IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING OR MANUFACTURING SCREWS, SCREW BLANKS, AND RIVETS
Year: 1842

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eighth day of September, in the sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said William Edward Newton,
my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time, and at all times during the term of
years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
and in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, and in the
Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING OR MANUFACTURING
SCREWS, SCREW BLANKS, AND RIVETS," being a communication from a foreigner
residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging
me, the said William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the
same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Edward Newton, do hereby declare that the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
These improvements in machinery or apparatus for making or manufacturing
screws, screw blanks, and rivets, consist, first, in the construction and arrange-
ment of the parts of an instrument for cutting the wire for screws into suitable
lengths, and for forming the heads thereon, and which instrument may be
applied also to the manufacturing of rivets of various kinds.
Secondly, in an instrument for turning or shaving the heads of the blanks
which have been formed by the first-named machine.
Thirdly, in an instrument for removing the burs, beards, or fins from the
under sides of the heads, which burs are raised thereon in the process of
making the nick or slit in the head.
And fourthly, in an instrument for cutting the threads or worms upon the
prepared blanks.
In the accompanying Drawings, Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive contains different views
of the machine for cutting the wire and forming the head, which Figures are
drawn to a scale of one-fourth the real size, Fig. 1 is a vertical section, taken
through the middle, or in the line A, B, of Fig. 2, which latter Figure is a plan
or top view thereof; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section, taken in the line C, D,
of Fig. 2, and looking towards the right-hand end thereof. Fig. 4 is a plan
view of a part of Fig. 2, shewing the jaws, header, and certain other parts.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the whole machine; in each of which Figures the
same parts are designated by the same letters of reference. The bed or main
body E, E, of this machine is made of cast iron, resting on studs or supports of
wood F, F. The driving power is communicated to this machine through the
agency of the main shaft G, G, on which there are fast and loose pullies H, H'.
I is a crank on the shaft G, by which the punch or header J is caused to ope-
rate; K is a connecting piece between the crank I and the levers or toggle
joints L and L, the latter of which is connected to a slide M¹, which slide has
a socket in its end for the purpose of receiving the punch or header J; N is
the head of a set screw which operates upon a key or wedge 0%, shewn in
section in Fig. 1, which wedge is for the purpose of adjusting the action of the

page_text: punch or header J, by lengthening or shortening the range of the slide M, so
as to adapt it precisely to the forming of the head by the upsetting of the
blank. By turning the head N of the set screw the wedge 02 may be raised
or lowered at pleasure, and as it touches the rear end of the slide M and the
5 fore end of a slide M', which is acted on directly by the toggle joint, the
desired adjustment may be readily effected. The levers or toggle joint L, L,
are formed and operate in a peculiar manner, as may be distinctly seen in the
sectional view, Fig. 1. The part L of this apparatus is placed vertically, and
is jointed to the connecting piece K by a joint pin K' at its lower end. It is
connected to the lever L' by the joint L", and to the body or bed of the
machine by a joint L. It will be seen that under this arrangement the
action of the crank upon the connecting piece K will cause the piece L to
vibrate, and thus produce the required action on the levers and heading punch.
