Improvements relating to the Rivetting of Metal Plates and other Objects by the Aid of Electricity.
Year: 1889

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by Professor ELIHU THOMSON, of Lynn, Massachusetts,
United States of America.]
Improvements relating to the Rivetting of Metal Plates and
other Objects by the Aid of Electricity.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine Lake and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex 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:―
My invention consists essentially in a method of riveting by placing the rivet or
rivet blank in position in the socket or hole designed to receive it,, passing through
said rivet an electric current of sufficient volume to heat the same to the requisite
temperature and then setting the rivet in its position by endwise pressure or other
means employed in ordinary riveting operations.
In carrying out my invention I may swage or form both heads after the heating of
the rivet blank in position in the work, or may swage or form one head only, the rivet
having been inserted with one head already formed. The heating of the rivet when
in position may be carried only to the point sufficient to permit it to be set by
swaging or heading its ends, or the current may be allowed to pass for a longer period
and until the centre portion of the rivet, as well as the metal near thereto, are raised
to a welding temperature, when the application of pressure expanding the rivet in its
seat will weld the same to the metal surrounding it and application of pressure to the
pieces to be riveted will weld them together around the rivet.
In some cases I may cause the electric current to flow across, from piece to piece,
of the parts to be riveted as well as through the rivet itself.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure is a side elevation and partial section of one form of apparatus suitable for
carrying out the improved method of electric riveting.
Figure 2 is a view of the rivet after the operation has been effected.

page_text: Figures 3 and 4 illustrate modifications in the manner of practicing the invention.
Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are illustrations of the work accomplished.
Figure 9 is a side elevation of an improved form of apparatus which may be used
in practicing my present invention.
Figure 10 shows a further modification.
In Figure 1, P P indicate two plates of metal such as boiler or slicet metal to be
secured together by means of a rivet placed in a hole passing through lapped portions
of the said plates.
CC indicate two blocks or pieces of material adapted to conduct an electric current
and made sufficiently massive to permit the current of large volume required in the
operation to pass without becoming unduly heated.
The electric current required is conveyed from any source to the blocks C, C' by
means of cables D D or by other means, and the blocks are insulated from one
another as indicated at I, in order to prevent the current of the cables from short
circuiting around the work. Supported upon the head S. of the block C¹ and in
electrical connection therewith is a plunger G, whose end is of the nature of a swaging
tool or die and which may be forced against the work by means of a screw W.
Formed upon or attached to the block C, and in electrical connection with the source
of current is another receiving block or anvil E¹ for one end of the rivet. The faces
or ends of the blocks G, E are in line with one another and are adapted to receive
the rivet R, between them. The contour of their swaging, forming or holding ends
may be considerably varied according to the special manner of securing the rivet in
place which it is desired to employ. In the form shown in Figure 1, the end of G is
made concave to receive and fit over the end of the rivet blank and to operate as a
means of swaging a head upon the rivet blank. The other block E¹ is similarly formed
for a similar purpose.
In employing the apparatus described the blocks or pieces G. E are brought to
bear upon the rivet or rivet blank R, which has been previously inserted into the hole
through the plates, the ends of said blocks receiving the ends of the rivet or rivet
blank between them.
Electric current is now turned on and made to pass through the rivet or blank in
sufficient volume to heat the rivet to a softened condition after which endwise pressure
or other force is applied through the plunger G as for instance by means of screw W.
This will firmly seat and expand the rivet in its hole and will at the same time form
heads at opposite ends of the rivet blank or at one end thereof only, if as indicated in
Figure 3 rivet with a head already formed has been inserted into the hole previously
to the riveting operation.
Figure 2 illustrates the condition of things at the completion of the operation, the
rivet being there shown as set.
In Figure 3 the rivet is shown as having one head formed on it before being inserted
into the hole bored or punched for the purpose. The other head is formed by the
movement of the clamping piece or plunger G, after the current has heated the metal
to the desired temperature.
Figure 4 simply illustrates the fact that two plungers G G¹ might be employed and
moved in opposite directions or toward the rivet blank R, after the blank is sufficiently
heated. The holes punched or bored in the plates may be countersunk so that the
riveted heads may not protrude from the plates.
Figure 5 shows two plates riveted in this manner the rivet fitting solidly into the
countersunk holes as shown at .
A valuable effect illustrated (in Figure 6) not possible in other processes may be
obtained in this method of riveting by continuing the heating of the rivet blank
placed in the hole, for some moments longer than is necessary to raise it to the softening
temperature. By conduction the heat is carried to the portions of the plate
surrounding the rivet raising such portions to a welding temperature, and when the
rivet is pushed firmly into the hole a partial welding of the rivet to the sides of the
hole is effected thus forming practically solid metal for a portion of the distance
from d to d¹.

