IMPROVEMENTS IN RIVETTING - MACHINES."
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Franklin Allen, of the City of New York, in the
United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RIVETTING
- MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Franklin Allen at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th June 1877.
JOHN FRANKLIN ALLEN, of the City of New York, in the United States of
America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RIVETING MACHINES.”
The improvements in riveting machines herein described are improvements upon
the machinery for which former Letters Patent were granted to me, dated the 29th
August, A.D. 1876, No. 3399.
The nature of my present Invention consists in the arrangement of two auxiliary
ports near the bottom of the cylinder, both of which are connected with the chamber
below the slide valve, which when uncovered by the piston will allow the pressure
to pass into this chamber, and thus move the valve upwards.
And further, in the arrangement of a moveable foot or support for the machine;
whereby the same can readily be adapted for all distances the rivet holes may be
from each other. Near the lower end of the cylinder the two passages are arranged
forming a communication between the said cylinder and the chamber in the lower
part of the valve casing in which the ring of the valve works.
In one passage a self-acting valve is arranged to allow the pressure to pass from
the cylinder into the chamber, but to prevent its return. This passage is so arranged
that the piston will uncover the same a short distance before arriving at its bottom
or end stroke; the other passage is so arranged that the bottom edge of the piston
will uncover the same as soon as the top of the piston closes the first-named passage
in its upward stroke. When the piston arrives near its bottom stroke it uncovers
the said first passage, allowing the pressure to pass into the chamber, and thus move
the valve upwards. To prevent moving or falling of the valve by its own weight.

page_text: after the entrance of the pressure through the said passage is stopped, the second
passage is so arranged that the pressure after entering through the regular passage
to act against the under side of the piston will pass into this chamber, and thus keep
the valve upwards. At the same time whenever the aforesaid valve is moved
down again by the action of the lever operated by the plug, this second passage will
allow the pressure to escape out of the chamber through the cylinder into the
exhaust.
A foot supports the machine upon the boiler. To this foot a steady pin and
holding-on bolt are attached. This foot has a projecting arm fitting into a boss
fast to the machine. The said machine is made to slide easily on this arm. Above
this arm a bolt is arranged, bearing against the top surface of the said arm to pro-
duce any desired amount of friction, and thus regulate the sliding motion of the
machine on this arm.
·
When the said steady pin is inserted into a rivet. hole; and: the said foot thus
held fast, the centre of the machine can easily be moved on the arm nearer to or
further away from this steady pin, thius adapting the machine to any size of rivet
work, or to any distance the rivet holes may be from each other; at the same time
the machine during operation is at liberty to move and accomodate itself to all
irregularities which may exist in the distances between the rivet holes while the
friction produced, and capable of being regulated by the screw, will prevent the too
easy moving or displacement of the machine.
The said machine may be moved if desired by mechanical means on the arm by
bolt whose end is attached to the said boss or to the machine; this bolt is made
to pass through the said arm, and operated by a nut attached to the foot capable of
turning, and provided with a hand wheel. Or the said machine may be made to move
on the aforesaid arm by means of a levor. This lever turns on a fulcrum in the
side of the said boss, and takes hold of a pin fast in the said arm, and thus moves
the body of the machine, either inward or outward, as may be desired. When this
riveting machine is used on circular work a stud is inserted into the end of the
aforesaid foot to rest on the work operated upon to support the hammer perpen- 3
dicularly or in a line with the rivot to be hammered.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Franklin Allen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
December 1877.
JOHN FRANKLIN ALLEN, of the City of New York, in the United States of
America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RIVETTING MACHINES."
This Invention in rivetting machines herein described relates to improvements
upon the Invention for which Letters Patent were granted to me, dated the 29th
day of August, in the year of our Lord 1876, and numbered 3399.
The nature of this Invention consists in the arrangement of two auxiliary ports
near the bottom of the cylinder, one of which said ports is provided with a self-
acting valve, and both of which are connected with the chamber below the slide
valve, which said ports when uncovered by the piston will allow the pressure from
the cylinder to pass into this chamber and thus move the slide valve upwards
to change the direction of the pressure from acting upon the top of the cylinder
piston to act against the under side of the same, and thus cause the piston to move
upwards.
And further, my Invention consists in the arrangement of a moveable foot or
support for the machine, whereby the centre of the machine can readily be adapted
for all distances the rivet holes may be from each other.
In order to explain this Invention as completely as possible, I now proceed to
describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect,
reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
numeral figures and letters of reference marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
Fig. I. represents a vertical section of a riveting machine with my improvement
attached.
Fig. II. is a vertical section of part of a riveting machine, showing certain modi-
fications; and Fig. III. shows a horizontal section of the same at line 2, 2.
Similar letters represent similar parts in all the Figures.
This riveting machine having in its general construction been fully described in
the Specification of my above-mentioned Letters Patents, I shall only describe here
such parts as are new, and which form the nature of my improvements and Inven-
tion. Near the lower end of the cylinder A two passages a and all are arranged,
forming a communication between the inside of the cylinder and the chamber m
arranged in the lower part of the valve case, in which the ring or piston E' attached
to the end of the valve E is made to work.
In the passage a a self-acting valve a¹ is arranged, acting in such a manner as to
allow the pressure to pass from the cylinder into the chamber m, but. to prevent its
return. This auxiliary passage a is so arranged that the cylinder piston S will
uncover the same a short distance before arriving at its bottom or end stroke, and the
passage all is so arranged that the bottom edge of the piston will uncover the same
as soon as the top of the piston closes the passage a in its upward movement. When
the cylinder piston S arrives near its bottom stroke it uncovers the auxiliary
passage a, allowing thereby the pressure from the inside of the cylinder which has
been acting upon the top of the piston to pass through this passage a into the
chamber m in the valve case, so. as to act against the under side of the ring or
piston E¹ of the valve, and thus move the valve E upwards in the manner and for
the purpose previously described, and at the same time forming a communication
between the upper part of the cylinder and the exhaust G. The self-acting valvo
al in the passage a, will, when the communication is made between the upper part
of the cylinder and the exhaust passage, prevent the escape of the pressure admitted
into the chamber m to move the valve E upwards from said chamber m
To pre-
vent the valve E from moving or falling by its own weight down again after the
pressure is cut off from entering through the passage. a into the chamber m, this
second auxiliary passage all is arranged near the lower. end of the cylinder through