The shaft P, which stands at right angles with the shaft G, is driven by bevel
wheels V and Q on the respective shafts. The principal object of the shaft P
is to operate a second toggle joint, which serves to actuate the gripping dies
and to effect the cutting off of the wire. The gripping dies are shewn at a, a¹,
Fig. 3; these are made square, the four sides being equal in width, and each
having a semicircular flute in it to embrace one half of the wire; the four sides,
therefore, may be successively brought into use as occasion may require. At
their rear ends these dies are countersunk in such manner, as that, when the
punch or header J is brought up against the end of the wire which is to con-
stitute the head of the screw blank or revet, it will be forced into and fill the
said countersink. The dies are held and sustained by a sliding die frame or
holder b, b, which rests upon the bed E of the machine. The die a¹ is held
permanently in place by the cap I; the die a is made to slide on the holder b
to a distance sufficient to gripe and release the wire, the cap I', and the cheek
c, to which the cap 1' is attached, by the screw d being forced in and out by the
levers or toggle joint A¹, A²; this toggle joint is acted upon by the cam F' on
the shaft P. The end A¹ of this toggle is connected by a joint pin to the
cheek c of the die holder, the opposite end being in like manner jointed to the
bearing piece e. A spring U, U, acts upon a rod f and raises the toggle
A', A, causing it to bear constantly against the cam F. To regulate the
action of this toggle upon the die A, so as to adapt it to wires of different
sizes, the bearing piece e is made adjustable by means of a wedge g, in the
following manner: -h, h, are two screws which move the edge g endwise,
and it is thus made to force the piece e forward or to allow it to recede to the
required extent. This wedge and bearing piece are covered by the cap E³; the
Screw h is for the purpose of holding the bearing piece e steady. The die holder

page_text: b, b, with the dies and the toggle joint A1, A2, are placed and operate within a
cavity or channel i, i, formed in the solid bed E, and extending from the bearing
piece e to its termination at j. The wire is to be fed in between the dies a, a¹;
whilst they are open, in the position represented; in the Drawing, Fig. 3, they are
shewn as closed, and of course gripping the wire which has entered between
them. On the descent of the levers or toggle joint A', A, the wire which is
fed in between the dies is to be cut off to the proper length for forming the
blank and its head, and this is effected by the progressive motion of the dies
after they have gripped the wire in their progress towards the header J. For
this purpose there is a stationary cutter plate w (Fig. 1), which is confined in
front of the gripping dies by the cap E³. This stationary cutter is of tempered
steel, and has a hole formed through it adapted to the wire to be cut off; from
the feeding rolls R the wire passes in through a feeding tube u, u, shewn in
dotted lines in the part E of the bed piece; by this it is conducted to the
opening in the stationary cutter and into the opening in the dies, which imme-
diately gripe it, and by moving forward cut it off. When the toggle joint has
fully descended, the wire, which has been cut off at the early part of its motion,
will have been carried so as to stand directly opposite to the punch or header J,
the outer end of the said wire still bearing against an imperforated part of the
stationary cutter, the header is at that instant forced up against the inner end
of the severed piece of wire and the heading effected; the dies are then brought
back by the raising of the toggle, a fresh wire is fed in, which pushes out the
headed blank, and the operation goes on as before. In order to keep the die
holder b, b, up to its bearing against the toggle joint until the dies are closed,
there is a strong spiral spring T, which passes through a hole bored in the bed
piece E. For the purpose of gauging the wire to the proper length for the
head as it is fed in, there is a pin or stop k, which is raised by the outer end of
a vibrating lever h*; this stop is made adjustable, and has to be removed out of
the
way when a heated blank is pushed out by the feeding in of a fresh length
of wire; for this purpose the lever he is made to vibrate upon a fulcrum at 1 by
means of a cam G¹, which depresses its end and raises its other end, carrying
with it the stop k. Fig. 6 is a separate view of the vibrating lever h³, by means
of which the pin or stop k is to be removed out of the way when a headed blank
is to be pushed out. A is the end of the lever upon which the cam G' operates.
Fig. 7 is a cross section on the line of Fig. 6. h is the end of the lever,
and the pin or strop which is raised by it. In Fig. 4, where the pin k and
the lever h³ are shewn, h³ is an excentric cam or button, by means of which the
lever h², which, with the parts attached to it, has some lateral play, may be moved
so as to regulate or adjust the gauge pin k.