page_text: Figure 7 shows a similar effect which occurs when the rivet heads are not forced
into countersunk holes but are allowed to protrude from the plates.
Figure S shows a modification where one head of the rivet is allowed to protrude
from the plate, the other end fitting solidly and evenly into the countersunk hole bored
to receive it.
Figure 9 shows a modified form of apparatus which is found useful in carrying out
my improved method of electric riveting, and which is an improvement over that of
Figure 1, inasmuch as it can be used to force the plates together before the current is
put on and keep them together while the rivet is heated and secured in place.
KK are heavy clamping pieces having a common bed or support B and one or both
provided with a screw S. By means of screw S the clamping device K K' may be
forced hard against the plates P P as shown in the figure thus making a firm contact
where the metals are lapped over each other.
Theplungers or formers GG aremounted in the clamp heads andare operated bymeans
of the screw nuts XX bearing upon levers connected to the plungers. By the use of this
form of apparatus a heating electric current might be passed through the metal plates
themselves at parts around the rivet by means of the pressure pieces or clamps K K'.
Such current would assist in raising the portions of the plates immediately
surrounding the rivet in the welding temperature but the prime object is that
through the application of the pressure, the plates themselves inay be held together
during the riveting.
'
Figure 10 shows a modification of, the above described apparatus. G is one of the
plungers which is used to convey the current to the rivet R. K² is a heavy piece of
metal so arranged as to press against the plates P P Pressure is applied to the
piece K from the plunger by the spring s 8. The blocks K K, may therefore be
faced with mica or other insulator mm'.
It will be seen that by my improved method of electric riveting a large amount
of labor is overcome and much time is saved. The heating of the rivet can be
accomplished in a very few seconds, the time depending upon the power of the
electric apparatus supplying the current. It is also obvious that the inconvenience
of transporting hot rivets from the forge to the hole in the boiler or other plates
is avoided in my present invention. The superior advantage also of partially
welding the rivet to the plate is obvious.
I have described some of the forms of apparatus that may be used for carrying out
my invention, but it will he readily understood that the same method might be
practiced by using other devices.
While I have described the riveting of the blank after heating as being performed
by means of the blocks through which current is applied to the rivet or blank, it is
obvious that the invention might be practiced by withdrawing said blocks after
the rivet has been heated to the desired degree, or by applying the current through
any other means, and then heating the rivets by any desired means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is:
First. The herein described method or process of riveting, consisting in making
the rivet while in position a portion of a circuit carrying a heating or large volume of
electric current, and then setting the rivet by any desired means, as and for the
purpose described.
Second. The herein described method of riveting consisting in applying to opposite
ends of the rivet while in position suitable metal blocks or pieces either or both
movable, including said blocks and rivet in an electric circuit carrying an electric
current of large volume for the purpose of heating the rivet, and then forcing said
blocks or pieces towards one another to set the rivet.
Third. The herein described method of riveting consisting in heating the rivet
while in place by an electric current until it assumes a welding temperature, and then

page_text: applying pressure to set the rivet in its seat and unite the sides of the same to the
metal body through which it passes.
Fourth. The herein described method of fastening two pieces of metal together
consisting in passing a heating electric current through a rivet or rivet blank passing
through the pieces as well as through the pieces of metal themselves in the
neighbourhood of the rivet and applying pressure to set the rivet and weld the pieces
together.
Dated this 8th dor of January 1880
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.