IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING SCREWS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Caleb McKinney Talcott, of Hartford, Connec-
ticut, United States of America, but now residing at Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING SCREWS." -A communication from
abroad by Jared Augustus Ayres, of Hartford, Connecticut, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Caleb McKinney Talcott
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 4th February 1873.
I, CALEB MCKINNEY TALCOTT, of Hartford, Connecticut, United
States of America, but now residing at Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING SCREWS," to be as
follows:-
:-
In manufacturing "wood screws" by machinery the usual if not the

page_text: only method of slotting the blanks is to subject the heads to the
action of revolving circular saws while the blank is griped between
jaws. In the machinery forming the subject of tho present In-
vention the blank is griped between jaws moved to open and shut
automatically, and while so griped is acted upon by a planing tool, or t
more correctly speaking, a slotting tool moving in a right line or nearly
so, cach cutter in the tool cutting to a different depth, so that each
cutter planes off its own shaving, and the slot is finished when the
whole tool has traversod over the face of the blank. In the preferred
form of the apparatus there is combined together the following me- !
chanical devices.
First. A pair of ways or contrivance for holding a pile of screw
blanks.
Second. A transferrer for taking the blanks out of a pile and trans-
ferring them to the griping apparatus.
Third. An apparatus for locating the head of the blank in proper
position with respect to the planing tool, and holding it there, so that
all slots shall be cut of the same depth irrespective of the irregularities
in the length of the blank, and in spite of any tendency that it may
have to slip in the grasp of the griping jaws.
Fourth. A griping apparatus so connected by mechanical means with
the tool that it holds the blank griped while the tool is performing the
work and releases the blank after the slot is cut.
Fifth. A planing or slotting tool consisting of a series of teeth or
single planing tools moving in a right line or nearly so, and with the
teeth so arranged with reference to each other that each tool cuts deeper
into the screw head than the tooth which preceded it.
Sixth. A rasp or flat planing tool which removes the burr formed in
the operation of planing out the slot.
And lastly. A discharging apparatus which permits the blank after it :
has been slotted to drop out of the machine when the griping jaws aro
opened.

page_text: Second. The transferer carries it over and permits it to drop into
the opening between the griping jaws, the blank then resting upon tho
cylindrical part of the discharger.
Thi
Second. The transferer carries it over and permits it to drop into
the opening between the griping jaws, the blank then resting upon tho
cylindrical part of the discharger.
Third. The locating wedge locates the blank while the stop is opposito
its head.
Fourth. The griping jaws close and grasp the blank.
Fifth. The series of slotting tools advance and slot the nick.
Sixth. The rasp following them smoothes off the burrs.
Seventh. The jaws open after the blank is slotted and smoothed.
Eighth. The discharger oscillates and drops the blank out of the
machine. It is preferred so to set or form the slotting teeth that the
lot or nick is widest at bottom, but also intended to use tools which
vill slot the nick of even width from top to bottom.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Caleb McKinney Talcott in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 2nd August 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CALEB
MCKINNEY TALCOTT, of Hartford, Connecticut, United States of
America, but now residing at Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Caleb McKinney Talcott, Her special
licence that I, the said Caleb McKinney Talcott, my exccutors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Caleb
McKinney Talcott, 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

page_text: Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING SCREWS," being a
communication to me from abroad by Jared Augustus Ayres, of
Hartford, Connecticut, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Caleb McKinney Talcott, my b
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 10
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Caleb McKinney Talcott, 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, reference being had to the Drawing 1
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say)
:-
In the manufacture of "wood screws" by machinery, the usual if not
the only method of slotting or cutting the nick in the heads of the
blanks is by the action of rotating circular saws while the blank is 2
gripped between jaws. In the machinery constituting this Invention
the blank is gripped between jaws made to open and shut automatically,
and while so gripped is acted upon by a planing tool, or more correctly
speaking a slotting tool moving in a right line or nearly so, cach cutter
in the tool cutting to a different depth, so that cach cutter planes off its
own shaving, and the slot is finished when the whole tool has traversed
over the face of the blank.
The mechanical devices combined in the improved slotting or nicking
machine arc,-
(1), a pair of ways or contrivance for holding a pile of screw
blanks.
(2), a transferrer for taking the blanks out of the pile and transferring
them to the gripping apparatus.
(3), an apparatus for locating the head of the blank in proper position
with respect to the planing tool, and holding it there so that all slots shall

