Improvements in Nut Tapping Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 5th June, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICAITON.
Improvements in Nut Tapping Machines.
I, GEORG WEISS, Engineer, of 978 Ogden Avenue, Chicago, Cook County,
Illinois, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of my invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to that class of nut-tapping machines in which the taps and
their holding mechanism are arranged in gangs; and it has particular reference to
mechanisms in which the taps and their operating devices, as well as foeding
mechanism, are arranged on substantially equi-distant points of a circle.
The object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical and efficient
automatic nut-tapping machine; and the invention consists in the features, com-
binations and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with my
improvements; Fig. 2 n plan view of the same, looking at it from the top;
Fig. 3 a vertical sectional elevation, taken on line 3 of Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 a plan sectional view, taken ou line 4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of
the arrow;
Fig. 5 a plan view of the mechanism for rotating the hopper, looking at it from
the top;
Fig. 6 a plan view of the bottom plate of the hopper;
Fig. 7 a plan sectional viow of the nut-feeding mechanism, taken on line 7
of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrow;
Fig. 8 an enlarged vertical sectional view of the nut-feeding mechanism, takon
on lines 8 of Figs. 2 and 11;
Figs. 9 and 10 transverse sectional views, taken on lines 9 and 10, respectively,
of Fig. 8;
Fig. 11 an enlarged plan sectional view, taken on line 11 of Fig. 3 with a portion
of the mechanism removed;
Fig. 12 a sectional view, taken ou the irregular line 12 of Fig. 13;
Fig. 13 an enlarged sectional plan view, takon on line 13 of Fig. 3;
Fig. 14 a transverse sectional view, taken on line 14 of Fig. 12;
Fig. 15 a side view of one of the parts-the lever arm-shown in Fig. 12;
Fig. 16 a plan view, partly in section, of a portion of the mechanism shown
in Fig. 13 and practically a plan view of that portion of the mechanism taken on
line 16 of Fig. 24;
Fig. 17 a sectional view of one of the brackets for holding the feed blocks for
the tapping spindles ;
Fig. 18 a side elevation, partly in section, showing the bracket and a portion of
the tap-holding spindle and feeding mechanism, &c.;
Fig. 19 a transverse section, taken on line 19 of Fig. 18;
Figs. 20, 21, 22 and 23 detail views of the driving pulleys and belt-shifting
nechanism;
Fig. 24 a vertical sectional elevation of a portion of the hopper and feeding
mechanism, taken on line 24 of Fig. 16;

page_text: Fig. 24 a plan view of a portion of the ratchet wacet and driving pawn for
rotating the hopper; and
Fige. 25 and 26 detail views of the bracket for holding the feeding mechanism
of the tapping spindles and a modified form of safety mechanism to prevent
breakago of the parts.
In the art to which this invention relates, it has been common and customary to
arrange the taps with their holding spindles and the mechanism for feeding the
nats to a position to be tapped in gangs in a straight line. There have been
various objections to this class of machines, the principal of which are that they
take up considerable Брасе, and that the meclianism for operating them has
necessarily to be multiplied, which makes them expensive to manufacture and
repair. Further, such manhines are not as economical to operate, in that they
take up considerable more space. My invention is intended primarily to remove
these objections, and to provide simple and efficient mechanism in which the taps
are held on the points of a circle and the nuts fed and held in position on the points
of a circle for the taps to operate on the same. Further advantages and points of
invention will be readily apparent from the following description and an inspection
of the drawings.
In constructing a machine in accordance with my improvements, 1 provide a
frame, A, of the desired size and shape, preferring the forms shown in Figs. 1, 2
and 3, which are substantially cylindrical in contour. I mount in suitable bearings
in the frame portion a set or gang of tapping spindles, B, and arrange them on
points of a circle substantially equi-distant from each other, though of course this
relation can be varied slightly one way or the other without interfering with tho
operation of the machine or departing from the spirit of my invention. As shown
in Fig. 4 of the drawings, I have provided ten tapping spindles on equi-distant
points of a circle-the only break that occurs being between the first and tenth
spindles, where practically two spindles are left out to provide a spaco through
which the driving mechanism of the nut-feeding mechanism may be operated.