page_text: It has been the practice heretofore to feed in the wire from a reel, but in
this apparatus the coil B', B', is merely hung upon the pulley or drum M², which
revolves on a spindle attached to a stationary arm m, m. At the back edge of
this drum there is a groove n, and on a wheel N in the same plane there is a
corresponding groove; the wheel N2, which is above but not directly over the
drum M, is made adjustable, so that it may be moved up or down by an
adjusting screw o; the end of the wire is passed along the groove n, formed
on the drum M2, and thence between the groove on the roller N¹, and a cor-
responding groove formed on a third roller N². By adjusting the roller N¹
these three grooves may be made to straighten wires of any required size as
they enter the machine. The wire having left these wheels passes over a
grooved roller R, which is in a direct line with the feeding tube u, which con-
ducts it to the dies a, a'. The roller R has a similar roller above it, to be
hereafter described, and it is furnished with grooves of different sizes adapting
it to corresponding wires; this roller is made adjustable on its axle by a rib or
feather on the shaft S', in order to bring the respective grooves on its periphery
into action. The wire is fed in at proper intervals by means of the following
apparatus:-W is a cam on the shaft G, from which the required motion is
communicated; this cam operates against a vibrating arm p, p, which is
drawn back by the spring Y, and to which is attached a connecting rod X;
this rod may be shifted to any of the holes in the arm p, p, in order to
regulate the length of feed. The rod X is connected to a vibrating lever q, q,
having its fulcrum at r; this lever carries another connecting rod J', which is
connected to the box R' containing a system of palls or catches, which palls or
catches operate upon the ratchet wheel S. There are a number of these palls,
as indicated by the pins s, s, s, which carry them, thus admitting of the ratchet
teeth being made large and strong and yet insuring the action of the palls at
short intervals. The palls are shewn at s¹, s¹, Fig. 2. The connecting rods J¹
and X may both be made adjustable on the lever q, as shewn in the Drawing,
thus rendering it easy to regulate the vibration of the feeding apparatus. The
ratchet wheel S is fixed up and turns the shaft S¹, S', Fig. 2; this shaft carries
a spur wheel O and the grooved roller R. Immediately above the shaft S¹
there is another shaft, which is similar to it, carrying a spur wheel O¹, into
which the wheel O gears, and also a grooved roller R, similar to that on the
shaft S¹; the end of the second shaft is seen at S, Fig. 1. This upper shaft S²
is drawn down by means of a weighted lever P₁, on which is suspended a
weight Q, acting on stirrups t, and operating in a manner well known to
machinists. By this means the feeding of the wire is rendered regular and
certain, whilst the rollers R, R, are capable of slipping upon it after it has

page_text: been brought up to its bearing against the pin k. Fig. 8 is a front view of the
feeding roller R, R, their shafts, and the gearing attached to. them, supposing
them to be seen in an end elevation looking towards them in the line × × of
Fig. 2. E, E, are stands projecting from the main body or bed of the machine,
and which carry the shafts S¹ and S³; these shafts are geered together by the
spur wheels O, O. R¹ is the pall box, and S the ratchet wheel upon which
the palls operate. Fig. 9 is a side view on the left-hand end of these parts,
shewn in Fig. 8. The fly wheel z on the shaft P¹ should be of such weight as
to adapt it to the size of the wire which is to be cut and headed.
What is claimed as new in the first-described apparatus for cutting off and
heading wire for the manufacturing of wood screws is,―
First, the manner of constructing, combining, and arranging the parts by
which the slide M is made to advance and retreat in order to effect the heading
of the blanks, the said apparatus consisting of the connecting piece K, the
levers or toggle pieces L and L¹, with their joints so formed and combined
as to perform their respective motions in the manner set forth.
Secondly, the construction and arrangement of the die frame or holder b
placed and operating in the recess or channel i, i, made in the solid bed of the.
frame, the die frame, and the toggle joint levers by which the die frame is made
to operate, being combined, connected, and governed in their action by the
means described.
Thirdly, the combining of the gauge pin or stop k with the above-named
apparatus in such manner as that it shall be removed out of the way, by
means of a vibrating lever, for the purpose of allowing a headed blank to
escape, as set forth.
Fourthly, substituting the drum M² for the reel ordinarily employed for
holding the roll of wire, in combination with the straightening and feeding
rollers, arranged as described.
.
Fifthly, the manner of combining and arranging the apparatus for effecting
and regulating the feeding of the wire into the machine, the said apparatus
consisting of the cam W, the rods and levers by which it is connected with the
pall box R¹, and through it and the ratchet wheel with the other parts of the
feeding apparatus, not intending, however, to claim the use of cams, of springs,
of connecting rods, or other parts separately, but in their general arrangement
and combination, as shewn, by which this feeding apparatus will be readily 3
distinguished by every competent machinist from those which have been
heretofore known and used for a similar purpose.
In the machines heretofore used for turning or shaving the heads of blanks
the tool or cutter by which they were finished was brought up against them by.

page_text: hand, but in this improved machine the respective parts are made self-acting
by means of cams, and levers, and other devices connected therewith, arranged
for that purpose. In the accompanying Drawings, Figures 10 to 14 inclusive,
this machine is represented, the first three Figures being drawn to a scale of
one-half the ordinary size. Fig. 10 is a side, and Fig. 11 a front elevation.
