IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING NUTS AND BOLTS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Horsfall, of Leeds, in the County of
York, Smith, and Arthur Greenwood, of the same Place, Mechanical
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
MANUFACTURING NUTS AND BOLTS.”
Sealed the 12th March 1875, and dated the 14th September 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Horsfall and
Arthur Greenwood at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 14th September 1874.
We, WILLIAM HORSFALL, of Leeds, in the County of York, Smith,
and ARTHUR GREENWOOD, of the same Place, Mechanical Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for “IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING NUTS AND BOLTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved system of forging bolt heads
and nuts whereby a more perfectly forged bolt head or nut can be
obtained than by the system now generally in use. This is effected by
forming the bolt head or nut by pressing it into a shaped die, thereby

page_text: enabling us to forge a bolt head or nut by a succession of blows, which
enables us to make a more solid and better finished article with less
waste of iron than by the ordinary method.
In the case of forging bolt heads we grip the picce of heated bar iron
(which is the size of the shank or body of the bolt) in a pair of dies, one
of which is closed by the action of a slide. By the action of another
slide working at right angles to the slide (carrying the gripping die) the
stock or portion of the heated bar required to form the head is "jumped "
or forced up to form roughly the head of the bolt. The gripping die
being then released the heated bar is passed into another set of gripping
dies, which again hold the bar of iron while it is subjected to the action
of another die, carried also in a slide and working at right angles to the
gripping slide. This die "cups" the outer face of the bolt head, and
finishes it to the desired thickness. The gripping die will at the same
time (if required) form the square underneath the head of the bolt.
After the head has thus been formed the bar of iron is introduced into
the centre of a fixed disc having upon its face a number of radial
grooves, in which work a corresponding number of radial hammers
actuated by a cam cut in the face of a disc which rotates around the
fixed central disc. These radial hammers successively forge or swage
the sides or cants of the bolt head until it is properly finished. During
this operation the bolt head may be withdrawn from the action of
the radial hammers and subjected to a blow from the cupping slide, and
the operations of cupping and swaging will be alternated until a
sufficient excellency of work is obtained.
The bolt head being now perfectly forged the bolt is cut off to the
desired length by means of a pair of shears attached to the machine,
and when the iron bar is reheated the operation may be repeated.
In the case of forging nuts a bar of heated iron of the required section is
introduced into a pair of dies in the machine, which "fuller" or roughly
form the end of the bar into the form of a nut. This roughly-formed
nut is the introduced into a second pair of forming dies working in the
same slide, and which more closely form the nut, the first "fullering"
tool acting as gauge for the size of nut. These second forming or
fullering "dies cut or nearly cut the nut from off the end of the bar, a
whilst at the same time a slide (working at right angles to the "fullering"
slide) presses the nut into the second forming dies and punches the hole
"

page_text: in the centre of the nut. By means of these "fullering" tools a con-
siderable saving of material is effected, as they. avoid the necessity of
the pieces between the cants of the nut being cut to waste as in the
ordinary pressed nut machine.
The nut being now approximately forged and separated from the bar,
a mandril is introduced into the hole and the nut upon the mandril is
subjected to the action of a tool which faces or cups the nut and brings
it to its required thickness. After this the nut, still being upon the
mandril, is introduced to the action of the radial hammers exactly as
described in the operation of bolt forging. The nut (in order to be well
finished) is subjected to a succession of blows on its face and cants until
it is sufficiently accurately and well finished. After the nut has thus been
forged, and while it is still upon the mandril, it is introduced into a third
series of gripping dies, which firmly hold it whilst a slide (working at
right angles as heretofore described) strikes the face of the nut and
flattens it, and at the same time forces the mandril out of the nut.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Horsfall and Arthur Greenwood in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th March 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
HORSFALL, of Leeds, in the County of York, Smith, and ARTHUR
GREENWOOD, of the same Place, Mechanical Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said William Horsfall and Arthur
Greenwood, Her special licence, that we, the said William Horsfall and
Arthur Greenwood, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said William Horsfall and Arthur Greenwood, our exe-
cutors, 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

page_text: IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING NUTS AND BOLTS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said William Horsfall and Arthur Green-
wood, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, 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.
C
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Horsfall and Arthur
Greenwood, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to an improved system of forging bolt heads
and nuts whereby a more perfectly forged bolt head or nut can be
obtained than by the system now generally in use. This is effected by
forming the bolt head or nut by pressing it into a shaped die, thereby
admitting of the bolt head or nut being forged by a succession of blows,
the result of which will be the production of a more solid and better
finished article with less waste of iron than by the ordinary method.
In the case of forging bolt heads any convenient length of bar iron
of the size of the shank or body of the intended bolt is presented to a
pair of dies, one of which is closed by the action of a slide and is made
to tightly grip the iron. By the action of another slide working at right
angles to the slide carrying the gripping die that portion of the stock or
heated bar which is required to form the head is "jumped" or forced up
so as to form roughly the head of the bolt. The gripping die is then
made to release the heated bar, which is passed into another set of
gripping dies, which again hold the bar of iron while it is subjected to
the action of another die carried also in a slide and working at right.
angles to the gripping slide. This die cups the outer face of the bolt
head and finishes it to the desired thickness. This pair of gripping dies
will at the same time (if required) form the square underneath the head
of the bolt. After the head has thus been formed the bar of iron is
introduced into the centre of a fixed disc having upon its face a number
of radial grooves, in which work a corresponding number of radial

