IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PUNCHING AND FOR PERFORATING METALS
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ROBERTS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fifth day of March, in the tenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, my exors, admňors, and assigns, Her especial licence that I, the said
Richard Roberts,. my exors, admors, and assigns, and such others as I, the
said Richard Roberts, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
fourteen years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PUNCHING AND FOR
PERFORATING METALS;" -in-which said Letters Patent is contained a. proviso,
obliging me, the said Richard Roberts, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause to
be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next ensuing and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the said Letters Patent, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Roberts, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention
consists, first, in an improved machine for perforating such metal plates as are
used to form ships, steam boilers, girders, tubular bridges, and other strong
works made of metal plates, with a row of holes equal in number to or fewer
than the punches in the machine, which holes may be of the same or of different
sizes, and at the same or different distances apart. A series of rows of such
holes may be made in each plate, and any of the punches may be prevented
from acting at pleasure.
Secondly, in an improved machine for perforating thin sheets of metal and
punching metal surfaces, so as thereby to form various devices or patterns.
Thirdly, in an improved arrangement and combination of the parts of a
punching or perforating and shearing machine.
And, lastly, in an improved machine for dividing and punching the division
lines of linear measures.
And in further compliance with the said proviso, I, the said Richard
Roberts, do hereby declare the manner in which the same Invention is to be
performed by the following description, reference being had to the Drawings
hereto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, similar letters
and figures denoting similar parts of the same machines throughout the
Drawings, and the machines being drawn to the several scales shewn in the
Sheets hereto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS IN SHEETS 1 AND 2.
In Sheet 1, Fig. 1 represents a front elevation, Fig. 2 a side elevation, and
Fig. 3 a horizontal section, taken through the dotted line A', A', in Figs. 1
and 2, of my improved perforating machine for making holes in strong plates.
Fig. 4 is a detached view of the traverse apparatus; and Fig. 5, a detached
view of the holding-down or stripping apparatus.
In Sheet 2, Fig. 6 represents a sectional elevation of the machine shewn
in Sheet 1; Fig. 7, an elevation of the back of the machine; Fig. 8, a plan
view of the apparatus for putting the punches out of action without stopping
the fly wheel; and Fig. 9, a plan view of a few of the jacquard plates. A, A,
the standards; B, the bed, through which there is an opening for the punch-
ings or metal punched out of the plate to fall; this bed is inserted into the
standards. C, a stretcher bar, to connect the top of the standards; D, a
fulcrum bar of the levers q, q, which withdraw the punches, and of the lever w,
which traverses the plate; E, a fulcrum shaft, to which the levers j, j, and k, k,
are keyed; F, the main or eccentric shaft, working in bushes in the standards;

page_text: G, a spur wheel, keyed on the eccentric shaft; H, a pinion, working into the
wheel G; I, the fly wheel shaft, on which are the fast and loose pulleys K
and L, the pinion H, and the fly wheel J; M, M, connecting rods, fitted to
the eccentric necks of the shaft F; N, N, caps of the connecting rods M, M ;
O, O, guide plates for the punch rams P, P; Q, the cam shaft; R, a spur
wheel, loose on the cam shaft, and having on one side two projections,
between which there is an opening; R*, a locking disc or plate, keyed on the
shaft Q, having upon it a spring catch 38, which takes into the opening
between the projections on the wheel R. R and R* are seen detached on
Sheet 2, and the dotted lines on R* represent a weight to counterbalance the
levers k. S, a toothed wheel, keyed on the main shaft F; T, the punch ram
depresser, secured to the connecting rods M, M, by knuckle joints at the lower
end of the connecting rods; U, a slide bar, on which the frame traverses
which carries the plate to be punched; V, V, two short slide bars, to carry
one side of the traverse frame; W, a block of iron, fastened with short wedges
to the bed B to carry the die plate X, into which the dies d are inserted, and
prevented from rising by a collar at the lower end of each, as seen in Fig. 5;
Y, a square shaft, carrying the holding-down levers or stripping fingers o, o ;
Z, Z, levers on each end of the shaft Y; a, a, the punches let into the punch
holders b, b, bolted to the rams P, as seen in the detached views on Sheet 2;
c, c, pieces bolted to the bed B, to carry the adjusting slide bars V, V; d, dies
inserted into the holder X; e, e, see Fig. 6, are the selecting slide bars, which