Fig. 13 is a plan or top view; and Fig. 14 a section through the middle of the
pulley shaft, shewing the manner in which the jaws are made to operate by
means of the slide bolt; this last Figure being drawn to the full size. A, A, is
the framework of the machine, which is made of cast iron; C, C, is a tubular
or hollow arbor or spindle, which is sustained by and runs in the heads A¹, A²,
The arbor or spindle C is driven by a band on the pulley D, and it is widened
out at its end C¹, so as to constitute two cheeks, which embrace the jaws E, E.
Through the tubular arbor C the sliding bolt F, F, passes, and serves to close
the jaws E, its wedge-formed end F¹ passing in between the tails a, a, of the
jaws for that purpose; the sliding bolt F bears at its outer end against a regu-
lating screw G. This screw passes through the head H' of the lever H, which
has its fulcrum at I; when the end H2 of this lever is depressed its end H' will
force the bolt F forward, and cause the jaws E to close and embrace the blank
which is to be turned. The lever H is depressed by means of a cam J, which
is mounted upon a shaft K, K. The cam J as it revolves operates upon a
lever L, which turns upon a centre at L, the shorter arm L' of which serves
to depress the end H of the lever H during the time that the longer arm
thereof rests upon the periphery of the cam J. The lever H is provided with
a roller M near the end H, upon which the lever I. operates. In the position
of the parts represented in the Drawing, Fig. 10, the lever L is relieved from
its action, on the lever H having fallen at this time into the recess between the
points J, J, of the cam J; the weight H' is for the purpose of raising the
lever H. The arbor C, C, and sliding bolt F, F, then fall back, release the
blank that has been turned, and allow a new one to be fed in. There is a.
second cam N, N, carried by the shaft K, which cam serves to advance the
tool or cutter O against the head to be turned. This tool or cutter does not
differ from those used in other machines for turning the heads of screws. P
is a lever, upon which the cam N operates to raise the cutter and carry it
regularly against the head of the blank; the fulcrum of this lever is at Q. P¹io
a branch of the lever P, which, by aid of the set screw P", allows the action of
the cutter to be accurately adjusted. The periphery of the cam J from the
point J to J is concentric to its centre K, but that of the cam N has a.
gradually increasing diameter, in order to cause the cutter to advance gradually

page_text: as it takes a shaving off the head. The cutting part of the tool is so formed
as to cut both the top and bevel of the head at the same time. On the same
shaft with the cams there is a large spur wheel R, and motion is given to this
wheel by means of a tubular pinion S on a third shaft T, the bearings of
which shaft are on the standards A2, A3. The shaft T also carries the large
band wheel U, U, which receives a band from a small band wheel or whirl V
on the shaft C. The shaft C and the band wheel U have their motion con-
tinuous, the band around the whirl V and the wheel U connecting these two
parts. W is a sliding clutch box, having the pinion S attached to it, and these
are moved to and fro by the forked lever X by means of the handle Y
mounted upon a vibrating shaft Z, to the other end of which shaft is connected
the lower end of the forked lever X, and through these means the clutch box is
brought into contact with or removed from the clutch pin, the clutching being
effected by a tooth or pin 6 falling into one of the spaces c, c, c. For the pur-
pose of arresting the wheel R at the proper time for removing a finished and
feeding in a new blank, that is to say, at the period when the cams cease to
act upon the levers P and L, there is a pin p projecting from the forked
lever X at its upper end on the side opposite to that seen in Fig. 10, which
pin points towards the wheel R, and the said wheel has a hole in its side as
at d', Fig. 10, into which the said pin will fall when the wheel comes round
to the proper point. The spiral spring e¹ draws upon the lever X for the
purpose of forcing the said pin into the hole and of arresting the wheel.
There is a gauge pin d within the cheeks C¹, against which a blank e is stopped
when fed in; this pin is regulated by a set screw f to suit blanks of different
lengths. B is a rest which sustains the blank whilst it is being turned; within
the jaws E, E, there is a spring 9, 9, by which they are opened, and the blank
relieved as the bolt F recedes. The feeding is effected by passing the blank
in between the jaws on that side of the machine shewn in Fig. 10, where B' is
the head of a blank, inserted ready for the shaving or turning by the tool O;
when it has been turned and the jaws are opened, it is removed and another
inserted by hand, the blank being stopped by the gauge pin d. One person
can readily attend two such machines, his duty being to operate the clutch at
the proper time and to feed in a new blank.
