OR IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR PUNCHING, SHEARING, AND RIVETTING SHEETS OR PLATES OF IRON AND OTHER METALS AND ALLOYS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Piggott, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "NEW OR IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR PUNCHING, SHEARING, AND RIVETTING SHEETS OR PLATES OF
IRON AND OTHER METALS AND ALLOYS."
Sealed the 13th April 1863, and dated the 30th October 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Piggott at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th October 1862.
I, GEORGE PIGGOTT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "NEW OR.
IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR PUNCHING, SHEARING, AND RIVETTING SHEETS OR PLATES
OF IRON, AND OTHER METALS AND ALLOYS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, firstly, of a punching machine for punching rivet
holes, or holes for other purposes, in sheets or plates of iron and other metals
and alloys. The said machine punches a plate on its two opposite edges_or
sides, and afterwards, without refixing the plate, punches the ends or sides of
the plate at right angles with those first punched. By means of a differential
dividing apparatus, which forms part of the machine, the distance between the
holes punched may be varied with great nicety. It also may be made to
punch plates with any given camber.
The punching machine is thus constructed :-The bed of the machine has

page_text: slides, on which the table carrying the plate to be punched performs first a
longitudinal motion and afterwards a transverse motion. The longitudinal
motion is effected by a screw on which a toothed wheel works. The said
toothed wheel carries a ratchet wheel on each side, and is made by a sliding
motion to gear with palls carried by one or other of two face plates, between
which it is situated, so that on a reciprocating motion being given to the
toothed wheel, it may by acting on the palls on one or other side of it, com-
municate an intermittent motion in one or other direction to the screw, and
thus move the table longitudinally.
The transverse motion is thus effected:-A shaft at right angles. to the
before-described screw carries at its end a disk, on one half of the periphery of
which two threads of a screw are cut. On the under side of the table is a rack
in which the said screw threads engage. As the said disk rotates the screw-
threads carried on one half of it engage in the rack at each semi-revolution, and
advance the rack and table, while during the other semi-revolution the plain
part of the disk is presented to the rack, and the said rack is not moved.
Three punches are employed, two being opposite to each other on the longer
sides of the machine, and the third at the extremity of the machine. The
longitudinal punching is effected by the first two, and the punching on the
ends by one of the first-described pair and the end punch. The punches are
worked by levers actuated by cranks on the principal shaft.
The differential dividing apparatus by which the screws moving the tables
are worked, is thus constructed:-A lever having a quadrant-toothed head
gears with the toothed wheel on the principal screw, and a rocking motion is
given to the said lever by means of a connecting rod, which is jointed to a
crank pin carried by a rotating disk or face plate. By means of a screw the
said crank pin can be brought nearer to or more distant from the centre of
the disk or face plate, and the length of the stroke of the connecting rod made
longer or shorter. The amount of motion given to the screw by each stroke
of the rocking motion of the lever, and the consequent motion of the table, is
thus accurately adjusted.
My Invention consists, secondly, of a shearing machine constructed to
shear one side and one end of a metallic plate, either at the same time or at
two separate cuts. In this machine I employ a fixed and moveable cutter,
both of which are angular, that is, bent in the middle or nearly in the middle
at-right angles. The working edge of the fixed cutter is in a horizontal plane,
but the edge of the moveable. cutter is inclined to the horizon; the extremities.
of the moveable cutter are lower than the angular part, so that as the said
cutter descends the cutting commences at the most distant points of the two

page_text: sides of the plate, and terminates at the angle. When the cutting of two
sides of the plate is performed at two operations I use cutters of the ordinary
kind, and support the plate to be sheared on a table which has motion through
a quadrant. After the shearing of one edge the table is turned, so as to bring
the other edge at right angles to that already cut.
My Invention consists, thirdly, of a machine for rivetting together sheets or
plates curved to the segment of a circle, the rivetting being so effected that
the axes of the said rivets are in the direction of radii to the curve of the
joined plates. The machine is also adapted to rivet plain plates.
The construction of the said machine is essentially as follows:-The rivet-
ting punch is driven by a cam on the driving shaft of the machine, and a
second cam on the same shaft works a guide, which entering two opposed
holes in the plates to be rivetted holds the plates accurately in the required
position while the rivetting is being effected in another hole. The said guide
slides in a tube, the end of which bears against the plates while the said guide
is withdrawn from the hole. The die against which the rivetting is effected
is supported by a wedge, which by being raised and lowered supports the said
die at the proper positions to accommodate the thicknesses of the plates being
rivetted. The plates are carried between the rivetting tools by means of an
apparatus similar to that described in connection with the punching machine.
The said apparatus gives only a rectilinear motion to the table carrying the
plates. A curvilinear motion is given to them, when required, by means of a
guide of angle iron having the required curvature; this guide is fixed on
the bed of the machine, and by means of guide rolls the table is made to
follow the curvature of the said guide.
My new or improved machinery is applicable to the manufacture of gas-
holders, boilers, tanks, cisterns, ship's girders, and other structures made of
wrought iron or other metals.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Piggott in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th April 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
PIGGOTT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her

