Improvements in Machines for Tapping, Screwing and Facing Tubes and Tube Fittings.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Tapping, Screwing and Facing Tubes
and Tube Fittings.
JAMES DAVIES, Engineer, Meeting Street Works, Wednesbury, Staffordshire, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists in the construction of a machin with one two or more
spindles driven by gearing & with three pulleys or clutch for reversing all com-
bined in one machin & to reverse & travel any given distance of screw required
& wherby greater facility for working the machine is obtained.
I will now describe my invention as to screwing fittings, tees or elbows, the
fittings, to be screwed are placed in dies, & three taps for tees are fixed in three
spindles at right angles to one another of tees & in the line of holes & driven by
three bevel wheels into one centre horizontal wheel which is driven by one of the
three bevel wheels & convenient wheels & pulleys as to speed required, the centre
bevel is horizontal, & three bevel wheels are placed around the horizontal one at
right angles, three spindles are driven by three bevel wheels which are vertical
so that the taps are horizontal with the fittings to be screwed, leaving an open
space in the front for the convenience of placing the fittings without let or hin-
drance.
After placing the fittings in the dies & machine started, it screws the fitting so
far up & reverses itself & stops.
The machine is driven by three pulleys, 2 loose & one fast, two belts one
straight & one crossed to reverse the action, or by two fast pulleys & one loose
one & one belt, or by 3 mitre wheels & a clutch in between to reverse the action.
On the end of one of the three spindles or separate one, a screw is cut, & a nut
works along it, to the nut is attached a moving lever to the end of which is
connected a link to the slide block in the forked slide to move the belts. The
slide is moved along by the lever & screw & closes a spiral spring till the slide
block comes in contact with a catch on stand which holds the forked slide in one
position till lifted & releases the forked, slide, & the spring forces the forked
slide across to the other pulley & so reverses the motion of the machine, till the
moving lever worked by the screw now reversed & gradually forces the forked
slide back till the belts are on the loose pulleys, & the machine stops untill
started again. In the spindles there an idle screw fixed & held stationary by
a fixed cross bar. The idle screw is the same pitch as the tap or die, in the
spindle is a nut which fits the idle screw, & makes the spindle travel up & down,
in & out as the machine revolves & compels the taps or dies to start in the fittings
or tubes without straining taps or dies. For screwing tubes the die is fixed in
the place of taps or the tube revolves & the die is stationary. When one or more
spindles is being used, either the idle screw or the nuts rotates one must be
stationary to start the die with reversing motion. For facing fittings cutters
are fixed instead of taps & screws worked by hand. A suitable die for screwing
tubes is made by placing loose parts of dies or cutters around a plate (in two

page_text: parts to open) at proper angles to the pitch of screw, so that one die or cutter
fits any part around the screw. The face of the plate is the same angle or rise as
the thread or screw to be cut.
Improvements in Machines for Tapping, Screwing and Facing Tubes
and Tube Fittings.
JAMES DAVIES, Engineer, Meeting Street Engine Works, Wednesbury, Staf-
fordshire, do hereby declare the nature of this 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 in the construction of a machine with one, two or more
spindles driven by gearing, & with three pulleys or clutch for reversing, all com-
bined in one machine and to reverse and travel any given distance of screw
required, & whereby greater facility for working the machine is obtained.
I will now describe my invention as to screwing fittings, tees, or elbows. The
fittings A to be screwed are placed in dies or jaws, & three taps B for tees are
fixed in three spindles C at right angles to holes, & driven by convenient wheels D,
& pulleys E as to speed required. The centre bevel F, is horizontal & three
bevel wheels G are placed around the horizontal wheel F, one at right angles.
Three spindles are driven by bevel wheels G which are vertical, so that the taps B
are horizontal with the fittings to be screwed, leaving an open space for the con-
venience of placing the fittings A without let or hindrance. After placing
the fittings in the dies A & machine is started by moving lever 1 attached to a
forked slide 3 it screws the fitting so far up by means of a screw B₁ or lever, &
reverses itself, & stops. The machine is driven by three pulleys E two loose &
one fast, two belts, one straight & one crossed to reverse the action, or by two
fast pulleys, & one loose one, & one belt, or by 3 wheels a 1 & a crab a 3 or
clutch A Fig. 3. On the end of one of the three spindles C or separate one a
screw is cut B1, & a nut working along it. To the nut B32 is attached a lug B3
which travels in the forked slide 3 to move the belts. The nut is moved along by
the screw B1, & closes a spiral spring 4, till the lug comes in contact with a
catch 5 on stand which holds the forked slide 3 in one position, till lifted by the
lug on the nut, & releases the forked slide 3, & the spring 4, forces the forked
slide across the pulleys, & so reverses the machine, till the moving lever 1 &
forked slide 3, worked by the screw, now reversed gradually forces the forked
slide 3 back, till the belts are on the loose pulleys, & the machine stops until
started again.
In the three spindles there is an idle screw H, fixed & held stationary by a fixed
crossbar J. The idle screw is the same pitch as the tap or die.
In the spindles is a nut, which fits theidle screw & makes the spindle travel
up. & down, in & out as the machine revolves, & compels the taps or dies to start
in the fittings or tubes without straining taps or dies.
For facing fittings A the cutters C₁ Fig. 6 are placed in the head C Fig. 6
instead of taps, & the spindles are forced up against the fittings A by levers or
screws. The screws would be connected by wheels, so that they would all move
equally together.
A suitable die for screwing tubes is made by placing loose parts of dies or
cutters in slots around a plate, made in two parts to open & release the tube, or

page_text: the cutters are made to slide backwards & forwards by a cam action to release the
tube. The cutters or dies are placed in the slots around the plate,
Fig. 7 each cutter rises higher than the other in the same pro-
portion as the pitch of the screw, so that any one die can be changed
to the other position. If the pitch of the screw is 10 threads to one inch each
slot in the circle will be a a part of a 10th of an inch rise so that one round
would be one tenth of an inch higher than the starting point, thus each cutter
if cut the same will fit the thread in any part of the die.
Having now described my invention, & the manner in which the same is to be
performed I claim as my invention:-
1. The improvements in screwing, tapping fittings, bolts, or nuts, as described
& illustrated in the drawings, all spindles being horizontal.
2. The reversing action by screws or levers of machines, as Figure 3.
3. The idle screws working in spindles, as Figure 2.
4. The driving three spindles by one vertical one, F.
5. By placing cutters in the heads instead of taps to face fittings at onɑ
operation.
6. Also the die with the cutters raised one above the other as described, in which
one die or cutter can be fixed in any position, Fig. 7.
Naambon 5th 1800