What is claimed as new in the above-described machine for turning or
shaving the heads of the blanks, is, the manner of constructing and combining
the apparatus by which it is rendered self-operating, that is to say, the com-
bination of the cams J and N with the levers L, P, and H, so as to govern the
gripping and releasing of the blank, and the moving up and withdrawing of

page_text: the turning tool by the operation of the respective parts, constructed and
combined as herein set forth.
The machine for removing the burs from the under sides of the heads is
shewn in Figures 15 to 19 inclusive of the accompanying Drawings, drawn of
the full-size of one that has been in operation.
Fig. 15 is a front view of the machine, or of that part opposite to which the
person stands who is using it; Fig. 16 is a side view of it; Fig. 17, a section
through the main spindle or arbor; Fig. 18, the under face of the machine;
and Fig. 19, the upper face of the lower end. A, A, is the bed piece or main
frame, which supports the working parts, and which is usually made of cast-
irou; A¹ is a piece projecting therefrom, by which it may be fastened to a bench;
B is a pulley on the main arbor or spindle C, C; this arbor runs and slides in
collars in the heads A³, A. The arbor C widens out at its lower end C¹, and
is divided so as to form two cheeks between which the jaws D, D, are to be
received; these jaws work upon centre pins a, a, which pass through them and
through the cheeks, H, H, is an adjustable slide, which is fastened to the
bed piece A by means of a screw 6 passing through a slot. The part H¹ of
the adjustable slide which stands at right angles to the part H has on its face
a piece I, fastened to it by a screw c, and this holds the tool G, by which the
burs are to be removed from the under side of the heads, the proper form
being given to the cutting part G¹ of the said tool to adapt it to the bevel of
the head. J is a steel plate, in which there is a countersunk d to admit the
head of the screw to come into contact with the tool G₁; at that part where
the tool is to act upon the head the steel plate J is cut away, as shewn at e.
The arbor C, C, is tubular, and there passes through it a sliding bolt K, having
a wedge-formed head K', by which the jaws D, D, are to be closed, and this
closing will take place as the bolt is drawn back and the wedge part K¹ is
forced against the tails f, f, of the jaws. F¹ is a shaft to which is attached an
an arm F, which is forked at its outer end F2, which fork passes between
collets L, L, attached to the sliding bolt K; E, E, are a handle and lever, by
which the sliding bolt K and the spindle C are drawn upwards. A spiral
spring M surrounds the arbor C, and bearing against the uppermost of the
heads A and against the pulley B, causes the spindle and bolt to descend,
when the handle E is allowed to recede; as the bolt K descends it is brought
into contact with the pins g, g, which are made fast to the jaws D, D, and
forces them open.
In using this machine, when the handle E has been moved back and
the sliding bolt and arbor have descended, a blank which has been notched

page_text: is fed in through the countersink opening in the plate J so as to enter
between the jaws, the handle E is then drawn forward, which closes the said
jaws and brings the head up against the cutting edge of the tool G, by which
the removal of the bur is instantaneously effected, the edge of the tool projecting
a little within the countersink, on removing the handle back the blank is
liberated and falls out and another is fed in.
What is claimed as new in this part of the apparatus is the manner in which
the hollow arbor. or spindle C, C, the sliding bolt K, the jaws D, D, and the
tool or cutter G, with their appendages, as combined and arranged, so as to con-
stitute an instrument, the respective parts of which are constructed in the manner
described, and co-operate in effecting the removal of the bur, beard, or fin, in
the manner set forth.
T
The machine intended to cut the threads or worms upon the blanks which
are to be formed into wood screws, after the heading and the cutting of the
nicks or slits in the heads have been completed, is represented in Figures 20
to 23 inclusive of the accompanying Drawings. Fig. 20 is a front, and Fig. 21
a side elevation of the said machine, the respective parts being represented of
the size in actual use. A, A, A, is the frame, which is usually made of cast iron,
and to which is ordinarily attached an auxiliary frame and stand A', A', of wood;
Bis a driving pulley, which may be turned by a band from a drum actuated by
any motive power, and which is to be made to revolve with great rapidity, say,
at the rate of five hundred times in a minute; C, C, is the main arbor or shaft,
upon which the pulley B is mounted; this pulley revolves freely upon the shaft
C, excepting when clutched by the sliding clutch M, which when raised engages
with the pulley by means of the horns or catches m, m, on the clutch and pulley;
the shaft then revolves with the pulley B, the shaft and clutch being connected
by a feather. The clutch M is raised by the forked arm N, N, the end N¹ of
the said forked arm embracing the neck of the clutch between its collars M, M¹.
