IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINES FOR DRILLING HOLES IN METAL PLATES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Madocks, of Dartmouth, in the County of Devon,
Consulting Brewer and Brewers' Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINES FOR DRILLING HOLES IN METAL PLATES."
Sealed the 1st July 1879, and dated the 11th January 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Madocks at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th January 1879.
JOHN MADOCKS, of Dartmouth, in the County of Devon, Consulting Brewer
and Brewers' Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR DRILLING HOLES IN
METAL PLATES."
According to my Invention I fit a pinion upon a shaft arranged under a traveller
plate or bed. The pinion gears into a rack formed in the underside of the traveller
in which a longitudinal groove is formed and filled in with gutter or angle iron
strip. The plate to be drilled is held over the traveller by clips attached to a second
threaded shaft, and a motion of the traveller to the right or to the left is obtained
by ratchet wheels and pauls working from a lever arranged within reach of an
attendant who acts upon the lever (as each hole is completed) for the action of the
drill upon the plate for the next hole of the series.
This lever is in connection with a compound link motion which acts upon a
presser foot for pressing upon the plate and holding it secure while the hole is
being drilled.
Another lever is fitted to depress the drill and to lift it from the plate as desired,
the rotation of the drill being governed by overhead or other motion.
The traveller is free to slide upon a bed forming part of the frame of the machine
and the ends of the threaded rod to which the clips are attached are carried by
rollers which bear upon the frame and are guided by it. The holes are drilled in
line as the traveller moves in one direction, and when the series in that line are
completed the threaded rod is turned to move the plate the necessary distance for
the next row of holes which are made as the traveller moves in the roverse direction
under the action of a return paul by the proper movement of the first named lever
by the attendant.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Madocks in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th July
1879.
JOHN MADOCKS, of Dartmouth, in the County of Devon, Consulting Brower
and Brewers' Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR DRILLING HOLES IN
METAL PLATES."
According to my Invention I fit a pinion upon a shaft arranged under a traveller
plate or bed, the pinion gears.into a rack formed in the under side of the traveller,
in which a longitudinal groove is formed and filled in with gutter or angle iron strip.
The plate to be drilled is held over the traveller by clips attached to a second
threaded shaft and a motion of the traveller to the right or to the left is obtained
by ratchet wheels and pauls working from a lever arranged within reach of an
attendant, who acts upon the lever (as each hole is completed) for the action of the
drill upon the plate for the next hole of the series. This lever is in connection with
a compound link motion which acts upon a presser for pressing upon the plate and
holding it secure while the hole is being drilled. Another lever is fitted to depress
the drill and to lift it from the plato as desired, the rotation of the drill being
governed by overhead or other motion.
The traveller is free to slide upon a bed forming part of the frame of the machine,
and the ends of the threaded rod to which the clips are attached are carried by
rollers which bear upon the frame and are guided by it. The holes are drilled in
line as the traveller moves in one direction, and when the series in that line are
completed the threaded rod is turned to move the plate the necessary distance for
the next row of holes, which are made as the traveller moves in the reverse direction,
under the action of a return paul by the proper movement of the first named lever
by the attendant.
My Invention will be clearly understood by the annexed Sheet of Drawings, in
which Figure 1 is an elevation of a machine for drilling holes in metal plates as
herein before referred to, Figure 2 being a plan, and Figure 3, a transverse section.
A, A, is the supporting frame with transverse bearers B upon which a longitudinal
bed plate C is fixed. The bed plate C has a couple of metal strips fitted perfectly
true and level, on which rollers D, D, are free to 'run, the rollers supporting
a traveller E on which the metal plate to be drilled is mounted, a slot I
being in the upper face of the traveller for the drill to enter as each hole is
completed.
The longitudinal bed plate C is slotted as shown, and a fillet on the under side of
the traveller E rides in this slot to guide the traveller in a direct line when moving
along. The fillet has teeth projecting from it and these are geared into by a pinion
G on the shaft H, in order that the traveller can be set for the drill to cominence
its operation at any part of a plate which has to be drilled. The shaft H
has also a double ratchet wheel J whose teeth are formed in opposite directions
that the shaft may be turned intermittently in either direction, according to the
paul a, a, (see Figure 4) which is in action to determine the direction of motion of
the traveller.
The pauls a, a, are centred upon or to projections b, b, of a kind of cross head c
which is linked to the arm d of a lever K, whose front end furnished with a handle L
is within reach of an attendant.
The projections to which the pauls are connected have a sliding motion imparted
to them by the lever M which can be thrown into either of the notches e, e, of the
plate f, to regulate the movement of the traveller to the right or to the left as
desired.
The traveller has a strap or brace extension N, N, at each side, and these carry
clip pieces g, g, with screw nuts h, h, to fasten the plate which has to be drilled
down to the straps and upon the traveller on which it rests.

page_text: The clip pieces are capable of sliding to the front and to the rear within the limits
of the threaded shaft P, whose handle Q, also within reach of the attendant, can be
turned by him when desired. The strap extensions have rollers i, i, to bear upon
the outside top frame A, A.
The back end of the lever arm d is connected to a rock lever R by a link rod S,
as shown in Figure 3, to operate through a curved link T, the presser U which fixes
the plate to be drilled stiffly upon the traveller while the drill is at work, the plate
being held immoveable during the time. The arrangement of the two connec-
tions b, b, is such that the table and plate move the distance of one tooth of the
ratchet before the presser foot U obtains a fair press upon the plate.
The drill tool is attached to the vertical stock or rod V and has a rising and
falling motion imparted to it by the lever W through the link rod X and lever Y,
whose handle Z is within reach of the attendant who locates himself in front of the
machine, as in the view Figure 5, this being a perspective elevation of the complete
machine.
The drill stock has a band wheel j at its upper end and is supported by the arms
of the projecting bracket Z' in the manner shown at Figures 3, 5, and 6, the latter
Figure being a view of the opposite side of the bracket to show more clearly the
mode of operating the drill and stock by the lever W.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
The arrangement of appliances shown in the annexed Drawings, the whole
forming a machine for drilling holes in metal plates as described.
Secondly. I claim the particular combination of travellers, plate clips, ratchet,
and method of operating same, as described with reference to the annexed Drawings
for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Madocks, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.
JOHN MADOCKS. (L.B.)