Improvements in Machinery for Drilling Circular and other Machine Combs.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 5th June, 1886.
Complete Left, 31st Mar., 1887. *
Complete Accepted, 20th May, 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Drilling Circular and other
Machine Combs.
I, THOMAS WALTER HARDING of the Tower Works in Globe Road Leeds, Card
comb & pin manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
It consists in improvements in the machinery for the automatic drilling of circle
and other machine combs, for which Letters Patent wero granted to Thomas Richards
Harding and myself No. 4178 Dec. 2 1875, and to myself No. 4011 Oct. 17 1876.
In the first named patent an automatic circle drilling machine is shewn in which
the drill is actuated by the pressure of weights or springs and withdrawn by a cam,
while after each withdrawal the circle plate is automatically advanced so as to bring
the drill to bear on the part of the plate where the next hole is to be drilled.
In the same patent of 1875 I show a converse arrangement where the drill is
advanced by the positive action of a cam and withdrawn by a spring.
I also shew a cam in steps permitting the drill to be advanced a certain depth,
withdrawn to clear itself, again advanced a step further and withdrawn; the move-
ment to the next hole taking place as soon as all the successive steps of the cam have
been passed.
Now my present invention consists in an arrangement by which the drill is
advanced by the elastic action of a spring or weight, and withdrawn by a cam to clear
itself, the action being repeated so that the drill at each advance perforates deeper into
the plate, not by a fixed distance as is the case with the cam in steps already referred
to, but by such distance as the sharpness and excellence of the drill permits to be
accomplished before its withdrawal by the cam; and the movement to the next hole
does not take place after a definite number of movements of the drill as in my previous
arrangements, but after a variable number of movements, according as the drill is
sharp or blunt, or the metal acted upon hard or soft.

page_text: This advantage is secured by suspending the action of the ratchet and dividing
gear until the hole has been drilled through, in the case of single drill machines, or
until it has approached sufficiently near the centre in the case of double drill machines.
When in either case this point has been reached, the ratchet gear is automatically
released either by direct mechanical connection or by the action of an electro-magnet
and suitable armature.
Thus when the drill is in good condition, the ratchet gear for moving to the next
hole comes into operation after a smaller number of advances and withdrawals of
the drill, and if the drill is blunt after a larger number of such movements.
The arrangement is obviously applicable to single or double acting drilling machines
and to straight as well as circular combs.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Drilling Circular and other
Machine Combs.
I, THOMAS WALTER HARDING, of the Tower Works, in Globe Road, Leeds, in the
County of York, Card, Comb and Pin Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This invention consists in improvements in the machinery for the automatic drilling
of circular and other machine combs, for which Letters Patent were granted to
Thomas Richards Harding and myself Number 4178, dated 2nd December, 1875,
and to myself No. 4011, dated 17th October 1876.
In the firstnamed Patent an automatic circle drilling machine is shewn in which
the drill is actuated by the pressure of weights or springs and withdrawn by a cam,
while after each withdrawal the circle plate is automatically advanced so as to bring
the drill to bear on the part of the plate where the next hole is to be drilled. In the
same Patent of 1875, I shew a converse arrangement where the drill is advanced by
the positive action of a cam and withdrawn by a spring. I also shew a cam in steps
permitting the drill to be advanced a certain depth; withdrawn to clear itself, again
advanced a step further and withdrawn, the movement to the next hole taking place
as soon as all the successive steps of the cam have been passed.