To operate these tapping spindles and give them the necessary forward and
backward rotation as is required, I provide a horizontal driving shaft, C, which has
two sets of light and loose pulleye, c, c', c³ and c³. The pulleys c and d give the
slow rotary motion necessary for the operation of tapping, while the small
pulleys and care for the purpose of giving the fast reverse or backward rotation
to remove the taps from the nuts.
"
I provide this driving shaft with a bevel pinion, C', meshing with what is termed
in the art a compound or contrate gear wheel, C-that is, a wheel having
bevelled teeth and spur teeth. This compound gear is loosely and rotatably
mounted upon a stud c, so that it may have the desired rotations in a horizontal
plane, its spur teeth engaging with the spur teeth of pinions, b, that engage with
and rotate the tapping spindles, and in which the spindles are slidingly mounted.
By this means it will be seen that the necessary rotary movements are economically
given to the tapping spindles, so that they may rise and fall as desired.
In order to feed the taps upwardly to tap the nuts in a manner coincident with
their pitch, I provide the frame with a set of brackets, B', holding therein two
blocks, b¹, at each side of the tapping spindles. These blocks have secured thereto
in any suitable way a split or bifurcated feed nut, &, that is held in fixed position
by means of the pins,, so that under ordinary circumstances the nuts and their
holding blocks are one rigid integral piece. The lower ouds of the tapping spindle
are provided with a set of threaded sleeves or washers, B, that are held therein in
any convenient manner. As shown in the drawings-see Figs. 18 and 19-they
are held by means of a spline, groove, and nut. When the tapping spindles are
rotated in a right hand direction, the spindles-by means of the split nuts and
screw are fed upwardly at a rate equal to the pitch of the tap. Should the tap
strike the solid body of a nut and no means be provided for saving it, it is evident
that some portion of the machine would be broken. By the means which I have
described and shown in connection with Figs. 17, 18 and 19, however, the small

page_text: pins, b, will break or "shear," and the taps, spindles, nuts, &c., be thus saved
from further damage. Tho old pins can then be easily driven out and new ones
re-inserted, thus making the machine as efficient as before, and at a minimum
cost.
In Figs. 25 and 26, I have shown a modification of this safety mechanism, in
which the brackets, B1, blocks, b¹, and split nuts, b³, are substantially the same as
described in connection with Figs. 17, 18 and 19. The moans for holding the split
nuts, however, are different. Those split nuts are provided with cam notches, with
which a bevelled pin, 64, engages, such pin engaging with a second bevelled pin, b*,
at right angles thereto, and both being held at the desired tension by means of a
helical coiled spring, be, and an adjustable screw, 7. Should the tap strike a solid
nut and continue its rotation, the threaded sleeve or washer on the spindle will force
the split nuts, downwardly and the pin backwardly, thus saving the machine
from breakage. The spindles drop down and strike the adjustable screw studs, 63
-shown to the left of Fig. 3-30 that on the reversal of the rotation of the tapping
spindles the bifurcated nuts, 6, are forced back into place. I place the holding
pins or dogs, 6 and 6, at a point below the center of the bifurcated nuts, so as to
give the nuts as long a run as possible before they disengage with such dogs for
the purposes above described.
As heretofore explained, the large pulleys, c, c, are the tight and loose pulleys
for driving the tapping spindles in a right-hand direction, and the small pulleys, c
and o, are the pulleys for driving the main driving shaft-and thus the tapping
spindles-in a reverse or left-hand direction. To shift the belts and drive tho
spindles as desired-see Figs. 3 and 4-I provide a shifting rod, D, having
guides, d, d, at the outer end thereof, through which the belts 1 and 2 pass to the
large and small pulleys. As shown in Fig. 3, the belts are engaging the tight
pulley of the large set and the loose pulley of the small set, so as to drive the
pulleys, intermediate mechanism and tapping spindles in a right-hand direction.
