IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORGING BOLTS, SCREWS, AND SPIKES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Horsfall, of New York, United States,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORGING BOLTS,
SCREWS, AND SPIKES."
Sealed the 1st April 1870, and dated the 5th October 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Horsfall at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th October 1869.
I, WILLIAM HORSFALL, of New York, United States, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR FORGING BOLTS, SCREWS, AND SPIKES," to be as follows:-
The nature of my Invention consists of an improved means whereby
the heads of bolts, screws, and spikes may be forged on bars of any
length; the aforesaid heads are of a perfectly solid nature without either
fin or gaul.
On suitable standards I place a table or bed plate; at one side of the
aforesaid table or bed plate I mount a shaft in suitable bearings. On

page_text: the aforesaid shaft I fix a number of cams so arranged as to give the
necessary motion.
On the aforesaid table I fix a number of slides,
which are worked forward by the aforesaid cams, the return motion
being obtained by levers and weights or other mechanical means. The
plunger or header slide works in direct contact with a cam. I obtain
the motion for the gripping dies, side finishing dies, and shears, which
work at right angles with the aforesaid plunger slide and parallel with
the driving shaft by means of two other slides which work in dircct
contact with the aforesaid cams, and the wedge form at the points
where they meet the ends of the aforesaid gripping dies slide, side dies
slide, and shears slide give the necessary right angle motion. The
aforesaid plunger or header slide carries two or more heading dies; the
first heading die is formed in such a manner so as to force back part of
the iron necessary to form the head preparatory to its being finished in
the finishing dies. I desire to set forth the importance of the form
of the aforesaid first header die, it being constructed so as to prevent
the necessary iron required for forming the head from being cranked as
it is forced up against the gripping dies.
I do not confine myself to any particular form of plunger head, as
it may either be a disc to revolve or a head with a vertical or horizontal
sliding motion, neither do I confine myself to any particular number
of gripping or plunger dies. The second and following dies on the
plunger are either cupped or of any other form to suit the kind of
head required. The side or squaring dies are used for finishing the sides
of the heads, also if required that portion of the bolt, screw, or spike 2
under the head. The aforesaid side or squaring dies may be dispensed
with when the head is to be formed by the heading dies alone. The
gripping dies, also all the aforesaid dies, are made loose so that they
may be changed to suit the various sizes of iron, also the style of head
required. On the aforesaid table and at right angles with the aforesaid 3
plunger, actuated by one of the aforesaid slides, I fit a pair of shears
of suitable strength. Behind one of the gripping slides, which is fixed
to the table, I place a light cast-iron ring, which forms the breaking
point, thereby releasing the iron in case of undue pressure.
In order to gain sufficient power I use suitable gearing, by means of 3
a clutch of a particular construction, whereby the machine can work
continuously or be stopped at every separate revolution of the cam shaft.
The aforesaid clutch is a cylinder or boss fastened on the aforesaid cam

page_text: shaft. Through the aforesaid boss and horizontally I insert a pin with
a head; the aforesaid pin to be of such a length as to pass through the
aforesaid boss and into recesses made for it in the boss of the spur
wheel. On the periphery of the aforesaid boss or cylinder I put another
pin. On the side of the table I place a lever of such a form as to slide
the aforesaid pin out of the recess in the boss of the aforesaid spur
wheel when required in the same operation for a pin in a suitable
position on the aforesaid lever to come in contact with the aforesaid pin
on the aforesaid cylinder or boss, thereby stopping the machine every
revolution if necessary, and in one position of the stroke. The lever
may be worked by a treadle or other mechanical means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Horsfall in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HORSFALL, of New York, United States, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,.
give and grant unto me, the said William Horsfall, Her special licence
that I, the said William Horsfall, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Horsfall, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS” IN
MACHINERY POR FORGING BOLTS, SCREWS, AND SPIKES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Horsfall, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in. the Great Scal Patent