when allowed to pass through the card plate enter the card roller f without
being pushed backward by them; the card roller has in this case six sides, and
the belt of jacquard plates, after passing over it in the usual manner, passes
over a round roller suspended in a swing frame at such an angle as shall keep
the belt moderately tight, whilst the roller f advances towards and recedes from
the selectors e. g, g, brackets projecting from the depresser T, and carried up
and down with it; h, h, sliding blocks, in which the journals of the card roller
turn. To an upright cast on each of these blocks is fitted a rod of round iron*,
with a flat foot, long enough to extend over two of the six pins in the ends of
the card roller, against which the flat foot of the rods is made to pass, by spiral
springs coiled around them, in the usual manner employed in the jacquard
loom, which is generally known, and need not be further described. i, i, see
Fig. 6, are two sets of guide blocks for the selecters e, one on each side of the
depresser, adjustable laterally by set screws on flat bars extending across the
machine. The use of these blocks is to carry the selecting bars e, which are
round at the end that enters the cards, and flat at the other end, to keep them
in their proper positions. The centre portion of each selecting bar is a solid

page_text: piece of iron, projecting as much below the round stem as will, when the
selecting bar is driven backwards by a card plate, permit the depresser T to
complete its downward stroke, without the selecting bar touching the ram P
under it. j,j, are levers, keyed on the shaft E, and connected at their lower
end by links to the slide blocks h, h; k, k, are levers, also keyed on the shaft
E, and having each a friction roller at its lower extremity. .On the shaft. Q are
two cams, one of which works a lever k on one side of the shaft, and the other
cam works the other lever k on the opposite side. One of the cams, through
the medium of the levers j, j, and the links before referred to, causes the roller f
to approach the selecting bars e, and the other cam causes the roller to recede
from them, until, by a catch employed in the ordinary way in the "jacquard"
looms, the roller f is made to turn through one-sixth of a revolution, and is
then retained in that position by the pressure of the spiral spring and flat foot,
above referred to. 1, 1, are brackets, attached to the depresser T at the back
of the machine, seen best in Fig. 6; m, a bar, resting on the brackets I, 1, and
connected by rods with the sliding blocks h, h, which on receding cause the
bar m to bring all the selecting bars e into the position for depressing the
rams, as seen in in Fig. 6; n, n, are levers, having their fulera on studs screwed
into the standards. One end of these levers is connected by a rod p with the
levers Z, Z; the other end is furnished with a roller, which is acted upon by a
cam u on the shaft Q, see Fig. 2. o, o, are the holding-down levers, adjustable
laterally on the shaft Y, so as to admit of one of them being placed on each
side of every punch; p, p, are rods connecting the levers n and Z. By adjust-
ing the length of these rods the levers o, o, are made to press upon plates of
different thicknesses, so as to hold the plates down while the punches are being
withdrawn. q, q, levers, turning on the fulcrum bar D, for withdrawing the
punches, by means of the cams r, r, that actuate the levers 9, 9; s, a broad
but rather thin bar, extending through the series of punch rams P, shewn by
dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 7. The punch rams P are made with slots, through
which the bars passes, and these slots must be about two inches longer than
the width of the bar s, in order to allow the punch rams to be forced down
when the bar is at the bottom of its stroke. t, t, are links, connecting the
bars with the levers q, q; u, u, are cams, which depress the holding-down
levers o, o, through the medium of the levers n, n, rods p, p, and levers Z, Z,
and hold down the plate while the punches are being withdrawn; v, a cam for
the traversing rack 5; w, a lever, turning on the fulcrum bar D, and worked
by the cam v; x, the cam for lifting the rack 5; y, a lever, turning on a stud
in the standard, and worked by the cam & for lifting the traversing rack 5;
Z, a rod connecting the lever y with the lever 8, seen best in Fig. 4. 1 is

page_text: a lever on the traverse shaft 2; 3, another lever on the shaft 2; 4, a link,
connecting the lever 3 with the rack 5; 6, a rod connecting the lever w with
the lever 1 for traversing the rack 5; 7, a shaft for carrying the levers 8, 9,
and 10; 11, a link connecting the levers 10 and 12; 13, a shaft carrying
the levers 12 and 14; 15 and 16 are links, connecting the rack 5 with the
levers 9 and 14; 17, the upper or retaining rack; 18, a stud, carrying the
elbow lever 19, which is provided with a handle; 20, another stud, carrying
the elbow lever 21, which is connected by a link 22 with the lever 19. The
rack 17 is carried on studs in the horizontal arm of the levers 19 and 21. 23,
division studs in the bar 24 of the traversing frame. The plate to be punched
is put into a traversing frame, formed of two side bars 24. and. 25, and two.
