IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRILLING CYLINDERS FOR BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry George Jordan, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR DRILLING CYLINDERS FOR BOILERS AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 26th June 1877, and dated the 11th January 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry George Jordan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th January 1877.
HENRY GEORGE JORDAN, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRILLING CYLINDERS FOR BOILERS
AND OTHER PURPOSES."
The object of my Invention is a combination and arrangement of mechanism
intended more particularly for drilling holes for rivets in boiler plates when bent
and arranged into cylindrical forn, and to drill the holes for two, three, or more
longitudinal seams of rivets simultaneously, and to operate simultaneously by the
said drills upon the holes required for the rivets in the circular seams of the boiler;
and my Invention consists in a combination and arrangement of mechanism,
namely, there is a circular base plate or frame which has bearings in it for a face
plate or turntable upon which three screws are arranged which are simultaneously
actuated to operate upon jaws against which the circular plates to be operated upon
can be clamped. This table is provided with gearing for rotating it and for moving
it to divide the cylinders, so that holes may be drilled for the circular seams at a
uniform distance apart.. Upon the base plate or frame two beds are fixed to form
slideways for upright pillars, and another similar bed plate is arranged so as to be
adjustable in an arc upon the base plate, the slideway beds first named being fixed
120 degrees of the circle apart, while that last named can be adjusted over an arc
of 60 degrees. Each slideway bed has an upright pillar with an horizontal screw
and gearing for moving it to and fro on the slideway bed. Each pillar has a slide-
way upon it for a slide carrying a drill spindle. Under the centre of the turntable
or face plate there is a bevel wheel which gears with a bevil wheel upon a horizontal
shaft having bearings on the bed slide, there being a similar horizontal shaft for
each bed slide, and each shaft by bevel wheels drives a vertical shaft in each pillar
which by bevel wheels drives the drill spindle. There is also gearing in connection
with the drill spindle for actuating. the feed of each drill by traversing the drill
spindle or moving the pillar.
.

page_text: There is a vertical screw in each pillar for raising and lowering the slide carrying
the drill spindle, and this screw is in gear with the vertical shaft conveying motion
to the drill spindle by means of a clutch box arrangement, and the feed for the drill
is arranged to be put in and out of gear by a clutch box arrangement which is
connected with the first-named clutch for the vertical screw, so that when that is in
gear the drill feeding clutch will be out of gear.
The clutches of the vertical screws for the three drill pillars are all connected by
rods and bell cranks or other arrangements, so that they can be simultaneously
thrown in and out of gear by moving one handle.
i
The central bevel wheel that gives motion to the three drills is itself driven by a
wheel on an horizontal shaft having bearings in the base plate, and this shaft has
pulleys upon it and gearing, so that it may be rotated at a slow speed for drilling
and at a quick speed for withdrawing the drills after the holes are made.
The vertical screws for actuating the drill slides may all be geared together if
desired, so that by rotating a central bevel wheel driving them, the drill slides may
be simultaneously raised or lowered as required. Each drill is provided with a
water cistern, and the water after passing the drill is received into a receptacle in
the bed slide or base, and pumped back again to the cisterns for supplying the drills
over and over again to lubricate and keep them cool.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry George Jordan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th July
1877.
HENRY GEORGE JORDAN, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRILLING CYLINDERS FOR BOILERS
AND OTHER PURPOSES."
The object of my Invention is a combination and arrangement of mechanism
intended more particularly for drilling holes for rivets in boiler plates when bent
and arranged into cylindrical form and to drill the holes for two, three, or more
longitudinal seams of rivets simultaneously, and to operate simultaneously by the
said drills upon the holes required for the rivets in the circular seams of the boiler,
and my Invention consists in a combination and arrangements of mechanism,
namely, there is a circular base plate or frame which has bearings in it for a face
plate or turntable upon which three screws are arranged, by preference (when there
are three plates to the circumference of the boiler shell), which are simultaneously
actuated to operate upon jaws against which the circular plates to be operated upon
can be clamped. This table is provided with gearing for rotating it and for moving
it to divide the cylinders, so that holes may be drilled for the circular seams at a
uniform distance apart. Upon the base plate or frame two or more beds are fixed
to form slideways for upright pillars, and another similar bed plate is arranged so
as to be adjustable in an arc upon the base plate, the slideway beds first named when
three are used being fixed 120 degrees of the circle apart, while that last named can
be adjusted over an arc of 60 degrees. Each slideway bed has an upright pillar
with an horizontal screw and gearing for moving it to and fro on the slideway bed.