page_text: reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Piggott, Her special licence, that I, the said George Piggott;
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such, others as I, the said George
Piggott, 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 Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR
PUNCHING, SHEARING, AND RIVETTING SHEETS OR PLATES OF IRON AND OTHER
METALS AND ALLOYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
George Piggott, my 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 after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Piggott, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists, firstly, of a punching machine for punching rivet
holes or holes for other purposes in sheets or plates of iron and other metals
and alloys. The said machine punches a plate on its two opposite edges or
sides, and afterwards, without refixing the plate, punches the ends or sides of
the plate at right angles with those first punched. By means of a differential
dividing apparatus, which forms part of the machine, the distance between
the holes punched may be varied with great nicety. It also may be made to
punch plates with any given camber. The punching machine is thus con-
structed: The bed of the machine has slides on which the table carrying the
plate to be punched performs first a longitudinal motion and afterwards a
transverse motion. The longitudinal motion is effected by a screw on which
a toothed wheel works. The said toothed wheel carries a ratchet wheel on
each side, and is made by a sliding motion to gear with palls carried by one or
other of two face plates, between which it is situated, so that on a reciprocating
motion being given to the toothed wheel it may, by acting on the palls on
one or other side of it, communicate an intermittent motion in one or other
direction to the screw, and thus move the table longitudinally. The transverse
motion is thus effected :-A shaft at right angles to the before-described screw
carries at its end a disk, on one half of the periphery of which two threads of

page_text: a screw are cut. On the under side of the table is a rack in which the said
screw engages. As the said disk rotates the screw threads carried on one half
of it engage in the rack at each semi-revolution, and advance the rack and
table, while during the other semi-revolution the plain part of the disk is
presented to the rack, and the said rack is not moved. Three punches are
employed, two being opposite to each other on the longer sides of the machine,
and the third at the extremity of the machine. The longitudinal punching is
effected by the first two, and the transverse punching by one of the first-
described pair and the end punch. The punches are worked by levers actuated
by the cranks on the principal shaft and on a shaft at right angles to the
principal shaft. The differential dividing apparatus by which the screw
moving the table longitudinally is worked is thus constructed:-A lever having
a quadrant-toothed head gears with the toothed wheel on the principal screw,
and a rocking motion is given to the said lever by means of a connecting rod
which is jointed to a crank pin carried by a rotating disk or face plate. By
means of a screw the said crank pin can be brought nearer to or more distant
from the centre of the disk or face plate, and the length of the stroke of the
quadrant-tooth headed lever is made longer or shorter. The amount of motion
given to the screw by each stroke of the rocking motion of the lever, and the
consequent motion of the table, is thus accurately adjusted.
My Invention consists, secondly, of a shearing machine constructed to shear
one side and one end of a metallic plate either at the same time or at two
separate cuts. In this machine I employ a fixed and moveable cutter, both of
which are angular, that is, bent in the middle or nearly in the middle at right
angles. The working edge of the fixed cutter is in a horizontal plane, but the
edge of the moveable cutter is inclined to the horizon. The extremities of the
moveable cutter are lower than the angular part, so that as the said cutter
descends the cutting commences at the most distant points of the two sides
of the plate and terminates at the angle. When the cutting of two sides of
the plate is performed at two operations I use a cutter of the ordinary kind,
and support the plate to be sheared on a table which is capable of moving
through quadrants or other portions of a circle.
After the shearing of one
edge the table is turned so as to bring the other edge at right angles to that
already cut.
My Invention consists, thirdly, of a machine for rivetting together sheets or
plates curved to the segment of a circle, the rivetting being so effected that
the axis of the said rivets are in the direction of radii to the curve of the
jointed plates. The machine is also adapted to rivet plain plates. The con-
struction of the said machine is essentially as follows:-The rivetting punch is