page_text: hammers actuated by a cam cut in the face of a disc which rotates
around the fixed central disc. These radial hammers successively forge
or swage the sides or cants of the bolt head until the head is properly
finished. At intervals during this operation the bolt head may be with-
drawn from the action of the radial hammers and subjected to a blow
from the cupping die, and the operations of cupping and swaging will
be alternated until the head is properly finished.
The bolt head being now perfectly forged the bolt is cut off to the
desired length by means of a pair of shears attached to the machine,
and when the iron bar is reheated the operation of forging a head on the
end thereof may be repeated. Nuts are formed in the same machine
and by means of some of the same operations, but some of the dies
must be changed and additional tools or dies substituted for them, as
for instance, a tool or punch for forming the central hole for the
screw.
66
"
In the case of forging nuts a bar of heated iron of the required
section is introduced into the pair of dies in the machine. These dies
will "fuller or roughly form the end of the bar into the form of say
a hexagonal nut, and this roughly-formed nut is then pushed forward to
a second pair of forming dies working in the same slide, and which more
nearly form the nut of the required shape. The first. "fullering" tool
will act as a gauge for the size of nut, and the second forming or.
fullering" dies will cut or nearly cut the nut from off the end of the
bar, whilst at the same time a slide (working at right angles to the
"fullering" slide) will press the nut into the second forming dies and
punch the hole in the centre of the nut. By means of these "fullering"
tools a considerable saving of material is effected, as they roughly form
the nut of the required shape and thereby avoid the necessity of cutting
off pieces between the cants of the nut to waste as in the ordinary
pressed nut machine.
The nut being now approximately forged and separated from the bar,
a mandril is introduced into the hole in the nut, and the latter while
upon the mandril is subjected to the action of a tool which faces or cups
the nut and brings it to its required thickness. After this operation, the
nut still being upon the mandril, is subjected to the action of the radial
hammers exactly as described in the operation of forging the heads of
bolts. In order to finish the nut it is subjected to a succession of blows
on its face and cants until it is sufficiently accurately and well finished,

page_text: After the nut has thus been forged, and while it is still upon the mandril,
it is introduced into a third series of gripping dies, which firmly hold it
whilst a slide (working at right angles as heretofore described) strikes the
face of the nut and flattens it, and at the same time forces the mandril
out of the hole in the nut.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a plan of the forging machine.
for forging bolt heads and nuts; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same;
and Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the machine.
Figures 4 and 5 are detached sectional views of some of the working
parts, shewing the dies, grippers, and swages in various positions for 1
forming bolt heads; Fig. 6 is a detached plan view of some of these
parts.
Fig. 7 is a front view of the dies or tools used for roughly forming the
nut blanks at the end of a bar of heated iron.
Figures 8 and 9 are detached sectional views of some of the parts 1
shewn at Figures 4 and 5, but prepared for forming nuts, for which
purpose hollow dies and punches are employed, as will be hereafter
explained.
A, Figures 1, 2, and 3, is a strong framing, in which revolves a shaft b,
carrying upon it a series of cams 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
These cams 2
actuate a corresponding number of slides 1*, 2*, 3*, 4*, 5*, 6*, and 7*,
which carry the forging tools.
In forging bolt heads the heated bar is first introduced into the
machine and subjected to the action of the gripping die A (see Figures 1
and 6), which is closed by the slide 1*. The cam 3 actuates the slide 3* 2
carrying the tool E (see Figures 1 and 4), which "bunts" or roughly
forms the head of the bolt. This roughly-formed bolt head is next sub-
jected to the action of another bunting die J carried by the slide 5*, the
shank or body of the bolt being gripped in the die H actuated by the
slide 4*. This die H can if required at the same time form the square .3
on the shank under the head of the bolt, as shewn at Fig. 5. This
operation finishes or cups" the bolt head to the required thickness.
The bolt head is then subjected to the action of the radial hammer die
or swaging apparatus K, Fig. 2. This swaging apparatus is shewn
detached in front elevation and section at Figures 10, 11, and 12, and 3
consists of a disc K running in the journal K' and driven at a quicker
$6
E

