An Improved Machine for Making Screws.
Year: 1895

page_text: An Improved Machine for Making Screws.
I, ARTHUR WILLIAM HERVÉ, of Clerkenwell Road, in the County of London,
Screw Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention relates to an improved screw-cutting machine for forming screws
from a metal rod or wire, the actuation of which is effected by power, while the
shifting of the stem and screw-thread forming and cutting off parts and of a
headstock for guiding and properly presenting the rod or wire to such parts and of
a carriage carrying the same is effected by hand, as hereinafter particularly
described with reference to the accompanying drawings, on which ;-
Fig. 1, represents a plan showing the stein-former in alignment with the rod
from which the screws are cut, but not in operation thereon.
Fig. 2, represents a sectional plan on the plane a, b, Fig. 5, showing the screw-
thread former in alignment with the rod, but not in operation thereon.
Fig. 3, represents a partial plan, showing the stem-former in alignment with and
in operation on the rod.
Fig. 4, represents a partial plan, showing the screw-thread former in alignment
with and in operation on the rod.
Fig. 5, represents an elevation of the right-hand end of Fig. 1.
Fig. 6, represents an elevation of the left-hand end of Fig. 1.
Fig. 7, represents a sectional elevation on the plane c, d, Fig. 1; and
Fig. 8, represents a sectional elevation on the plane e, f, Fig. 1.
The improved machine is made with a rigid guide-frame a, to which is adapted a
longitudinally shiftable carriage b, carrying a head-stock c, a cutter d, a shoot e,
transverse guide 7, to which latter is adapted a transversely shiftable
carriage g, carrying a stem-former h, and a screw-thread cutter i, respectively
adapted to operate as hereinafter described.
and a
The frame a, may be of any suitable height, length and conformation and bolted
to a workbench or stand, and at one end may be fitted with any suitable reversible
countershaft apparatus (not shown) adapted to rotate the rod or wire j, from which
the serows are formed and cut, in either direction, upon being appropriately set or
reversed by treadle, as required during the operation of the machine.
The frame is longitudinally formed with planed, angular, parallel guides a',
spared apart and serving as guides to the carriage b, which rests thereon and is
located in relation to the frame by bolts b', which depend between the guides a¹,
and through an under slide 2, bearing against the under sides of the guides, and
by set-nuts 3, Figs. 6 to 8.
The shifting movements of the carriage b, are effected by means of a hand-turned
pinion, supported by a bracket 75, bolted at 6, to the carriage and engaging with
a rack a", secured to one side of the frame.
The head stock c, (Figs. 2, 6 and 8) is fitted with a removable boss c', (which
serves to guide and truly present the rod or wire j, to the cutters h, i, d, (Figs. 3, 4
and 5) secured by a screw ². The holder d', of the cutter d, (which serves to
sever the formed screw from the rod j,) is centred to the head-stock on a pin d²,
(Figs. 6 and 8) passing therethrough, and is secured thereon by a squared washer d³,
and set-nuts d', the cutter d, being secured by a screw d³, and the movements of
the cutter-holder determined by a projecting pin de, which engages in a slot ď, and

page_text: is regulated by a screw d³. The head-stock also carries a standard d', which serves
to support a container of lubricant (not shown) which drips onto and constantly
lubricates the cutting parts operating on the rod j. The shoot e, (which serves to
direct the severed screws and the lubricant to a convenient receptacle) is secured
by screws e, to a strut e, which is secured by screws e³, to the carriage b.
The carriage b, is dovetailed at 7, (Figs. 5. and 7.) in the direction of its move-
ments, and fitted with a transverse guide f, which is secured by screws f¹, and is
undercut at f, and slotted at 3, which adapt it to secure and regulate the move-
ments of the carriage 9, (Figs. 7 and 8).
