Improvements in Rivets and Method of Making the same.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd June, 1891-Accepted, 25th July, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rivets and Method of Making the same.
I JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of
Middlesex Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention which has
been communicated to me from abroad by Henry Shaw Reynolds of Brooklyn
Kings County State of New York in the United States of America and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The rivet made according to this invention is a tubular sheet metal rivet having
a solid head integral with a tubular shank.
It is made by a method which involves among other operations coiling the sheet
metal onto itself; and it is formed from a sheet metal blank which, on that edge of
the head portion thereof which is first coiled, has a tongue or extension. When
the coiling operation takes place the tongue is first coiled onto itself so that
by the time the main body of the blank commences to be coiled there will be formed
by the strip or tongue a practically solid cylinder which forms a filling for and in
fact fills that portion of the coiled blank which forms the head the blank in this
condition resembling a cylinder which is tubular for that portion of its length
intended for the shank and filled or plugged for that portion of its length intended
for the head. Then by swaging the head portion of the coiled blank I obtain a
solid swagged head for the rivet which is integral with the tubular shank.
I will more particularly describe the invention with reference to the accompany-
ing drawing in which I have illustrated the complete rivet and the several processes
by which it is produced.
Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of the sheet metal strip from which the blanks are
It is represented in the condition in which it is after the blanks are cut and
removed therefrom.
cut.
Figure 2 is a plan of the blank.
Figure 3 is a view of the blank partly coiled.
Figure 4 is a view of the blank completely coiled.
Figure 5 is a view of the completed rivet.
Figure 6 is an enlarged section on the 1 inch 6-6, Figure 4.
Figure 7 is a like section on the 1 inch 7-7 of Figure 6.
Figure 8 is an enlarged axial section of the rivet Figure 5.
The sheet metal blank from which the rivet is made is represented in Figure 2.
A is the body of the blank which is of a length suitable to afford a tubular shank
of the desired length, as well as a head of the proper size; and is of a width such
that when coiled or bent into cylindrical form with its longitudinal edges brought
together, it will form a tube of the diameter required for the tubular shank of the
rivet. On the edge a of the blank which is first rolled and for that portion of its
length devoted to the head of the rivet, is the extension or tongue B
hereinbefore referred to which is integral with the body of the blank.
The blanks can be conveniently and economically cut from a strip of sheet metal s
of indefinite length after the fashion indicated in Figure 1, the spaces s being those
left by the cutting of the blanks.
In making the rivet, the first step, after producing the blank is to coil the blank
from that edge on which the tongue B is situated. In this operation the tongue is
first coiled tightly into itself so that by the time the body of the blank commences
to be coiled the tongue will have been made into a tight coil forming in effect a
plug or filler of a diameter to fill what would otherwise be the tubular head portion
of the coiled blank. The blank at this stage of the operation is represented in
Figure 3. The coiling then proceeds until the body portion of the blank is bent

page_text: into tubular form with its longitudinal edges meeting, as seen in perspective in
Figure 4, and in longitudinal axial section in Figure 7.
By this operation, the blank has been brought to the external shape of a cylinder
of uniform diameter, which, for that portion of its length intended for the tubular
shank of the rivet, is hollow, and for that portion of its length intended for the
solid rivet head is filled by a plug composed of the coiled tongue B.
The next operation it to swage the filled head portion of the blank shown in
Figures 4, 6, and 7, into the form of the head, which operation is readily
accomplished by means of suitable dies and plungers by which this portion is by
powerful pressure compressed into a solid head, which is integral with the tubular
shank.
This operation practically completes the rivet which as thus completed is shewn
in Figure 5.
The rivet can then, if desired, be dipped to give it a surface coating of tin copper
or the like, or can be japanned or otherwise treated in the way customary, in order
to give it the required finish.
With respect to the material from which the blanks are cut in the first instance,
I am not limited to a strip or sheet of any particular material. I may use, for
example, scrap tin or other sheet metal scrap.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
First. The herein before described method of making tubular solid headed rivets,
consisting essentially in forming from sheet metal a blank, having on its body portion
a filling tongue or strip, then coiling this blank into cylindrical form, the tongue
being first coiled so as to form a filling for the head part of the subsequently-coiled
body portion, and finally swaging the filled portion of the coiled blank into a solid
head, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Second. The sheet metal blank for the production of tubular solid headed rivets,
consisting of the body portion A. and the filling tongue or strip B. integral, there-
with substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Third. The coiled sheet metal rivet having a tubular shank and a solid swaged
head integral with the shank, produced substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Dated the 22nd day of June 1891.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.