IMPROVEMENTS IN WOOD SCREWS, AND IN MACHINERY for ManufacturING THE SAME
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co, Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London,
for the Invention of" IMPROVEMENTS IN WOOD SCREWS, AND IN MACHINERY
for ManufacturING THE SAME.”—A communication from abroad by
Thomas James Sloan, of the City and State of New York, United
States of America, Engineer.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 19th May 1875.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WOOD SCREWS, AND IN
MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME," a communication, to be as
follows:
:-
This Invention comprises a wood screw having its head constructed
with a circular recess traversed by the groove ordinarily provided in

page_text: wood screws for the insertion of the driver to drive or turn the screw,
the aforesaid recess indenting the sides of said groove in such a manner
that a driver of appropriate configuration in its end or edge will be kept
from slipping in a direction longitudinal with the groove, by which
means the slipping of the driver and the consequent abrasion of the
-surfaces of the groove or fracture of the head, which are frequently
incident to the use of the common wood screw, are wholly obviated or
avoided.
The said Invention further comprises a taper or conical punch in
combination with the "header" so termed used for heading the blanks
from which wood screws are made, whereby the aforesaid recesses may
be formed in the heads simultaneously with the formation of the heads
themselves upon the blanks.
The said Invention also comprises a drill of suitable configuration in
combination with the "shaver "
so termed of screw-making machinery,
whereby, when preferred, the aforesaid recesses may be formed during
or simultaneously with the shaving of the said heads.
The said Invention further comprises a drill of suitable configuration
in combination with a feeding apparatus arranged to convey the headed
screw blanks to the action of the said drill, whereby, when desired, the
formation of the said recesses may be performed after the complete
formation of the said blanks. The said recess is circular in its cross
section, that is to say, in a plane at right angles to the length of the
screw. This recess is preferably of conical form, the point indicated by
its bottom being nearly or quite in the axial line of the screw; it is
traversed by the groove in the head of the screw so that the lateral
portions of the recess form indentations in the metal at the sides of the
groove, the groove being as it were enlarged at its middle portion by
semicircular cavities in cach side. In the use or driving of these screws
I use a driver formed at its end with lateral spurs or studs beviled at
the end or edge of the driver and fitting into the recess, which thus
prevents the slipping of the driver from the groove. As the recess
corresponds in its circular cross section with the circular contour of the
head, it follows that the metal displaced in the formation of the recess
by any punching operation is readily accommodated to the general
contour of the head, and the power and manipulation required in thus
forming the recess are reduced to a minimum, while, should such recess

page_text: be formed by drilling, no manipulation is necessary other than that
resulting from the action of a drill with a suitable cutting edge.
I use a feeding mechanism constituting one element of my novel
combination of a drill and feeding apparatus, but a portion of this
feeding apparatus may also be used in connection with or to form a part
of my novel combination of a drill and shaver, as herein-after explained.
This mechanism has a vertical guide into which the screws or the blanks
pass in a horizontal position from a hopper placed above, the screws or
blanks, as the case may be, being kept from passing out at the bottom
of the guide by an inclined carrier plate which has at its forward edge a
cavity parallel with the position of the screws in the guide. This carrier
plate is suspended by swinging arms from a pivot above. A connecting
rod extends from the carrier plate to the upper arm of a lever, the lower
arm of which by means of a laterally projecting stud or friction wheel
bears against the periphery of a cam, the latter by its revolution giving
the requisite intermittent movement to the carrier plate. Spring fingers
are pivoted at their upper ends to the extremity of a lever and pressed
together by a spring, these fingers having a recess between or within
their lower extremities. The said lever is attached to a rock shaft, from
which an arm extends into suitable contact with a cam whose rotation
by actuating the said lever raises and lowers the spring fingers.
I use jaws pivoted together, and with inwardly projecting arms
provided with friction rollers and a rod, which has one end of wedge-
like contour, so that when the rod is forced inward by a strong spiral
spring the wedge-like portion aforesaid will force the arms apart to bring
the jaws firmly together. The rod is carried in a hollow frame or journal,
which is capable of rotation in suitably provided boxes, and receives a
rotary motion from a belt and pulley of any suitable construction. The
end of the rod opposite the jaws is in contact with a lever actuated by a
cam, which at the requisite time forces it inward against the inward
draft of the spring, so that the centrifugal action of the jaws causes
them to separate for the discharge or removal of the blanks. The jaws
are centrally notched to provide for the reception of the blanks. When
the blank is placed in the jaws the head portion of the same is exposed
so that a drill may be made to act thercon; this drill may be of either
cylindrical, taper, or conical form, in order to bore or cut a recess or
cavity of corresponding shape in the head of the blank. The said drill
is placed in the end of a suitable stock or mandril rotated in appro-