The carriage g, is dovetailed at g', and is fitted with a dovetailed slide g³,
(Fig. 8.) adjustably held to the carriage by screws 3, and adjustable in relation to
the guidef, by screws g', engaging with a bracket 95, (Fig. 5) which is secured by
screws g, to the underside of an extension g', from the carriage. The traverse of
the carriage is determined by a screw 98, (Figs. 7 and 8.) passing through its
bottom and working freely in the slot f³, in the guide f, and abutting against
screws, inserted through the ends of the latter, Fig. 7.
As aforesaid, the carriage g, carries the stem-former h, and the screw-thread
cutter, the construction and operation of which are as follows:-
--
The stem-former h, (which serves to reduce the rod j, to the external diameter of
the desired screw-thread) fits into an adjustable boss h, which screws onto a rod h²,
which works in bushes go, fitted to the carriage 9, and has facility of endway but
not of rotary movement. The rod 2, is squared at its hinder part (Fig. 5,) and
fitted with a bracket ³, which is secured by a screw ', and carries a pusher h³, by
which it can be pushed forward, by hand, to a position in which it is automatically
held (Fig. 3), also a set-screw 6, adapted to abut against the carriage g, and by
which the extent of such movement may be determined as required, and also a
spring, which bears against the carriage and serves to effect the return movement
of the rod 2, when released from the means holding it in its forward position.
The latter means consist of an adjustable catch 8, let into a recess, in one side
of the rod 2. (Fig. 2.), and formed with a catch-hole 10, (Figs. 2 and 7) adapted
to engage with a slide-catch", when the rod, has been pushed forward to the
extent determined by the set screw 6, the catch h, being adjusted (as determined
by the adjustment of the screw h,) and secured in the desired position by a
collar, and set-screw 13. The catch ", is automatically put into operation by
a lever h¹, which is centred on a screw-pin 4, let into a projection 910, from the
carriage, secured thereto by screws g₁, and is operated by a spring ", bearing
against the end of the carriage g, and is released, when desired, by pressing the
lever against the spring by hand.
The rod 2, is tubular throughout its length and is fitted with an adjustable rod
or wire, which can be secured by the screw h, with its inner end in any
desired position in the rod, so as to determine the length of the stem cut by the
stem-former h.
The screw-thread cutter i, also fits into an adjustable boss i', which screws onto
a spindle, which works in bushes g¹³, fitted to the carriage g, and has facility of
endway movement in both directions and of rotary movement in one direction.
The hinder part of the spindle is fitted with an adjustable boss ³, which can be
secured by a screw, in any desired position thereon, according to the length of
the stem on the rod j, desired to be screw-threaded. The boss is formed with a
projecting catch, adapted to engage with a latch-piece g³, which is secured by a
screw, to the extension g', from the carriage 9, with facility of a slight upward
movement limited by a pin g15, projecting from the extension g', into an elongated
slot formed in the latch-piece which is also bevilled off at its under forward edge
to accommodate the re-engagement of the catch, therewith after it has, in the
operation of the machine, become disengaged therefrom, as herein before described.
The hinder part of the spindle 12, is also fitted with a loosely turning holder ²,
secured by a screw, and which permits of the cutter i, being pushed forward by
hand into engagement with the reduced stem of the rod j.

page_text: The spindle, is also fitted with a ratchet or catch 2, adapted to engage with a
catch, which is centred to the carriage g, on a pin g, and is kept in position for
engagement with the catch by a spring is, bearing against an extension ", from
the carriage secured thereto by screws g.
'
The carriage o, is also fitted with a head-piece 20, which can be secured in any
desired position by a screw 21, according to the length of head the screw to be
formed may be required to have.
