Improvements in Machines for Making Watch and other Screws,
Year: 1886

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by JACOB STEHLI, Mechanic, of Hartford, in the County
of Hartford, State of Connecticut, United States of America, and the HARTFORD
MACHINE SCREW COMPANY, of the same place.]
Improvements in Machines for Making Watch and other Screws,
I WILLIAM WILLOTT POPPLEWELL of 17 and 18 Southampton Buildings in the
county of Middlesex of the firm of Popplewell Colton & Co., Patent Agents and
Consulting Engineers 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 certain improvements in machines for making metal
screws, and the object in view is to simplify the construction of the machine, render
the operation of the same more accurate and effective and increase considerably the
productive capacity of the machine. The invention consists of a metal screw-machine
in which the operating elements, to wit, the reciprocating carriage, the revolving
mandrel with its quill and chuck, the wire holding jaws, the reducing tool, the
threading-die and the cutting off tools are operated by a series of cams on a main
shaft, that is located longitudinally below the table of the machine, and by inter-
mediate transmitting levers, by which disposition of the shaft the transmitting
mechanisms are considerably simplified and rendered more accurate. The invention
consists first of an advance cutter that works simultaneously with the cutting off tool,
whereby the cutting off of the finished screw is accelerated and a better finish given
to the head of the same. The invention consists further of an automatic stop-motion
by which the main shaft is thrown out of gear with the power-transmitting shaft in
case the wire in the mandrel has been worked up, so that the cutting tools are not
injured by the short piece of wire in the machine.
The invention consists further of certain details of construction and combination of
parts, which will be more fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the
laims
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page_text: Fig. 1. represents a side elevation of my improved screw machine, showing the
mandrel and motion transmitting worm-gear in vertical longitudinal section.
Fig. 2. is a plan of the same with some of the parts shewn in section.
Fig. 3. is an end elevation.
Fig. 4. is a vertical transverse section on line x Fig. 2.
Fig. 5. is an elevation taken at the opposite end partly in section.
Fig. 6. is a vertical transverse section on line y-y Fig. 2. and
Figs. 7 to 14 are details of the several cams used for actuating the working parts
of the machine.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A. in the drawings represents the supporting frame of my improved metal screw-
machine, which frame is formed of two end standards A', an intermediate standard A²,
a longitudinal bed plate A³, and a horizontal table A above which the different
working parts are arranged.
Below the table is supported in bearings a. a. of the standards A' A³ the longi-
tudinal main shaft. B which receives slow rotary motion by a worm gear transmission
from a transverse shaft B¹, at one end of the machine, said shaft carrying a cone
pulley B2 that may be thrown by a clutch mechanism and a stop motion to be herein-
after described, in or out of gear with the transverse shaft B₁ so as to automatically
interrupt the transmission of power to the main shaft and interrupt thereby the
working of the machine.
The
On the longitudinal shaft B are arranged eight actuating cams of different sizes
and shapes which transmit by means of intermediate transmitting lever mechanisms
the required motion to the different working parts of the machine. These cams are
shewn side-view in Fig. 1 and in detail in Figs. 7 to 14. The cams are designated
by the letters a¹ a² as at a aª a7 and as according to their succession on the main
shaft B and so shaped that for each rotation of the main shaft the working parts of
the machine produce a complete metal screw. The different working parts are so
adjusted that any size of screw, within certain ranges may be made; smaller sizes
of screws requiring a smaller machine, while larger sizes of screws require a larger
machine. On the table A' is arranged a fixed dovetailed guide-plate A³ which serves
to guide the correspondingly recessed base-plate of a reciprocating carriage D.
carriage D supports in vertical standards D a mandrel D². The carriage D and the
mandrel D² supported thereon are moved forward by the cam a' and a fulcrumed
lever b which is provided at the lower end with an anti-friction roller that moves
along the face of the cam a¹. The cam a¹ is shewn in side view in Fig. 1. in end
view in Fig. 7. and in circumferential developement in Fig. 7", its face or circum-
ference is provided with inclined parts and depressions whereby the motion of the
carriage is controlled for the purposes to be hereinafter described. The fulcrum of
the lever turns in bearings of the table At which bearings project laterally beyond
the table so as to give the required steadiness of support to the same. The lever
engages near its fulcrum a projecting nose 61, the threaded shank of which is screwed
into a dovetailed slide-piece 62 that is guided in correspondingly-dovetailed ways of an
upright pillar 62 supported rigidly at one side of the carriage D as shewn in Figs. 1
and 2.