Each pillar has a slideway upon it for a slide carrying a drill spindle. Under the
centre of the turntable or face plate there is a bevel wheel which gears with a bevel
wheel upon a horizontal shaft having bearings on the slideway bed, there being a
similar horizontal shaft for each slideway bed, and each shaft by bevel wheels
drives a vertical shaft in each pillar, which by bevel wheels drives the drill spindle.
There is also gearing in connection with the drill spindle for actuating the feed of
each drill, either by traversing the drill spindle or moving the pillar.
There is a vertical screw in each pillar for raising and lowering the slide carrying
the drill spindle, and this screw is in gear with the shaft conveying, motion to the

page_text: drill spindle by means of a clutch box arrangement, and the feed for the drill is
arranged to be put in and out of gear by a clutch box arrangement which is con-
nected with the first-named clutch for the vertical screw, so that when that is in
gear the drill feeding clutch will be out of gear.
The clutches of the vertical screws for the three drill pillars and for the horizontal
screws are all connected by rods and bell cranks or other arrangements, so that
they can be simultaneously thrown in and out of gear by moving one handle.
The central bevel wheel that gives motion to the three drills is itself driven by a
wheel on an horizontal shaft having bearings in the base plate, and this shaft has
pulleys upon it and gearing, so that it may be rotated at a slow speed for drilling
and at a quick speed for withdrawing the drills after the holes are made.
The vertical screws for actuating the drill slides are all geared together if desired,
so that by rotating a central bevel wheel driving them, the drill slides may be simul-
taneously raised or lowered as required, or the vertical screws may be geared
together one with another by shafts and wheels or by other arrangements, so that
by rotating one screw all are rotated. Each drill is provided with a water cistern,
or there is one cominon cistern for all the drills, and the water after passing the
drill or drills is received or conveyed into a receptacle in the bed slide or base, and
pumped back again to the cistern for supplying the drills over and over again to
lubricate and keep them cool.
Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the base plate table and one
slideway bed and upright pillar, slide, and drill spindle; Fig. 2 is an end elevation
showing one slideway bed, and pillar, and drill slide; Fig. 3 is a plan showing the
slideway beds, one of them with the upright pillar, drill slide, and gearing, and the
connecting rods between the clutches for each slideway bed, driving and dividing
gear, and other parts; and Fig. 4 is an elevation of the pillar detached and other
mechanism for giving the dividing movement and for actuating the clutches.
a is the base plate, circular in form, with places formed in it for bolting to it the
ends of the slideway beds b. The base plate a is supposed to be firmly secured to
a suitable floor or foundation which comes under the ends of the fixed slideway
beds b and are secured to it by bolts. One of the slideway beds bx is moveable and
rests and moves at its inner end on the base plate a, and its outer end on a
segment c, secured by bolts to the foundation. This moveable slideway bed 6* has
a bracket b¹ secured or formed at its inner end to swivel on a stud d' in the centre
of the turntable d, herein-after referred to, and the outer end of the slideway bed bx
is secured by a bolt or bolts having it or their heads in a groove in the segment c
when the slideway bed b* is adjusted. The base plate a has a central boss which is
turned or bored to fit a central stem d³, which is faced and secured by bolts to the
base plate or turntable d. This table (d) has radial slots in it for screws (three
screws being preferred where the machine is intended more particularly for three
plates to the circle), and each screw d³ can rotate in suitable bearings in the table,
the outer end of each screw having a square upon it by which it can be rotated.
Each screw d³ screws through a part that holds the jaw d in the slot, as shown.
The inner end of each screw has a bevel wheel secured upon it which gears with a
bevel wheel d³ loose upon the before-mentioned stud d. Upon the boss of the
stem d² a worm wheel dis secured with which a worm d' gears, that is, on a shaft d
having its inner end in bearings in brackets from the base plate (a), the outer end
of the shaft de having its bearings in an upright pillar e secured to the foundation.