This rotates a worm, d, on the driving spindle, which engages with a worm gear, d',
mounted upon a suitable spindle, D', which is in a measure an intermediate driving
spindle. This worm gear is provided with two blocks, d' and do, adjustably
mounted on a circular way, so that the belts may be allowed to run as long as
desired in certain directions. These blocks are provided with rolls, d', and are
arranged to strike a finger, d', on the shifting rod, so that when the tapping spindles
have been rotated sufficiently, the shifting rod will be moved towards the right
hand and the belts changed to the loose pulley of the large set and the tight
pulley of the small set, thereby causing the rotation of the tapping spindles in a
reverse manner for the required time, or until the block, d, with its roll, comes into
contact with the finger on the shifting rod and moves it into its initial position.
n
In order to prevent tremor or unnecessary vibrations, it is necessary that one
of the bearings, D', through which the shifting rod passes should be split, so as to
form a clamp and give the desired frictional engagement with the shifting rod.
As shown in Figs. 4 and 21, the shifting rod is made in two parts-viz., the rod D
and the rod Do. This is simply for economy in operation and construction, and to
prevent lateral movement of the shifting rod. It is to the portion, D³, that the
finger, is connected.
To feed the nuts into position to be operated upon by the taps in an automatic
manner, provide a hopper, E, having vertical partitions that provide vertical
chambers, e. This hopper has no bottom portion, and is given a step by step
rotation as hereinafter described-which brings each partition in succession over
an opening, e, in the stationary bottom plate, E. As will be seen from Fig. 5, the
hopper is provided with a circular ratchet, e, which is arranged to be engaged by
a pawl, e, eccentrically mounted upon a vertical shaft, E, which is given its
vibratory motion by means hereinafter specified. The arrangement and operation
is such that the feeding is constant, though at small steps, and the nuts drop
through the hole in the bottom plate on to a rapidly rotating plate, F, below the
same, which acts to throw the blank nuts-by centrifugal action-out against the

page_text: curb or wall, ', which is provided with a number of projecting catches, f,
adjacent to the rnn-ways, F1, down which the nuts are fed or fall into position-as
shown in Figs. 3 and 8-to be operated on by the taps.
In order to rotate the centrifugal feed plate, F, as desired, it is provided with a
bevelled wheel, F, engaging with a bevelled pinion, 2, on a rotating shaft, f
This rotating shaft is provided with a sheave pulley, F, which in turn is provided
with a belt, f, engaging with a groove pulley on the hub of the main driving
pulley, c, so that the rotations of this pulley when in operation are constantly
transmitted to the centrifugal feed plate. As this pulley rotates first in one
direction and then in another, it will be seen that the centrifugal feed plate is also
rotated. first in one direction and then in another. These opposite rotations aro
very advantageous, in that they prevent blocking in the feeding of the nuts and
secure an advantageous feeding thereof to their run-ways.
.
As will be seen from an inspection of Figs. 3 aud 8, the run-ways extend dowu
at an angle of about forty-five degrees, and the nuts are brought into alignment
with the taps and held therein by means of radially movable sliding pushers, G.
These pushers are provided with a thin forward edge, g, arranged to contact one
but at a time and push it into the position shown in Fig. 8; while the springs, g'-
which are secured to the table, G₁, and are provided with perforations, 9-hold
the nuts in such position. When the pushers are retracted, the side springs, 9,.
catch the next nut, and thus prevent all of the nuts from crowding down into
position, holding it in such position until the pusher comes forward and catches the
next, pushes it into place, and pushes the finished nut out of position, so that it
may drop into the trough, A', which is secured to the frame of the machine. It
may sometimes happen that the nuts in the lower part will clog or cramp in
position, and that the pusher striking out with a positive movement would be
broken. In order to prevent such an accident, I prefer to make the pusher slides
in two parts, the main part, G, as above noted, and the second part, G³, slidingly
or telescopically mounted therein, both of such parts being beld together by means
of a notch in one-the lower-and a spring held pin, 9, in the upper. If the nut
should become cramped and refuse to be dislodged, it will be seen that the spring. g*,
will yield and allow the slide to telescope in the upper portion and remain stationary.
It is necessary that the parts of the pusher slide should be restored to their normal
position, and in order to accomplish this I provide a table with a piu g', arranged
in the way of the pusher, so that when such pusher is retracted the lower one will
contact this pin and be forced to resume its normal position.