page_text: driven by a cam on the driving shaft of the machine, and a second cam on the
same shaft works a guide, which entering two opposed holes in the plates to
be rivetted holds the plates accurately in the required position while the
rivetting is being effected in another hole. The said guide slides in a tube
the end of which bears against the plates while the said guide is withdrawn
from the holes. The die against which the rivetting is effected is supported
by a wedge, which by being raised and lowered supports the said die at the
proper positions to accommodate the thicknesses of the plates being rivetted.
The plates are carried between the rivetting tools by means of an apparatus
similar to that described in connection with the punching machine. The said
apparatus gives only a rectilinear motion to the table carrying the plates; a
curvilinear motion is given to them when required by means of a guide of
angle iron having the required curvature. This guide is fixed on the bed of
the machine, and by means of guide rollers the table is made to follow the
curvature of the said guide. My new or improved machinery is applicable to
the manufacture of gasholders, boilers, tanks, cisterns, ship's girders, and other
structures made of wrought iron or other metals.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe,
with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in which the same
is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents, in front elevation, a punching machine constructed
according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a plan of the same (partly in hori-
zontal section); Figure 3 is an end elevation of the same, taken at the dotted
line a, Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a transverse section of the same, taken
through the line 6, Figure 2; Figure 5 is a modification of a portion of the
machine, as herein-after explained. The same letters and figures of reference
indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
c, c², are the beds of the machine situated at right angles to each other;
the said beds have V-shaped slides in which the table d, d³, carrying the
plate to be punched works. The said table d, da, is a compound one, that is,
it consists of two parts, the upper part d being the true table upon which the
plate is supported, and the lower part d² being a frame to which the required
intermittent motion is transmitted. The lower part of the table works in
the V-shaped slides of the bed c, and the upper part or true table d works in
V-shaped grooves d³ in the lower part d², and can be moved from off the said
part d², and made to work in the V-shaped slides of the transverse bed c. The
position of the table d, d², represented in the several Figures of the Drawings,
is that which it assumes when the upper part d has been moved from off the
lower part d³, and is sliding on the traverse bed c². The compound table d, d

page_text: performs, first, a longitudinal motion along the bed c, and the part d afterwards
performs a transverse motion along the bed c². The longitudinal motion of
the table,d, d, is effected by a screw e working in a screw box e² in the frame
or lower part of the table. On the end of the screw e is a toothed wheel f,
having a ratchet wheel g, h, fixed to it on either side; the said toothed wheel f
and ratchet wheels g, h, are loose upon the end of the screw e, the ratchets
being in opposite directions; i, i, are face plates fixed on the end of the
screw e, between which face plates the toothed wheel f, with its ratchet
wheels g, h, are situated. Each face plate i carries a pall which engages with
one of the ratchet wheels g, h. By giving a sliding motion to the rod n,
which enters a hole in the axis of the screw e, and is capable of sliding the
toothed wheelf with its ratchets g, h, in either direction, either of the said
ratchets can be thrown into gear with its respective pall on the face plates i, i.
The motion of the rod n is effected by the lever k, rod l; and arm m, which
latter is connected with the rod n by means of a clutch. A reciprocating
rotatory motion being given to the toothed wheel f, in the manner herein-after
explained, one or other of the palls of the face plates i, i, drives one or other
of the ratchets g, h, and an intermittent rotatory motion in one or other
direction is communicated to the screw e, and the compound table d, d²,
thereby moved along the bed c until it reaches its proper position, when it
throws itself out of gear by coming in contact with a tappet on the rod l.
The transverse motion of the table d is effected as follows:-At right angles
to the screw, e is a shaft o, carrying at its end a disk p, på, (see Figures 2
and 4); one half of the periphery of the said disk is made into a screw p²,
which screw engages in a rack q on the under side of the frame r. The
frame works in the V-shaped slides of the bed ; as the disk p, p², rotates,
the screw or screw threads på gear with the rack q during one half of the
revolution of the said disk, while during the other semi-revolution, the plain
part p of the said disk is presented to the rack q, and the said rack is not
moved. When the compound table d, d, has been moved longitudinally to
the bottom of the bed c, and brought opposite the transverse bed c³, a knob
or projections (see Figure 3) on the end of the frame r engages in a staple
or fork at t on the side of the true table d, and thereby connects the said
table d with the said frame r. By now giving motion to the rack g of the
frame r, the table d is moved from off the part d², and moved along the
bed c² with an intermittent motion; u, v, w,-are the three punches employed,
the punches u, v, being used to punch the holes in the longer sides of the
plate, and the punch w with the punch u being employed to punch the holes
in the ends or shorter sides of the plate; x is the principal shaft of the

