IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING, PUNCHING, AND SHAPING METALS FOR SCREW NUTS AND LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Watkins, of the London Works, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR CUTTING, PUNCHING, AND SHAPING METALS FOR SCREW NUTS
AND LIKE ARTICLES."
Sealed the 29th March 1867, and dated the 28th December 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Watkins at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
'December 1866.
I, FRANCIS WATKINS, of the London Works, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING, PUNCHING, AND SHAPING METALS FOR SCREW
NOTS AND LIKE ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
On the main shaft of the machine is a driving wheel which gears into the
spur wheel and drives another shaft on which are keyed two cams actuating
two slides which carry compound punches, the solid punch carried by one
slide working within a ring punch carried by the other; the machine is
double acting, and there are similar tools-at each end of the slides. The slide
which carries the punches 'actuates two other slides opposite its two ends by
means of rods fixed to the first slide and passing through the others; the rods
have adjustable nuts upon them and allow a certain amount of independent
motion in the end slides, which also carry ring punches similar to those carried
by the slide which actuates them. Between the ends of the central, slides and

page_text: the outer slides dies or forming boxes in which the articles to be made are
formed are secured to the frame of the machine by means of bolts. The
machine being set in motion a bar is placed between the forming die or box
and the ring punch of the central slide, which forces off a piece and drives it
into the forming die or box against the ring punch of the outer slide which
forms the bottom of the box, and at this time rests against the adjustable screw
stop, and there is an india-rubber or other spring interposed between the slide
and the stop whose use is to prevent the breaking of the machine from an
undue strain should there be an excess of metal forced into the forming die
or box from other causes. A continued advance of the central slides
carries the blank into the die box until it is firmly compressed; at this time
the solid or piercing punch of the central slides which has continued to
advance with the other central slide is suddenly caused to advance still further,
and passes through the blank into the hole in the opposite ring punch, driving
before it a plug of metal equal to its diameter. After the formation of the
hole the piercer is withdrawn into the mouth of its ring punch which likewise
begins to recede leaving the finished blank in the forming die. When the
central slides have withdrawn a distance, determined by the nuts on the ends
of the rods, the outer slide is dragged after them and forces the finished blank
from the forming die box; while this is being done the tools on the other end
of the slides are beginning the operation of cutting off the blank, the making
of which is in all respects similar to that already described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Watkins in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th June 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
WATKINS, of the London Works, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Francis Watkins, Her special licence that I, the said Francis Watkins, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Francis
Watkins, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during

page_text: 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 FOR CUTTING, PUNCHING, AND SHAPING METALS FOR SCREW NUTS AND
LIKE ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Francis
Watkins, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or. one of their hands; and seals, 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 Francis Watkins, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, thereof, that is to say :-
On the main shaft of the machine is a driving wheel which gears into
the spur wheel and drives another shaft on which are keyed two cams
actuating two slides which carry compound punches, the solid punch carried
by one slide working within a ring punch carried by the other; the machine
is double acting, and there are similar tools at each end of the slides. The
slide which carries the ring punches actuates two other slides opposite its two
ends by means of rods fixed to the first slide and passing through the others,
the rods have adjustable nuts upon them and allow a certain amount of
independent motion in the end slides, which also carry ring punches similar to
those carried by the slide which actuates them. Between the ends of the
central slides and the outer slides dies or forming boxes in which the articles to
be made are formed are secured to the frame of the machine by means of bolts.
The machine being set in motion a bar is placed between the forming die
or box and the ring punch of the central slide which forces off a piece and
drives it into the forming die or box against the ring punch of the outer
slide which forms the bottom of the box, and at this time rests against an
adjustable screw stop, and there is an india-rubber or other spring interposed
between the slide and the stop .whose use is to prevent the breaking of the
machine from an undue strain should there be an excess of metal forced intō
the-forming die or box or from other causes. A continued advance of the
central slides carries the blank into the die box until it is firmly compressed,
at this time the solid or piercing punch of the central slides which has
continued to advance with the other central slide is suddenly caused to
advance still further, and passes through the blank into the hole in the

page_text: opposite ring punch, driving before it a plug of metal equal to its diameter.
After the formation of the hole the piercer is withdrawn into the mouth of its
ring punch, which likewise begins to recede, leaving the finished blank in the
forming die. When the central slides have withdrawn a distance determined
by the nuts on the ends of the rods the outer slide is dragged after them and
forces the finished blank from the forming die box. While this is being
done the tools on the other end of the slides are beginning the operation of
cutting off the blank, the making of which is in all respects similar to that
already described.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
affect I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section; Figure 2 a plan, partly in
section, and Figure 3 an end elevation of a machine constructed according
to my Invention.
A is the frame of the machine; B is a driving pinion keyed on the shaft B¹,
which is driven by the pulleys B", and whose motion is sustained by the fly
wheel B. The pinion B gears into the spur wheel C, and drives the
shaft C', on which are keyed the cams D¹, E¹, respectively actuating the
slides D and E, and these slides carry some of the tools for making the nut,
washer, or other article, these tools are marked D"; F¹, F¹, aro tie or
connecting rods fastened into the slide D and passing through the slide F,
which is actuated by them; G is the die or forming box in which the article
to be made is formed; it is secured to the frame of the machine by means of
bolts passing through the rings G¹. H is a nut finished and ready to be dis-
charged from the machine; I is an india-rubber or other spring placed in
the end of the slide F to prevent the breaking of the machine from an undue
strain; J is a piston stop coming against the adjusting screw K when the
machine is in motion.
By reference to the Drawings it will be seen that the machine is constructed
in such a manner as to produce the result equal to two machines by so forming
the parts as to attach tools to each end of the slides D and E.
Having thus described the parts of the machine I will now proceed to
describe its operations. The machine being set in motion a bar is placed
before the forming die or box, and the cutting tool D" forces off a piece and
drives it into the die G against the hollow mandril or tool F", which is forced
back against the adjusting screw K by the fixed collars on the connecting

page_text: rods F. The advance of the slides D and E carries the blank into the die
until it is firmly compressed between the cutting tool D" and the tool F", at
this time the piercing mandril or punch E" which has continued to advance
with the cutting tool D is suddenly caused to advance still further, and
passes through the blank into the hole in the tool F", driving before it a plug
of metal equal to its diameter. After the formation of the hole the tool or
piercer E is withdrawn into the mouth of the cutting tool D", which like-
wise begins to recede, leaving the finished blank in the forming die. When
the slide D has withdrawn a sufficient distance, determined by the nuts on
the ends of the rods F¹, it begins to drag the slide F with it, and thus forces
the finished blank from the forming die.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is, the
general arrangement of machinery for cutting, punching, and shaping metals
for screw nuts and like articles, as herein-before described.
I also claim in machinery for cutting, punching, and shaping metals for
screw nuts and like articles, the linking the tool or punch which cuts off the
metal and forces it into the die or mould, with the tool or punch which forms
the moveable bottom of the said die or mould, in such manner that the former
in receding may cause the advance of the latter, so as to eject the finished
nut or article from the die or mould.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Watkins, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.