This end of the shaft d³ has a bevel wheel upon it that gears with one in an upright
shaft el having bearings on the pillar e. Upon the upper end of the upright shaft (e¹)
there is a spur wheel e² secured which gears with a pinion on a short shaft having
bearings in an adjustable bracket e. The pinion (e³) is secured on the short shaft
by a nut, and above this there is a handle e for turning the short shaft. This
arrangement allows the wheels e² and e³ to be changed so that one, two, or more
complete turns of the handle will give the required divisions to the turntable or
face plate. Upon a stud on the adjustable bracket e there is a small lever handle e6,
the bent end of which is pressed against the boss of the pinion e³ by a sliding pin

page_text: acted upon by a spring in a socket in the bracket, so that when the pinion e³ has
made a complete revolution the bent end of the hand lever e will enter a notch in
the boss of the pinion and prevent it from moving until the bent end of the lever
handle e is withdrawn by pressing its outer end sideways.
The horizontal shafts b² for driving the drill spindles, and also the drill spindles,
are in a radial line from the centre of the table, and the slideways of the beds for
the upright drill pillars are parallel to the radial lines of their respective drill
spindles. f is one of the upright drill pillars (which are all alike), and g the drill
slide or saddle having a long bearing on it for the drill spindle g', which has a bevel
secured upon one end to gear with a bevel g² having bearings in the slide or saddle,
this latter bearing being connected by a key and key groove so as to be rotated
with an upright shaft f which has bearings in the upright pillar f. The lower end
of the upright shaft has a bevel wheel upon it that gears with one in bearings on
the pillar slide f, which wheel is connected by a key and key groove with the
radiating horizontal shaft 62 having bearings on the slideway bed b. The inner end
of this shaft has a bevel that gears with a bevel wheel 63 on the stud d'. The outer
end of the shaft 62 has a bevel that gears with one on a cross shaft 64, having
bearings in a bracket on the end of the slideway bed. This cross shaft 6' has a
bevel that gears with a bevel 65 loose on the horizontal shaft be having bearings in
the slideway bed. This last-named bevel (b) has clutch teeth formed upon its boss
to gear with a clutch sliding upon a fixed key on the horizontal shaft 66. On this
shaft a tangent wheel, shown by dotted line in Fig. 3, is arranged to slide with the
pillar slide, the wheel being connected with the shaft by a key and key groove.
This tangent wheel gears with another on the lower end of a vertical screw ƒ³,
having bearings on the upright pillar, which screw works in a nut in the slide ġ for
the drill spindle. Each slideway bed b has a short vertical shaft 67, which at its
upper end has a bevel wheel which gears with the horizontal shaft 66, and at its
lower end it has also a bevel which gears with a bevel wheel on a horizontal
diagonal shaft or shafts 68. These last-nanied shafts connect and gear the horizontal
shafts 66 of each slideway bed together, as shown.
The bearings for these diagonal shafts 68 are in brackets on the slideway beds at
one end, and in the case of the movable slideway bed bx they are in brackets from
the base plate a at the other end. The diagonal shafts (68) are disconnected by
unscrewing and sliding the bevel wheels on the short vertical shafts b' upwards
out of gear with the wheels on the diagonal shafts 68. Two diagonal shafts by are
provided, as shown, for the two positions of the movable slideway bed 6*, but one
shaft would be sufficient if made telescopic, so as to lengthen and shorten. On the
cross shaft b at the end of each slideway bed a worm 6º is secured, which gears
with a worm wheel loose on the end of a screw fs having bearings at each end in
the slideway bed. This screw screws through a nut in the pillar, saddle, or slide f.