page_text: machine, from which the several motions are derived. The intermittent
motion of the screw e, transmitted through the toothed wheel f, is effected by
a differential dividing apparatus constructed as follows:-A lever y turning
on a centre y has a quadrant-toothed head y³, which gears with the toothed
wheelf on the end of the screw e. A connecting rod z from the said lever y
is jointed to a crank pin 2 on a rotating disk or face plate 3. Rotatory
motion is transmitted from the principal shaft to the face plate 3 by means
of the bevil gearing 4, 5, and shaft 6. The crank pin 2 works on a screw 7
in the face plate 3, sliding in an opening therein. By turning the screw 7,
the said crank pin 2 can be brought nearer to or more distant from the centre
of the face plate 3, and the length of the stroke of the quadrant-tooth headed
lever y, y³, made longer or shorter. The amount of motion given to the
screw e by each stroke of the lever y, and the consequent motion of the com-
pound table d, d³, is thus accurately adjusted. The punches u, v, are worked
from the cranks 10, 11, on the principal shaft x, and the punch w is worked
from the crank 12 situated on the shaft 13 at right angles to the shaft x.
Motion is transmitted from the shaft a to the shaft 13 through the bevil-
toothed wheels 14, 15; crank rods 16 from the said cranks 10, 11, 12, are
connected to the end of the levers 17, the said levers turning on centres 17ª
in the uprights u, v, w. The short end of the levers 17 is linked to the
punches u, v, w, which said punches are guided in their motion by the
brackets 18 carried by the said uprights; the said uprights u, v, w³, also
carry the fixed punching dies 20. The distance between the punches u, v,
by means of the screw 21, which engages
in a screw box on the under side of the upright va. The distance between the
punches u, w, is adjusted in a similar manner by the screw 22. Rotatory
motion is transmitted to the shaft o, carrying the disk p, p, in the following
manner: On the shaft 13 is a bevil-toothed wheel 23; which gears with a
bevil-toothed wheel 24 on the bottom of the vertical axis 25; a bevil
wheel 26 on the top of the said axis 25 can be made to gear with either of
the bevil wheels 27, 28, and thereby communicate to the shaft o rotatory
motion in one or other direction. The reversing of the motion of the shaft o is
effected by a clutch situated between the wheels 27, 28; this clutch is actuated
by a lever connected with the rod 29.
is adjusted by sliding the upright
Having described the details of the machine, I will now explain generally
the action of the said machine. The compound table d, d², having been
brought to the proper place on the bed c, a plate d to be punched is fixed on
the part d. The machine is set in motion, and the table d, d², and plate d³,
are moved upon the said bed c with an intermittent motion; the punches u, v,