The forked arm N, N, is attached by a set screw Z in the socket N to an
upright sliding rod G, G, which passes through the sockets 61, 62; the head
G¹ prevents the rod from descending too low, and it is raised by means of the
handle Y, which constitutes a bent lever, as shewn at Y, Y¹, Fig. 21, the part
Y' being formed into a ring embracing the rod G, and bearing against the
spiral spring 2 surrounding the said rod, the said spiral spring causing the rod
to rise with an elastic or yielding motion. The handle Y is to be drawn
forward, so as to cause the shaft c to revolve during the time a screw is being
cut; when let go.it will fall back by its own weight and by that of the rod
G, and the pulley B will be out of gear and revolve loosely upon its shaft.

page_text: The shaft C, C, revolves and slides up and down freely in the collars or sockets
a² and a³ which are are stationary, and attached permanently to the frame. At
its lower end the shaft c carries the holder D, which receives and holds the
blank that is to be cut This holder is the form of a hollow socket or tube
pinned or otherwise fastened to the shaft, and may be changed at pleasure to
suit blanks of different sizes; it has within it a driver or sliding bolt i, fur-
nished with a projecting edge at its lower end, which fits into the nick or slit
in the head of the blank, in the manner of a screwdriver, and holds it whilst it
is being cut into a screw. The sliding bolt i is borne up by a spiral spring, shown
in dotted lines at 1, which spring surrounds it, and it is forced down by a cam
or excentric j, which is turned by the thumb-piece k. When a screw has been
cut, as shewn at 1, Fig. 20, the shaft C rests in the position represented in the
Drawing, admitting of the ready removal of the screw and the feeding with a
blank, which is effected by the hand of the attendant. The shaft C, C, is made
to slide up and down while the screw is being cut in the following manner :-
H is a horizontal cam, which is fixed on to the shaft or arbor E by means of
the boss H, which may be secured in its proper position by a screw or wedge,
and may be changed at pleasure for screws of different sizes. This cam or
circular wedge, with its shaft E, are made to revolve by suitable gearing from
the shaft C, C, in the following manner :-a, a, is a pinion on the shaft C,
which pinion is made sufficiently long to keep it in gear whilst the shaft slides
up and down; it is connected to the shaft by means of a feather, and rests
upon a collar n, which is made fast to the shaft by a set screw o, thus admit-
ting an adjustment of the place of the pinion a, a, upon the shaft; this pinion
gears into a wheel b, b, which has attached to it the pinion c, c, gearing into
the wheel d, d, on the cam shaft E. It will be manifest to every machinist
that the manner of arranging the respective wheels and pinions, and of com-
municating motion from the shaft C to the shaft E, may be varied; but that
arrangement herein-given has been used, and is considered the most simple and
convenient. K is a box or socket, through which the shaft C passes without
touching it, the opening through it being sufficiently large for that purpose;
L is a tube, which is fitted on to the shaft C and slides up and down with it;
the said tube is placed within the box K, and has a piece I projecting from
its lower end, which rests upon the horizontal cam H, there being a slot
through the side of the box K through which the piece L' passes, admitting
the tube L to slide up and down, and at the same time checking it from
revolving with the shaft. The upper edge of the horizontal cam H, if opened
out, would form a regular inclined plane from the point h¹ to the point h³, the

page_text: rise of which is to be equal to the length to which a screw thread is to be cut,
the cutting continuing during the time the shaft C is rising. A straight wedge
or inclined plane might in fact be substituted for the cam, and might be
actuated by a rack and pinion, or the tube L might be raised by a snail motion
or other mechanical equivalent. When the piece L' arrives at the point h³
the cutting is suspended, and the shaft C descends as the piece L' passes down
the inclination from that point to h³, when the cutting again proceeds. Z, Z,
(seen most distinctly in Fig. 21,) is a stand or support under the pulley B,
and constituting part of the frame of the machine; p is a hollow stud to hold
the driving pulley, and 9 a nut on its end; r, r, are a weight and stem, the
latter of which bears upon the upper end of the shaft C, insuring its descent.