page_text: priate boxes by means of a belt on a pulley. The drill should be arranged
in the line of the axis of the blank, as the latter is held in the jaws, and
is capable of a longitudinal motion, which may be given thereto by
means of a lever actuated by a cam on the end of the shaft carrying the
cams. The blank being held in the jaws, as herein-before explained, the
drill is moved toward the same to the requisite degree, and drills, bores,
or cuts the desired recess in the head, which being done the drill is
caused to move back, the jaws open to release the recessed blank, and to
receive another blank from the spring fingers to be operated upon in
like manner. It will of course be understood that the drill and the jaws
should be caused to rotate in opposite directions; also that the drill may
be non-rotative, provided the jaws rotate at a sufficient speed to ensure
its efficient action; also that the same result would be obtained if the
rotating drill ran against the head of the blank held in a fixed.position
by non-rotative jaws.
In the modification of my Invention comprised in the combination of
a drill and a shaver the blank is held in the jaws, the jaws being caused
to rotate by any appropriate devices. The shaver or tool for shaving
the head of the blank is pivoted and moved to its work of shaving the
head by any suitable means. While the shaver is doing it's work in
shaving the head of the blank the drill arranged with reference to the
jaws, as herein-before explained, and acting simultaneously with the
shaver, bores, cuts, or drills the recess in the head of the blank, thereby
accomplishing the formation of the said recess and the shaving of the
head in the time that in any case would be required for the latter.
In that portion of my Invention comprising the combination of a
suitably shaped punch with the header there are clamps which grip and
hold the blank. The upper half of the clamps is fixed, while the lower
half is movable to close and open the clamps to grip and release the
blank by means of a toggle joint actuated through a rod by a cam. The
heading die receives its movement to and from the clamps in a plane at
right angles to the plane of movement of the movable jaw of said clamps
by means of a toggle joint actuated by a cam. In the centre of the
heading die is attached a punch, which should be arranged in line with
the axis of the blank when the latter is gripped in the clamp. When
the heading die approaches the blank to head the same in the usual
mauner the punch precedes its action, and forms the desired recess in

page_text: the end of the blank, the head being formed in the latter more or less
concentric with the said recess by the continued movement of the
heading die.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors, administrators, and 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
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN WOOD SCREWS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME," a commu-
nication to me from abroad by Thomas James Sloan, of the City and State
of New York, United States of America, Engineer, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, 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 William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and

page_text: by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
This Invention comprises a wood screw, having its head constructed
with a circular recess traversed by a groove ordinarily provided in wood
screws for the insertion of a screwdriver to drive or turn the screw, the
aforesaid recess indenting the sides of said groove in such manner that a
driver of appropriate configuration in its end or edge will be kept from
slipping in a direction longitudinal with the groove, by which means the
slipping of the driver and the consequent abrasions of the surfaces of
the groove or fracture of the head, which are frequently incident to the
use of the common wood screw, are wholly obviated or avoided.
.
The said Invention further comprises a taper or conical punch in
combination with the "header," so termed, used for heading the blanks
from which wood screws are made, whereby the aforesaid recesses may
be formed in the heads simultaneously with the formation of the heads
themselves upon the blanks.
The said Invention also comprises a drill of suitable configuration in
combination with the "shaver," so termed, of screw making machinery,
whereby when preferred the aforesaid recesses may be formed during or
simultaneously with the shaving of the said heads.
The said Invention further comprises a drill of suitable configuration
in combination with a feeding apparatus arranged to convey the headed
screw blanks to the action of the said drill, whereby, when desired, the
formation of the said recesses may be performed after the complete
formation of the said blanks.