stretcher bars, secured by cottars to the side bars, which are rabbeted to.
support the plate, and when required furnished with clamps to hold the plate
down. 24 represents one of the sides of the traversing frame, in which there
is a groove to fit on the slide bar U. Into the outer side of the bar 24 is.
screwed a series of studs 23, represented in the Drawings as being 12 inches
from centre to centre apart from each other. The side 25 of the frame slides,
on the bars V, V. When the plates to be punched are very long, rollers may
be used to carry the projecting ends of the traversing frame. In Fig. 3 is
shewn part of a frame with a plate partly perforated. The racks 5 and 17,
see Fig. 4, are drawn with three teeth in the length of a foot, which will
divide plates to a four-inch pitch; but it will be obvious that for a different
pitch the racks must be changed, and it may in some cases, such as
when the pitch required is not an aliquot part of a foot, be necessary to
alter the distance between the studs 23. Fig. 4 represents the traverse
apparatus in the position it will be in when the retaining rack is down,
and the punches in the act of passing through the plate, and the traversing
rack having completed its return stroke. When the punches are being
raised the traversing rack will rise also, and by the side piece 26, which is
attached to it, acting against the roller 27 on a stud in the rack 17, will raise
it also, and set the frame at liberty to be advanced by the cam x, through the
mechanical means already described. In Fig. 6 this traverse apparatus is
shewn in the position it assumes when the plate is advancing. The spiral
spring 28 acts on the lever 21, and forces the rack 17 down on to the
pins 23. For every hole required to be punched in line with the width of
the plate under operation, a corresponding hole must be made in a plate of the
"jacquard," and an additional hole, marked 30, see Fig. 9, is also made,
into which the stopping bar 31 enters at every stroke until the punching
be completed, at which time the "jacquard" plate 32, which is left blank,

page_text: will push all the selecting bars e beyond the rams P, and at the same
time, by pushing the bar 31, disengage the cam shaft Q, by the mechanism to
be hereafter explained, at the point where the punches and the levers o are
held up, and thus will allow the perforated plate to be taken out of the
machine and another plate to be put into it. A lateral motion may be given
to the plate which is being perforated by this machine in the same manner as
is herein-after described in the machine for perforating thin plates of metal.
The stopping bar 31 is provided with a projection on its lower surface, which
depresses the click lever 39 when the bar is pushed back; the lever 33 is
keyed on a shaft 34, moving in bearings at the back of the depresser; on the
other end of the shaft 34 is keyed the lever 85, to the upper end of which is
attached the link 36, connecting it with the elbow lever 37; the end of the
other arm of this lever is inclined for the purpose of unlocking the plate R*,
and is provided with a stud, on which is a latch 38, the tail of which comes in
contact with the incline on the elbow lever 37 when it is in the position shewn
in dotted lines in Fig. 8, and as the wheel R revolves the latch becomes dis-
engaged from the opening between the two projections cast on the said wheel,
at which time the cam shaft Q ceases to revolve. When the stopping bar 31
has been pushed back, it depresses the lever 39, and liberates the lever 33
from behind the projection on the lever 39, when the spring 40 will pull the
elbow lever 37 into the position shewn in dotted lines. To the blocks ha
small shaft is attached, on which are two levers, suspending by links a plate of
metal, similar to a blank card plate, except that the holes for the guide pins
are cut at the bottom edge. At each end of the same shaft is a lever handle,
held up or down by a side spring in the ordinary way. The use of this
apparatus is as follows:-Should it be required to stop the machine before
the plate is finished, by raising the lever here referred to the blank plate will
come in front of the roller, and will act the part of a blank jacquard plate and
stop the machine.
