IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR RIVETING, SPECially applicable FOR RIVETING THE BARS OF IRON HURDLES AND FENCING, BUT USEFUL ALSO FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Whitehall, Foreman Fitter, in the Employment of
Messieurs Bayliss, Jones, and Bayliss, of Wolverhampton, in the County of
Stafford, Manufacturers of Iron Fencing, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR RIVETING, SPECially applicable FOR RIVETING THE BARS
OF IRON HURDLES AND FENCING, BUT USEFUL ALSO FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Whitehall at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th April 1878.
ROBERT WHITEHALL, Foreman Fitter, in the Employment of Messieurs Bayliss,
Jones, and Bayliss, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Manufacturers
of Iron Fencing. " IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR RIVETING, SPECIALLY
APPLICABLE FOR RIVETING THE BARS OF IRON HURDLES AND FENCING, BUT USEFUL
ALSO FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
A revolving shaft is provided with suitable tappets or projections, which, by
pressing backwards, corresponding tappets or projections draw back the riveting
tools from the rivet heads, or the iron to be riveted. The said tools are carried
either in guides or in the heads of tilt or other hammers. As the tappets or pro-
jections on the revolving shaft pass out of gear with the corresponding tappets or
projections which are in connection with the tool holders, or with the hammers
aforesaid, the said tools are forced against the rivet heads or the iron to be riveted
by the action of spiral or other springs, or by the falling of the hammers (if desired
assisted by springs as aforesaid), as the case may be.
The hurdle or fence, or other article to be riveted, is held securely in position to
receive the blows of the riveting tools by means of vices or other suitable
appliance

page_text: One or any desired number of tools may be used for one machine, so as to rivet
up as many hurdle or fence bars, or other articles, as may be desired at one setting
of the hurdle or other article.
Cold or hot metal may be riveted, but in the case of hurdles and fencing it is
preferred to rivet the bars whilst cold.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert Whitehall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd October
1878.
ROBERT WHITEHALL, Foreman Fitter, in the Employment of Messieurs Bayliss,
Jones, and Bayliss, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Manufacturers
of Iron Fencing. " IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR RIVETING, SPECIALLY
APPLICABLE FOR RIVETING THE BARS OF IRON HURDLES AND FENCING, BUT USEFUL
FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
A revolving shaft is provided with suitable tappets or projections, which, by
pressing against corresponding tappets or projections, draw back the riveting tools
from the rivet heads, or from the iron to be riveted. The said tools are carried
either in guides or in the heads of tilt or other hammers. As the tappets or pro-
jections on the revolving shaft pass out of gear with the corresponding tappets or
projections which are in connection with the tool holders, or with the hammers
aforesaid, the said tools are forced or driven against the rivet heads, or the iron to
be riveted, by the action of spiral or other springs, or by the falling of the hammers
(if desired assisted by springs as aforesaid), as the case may be.
The hurdle or fence, or other article to be riveted, is held securely in position to
receive the blows of the riveting tools by means of vices or other suitable
appliances.
•
One or any desired number of tools may be used for one machine, so as to rivet
up as many hurdle or fence bars, or other articles, as may be desired at one setting
of the hurdle or other article.
Cold or hot metal may be riveted, but in case of hurdles and fencing it is preferred
to rivet the bars whilst cold.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will now proceed more
particularly to describe the manner of performing the same, with reference to to the
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.
The Drawings on Sheet 1 are to a scale of one inch to a foot, and illustrate the
machine which I employ to rivet the hurdles, gates, and similar articles.
The Drawings on Sheet 2 are to a scale of three inches to a foot, and illustrate
certain details of the said Invention, as will be presently explained.
Figure 1 is a front elevation; Figure 2, a side elevation; and Figure 3, a section
taken on line x, x, of Figure 1.
The same letters occurring upon any of the views illustrate corresponding parts.