page_text: Figure 8 is a front elevation, representing the combination of the
drill and feeding apparatus and a portion of the accessory mechanism,
and Figure 9 is a plan of the same.
Figure 10 is a plan of the feeding apparatus with its' operating or
accessory mechanism, and in combination with the drill.
Figure 11 is a side elevation of the feeding apparatus and its accessory
mechanism, and Figure 12 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of
the same taken on the line x, x, of Figure 10.
Figures 13 and 14 are detached views of one part of the accessory
mechanism taken from different points of view.
And Figure 15 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of the
aforesaid feeding apparatus and accessory mechanism.
Referring first to the wood screw of peculiar construction forming a
portion of my Invention. A is the body of the screw, B is the head,
and a is the transverse groove in the latter; these parts being of the
usual configuration and proportions, and therefore requiring no parti-
cular or specific description here. In the centre of the head, in other
words in the top of the same, and preferably coincident with the axis of
the screw is formed a recess c, circular in its cross section, that is to say,
in a plane at right angles to the length of the screw.
This recess is
preferably of conical form, the point indicated by its bottom being
nearly or quite in the axial line of the screw. This recess is traversed
by the groove a in the head of the screw so that the lateral portions of
the recess form indentations in the metal at the sides of the groove; the
groove being as it were enlarged at its middle portion by semicircular
cavities in each side. In the use or driving of my screw aforesaid I uso
the driver represented in Figures 4, 5, and 6, the said driver being
formed at its end with lateral spurs or studs f" bevilled at the end or
edge of the driver, and fitting into the recess c, which thus prevents the
slipping of the driver from the groove a. As the recess c corresponds
in its circular cross section with the circular contour of the head it
follows that the metal displaced in the formation of the recess by any
punching operation is readily accomodated to the general contour of the
head, and the power and manipulation required in thus forming the
recess are reduced to a minimum, while, should such recess be formed by
drilling, no manipulation is necessary other than that resulting from the
action of a drill with a suitable cutting edge.

page_text: In the production of these improved screws for market I propose to
use, as may be preferred, one or the other of suitable varieties of mc-
chanism, hercin-before indicated and herein-after more fully explained;
and having reference to the aforesaid various forms of mechanism thus
comprised in my Invention and designed for the formation of the
herein-before described recess in my improved screw, also comprised in
this Invention, I have here to say that I do not limit myself to the
precise mechanical devices shown and represented in the Drawings
so long as the mechanism shall comprise cither a punch combined
with a "header," or a drill combined with a 'shaver," or a drill
combined with feeding mechanism for feeding blanks (this latter
combination is capable of use as an independent machine for forming
said recesses), inasmuch as the mechanical devices may, within the range
of the art to which my Invention relates, be made and actuated in
various and diverse ways.
"
Figures 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 represent in full a feeding
mechanism well known in the manufacture of wood screws, and which
may be used as constituting one element of my novel combination of a
drill and feeding apparatus, which combination, as herein-before indi-
cated, may constitute a machine separate and distinct from those used
in the formation of the ordinary parts or features of the screw; but a
portion of the feeding apparatus may also be used in connection with or
to form a part of my novel combination of a drill and shaver, as herein-
after explained. C is a vertical guide, into which the screws or the
blanks pass in a horizontal position from a hopper placed above the
screws or blanks, as the case may be; they are kept from passing out at
the bottom of the guide (except as herein presently explained) by the
inclined carrier plate D, which has at its forward edge a cavity f parallel
with the position of the screws in the guide. This carrier plate is
A con-
suspended by swinging arms A' from a pivot a** above.
necting rod B' extends from the carrier plate to the upper arm of a
lever C, the lower arm of which, by means of a laterally projecting stud
or friction wheel g, bears against the periphery of a cam E, the latter
by its revolution giving the requisite intermittent movement, herein-after
set forth, to the carrier plate. F, F, are spring fingers pivoted at their
upper ends to the extremity of a lever D', and pressed together by the
spring, these fingers having a recess a" between or within their lower
extremities. The said lever D' is attached to a rock shaft E', from which
an arm G extends into suitable contact with a cam H, the rotation of

