IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING NUTS, AND THE PRE- PARATION OF THE METAL THEREFOR, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Orrin Clark Burdict, of the City and County of New
Haven, and State of Connecticut, United States of America, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING NUTS, AND THE PRE-
PARATION OF THE METAL THEREFOR, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 28th October 1864, and dated the 30th April 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Orrin Clark Burdict at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th April 1864.
I, ORRIN CLARK BURDICT, of the City and County of New Haven, and
State of Connecticut, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING NUTS, AND THE
PREPARATION OF THE METAL THEREFOR, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
First, my Invention consists in certain improvements in nut-making
machines. On a bed plate I place a driving shaft supported in bearings, and
driven through the application of power to a pulley. On the bed plate there
is a slide supported by and moving freely in guides, and moved forward by a
cam on the shaft, bearing against a roller on the said slide, and is drawn back
by the action of another cam bearing against a roller which is attached to
the slide by means of a projection. At the other end of the slide there is a
punch of the form and size of the nut to be made, which punch is firmly

page_text: The
fixed in and moves with the slide. Fixed to or forming part of the bed
plate is a block, in which I place a die made in two parts, one part being
made concave on its inner surface, and the other part convex, to set in it and
fit the concavity in the first part. The part which is convex is made with a
hole, the size and form required for any nut to be made, and must correspond
to the form and size of the punch on the slide, and the concavity in the first
part is for the purpose of curving the face of the nut. In connection with
the block there is a cutter against which the blanks are cut from the heated
bar to form the nuts, and secured to the block there is a fixed punch placed
centrally through the die, and of the diameter required for the hole in the
nut. A hole is made centrally through the punch on the slide, the size of the
stationary punch, through which hole the punchings of the nut pass. The
stationary punch is surrounded by a sleeve or tube, and fitted to move freely
thereon and through the die, and is employed as herein-after described to
support the blank in its proper position while being cut from the bar, and
also to throw out the nut for its swage. To operate my machine I apply
power to drive the shaft, and place a bar of iron properly heated before the
die and against the cutter. The sleeve or tube, must extend out to the
cutter, so that the end of the bar to be cut off will rest on the sleeve, and
the said sleeve is held firmly in that position by the action of a cam.
slide and punch now move forward by the action of the first-mentioned cam,
and as soon as the punch reaches the bar and begins to press upon it, the
sleeve retreats as fast as the punch advances. This result is accomplished
by making the action of the first and second mentioned cams simultaneous.
By this operation the blank, being cut from the bar, is sustained and firmly
held between the sliding punch and sleeve after the blank is cut from the
bar, and whilst it is still held as aforesaid it is carried into the die against
the stationary punch which punches the eye of the nut, and thence the blank
is carried into the bottom of the die. Here the sleeve rests and the sliding
punch swages the nut to the form of the die. The instant this is done the
punch retreats by the action of the cam as
time the sleeve advances by a corresponding
it, and forces the finished nut from the die.
and swaged in like manner, and so on. The
other "nut machines" are first by making the die in two parts as described,
one part serves for many sizes of nuts, time being only required to change
the other part for each different size or form of nut, that is, to a certain
extent. This latter part is formed round, whereby I am enabled to make it
in a lathe, and have simply to make a hole the required form and size
before described. At the same
action of the cam which works
A second nut is cut, punched
advantages of my machine over

page_text: entirely through it, and for different sizes and forms I have only to change
this moveable part of the die, and also to make the punches correspond, all
of which requires very little time.
Another great advantage is the operation of the sleeve or tube to hold the
blank for preventing the blank from turning and insuring its entrance
squarely into the die.
Secondly, my Invention consists in certain improvements in dies for
swaging machines. In nut machines, as well as in all swaging machines
where dies are used, the trouble and expense of repairing dies detracts
materially from the practical usefulness of such machines. To overcome in a
great degree this trouble and expense is the object of this part of my
Invention. It consists in forming a die of four separate pieces; each piece
in its breadth and depth equal to the nut or piece to be swaged, and in
length about three times its width, or more or less. The said pieces or
blocks are so placed that each block will form one of the four sides of a die,
and when the outer angle or corner or face of the die shall have become worn
by use, the block or piece may be shifted to present a new face or angle; each
end or each block allowing three such changes, and the sides an equal
number, and thereby no repairing is required until all the angles have
become used and worn. Thus in the die holder I place four pieces or blocks
of steel, each block of the same width and depth as the nut or piece to be
swaged, and about three times as 'long. I make all the angles on the said
block right angles, and give to each block temper according to the purpose
for which it is to le used. I place the four blocks in the die holder, setting
the upper and lower blocks so that the parts used in the die will be one side
of the centre for the purpose herein-before described, and adjust and fix the
side blocks in the die holder by means of set screws. To form the back"
bottom of the die, I place a block of metal in the die holder, and if it is
desired to make a curved head, I make a projection from the said block, the
size of the die, and made the reverse of the form required for the nut or
piece to be swaged. When the first four angles shall have become worn
or injured, the four blocks may be turned one quarter over, presenting new
angles. When these four angles have been used. I move the upper and
lower blocks to the right or left, as the case may be. This will present four
more angles, and when the eight angles or bases of the blocks are worn, I
change the positions of the blocks, so that each block is capable of being
placed and used in sixteen different positions before any repairs will be
necessary, whereas a solid die would require to be faced sixteen times for the
sanie amount of work performed. The cost of my improved die is com-
or