page_text: Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Horsfall, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The nature of my Invention consists of an improved means whereby
heads of bolts, screws, and spikes may be forged on bars of any length,
the aforesaid heads being of a perfectly solid nature without either fin
or gaul.
On suitable standards I place a table or bed plate; at one side of the
aforesaid table or bed plate I mount a shaft in suitable bearings, on the
shaft I fix a number of cams so arranged as to give the necessary
motion. On the table I fit a number of slides which are worked
forward by the cams, the return motion being obtained by levers and
weights or other mechanical means. The plunger or header slide works
in direct contact with a cam. I obtain the motion for the gripping dies,
side finishing dies, and shears which work at right angles with the
aforesaid plunger slide and parallel with the driving shaft by means of
two other slides which work in direct contact with the cams, and the
wedge form at the points where they meet the ends of the aforesaid
gripping dies slide, side dies slide, and shear slide gives the necessary
right angled motion. The plunger or header slide carries two or more
heading dies; the first heading die is formed in such a manner so as to
force back part of the iron necessary to form the head preparatory to its
being finished in the finishing dies. I desire to set forth the importance
of the form of the aforesaid first header die, it being constructed so as to
prevent the necessary iron required for forming the head from being
cranked as it is forced up against the gripping dies.
I do not confine myself to any particular form of plunger head, as it
may either be a disc to revolve or a head with a vertical or horizontal
sliding motion, neither do I confine myself to any particular number of
gripping or plunger dies. The second and following dies on the plunger
are either cupped or of any other form to suit the kind of head required.
The side or squaring dies are used for finishing the sides of the heads,
also if required that portion of the bolt, screw, or spike which is under
the head. The side or squaring dies may be dispensed with when the
head is to be formed by the heading dies alone. The gripping dies as

page_text: well as all the aforesaid dies are made loose, so that they may be changed
to suit the various sizes of iron and the style of head required. On the
aforesaid table at right angles with the plunger and actuated by one of
the slides I fit a pair of shears of suitable strength. Behind one of the
gripping dies which is fixed to the table I place a light cast-iron ring
which forms the breaking point, thereby releasing the iron in case of
undue pressure.
In order to gain sufficient power I use suitable gearing by means of a
clutch of a particular construction, whereby the machine can work
continuously or be stopped at every seperate revolution of the cam shaft.
The aforesaid clutch is a cylinder or boss fastened on the cam shaft;
horizontally through the boss I insert a pin with a head, the pin to be of
such a length as to pass through the boss and into the recesses made for
it in the boss of the spur wheel. On the periphery of the boss or cylinder
I put another pin. On the side of the table I place a lever of such a
form as to slide the aforesaid pin out of the recess in the boss of the spur
wheel when required in the same operation for a pin in a suitable position
on the aforesaid lever to come in contact with the pin on the cylinder or
boss, thereby stopping the machine every revolution if necessary, and in
one position of the stroke. The lever may be worked by a treadle or
other mechanical means.
And in order that my Invention may be more completely understood,
I annex and proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
which represent a complete machine.
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation; Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig. 3, a
cross section through A, B, and Fig. 4 a plan; Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8
represent details of the machine hereafter to be explained.
The standards and supports are shewn at 1, on which a table 2 is
carried; a number of sliding parts are fitted into the table 2, of which 3
is the header or plunger slide, which is provided with dies a and b, a
being the bunting or preparatory header die, and 6 the finishing header
die. The slides 4 and 5 transmit the motion to the side die slides 6
and 7, which are provided with dies c, c, made to suit the form of head
required, and when necessary part of the bolt screw or spike under the
head. The slide 8 transmits motion to the gripping die slide 9; the
gripping die slide 10 remains stationary and is bolted to the table;
behind it in a recess in the table I place a cast-iron ring d which forms
the breaking point whereby the bar being operated upon is immediately