page_text: which latter by actuating the lever D¹ raises and lowers the spring
fingers F for the purpose herein presently explained. I, I, are jaws pivotted
together at i, and with their inwardly projecting arms; provided with
friction rollers f'.' J is a rod, one end of which is of wedge-like contour,
as shown at g', so that when the rod is forced inward by a strong spiral
spring, the wedge-like portion aforesaid will force the arms j apart to
bring the jaws firmly together. The rod is carried in a hollow frame or
journal A", which is capable of rotation in suitably provided boxes B¹¹,
and receives a rotary motion from a belt and pulley of any suitable con-
struction. The end of the rod J opposite the jaws. is in contact with a
lever P, actuated by a cam K, which at the requisite time forces it
inward against the inward draft of the spring k, so that the centrifugal
action of the jaws causes them to separate for the discharge or removal
of the blanks. The jaws are centrally notched, as shewn at m, to provide
for the reception of the blanks.
In the operation of the feeding apparatus the carrier plate swings
backward until its cavity is brought underneath the guide containing
the blanks, whereupon the lowermost of the blanks descends into the
cavity, and the return movement of the carrier brings it under the
spring fingers, which in the meanwhile have been lifted higher than
the carrier plate. The spring fingers dip down and catch the blank, the
carrier plate moves back sufficiently to be out of the way of the descent
of the spring fingers; the latter then descend, and passing to the jaws,
which have in the meantime been caused to open as herein-before
explained, deposit the blank in the central notches of said jaws, which
then close and grip the blank firmly, the jaws with the gripped blank
being subjected to rapid rotation by the rotation as herein-before
described of the frame or journal carrying the same. It will be observed
that when thus placed in the jaws the head portion of the blank is
exposed, so that a drill N may be made to act thereon. This drill,
shown more clearly in Figures 8 and 9, may be of either cylindrical,
tapering, or conical form in order to bore or cut a recess or cavity of
corresponding shape in the head of the blank. This drill is placed in
the end of a suitable stock or mandril I rotated in appropriate boxes by
means of a belt on a pulley n. The drill should be arranged in the line
of the axis of the blank, as the latter is held in the jaws, and is capable
of a longitudinal motion, which may be given thereto by means of a
lever R actuated by a cam S on the end of the shaft carrying the
cams E, H. The blank being held in the jaws as herein-before explained

page_text: the drill is moved toward the same to the requisite degree, and drills,
bores, or cuts the desired recess c in the head, which being done the drill
is caused to move back, and the jaws open to release the recessed blank,
and to receive another blank from the spring fingers to be operated upon
in like manner.
It will of course be understood that the drill and the jaws should be
caused to rotate in opposite directions, also that the drill may be non-
rotative provided the jaws rotate at a sufficient speed to insure its
efficient action, also that the same result would be obtained if the
rotating drill ran against the head of the blank held in a fixed position
by non-rotative jaws.
"
That modification of my Invention comprised in the combination of a
drill or shaver is also illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, the blank being
held in the jaws I, to which they may be carried or transferred by any
suitable means, and the jaws being caused to rotate by any appropriate
devices. T is the "shaver or tool for shaving the head of the blank;
this shaver is pivoted at r, and moved to its work of shaving the head
by any of the usual or any suitable means. This shaver being of the
ordinary form and construction and operated in the ordinary way needs
no specific description. While the shaver is doing its work in shaving
the head of the blank the drill N arranged with reference to the jaws as
herein before explained and acting simultaneously with the shaver,
borcs, cuts, or drills the recess c in the head of the blank, thereby
accomplishing the formation of the said recess and the shaving of the
head in the time that in any case would be required for the latter.
That portion of my Invention comprising the combination of a
suitably shaped punch with the header is represented in Figure 7, in
which the clamps which grip and hold the blank are shown in dotted
outline at u, while the heading die is shown at w. The upper half of
the clamps is fixed while the lower half is movable to close and open the
clamps to grip and release the blank by means of a toggle joint a*
actuated through a rod b* by a cam c*. The heading dic receives its
movement to and from the clamps in a plane at right angles to the
plane of movement of the movable jaw of said clamps by means of a
toggle joint d actuated by a cam e*. In the centre of the heading die
is attached a punch y, which should be arranged in line with the axis
of the blank when the latter is gripped in the clamp.. When the
heading die approaches the blank to head the same in the usual manner

page_text: the punch precedes its action and forms the desired recess c in the end
of the blank, the head being formed in the latter more or less concentric
with the said recess by the continued movement of the heading die
thereto.
Of course one or the other of the herein-before described means or
methods of forming the required recess in the thread will be used, as
circumstances may render one or the other most to be preferred.
It will also be understood that the screw threading of the blank and
the nicking or grooving of the head thereof is done by any of the
ordinary or by any appropriate means or mechanism.
Having thus fully described the nature of the said Invention, as
communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. The wood screw having its head constructed with the circular
recess traversed by the groove, and nearly or quite concentric with the
axis of the screw, as herein described for the purpose specified.
Second. The combination of a taper or conical punch with a "header"
for forming the heads of wood screw blanks as above described.
Third. The combination of a drill of suitable configuration with the
shaver of a screw-making machine, as above described and for the
purpose specified.
Fourth. The combination of a drill of suitable configuration with a
feeding apparatus provided to convey the blanks to the action of the
said drill, as above described and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Eighteenth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-five
Witness,
HY. JAS. NOONE,
S, Southampton Buildings,
London.
W. ROB™. LAKE. (L.S.)