Having now described the principal parts of this machine, I shall procced to
explain the manner of its working. The plate to be punched having been
placed in the traversing frame on the slides U and V, is then pushed forward;
in its progress, the first pin of the series 23 passes under the inclined end of
the rack 17, until the first notch in the rack falls upon the pin; the driving
strap being now on the fast pulley K, the machine is set to work, by pulling
down the handle 42, keyed on the shaft 34, until the lever 33 is latched by the
click lever 39; the elbow lever 37 is then, by the spiral spring 40, brought
into the position shewn in Fig. 8; the latch 38 being now liberated, will, by
the action of the spring 41, see Fig. 6, drop into the notch in the wheel R the

page_text: first time it comes round; the cam shaft Q will now revolve at the same speed
as the shaft F, and the "jacquard" roller f will be drawn back and made to
perform one-sixth of a revolution on its centres, after which it will be advanced,.
and the first card of the series will remove those selecting bars for which there
are no holes in the "jacquard" plate; the other selecting bars will remain over
their respective rams P, which will then force down the punches through the
plate by the descent of the depresser T. A little before the punches have gone
through the plate under operation, the levers o are made to press upon it, and
are held there while the punches are being withdrawn by the bar s, which
rises simultaneously with the depresser T during one half of its ascent.
Whilst the depresser is continuing its ascent and descent through the other
half of the stroke, the roller f recedes and draws with it the bar m, which
brings all the selectors again over the punch rams P. The roller f while.
receding having performed another sixth of a revolution, will on advancing
bring another of the "jacquard "plates against the selectors, and the operation.
will be repeated until all the holes are punched in the plate under operation..
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS IN SHEET 3.
These Drawings are given in illustration of my improved machine for
punching and for perforating thin plates of metal. Many parts and move-
ments in this machine are almost identically the same as in the machine for
punching and perforating strong or thick plates, herein-before described, and it
will be consequently quite unnecessary to describe them here. Of this class
are the standards, the eccentric shaft and connecting rods, the driving shaft,
fast and loose pullies, cams and levers, cam shaft and toothed wheels. I shall
therefore proceed to describe such parts only as differ from those already
described.
In Sheet 3, Fig. 10 represents a vertical section of the machine, taken at
right angles to the row of punches. A, A, the bed, which differs from that
already described principally in being made of two flat plates of cast iron
O bolted against pieces of iron B, which regulate the distance between the plates,
instead of being cast in one piece; or the pieces B may be cast on one or
partly on both plates; C, one of many pieces of steel, accurately fitted to each
other, and to the angular recess in one side of the bed, and made fast to the
other side (over which they project for the convenience in handling) by the
screw D; each of the pieces C is perforated, in reference to the other pieces,
in such manner, as that when the pieces are put in their places the row of
per-
holes in the series shall be such as may be required. But for the sake of
spicuity I shall consider the holes in this instance to be in a straight line and

page_text: all of the same size, and to avoid repetition, shall premise, what must be evident
to any one acquainted with the subject, that the number and distance of the
holes in each row will be the same as the number and distance of the punches,
wire springs, and guide wires. E, an iron casting, secured at its ends to a
flanch on each of the standards in such manner as will admit of its being
readily withdrawn to enable the punches, the dies, and the other parts of the
machine hid by it to be examined; F, the punch guide, fastened by screws to E,
which also serves as the stripper-off, by holding down the plate whilst the
punches H are being withdrawn, by the flanch at the bottom of the bar G
lifting against the under side of the heads of the punches; the flanch at
the top of G is to strengthen it; J, the punch rams, kept in the vertical
position by pieces of thin flat wire made fast in the dovetailed grooves k, k, by
pouring soft metal when in a molten state into them, in the manner usually
practised in similar cases by stocking and lace machine makers; the piece G is
held against the piece E by vertical slide pieces at its ends. I, one of the
series of wire springs in the lower flanch of the piece G, to keep the series of
rams J vertical; L is the depressing bar, extending across the machine, and
moving in vertical slides in the standards; M is a tempered steel bar, let into
a groove in the bar L, and held there by bolts; N is a plate of brass, extend-
ing across the machine and screwed in the bar L; O is another plate of brass,
extending across the machine, which is also screwed to the bar L; P is
a selecting block, of which there is a series corresponding in number with the
punches. In each end of this a round wire is fixed, one marked Q and
the other R; the wires Q and R work in holes in the plates N and O, of
which there is a number corresponding with that of the punches. The bent
wire spring S is inserted by an elbow end into a hole in O, and the other end
through a hole in the block P, into both of which holes it enters easily; its
office is twofold, namely, to press the block P in the direction of the arrow
and to keep it in its proper position in reference to the bars M and rams J.