page_text: operating upon the plate d' at each interval of the plate's rest. The table and
plate having arrived at the bottom of the bed c, rows of holes on the longer
sides of the plate will have been punched. The screw e is now thrown out of
gear by the table d³ coming in contact with a tappet on the rod l, and the
shaft o set in motion, the true table d having been previously connected to the
rack frame r in the manner before explained. The table d is now carried
from off the part &, and along the bed by the intermittent motion of the
frame r, and the punches u, w, punch holes during the intervals of the plate's
rest in the ends or shorter sides of the said plate. The holes in the ends of the
plate having been punched, the said punched plate is removed from the table d,
and another plate to be punched is fixed thereon. The motion of the frame r
is reversed, and holes are punched in the ends of the plate fixed on the table.
The upper or true table d is brought on to the under table d², and is carried
along the longitudinal bed c, during which time holes are 'punched along the
sides of the plate. The punched plate being removed, a fresh plate to be
punched is fixed on the table. d, and the operations already described are
repeated. When the framer has travelled to near the end of the bed c², the
projection (see Figure 4) on the under side of the frame r coming against
the tappet 29, gives motion to the rod 29, and throws the shaft o out of gear
with the shaft 25, and the frame r is brought to rest. By a similar arrange-
ment, not represented in the Drawing, the lower table d' is made to act on the
rod l, and throw the screw e out of gear with the driving-mechanism.
Instead of effecting the intermittent motion of the frame r, by means of a
screw on half of the periphery of a disk, the same result may be obtained by
using a wheel, the periphery of which is partly toothed and partly plain.
Figure 5 represents a plan of an arrangement of the kind last described.
A shaft 30, carrying a toothed wheel 31, receives motion from the principal
shaft of the machine. The wheel 31 gears with the toothed wheel 32, and on
the axis of the wheel 32 is another wheel 33, the periphery of which is partly
toothed and partly plain. The said wheel 33 is divided into four (or more)
parts, two of the said parts opposite to each other being toothed, and the other
two being plain and of less radius than the toothed parts. The toothed parts
of the wheel 33 gear with a pinion 34 on the shaft 35, carrying the screw 36
which engages with a screw box in the frame r. This arrangement may also
be used for giving the longitudinal motion to the compound table d, d².
During each revolution of the wheel 33, the toothed parts and plain parts are
alternately presented to the pinion 34, and thus the required intermittent
rotatory motion communicated to the screw 36, that is to say, when the
toothed parts of the wheel 33 are presented to the pinion 34, rotatory motion

page_text: is given to the said pinion, but when the plain parts are presented to the said
pinion, the said pinion is not moved. The wheel 33 may be divided into as
many alternate toothed and plain portions as may be required, according as
the distance between the holes to be punched is greater or less. By the use
of the transverse slides on the table and the fixed curved guide described in
connection with the rivetting machine herein-after described, the punching
machine may be made to punch plates of any given camber or curve.
Figure 6 represents, in plan, a shearing machine constructed according to
my Invention, for shearing one side and one end of a metallic plate at the
same time; and Figure 7 is a vertical section of the same taken through the
bed of the mechine at the line a, Figure 6. The same letters indicate the
same parts in Figures 6 and 7. b, c, is the moveable cutter of the machine,
the working edge of which is marked e. The said moveable cutter b, c, is
angular, as represented in the plan, Figure 6, that is, one half of the said cutter
is at right angles to the other half; f is the fixed cutter, and fits working
edge, the said fixed cutter being situated on two sides of the bed g of the
machine, and having the same angular figure as the moveable cutter b, c.
The working edge of the fixed cutter f is in a horizontal plane, but the working
edge of the moveable cutter b, c, is inclined to the horizon, as seen in the section
Figure 7, of the part b, the extremities b², c², being lower than the angular
part at 6. As the cutter b, c, descends, the cutting commences at the most
distant points of the two sides of the plate and terminates at the angle of the
said plate.. The plate to be sheared is fixed on the bed g of the machine by
being held by drifts or cotters to the blocks h working in openings in the bed g.
By means of the arrangement of screws i, working in screw boxes on the
under side of the blocks h, the amount of shearing of the edges of two adjacent
sides of the plate can be accurately adjusted. The moveable cutter b, c, is
worked in the following manner:-Underneath the bed of the machine is a
shaft k, having motion transmitted to it through the toothed wheel l. On the
end of the said shaft k is a crank m, acting on a V-shaped block n, sliding
vertically in the V-shaped slide o. Jointed to the said block n are three levers p
turning on centres p³, the forked ends of the said levers p being connected
through the vertical connecting rods 9 with the extremities 62, c², and
junction 63 of the moveable cutter b, c. The plater to be sheared having
been fixed and adjusted on the bed g by the blocks h and screws i, the machine
is set in motion, and the moveable cutter. b, c, descends and shears the side and
end of the said plate r, in the manner. herein-before described. The plate r
is then turned on the bed g, refixed and adjusted so as to shear the edges of
the other two sides of the said plate.

