IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF RIVETS, BOLTS, SPIKES, SCREW BLANKS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Howden, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer; for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF RIVETS, BOLTS, SPIKES, SCREW BLANKS, AND SIMILAR
ARTICLES."
Sealed the 15th September 1854; and dated the 5th April 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Howden at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
April 1854.
I, JAMES HOWDEN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF RIVETS, BOLTS, SPIKES, SCREW BLANKS, AND SIMILAR
ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to various arrangements of machinery for the manu-
facture of rivets, bolts, spikes, nails, screw blanks, and other articles of a like
class, out of wrought iron and other metals, according to a preferable modifica-
tion of the machinery. It consists of a solid rectangular cast iron frame, open
in the centre to receive the working details, the entire movements of which
are derived from a central transverse first motion shaft. This shaft carries on
one side a spur pinion, in gear with a spur wheel fast on a central transverse

page_text: shaft, set in end bearings on the top of the frame and above the first motion
shaft. At the central part of this cam shaft is keyed a single action cam, having
an adjustable steel prominence or face piece. This cam is arranged to work a
longitudinal sliding bar on each side, running down the centre of the framing
to each end of the machine. This cam has also curvilinear collar pieces upon
it for the reception of stud links for drawing back the sliding bars after each
pressing action. These two traversing bars are accurately guided in the usual
way, and their outer working ends carry the necessary snap or heading dies for
shaping the rivet head. Beyond each heading die is a short longitudinal stud
spindle, carrying a perforated dise capable of revolution in a plane at right
angles to the longitudinal traverse of the shaping bars. This disc has in it a
ring of adjustable socket dies for the formation and holding of the body
portion of the rivet. Each of these dies is put in from the outside of the disc,
and has a shoulder fitted to bear against a corresponding shoulder in the disc
aperture receiving it. In addition to this ring of dies, the disc is perforated
with another set of holes, to receive the end of a traversing holding bar as
each hole comes round in the working action. The cam shaft has upon it a
second cam for working two opposite traversing bars of this nature, so that
when the disc is set for the actual shaping action, it will be securely held at that
point until the rivet is formed. In the stationary end frame of the machine
immediately outside the disc is an adjustable end die piece, for receiving the
end pressure of the tail of the rivet as the shaping pressure occurs. This end
die piece is of course a solid cylinder, and it is adjustable by screwing in or
out, so as to set up its inner end face to bear close to the outside of each die in
the ring on the disc. This adjustment allows of various lengths of rivet being
made, the socket dies in the disc being removable for the like purpose. The
end die piece may be made tubular, to receive a traversing stud capable of
working through it, by means of a cam action from the bottom transverse
shaft of the machine. With this addition, the central stud in the end die piece
will traverse up at each action, so as to form a resisting stop for the rivet tail,
until the actual head shaping pressure comes upon it, and in this way various
lengths of rivets may be made with the same socket die, as the traverse stud
enters more or less into the socket die at each movement. The first motion
shaft carries a second spur pinion, gearing with a larger spur wheel fast on a
bottom transverse shaft, arranged to work some additional cam movements.
As in the former case, this shaft works duplex movements; for this purpose
it carries two differentially grooved cams, adjustable at various positions on the
shaft by means of fixed holding pieces. Each cam groove has in it the end
stud of a bottom lever, the other end of which is linked to the vertical cutting