T is a four-sided prism, turning on bearings attached to L, over which per-
forated cards or card plates are made to pass in chain, after the well-known
manner of the "jacquard" for weaving figured fabrics. The prism T is
represented in the Drawing as having a groove on each side extending through-
out its whole length, instead of a number of holes, corresponding to the number
of wire needles or selectors, in the ordinary way. The groove prism will suit
cards of various pitches or degrees of fineness. In this machine, the plate to
be perforated, marked U, is clamped, or otherwise secured to a traversing frame,
such as is generally used for that purpose, to which I make the following
addition for varying the pitch in reference to the forward motion while the

page_text: plate is under operation, namely, when a screw is employed to advance
the plate, either the collar or the nut in which the screw works is made
to slide a little in the direction of the length of the serew on the piece to which
the same is usually attached; this sliding of the nut or collar may be regulated
by a cam or eccentric, and the same principle of retarding or accelerating
the plate is applied when a rack and pinion are employed. In addition to the
longitudinal traverse I give to the plate a lateral motion, which may be regu-
lated by a cam or cams, or by an eccentric or eccentrics, according to the
nature of the devices or patterns to be punched or perforated by the machine.
To adapt the mechanism for producing such compound movements, the longi-
tudinal sliding frame is made to traverse upon a cross slide, the manner of
constructing which and of communicating motion to the cams will vary.
according to the pattern required, and which need not be further noticed here,
as it will suggest itself to any competent mechanic. Fig. 12 on the same
Sheet shows a different arrangement of mechanism for putting out of action at
each stroke of the machine such punches as are not required to be used. The
principal difference consists in the wires Q when pressed by the cards pushing
the punch rams J, which move on the punch head as a fulcrum, beyond the
reach of the steel depresser M. Another slight difference is made in putting
the wires and the prism T to move up and down with the piece G instead of
with L, as shewn with reference to Figs. 10 and 11. It will be obvious, on
inspection of the Drawings, that two of these machines may be put to face each
other on the same standards, and that a greater number if required may be
put in series. And from what has herein-before been said respecting the part.
E resting on a flanch on the standards, it will be seen that the parts E may be
slid out for inspection and repairs of the punches, &c. As two or more series
of punches may be employed at the same time on the same job, and each series
be of a different size or form to the other or others of them, it follows, that
by due care in making the designs, and in the adjustment of the mechanism,
an immense number of patterns may be produced with the same sets of
punches. It will also be obvious that large punches having set patterns may
be used in conjunction with small punches which are under the influence
of the "jacquard;" large punches with set patterns may also be brought into
operation by means of the jacquard.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS IN SHEET 4.
A combined punching and shearing machine, suitable for punching and
shearing simultaneously plates and bars of metal, is here represented.
Fig. 13 is a front elevation of the end of the machine to which the shears

page_text: are applied; Fig. 14 is an elevation of the punching end of the machine; and
Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the machine, shewing the shears at one side and
the punch at the other. Fig. 16 is a front elevation, and Fig. 17 a side
elevation, of another of my improved modes of driving the combined punching
and shearing machine.