page_text: speed than the main driving shaft 6 by means of the bevil gearing K³.
Passing through the centre of this disc and its journal is a shaft L, which
is fixed to the bracket L', so as to prevent it from rotating. At its
opposite end is a fixed disc L', around which the disc K rotates, and on
the face of the disc L³ are four radial grooves, in which work four slides
or radial hammers 1, 1, 1, 1. These slides or radial hammers have a
reciprocating motion imparted to them by means of the cam-shaped
groove formed on the face of the rotating disc K by a peculiarly shaped
ring m, m, in combination with a series of semicircular studs m³, m³, m¹.
To the inner extremities of the radial hammer slides 2, 1, 1, 1, are attached
hammer faces suitable to the size and description of bolt head required
to be forged. Or the ends of the slides / may be suitably shaped for the
purpose, as shewn at Fig. 10. It will be thus seen that upon the
roughly formed bolt head being subjected to the successive blows of the
hammers 1, 1, 1, 1, it will be forged into the desired shape. A second or
finishing blow may be given to the bolt head by the tool J, as previously
described, in fact, the bolt head may be alternately subjected to the blows
of the tool J and the swaging hammers 1, 1, 1, 1, until the head is suffi-
ciently well finished.
The bolt head being now perfectly forged a bolt of the required length
is cut off from the heated bar by means of a pair of shears attached to
any convenient part of the machine, but which are not shewn in the
Drawings.
When the machine is used for forging nuts the solid tools and dies
shewn at Figures 4 and 5 are removed, which can easily be done by
loosening the holding screws. Hollow tools and dies can then be sub-
stituted in their place, as shewn at Figures 8 and 9, so that punches may
be passed through and under to work with them.
In forging nuts a bar of heated iron of the desired section is intro-
duced into the machine at D, Fig. 1. The bar first passes under the
action of a fullering tool n, as shewn best in the detached view, Fig. 7.
This tool is actuated by the cam 1 and slide 1*, which shapes the bar
end roughly to the form of the nut. This roughly-formed nut is then
carried forward to the forming tool o, Figs. 2, 7, and 8, which is also
actuated at one and the same time by the cam 1 and slide 1*, the pre-
vious fullering tool n acting as a gauge for the size of nut. The nut being
now gripped in the second forming tool a is cut or nearly cut from off

page_text: the end of the bar, and at the same time is pressed into this second
forming tool (which being closed, acts as a die) by means of the tool at
the end of the slide 3*, Fig. 1. Whilst the nut is thus being pressed
the slide 2* carrying a punch p advances and punches out the central
hole in the nut. A mandril q is now introduced into the pressed nut, t
which is then subjected to the gripping die H, worked by the slide and
cam 4*, and is there gripped tightly upon the mandril q, whilst the
cupping die J forms or cups the outer face of the nut, as in the instance
of cupping the bolt heads. The nut still upon the mandril q, as shewn
in the detached view, Fig. 8*, is now subjected to the action of the radial 1
hammer dies or swaging apparatus K, Figures 10, 11, and 12, and is
there hammered by a succession of blows on the cants given by the
hammers 1, 1, 1, 1, in the manner described in the operation of bolt
forging.
The nut being now sufficiently hammered on its cants and face is 1
introduced into a third gripping die M, which is actuated by the slide
and cam 6. When the nut is gripped in this die it receives a blow on
its face from the flatting tool O on the end of the slide 7. This operation
squares up the face of the nut and at the same time forces the mandril q
out of the nut. It will thus be seen that a perfectly forged nut is made 2
from the bar of iron without loss of material beyond the hole punched
in the centre. By the nut being hammered in this manner on its cants
and being also cupped or faced it will be free from "fins" or surplus
material, as is often the case with the ordinary pressed nuts. If the
workmen are supplied with a number of mandrils each one may be 2
placed in cold water after the last operation of forging.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and having
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, we claim as the
Invention secured to us by Letters Patent as aforesaid,―
Firstly. The mechanism herein set forth for gripping the heated bar 3
of iron and forming or jumping up the head of the bolt by a succession
of blows, as above described.
Secondly. The arrangement of a number of radial hammers working
in grooves for forging the cants of the bolt head, substantially as described
and shewn in the accompanying Drawings.
We also claim, thirdly, the arrangement of parts herein shewn and
described for forming or fullering the heated bar of iron into the form of

page_text: a nut, and at the same time pressing it into the forming dies and punching
out the centre hole.
Fourthly. The arrangement of parts herein set forth for cupping
or finishing the face of the nut whilst upon a mandril.
And, Fifthly. Forging the cants of nuts while upon a mandril by
means of a number of radial hammers working in grooves, substantially
as described and shewn in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Horsfall and Arthur
Greenwood, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Eleventh
day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-five.