page_text: Figure 8 represents, in front elevation, a shearing machine constructed
according to my Invention, for shearing one side only of the plate at each
operation; Figure 9 is a plan of the same, and Figure 10 is a vertical section
of the same taken through the line a of Figure 8. The same letters indicate
the same parts in Figures 8, 9, and 10. 6 is the moveable cutter, and b² the
working edge of the same, the said moveable cutter being of the ordinary con-
struction; c is the fixed cutter; and is the working edge of the same. The
moveable cutter b, 6ª, is worked from the crank shaft d by the connecting
rods d. The plate e to be sheared is supported on a rotating table f, which is
capable of motion through a series of quadrants; g is the axis upon which the
table f turns, the said axis g being carried by the lower table h, the said table h
sliding on the bed i. The rotating table f has four holes k at equi-distant
points on its under side, into one or other of which holes the bolt can be
made to enter and fasten the rotating table f to the sliding one h. The
-bolt is depressed by raising the lever m. The fixing and adjusting of the
plate e to be sheared on the rotating table.f, is effected by the screws n and
cotter pins o, the edge of the plate being advanced the required distance
beyond the fixed edge c² by sliding the under table h. When one edge of the
plate e has been sheared by the action of the cutter 6, 62, the bolt is withdrawn
O from the hole k in the table f by the lever m, and the said table is turned a
quadrant. The-bolt 1 again engages in another of the holes k, and the table is
locked. Another edge of the plate e is thus brought under the operation of the
cutter b, 62, the adjustment of the edge of the plate being. effected by the
motion of the lower table h.
5
Instead of fixing the rotating table f to the sliding one h by means of a bolt
as described, the said table may be fixed my making on the under side of the
rotating table, four equi-distant teeth or inclines, as represented in elevation
at p, Figure 11, and fixing on the sliding table a disk, having four equi-distant
.teeth or inclines, the latter being opposite to those on the rotating table, as
0 represented in plan in Figure 12, and marked q. After the shearing of one
edge of the plate has been effected, the rotating table is turned a quadrant,
during which the teeth or inclines p rise upon the teeth or inclines q until they
have performed a quarter rotation, when the ends of the inclines p arriving
at the summits of the inclines q, the table and inclines p fall and the rotating
5 table is temporarily fixed to the sliding table, and the shearing of an edge of
the plate at right angles to that last sheared may be effected. By repeating
the operations described, each of the four edges of the plate may be sheared.
When the sides of the plate to be sheared are not at right angles to one
another, the table h must be made to turn through angles greater or less than

page_text: right angles to suit the figure of the plate, and the positions of the holes k and
the lengths of the inclines p, q, varied accordingly.
Figure 13 represents, in plan, a rivetting machine constructed according to
my Invention; and Figure 14 is an end elevation of the same, taken at the
left-hand end of the machine. The same letters indicate the same parts in
Figures 13 and 14. Upon the bed a of the machine a table 6 slides, the said
table carrying the plates c, c, to be rivetted together. The said plates are fixed
to the curved bar of angle iron d on the table b, by clamps or in any other
convenient way. The table 6 has a rectilinear intermittent motion given to it
by means of the screw e working in a screw box in the said table b. The
said screw e is actuated by the differential dividing apparatus herein-before
described and illustrated in connection with the punching machine, Figures 1,
2, 3, and 4, that is to say, by means of the quadrant-toothed lever f gearing
with the toothed wheel g on the end of the screw e. As the table b travels
along the bed a, a curvilinear motion is given to the plates c, c, in the fol-
lowing manner:-Fixed on the bed of the machine is a guide i of angle
iron, the said guide having the curvature of the plates c; c, to be rivetted
together. In the table 6 are three slides k, to which slides the bar of angle
iron d, to which the plates c, c, are fixed, is secured by the clamps l. The inner
end of each of the slides k is provided with a pair of rollers m, working on
one angle of the guide i. By means of the said slides k, rollers m, and
guide i, the plates c, c, and angle iron d, on a rectilinear motion being given
to the table b, are made to follow the curvature of the said guide i, as, will be
understood by an examination of the plan, Figure 13. When flat plates are
being rivetted together the guide i and slides k are not used, a rectilinear inter-
mittent motion only being given to the plates; n is the main shaft of the
machine; o, p, are fast and loose pullies on the said shaft; and q is the fly
wheel. Parallel with the main shaft n is another shaft r, the latter shaft carrying
the excentrics by which the rivetting punch s² and guides t, u, are worked.
Motion is transmitted from the main shaft n to the shaft r, through the
toothed wheels v, w. The shaft r is prolonged at 2 (see Figure 13), the said
shaft giving motion to the face plate x, by which through the connecting rod y
the quadrant leverf is worked. Each of the guides t, u, slides in a tube t³, u³.
The guide t is worked from one part of the excentric or cam 2 by the excentric
rod 3, and the tube t2 is worked from the other part of the excentric or cam 2 by
the friction roller 4. The guide u is worked from one part of the excentric 5
by the rod 6, and the tube u² is worked from the other portion of the excentric
or cam 5 by the friction roller 7. The excentric or cam 2 can be thrown
into and out of gear with the shaft r by means of the clutch box 8 and forked