In Figs. 13, 14, and 15, a represents the frame or standard to which all the
working parts of the machine are attached'; b is the driving shaft; c, a pinion:
fixed upon. it and driving the wheel d, which is keyed on the eccentric shaft e;
k is the fly wheel, to which are cast clutches taking into clutches cast on the
pinion c. The object of these clutches is to connect the pinion with the fly
wheel in a more perfect manner than can be done by keying them to the
shaft. represents the eccentric for working the shears, and g the eccentric
for working the punch, both turned out of the solid of the shaft e; h, is the
sliding plate to which the upper blade of the shears is secured, and i is
the connecting rod for working the slide h up and down; 7 is the connecting
rod, reaching from the eccentric g to the projection m, cast on the plate n, to
which is attached the punch-holder. The punch slide n is lifted up after
every stroke by the following contrivance:-Upon the shaft e is an eccentric o,
which acts against a roller on a pin in one arm of the lever p, which turns
on a stud fixed in the standard a; the link s descends from another arm
of the lever p, and is connected with the lever t, the fulcrum of which
is at t*, the other end passes through a slot in the frame a, and takes
into an opening provided in the punch slide n. The eccentric 9 produces
a stroke of rather more than twice the thickness of the strongest plate to be
punched by the machine, but the eccentric o causes the punch slide n to rise
only a little above the thickness of the same, thus giving the person who
attends the machine a better opportunity of setting the plate than if the
punch were taken up the whole length of the stroke of the connecting rod l.
If he should fail to set the plate correctly in due time he can prevent the
punch from descending by pulling the handle q in the direction of the arrow;
this motion will remove the connecting rod 7 from its vertical position over
the projection m by means of the link r, which connects the rod / with the
short lever projecting from the handle q. Upon the same shaft as the
handle q is fixed a lever and weight u, the object of which is to retain
the connecting rod in the position it has been placed by the workman. The
die and the stripper or holder-down are made in the usual manner.
In the Figs. 16 and 17, A represents part of a frame or standard of a
machine similar in its general construction to that described with reference to
Fig. 13, 14, and 15, the only difference being in the method of driving the

page_text: Fig. 18 represents a back clevation, Fig. 19 an end elevation, partly in
section, Fig. 20 a plan view, and Fig. 21 another end elevation, of my
linear dividing and punching machine. A is the bed, supported by legs; B,
the sliding table; C, the driving shaft, working in bearings fixed to the bed;
D, a chango pinion on the shaft C; E, the intermediate wheel on a stud; F,
a change wheel on the end of the shaft G, revolving in bearings attached to
the bed A. Upon the driving shaft C is fixed a cam H, that by elevating
one end of the lever I depresses the other end, which, by the vertical link J
and elbow lever K, causes the click L to give motion to the ratchet wheel M,
fixed on the worm shaft N. A spring I* causes the roller in the lever I to
press upon the cam II, and the lever K to return, and the click L to be in
a position to take another tooth (or as many as it is set for) of the ratchet
wheel. The number of teeth in the ratchet wheel will depend upon the pitch
to be divided. O is a worm near one end of the shaft N, taking into a seg-
mental nut P fixed into and extending the whole length of a groove in the
under side of the slide B. The object Q, in which divisions are to be punched,
is clamped on a suitable chuck plate R fixed to the table B, which is
advanced by the rotation of the worm O. The worm shaft N is carried by
a swing frame S moving on centres T, and is raised and lowered by the
handle U on the cam shaft V, and the cam W acting on the friction roller X
to facilitate the return of the table. a, a, represents two brackets bolted to
the back of the bed; b, a swing frame hingeing on a shaft C, passing through
the brackets a; d, a piece of hardened steel that rubs against the cam e
fixed on the shaft G, and is adjusted by the set screw f; g is a horizontal
swing frame moving on centre screws h, h, in the swing frame b; i is a socket
fitting in the swing frame g; jis a lever, in which there is a hole to fit on the

page_text: socket i, to which it is secured by a set screw; K, K, are set screws acting.
on the end of the lever j for regulating the position of the punch with
reference to the object to be punched; m, a cap screwed on the top of the
socket to regulate the depth to be punched. The punch is held in the
socket i by a set screw. n is another horizontal swing frame under the bed A,.
and it is connected by a rod O with the upper swing frame g. In the swing
frame n is a roller p, seen in Fig. 19, which is acted upon by a cam q, seen.
dotted in Fig. 18.