The rod, from which the screws are formed, is continuously rotated by the said
countershaft apparatus with its top turning towards the operator, excepting during
the time that the screw-cutter i, is being disconnected from the formed screw,
during which the rod is reversed in rotation by reversing the countershaft
apparatus by a treadle operation, leaving the hands of the operator free to
manipulate the parts of the previously described machine, the operation of which is
as follows:-
Assuming the rod j, to be rotated as aforesaid, and the parts of the stem-former
and screw-thread cutter adjusted as aforesaid to determine the length of the
stem and of the part thereof to be screw-threaded; the stem-former rod /³, is
pushed forward by hand by means of the pusher, and is automatically locked in
position (Fig. 3) by the catches 10, "; the carriage b, is then advanced along the
slides a', by turning the hand-wheel 6, until the end of the rod j, abuts against the
end of the rod ", during which the head-stock c, and cutter d, advance, leaving a
length of the rod j, projecting beyond the cutting line of such cutter, and a
determined portion of such length is reduced by the cutter h, to the desired
diameter of the stem -the stem-former rod is then released from the catch h¹¹,
by pressing the lever ", by hand, and is automatically returned to its normal
position by the spring h. The carriage g, is then slid, by hand, along the guide f,
towards the operator until the screw-thread cutter i, is opposite the reduced stem
of the rod, (Fig. 2) upon which the spindle i, is pressed, by hand, by means of
the holder 7, towards the rod j, until the cutter i, engages therewith; whereupon,
the continuance of the forward movement of the cutter-spindle to the position
indicated in Fig. 4, and the formation of the screw-thread on the reduced stem are
automatically effected without any advance of the carriage b, by the rotation of
the rod j, engaging with the cutter, which is prevented from rotating by the
catch, which slides along the latch-piece g13, until it clears the end thereof, which
occurs simultaneously with the completion of the formation of the screw-thread on
the stem of the rod j, by the cutter ; thereupon, the spindle 2, and cutter i, rotate
together with the rod j, which avoids injury to the screw-thread and draws the
operator's attention to the completion of the screw cutting operation, whereupon,
he, by a treadle action, reverses the rotation of the countershaft and of the rod j,
which causes the spindle, to slide backwards and to disengage the cutter i, from
the screw-thread formed on the rod, the rotation of the spindle then being
prevented by the ratchet or catch, engaging with the catch g1; the operator
then raises the cutter d, which severs the rod through its full thickness, thus
cutting off the screw with a head which requires to be subsequently nicked across,
which may be effected in a usual manner.
If, however, a head of any extra length is required, the carriage g, is shifted by
hand until its head-piece 9, is brought opposite the screw threaded end of the
rud j, and the carriage b, is then advanced until the end of the rod abuts against
the head-piece 920, when the cutter d, is operated by hand to sever the formed
screw from the rod j, and which rolls down the shoot e.
The improved machine may also be used for forming female screws by
substituting a drill for the former h, and a tap for the cutter i.
The screws, whether male or female, may also be formed with a head of any
ornamental formation which can be turned, by applying to the head stock c,
opposite to the cutter d, a similarly mounted cutter adapted to produce a head of
the required formation as the rod j, rotates, before the formed screw is severed
from the rod j, by the knife d.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The hereinbefore described improved screw-cutting machine in which are
combined; a rigid guide-frame; a longitudinally shiftable carriage adapted thereto
and operated by hand and carrying a rod or wire-guiding head-stock, a cutter, a
shoot and a transverse guide; a transversely shiftable carriage adapted to said
guide and carrying a stem-former and a screw-thread cutter respectively adapted
to operate as set forth; and a reversible countershaft or means for reversely
rotating the rod or wire from which the screws are formed; as set forth.
2. In combination; the frame a, adapted with guides a', a rack a², and a
reversible countershaft; a carriage b, adapted thereto and with a head-stock c, a
cutter d, a shoot e, a transverse guide f, and a hand-turned pinion, gearing with
the rack a²; a carriage g, adapted to the guide f, and with a stem-former h, and a
screw-thread cutter i, respectively adapted to operate as set forth.
3. The carriage g, adapted with a stem-former h, and a screw-thread cutter i,
respectively adapted to operate as set forth.
4. The stem-former 4, constructed and adapted to operate as set forth.
5. The screw-thread cutter i, constructed and adapted to operate as set forth.
Dated this 18th day of March 1895.
DAY, DAVIES, & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.