page_text: A, A, are the main standards; B, the bed plate; C, C, a frame or plate bolted to
the standards A, A; and D, an auxiliary standard to stiffen the plate C, C; E is
the driving shaft; F, F, fast and loose pullies thereon, which receive the driving
belt; G, a pinion; and H, a fly wheel, both fixed thereon; J is an octagonal shaft
driven by means of the pinion G through the medium of the spur wheel K. The
bearings of the shaft J are formed of gun-metal bushes fitting the octagon, and
turned cylindrical to revolve in cast-iron plummer blocks. The cylindrical bushes
have collars to keep them in place in the plummer blocks. The end a of the shaft
J is cylindrical, and the same diameter as across opposite corners of the octagon,
and thus a shoulder is formed against the bush at that end. The other end of the
shaft J is provided with a collar b fixed by a set pin. L is a guide frame containing
a tool holder, and M is a vice.
Referring now to Sheet 2, Figure 4 is a vertical section through the tool holder,
and shews also the guide frame L and the vice M in side elevation.
Figure 5 is a front elevation; and Figure 6, a plan of the vice M; J is the
octagonal shaft; N, a cam having projections thereon, as shewn. As the shaft J
revolves the projections on the cam N alternately lift the ring O by means of the
projection c shewn thereon. The ring O is fixed to the tool holder P by means of
the key d. The tool holder P slides in the cylindrical case Q, which is slotted on
each side (as shewn on one side by dotted lines) to allow of the vertical movement
of the key d. The riveting tool R is carried, as shewn, in the bottom of the tool
holder P. The face of the tool R is shaped to suit the head of the rivet the same
as the riveting tool of a steam riveting machine. S is the shank of the tool holder
reduced to admit of a strong spiral spring e being placed around it and within
the case Q: The spring e bears upon the shoulder of the tool holder, and is pressed
upon at the top by the gland T, which is screwed into the top of the case Q, and is
thus capable of adjustment, according to the pressure required upon the spring e.
It will now be seen that the tool holder P is lifted by the projections on the
cam N against the pressure of the spring e, and that as either of the projections
passes from contact with the projections c the tool holder P is forced down by
means of the spring e, and thus the tool R strikes a blow upon the rivet or iron
to be riveted. U is a spiral spring very much weaker than the spring e. The
spring U is compressed as the tool holder is forced down, and consequently assists
in the recoil of the tool. The cam N has a journal turned at each end thereof, and
is carried in supports f, f, the shaft J passing through the cam, as shewn.
In Figure 7 the cam N supports f, f, and part of the shaft J are shown in front
elevation.
The supports ff, prevent any deflection of the shaft J, but their chief use will be
presently referred to.
The glands h¹, h', are bolted to the guide frame L after the case Q is placed in
position (see Figures 1 and 3 on Sheet 1); g is a catch, and is shewn by full lines
in its position when out of use.
When it is desired to stop the action of the tool the catch is raised into the
position shewn by dotted lines, in which case it catches under the front of the ring
O when the said ring O is raised to its highest point by one of the projections on
the cam N.
The vice M is shewn in Figure 4 in its proper position in relation to the guide
frame. The movable part V is partially guided onthe stud h, and is screwed up,
and the guiding made complete by the pink screwed into the nut 1; m, m, are
steel gripping dies having flanges n, n.
The said dies are let into correspondingly
shaped recesses, as shewn. o is a hurdle bar, and p a hurdle upright; the bar is
held in the vice, and the upright lies upon the dies. The reduced end of the bar
projects somewhat above the upright, and is riveted over by the tool R.
Referring again to Sheet 1, it will be seen that the guide frame L is held to the
plate C, C, by the bolt r and washer plate 8. The guide frame L has a block cast
on the back thereof fitting into the long slot t in the plate C, C, and can thus be
moved in any position along the slott by slackening the bolt ?. The supports f, f.

page_text: (see Figures 4 and 7 of Sheet 2) being carried by the guide frame L move therewith,
and carry the cam N along the shaft J. The vice M is held to the plate C, C, by
the pins u, u, passing through the long slots v, v, in the plate C, C, and the vice M
has a block cast upon the back thereof and fitting in the long slot win the plate
C, C, and is consequently adjustable along the slot w by slackening the bolts u, u.
k, k¹, etc., is a hurdle, the feet being left out to avoid unnecessary complication.
The five vertical bars in the Drawing are the hurdle bars, and the three horizontal
bars are the uprights. One guide frame and vice only are shewn, but in this case
five guide frames a five vices are used, that is, one set to each hurdle bar.