page_text: action for severing the length of rod for the rivet. This cutter works upwards,
and carries a channel piece for conveying the severed length of metal up to
the shaping movement. Besides these cams, the bottom shaft carries a single
action cam for working end levers, each of which is set on a fixed stud in the
end framing. The upper end of each lever works a slide piece, carrying a
mandril or stud, for disengaging the finished rivet from the disc as the latter
brings it round. The action is this: as the rod of iron is fed into the guide
socket in the frame up against an adjustable stop, the cutter, working up,
severs the necessary length, and then carries the piece up to the bottom
socket die in the shaping disc. The heading die then comes forward and
forms the rivet, by squeezing the piece of metal well into the socket, with its
tail hard up against the end die piece or its contained mandril the disc, being
meanwhile held in position by the stop rod, before referred to. When this
is done and the disc is released from the working pressure, an eccentric upon
the bottom shaft works a catch to shift round the disc to the extent of the
pitch of the dies, by acting upon ratchet teeth on the disc's periphery. This
brings a fresh hole into position, and the severing and shaping actions are
repeated, whilst the rivet is afterwards discharged by the additional traverse,
already described. It is obvious that these arrangements, very slightly
modified, are suitable for manufacturing various other articles in metal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Howden in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th October 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HOWDEN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Howden, Her special license that I, the said James Howden,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Howden, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF RIVETS, BOLTS, SPIKES, SCREW BLANKS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Howden, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Howden, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to various arrangements of machinery for the
manufacture of rivets, bolts, spikes, nails, screw blanks, and other articles of
a like class, out of wrought iron and other metals, according to a preferable
modification of the machinery. It consists of a solid rectangular cast-iron
frame, open in the centre to receive the working details, the entire movements
of which are derived from a central transverse first motion shaft. This shaft
carries on one side a spur pinion, in gear with a spur wheel fast on a central
transverse cam shaft, set in end bearings on the top of the frame and above
the first motion shaft. At the central part of this cam shaft is keyed a single
action cam, having an adjustable steel prominence or face piece. This cam
is arranged to work a longitudinal sliding bar on each side, running down the
centre of the framing to each end of the machine. This cam has also
curvilinear collar pieces upon it for the reception of stud links for drawing
back the sliding bars after each pressing action. These two traversing bars
are accurately guided in the usual way, and their outer working ends carry the
necessary snap or heading dies for shaping the rivet head. Beyond each head-
ing die is a short longitudinal stud spindle, carrying a perforated disc capable
of revolution in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal traverse of the
shaping bars. This disc has in it a ring of adjustable socket dies, for the
formation and holding of the body portion of the rivet. Each of these dies is
put in from the outside of the disc, and has a shoulder fitted to bear against a
corresponding shoulder in the disc aperture receiving it. In addition to this
ring of dies, the disc is perforated with another set of holes, to receive the end
of a traversing holding bar, as each hole comes round in the working action.
The cam shaft has upon it a second cam for working two opposite traversing
bars of this nature, so that when the disc is set for the actual shaping action,

page_text: it will be securely held at that point until the rivet is formed. In the stationary
end frame of the machine immediately outside the disc is an adjustable end
die piece, for receiving the end pressure of the tail of the rivet as the shaping
pressure occurs. This end die piece is of course a solid cylinder, and it is
-adjustable by screwing in or out, so as to set up its inner end face to bear
close to the outside of each die in the ring on the disc. This adjustment
allows of various lengths of rivet being made, the socket dies in the disc being
removable for the like purpose. The end die piece may be made tubular, to
receive a traversing stud capable of working through it, by means of a cam
action from the bottom transverse shaft of the machine. With this addition,
the central stud in the end die piece will traverse up at each action, so as to
form a resisting stop for the rivet tail, until the actual head shaping pres-
sure comes upon it; and in this way various lengths of rivets may be made
with the same socket die, as the traverse stud enters more or less into the
socket die at each movement. The first motion shaft carries a second spur
pinion, gearing with a larger spur wheel fast on a bottom transverse shaft,
arranged to work some additional cam movements. As in the former case, this
shaft works duplex movements; for this purpose it carries two differentially
grooved cams, adjustable at various positions on the shaft by means of fixed
holding pieces. Each cam groove has in it the end stud of a bottom lever,
the other end of which is linked to the vertical cutting action for severing the
length of rod for the rivet. The cutter works upwards, and carries a channel
piece for conveying the severed length of metal up to the shaping movement.
Besides these cams, the bottom shaft carries a single action cam for working
end levers, each of which is set on a fixed stud in the end framing. The
upper end of each lever works a slide piece, carrying a mandril or stud for
disengaging the finished rivet from the disc as the latter brings it round. The
action is this: as the rod of iron is fed into the guide socket in the frame up
against an adjustable stop, the cutter, working up, severs the necessary length,
and then carries the piece up to the bottom socket die in the shaping disc.
The heading die then comes forward, and forms the rivet by squeezing the
piece of metal well into the socket, with its tail hard up against the end die
piece or its contained mandril, the disc being meanwhile held in position by
the stop rod, before referred to. When this done, and the disc is released
from the working pressure, an eccentric upon the bottom shaft works a catch
to shift round the disc to the extent of the pitch of the dies by acting upon
ratchet teeth on the disc's periphery. This brings a fresh hole into position,
and the severing and shaping actions are repeated, whilst the rivet is after-

