IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WASHERS AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis. North Clerk, of Wolverhampton, in
the County of Stafford, Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WASHERS AND
OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
33
Sealed the 20th March 1868, and dated the 27th January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis North Clerk
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 27th January 1868.
I, FRANCIS NORTH CLERK, of Wolverhampton, in the County of
Stafford, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WASHERS
AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the improved combination or arrangement
of the parts of machinery herein-after described for the manufacture
from sheet metal, strip, bar, or hoop metal of washers and other like
articles, whereby the washers or articles are cut out and the piercing
of the central hole or opening effected simultaneously or nearly simul-
taneously instead of being effected in separate machines as is usual.

page_text: I will describe my Invention in connection with a machine for the
manufacture of washers. On the bed of the machine a hollow cutting
tool is fixed, the interior of the said cutting tool having the figure of
the exterior of the washer to be made. Immediately over the said
cutting tool is a ram or plunger working in vertical guides, the said
ram or plunger carrying at its lower end the moveable cutting tool
or punch, between the lower outer edge of which and the inner edge
of the fixed cutting tool the washer is cut out; the said moveable
cutting tool is hollow or tubular. Beneath the fixed cutting tool is
another ram or plunger working in vertical guides, and carrying at
its top a piercing tool or punch of a size proper to cut the required
hole or opening in the washer. The axis of the said piercing tool
or punch is in a line with the axis of the moveable cutter.
The action of the machine is as follows:-The strip of metal from
which the washers are cut is fed between a guide and the top of the
fixed cutting tool. By the descent of the said cutter the washer is
cut out between it and the fixed cutting tool. Immediately on the
separation of the washer from the strip of metal or just before its
separation the piercing tool ascends and cuts or pierces the hole in
the washer, the said piercing tool cutting the said hole against the
inner edge of the moveable hollow cutter. The wad or piece cut out is
forced up the hollow moveable cutter, and is ejected therefrom at its
upper part. Immediately the piercing tool or punch is liberated from
the washer the said washer falls from the machine, disengaging itself
by coming in contact with "takers off" or "releasers," which are
stationary in the bed and so adjusted by screws as to cause the washer
to fall clear of the bottom piercer or punch. The motions of the
moveable cutter and piercing tool are taken from the principal shaft
of the machine by mechanical appliances, which I do not consider it
necessary to describe.
My Invention besides being applicable to the manufacture of washers
may also be applied to the manufacture of screw nuts and other articles
which have the same general figure as washers.
:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Francis North Clerk in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
NORTH CLERK, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Francis North Clerk, Her special
licence that I, the said Francis North Clerk, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Francis North Clerk,
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 FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WASHERS AND
SIMILAR ARTICLES, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Francis North Clerk, 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
"
OTHER
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis North Clerk, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists of the improved combination or arrangement
of the parts of machinery herein-after described for the manufacture
from sheet metal, strip, bar, or hoop metal of washers and other like
articles, whereby the washers or articles are cut out and the piercing
of the central hole or opening effected simultaneously, or nearly
simultaneously, instead of being effected in separate machines as is
usual.

page_text: I will describe my Invention in connection with a machine for the
manufacture of washers. On the bed of the machine a hollow cutting
tool is fixed, the interior of the said cutting tool having the figure of
the exterior of the washer to be made. Immediately over the said
cutting tool is a ram or plunger working in vertical guides, the said
ram or plunger carrying at its lower end the moveable tool or punch,
between the lower outer edge of which and the inner edge of the fixed
cutting tool the washer is cut out; the said moveable cutting tool is
hollow or tubular. Beneath the fixed cutting tool is another ram or
plunger working in vertical guides and carrying at its top a piercing
tool or punch of a size proper to cut the required hole or opening in
the washer; the axis of the said piercing tool or punch is in a line with
the axis of the moveable cutter.
The action of the machine is as follows:-The strip of metal from
which the washers are cut is fed between a guide and the top of the
fixed cutting tool. By the descent of the moveable cutting tool the
washer is cut out between it and the fixed cutting tool. Immediately
on the separation of the washer from the strip of metal, or just before
its separation, the piercing tool ascends and cuts or pierces the hole in
the washer, the said piercing tool cutting the said hole against the
inner edge of the moveable hollow cutter. The wad or piece cut out
is forced up the hollow moveable cutter, and is ejected therefrom at its
upper part. Immediately the piercing tool or punch is liberated from
the washer the said washer falls from the machine, disengaging itself by
coming in contact with "takers off" or "releasers," which are stationary
in the bed, and so adjusted by screws as to cause the washer to fall clear
of the bottom piercer or punch. The motions of the moveable cutter
and piercing tool are taken from the principal shaft of the machine.
My Invention besides being applicable to the manufacture of washers
may also be applied to the manufacture of screw nuts and other articles
which have the same general figure as washers.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to
describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the manner
in which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in end elevation, Figure 2 in side elevation, and
Figure 3 also in side elevation (partly in vertical section) a machine for
the manufacture of washers from sheet metal strip constructed according
to my Invention; Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 represent the tools of the

