IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MAKING RIVETS, SPIKES, AND SCREW BLANKS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Elliott, of Oak Lane, Limehouse, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, and John Brown, of the same
place, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR
MAKING RIVETS, SPIKES, AND SCREW BLANKS."
Scaled the 27th August 1853, and dated the 15th June 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Elliott and
John Brown at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 15th June 1853.
We, JOHN ELLIOTT and JOHN BROWNE, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MAKING RIVETS,
SPIKES, AND SCREW BLANKS" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel construction of machinery whereby
wire or rods may be cut up into lengths, and afterwards formed into
rivets, spikes, or screw blanks (as required) with great expedition.
The wire is fed into the machine by grooved rollers, and severed by
a descending cutter. The length thus produced falls down a conducting
tube, end foremost, and enters a hole in one of a series of rotating dies
which pass in succession under a rising and falling die which effects

page_text: the heading operation. These rotating dies are carried by segment
picces, which are dowelled together, and form a ring or wheel without
spokes. This ring is suspended on a segment frame, over which it slides,
and it receives an intermittent motion from a catch projecting from a
plate keyed to a rotating crank shaft, which shaft also serves by means
of an excentric and strap to actuate a pin which enters the centre hole
in the dies from the back, and thrusts out the rivets, spikes, or screw
blanks, after they have been headed from the dies, as they are sue-
cessively presented to its action.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Elliott and John Brown in the Great Seal
Patent Office, on the 15th December 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
JOHN ELLIOTT, of Oak Lane, Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, and JOHN BROWN, of the same place, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of June, in the
year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, er heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Elliott and John Brown, Fer
special license that we, the said John Elliott and John Brown, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
John Elliott and John Brown, our executors, administrators, and as-
signs, 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 Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MAKING
RIVETS, SPIKES, AND SCREW BLANKS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said John Elliott and John Brown, by an instru-
ment in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal

page_text: of one of us, 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 after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Elliott and John Brown,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):
This Invention relates to a novel construction of machinery whereby
wire or rods may be cut up into lengths, and afterwards formed into
rivets, spikes, or screw blanks (as required) with great expedition.
The wire to be converted into either class of article is fed into the
machine by grooved rollers, and severed into portions of a given length
by means of a descending and stationary cutter. The lengths thus
produced fall down a conducting tube, end foremost, and severally
enter a hole in one of a series of rotating dies which pass in succession
under a rising and falling die intended to effect the heading operation.
These rotating dies are carried by segment pieces which are dowelled
together, and form a ring or a wheel without spokes. This ring is sus-
pended on a segment frame, over which it slides, and an intermittent
motion is communicated to it for the purpose of bringing the dies
charged with the lengths of wire consecutively under the action of the
rising and falling die, and thereby converting the wire into rivets,
spikes, or screw blanks, according to the description of dies in use.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1, shews our improved machine
in sile elevation; Fig. 2, is a front view of the same, with the feed
apparatus removed and the segment ring in section; Fig. 3, is a par-
tial sectional elevation taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4,
is a front view of the feed apparatus; a, a, is the bed of the machine,
and b, b, bb, are four standards connected thereto. These standards
are connected together in pairs by cross heads c, c, which carry at their
upper side the bearings for the main driving shaft d, and at their under

page_text: side bearings for receiving a shaft e. Mounted loosely on the shaft d,
is a pinion f, which gears into a cog-wheel y, keyed fast to the shaft c.
Rotary motion is communicated from any first mover to the shaft d
through the driving pulley h, and the motion of the machine is
rendered equable by the fly-wheel i, on the same shaft. This motion is
communicated to the pinion f. by means of a friction strap k, (see the
detached views, Fig 5, and 6.) connected to a boss 7, mounted on but
capable of sliding over a feather on the shaft d. A recess or cavity is
formed in one side of the pinion f, to receive the strap k, and its boss.
When, therefore, the boss 1, is slidden so as to bring it within the cavity
of the pinion and rotary motion is given to the shaft d, the pinion f
will be caused to revolve and drive the large cog-wheel g. This ar
rangement for driving is employed in order to provide against any injury
happening to the machinery from driving it when too great a resistance
is presented to the descent of the rising and falling die.
In such case
the strap will slip on its boss, and no injurious action will take place.
The shaft e, is provided with a cam for working a vertical plunger m,
which carries at its lower end a die m, termed the leading die, com-
posed of cast iron. This shaft e, also carries at its forward end a crank
pin which, through a link n, causes a vertical rod o, connected by a
rod 1" to a crank shaft q, (at the lower part of the machine) to slide up
and down in its guides, and give rotary motion to that crank shaft.
Keyed to this crank shaft 7, is an excentric disc r, which is embraced
by a straps, provided at front with a tooth or catch for rotating the
ring of dies t, t, and jointed at back to a sliding rod u, which works in
a fixed guide, and carries at its extremity a pin for discharging the
rivets from the dies. The dies t, t, are set in segment pieces v, v. (see
the sectional elevation, Fig. 3,) which are attached together by means of
links or dowels w, let into recesses in the segment pieces, and secured to
those pieces by pins or cotters, as shewn in detached sectional view,
Fig. 7. These segment pieces are made hollow for the purpose of
receiving the dies t, and to permit of the descending die m*, coming
in contact therewith as they are severally brought up with a charge of
wire to be converted into a rivet, spike, or screw blank.
x, x, is a strong seginent frame or block secured by bolts to the bed