page_text: the blank, and in spite of any tendency that it may have to slip in the
grasp of the gripping jaws.
(4), a gripping apparatus so connected by mechanical means with the
tool that it holds the blank gripped while the tool is performing the
work, and releases the blank after the slot is cut.
(5), a planing or slotting tool consisting of a series of teeth or single
planing tools moving in a right line or nearly so, and with the teeth so
arranged with reference to cach other that cach tooth cuts deeper into
the screw head than the tooth which preceded it.
(6), a rasp or flat planing tool which removes the burr formed in tho
operation of planing out the slot.
And lastly, a discharging apparatus which permits the blank after
it has been slotted to drop out of the machine when the gripping jaws
arc opened.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a side clevation of the
machine; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine with the guide way for
leading down the blanks removed; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken
in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an elevation of the left hand end of
the machine; Fig. 5 is a partial sectional clevation taken in the line 1, 2,
of Fig. 2, but looking in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 6 is a plan
view of the bed in which the gripping jaws and locating apparatus are
fitted.
u, a, a, is the frame of the machine serving also as a bed plate, and
a, a', is the main shaft from which the motions of all parts of the
machine are derived. This shaft is constructed with a crank a², which,
by the aid of a connecting rod a*, actuates the slide which supports and
moves the planing tool. On the same shaft are secured three cams,
a', a, a, by means of which proper motions are given to the gripping
jaws, the locating apparatus, and the discharging apparatus, the trans-
Oferrer being actuated by a motion derived from the slide which carries
the cutters. The rasp v for removing the burr is mounted upon and
moves with the slide of the slotting tool.
A pair of ways in which the pile of blanks is held is represented at
6; these ways may be mounted upon the bed plate or held in position in
5 any proper way, and in practice it is intended to combine known
any

page_text: form of arranger with them which will arrange the scrows and deposit
them in the ways.
Just below the lower end of the ways lies the transferrer c (scc Figures
2 and 5.) This is a vibrating piece of metal, in which is formed a slot
sufficiently large to hold the body of a screw blank, and it moves from
under the ways over the space between the gripping jaws and back
again, being actuated in one direction by the arm c', which strikes
against a pin c² attached to the transferrer and in the opposite direction
by the spring c³. c is a centro pin on which the transferrer rocks. Tho
action of this transferrer is as follows:-When its slot is under the
opening in the ways it receives a blank; as it moves towards the
gripping jaws it carries the blank along with it and shuts up the opening
in the ways, so that no more blanks can drop for the time, and when its
slot arrives over the opening between the gripping jaws it permits the
blank to drop between them, and when the proper time arrives
again to receive another blank from the ways.
gocs back
The gripping apparatus consists of two jaws, one by preference
stationary, the other movable, although both jaws may move. These
jaws are represented at d, d, Figures 5 and 6, the stationary jaw dis
secured to the bed plate, and the moving jaw d' is actuated by the arm:
d pivotted at u, which receives its motions from a face cam a' on tho
driving shaft a¹ (see Fig. 1.) This cam so acts upon the arm d³ (which
works the moving jaw through the set screw d'and spring d³) that the
apparatus is open when the slot in the transferrer arrives over the space
between the jaws, it then, before the slotting tool commences to act a
grips the blank and continues to hold it while the tool is acting, and also
during the action of the burring tool, if that be used, and then releases
its grasp upon the blank. The rocking arm de is not connected positively
to the moving jaw, but through its set screw d' (which bears against tho
jaw) the arm when lifted by its cam will move the jaw and cause it to s
grip the blank. When the arm is pressed down by the cam the jaws will
be opened by the intervention of the spring &³.
The locating apparatus consists in its preferred form of a projection c,
a follower e', and a wedge e³, the latter actuated by an arm or connecting
rod c, which is moved to withdraw the wedge by the cam aª and to 3
insert it by the spring c. The cam aª does not act directly upon the