page_text: machine on a larger scale, as herein-after described. The same letters
of reference indicate the same parts in each Figure of the Drawing.
a is a hollow cutting tool fixed on the bed of the machine; the
said cutting tool a is represented on a larger scale in side elevation
and plan of upper side in Figure 4, in longitudinal section and plan of
under side in Figure 5, in end elevation in Figure 6, and cross section
in Figure 7. The interior of the said cutting tool a has the figure of
the exterior of the washer to be made. Fixed on the cutting tool a
is a guide c, under which the metal strip is fed, the said guide also
prevents the rising of the metal strip. Immediately over the fixed
cutting tool a is a moveable hollow cutting tool d, secured in the
manner represented to the ram or plunger e sliding in the vertical
guides ff, in the upright of the machine. Figure 8 represents in
elevation, section, and plan on a larger scale the moveable hollow cutting
tool d and hollow screw and holder g, by which the said cutting tool
is fixed to the ram or plunger e. In the projecting part es of the ram
or plunger e a tubular opening h is made in a line with the openings
in the hollow tool d and screw and holder g, as seen in Figure 3; the
said tubular opening / constitutes a receiver into which the wads cut
from the washers are forced, as herein-after described. Beneath the
fixed cutting tool d is a piercing tool or punch i for cutting the hole
or opening in the washer; the said piercing tool or punch i is fixed
to the upper end of the ram or plunger k working in the vertical
guides, . Motion is given to the rams or plungers e, k, of the moveable
cutting tool d and piercing punch in the following manner:-m is
the main shaft carrying the fly wheel n and fast-and-loose pulleys p, p.
A driving band is represented on one of the said pulleys. On the
driving shaft m is a pinion q which gears with a toothed wheel r on the
parallel shaft 8; to the opposite end of the said shaft 8 a cam t (indicated
in dotted lines in Figure 1) is fixed, which cam gives motion to the
slide u, and through the said slide to the lever o jointed at t³ to the
framing of the machine. To the free end of the lever the ram or
plunger e carrying the moveable cutting tool d is jointed, as represented
in the Drawing. A link or arm w is connected at one end to the cam t
by the pin x, and at the other and lower end to the ram or plunger k
carrying the punch i by the pin y. By the action of the cam t motion
in opposite directions is given to the cutting tool d and piercing punch i,
that is, while the cutting tool d is descending the piercing punch i is
ascending, the said tool and punch approaching cach other and meeting

page_text: in a line, or nearly in a line, with the cutting edge of the fixed cutter a;
and while the cutting tool d is ascending the piercing punch i is
descending, the said tool and punch receding from each other.
The action of the machine is as follows:-The strip of sheet metal
from which the washers arc. cut is fed between the guide c and the
top of the fixed cutting tool a. By the descent of the hollow
moveable cutter d a washer is cut out between the inner edge of the
said fixed cutting tool a and the outer edge of the said hollow
moveable cutter d. Simultaneously or nearly simultaneously with
the cutting out of the washer from the strip of metal the piercing
tool or punch i ascends in the hollow fixed cutting tool a and cuts or
pierces a hole in the middle of the washer, the said piercing punch
cutting the hole against the inner edge of the moveable hollow cutter d,
a washer is thereby cut out and pierced at one operation. The wad or
piece cut out from the washer is forced up the tubular receiver / by
the ascending motion of the punch i. When a column of wads has
accumulated in. the receiver h they are ejected one by one from the
upper end of the said receiver at each stroke of the machine (see
Figure 3). After the cutting out and piercing of the washer the
moveable cutting tool d ascends and the piercing punch i descends, the
said punch carrying with it the washer, which washer is removed
therefrom in the following manner :-Underneath the cutting edge of
the fixed cutter a are takers-off or releasers z, z, the said releasers
_ consisting of set screws, the inner ends of which are made clliptical in
'cross section, or of a figure somewhat approaching that of the knife edge
of a balance or weighing machine. A separate view of one of these
releasers is represented in Figure 9, and the position of the said releasers
is best seen in Figure 5, and also in the section of the fixed cutter a,
represented in Figure 7, the piercing punch i in the said Figure 7 being
represented descending and carrying with it the washer marked 2.
the descent of the piercing punch i the washer 2 strikes against the
releasers z, z, and is arrested thereby, and on the withdrawal of the
said punch the washer falls from the machine, the figure of the ends of
the releasers ensuring its speedy and certain removal, and causing it to
fall clear of the piercing punch i.
On
In adapting the machinery herein-before described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawing to the manufacture of screw nuts and other
similar articles from bar or hoop metal I make the working tools and

page_text: other parts of the machine of such strength and figures as are necessary
for the particular purpose to which they are to be applied; but as .I
believe any competent machinist will be able from the description
herein-before given with reference to the Drawing to adapt the machinery
to the manufacture of screw nuts and similar articles I do not consider
further details necessary.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I
do not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated,
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of
my Invention ; but I claim as my Invention of improvements in
machinery for the manufacture of washers and other similar articles,―
Firstly. The combination or arrangement of the fixed cutting tool a,
moveable hollow cutting tool d, and piercing tool or punch i, and
parts immediately connected therewith for simultaneously or nearly
simultaneously cutting out and piercing washers and other like articles,
the said fixed cutting tool, moveable hollow cutting tool, and piercing
tool or punch being constructed and operating substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompany Drawing.
Secondly. The combination or arrangement of parts, substantially as
herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing
for actuating the moveable hollow cutting tool d and piercing tool or
punch i.
Thirdly. The construction and adaptation of the takers-off or releasers,
herein-before described and marked z, z, in the accompanying Drawing,
for liberating the washer or article from the piercing tool or punch
and ensuring its speedy and certain removal from the machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis North Clerk, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
FRANCIS NORTH CLERK. (L.S.)