IMPROVED METHOD OF AND MACHINERY FOR ROLLING RIVETS, BOLTS, AXLES, AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVED METHOD
OF AND MACHINERY FOR ROLLING RIVETS, BOLTS, AXLES, AND OTHER
ARTICLES." A communication from abroad by John Henry Whitney, of the
City, County, and State of New York, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd April 1880.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVED METHOD OF AND MACHINERY FOR ROLLING
RIVETS, BOLTS, AXLES, AND OTHER ARTICLES." A communication from abroad
by John Henry Whitney, of the City, County, and State of New York, United
States of America.
The object of this Invention is to provide a new and improved rolling machine
for rolling rivets, bolts, axles, and other articles of similar section in a simple and
effective manner.
The Invention consists in a rolling machine provided with shafts, having suitable
rollers on the ends journalied above each other, and rotated in the same direction
by pinions or other suitable devices. The upper shaft is surrounded by a sleeve
having a geared wheel for rotating it mounted on one end, and a cam wheel acted
upon by a smooth wheel on the lower shaft mounted on the other end, so that if
the machine is in operation the rollers will be alternately brought in contact and
separated by the cam.
The metal is fed into the machine in the direction of the axes of the rollers
through a suitable guide, consisting of a loose flanged short tube held between two
or more rollers or adjustable slides, the metal being held between the rollers by a
pair of automatic tongs which close as the work progresses.
In the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved
rolling machine, showing the same arranged for rolling axles; Figure 2 is a front
elevation of the same, showing it modified and arranged for rolling button head
rivets; Figure 3 is an end elevation of the same; Figure 4 is a cross sectional
elevation on the line x, x, Figure 2, showing the arrangement of the cam wheel;

page_text: Figure 5 is a side elevation of the apparatus for guiding the metal into the machine;
Figure 6 is a plan view and end elevation of the same; Figure 7 is a cross
sectional elevation of a modification of the apparatus for guiding the metal into the
machine; Figure 8 is a front elevation of the same; Figure 9 is an end and side
elevation of the tongs for holding the work between the rollers; Figure 10 shows
the rollers as modified for rolling rivets with truncated conical heads. Similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
The shafts A and B are journalled in the frame C, and have spur wheels D, D,
mounted on one end, and rollers E, E, of some suitable shape mounted on the other
end. The spur wheels D, D, engage with a pinion F mounted on a shaft Q
provided with a Bywheel H, a fixed pulley I, and a loose pulley I. The journal
bearing J of the outer end of the upper shaft is pivoted as shown in dotted lines, so
as to permit the roller end of the said shaft to be slightly raised for a purpose that
will be set forth hereinafter. The upper shaft A is surrounded by a sleeve K, upon
the outer end of which is mounted a gear wheel L that engages with a pinion M on
the shaft B; a cam wheel N resting upon a smooth wheel O on the shaft B, being
mounted on the roller end of the said sleeve K. The wheel L and pinion M may
be replaced by a worm wheel L' and a worm M', as shown in Figure 2, especially
when a very slow movement which is independent of the movement of the shafts
A and B is desired. The rollers E, E, which are used to roll axles, are bevelled
according to the bevel that the spindle of the axle is to have, and are provided with
ȧ groove a near the outer ends, which groove forins the collar between the axle and
the spindle. If rivets are to be rolled, the rollers E', E', will be composed of a
series of discs b, b, as in Figure 2, which are mounted on the shafts A, B, and are
held by end plates c, c, whose peripheries each conform to the shape of half of the
head of the rivet. If rivets with truncated conical heads are desired, knives P, P¹,
must be attached to both ends of one or both rollers E³, E², as in Figure 10, for the
purpose of cutting off the metal. The rollers are pressed against each other by a
strong spiral or other spring Q, the tension of which can be regulated by a hand
wheel R. The metal is fed into the machine through a guide placed in front of
the ends of the rollers, and consisting of a flanged tube S mounted between 3 or 4
rollers T, T, on a suitable frame g; or the tube S can be loosely held by two or
inore L shaped slides U, Figures 7 and 8, which can be adjusted according to the
diameter of the tube S by means of screws e, e, passing through the slots f, f, in
the slides U, and taking in the frame or standard g. The work is held between the
rollers E by a pair of tongs formed of two L shaped levers V, Figure 9, pivoted
below the shaft A in such a manner that the shanks of the said levers embrace
the said shaft A. The inner sides of the shanks are rounded and then bevelled,
so that they spread when the shaft A descends. The lower ends of the levers V
are drawn apart by spiral or other suitable springs W, W. The tubes S are varied
in size according to the size of the work.
The operation is as follows:-As the pinion F is between the two spur wheels
D, D, these two wheels will rotate in the same direction, and as the pinion Mis
much smaller than the wheel L, the sleeve K will not rotate as rapidly as the
shaft A. If the shaft G is rotated to the right, the shafts A and B and the rollers
E, E, will both be rotated to the left, and the sleeve K and cam wheel N to the
right. If the projecting part m only of the cam wheel N rests on the smooth
wheel O, the rollers E, E, will be at the maximum of separation, and the hot iron
is now passed through the guide tube S into the space between the rollers. As the
cam wheel N continues to rotate the rollers come nearer to each other, and the
pressure of the spring Qupon the upper roller causes a spreading of the iron, but
as the rollers rotate much more rapidly than the cam wheel N, and also both rotate
in the same direction, the result is that the rivet or axle is being formed as rapidly
as the iron spreads. If the can wheel N is in the position shown in Figure 4, the
rollers are as close to each other as they possibly can be, and the next moment they
will begin to separate very rapidly, permitting the end of the iron rod X to be

