Improvements in the Method and Machines for the Manufacture of Nuts.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method and Machines for the Manufacture
of Nuts.
I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of the firm of Allison Brothers, Patent Agents,
doing business at Number 52, Chancery Lane, London, in the County of Middlesex,
England, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by the Elastic Nut Company, located in the City of
Milwaukee, in the County of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, United States
of America, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The invention has for its object, the construction of a blank nut, which may he
afterwards tapped, if desired, such, for instance, as is described in Letters Patent,
Number 1428 of 1888 (granted, as a communication to me, on January 31, 1888)
and to that end the present invention consists, primarily, in the method of making
the said nuts, by first cutting off a section of a hot bar of iron or steel, forcing the
same around a mandrel within a die forming a ring, and then pressing said ring into
the shape of a nut around another mandrel, within a suitable die, and secondly, in
certain peculiarities of construction and combinations of parts in machines for
carrying said method into effect, and forming the said nuts thereby, all as is more
fully explained hereinafter, in connection with the accompanying drawings.

page_text: keyed or otherwise secured thereto a driving-cam D' and a retracting-cam D'.
The cam-wheel F is provided with a circumferential groove which is straight for
one-half its distance, as shown at f(from the point gl to the point 9) Figure 1,
thence the said groove inclines inward, as shown at (from the point to the
point 9) and thence the said groove inclines outward again as shown at f¹ (from
the point to the point g¹). This cam-groove receives a roller g on the end of an
arm G, which is keyed or otherwise secured to the rear end of a rock-shaft H,
supported in bracket-bearings h, h, secured to the bed-plate B.
Tis a pusher-arm, keyed, as shown at i, or otherwise secured, to the said rock-
shaft H, and to the upper end of this arm I there is loosely pivoted, as shown at i,
the pusher-rod I', hereinafter referred to. To the front end of the said rock-shaft H,
there is keyed, as shown at j, or otherwise secured, an arm J, to the upper end of
which there is pivoted, as shown at 7, one end of a pitman J, whose other end is
pivoted to one end of a wrist-pin k which extends through a pawl-arm K loose on
the shaft L, there being a pawl k on the other end of said wrist-pin k, held in
place by gravity against the teeth of a ratchet L', which latter is rigidly secured
to the said shaft L.
A stationary pawl L³ secured to the end of the bed-plate B, as shown at k³, in
Figure 5, also engages with the teeth of said ratchet L', and is held in place by a
spring
In Figures 3, 4 and 7 there are shown the details of construction of the shearing
and ringing-die block, and adjacent parts. M represents said block, and m its
supporting-bracket, which is bolted to the inner side wall of the bed-plate B, the
outer end of said block M, resting on the flange B' of said bed-plate wall, and
being bolted thereto, all as best shown in Figure 4. This block has a longitudinal
groove m¹, and a transverse groove about midway of its length for the reception of
a bridge-plate M' having a shearing-edge m³, and between this bridge-plate and the
outer end of the block M there is a feed-groove M³ the bottom wall of which covers
the forward end of the lower groove m', converting that end into a passage m³ for
the reception of the pusher-rod I', this upper groove having a flaring outer end as
shown in Figure 7, and being open to the top. The rear end of the block M is
formed into a circular housing M³ for the reception of the ringing die N, there
being a passage or opening m from the described lower groove m¹ registering with
a like opening n in the said die N, and a retaining screw n¹ through said housing
into said die N.
C³ represents a wrist-pin projecting from the yoke-arch C₁, and which enters a
loop or oblong slot o' in one end of a pitman O, and has a suitable nut cⓇ to keep
the parts together, and permit play. The other end of this pitman O is pivoted,
by bolt o, to the upper arm p of a bell-crank lever, pivoted, as shown at p³, to a
header-block B' on the bed-plate, and whose lower arm 7', has secured to the under
side thereof a shear-blade P, by bolts p³, or otherwise, for engagement with the
shear-edge m³ of the hereinbefore described bridge-piece M. Pl is a spring
which may connect the upper arm p of the said bell-crank lever with a lug p* on
the bed-plate B.
Qis the nut-die, which is inserted in a suitable recess in the outer face of the
header-block B', and secured therein by screws 9, 9, or otherwise. This die is
shown as a single solid block with central hexagonal die opening g', but it may be
in two or more parts, if preferred. In central line with the die-opening g', but of
somewhat greater diameter there is a transverse cylindrical opening g' through the
header-block B³, and in central line therewith there is another transverse cylin-
drical opening g', of still greater diameter, through the upper part of the end of
the bed-plate B, and this latter opening is fitted or lined with a sleeve q', having
an annular shoulder g, at its inner or rear end, fitting in a corresponding annular
recess in the bed-plate B adjacent to the header-block B, the bore of this sleeve g
being screw-threaded, as shown in Figure 2. Q' is a long cylindrical nut whose
exterior surface is screw-threaded and fits within the screw-threaded bore of the
described sleeve ; this nut has an annular flange * on its outer or forward end,

page_text: provided, at intervals, with sockets g', for the reception of the lower end of a
detent-stem Q, which latter passes through the arms of a suitable bracket-
bearing Q on the forward end of the bed-plate B (as shown in Figure 2) there
being a collar 9 on said stem above the lower arm of said bracket-bearing, and a
spring around said stem between said collar and the upper arm of the said
bracket-bearing, and a hand-wheel 10 on the upper end of said detent-stem Q'.