The cutter or chaser, by means of which the threads are to be cut, is peculiar
in its form and action, as it is made to cut upon each side of the thread at the
same time, and finally upon the edge, by which means the said edge is made
perfectly smooth and even, in a manner not heretofore attempted in the cutting
of wood screws. This cutter or chaser is shewn in its proper position at e, e¹,
Fig. 20, and a side view and cross section of it are shewn detached at e. Its
peculiarity consists in forming a groove on its convex or cutting side of such
size and depth as shall adapt it to the thread to be cut. In making these
cutters the following manner of proceeding may be adopted :-A square piece
of steel of suitable size may be formed into a hoop or ring; this is to be put
into the lathe and faced truly on each side, turned true on its outside or peri-
phery, and then a groove cut in it around the said periphery, as represented by
the notch seen in the cutting end at e', giving to the said groove the desired
shape and size of the intended thread of the screw. This ring is then to be
divided into sections, and the said sections to be hardened and tempered
throughout their whole length. The groove and cutting face are to be made
smooth and polished, and then ground on their end or ends to such a bevel as to
form chisels with good cutting edges on the grooved side. The width of the
cutter on each side of the groove must be somewhat less than that of the space
between each thread of the screw. As these cutters become dull they are
readily sharpened, and this sharpening can be repeated until they are worn too
short for use. Such steel cutters may be made straight, and the groove or
grooves formed in them by planing, filing, or otherwise; but the method of
forming them in the lathe is to be preferred. U is a steel bed piece, which is
bolted or fastened into the bottom of the frame A; through this a hole
is drilled to receive a steel tube h, the bore of which corresponds with the size
of the wire from which a screw is to be cut. The bed piece U alone may be

page_text: sed, by drilling through it a hole of suitable size. The bed piece must be so
adjusted as to bring the hole through it directly under the centre of the shaft
C, and it and the contained tube are to be cut away, as shown at h*, to admit
he cutter to operate on the blank.
Fig. 23 is a top view of the bed piece U, the arm T, the tube h, and the
cutter. The cutter is to be fixed in a cutter post or arm T at the lower
end of a shaft F, f being a set screw by which it may be held in its place,
and ga key to prevent its turning on the shaft; c is a cap piece, which
by means of the screw bolt d, d, holds the cutter in its place. The shaft
or arbor F turns on gudgeons at its upper and lower ends in the parts a
and a of the frame. V is an arm, made fast to the shaft F near to its
upper end, and to the outer end of this arm is attached a spiral spring 4, which
draws it back and relieves the cutter e from its action, excepting when the
arm V is forced forward, by means to be presently described. X is a set screw,
which passes through the outer end of the arm V, and bears upon one end of
a curved lever W, the fulcrum of which is the shaft F. The set screw X serves
to regulate the position of this lever. The arrangement of this part will be
seen more plainly by reference to the sectional view, Fig. 22, which is made
horizontally in the line × ×, of Fig. 20. In this Figure, W is a top view of
the above-named curved lever, having its fulcrum on the shaft F, and bearing
against the set screw X at one of its ends, and against what is denominated
the conical feed cam I at its other end. The conical feed cam is situated on
the shaft E, and slides up and down upon it, and caused to revolve therewith
by means of a feather. The cam I is in the general form of the frustrum of
a cone, but it has a recess or cavity 1 cut in it to receive the end of the
lever W once in each revolution; this recess corresponds with the descending
part h³, h', of the horizontal cam H, the lever W falling into the said recess
by the action of the spiral spring 4 at the moment the shaft C, C, begins to
descend, and by this means the cutter or chaser e is withdrawn from the screw
until the shaft C has reached its lowest point, and as it begins to ascend the
cam I will have turned far enough for the shoulder of the recess I¹ to act on
the lever W, and thereby to force the chaser or cutter against the piece to be
cut. In order to feed the cutter to the blank, the cam I is to be raised up on
the shaft C at every successive action of the cutter, and as it acts by an in-
creased diameter ou the lever W it causes a new chip to be cut at each rise;
the whole difference in the diameter of the upper and lower part of the cone
is equal to the depth of the thread, and when the cone has been raised to its
greatest height the cutting will be completed. Although this cam is denomi-

page_text: nated the conical cam, it is not absolutely conical, but its periphery or surface
recedes from its axis or centre in the manner of a scroll, and causes the chip
taken off by the cutter to increase slightly in thickness as it proceeds, thus giving
the desired taper to the screw, the amount of which taper will depend on the
amount of enlargement of the conical cam from its scroll-like form. The
conical cam is successively raised, and other motions connected therewith are