page_text: pushed in between them again. If the object can only be formed with great
difficulty, the worm M' and the worm wheel L' should preferably be used, as with
then the speed of the sleeve K can be reduced as much as may be desired or
necessary. As the cam wheel N raises the roller E of the shaft A at every
revolution, it is necessary that the journal bearing J bo pivoted. If the shaft A is
raised, the lower ends of the lever V are drawn apart by the springs W, W, causing
the upper shanks h, h, to lie up close against the shaft A. But as the shaft Å
gradually descends it spreads the shanks h, and the lower ends of the lever V are
brought together, holding the work between them. The work gets thinner as the
shaft A descends, and at the same time the lower ends of the levers V are pressed
closer together. As soon as the shaft A rises, the lower ends of the levers V are
drawn apart again by the springs W, W. In the above described manner rivets,
bolts, axles, or any other articles can be rolled rapidly and in first class quality.
For making axles, two machines may be preferably used at the same time, each
rolling one end of the axle. The special advantage of the within machine is, that
rivets, bolts, &c., can be made from metal of the thickness of the head, the shank
being rolled out to the proper size, whereas at present the shank of the rivet need
not be formed, but the head must be formed out of the thin metal of the shank.
As thick iron is much cheaper than thin iron, the saving obtained with this
machine is evident. Further, the machine does not twist and break the fibres of
the iron, as is done in welding a head onto the rivet or bolt shanks. Another
advantage is the great uniformity of the rivets and bolts.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, I declare that what I claim as new, and desire to securo by Letters Patent
is,-
-
1st. A rolling machine made substantially as herein shown and described with
two roller shafts, one of which is surrounded by a sleeve, having a cog wheel
mounted on one end and a cam wheel on the other end, whereby the rollers are
brought in contact as the work proceeds.
2nd. In a rolling machine, the combination with the shafts A and B of the sleeve
K, the cog wheel L, pinion M, cam wheel N, and smooth wheel O, substantially as
herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.
3rd. In a rolling machine, the combination with the shafts A and B of the
sleeve K, worm wheel L', worm M11, cam wheel N, and smooth wheel O, substantially
as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.
4th. In a rolling machine, the combination with the shaft A of the pivoted
bearing J, the sleeve K, and the cam wheel N, substantially as herein shown and
described, and for the purpose set forth.
5th. In a rolling machine, the combination with the shaft A provided with a
pivoted journal J, of the L shaped levers V pivoted at the sides of the shaft A,
substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.
6th. In a rolling machine, the rollers E, E, constructed substantially as herein
shown and described, with a knife P or Plat cach end, as and for the purpose set
forth.
7th. In a rolling machine, the combination with the frame g of the guide tube S
of the adjustable sliding pieces U holding said tube, substantially as herein shown
and described, and for the purpose set forth.
8th. In a rolling machine, the combination with the rollers E, E, of the guide
tube S and the adjustable sliding pieces U, U, holding said tube, substantially as
herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.
9th. In a rolling machine, the combination with the shaft A of the pivoted
journal J, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set
forth.
10th. In a rolling machine, the combination with the guide tube S of three or
more rollers T between which it is mounted, substantially as herein shown and
described, and for the purpose set forth.

page_text: 11th. The method, substantially as herein shown and described, of making rivets,
bolts, and other articles, consisting in rolling the metal between rollers rotating in
the same direction, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty second day of April, in the year of our 1
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.