CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PUNCHING METALS, AND FOR RIVETTING TOGETHER METALLIC PLATES OR BARS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles de Bergue, Engineer, Dowgate
"
Hill, London, for the Invention of CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR PUNCHING METALS, AND FOR RIVETTING TOGETHER
METALLIC PLATES OR BARS."
Sealed the 23rd February 1853, and dated the 6th October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles de Bergue
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition.
on the 6th October 1852.
I, CHARLES DE BERGUE, Engineer, Dowgate Hill, London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR PUNCHING METALS, AND FOR RIVETTING TOGETHER METALLIC
PLATES OR BARS."
It is to be effected by pereussion from a blow or blows to be
produced by raising by mechanical means a weighty hammer, and
then allowing it to fall by its own gravity will drive a punch through
the metal intended to be punched, or, in the case of rivetting, will
drive a swage with sufficient power to form & complete the rivet, the
mechanism being so arranged as to adapt the blow to the thickness of
plates to be perforated or punched, or to the size of rivet on which
the head is to be formed.

page_text: The object of this Invention is to remedy the defects of the
present system of rivetting by pressure, and to accomplish the rivetting
process by machinery & gravitation, & to obtain the same results as
are at present obtained by the hand process; the same results might
be obtained by raising the hammer by steam, & then allowing it to
descend by gravity alone.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles de Bergue in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 6th April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
CHARLES DE BERGUE, Engineer, of Dowgate Hill, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Charles de Bergue, Her special
license that I, the said Charles de Bergue, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles de Bergue,
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
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PUNCHING METALS, AND FOR
RIVETTING TOGETHER METALLIC PLATES OR BARS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles de Bergue, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
. NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles de Bergue, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings
annexed hereto, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:
Figure 1, represents the front elevation of a machine for punching
or rivetting; Figure 2, a side elevation of the same; Figure 3; a
plan
view of the upper part of the machine, shewing the driving shafts and
pullies; Figure 4, a plan view of the lower part of the machine;
Figure 5, a sectional view of the ram or hammer, friction wheels,
and other parts; Figure 5*, the top of a column and ram; Figure 6,
I represents partly the side elevation of a punching machine; and
Figure 7, partly the back end. elevation; Figure 8, a plan view
of the same. Having now enumerated the Figures of the Draw-
ings, I may here state that the same letters and figures apply to
similar parts in each Figure... Before describing the Drawings, it
may be as well to explain that the purpose of my Invention is
effected by percussion from a blow or blows to be produced by
raising by mechanical means a weighty hammer, and then allowing
it to fall by its own gravity, when it will drive a punch through the
metal intended to be punched, or, in the case of rivetting, will drive
a swage with sufficient power to form a rivet, the mechanism being so
arranged as to adapt the blow to the thickness of the plates to be per-
forated or punched, or to the size of the rivet on which the head is to
be formed. The object of my Invention is to remedy. the :defects of
the present system of rivetting. by pressure, and to accomplish the
rivetting process by machinery and gravitation, and to obtain the
same results as are at present obtained by the hand process, which
results may be also obtained by raising the hammer by steam, and
then allowing it to descerid by gravity alone. The parts marked A,
(see the Drawing) represent the foundation to which the rivetting
machine is screwed by the bolts A¹. B, is the framing of the machine.
.C, is an hollow upright column, fitted into the framing at B', (seen
best in Figure 5.) This column carries one end of the driving shafts
:D, D', which work in two collars E, and E, which slide between
the pieces E, E³, screwed to the column by the bolts E, E. The