page_text: wards discharged by the additional traverse, already described. It is obvious
that these arrangements, very slightly modified, are suitable for manufacturing
various other articles in metal.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several explanatory Figures on the Sheet of
Drawings hereunto attached. Figure 1 on the Sheet of Drawings is a
side elevation of my rivet-making machine complete; Figure 2 is a
vertical longitudinal section; and Figure 3 is a plan corresponding;
Figures 4 and 5 are transverse vertical sections, both taken near one end
of the machine, but looking in opposite directions. The framing of the
machine consists of a solid rectangular iron casting A, mounted upon a pair
of cross standards B, one at each end, the whole being bolted down to a
single bed plate C. An additional standard is provided at D, to support the
bearings of the projecting end of the driving or first motion shaft E. This
shaft is also carried in bearings in the sides of the casting A, and carries the
fast and loose pulleys F to receive a driving belt from an overhead or other
revolving shaft. All the moving details of the machine are actuated through
this shaft, which has keyed upon it two pinions G, H, the former in gear with
a spur wheel I, fast upon a transverse cam shaft J, immediately above the
shaft E, and the latter with a spur wheel K fast on a transverse cam shaft L,
immediately below the shaft E, the shafts J and L being carried in suitable
bearings on the upper and under sides of the frame casting A. The shaft J
has fast upon it the main cam M, by means of which the compressing and
shaping of the blanks is effected, and it has a steel piece N keyed upon its
most prominent part to resist the wearing pressure, which is greatest at that
point. The machine is duplex, that is to say, it is furnished with duplicate
details, and is capable of making rivets at both ends. The cam M acts alter-
nately upon two rams O, which are furnished with friction rollers at the ends
in contact with the cam, and with catch pieces P, which are acted upon by
scrolls or ridges Q upon the cam, for the purpose of drawing back the rams
after each stroke. The rams O lie along the longitudinal centre line of the
machine, and slide in guide brasses R, of which there are two for each ram,
each pair being carried by a casting S, bolted across the machine to flanges
cast on the inside of the frame A. The outer ends of the rams O have sockets
formed in them to receive the dies T', by means of which the heads of the
rivets are formed. The blank which is to be made into a rivet is held in a
perforated disc U, carried upon a spindle above and parallel to the ram O, the
outer bearing of the spindle being upon the end of the frame A, whilst the

page_text: inner bearing is upon a transverse bracket V, resting upon flanges cast upon
the inside of the frame A. The disc U is perforated with a ring of apertures,
into which tubular die pieces W, for shaping the body of the rivet, are loosely
fitted, being entered into the disc from the outside, and being formed with a
shoulder, to prevent their being passed completely through the disc. The disc
U is also formed with a ring of smaller perforations X, alternated with the die
apertures, the apertures X serving for locking the disc accurately in position
after each shift, to bring a fresh blank in front of the ram O. This locking
action is effected by means of a bar Y, which slides horizontally in guide
bearings carried by the casting S and by the bracket V, and is driven into the
disc aperture X at the proper moment by the action of a cam Z on the
shaft J. The locking bar Y is above the level of the shaft J, and the action
of the cam Z is transmitted through a lower bar a, connected to the locking
bar Y by a pin b. The point of the locking bar is slightly coned, so that if
the aperture X of the disc U is not fairly opposite to it, it will not only enter
it, but will also shift the disc into accurate position. The cam Z has a groove
cut on its face, which acts on a side catch c upon the bar a, and serves to draw
the locking bar Y out of the disc U, whilst this disc is being shifted round
to bring a fresh blank opposite the ram O. The disc U is formed with
ratchet notches its periphery, and is turned between each ramming action by
means of the catch rod d jointed to a lever e, this lever being carried by a
stud pin on the inside of the frame A, and worked by a cam f upon the
shaft L. Outside the disc U, and in a line with the ram O, is fitted an
adjustable counterpressure pin g, which is screwed up against the back of the
tubular die W, and resists the entire pressure of the ram O, the disc U being
consequently quite free from strain or pressure, as the tubular die W is loose,
as already mentioned, and free to yield to the pressure, should there be any
play between it and the counterpressure pin g. The pin g is screwed into a
bush fixed at h, in the end of the frame A, and it can be adjusted in or out to
suit different sizes of tubular sockets W. The disc U has a groove i turned
out of its outer face directly over the die apertures, to allow of the passage of
the point of the pin g, when the disc is turned round. Various sizes of rivets
or other articles can be made by changing the tubular dies W, but the groove i
can only be cut to a limited depth without too much weakening the disc; and
when a smaller size of rivet is wanted, a tubular counterpressure pin g is
used, and a plunger is made to enter at each stroke through it into the tubular
die W, a sufficient distance to obtain the length of rivet required. In the
Drawings, one end of the machine is represented as fitted with a solid pin g,

