without extraneous means...'. I am unable to find the 1913 patent details but Scovill did have a stud type issued on that date No. 1,067 946 so it is at least possible that something within that patent was relevant to this button. ABM Gives two further back dies, (Waterbury Button Company Back Die List C1875-1935), worded `Patented' and `Patent Renewed 1935' . I have American legion buttons marked `PAT 54296 REN 35' Patented by E.F.Wood Dec. 9 1919, (for 14 years), The obverse design appears with W.B. Co. Pat Dec 6 1919, (Waterbury Button Co. & yes the examples I have seen do have 6 not 9), also with W.B.Co. PAT. DE. 54296. f 130 I am confident that this is a vegetable ivory button, it reads `Pat. June 20 16' Purchased from a nice and helpful lady in the US. Patent was for the design No 49227 Rudolph Siefert, Rochester , New York, assignor to German American Button Company, of the same place, 20 June 1916. Paul Rice has kindly given me a list of patents and dates which I used to obtain the following: 1,188,648, 27 June 1916 Button Stencil Machine by Herbert Hastings, Rochester ,New York, Assignor to German American Button Company; vegetable ivory is mentioned. f is a four hole button design patented by J.S. Monaghan 49,748 Oct. 10 1916. A four hole button patent Franklin R. Wright, Waterbury Conn. Assignor to The Patent Button Co. of the same place, No. 1,518,717, Dec 9th 1924 , on the face of it there's only the material used, Aluminium, which separates this from others in the British series f11 - f18 see UK page .f117 reads P. B. Co. f 118 P.B. Co. Paul Rice's list has 1924 White Aluminium Work Clothes Button, ( that I am unable to locate because the list went kaput with the fizzy orange...), which I thought to be a strong candidate until I found the details above. The design on the Hylite card 98, 918 Leonard L. Carley Mar 17 1936 is very nearly identical to that designed by Carley 91, 603 Feb. 27 1934, unhelpfully it is not dissimilar to 102,412 Dec 22 1936 . There is also a Carley assigned patent wherein three different types are illustrated including the type on the Never Break card 2,110,645 Mar. 8 1938 & the type illustrated in a two hole button Patent 101,594 Oct. 13 1936 Carley also designed an Osh Cosh B'Gosh, ( spelling, C not K is from the Patent Drawing), stud ornamentation for the same Co. 23 Dec. 1924. I am unable to locate the Hylite or Never Break wording with the USPTO Trade Marks search engine which may indicate, (unsurprisingly), that the marks went out of use prior to 1983. Similar buttons appear with Knoxite trade name. f 120 D. Blumenthal patent pending.- although I'm wondering if this could be a `B' I could use a better example if anyone has one. I know of sixteen Blumenthal design patents, not counting Trade Mark Patents, two by Robert G. Blumenthal the remainder by designers with surnames other than Blumenthal. Paul Rice's list seemed to have two possibilities on surname criteria so I checked them out: Louis Blumenthal 992,540 Sectional Button Machine 16 May 1911 , [application filed 28 Dec. 1909], metal is mentioned for backplates and unspecified front material - not I feel a strong candidate because in addition to the wrong initial and material the design is clearly very Art Deco as opposed to the transitional designs common at that point in time. Robert G. Blumenthal Assignor to B. Blumenthal & Co. No. 70. 819 Design Patent 17 August 1926. Based on date alone, (given a choice of these two only), I'd have to say the later date seems more likely. The date still seems likely but when I found the patent the design, f next to f120, it is clearly different, so I'm still searching. I have included these not so much to enable you to see how I work but more to demonstrate the problems of named & dated lists so that when you work your way to the French Patent List you will be cautious; hopefully more so than I have been. L.N.C. DES, PAT. 87, 447 26 July 1932 by Joseph Shadlowsky. Anyone know what the L N C stands for? Assignee data not available. There are some obvious differences between this example and the Patent Pending types below not least of which is the obtrusive line running along a shallow depression across the plane of the shank aperture which is a slightly different shape. f 133,141 Design Patented by A. Furtsch July 21 1942, the patent was for the design of the rim leaving the centre blank, which explains why so many different fronts appear on a design patent with the same number; also appears with shiny metallic finish as opposed to the dull paint finish on the cloth example above. Although these were sold as celluloid it is, given the circular marks, much more likely that they are of injection moulded cellulose acetate. Jocelyn Howells book was again very useful in identifying the material & she notes additional backmarks: `... `Amson Furtsch Patented' in a metal setting for acetate; ` D, ( in a diamond ), Pat. D 314045, [ which leads to an air freshener container on Google patents];` Design Pat. Pend.