page_text: driving shafts, as before stated, are supported at one end by the
upright column, and at the other by the framing B, the ends work-
ing into the pedestals F, F. G, G', are the driving pullies; H, a
toothed wheel, secured to G', all working loose on the shaft D.
The wheel H, takes into H', on the shaft D', giving to it revolving
niotion, and the wheel II, on the shaft D', into the wheel H³, on
the shaft D, giving to it revolving motion. I, I, are two friction
wheels keyed on to the shafts 1), D. J, is a ram or hammer which
works in the interior of the hollow column C. At the lower
end of the ram or hammer is fixed any suitable punch or swage K',
for the work which may be required; and at its upper end is screwed
on a washer K, another washer K³, sliding loose on the part K².
Between the washers K', and K, and the top of the upright column
C, are placed india-rubber rings for the purpose, when punching, of
withdrawing the punch from the hole, and of sustaining the hammer or
ram one or two inches above the work, when not in action, and also to
prevent a blow being given from the recoil of the ram or hammer.
L, is a T lever, which has its fulcrum at L'; to this lever is attached
by the two pins L2, L³, the two links M, M', connecting it with the
sliding collars E, E'. On one end of the T lever is a weight L', which
is for the purpose of acting upon the lever L, so as to bring the friction
pullies out of contact with the ram or hammer when the handle L³, is
not held. The friction pullies may be brought in contact with the rani
or hammer, either by pulling at the handle L', or at the chain Lº. N,
is a lever which has its fulcrum at N', in the middle of the frame B,
(seen best in Figure 4); it is formed of two plates, one placed on each
side of the frame B, between which plates N, are screwed at the ends
the two masses or blocks of metal N, and N³, by bolts marked
1, 1, 1. In the centre of the mass or block of metal N³, is fixed any
proper die O, and at the other end of the lever N, from the centre of
the cross piece N³, is suspended a heavy weight P. To prevent the
lever N', from rising higher than a fixed position it is made to rest
upon two supports Q, Q', screwed to the base plate of the machine.
The rivetting by this machine is performed in the following manner:
suppose it to be a piece of circular work R, it is suspended by a chain

page_text: R', or two chains, as may be found convenient, which chain or chains
passes round a grooved pulley R2, which is connected with any of the
usual travelling cranes or other suitable apparatus, which being well
known need not be here described. This arrangement will enable the
workmen to turn the work in any required direction so as to bring the
rivet under the ram or hammer. A rivet being placed into the hole,
the head is made to rest upon the die O; the workman then pulls at the
handle L, or chain L, so as to bring the friction rollers I, I', firmly
in contact with the ram or hammer, which, as they are supposed to be
revolving, raises the ram or hammer by friction against it to the re-
quired height, when, by bringing back the lever so as to bring the
friction pullies out of contract, the ram or hammer is allowed to descend
upon the end of the rivet, when the head is formed by the blow, which
may be repeated, if necessary. The block N2, attached to the lever N,
is for the purpose of resisting the force of the blow by its vis inertiæ,
and that of the weight P. The machine represented by Figures 1, 2,
3, 4, and 5, may be used either for punching or revetting by inserting
the proper punch and die or swage, as may be required; when required
for punching, by unscrewing the washer K, and substituting for the
cylinder K, the rings K, and separating plates K7, shewn at Figure
5, it is ready for the work. Figures 6, 7, 8, represents a machine
adapted for punching, the only difference being, that instead of the
lever N, the base of the machine is extended forward a little beyond
the punch, and made sufficiently strong to resist the blow. The view
shewn of the column C, in Figure 6, is partly in section, and at right
angle to the view of the remainder of the machine, so as to be more
readily understood. In Figure 6, is also shewn a mode by which the
descent of the rain or haminer may be greatly accelerated. The washer
K, is turned up at the edge, and a flange cast on the column at C*;
the washer or cap K', is then surrounded by strips of india-rubber S, S,
of suitable strength, which are attached to the washer K', by set screws
or other suitable means, and similarly connected with the flange C*.
Their action will be easily understood; when the ram is elevated by
the force and adhesion of the friction pullies I, I', the india-rubber
strips S, will be elongated, and when the friction pullies are withdrawn

page_text: the force of their contraction will give an increased velocity to the
descent of the ram or hammer, and thus a blow of greater force.
Having now fully described and ascertained my Invention, and in
what manner the same may be performed, I would have it understood
that I do not claim as new and of my Invention various parts of the
machines shewn and described which are old and well known, nor do I
confine myself precisely to the arrangement and combination herein-
before described, but I reserve to myself the right of varying the same;
but what I claim is,-Firstly, the combination and arrangements of the
machines shewn and described for the purpose herein stated. Secondly,
I. claim the mode of accelerating the descent of an hammer or ram,
shewn and described at Figure 6, by springs or strips of india-rubber.
Lastly, I claim as my Invention punching or rivetting together metallic
bars or plates by machines which effect this by percussion from a
blow or blows produced by raising a hammer or ram, and then allowing
it to fall by its own gravity.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles de Bergue, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
threc.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
before-named Charles de Bergue
in the presence of
WILLIAM BROOKES,
73, Chancery Lane.
C. DE BERGUE. (L.s.)