performed in the following manner :-0, Fig. 21, is a wheel revolving on an
arbor or studs, and having ratchet teeth cut upon its periphery; 0%, 0, is a
flanch or rim projecting from the face of this wheel to the distance of half or
three-fourths of an inch; N is an arm, in one piece with, and extending back
nearly at right angles from the forked arm N. The end N³ of the arm Ne
bears upon the rim Os as the wheel O revolves, until one of the notches u, u,
made through the rim is brought 'under N³, which then falls into it, allowing
the forked arm to descend and throwing the pulley B out of gear with the
shaft C. P, P, is a bent lever, having its fulcrum at t, and being borne up at
the end of its short arm P¹ by the spring 3; Q is a catch jointed to the lever P,
and operating on the teeth of the ratchet wheel so as to draw the said wheel
back to the distance of one tooth at every vibration of the lever P. This
lever is acted upon by a cam J on the shaft E, and the distance of its play is
regulated by a set screw w. S, S, are pins projecting from the face of the
ratchet wheel and rising therefrom to the distance of an inch and a half, more
or less. The distance of these pins from the centre of the wheel may be re-
gulated by means of screw nuts and the slots v, v. As the wheel O revolves,
the pins S, S, are brought successively into contact with the arm R of the
lever R, R, and depress it, until its end escapes from the pin. The short
arm R of this lever has a recess or hollow in the end of it, which embraces
the flange 3, 3, on the lower end of the conical cam, and as the wheel O is
drawn round to the distance of a tooth the cam is raised to a corresponding
height. The number of shavings cut from each blank will correspond with
the number of teeth between each section or pin S on the ratchet wheel, the
conical cam being raised to its full height in that distance of the movement of
the wheel, and the lever R escaping from one pin to be acted upon by the
next in the same distance. In order to arrest the motion of the shaft C, so as
to cause it to stand in the proper position for removing the cut screw and for
supplying a blank, a notch is formed in the bottom rim M' of the forked arm,
Fig. 21, and a stump m¹ is made fast to the frame, which stump is received
into the said notch, this being so situated as to hold the shaft in the required
position. In using this machine, the blank whilst being acted upon by the

page_text: cutter is kept within a tin or other box containing water or other fluid; the
situation of this box is shewn by the red lines x, x.
What is claimed as new in the machine for cutting the threads is,-
First, the manner of combining the shaft C, C, with the horizontal cam H
on the shaft E, so as to cause the said cam to raise the shaft C by its rotary
action against the projecting piece L' and the tube L, the said tube being
connected with the box K, and the whole arranged and operating as set forth.
Secondly, the manner of constructing and combining the conical snail cam I,
furnished with the recess I', with the lever W, the shaft F, and the cutter
arm T, so as by their combined action and that of their immediate appendages
the cutter e may be forced against or removed from the blank shaft to be cut
at the proper intervals, and in the manner described.
Thirdly, regulating the advance of the cutter in its successive operations on
the blank by the raising of the conical snail cam, so as to bring a larger radius
of the cam to act upon the lever W.
Fourthly, forming what is herein called the conical snail cam, so as to give
the desired taper to the screw to be cut by means of the increasing radius of
its curvature, as set forth.
Fifthly, the manner of raising the conical snail cam I by means of the
lever R, R', by the action of the pins S, S, on the ratchet wheel O, as set forth.
Sixthly, the manner in which are combined and arranged the lever P, P¹,
its catch or pall Q, the cam J on the shaft E, the rim or flanch O of the
ratchet wheel and the clutch N by means of its arm N₁, so as to co-operate
with each other and with the lever R, R', in governing and regulating the
cutting of the screw.
Seventhly, the manner of making or forming the cutters or chasers e, to be
used in combination with a machine for cutting wood screws, the said cutters
having a groove formed along their cutting sides, so as to cause them to cut
simultaneously on both sides of the thread, and finally to cut the edge of the
thread itself, the said groove being of the proper width and depth for that
purpose, by which construction the cutters or chasers may be sharpened by
grinding or setting them to a simple bevel at their ends without interfering
with the notch or groove, by which they are made to cut on each side of and to
form the thread.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-three.
WED (L.s.) NEWTON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighth day of March, in the
sixth year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said William
Edward Newton came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and
acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein con-
tained and specified, in form above written. And also the instrument afore-
said was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-fifth
year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Eighth day of March, One thousand eight hundred and
forty-three.