The worm wheel on the screw f3 has clutch teeth formed on its boss, which gears
with a clutch sliding on a key upon the end of the screw. There is a rod h arranged
to slide in bearings in each slideway bed, and this rod has two clutch forks upon it,
one (¹) for the clutch on the screw, the other (h²) for the clutch on the horizontal
shaft 66. These clutches on the horizontal shaft 6° are arranged so that when the
sliding rod h is in mid-stroke both clutches are out of gear, but when at one extreme
of its stroke the clutch h¹ for the horizontal screw f³ is in gear, and when at the
other extreme of its stroke the clutch a² for the horizontal shaft 66 actuating the
vertical screw f2 is in gear. Upon a pin on each slide rod h for the clutch forks
one end of a rod h* is jointed, the other end being jointed with a lever h³ having
its fulcrum on the slideway bed, which latter levers for each slideway bed are con-
nected by rods he to arms provided on the said levers h³ with each other, as shown,
each lever ho having the required arms for receiving and giving the motion in the
required direction, as shown. One of the levers has also an arm to joint to a rod h',
which connects it with a lever handle ho having its fulcrum on a stud in the pillar e,
as shown, by which handle all the clutches are simultaneously actuated. The upper
end of the lever handle 8 is shown held between two parts he hinged to the pillar e,

page_text: in which position the clutches are out of gear, but by lifting one of these hinged
parts the lever he may be pulled over to either extreme, and held there by again
turning the hinged part h³ for that side down. With respect to the movable slide-
way bed 6x the joint pin of the connecting rod h³ for the clutches is removed, when
the bed is removed from one position to another, and connected up with the other
connecting rod for that position of the bed; or this can be done by a slotted rod
(h), which can be lengthened and shortened as required, the arms on the levers ho
to which the rod is connected being adjustable round the boss of the levers h³ to
suit the changed position. With the arrangement of clutches and connecting rods
described all the pillars f and drill spindle slides g may be simultaneously geared
to move together without the diagonal connecting shaft b³, which obviate any
uncertainty in the action of the clutches, so that with such diagonal shafts only
one of the clutches at the end of one of the slideway beds b need be used for driving
one of the horizontal shafts 56, the other horizontal shafts (6) being geared with it
by diagonal shafts 68. The screw shafts f³ may, if desired, be all geared together by
means of diagonal shafts, same as the horizontal shafts 66 are geared together, in which
case one set of clutches only would be required, and the rods and levers for con-
necting the clutches would be dispensed with. There is a handle h* on a stud in a
bracket on the end of each slideway bed for actuating the clutch slide h separately
when disconnected from the connecting rods h* and levers from the other.clutches.
Motion is given to all the drill spindles by a horizontal shaft a¹ having bearings on
a bracket or stand on the base plate a at one end, and on stands a³ secured to the
foundation or floor at the other end. On this shaft a¹ there are four fast and loose
pulleys of one size, and six fast and loose pulleys of a smaller size. The bearings
for the shaft a¹ also carry a slide rod a³, upon which three belt guides are secured;
one of these a* is for an open belt for quick speed drilling; another as is for an open
belt for slow speed drilling, and another a is for a cross belt for withdrawing the
drills. a is the fast pulley for the quick drilling; as, that for slow drilling; and
a, that for withdrawing the drills; the other pulleys are all loose on the shaft a¹.
When the belt guides are as shown in Fig. 3, the shaft a¹ is driven for fast drilling,
and the other two belts are on loose pulleys, and when the belt guides a³ is moved
to bring its belt on the pulley as the shaft a¹ is driven for slow drilling, and the
other belts are upon loose pulleys, and when the guide a brings its belt on the
pulley (a) the drills are withdrawn, and the other belts are on loose pulleys.
In operating by this machine the work is clamped in the cylindrical form to the jaws
of the turntable d, and if holes in the vertical direction are to be drilled the turn-
table is turned by the handle a³ until adjusted, and then the drills are adjusted to
the vertical position by a handle on a square on the end of one of the shafts 66, or
by the clutches when the driving shaft a' is in motion; then the clutches a² are
thrown out of gear, and the clutch or clutches h¹ into gear, and the belt guide slide
as by the lever handle a* (which is connected to the slide a³ by a rod as shown),
and the fast drilling belt is guided on to its fast pulley, and the drills are rotated,
the screws f advancing all the pillars fat the same time until the drills are against
the work, when the belt for the slow speed drilling is guided on to its fast pulley,
and the drilling is continued, but at a slower speed. When the holes are drilled
through, the cross belt is guided on to its pulley a®, and the drills are thus reversed
in their rotation, and are withdrawn at the same time, the screws being reversed
by reversing the drills. When the drills are fully withdrawn the belt for the quick
drilling may be brought on its fast pulley, the clutches being at the same time put
out of gear by the handle h*; then the clutches h² for actuating the vertical screws
f2 are brought into gear, and the drills are adjusted. If the drills are brought past
the point intended the crossed belt is traversed on to its pulley, and when the drills
are opposite the place intended the clutch for the vertical screws f2 is thrown out of
gear, and those for the horizontal screws f³ are thrown into gear, when the drilling
operations, above described are repeated.