-C.P.C.'; `Pat. Pend. - S.B. Co.; Storm Button Sew-Best-Reg U.S. Pat. Off.' and SB in a circle....' f 132 Celluloid buttons appear - frequently in America with Patent Applied for backmarks does anyone have one with patent details or another example? What is it with me & this button I purchased two examples which took 28 days and 33 days, aren't our postal services wonderful? It's weird but items from the States sometimes arrive within three days and sometimes they are not here three weeks later, there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it, & now of course I can't find them!, A new record has just been set - posted in the US on 5th November arrived 23 December. Please don't give people bad feedback for the length of time it takes to get buttons here from the US, it really isn't their fault & it stops sellers being willing to send them overseas- I have noticed an increase in sellers only posting to the US or charging exorbitant international postage which amounts to the same thing - less than $4.00 a time arrives safely folks! f 128 & 133 Jocelyn Howells' book confirms that these are celluloid, ( I didn't want to needle any of the examples I have but luckily the shanks are illustrated and identified as celluloid although Jocelyn adds a caveat that these are, rarely, found made of Cellulose Acetate too). There do not appear to be any construction differences between these three f128 has the central swirl in an imitation gem-set type rim whilst 133 has its bulbous center mounted in the same way; all three appear to be using pre-coloured celluloid - with the possible exception of the metallized example. There is some small variation in shank size in terms of height above backplate and size of aperture - which could be explicable due to different back moulds but I really would like some additional confirmation that they are all from the same manufacturer. The design of the rim of 128 is different from the other two examples, I think that it is highly likely that as with 133,141 the rims are being patented with blank centres but my only doubt is that who would give a design patent for what amounts to a rope border at this stage of events? Having said which, there's always the freshwater mussels patent, ( see notes below), to think of... I have recently acquired an example with a patent design for the `Button Back' , (which is basically for the rim as the back is quite plain), by Jack Schneck, NY.NY., assignor to National Button Works, NY.NY., a partnership composed of Jack Schneck & Paul Herber, Patent No. D127012, 1941 May 6, filed Oct 2 1940, YP3.5. My example is just the back as there is no central design and no trace of any having previously been present. There are traces of small circular areas -looking suspiciously like extrusion points from injection moulding - on the section which one would normally anticipate the design to cover, which leads me to suspect that some or all of this group may be cellulose acetate rather than celluloid. Hmm, I know someone who's about to email an expert for help... William Drell had a number of design patents including No. 144 ,490 6 February 1946, this example is very high relief and I think, even with such a plain subject, it is magnificent. There is a passing resemblance to the shank type of the Furtsch Patent but they are quite distinctly different; other construction differences include a concave rear and the colouring appears to have been added after construction on the Drell type as opposed to the use of pre-coloured material on Furtsch's. I do know that there was a German Patent issued for the colouring of celluloid, because I have a marked example on a tinback which reads: ` PATENT FABRE-VERFAHREN' In a vaguely Art Nouveau typeface, it is probably early 20thC but I don't know that for a certainty. Clipmold these, f 121 - f123, were probably marketed as both for clothing and upholstery use. I am aware of two other patent buttons which are similar in purpose to this one marked: Trims Patented f 124 and Goodman Patented f 125 , which may be US or UK patented or both. I have a sale card, (I think late 50's early 60's but certainly pre 1971), with the same type of construction and backmark as f 124, showing suggested use on a ladies dress but most of the examples I have seen tend to be covered in material more suited to upholstery than clothing; the card also associates George Goodman Ltd. wth Trims. I have seen pretty much identical buttons in modern wrapping marked Prim as