IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY TO BE USED IN MANUFACTURING SPIKES, BOLTS, RIVETS, SCREW BLANKS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Charles Twentyman, of Wolverhampton, in
the County of Stafford, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY TO BE USED IN MANUFACTURING SPIKES, BOLTS, RIVETS,
SCREW BLANKS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."-A communication from
abroad by James H. Shweet, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in the United
States of America.
Sealed the 13th March 1860, and dated the 12th January 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Charles Twentyman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th January 1860.
I, ALFRED CHARLES TWENTYMAN, of Wolverhampton, in the County of
Stafford, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY TO BE USED IN MANUFACTURING SPIKES, BOLTS,
RIVETS, SCREW BLANKS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," to be as follows, that is
to say :-
The machine consists in a combination of grooved rollers, gripping tools,
and dies. The rods of metal of the required guage or thickness are fed in a
heated state between a pair of grooved rolls formed by fixing chill cast-iron
rings upon smooth rolls. These rolls are also furnished with cutting and
pointing tools, so that as the rod is fed between them it is cut into the
requisite lengths, each length being at the same time pointed, if a point be

page_text: desired. The blank for the spike or other article, if required to be headed, is
then taken from the rolls by a gripping tool, and clutched by a gripe by
which it is held whilst being operated upon by the heading tool; it then drops
from the machine finished.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Charles Twentyman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th July 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
CHARLES TWENTYMAN, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Mer-
chant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alfred Charles Twentyman, Her special license that I, the said
Alfred Charles Twentyman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alfred Charles Twentyman, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY TO BE USED IN MANUFACTURING SPIKES, BOLTS,
RIVETS, SCREW BLANKS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Charles Twentyman, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Charles Twentyman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This machine consists in a combination of grooved rollers, gripping tools,
and dies. The rods of metal of the required guage or thickness are fed in a

page_text: heated state between a pair of grooved rolls formed by fixing chill cast-iron rings
upon smooth rolls. These rolls are also furnished with cutting and pointing
tools, so that as the rod is fed between them it is cut into the requisite
lengths, each length being at the same time pointed, if a point be desired.
The blank for the spike or other article, if required to be headed, is then
taken from the rolls by the nippers and clutched in a gripe, by which it is held
whilst being operated upon by the heading tool; it then drops from the machine
finished.
The annexed Drawings represent to a scale of one quarter the full size
a machine of this description adapted to the manufacture of a railway spike.
of the form shewn in the Drawings, and which is known as "the American
spike." In adapting the machine to the manufacture of other forms of
spike, or of any of the other articles named in the title, it would be necessary
simply to change the section of the rolls, the shape of the pointing tool, or to
dispense with this tool altogether, to alter the faces of the gripping dies and
anvil dies, and of the heading tool, if a heading tool be used, with other minor
details involving no essential departure from the principle of the machine as
illustrated. It will therefore be sufficient for our purpose to proceed to the
description of the machine employed in the manufacture of the American-
chonad aviles

page_text: 0
ratchet is also furnished with a pall or catch (T) kept to its work by the
spring (U). The lop rolls L' are driven at the same time by the pinion
(M,) and thus they draw in the heated rod of iron (O,) which may be of any
guage required to form the spike or other article in course of manufacture.
The iron is drawn into a sufficient length to make one spike; this length is
then severed, and the point shaped by the pressure of the cutters (K, Figures
4 and 5, Sheet F,) which are fixed in the rolls (L,) and which cutters are
kept in a proper position by means of chilled iron rings bolted to the flange
of the rolls. The blank for the spike is now passed on to the anvil block (h)
by means of the nippers (f) which, advancing and clutching the blank, bring
it under the grip (W, Sheet B and D,) which is fixed in the gripping lever
(B, Sheets A, B, C and D), this lever is worked by a cam (J, Sheet A and C,)
fixed upon and driven by the shaft (K',) by means of which, the grip (W) is
dropped forcibly upon the blank, holding it firmly during the operation
of heading. Assistance is also rendered in this duty by the lever (V, Sheets
Band D,) on which is fixed another grip (V) which presses on the blank when
actuated by the lever (B). During this process another length of rod or blank
is drawn in, and the operation continuously repeated. The slide guage (b, Figure
4, Sheet F, is for the purpose of adjusting the throw of the nippers according
to the size of the article required to be manufactured. This is effected by a
vertical slot in the crank that actuates the heading tool (9), allowing of the
adjustment of the slide connected with the nippers, and by raising or lowering
the slide allows the nippers to open or close the exact width of the article to
be manufactured. Fixed in the heading bar (g,) is the hammer or heading
die (9,) which whilst the blank is held upon the anvil block by the gripping
tool (W, Figure 2, Sheet D,) strikes the end of the blank and forms the
head. This is effected through the action of the oscillating crank (A, Figure 4,
Sheet F,) working both the heading bar and the nippers, and by means of the
connecting rods (c) and slides (d), which open and close the nippers (f.) the
studs (8) working in slots (r) actuate the slides (e,) and impart the required
advancing and gripping receding and opening motion to the nippers; (t) is an
adjusting screw and spring to prevent any straining or concussion of the
nippers in case of accident arising from an accumulation of blanks or extra-
neous metal choking the machine. Should this take place the nippers are
thrown up and the impediment is removed, the spring restoring them again
to their right position. The set pin (e, Figure 2, Sheet D,) is for the purpose
of regulating the position of the grip (W) in the lever (B,) in case larger or
smaller articles are required; (D, Figures 1 and 2, Sheets A, B, C, and D,) is
a safety lever employed to relieve the machine by casing the strain, and thus
U

page_text: preventing accidents in case the blanks or any portion of surplus metal should
become misplaced. Should any such accident occur, the surplus metal or
double blank under the grip (W, Figure 2, Sheet D,) raises the lever B,
by the shaft (W",) the lever (D) being pinned at (W') and hung upon the
joint W") upon which the lever (B) works, the counterpoise (N,) Figure 2,
Sheet C,) is brought into use, and upon the removal of the extra metal the
parts resume their proper position. (P, Figure 2, Sheet C,) is a bed plate or
rest for the safety lever (D,) and the gripping lever (B); (Q, Sheet C and D,)
is the bracket carrying the end of the main shaft (F,) and (R, Sheet D,) is a
foot lever for lifting the connecting rod (E, Sheet C and D,) in and out of
gear, and throwing the machine into or out of action, by moving it into or
out of connection with the pin (E' on the oscillating crank (I Sheet C and
D); an adjusting pin (w, Figure 4, Sheet F) is provided for the purpose
of throwing up the point of the newly formed spike in order to make room
for the next; for as the lever (B) Figure 2, Sheet C and D) descends, the
pin (w) is lowered to the level of the anvil, but upon the ascent of the lever
(B) it again rises and by its action each spike is thrown over in succession as
shewn at (0, 0, 0%, Figure 4, Sheet F); (X, Figure 2, Sheet D) is a move-
able shaft working in a radial slot in the framing of the machine, by which
the throw of the heading bar may be regulated in order to vary the form of
head of the required spike. The machine may be thrown in and out of gear
by means of the lever (Z, Figure 1, Sheet A) moving the cam (J) under or
from under the gripping lever (B).
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I claim the arrangement and combina-
tion of the various mechanical parts or appliances herein described and shewn
in Drawings, or the mere equivalents of such mechanical parts or appliances
forming machinery to be used in manufacturing spikes, bolts, rivets, screw-
blanks and other similar articles as herein more fully set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Charles Twentyman, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
ALFRED CHARLES TWENTYMAN. (L.B.)