The slide piece 62 is adjusted in the pillar 63 by a screw 6' which turns in a sleeve b
at the upper end and engages a nut of the slide piece as shewn in Fig. 2. so as to
readily raise or lower the same according to the length of forward motion that has to be
given to the carriage which motions corresponds to the length of screws to be made.
At the upper end of the lever 6 is arranged a set screw 6 which serves to move the
carriage forward to the threading die especially when screws of small size are to be
made so that the length of the thread is regulated and the threading die prevented
from touching the reducing and cutting-off tools and injuring the same.
The set screw be is properly adjusted in all cases and has the advantage of securing
the exact degree of motion of the carriage D. The forward motion of the carriage
takes place intermittently according to the configuration of the face of the cam a'.

page_text: acting on the lever b. the carriage being first moved forward, then it dwells, and
moves slightly backward when the lever arrives at the depression in the face of the
cam, which receding motion takes place at the moment when the reducing tool has
accomplished its work, then forward again for threading the shank, then backward,
after which the carriage is held in position for cutting off the screw, it being then
quickly moved back to its starting position. The return motion of the carriage
accomplished by a strong spiral spring or springs 67 that are attached to lugs
projecting through slots of the base-plate of the carriage and table and to fixed lugs b
of the table, as shewn in Fig. 1.
The mandrel D is provided with two loose pulleys p. p. and an intermediate fast
pulley by which in connection with a belt p² and a cross-belt p³ and a forked
belt-shifting lever and the cam a rotary motion is imparted to the mandrel D² in
one or the opposite direction. The lever p¹ is operated by the cam at said lever being
fulcrumed to the lugs 68 below the table A and provided at its lower end with an
antifriction roller that bears on the circumference of the cam a' as shown in
Figs. 1 and 10.
The shifting of the belts p²p on the pulleys p p. and the reversing of the motion
of the mandrel takes place as soon as the threading die has cut the thread on the
reduced shank of the screw so as to unscrew the same from the threading dic. The
return-motion of the belt shifting lever p is caused by the tension of the belts pp³.
The bed plate of the carriage D is provided at one side and near its front end with
a downwardly extending pieces that carries horizontal adjustable stops ². The
fulcrumed stop-levers is operated by the cam a³ shewn in Figs. 1. 9 and 9 and by a
spiral spring by which the antifriction roller at the lower end of the lever s is held
in contact with the circumferential face of the cam a³. The movement of the carriage D
and the operation of the tools for cutting off the screws is timed in such a manner that
during the backward sliding of the carriage and immediately before the cutting off
tools begin to perform their work the cam a³ will operate the stop levers and throw
the upper arm of the same downwardly into the path of the stops so that the latter
will strike against the upper arm of the levers and stop the carriage until the cutting
off tools have entirely accomplished their work. The stop-levers will then be moved
by the cam a³ and the action of the spring st out of the way of the stop s² as shown in
Fig. 1 so as to permit the carriage to move back to its starting position.
Within the mandrel D2 is supported a quill or sleeve D3 which is provided at the
front end with a conically tapering chuck D that is formed of spring jaws which are
fitted into the correspondingly-Haring end of the mandrel D². The chuck D is
clamped thereby to the wire from which the screws are made which wire is passed
centrally through the quill D3 and held firmly in position by the jaws of the chuck D
as long as the chuck is drawn into the flaring end of the mandrel by the action of two
levers on a shoulder d² at the rear end of the quill.
The levers d' are fulcrumed to a sleeve of the mandrel D, which sleeve is provided
with slots for the levers d¹.
The levers d extend through the slots of the sleeve to the interior of the mandrel
and engage by projections or noses d³ a shoulder at the end of the quill D³. The
outer ends of the levers d¹ are engaged by the curved hub of a sleeve which slides
on the mandrel D2 and has parrallel collars d, that are engaged by anti-friction
rollers e, at the upper forked end of a lever d. The lever d' is fulcrummed to the
bed-plate of the carriage D and provided at its lower curved end with an anti-friction
roller that moves over the surface of the cam a². The cam a² is provided with a short
cam groove at one part of its circumference, said cam groove being formed of a
protruding portion of the cam and a bevelled nose piece of a disc attached to the cam,
as shown clearly in Figures 1 and 8. When the cam a² engages the curved lever d',
the lever d is quickly pushed backward, whereby the levers are released from the
shoulder d² of the quill, so that the chuck at the front end of the same is free to release
the wire and slide along the same in following the backward motion of the carriage D,
without carrying it along. As soon as the lever d' has passed the cam groove of the
cam a², the latter moves the sleeve d* forward, so that its hub acts upon the levers d'

page_text: and spreads them apart, whereby the projections at the inner ends of the levers d¹
engage the shoulder at the end of the quill D3 and move the latter backward in the
mandrel D. This motion of the quill draws the chuck D tightly into the flaring
end of the mandrel D2, so that the same rigidly clamps the wire. The cam a², together
with its nose piece ds, forming the cam groove, is made of such a width as to provide
for the extent of reciprocating motion of the carriage D, or in other words for the
length of screw to be made, so that the lever d' can move with the carriage and operate
the quill and chuck in the manner described.