The bore of this nut Q¹is smooth, and receives the inner end q" of the anvil-stem,
whose outer or forward end q¹ projects through an opening in the upright
portion R, of a stirrup, whose branches R¹, R', connect this portion R with the
arch C' and downward extension c³ of the yoke C.
An annular flange q" on this anvil-stem is located between the stirrup-upright R
and the flange 9 on the described nut Q', and the extreme rear end of the said
anvil-stem is shown screw-threaded and screwed into the end of an anvil Q, having
a longitudinal bore therethrough in central line with the bore of the anvil-stem.
The forward part of this anvil is reduced and made of the same shape as the die-
opening g' in the die Q.
S is a spider-frame secured to the outer front end of the bed-plate B, at the
points markeds, s, in Figure 5, and to the end portion of this frame there is
secured, as by collar or flanges and nuts, one end of the nut-die mandrel S
which projects back through the anvil-stem q, q", and anvil Q
L' is a carrier-disk, mounted on the rear end of the hereinbefore described
shaft L, and this disk is provided at regular intervals with peripheral openings, L*,
corresponding in shape to the shape of the die-opening q', less the upper faces
thereof.
T represents the ringing plunger whose inner end is screwed into the forward
end of the yoke C, there being a slot in said yoke back of and in line with said
mandrel to receive the spool of the ringing mandrel T' which passes through the
central longitudinal bore of the ringing plunger T, as best shown in Figure 8,
there being another but narrower slot c, in line with and above the slot c', open to
the top of this portion of the yoke C. T' is a transverse strap secured as shown
at c,, to the plates or caps c, c, of the yoke C, there being a depending pin t¹
projecting from the strap T down into the annular groove of the spool t.
U is a crowner, whose shank is shown as screwed into the front end of the yoke C
in line with the die-opening g'in the die Q. V is the power-shaft having a pinion VI
at one end meshing with the gear-wheel E on the shaft D. V' is a fly-wheel on
the other end of this shaft V, and V is the pulley on the said shaft V, which
receives the belt or band from the source of power (not shown).
The operation of this machine will be readily understood from the foregoing
description of its construction, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,
more especially Figures 9 to 14, inclusive. The various parts are supposed to be
in the relative positions shown in Figures 1 and 4, when the machine is ready for
the commencement of work; a hot bar of iron or steel (W, Figure 9) is fed into
the feed-groove M' (best shown in Figures 4 and 7) under the shear-blade P,
which is forced down by the action of the retracting cam D' on shaft D against
the inner wall of the rear portion of the yoke C (said shaft being revolved through
gear E, pinion V, shaft V, and power-pulley V³) cutting off a portion of said bar W,
as shown at W, Figure 9. As the shaft Ď continues to revolve, the cam-wheel F
on said shaft is turned, so that the roller g on arm G (which has been located in
the straight portion of the cam-wheel groove during the just described operation
of feeding and cutting off the hot bar end) now begins to be received in the
portion of the cam-groove, at the point g', and this moves the rock-shaft H, and
with it the pusher-arm I, forcing the pusher-rod I' its full length through the
passage m³, and along the lower groove m' of the block M, pushing the cut-off
piece W¹ ahead of it, through passages m' and n into the interior of the ringing-
die N around the ringing mandrel T, forming said cut-off piece W₁ into the open
ring W shown in Figure 10, and the shaft D next carries the cam-wheel F further
around, so that the roller g is now past the point g³ and in the portion ƒ³ of the

page_text: cam-groove between this point and point which reverses the rock-shaft H and
thereby, through arm 1, withdraws the plunger-rod I!. The shaft D in its
continued revolution now brings the driving-cam D' against the inner wall of the
forward portion of the yoke C, which forces said yoke, and the ringing-plunger T
forward, against the open ring W³, as shown in Figure 11, forcing the same
through the contracted bore of the ringing die N which converts said open ring
into a closed ring W and lodges the same in one of the peripheral openings L
of the carrier-disk L', as shown in Figure 12, the roller g meanwhile being again
in the straight portion of the cam-groove. The driving-cam D' is now drawn
away (by the continued revolution of the shaft D) from contact with said inner
wall of the front portion of the yoke C, and the retracting-cam D' bears against
the inner wall of the rear-portion of the said yoke C, and carries the yoke back,
at the same time withdrawing the ringing plunger T, and bringing down the shear-
blade P on the end of the hot bar (which has been again fed forward) and cutting
off another portion thereof to be treated as before.