page_text: paratively small, as I make the blocks from square bar steel, and each block
cut the proper length from a bar finished to the proper size.
Thirdly, my Invention relates to the manufacture of hot pressed or forged.
nuts of more than four sides or angles. Heretofore in the manufacture of
such nuts by machinery, the heated bar has been introduced into the, nut
machines of an equal width; and in punching nuts therefrom there is
necessarily a waste of the angles, which is no inconsiderable loss.
To overcome this loss, as well as to form a more solid nut, is the object of
this part of my Invention, which consists in forming the angles of each nut
by compressing the bar, and thereby partially severing it before introducing.
the hexagonal or other shaped punch to form the piece in the die, so that
when one of the blanks formed by compressing or otherwise forging the bar
is presented before the die, the punch cuts it from the bar and forces it into
the die, and finishes the nut without loss of metal in forming the angles..
Thus, if from a bar of iron or other suitable metal of the required size I
desire to form hexagonal nuts, I pass the bar between swaging dies or properly
formed rollers, thereby compressing the heated metal, and partially severing
each blank from the bar. After having done this, I hammer or otherwise
flatten the two faces or flat surfaces. This entire operation may be performed
by mechanism attached to or in connection with nut machines, or by separate
machinery. When the bar has been forged into the proper form, I introduce
the blanks into a nut machine, where the blank is cut from the bar, and by
the mechanism of the nut machine finished. By these combined operations
the nut is forged more solid than it could be if cut from the bar, and the.
angles wasted.
This part of my Invention is designed with special reference to the nut-
making machines.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Orrin Clark Burdict in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th October 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ORRIN
CLARK BURDICT, of the City and County of New Haven, and State of
Connecticut, United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her

page_text: reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors; give and grant unto me, the
said Orrin Clark Burdict, Her special licence that I, the said Orrin Clark
Burdict, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the.
said Orrin Clark Burdict, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING NUTS, AND THE PREPARATION OF THE METAL
THEREFOR, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Orrin Clark Burdict, 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 Orrin Clark Burdict, 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 (that is to say):-
This Invention consists, first, in certain improvements in nut-making:
machines; and, secondly, in improvements in swaging machines.
In my Provisional Specification I described a method of preparing the
metal for the nuts as part of my improvements, but I have since found that
the operations I employed were not new, and therefore disclaim that part as;
of my Invention, and do not now describe it.
The manner in which my improvements in nut-making and swaging:
machines are to be performed will be clearly understood by the following
complete description thereof, reference being had to the figures and letters.
on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, the letters referring to each part.
separately.
Fig. 1 is a plan, and Fig. 2 a side view, of a nut-making machine provided.
with my improvements, and Figs. 3 and 4 are sections of parts of the same.
drawn enlarged; Fig. 5 is a front view, and Fig. 6 a cross section, shewing,
my improvements in swaging machines; and Figs. 7 and 8 detached views of
parts of the same.
On a bed plate A, I place a driving shaft B supported in bearings C, and.
driven through the application of power to a pulley D; on the bed plate there..
is a slide E supported by and moving freely in guides F, and moved forward

page_text: b
by the cam G on the shaft B, and bearing against a roller H on the said
slide, and is drawn back by the action of another cam I bearing against the
roller J, which is attached to the slide E by means of a projection K. At
the other end of the slide there is a punch L of the form and size of the nut
to be made, which punch is firmly fixed in and moves with the slide E.
Fixed to or forming part of the bed plate is a block M, in which I place a
die made in two parts a, b, Fig. 3, the part a being made concave on its
inner surface, and the part 6 convex to set in it and fit the concavity in the
first part a.
The part 6 which is convex is made with a hole c, the size and
form required for any nut to be made, and must correspond to the form and
size of the punch L on the slide E, and the concavity in the part a is for
the purpose of curving the face of the nut. In connection with the block
there is a cutter d, Fig. 1, against which the blanks are cut from the heated
bar to form the nuts; and secured to the block P there is a fixed punch N
placed centrally through the die, and of the diameter required for the hole in
the nut. A hole n, Fig. 4, is made centrally through the puuch L on the
slide E, the size of the stationary punch N, through which hole the punchings
of the nut pass, and thence out through the conductor o. The stationary
punch is surrounded by a sleeve or tube i, and fitted to move freely thereon
and through the die, and is employed, as herein-after described, to support the
blank in its proper position while being cut from the bar, and also to throw
out the nut for its swage.
To operate my machine I apply power to drive the shaft B, and place a bar
of iron properly heated before the die and against the cutter. The sleeve or
tube i must extend out to the cutter, so that the end of the bar to be cut off
will rest on the sleeve, and the said sleeve is held firmly in that position by
the action of the cam R through the levers f, h, and their connecting, rod 1,
Fig. 2, the cam being fixed to the shaft B, and shewn by dotted lines. The
slide E and punch L now move forward by the action of the cam G, and as
soon as the punch L reaches the bar and begins to press upon it, the sleeve i,
which was in the position shewn by the dotted lines, Fig. 3, retreats as fast as
the punch advances. This result is accomplished by making the action of the
cams G and R simultaneous. By this operation the blank being cut from
the bar is sustained and firmly held between the sliding punch L and sleeve i.
After the blank is cut from the bar, and whilst it is still held as aforesaid, it is
carried into the die a against the stationary punch N, which punches the eye
of the nut, and thence the blank is carried into the bottom of the die. Here
the sleeve rests and the sliding punch L swages the nut to the form of the
die. The instant this is done the punch L retreats by the action of