E is the reducing tool, which is accurately adjusted by set screws in a laterally
movable slide plate E', that moves by dovetailed ways e, on a transverse guide
piece E² of a standard As of the supporting frame. The slide plate E¹ is longitudinally
adjustable on the dovetailed ways e, by a screw el, shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. The
slide-plate E¹ is provided with a vertically adjustable plate E, which carries an
adjustable screw E³, below the reducing tool E, as shown in Figure 3, so that the
screw E³ can be adjusted higher or lower for permitting the reducing tool to be moved
back to a greater or less extent, according to the size of the head to be formed on the
screw. The slide plate E¹ is moved by a strong spiral spring E5 in a lateral direction,
until stopped by an adjustable set-screw E, the spring pressing the reducing tool E
against the wire and reducing it to the required thickness of shank, in conjunction
with the quick rotary motion imparted thereto by the mandrel. The cam a' shown in
Figures 1, 3 and 13 operates a fulcrummed lever e², which acts by its upper end on
the screw E³, so as to move the reducing tool E against the tension of the spiral
spring E' sideways out of the way of the head of the metal screw when the tool E has
accomplished its work.
When the reducing tool E has formed the shank of the metal screw, the threading
die F is thrown into operation so as to cut the thread on the shank. The threading
die F is attached to one end of a longitudinal slide rod F¹, that is guided in sleeves F2 of
a standard F³. The opposite end of the slide rod F1 is acted upon by an elbow
lever, that is fulcrummed to the end standard A2, and operated by a cam as shown in
Figures 1 and 14.
As soon as the threading of the shank is completed, the same is released from the
threading die by the reverse motion imparted to the mandrel and wire by the
shifting of the belts, upon which the lever and the threading die are returned to
their former positions. The carriage D is now moved back by the cam a as far as
required for the thickness of the head to be formed on the screw and then stopped and
held in a stationary position by means of the stop-lever s² and stop s, actuated by the
cam a³, as above described. The screw is now ready to be cut off the wire, which is
accomplished by an advance cutter G and a cutting-off tool H, which cutters act
nearly simultaneously on the wire. The use of an advance cutter and a cutting-off
tool has the advantage that not only, about one half of the time heretofore required
for cutting off the screw is saved, but also the cutter-marks which are produced by
the single cutter at the centre of the heads are entirely done away with and a perfectly
smooth head obtained.
The advance cutter G is operated by the cam a, a double slide-rod g, guided in a
slot g¹ of a standard A', a fulcrumed and slotted intermediate lever g², a connecting
link g³, which is pivoted to the lever g² and the advance cutter G that is guided in
ways g of an upright standard A. On the slotted end of the lever g², the slide-rod
can be adjusted, so that the stroke of the advance cutter can be regulated according
to the size of the screw-heads. The guide-ways g of the advance cutter G are
adjusted by set-screws g' and a swivel-screw g° which enables the advance cutter to
be set readily to the centre of the wire. The actuating mechanism of the advance
cutter G and its cam as is shown clearly in Figures 1 and 4. The cutting off tool H
is located opposite to the reducing tool E on a slide-plate H', that is guided and
adjusted in the same manner as the reducing tool E. The cutting-off tool H is also
operated by the cam a' and fulcrumed lever e², which latter moves back the reducing
cutter sideways and applies then the cutting-off tool so that it follows in the path of
the advance cutter G and cuts off the finished screw in a neat and smooth manner.

page_text: As soon as the cutting-off tool H has accomplished its work, the chuck D₁ releases
the wire by the motion of the cam a² and the forked lever don the quill D³, while
simultaneously the end of the wire is rigidly clamped in position by a movable jaw I¹
against a fixed jaw I, which jaws are arranged at that side of the standard A' facing.
the mandrel. The movable jaw I is operated by a fulcrumed lever i, and the cam a³,
shown in Figures 1 and 4. The upright standard A7 also supports a fixed guide-
sleeve K for the wire in front of which the reducing, advance and cutting-off tools are.
arranged, as shown clearly in Figure 2, while the clamping jaws I I¹ are arranged at .
the other side of the standard A. The sleeve K serves to guide the wire steadily to
the reducing tool and threading die and to expose it to the action of the advance cutter
and cutting-off tool.