The centres of the other sets of guide frames and vices are shewn by dotted
lines y, y, y, y, and are of course identical with the centres of the hurdle bars, but
the four guide frames and vices are omitted to avoid unnecessary complication;
they are counterparts of the guide frame and vice illustrated.
It is preferred to set the cams upon the shaft J, so as to spread the lifting action
upon the tool holders as equally over the entire revolution of the shaft as possible.
W is an angle plate bolted by means of the bolts a', a', etc., to the plate ✗; the
plate X is carried upon brackets 61, 6', built into the wall as shewn, and is also
supported by pins c', c¹, from snugs on the standards A, A.
When the bolts a', a¹, etc., are slackened the angle plate W may be raised or lowered
by means of the vertical pins d', d', screwed through nuts let into recesses formed.
at the ends of the angle plate W; the pins d', d', are worked by means of the hand
wheel cross shaft and mitre wheels, as will be readily apparent from the Drawing.
The holes through which the pins a¹, a¹, etc., pass are slotted in lengths, as shewn,
and in such a manner that two, at least, of the pins a¹, a¹, etc., can be used to
fasten the plate W to the plate X in any required position of the plate W.
L
When the plate W is in any required position some or all of the pins a¹, a¹, etc.,
are tightened up.
To rivet up a hurdle by this machine the bars are first placed with their ends
resting within the groove e¹ of the angle plate W, with their upper ends held firmly
by the vices; the end upright is then placed in position, and the riveting tools are
set to work.
When the riveting at one end of the hurdle is thus completed the partially
formed hurdle is removed from the vices, and the intermediate upright is then
threaded on to the bars, and the partially formed hurdle is placed with the end
upright already fixed resting in the groove e¹ of the angle plate W. The other
ends of the bars are secured in the vices, and the other end upright is put on and
riveted up, as described, for the first upright.
The intermediate upright is carried in a support f1 to prevent it from falling on
account of the vibration occasioned in the process of riveting; the intermediate
upright is slipped into tho support f¹ from the front, and a small peg afterwards
inserted, as shewn, prevents the possibility of it jarring out of the support. The
bar g' is adjustable up and down the pins c¹, c¹.
In the machine illustrated the octagonal shaft runs at about 250 revolutions per
minute. The spring e is made of steel about inch in diameter with coils about
gths inch pitch, and 14ths inch outside diameter, and about 5 inches long. The
spring U is made of steel nds of an inch diameter, with the coils about of an
inch pitch, and 1gth inch outside diameter, and about 4 inches long.
The tools may of course work in a horizontal or any other position, if preferred;
and the shaft I may be cylindrical with the key or groove, or of any desired
section.
The mechanism illustrated for riveting hurdles, gates, and similar articles, is that
which I prefer to employ for that purpose, and I prefer to use a modification thereof,
such as will readily suggest itself to a competent mechanic, for riveting other articles;
but in either case the riveting tools may be carried in the heads of tilt or other
hammers actuated by corresponding mechanism to that herein described, and illus-
trated by the Drawings; and the said hammers may be geared with springs to assist
in giving the blow, and to assist in the recoil of the hammer.

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, and particularly ascertained
the manner of performing the same, I declare that I do not limit myself to the
exact details as described and shewn, as such may be varied without departing
from the nature of my Invention ; but what I claim as my Invention, and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is,―
1st. Riveting the bars or rivets of hurdles and fencing, and riveting other bars
and rivets by means of mechanism, in which the tools are forced against the rivets
by means of springs, or by the falling of tilt or other hammers, in the heads of
which they are carried (the action of the said hammers being assisted by springs if
desired), the said tools being raised by means of cams or projections upon a revolving
shaft, substantially as herein described.
2nd. The mechanism for riveting hurdles, gates, and similar articles, substantially
as herein described, and illustrated by the Drawings.
3rd. The application of the mechanism, substantially as herein described, and
illustrated by the Drawings (but modified to suit special circumstances, as will be
obvious to a competent mechanic) to riveting other bars or rivets, besides those
used in hurdles, gates, and similar articles.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Whitehall, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
ROBERT WHITEHALL. (L.S.)
Witness,
W. CHILTON,
Clerk to Stephen Watkins, Assoc. Inst. C.E.,
Patent Office,
Wolverhampton.