page_text: connecting rod, but upon a lever e³ pendent from a plummer block of
the shaft a¹ and pivotted to the rod e³. The follower e¹ is moved towards
the blank by the wedge e, and away from it by a spring e' (see Fig. 6).
The projection or stop e which defines the position longitudinally of the
5 head of the blank to be slotted is a set screw attached to and moving
with the slide that carries the slotting tool, it comes opposite the blank
just after it has been deposited between the gripping jaws and before
those jaws have closed upon it. The head of the stop e may be slightly
rounded so as to thrust the blank in the direction of its point if it
O project too far from the jaws, but it is preferred always to drop the
blank with its head a little too near the jaws. When the blank is between
the jaws, and while its head is opposite the stop, the cam aª releases the
lever e³ and arm e³; the spring e* then draws in the wedge and causes the
follower to thrust out the blank until its head presses against the stop,
the blank will then lic with its point against the follower and its head
against the stop. As the blank is thrust against the stop by a spring
motion screw blanks of different lengths may be located with their
heads always against the stop and consequently in proper relation to tho
slotting tool. If desired, the follower, which is a slide lying between the
wedge and the blank, may be dispensed with, the wedge in that caso
will act directly upon the blank. A cam or an excentric may be used
in place of the wedge, and the stop may be mounted in some stationary
part of the machine, but in that case its head must be of such shape and
so located that it touches upon some part of the head of the blank which
is not acted upon by the slotting tool.
The wedge may be retracted at any time after the blank is gripped if
the apparatus is to act as a locating apparatus only, but it is preferred to
use the wedge as a holder while the head of the blank is being slotted,
thus preventing the blank from being displaced between the dies by the
action of the slotting tool and insuring a proper depth of slot. This
function of the wedge is the most important one, as other and yielding
devices might be used for locating only, but the wedge moving across
the dies, and held from retracting by stationary guides such as e³, e³,
furnishes an unyielding support for the blank, preventing all longitudinal
deviation from the true position while being slotted.
When the wedge is used as a holder it is not retracted until after the
alot or nick is out in the bank
AL

page_text: properly in a longitudinal direction even if the gripping jaws fails to
perform this function.
The means above described for locating and holding the blank and
consisting substantially of a stop at its head and a wedge at its point
may be applied with advantage to slotting or nicking machines furnished
with the ordinary circular saws.”
'
When the blank is deposited by the transferrer between the gripping
jaws it rests upon a rocking cylinder, one side of which is cut away for
the purpose to be presently explained. This cylinder has its bearing in
the block, which carries the blank locating apparatus, and the round
part of the cylinder forms a support for the blank. Pinned to the outer
end of this cylinder is an arm ' which is connected by the rod ƒ³ to a
lever pendent from a plummer block of the shaft a'. This lever is
lifted by the cam a² on the driving shaft a¹, and by its means the
cylinder is rocked. A reverse motion is given to the cylinder by the
spring. When the gripping jaws open after the screw is slotted tho
cam a acts upon the lever, and rocks the cylinder so that its surface
moves from under the blank, and the latter drops out of the machine.
Any proper mechanism may be employed for working the cylinder which
is the discharging apparatus in place of that specially described, and it is
intended at times to substitute a slide for the cylinder, and at others to
use other known dischargers, and sometimes to dispense with a distinct
discharger, entirely causing the jaws so to move after the screw is
slotted as to carry the blank over a slot and thus become a discharging
apparatus.
The saw or series of slotting tools may be made in one piece or in
several pieces. It is preferred to make it in several pieces, four teeth in
a section, scc g, g, Fig. 2; these pieces are laid on a sort of ledge or shelf
in the saw stock g³, and are held in place by blocks or followers acted
upon by set screws g³, g'; these pieces or sections may have packing
applied behind, below, or on top of them if necessary, and should be
either made originally, or so adjusted in the carriage, with reference to
its line of motion, and the plane in which the head of the blank lics,
that cach following tooth will make a deeper cut in the scrow head than
the last.
The saw carriage has an arm or pin g' upon it which is embraced by
the connecting rod a³, and as the crank a revolves thc saw or scries of

page_text: slotting tools reciprocates. This saw carriage has secured upon it the
rasp v, and when the slot is finished the rasp passes over the face of the
lead and removes the burrs. In order to adjust the scrics of slotting
tools, so that they shall always cut on a diameter of the head the saw
carriage is mounted in an adjustable way g³ which is pivotted, as shewn
by dotted lines ge, to one side of the frame; this pivot is in the centre of
the ways measuring vertically or nearly so, the other end of the ways
is supported and secured by set screws g², g³, and a bolt g³ passing
through the ways and side of the frame secures by means of a nut the
seve in place when adinsted.

page_text: holding them while being slotted, and discharging them when the
operation is completed.
Secondly. In combination with tho holding and discharging devices
above described reciprocating cutting tools, acting as and for the purpose
above set forth.
In witness whercof, I, the said Caleb McKinney Talcott have
hercunto set my hand and scal, the Nineteenth day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand ciglt hundred and seventy-
three.
Witness signiture,
CAROLINE LOMAX.
CALEB MCKINNEY TALCOTT. (L.S.)