As soon as the carriage and mandrel are returned to their normal position, the
wire-holding jaws release the wire, while the chuck at the front end of the mandrel
clamps it again by the action of the cam a² and lever d. By the return motion
of the carriage, the quill is moved along the wire for a length required for the next
screw. The carriage is then moved forward again by the action of the cam a', so as
to complete the next screw and so on. In case the wire through the quill has been
fed forward through the quill until a small piece only remains, which would be held
by the jaws II', and be entirely released from the quill by the receding motion of the
carriage. The next forward motion of the carriage would cause the chuck at the end
of the quill to push the small piece of wire forward, which would then be liable to
injure the cutting-off tools, as it would not be guided centrally by the quill. To
prevent injury to the cutting tools an automatic stop-motion is provided, which
whenever the wire has been spent, throws the transverse shaft B¹ out of gear with
the cone-pulley B². The stop-motion consists of a drop-pin L, which passes through a
slot of the mandrel and diametrical slots of the quill near the chuck of the same, when the
end of the wire has passed said slots. While the wire is still in the quill the drop-pin L
rests on the wire, as shown in Figures 1 and 6. The drop-pin L is supported by the
forked end of a curved lever L', which is fulcrumed to the mandrel D2 and acted upon
at its other end by a spring, as shown in Figure 6. At the moment when the drop
pin L is dropped into the slots of the quill, that is, at the moment when the end of the
wire has passed the slots of the quill, the spring actuated end of the lever L' is forced
in outward direction, so as to engage an arm L² of a longitudinal rod L³, which is
guided in bearings 11 of the base plate of the carriage D), as shown in Figures 2 and 6.
The rod L³ extends over the transverse shaft B¹ and is provided at that end with a
second arm that is thrown into line with a set screw of an oscillating arm L' when
the oscillating arm I is struck by the end of the lever L'. The oscillating arm L is
hinged to the end standard A' of the supporting frame A and retained in upright
position by the pressure of a cross pin 13, of a transverse rod L³, that is guided in
lugs of the frame A and provided with a collar . The rod L' is acted upon by a
strong spiral spring which is interposed between the collar and one of the lugs
as shown in Figure 2. At the moment when the arm pushes the oscillating arm L'
back so that the latter clears the cross pin 3, the spiral spring forces the transverse
rod L sideways. A lug at the end of the rod L' engages a collar of the cone
pulley B², so as to move the latter sideways on the shaft B, and throw it by a suitable
clutch mechanism out of
gear
with the same.
The machine is then instantly stopped, as no motion is transmitted to the main
shaft. The attendant has to insert a new wire into the quill, upon which the work of
the machine is resumed. The stop motion forms an essential feature of my improved
machine, as thereby the machine is protected against injury and inattentive workmen.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
The carriage D is moved forward by the action of the cam a' and lever b, as herein-
before described and thereby the wire fed forward. Simultaneously the quill D³ tightly
clamps the wire by the action of the cam a² and lever d', so that both rotate with the
mandrel D². By the forward motion of the wire the same is exposed to the action of
the reducing tool E, operated by the cam a' and the shank formed thereby exposed to
the action of the threading die F, operated by the cam a³. As soon as the thread has

page_text: been-cut on the reduced shank, the motion of the mandrel is reversed, so that the
shank is unscrewed from the threading die, which then drops back again. The
carriage and its wire are next moved backward by the action of the cam a¹, for the
distance of the head of the screw, and locked stationary in position by the stop s², and
stop levers, operated by the cam a³. In this position the advance cutter G and the
cutting off tool H operate upon the threaded wire by means of the cams a' and a só
as to cut off the screw without nick or blemish on the head. The clamping jaws I. I'
are then applied to the wire by the action of the cam a, said jaws holding the wire
rigidly in position. The stop lever will release the carriage D so that the same can be
moved back. Simultaneously the quill will release the wire by the action of the
cam a² and lever d' on the levers d', so that the quill, can slide along the wire until
the carriage is returned to its former position. The quill, mandrel and carriage are
thus moved back without carrying the wire along. The machine is now in its normal
position and continues the same operation before described, completing a screw for
each rotation of the main shaft.