page_text: .
which the pressure, after entering through the regular passage w¹ to act against the
.under side of the piston S; will pass into the chamber.m as soon as the piston S has
been started upwards, and thus act against the ring E¹ and keep the valve E in its
desired upward position. At the same time whenever the valve E is moved down
again by the action of the lever C operated by the plug B, this passage all will
allow the pressure to escape out of the chamber m through the cylinder into the
exhaust.
J is the foot which supports the machine upon the boiler or other work
operated upon. To this foot the steady pin L, which enters the adjoining rivet hole,
to regulate and fix the position of the machine as well as the holding-on bolt T, to
which the holding-on bar W is fastened are attached. This foot J has an arm J'
fitting into a suitable boss H₁, arranged on the hub or guiding tube H of the
machine. The machine is made to slide easily on this arm J. Above this arm a
bolt R' is arranged, bearing against the top surface of said arm J', so as to produce
any desired amount of friction, and thus regulate the motion of the machine on
this arm.
When the steady pin L, firmly attached to the foot, is placed in the rivet hole,
and the foot J is thus held fast, the centre of the machine or hammer can easily
be moved on the arm J¹, nearer to or farther away from this steady pin, and thus
adapting the machine to any size of rivet work, or to any distance the rivet holes
may be from each other.
In punching the rivet holes, the fixed distances of the centre of the holes from
each other vary from 1 to 1½ of an inch in many places, and by this moveable
foot, independent of the advantage of fixing the machine for any regular distances
and sizes of riveting, the machine is easily regulated before operating, so as to bring
the hammer exactly over the centre of the rivet, independent of any irregularity in
the punching of the holes. This foot with its arm on which the machine can move :
Jeaves the machine at liberty to move and accomodate itself to. all-irregularities
which may exist between the distances of the rivet holes, and it. will be found that
the action of the hammer upon the rivet will regulate or centre itself, while the
friction produced and capable of being regulated by the screw-bolt R¹ will prevent
the too easy moving of the machine.
The machine may be moved if desired by mechanical means on the arm J', as
shewn in Figure I., where a bolt N, whose end n is attached to the boss H³, or to
.the body of the machine, is made to pass through this arm J¹; and fastened to a
screw block V, provided with a hand wheel V¹ to turn said screw block V, and thus
screw the same into or out of the arm or foot J, moving thereby the machine
as may be desired. Or the machine may be made to move on the arm Ji
by means of a lever K, as shewn in Figė. II. and III. This lever turns on a
fulcrum in the side of the boss H¹, and takes hold of the pin y fast in the
arm J, and thus moves the body of the machine, either inward or outward, as may
be desired.
When moved by means of the screw bolt N, the friction bolt R' may be dispensed
with, but I prefer either the manner of moving the machinė by a lever K, or to
leave the same perfectly free, and move the same by hand, as may be required.
When the riveting machine is used on circular work, a stud D is inserted into
the end of the foot J, see Fig. II., so as to support the machine or hammer per-
pendicular or in a line with the rivet to be hammered.
Having now fully described and set forth my said Invention and the manner of
operating the same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. In combination with the valve E, having a ring or piston E¹ at its lower
end working in a chamber m, the auxiliary passage a, with self-acting valve a¹;
and the auxiliary passage a", connecting the lower end of the cylinder A with the
chainber m, the whole being arranged to operate in combination with the piston S;
substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.
Second. I claim in a rivetting machine a moveable foot J, with steady pin L, and

page_text: holding-on bolt T attached, and provided with an arm J¹, upon which the rivetting
machine is allowed to move in combination with a friction bolt R¹, arranged to
operate substantially as set forth.
Third. In combination with a moveable foot J, having a projecting arm, and
the riveting machine, I claim a mechanical devise for moving the rivetting
machine on the projecting arm, substantially in the manner and for the purpose
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Franklin Allen, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
HENRY E. ROEDER,
302, Broadway,
New. York,
America.
JOHN FRANKLIN ALLEN. (L.S.)