page_text: the other end having a tubular pin and plunger j. This plunger is worked
by a lever k, which oscillates on a centre 7 outside the frame, and has its lower
end jointed to a horizontal rod m. This rod m runs upon a roller carried by
a pendant bracket n, and is acted upon by a cam o upon the shaft L, this
cam being arranged to draw it in as well as push it out by means of a groove
and catch, similar to those employed on the other cams. The plunger jis
connected to a joint on the upper end of the lever k by cotters p, and it can
be adjusted by putting in cotters of different sizes before and behind, so as to
cause the plunger to be driven in to a greater or less extent, according to the
length of rivet to be made. The iron rod g, of which the rivets are formed,
is entered at an opening in the end of the frame, a little below the level of
the ram O, but in the same vertical plane. It is passed between the cutters
s, t, and up to an adjustable guage u, by which the length to be cut off' is deter-
mined. The upper cutter s is countersunk into the inner side of the frame A,
and the lower cutter t slides in guides v, bolted to the framing, and when
cutting the iron rod, it rises up past the aperturer and the fixed cutter s, so as
to lift the rivet blank w up to the level of the ram O; whilst being so lifted up,
the rivet blank w is supported by the edge of the cutter, and by a small
bracket piece a fixed to the back of the cutter. The piece t which carries the
moveable cutter is linked to a lever y, which oscillates on a centre carried by
a standard upon the bed plate C, and is actuated by a cam upon the shaft L.
This cam is not fixed directly to the shaft, but is secured by a screw pin to a
quadrant 1, this quadrant having a segmental slot in which the screw. pin can
be adjusted, so as to set the cam in a position to suit the length of rivet blank,
in order that the knife may begin to desend the moment the ram enters the
rivet blank into the tubular die W. When the rivet is formed by the action
of the ram O, it is carried round in the disc U, until it arrives opposite to a
plunger 2, which ejects it from the disc, whereupon it falls into a duct (not
shewn in the Drawings), which conveys it to a suitable receptacle. The
plunger 2 works in a covered slide box 3, which is open below to admit the
end of a lever 4, which enters a slot in the plunger 2 and serves to actuate it.
The lever 4 oscillates on a centre at 5, and is jointed at its lower end to a
rod 6, which runs upon a roller carried by the pendant bracket n, and is acted
upon by a cam 7 upon the shaft L. The cam 7 is formed with a flange 8,
which acts upon a catch piece 9 on the end of the rod 6, so as to draw it back
after its stroke is performed. The point 10 of the plunger 2 is an adjustable
piece, which can be changed to suit different sizes of rivets. I would here
remark, that the same letters and numbers indicate like parts appertaining to

page_text: each end of the machine. The cams f and z are in duplicate, a separate one
being employed for each end of the machine; but the cams M, Z, o, and 7 are
single, and serve cach to act upon corresponding parts at both ends of the
machine. A pin 11 is screwed through the bracket V on the opposite side to
the locking bar Y, so as to bear up against the disc on that side, and prevent
any accidental lateral strain upon the disc. When the space is limited in
which it is desired to erect one of my rivet-making machines, one half of the
details may be omitted, so as to convert it to a single-acting machine, the frame
of course being cast in a corresponding form. And where I have herein-
before referred to the article being operated upon by my machine as a rivet,
it is to be understood, that it may either be a rivet, bolt, spike, nail, screw
blank, or any other article of a like nature, which my machine is capable
of manufacturing.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my Invention. But what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general arrangement and construction of machinery or apparatus
to be employed in the manufacture or production of rivets, bolts, spikes,
nails, screw blanks, or other articles of a like nature, as herein-before
described.
Second, the system or mode of constructing machines for making rivets
and other articles of a like nature wherein the same cam shafts are made to
actuate two sets of shaping apparatus, as herein-before described.
Third, the arranging and constructing the carrying disc and adjustable
counterpressure pin of rivet-making machines, so that the inner face of the
stationary tubular die may always be in the same position relative to the
stamping ram, whatever may be the size of rivet made, as herein-before
described.
Fourth, the application and use in rivet-making machines, in which the
rivets are carried by a revolving disc of an adjustable plunger piece contrived
to enter the tubular die to a determined distance at each stroke, so that
diffirent lengths of rivet may be obtained with the same tubular die, as herein-
before described.

page_text: pro-
Fifth, the system or mode of feeding the blanks in rivet-making machines,
by means of the sliding block which carries the moveable cutter, and is
vided with a back supporting piece for the purpose, the elevation of the sliding
block and cutter cutting the length of blank off the rod, and at the same time
lifting it into the position in which it is subjected to the shaping operation, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Howden, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord.
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
JAMES HOWDEN. (L.S.)