well as Pryms in the US. The American patent for which is No. 2,513,182 1950 Jun 27, filed Jul 7 1949 by Herman Koehl & Hans A. Prym, Woodstock, Conn., assignors to Prym Engineering Company, Killingly, Conn., a partnership; once you have viewed the patent I think you'll agree that the Trims are pretty much identical. There are leather buttons marked `Pat 3, 517, 418' 30 June 1970 by Max Wolferd, Dobbs Ferry, NY. Assignor to Hemisphere Novelties Inc. NY. Nearly identical buttons appear with `Hemisphere' backmarks. See below. The company has, according to their website Hemisphere, been operating since 1940 and the patentee was one of the founders. There can be few collectors who are not familiar with Battersea face shank buttons even if they don't collect them. What I hadn't realised is that William Baughman, (the man behind the face), actually patented the design the application was filed on 31 March 1977 and granted No. 250,227 14, November 1978. I have very little information about this company, and no sources to quote but from what I remember,( you should all know by now how faulty that can be), reading on various ebay lots is that the company began production of stamped pewter buttons in 1976, from memory the early examples were all struck by Coca Cola. There are currently Battersea Buttons being produced for collectors but I'm not familiar with the ins & outs of that; I would love to know more and if the little information I do have is viable or not. Notes USA: ABM reports Scovill die cards worded ` Pat. Dec 6-98' f 126 Is an unidentified material leather-look button with Chinese characters numbered (02) 6212246 purchased from US. I should point out that this might not be a patent number it could just as easily be a telephone number for all I know. A kind chap in our local Chinese restaurant told me that the characters are pronounced Umm Suh, ( near as I can get), which is someones' name making the telephone number even more likely, Incidentally the only other telephone number I have come across on a button is by London Badge & Button Co. Ltd. mid to late 1980's. ABM reports a patent by Phillip Wm. Gengembre No. 41, 292 on Jan 19 1864 for self fastening buttons marked P.W.G Pat. Jany 19th 1864 and manufactured by the French Self-Fastening Button Co. New York. Wierdly my initial searches for the above patent only turned up the other two mentioned below. I have just checked the number again , (because I noticed a couple of errors I made in the tortured paragraph I previously had here), to discover it came up immediately! Gengembre was issued another patent the description for which says it is an improvement of 41,292 , [clothing stud -looking at the drawing ], 45,400 13 December 1864; another of his patents was for an improved bodkin for enlarged shanks. 27 September 1864. No. 44416. An Interesting example of how did they get a patent for that was one found by Paul Rice who is researching American patents and sent this one to buttonbytes: ` In my search through 100 years of button patents, I found an interesting input for this week's discussion. Specifically, in 1865, the US Patent Office issued a patent to Lucius E. Chittenden of the District of Columbia, [45,997 24 January 1865], for the invention of a new material for the manufacture of buttons and other items. The material was "mother-of-pearl" . You can see a copy of the original US Patent Office description at www.buttoncountry.com; The patent was, specifically, for using freshwater shellfish anyone have Sale Cards with patent marks? Paul kindly added this interesting information for us (more). `Wm. M. Welling" with a patent date of October and I believe the year is 1870' e bay report of a vulcanite button - [design looks like the Winnipeg rifles Canada, ( devil facing right),with the addition of a ladder]. f98 f99. It was the believe part that stopped me bidding because of course I need clear backmarks for clear pictures. Paul Rice's list. enabled me to find 1870 William Welling Glass Button Molds 108660 25 October 1870 perhaps glass wasn't the only material to pass through his moulds? Jocellyn Howells wrote to buttonbytes: `... Buttons found on original cards labeled "Buffalo Horn" with patent dates between 1871 and 1875 often appear to have been made, at least in part, of other materials, including celluloid and composition. The term "Buffalo Horn" is misleading, as it could have been any type of horn, and was used as a trade name and sales gimmick rather than an indication of the true type of horn...' It is probably worth mentioning that Europeans too first think of the American Bison in this respect, ( it is such an icon), but of course that is not the only type of `Buffalo' used there is also the Asian Water Buffalo as