page_text: released in case of any undue pressure. Each gripping slide is provided
with gripping dies e, e, which are recessed as shewn to suit the various
sizes of bars. The slides are covered on the top with a cast-iron plate 11;
on it may be cast the bracket f provided with a set screw as shewn
whereby the header or plunger slide 3 may be prevented from going
back to its full extent, and thus the amount of bar required for the
head is gauged, it being made to project through the gripping die unfil
it reaches the face of the header or bunting die a. The slide a transmits
motion to the shears 12, and the return motion is given to it by the
spring 9. The shears 12 are provided with a stop h, which may be
adjusted in the slot in the table 2 as shewn to suit the lengths required.
13 is the driving shaft mounted in suitable bearings and provided with
speed cone and fly wheel as shewn; power and motion are transmitted
from it through gearing to a shaft 14 mounted in suitable bearings; on
the shaft 14 are placed a number of cams which give motion to the
slides 3, 4, 5, and 8. The return motion may be given to the slides
4, 5, 6, and 7 by a double incline on the plunger slide as shewn, or by
levers and weights as shewn for slides 8, 9, and 3; 15 is a shearing bar
actuated by a lever i, to which motion is given from the shcars 12. A
hole is provided in the table through which the bolts, screws, or spikes
may drop after being cut off from the bar by the shearing bar 15. A
provision is made whereby the machine may be stopped every revolution
or oftener by means of a clutch arrangement, which consists of a boss 16
(shewn in Figs. 1 and 4 and in a separate view at Fig. 6) in which is
inserted a pin j sufficiently long to enter by means of pressure from a
spring into any of the recesses 1, 1, 1, 1, on the boss of the spur
wheel 19, which is shewn separately at Fig. 5. The ends of the recesses
where the pressure from the pin ; is received are provided with steel
studs or discs m, m, m, m, recessed into the boss of the spur wheel.
The pin is thrown out of gear by means of a lever and weight 17
acting on an incline made on the head, drawing it by this means from
a recess 2, thereby disengaging the boss 16 which is keyed on the
shaft 14 from the spur wheel which runs loose on the shaft. A pin n is
fixed on the lever which drops into a recess o in the boss 16 immediately
after the pin j is disengaged, and the machine is thus brought to a
standstill. Instead of the recess o a pin may be fixed in the boss 16 and
used for the same purpose. This arrangement enables the operator to
stop the machine when required. Movement is given to the lever 17 by
the treadle 18 through the connecting rod p.

page_text: The operation is as follows:-The bars used may be either round or
square and of the same diameter as the bolt, screw, or spike required.
The bar to be operated on is shewn in dotted red lines in Fig. 4 as being
gripped by the dies e, e, and is made to project beyond them as far as the
face of the preparatory header or bunting die a to allow sufficient metal
for the head, then follows the preparatory header or bunting die a (shewn
in full size end view at Fig. 7 and part sectional elevation at Fig. 8)
which is brought forward by the slide 3 and presses back a sufficicnt
quantity of metal to form the head and the part under the head when
required; the gripping dies then open to allow the bar to be placed in
the lower part of the gripping dies e, e, in which position it is again
gripped and finished by a succession of blows from the side hammers or
dies c, c, and second header b. It is then released, placed in the shears
12, and cut to any required length, the stop having been previously
set. When short bolts, screws, or spikes are required they may be cut
off by the shearing bar 15. The shearing bar 15 should always be
removed when not required for short work.
In my allusion to bolts I wish it to be understood that I refer to
articles which may be subsequently screwed, and also bolts which may
be used as rivets. I wish it also to be understood that I do not confine
the application of the herein described clutch arrangement to this
machine, as it may be applied to a like purpose in other machines.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which it is to be performed, I desire to set forth that
I do not limit myself to the precise arrangement shewn and described,
as it will be evident to all competent persons that mechanical variations
may be made therein without in any way departing from the principle;
but that which I claim and desire to be secured to me by Letters Patent
is,―
Firstly. The arrangement and combination of parts substantially as
herein-before described whereby the shank or part of the bolt under the
head may be pressed, squeezed, or forged square, polygonal, or other
form or of an increased round diameter, and whereby a round, square,
polygonal, or other shaped head may be formed.
Secondly. The formation of the preparatory header or bunting die a,
substantially as shewn and described.

page_text: And, thirdly. The clutch arrangement substantially as shewn and
described and applied to these and other machines.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Horsfall, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
WILLIAM HORSFALL. (L.S.)