page_text: In the.
lever 10, and the excentric or cam 5 can be thrown into and out of gear
with the shaft by means of the clutch box 11 and forked lever 12.
Drawing the excentric 5 only is shewn in gear with the shaft r.
The said
guide u enters two opposed holes in the plates c, c, to be rivetted together,
and holds the plates accurately in the required position while the rivetting is
being effected in another hole as herein-after explained. Opposite each of
the guides t, u, is a fixed block or die t, u³, having a hole in its axis, into.
which hole the guide enters when passed through the holes in the two platesc, c.
The rivetting punch 2 is worked by the excentric 13 on the shaft r, the said
punch being jointed to the excentric rod 14 as represented. By means of the,
lever 15 the punch s² can be withdrawn out of action; 16 is the die against
which the rivetting is effected. The said die is moved forwards or backwards,
so as to accommodate different thicknesses of plates, being rivetted by means
of the wedge 17 being raised or lowered. This wedge is moved by means of
the rod 18, arm 19, axis 20, and lever 21. The said lever 21 works in a.
curved guide 22. One edge of the guide 22 is made into a rack 23, with
which rack the pall 24 carried by the lever 21 is made to engage and retain
the said lever and wedge 17 in any position in which they are placed. When
the plates to be rivetted are moved from the right-hand side of the machine
to the left-hand side, or in the direction of the arrow, the guide u is employed,
and when the plates are moved in the opposite direction the guidet is employed,
the rivetting being always effected in advance of the guide employed.
The action of the machine is as follows:-The machine being set in motion,
the screw e advances the table b in the direction of the arrow. On the table
coming to rest the guide u advances and enters two opposed holes in the
plates c, c. The said plates are thus held in the required position while the
heading or rivetting punch s³ advances and rivets the plates at another hole in
advance of the holes through which the guide u is passed. After the rivetting
has been effected, the guide u is withdrawn from the holes in the plates, the
end of the tube u² bearing against the plates, and holding them firmly during
the withdrawal of the said guide u. The tube u² and rivetting punch s² are
afterwards withdrawn from the plates, and the table 6 again advances. the
required distance, and is brought to rest. The guide u again advances, and
enters two other opposed holes in the plates, and holds the said plates during
the action of the rivetting punch, and so on, until the whole of the rivetting
has been completed. As the rivetting proceeds, the plates c, c, are made to
follow the curvature of the guide i in the manner already explained. The
differential dividing apparatus berein-before described and illustrated in the

page_text: accompanying Drawings may be applied to punching and rivetting machines
having actions different from those herein-before described.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood, that I do not
limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings, as the same may be varied without departing from
the nature of my Invention; but I claim as my Invention,―
Firstly, the general arrangement or combination of the parts of machinery
for punching sheets or plates of iron and other metals and alloys, herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Secondly, the general arrangement or combination of the parts of machinery
for rivetting sheets or plates of iron and other metals and alloys, herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 13 and 14 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Thirdly, the application to machinery for punching and rivetting sheets or
plates of iron and other metals and alloys, of a differential dividing apparatus
constructed essentially in the manner herein-before described and illustrated
in Figures 2, 3, 13, and 14 of the accompanying Drawings.
Fourthly, the general arrangement or combination of the parts of machinery
for shearing simultaneously two adjacent sides of a metallic plate, herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying Drawings.
Lastly, making the table carrying the plates to be sheared in such shearing
machines as shear one side only of a metallic plate at a time, capable of
motion through a series of quadrants or other divisions of a circle, as herein-
before described and illustrated in Figures 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 of the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Piggott, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-second day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
GEORGE PIGGOTT. (L.S.)