For simultaneous drilling in the circular seams the clutches for the horizontal

page_text: screws may remain constantly in gear, the work being adjusted to the arius oy
the handle e5 for the turntable d.
If desired the simultaneous vertical adjustment of the drills between each set of
hols may be done by a handle upon the end of or in gear with one of the hori-
zontal shafts 66; when all these are geared together only one belt for drilling and
one for withdrawing the drill need be used if desired; or one belt only need be
used, double clutches and suitable gearing being employed to drive the screws f³
and f backward or forward; but in this latter case the clutches for the horizontal
and vertical screws must be actuated and connected independently of each other,
or all the horizontal screws (f ³) must be geared together, and all the vertical
screw f3 geared together, as shown, with one double clutch and gearing for the
horizontal and one double clutch and gearing for the vertical screws, each actuated
by separate handles.
To facilitate the placing of the drills in the required positions in drilling holes in
vertical seams a divided guage is or may be secured by screws to the slide face of
one pillar to come near a mark or pointer on the drill spindle slide g, which is
raised or lowered as required to bring the mark upon it opposite the required
division on the guage.
Any required number of drill pillars f and slideway beds b may be arranged and
geared together round a turntable or face plate, and actuated to drill simul-
taneously as herein-before described.
The drill spindles may be geared to advance and withdraw while rotating, so
that the rotation of the spindles one way will cause them to advance and drill, and
the reversing of the rotation will cause the drills to withdraw, but I prefer the
arrangement described and shown in the Drawings as the best and most simple.
I am aware that it has been proposed to make drilling machinery for boiler
shells and like articles with drills arranged round a turntable, on which the article
was to be placed to be adjusted to the drills, and that machines have been proposed
with the article to be drilled on the fixed table, the drills being carried on arms
capable of being adjusted round the table; also that machines have been proposed
and used where the article to be operated upon has been placed on a fixed table,
and the drills have been adjusted round the article on a circular bed. I therefore
make no claim to such arrangements, but what I do claim as my Invention is,-
Firstly. The arrangement, combination, and connection together of two or more
drills arranged at intervals around a cylindrical article to be drilled, so as to simul-
taneously drill and withdraw the drills from the holes, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
Secondly. The arrangement and combination of two or more drill spindles upon
pillars or uprights arranged at intervals around a cylindrical article to be drilled,
so that the drilling and the withdrawing of the drills from the holes will be effected
by moving the pillars or uprights carrying the drills to and fro in slides, sub-
stantially as herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
Thirdly. The combination and arrangement of two or more drills arranged at
intervals around a cylindrical article to be drilled, in which the drills are geared up
to advance and drill as they are rotated one way, and to withdraw when the rotary
motion of the drills is reversed, substantially as herein-before described and illus-
trated by the Drawings.
Fourthly. The combination and arrangement of two or more uprights (f) with
slides (9) for drill spindles with a turntable (d), substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated by the Drawings.
Fifthly. The combination and arrangement of two uprights (ƒ) on fixed slide-
way beds b with an upright (f) on an adjustable slideway bed (b*) with a turn-
table d, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
Sixthly. The combination and arrangement of the clutches, and levers, and rods,
or their equivalents, for simultaneously actuating the mechanism of each drilling

page_text: head arranged at intervals around a cylindrical article to be drilled, substantially
as herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
Seventhly. The combination and arrangements of shafts and gearing, or their
equivalents, for connecting the vertical screws (f³) and the horizontal screws (f³),
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
Eighthly. The combination and arrangement of machinery for the simultaneous
drilling of two or more holes in cylindrical articles, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry George Jordan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
TTT
A
TADDY
HY. G. JORDAN. (L.S.)