page_text: the cam J, as before described. At the same time the sleeve advances by
a corresponding action of the cam R, and forces the finished nut from the die.
A second nut is cut, punched, and swaged in like manner, and so on. The
advantages of my machine over other "nut machines" are, first, by making the
die in two parts, as described, the part a serves for many sizes of nuts; time
being only required to change the part 6 for each different size or form of nut,
that is, to a certain extent. This part 6 is formed round, whereby I am
enabled to make it in a lathe, and have simply to make a hole the required
form and size entirely through it; and for different sizes and forms I have
only to change the moveable part 6 of the die, and also to make the punches
correspond, all of which require very little time. Another great. advantage is
the operation of the sleeve or tube i to hold the blank for preventing 'the
blank from turning and insuring its entrance squarely into the die.
b
I now describe the second part of my Invention, consisting of certain
improvements in dies for swaging machines. In nut machines, as well as in
all swaging machines where dies are used, the trouble and expense of re-
pairing dies detracts materially from the practical usefulness of such machines,
To overcome in a great degree this trouble and expense is the object of this
part of my Invention. It consists in forming a die of four separate pieces,
each piece in its breadth and depth equal to the nut or piece to be swaged,
and in length about three times its width, or more or less. The said pieces or
blocks are so placed that each block will form one of the four sides of a die,
and when the outer angle or corner or face of the die shall have become worn
by use, the block or piece may be shifted to present a new face or angle.
Each end of each block allows three such changes, and the sides an equal
number, and thereby no repairing is required until all the angles have become
used and worn. Thus in the die holder A, Figs. 5 and 6, I place four pieces
or blocks of steel B, C, D, E, each of the same width and depth as the nut or
piece to be swaged, and about three times as long; and one of the blocks is
shewn in perspective in Fig. 7. I make all the angles on the said block right
angles, and give to each block temper according to the purpose for which it is
to be used. I place the four blocks in the die holder, as seen in Fig. 5,
setting the upper and lower blocks B, D, so that the parts used in the die
will be one side of the centre for the purpose herein-before described,
and adjust and fix the side blocks in the die holder A by means of set screws
a, b, c, d. To form the back or bottom of the die I place a block F of metal
in the die holder; and if it is desired to make a curved head I make a pro-
jection from the said block, as shewn in Figs. 6 and 8, the size of the die, and
made the reverse of the form required for the nut or piece to be swaged.

page_text: e represents a punch, and f a sleeve or tube similar to that described in the
first part of my Invention, and shewn in Figs. 1 and 3. When the first four
'angles 1, 2, 3, 4, Fig. 5, have become worn or injured, the four blocks may
be turned one quarter over, presenting new angles. In Fig. 7, 1 represents
the first angle or face used; 5, the second; 6, the third; 7, the fourth; 8, the
fifth; 9, the sixth; 10, the seventh; and 11, the eighth; these angles being
used in the position of C, E, Fig. 5. In the position of B, D, 4 is the first
angle (see Fig. 7); 12, the.third; and 14, the fourth. When these angles
have been used, move the upper and lower blocks to the right or left, as the
case may be (see Fig. 5); this will present a new fifth angle of surface, and
16, 17, and 18, are the sixth, seventh, and eighth angles, and when these
eight angles or bases of the blocks in the position of B, D, are worn I insert
the C, E, in the place of B, D, and vice versa. Thus each block is capable
of being placed and used in sixteen different positions before any repairs
will be necessary, whereas a solid die would require to be faced sixteen times
for the same amount of work performed.
The cost of my improved die is comparatively small, as I make the blocks
from square bar steel, and each block cut the proper length from a bar
finished to the proper size.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention, I
desire it to be understood that I claim in nut-making machines the employ-
ment of a die formed of two parts, as described, and using this die in com-
bination with a moveable punch, a fixed punch, and also a sleeve or tube; and
in swaging machines; the employment of a die composed of four pieces or
blocks of steel as all such improvements are herein described and illustrated
in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Orrin Clark Burdict, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of August, in the year of our
Lord-One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
ORRIN CLARK BURDICT. (L.S.)