The machine is specially designed for making small metal screws of all kinds used
in the manufacture of watches. It can also be used for making pinion and balance-
shafts, in which case the threading mechanism is dispensed with, while the reducing
and cutting tools perform the same functions; also by substituting a suitable drilling
tool in place of the threading die, hollow shafts or collars can be made on the
machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :-
1. The combination of a longitudinally reciprocating carriage, a rotary mandrel
supported by said carriage, a quill within said mandrel adapted to clamp the wire, and
the reducing threading, advance cutting and cutting off mechanisms, substantially as
set forth.
2. The combination of a carriage, means for reciprocating the same, a rotary
mandrel supported by said carriage, a quill within said mandrel mechanism for
reciprocating said quill independently of the mandrel, a reducing tool, a threading,
and advance cutter and a cutting off tool and mechanism for actuating said tools
substantially as set forth.
3. The combination of a longitudinally reciprocating carriage, a rotary mandrel
supported by the same, an independently-reciprocating quill within said mandrel,
mechanism for rotating and reversing themandrel and the reducing threading,
advance cutting and cutting off mechanisms substantially as set forth.
4. The combination of a longitudinally reciprocating carriage, a rotary hollow
mandrel supported by said carriage; a wire guiding quill within said mandrel, adapted
to reciprocate in said mandrel and independently therefrom, mechanism for turning
down, threading, advance cutting and cutting off the screw, and jaws for clamping
and jaws for clamping the wire after the screw has been cut off, and a longitudinal
cam shaft having cams for actuating said mechanisms substantially as set forth.
5. The combination of the main shaft B, cam a', fulcrum lever b, having set
screw 66, carriage D, having a projecting nose 62; and mechanism for vertically
adjusting the same whereby the extent of motion of the carriage is regulated substan-
tially as set forth.
6. The combination of the rotary main shaft B, having cam a² and nose de, fulcrumed
lever d', having a forked upper end, a rotary mandrel D2, a sliding sleeve d' having
curved hub and collar d³, an interior quill D³, having a chuck D', at one end and a
shoulder d² at the opposite end, and levers d¹ fulcrumed to a sleeve of the mandrel
and having interior noses d³ engaging the shoulder d² so as to move the quill inde-
pendently of the mandrel, substantially as set forth.
7. The combination of the longitudinal main shaft B having cam a³, a fulcrumed
and spring actuated stop lever s, and a reciprocating carriage D, having an adjustable 5
stop device at one side thereof, substantially as set forth.
8. The combination of the longitudinal main shaft B, a cam at with the longitudinally

page_text: reciprocating carriage D, a mandrel D² supported by the carriage, a fast pulley p¹ and
loose pulleys p-on said mandrel, a fulcrumed lever p¹ having belt shifting devices at
their upper end, and cross belt engaged by said belt shifting device so as to impart a
rotary motion to the mandrel and reverse the same at the proper moment, substantially
as set forth.
9. The combination of the main shaft B, having a cam a³, a fulcrumed lever i, a
movable wire clamping jaw I at the upper end of the lever i, and a fixed jaw I,
supported on an upright standard A', substantially as set forth.
10. The combination, of the longitudinal main shaft B, cam a' fulcrumed lever e²,
an upright standard A, laterally reciprocating slide plates E. H¹. spring Es reducing
tool E and cutting off tool H supported by said side plates and set screws E³, and E³,
substantially as set forth.
11. The combination of the main shaft B, adjustable slide rod g, upright standard A',.
having slots gl and ways g³, fulcrumed and slotted levers g², connecting link g³ and a
laterally adjustable advance cutter G guided in ways g* substantially as set forth.
12. The combination, with a longitudinally reciprocating carriage, having a mandrel
supported on said carriage, and independently reciprocating quill within said mandrel,
mechanism for reducing, threading and cutting off the screw, and a stop motion
connecting the mandrel and quill with the clutch mechanism on the driving shaft so
as to stop the motion of the machine whenever the end of the wire leaves the quill,
substantially as set forth.
13. The combination, with a reciprocating carriage D, a mandrel D², supported by
said carriage, an interior independently reciprocating quill D³, a drop-pin L, passing
through slots of the mandrel and quill, a spring actuated lever L' fulcrumed to the
mandrel and engaging the drop pin L, a longitudinal rod L³, having arms L2 and 1, a
hinged arm L having a set screw 12 and a transversely guided and spring actuated
shaft L' having cross pin 13, and lug the latter engaging the clutch of the driving
shaft, substantially as set forth.
14. The general arrangement and combination of apparatus for making metal
screws substantially as described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
POPPLEWELL, COLTON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.