In order to operate these pushers and give them their reciprocating motion,
I provido a double cam, H, having two disks, A, A', between which the inner ends
of the pushers are inserted. The upper disk has a set of eccentric slots, h³, which
aro engaged by rolls, ³, on one half of the pushers. The lower disk his n
corresponding number of eccentric grooves-cam grooves as they may be termed,
which engage rolle, ³, ou the remaining half of the pushers-the principal reason
for the two disks being the want of room for all of the cam grooves in one disk.
This cam is given its vibratory motion by means of a segmental plate, H', which
is secured to the lower disk by means of screws or otherwise, and is provided with
a radial slot, h, which is engaged by a roll, 15, ou a sliding bar, H: This sliding
bar is provided with two adjustable lugs, h, k, secured thereto in the manner
shown in Fig. 14, and the intermediate driving shaft, D', is provided with a
vibrating lever arm, D', the free end of which is arranged to contact one or tho
other of the lugs above noted. As shown in Fig. 12, when the intermediate driving
shaft is vibrating in one direction, viz. to the right, the sliding bar, II, is moved
also to the right, so that when looking down on the cam diske, such disks are also
vibrated to the right, thereby forcing the rolls on the pushors inwardly and
retracting the pushers. When the reverse motion takes place by the mechanisms
above descril.ed, the lever arm is vibrated in the opposite manner to contact the
Jug, h, vibrate the cam disks to the left, force the pusher outwardly and push a set

page_text: of nuts into position to be operated upon. It will thus be seen that at every
reversal of the rotations of the main pulleys, the pusher is retracted, and at the
forward movemeut a set of finished nuts are forced out of the holders and a now
blank sot forced into position to be operated upon.
To transmit the necessary power and motion to the pawl that rotates the hopper
in a step by step manner, I provide the sliding bar with a second set of adjustable
lugs, I and I, arranged to contact a second lever arm, K, on the lower end of the
vertical shaft, E', bereinbefore referred to, the upper end of which is provided
with the pawl, e³.
The frame is provided with a trough, A³, hereinbefore referred to, which nots
to catch the nuts, separate the chips, and withdraw the oil, so that it may be used
over and over again in an economical manner. In order to accomplish these results,
the trough is provided with a primary perforated plate, a', upon which the nuts
fall the chips and liquid which assist in tapping falling through into the chamber, a',
which is provided with a second porforated bottom, a³, of fiuer mesh, through
which the fluid only can pass, and from which it passes out by means of the pipe, a³,
into the chambers, alo, inside of the frame. By this arrangement it will be Been
that the nuts can be taken out without having to separate them from the chips, and
the chips then removed in an economical and efficient manner.
I provide a pump, L, which is connected with the interior liquid chamber by
means of a pipe, 1, and which is further provided with a supply pipe, l, that leads
to n point on the table above where the nuts are held in position, so that a supply
of liquid in the shape of soapy water, soda-water, or oil, inay be furnished during
the operation of tapping to facilitate the same. The frame is provided with doors,
80 that the interior mechanism may be readily got at for the purpose of adjusting
or changing the same.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said invention, and in what
manuer the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
1. In a nut-tapping machine, the combination of a frame portion, a set of
tapping spindles vertically and rotatably mounted in the frame on points of a
circle, means for operating the tapping spindles, and means for feeding the nuts
forward into position to be operated upon, substantially as described.
2. In a nut-tapping machiue, the combination of a frame portion, a set of
spindles rotatably and vertically mounted in such framo portion on substantially
equi-distant points, of a circle, mechanism for operating the spindles in the desired
manner and feeding. them forward, and means for feeding the nuts forward into
position to be operated upon, substantially as described.
3. In a nut-tapping machine, the combination of a frame portion, n set of
spindles rotatably and vertically mounted in such frame portion on points of a
circle, a set of driving pinions on such spindles, a spur gear engaging with the
driving pinions on all of the spindles, and means for operating the same, substantially
as described.
spur
4. In a nut-tapping machine, the combination of a frame portion, n set of tapping
spindles rotatably and vertically mounted thereon on substantially equi-distant
points of a circle, a set of driving pinions-one for each of the tapping spindles
-in which such spindles are slidingly mounted, a compound or " contrate
gear engaging with and to drive all of the driving piuions, a main driving shaft
provided with a bevelled pinion engaging the bevelled portion of the compound
gear, two sets of tight and loose pulleys on said driving shaft, and means for
changing the driving from one set of pulleys to the other to give the desired
rotation to the parts, substantially as described.