illustrated by this trade mark for James Grove a well known British producer of horn buttons [link]. BBB mentions horn patent cards dated between 1871-1875. In my antiquey days I had the skull and attached horns of one of these beasts and the horns were massive. There is a report from an American collector of `... a navy uniform button whose backmark reads Waterbury Button Co. Pat. Pend. Man O War. ..' Tina Lee to buttonbytes see also quote above from ABM. P & J Co's patent. from an e bay report probably mis-read R & J's ? S. T. & S. CO. PATENT PEND on four hole, raised lettering, middle insert type, - I have , I think, seen the patent for this one check 24/94 group. ebay report from non international seller - ho hum another one... ` I found a very charming piece yesterday backmarked "Weiss Patent". It has some age for sure, an enamelled ladybug on black glass mounted in metal, just shy of diminunitve size. Jewelry quality' Anita Cody quoted from a post to buttonbytes. Anita kindly responded to my e-mail query with: `...Nothing learned about a Weiss patent button since. MHO is that it is probably a "makeup", albeit charming, perhaps part of a hatpin. I started to look into hatpins by Weiss but found nothing there either so this unique little button remains a mystery...'See the UK patents page for a sweetheart button brooch that when detached looks like the remains of a four way sew-thru - well I certainly thought so! EGJ & F on horn pictorial (bird in flight) seen on e bay ( the vendor did promise a rear view but I'm still waiting - I think it's currently on it's third 30 day listing being disfigured by a worm hole and consequently overpriced, ( I disagree with BBB about how these beastly bugs are are acquired ` in the factory', In so far as I don't think it's the whole story unless they take many, many, years to gestate, I had two examples, complete with chrysalis, that were over a hundred years old and fine when stored but not so when they were removed again having been exposed to the ravages of nature thanks to a burglars' hole in the roof ), but presumably a misreading of L.C.J & F. Patent as reported by BBB 15/17 with another L.C.J & F. Depose 15/15 which makes it likely these are of French origin because L.C.J. & F. were manufacturing in Caen France. ( see also G. J. & F. f 61). I have a number of buttons in my collection that clearly conform to patents in my records but they are not marked as such -I might include these at a later date if marked examples are not forthcoming & If I get a reasonable amount of feedback on these pages I may well extend them to include registered designs. I would welcome images and or information with regard to patent marked trade cards which I shall also include here. The United States Patent and Trademark office has extensive free downloads of historic patents see USA Archives section. There is a series of links at www.intellectual-property.gov.uk /std /resources /patents/offices_worldwide.htm Better still for the uninitiated or less technically gifted, ( like me), as this is a complex search engine go to: Google Patent Search: searches for US Patent. which is easier to use than the search engine at the US Patent Office site but has significant problems due to its' OCR search engine see archive links. iwantbuttons.com has a link to the relevant button section at USPTO http://www.uspto.gov/go/classification/uspc079/sched079.htm#C079S003000 Paul Rice's has an excellent and growing database at www.buttoncountry.com/patents.htm ABM is a much shortened version of American Makers & Dealers Their Backmarks & Dates. by William F. McGuinn & Bruce S. Bazelon, ( Revised expanded edition 2006). BBB - standard abbreviation for Big Book Of Buttons. Hughes and Lester . Boyertown Publishing Company, 1981. The Collectors Encyclopedia of Buttons Sally Luscomb, JB - standard abbreviation for Just Buttons Magazine also by Sally Luscomb Black Glass Buttons & Return Engagement of Black Glass Buttons |
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Button Collectors Resource Site
Patents of, Inventions, Trade Marks and Designs, USA.
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| Thanks to contributors, CC - Carol Cienna, Paul Rice & those referenced in the text. Square Brackets [ ] remove text from source they are my comments or additions from other sources. Book Reference abreviation key is at the bottom of the page. The links to US Patent data are to Google Patent PDF files on their servers. Declaration as per USPTO requirements: this site is not endorsed by affiliated with or in any other way connected to either the USPTO or Google. Please read issues before this or any other Patent page, thank you. |
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