I shall now proceed to describe the manner of working this machine in
reference to punching the divisions on a scale of inches, similar to those of
a mechanic's common rule, having eight divisions to an inch. I have intro-
duced the following mechanism for disconnecting the cam shaft from the
wheel N, which permits the wheel to revolve without the cam shaft. A
ratchet wheel M, having a proper number of teeth with reference to the pitch
of the worm O, for advancing the table B the required distance at each
revolution of the driving shaft C, is put on the worm shaft N, and a cam e is
put on the shaft G, having four rises, one corresponding with the half inch,
one with the inch, and the other two with the quarter inches; the sunk parts
being all at the same distance from the centre will give the length of the
shortest lines, or eighths of an inch. A wheel F and pinion D in the pro-
portion of eight to one are put on the shafts C and G, and the punch 7, being
broad enough to punch the longest line on the scale, is adjusted to punch it
the required depth. The piece d is adjusted by the set screw f to regulate
the longest line; the height of the rises in the cam e will regulate the length
of the other lines. From the foregoing description it will be seen that at
each revolution of the driving shaft C the ratchet whoel M has been made to
advance the article to be punched, and that one division has been made on it.
In the example above described all the divisions will come down to the edge
of the scale.
I shall now describe the method to be adopted when the lines are to
terminate short of the edge of the scale. On the opposite end of the shaft G
to the wheel F, I put a cam Z', which, by its action on the catch Z, disengages
the lever I, and permits the spring above referred to to force the click back
into a position to take the ratchet wheel forward another tooth; but, as in this
case the width of the punch is equal to the length of the shortest line (only),
any additional length that may be required must be produced by repeating the
stroke of the punch, to effect which it will be necessary to arrest the advance
of the ratchet wheel M until the required number of strokes be given. On
referring to Fig. 21, it will be seen that at every revolution of the cam H the

page_text: depressed end of the lever I will be held down by the catch Z, unless that be
held back by the cam Z, and that whilst the lever I is so held the cam H
will revolve without advancing the ratchet wheel M, and consequently, that by
giving the proper form to the cam Z', a number of strokes may be given to
the punch in the same line. The manner of varying the length of the line will
be obvious after the explanation given above with reference to the use of the
cam e. In dividing metal scales it will be desirable to secure them well at
the commencing end, lest the expansion produced by punching should destroy
the accuracy of the work. It will be obvious to mechanics that circles may
also be divided on this machine by placing the circle on a central axis and
giving to it a revolving instead of a traversing motion.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as of my Invention,―
First, the application to any punching or perforating machine of a selecting
apparatus which governs mechanically the order in which each punch shall
act during the operation of the machine. Although I have shewn and described
the jacquard apparatus, it is obvious that other mechanical agents may be used
for this purpose without deviating from my Invention.
In the punching and perforating machines, I claim for advancing the plate
longitudinally by a varying motion, and for giving a uniform or a varying
advance to the plate laterally; which improvements I claim, whether used
separately or conjointly by the means I have described, or any equivalent
means. I also claim the general arrangement of the other parts of the
machines I have shewn and described, which arrangement may be varied in
some of its parts without departing from the general principle of my
Invention.
Secondly, I claim the general combination and arrangement of mechanism
such as I have shewn and described for giving motion to the different parts of
a combined punching and shearing machine, or for a double punching or
double shearing machine.
And, lastly, I claim the combination and arrangement of such a machine
as I have herein-before described for punching the divisions on scales, circles,
and sectors for drawing and other purposes, and on linear measures of various
kinds. And such my Invention being, to the best of my knowledge and belief,
entirely new, and never before used within that part of Her said Majesty's
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, Her Dominion
of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, I do hereby declare this to
be my Specification of the same, and that I do verily believe this my said
Specification doth comply in all respects fully and without reserve or disguise

page_text: with the proviso in the said herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
contained, wherefore I do hereby claim to maintain exclusive right and
privilege to the said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Roberts, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Third day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
WITHINGTON, Extra.
RICH (L.S.) ROBERTS.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Third day of September, in tho
year of our Lord 1847, the aforesaid Richard Roberts came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.