page_text: of the machine, and intended to support the ring of segment pieces and
the dies t, t. It is grooved on its upper side to allow the dies, which
project slightly within the ring, to slide freely over the frame when rotary
motion is imparted to the ring. This motion is produced by the tooth
or catch on the strap s, when advanced, coming under the projecting
part of the next adjacent dic, and driving round the ring of dies a
sufficient distance to displace the die that was last subjected to the
pressure of the plunger, and bring a fresh die into its place.
In order to feed in the lengths of wire to the lies we employ the
following contrivance:-1, 1, are a pair of grooved rollers mounted
in the framing 2, 2, and geared together by the pinions 3, 3. On the
axle of the lower roller a ratchet wheel 4, is keyed, and mounted
Joosely on the same shaft is a bell-crauk lever 5, one limb of which
carries a ratchet 6, for taking into the teeth of the ratchet wheel. The
other limb of the bell-crank lever is jointed to a rod 7, which connects
it to a crank plate 8, keyed to the shaft y. Every revolution, therefore,
of the shaft y, will eause the ratchet 6, to drive round the ratchet
wheel a portion of a revolution, and with it the rollers 1, 1, whereby
the heated wire that lies between them will be forced under the action
of the cutters 9, 10, which closing upon it will sever the length
required for forming a rivet. The cutter 9, is carried by a bar affixed
to the framing 2, 2, and the moveable cutter 10, is attached to the
vertical rod o. Simultaneously, therefore, with the descent of the
rod o, to effect the rotation of the crank shaft q, will the cutters be
brought together, and the length of wire be severed. The lengths,
as they are cut off, will fall down a guide or trough 11, which will
conduct them into the dies, as they are severally brought under
the trough. This trough is composed of two parts, the upper part of
which is stationary. it being rivetted to a bracket arm attached to the
frame 2. The lower part is jointed to the same arm, and is made to
swing thereon so that it may project into the openings of the segment
pieces, and yet present no ob-truction to the rotation of the ring, but
swing, by reason of that movement, into the dotted position. When the
next opening is presented to the trough it will by its own gravity fall back
into the position for guiding the next severed portion of wire into the

page_text: dic that has been brought in a line therewith. A rest for the extremity
of the wire or rod to be cut is shown at 12. It will now be understood
that as the dies t, are severally brought under the trough 11, they will
be charged with wire; they will next be brought in a line with the
descending plunger, the die m, of which will enter the opening in
the segment piece beneath it (which entrance will be facilitated by the
elges of the die being chamfered off), and after adjusting the ring of
segments to its required position will then impart the requisite pressure
When this is effected the
to the wire for striking up the rivet head.
plunger will rise and draw the die m*, free of the ring of segments.
Simultaneously with the rise of the plunger will be the rise of the
rod o, and its rod p, which will bring the catch of the strap s, under
the diet, succeeding that last acted on by the catch, and cause an axial
motion to be given to the ring. As the dies containing the headed
rivets or spikes are severally brought in a line with the sliding rod u,
the pin at the end thereof will, by reason of the throw of the cam
working in the strap s, enter the central opening in the dic, and thrust
out the rivet into a trough, whence it will fall into a receptacle placed
to receive it. The dies, thus cleared of the rivets, pass down into a
tank 13, containing water, whereby they are cooled and prepared for
the reception of fresh lengths of heated wire. In order to get the
crank shaft g, over its dead points we adopt the following incans:-
On the hind end of the shaft c, is an excentric, which works in an
excentric strap 14, carrying a pendent rod 14. The lower end of this
rod is jointed to a bell-crank lever 15, mounted on a stud projecting
from a bracket on the bed plate of the machine, and connected by a
jointed rod 16, with the rod p, of the crank shaft q. By arranging the
excentric of the strap 14, so that its longest radius will assume a
vertical position when the crank shaft y, has reached its dead point, the
required thrust for throwing it over its dead points will be imparted
to the crank rod p.
Ilaving now described the nature of our Invention of improved
machinery for making rivets, spikes, and screw blanks, and set forth
the manner of carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be under-
stood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent we claim,-

page_text: First, the ring of segment pieces for carrying the rotating dies, and
permitting of the thrust of the plunging die being received by a sta-
tionary block or frame, which also sustains the ring of segment pieces
in its required position.
Secondly, we claim the arrangement of parts above described for
rotating the ring of segment pieces, and bringing the dies consecutively
under the plunger, and for effecting the discharge of the rivets, spikes,
or screw blanks from the dies.
Thirdly, we claim adjusting the rotating dies to the required position
for receiving the pressure of the plunger by the descent of the die m*,
into the openings in the segment pieces.
Fourthly, we claim the jointed trough or guide for conducting the
lengths of wire as they leave the cutters into the rotating dies
Fifthly, we claim the general arrangement of parts constituting
our improved machine as above described with reference to the
Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Elliott and John Brown,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fifteenth day of
December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-three.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
JOHN ELLIOTT. (L.S.)
JOHN BROWN. (L.S.)