page_text: Now my present invention consists in an arrangement by which the drill is
advanced by the elastic action of a spring or weight, and withdrawn by a cam to clear
itself, the action being repeated so that the drill at each advance perforates deeper into
the plate, not by a fixed distance as in the case with the cam in steps already referred
to, but by such distance as the sharpness or excellence of the drill permits to be
accomplished before its withdrawal by the cam; and the movement to the next hole
does not take place after a definite number of movements of the drill as in my previous
arrangements, but after a variable number of movements, according as the drill is
sharp or blunt, or the metal acted upon hard or soft.
This advantage is secured by suspending the action of the ratchet and dividing gear
until the hole has been drilled through, in the case of single drill machines, or until
it has approached sufficiently near the centre in the case of double drill machines.
When in either case this point has been reached, the ratchet gear or dividing
motion is automatically released either by direct mechanical connection or by the
action of an electro-magnet and suitable armature.
Thus when the drill is in good condition, the ratchet gear for moving to the next
hole comes into operation after a smaller number of advances and withdrawals of the
drills, and if the drill is blunt, after a larger number of such movements.
The arrangement is obviously applicable to single or double acting drilling
machines and to straight as well as circular combs.
The accompanying three sheets of drawings in which like letters refer to like parts
wherever they occur, illustrate according to my invention the arrangements of the
improved apparatus for drilling (automatically) circle and other machine combs and
for suspending and releasing the ratchet and dividing motion of the comb from one
hole to another both mechanically and electrically.
Figs. 1, and 2, Sheet 1, and Fig. 3, Sheet 2, shew the mechanical arrangement,
is the spindle carriage, b, b, the spindles, represented by their axial lines only.
To each of the feeding slides c, c, of the spindles I attach a bar d, adjustable end wise
by nuts e, e, to suit the position of the drill at the end of its forward movement.
To the bar d, is jointed at, f, another bar, moving end wise with it and the spindle ;
At a part of this last mentioned bar, is provided a projection, which during the
drilling operation passes over a fixed point h, on the headstock and so raises the
forward end of the bar as to cause it to pass over one arm of a bell crank lever at i,.
and by the aid of a spring j, to hook thercon as soon as the drill has advanced either
through a comb in single drilling or so far as may be required in double drilling.
Against the other arm of the said bellerank at i¹, bears the hooked or gib end of a
rok, the other end of which is also hooked and takes against a lever, pivotted on
the fulcrum m, the opposite end of the said lever 1, being formed with a hook that
takes on to a suitably shaped stud n, in the lever o. The parts d, e, f, g, h, i—i', j,
and, are duplicated for the other spindle, and as both the levers 7, take on to the
same stud n, (but on contrary sides of the lever o.) they restrain or suspend the action
of the said lever (the office of which is to actuate the ratchet dividing motion and to
cause it to move the comb under treatment) until a drill, in the case of a single
machine, or both drills in the case of a double machine, has or have performed the
required drilling operations.
During the time that the drilling is proceeding the cam or eccentric p, is free to
rotate without acting on the lever o.
When a hole has been drilled and during the first part of the backward movement
of the drill spindles by the cams y, the hooked ends of the bars", ", so act on the
arms, i, of the bellcranks as to cause the arms,, to pull the rods k, k, and to
withdraw the hooked ends of the levers 1, 1, from the stud n, and thus release the
lever and permit the ratchet dividing motion to advance the comb under treatment
for the next drilling, and during the continuation of said backward movement of the
drill spindles, the projections ; 7, on passing over the fixed points h, h, before
referred to, cause the ends of the bars, to be raised from the arms i, i of the
belleranks and so release them and the rods k. k, and the levers 1, 1, when the latter

page_text: by the action of the springs w re-hook on the stud n, as the lover o, makes its return
stroke after giving the feed, and again restrains it and the ratchet dividing mechanism
from advancing the comb until another hole has been drilled, and so on till all the
drilling has been completed.
Figs. 4, and 7, Sheet 2, and Figs. 5, and 6, Sheet 3, illustrate the method of
releasing the lever o, of the ratchet dividing gear by the action of an electro-magnet,
the drills being actuated to and fro as before.
During the drilling operation the armature lever t, is pressed by the spring w, with
its hooked end upon the stud n, in the lever o, and thus suspends its action.
The electric circuit between a battery (not shewn) and the magnets, is at the same
time interrupted at v, a, but immediately the drilling is completed the electric circuit
is also completed by the point of a regulating screw u, (one of which is attached to
cach drill feed slide c) causing the electric wires y, y', to be brought into close contact
at v. v, the action of the electro-magnet s, immediately withdraws the armature t, from
the stud n, and thus releases the lever o, and allows the ratchet dividing motion to
take place and advance the comb under treatment for the next drilling.
The electric disconnecting arrangement shewn at v. v, is similar to that in common
use for electric bells.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is
1. In a single or double acting circle drilling machine, the arrangement whereby
the action of the dividing motion is suspended until the drill has penetrated the work
to a determined depth substantially as shewn and described with reference to Figs. 1,
2, and 3, of the drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
2. In a drilling machine provided with dividing motion, controlling the said
dividing motion with electro-magnetic apparatus so as to bring the same into action
when the drill has penetrated to a given depth.
3. In a single or double acting drilling machine, electro-magnetic apparatus
substantially as shewn in and described with reference to Figs. 4. 5. 6 and 7, for
suspending the action of the dividing motion during the drilling and releasing the
same after the drill has penetrated to required depth.
Witness
Thos. E. CRAVEN, C.E., F. Inst. P.A.,
24, Victoria Chambers, Leeds.
T. WALTER HARDING.