5. In a nut-tapping machiuc, a rotatable and vertically mounted tapping spindle,
a bracket portion arranged adjacent to the lower end thereof, a bifurcated nut
arranged in such bracket portion and provided with notches in the lower portions
thercof, two bevelled pins arranged at right angular relation to each other-the

page_text: inner end of the outer one being bevelled and engaging in notches in the bifurcated
nuts, and adjustable spring tension mechanism for such right angular pins, the
whole formning a safety device, substantially as described.
6. In a nut-tapping machine, the means for feeding the nuts forward into
position, which consists of a vibrating cam moving in a horizontal plane, a set
of radially mounted pushers provided with portions engaging with the cam,
whereby the pushers are moved in and out at the desired times, and moans for
vibrating the cam in a right hand and left hand manner, substantially as
described.
7. In a nut-tapping machine, the means for foeding the nuts forward into
position, which consists in the combination of a double set of cam disks provided
with a set of eccentric cam grooves, a set of radially mounted pushers provided
with portions arranged so that one half engages with the cam grooves of such
disks whereby the pushers are moved in and out at the desired times, and
meaus for vibrating the cam in a right hand and left hand manner, substantially
as described.
8. In a nut-tapping machine, the means for pushing the nuts forward into position,
which consists of a set of pushers made in two portions one slidingly mounted in
the other-one of such pushers having a notch and the other a spring actuated
pin to engage with the notch aud pormit the parts to be collapsed or extended,
substantially as described.
9. In a nut-tapping machine, the means for feeding the nuts forward, which
consists of a set of vibrating cam disks having a set of eccentric cam grooves, a Bet
of radially mounted and movable pushers engaging with the grooves so that the
vibrations of the cam reciprocate the pushers in the desired manner, an
independently movable outer portion of each pusher slidingly mounted in the main
portion of the pusher and provided with a notch in its upper surface, a spring
actuated plug in the main portion of the pusher adapted to engage with the notch
in the independently movable portion of the pusher and hold the same in position
or permit it to move relatively inwardly when striking a rigid article, a pin g
arranged on a stationary portion of the machine and in the path of the pusher
to force the pushers into their extended position, substantially as described.
10. In a nut-tapping machine, the means for operating or feeding forward the
nuts, which consists in the combination of a main driving shaft, an intermediate
driving shaft, means for transmitting power or motion from the main driving shaft
to the intermediate shaft in a vibratory manner, a reciprocating sliding bar H
provided with lugs adjustably mounted thereon, a lever arm secured to the
intermediate driving shaft and arranged to contact the lugs and reciprocate said
sliding bar, a cam vibratingly mounted. in a horizontal plane, mechanism on the
sliding bar engaging with the vibrating oam to vibrate the same by the
reciprocations of the sliding bar, and a set of reciprocating pushers arranged
to be actuated by the cam to feed the blank nuts forward into position, substantially
as described.
11. In a nut-tapping machine, the means for holding and feeding the nuts
forward, which consists in the combination of a hopper arranged to have a step by
step rotation, a circular ratchet on Euch hopper, a vertical shait provided with a
dog or pawl eccentrically mounted on the upper portion thereof to move the
hopper in a step by step manner, a lever arm on the lower portion of said vertical
abaft, a sliding bar H' provided with adjustable lugs I l' arranged to contact the
lever arm and vibrate the same during the reciprocations of the sliding bar, a
second set of luga * and * ou said sliding bar, a vibrating shaft D' provided with
a lever arm D arranged to contact the second set of lugs and reciprocate the
sliding bar, and means for transmitting power and motion to the vibratory shaft,
substantially as described.
12. In a nut-tapping machine, a casing or frame portion provided with a trough
arranged adjacent to and underneath tho nut-holding mechanism to catch and
separate the nuts, chips and liquids, having a primary perforated bottom a* to

page_text: receive the nuts and permit the liquid and chips to pass through, a second
perforated bottom arranged underneath the primary bottom to permit the liquid
only to pass through, and a main bottom for catching, holding and guiding the
liquid to the desired position, substantially as described.
Dated this 30th day of March 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.