The operation just described (which perfects a ring W of the metal) has
brought the point g¹ of the cam-groove in the cam-wheel F adjacent to the roller
on the arm G, and the formation of a nut from the ring will now be described, it
being understood that when the machine is in operation, the manufacture of rings
and nuts is going on continuously and simultaneously. As the point of the
cam-groove is brought toward the roller g on the arm G (which roller is now in
the portion of said cam-groove) by the revolution of the cam-wheel F, the rock-
shaft H is rotated, and the outer arm J is tilted over towards the machine, thereby
jigging the ratchet L one tooth, by means of the pawl k', and said ratchet being
rigid with its shaft L, the latter turns the carrier-disk L³ (also rigid on the
shaft L) and this brings the peripheral opening L which holds the just formed
ring W' in line with the die-opening g', at the highest point of the periphery of
said carrier-disk, and the roller g is now just past the point 9 in the cam-wheel
groove, and in the adjacent end of the portion of said groove, thereby reversing
the movement of the rock-shaft, and (by the arm I) withdrawing the end of the
pusher-rod 11 from the die N. The roller g is now in the cam-groove portion f
and as the shaft D, (to which said cam-wheel F is secured) continues to revolve
(the point of said cam-groove meanwhile approaching the said roller g) the
driving-cam D¹ on the said shaft D bears against the inner wall of the forward
portion of the yoke C, and drives said yoke and its attachments forward, forcing
the crowner U against the ring W' and the latter against the anvil Q (as shown
in Figure 14) and pushing the ring W' off the carrier-disk L³ into the die-opening g'
in the die Q around the mandrel S¹, and as the anvil Q reaches its seat against
the rear end of the cylindrical nut Q1 (being in the illustration given, pushed to
place by the ring W) the said ring is formed into the complete blank_nut W
between the rear end of the anvil Q and the forward end of the crowner U within
the die Q, as shown in Figure 13.
In the continued revolution of the shaft D, the retracting-cam D³ is brought
over against the inner wall of the rear portion of the yoke C, thereby drawing
back said yoke and its attachments, the upright portion R of the stirrup being
drawn back with the yoke C by the stirrup branches R¹, R', and said part R
pressing against the annular flange q" of the anvil-stem, and thereby forcing the
anvil backward through the die and lodging the just completed nut W* in the
peripheral-opening L which lately contained the ring W (the carrier-disk L'
having been stationary all this time, while the roller 9 remained in the straight
portion of the groove of the cam-wheel F) and the next revolution of the shaft D
simply brings about a repetition of all these described movements and actions, the
completed blank nut being carried away one point beyond the die-opening g' by
the next jigging of the ratchet L' and consequent movement of the disk-carrier L³
on their common shaft L, and as the openings L in said carrier-disk L are open
at the periphery as well as at the sides of said disk, the completed blank nuts will
fall out by gravity, on reaching a point below the axis of said disk.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The hereinbefore described method of making nuts, consisting in first cutting
off a section of a hot bar of iron or steel, forcing the same around a mandrel within
a die, forming a ring, and then pressing said ring into the shape of a nut around
another mandrel, within a suitable die.
2. In a nut-making machine, the combination with a stationary ringing die
having a converging bore, of a mandrel projecting within said bore, an inde-
pendently movable plunger surrounding said mandrel and mechanism for moving
Baid plunger the length of said bore and for retracting it therefrom.
3. In a nut-making machine, the combination with a stationary ringing die,
having a converging bore and a feed opening communicating therewith, of a mandrel
projecting within said bore, an independently movable plunger surrounding said
mandrel, a shear and shear-plate adjacent to said ringing die, a pusher-bar recipro
cating in line with said feed opening in the ringing die, and mechanism for operating
said movable parts successively.
4. In a nut-making machine, the combination with a suitable frame, of a
reciprocating yoke, a transverse revolving shaft, a driving-cam and a retracting
cam fast on said shaft for engagement with the inner walls of said yoke, a shear-
blade and its actuating lever, the latter pivoted to the frame and linked to said
yoke, and a feeding passage provided with a shear-edge located beneath said
shear-blade.
5. In a nut-making machine, the combination with a suitable frame, of ring and
uut forming dies, feeding passages adjacent thereto, a carrier-disk having peripheral
openings registering with the openings in the said dies, and mechanism for
bringing each of said disk openings into register, successively, with said die-
openings.
6. In a nut-making machine, the combination with a suitable frame, of a
reciprocating yoke, a transverse revolving shaft, a driving-cam and a retracting-
cam fast on said shaft for engagement with the inner walls of said yoke, a
cam-wheel also fast on said shaft, a rock-shaft supported on said frame, ring and
nut forming dies, and mandrels and plungers therefor, feeding passages on said
frame, a shearing device connected to said yoke, and arms rigidly connected to
the rock-shaft, and movably connected to the operative parts of the machine.
Dated this eth dow of October 1901
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.