IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR NUTTING SCREW BOLTS.
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sydney Pitt, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey, for the;
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR NUTTING SCREW BOLTS.".
A communication from abroad by Samuel Lord Worsley, of Buffalo, State of
New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 28th March 1879, and dated the 29th January 1879.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Sydney Pitt at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th January 1879.
66
SYDNEY PITT, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey. IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR NUTTING SCREW BOLTS." A communication from abroad by.
Samuel Lord Worsley, of Buffalo, State of New York, United States of America.
Screw bolts are usually sold in the market with the nuts screwed on to the bolts,
each bolt having its appropriate nut screwed upon it.
Previous to the present Invention it has been customary to form the screw
threads of screw bolts by automatic machines or (in technical language) to screw
the bolts.
It has also been customary to cut the screw threads in the nuts, or tap the nuts
by other automatic machinery, but after the bolts have been screwed and the nuts
tapped, it has been the practice to apply each nut to its particular bolt by hand,
the operator taking a bolt from a box of bolts with one hand, and a nut from a box
of nuts with the other hand, applying the two to each other, and screwing the one
to the other. This operation of nutting bolts by band involves much hand labour,
and the object of the Invention which constitutes the subject of this Patent is to
dispense with this hand labour, and effect the operation automatically by a machine
which is supplied with the nuts and bolts, and which applies a nut to a bolt, screws
the two together, and discharges the nutted bolt ready for packing for the trade.
To this end the said Invention consists of certain combinations of mechanical
devices of which the following are the principal members, viz. :-
A nut holder for holding a supply of one or more nuts.
A bolt holder for holding a supply of one or more bolts.
A nut mover by means of which the nuts are moved one at a time to the position
where they are to be applied to the bolt, or are moved from that position.
A bolt mover by means of which the bolts are moved or permitted to move one
at a time from the bolt holder.
A bolt clamp by means of which the bolt is held during the nutting, or the
application of the nut to it.
:
>
Turning mechanism by means of which either the nut or the bolt is turned:

page_text: relatively to the other, so as to screw the one to the other. In practice I prefer to
so construct and arrange this turning mechanism that it turns the bolt while the
nut is held at rest, but the converse arrangement may be used if preferred, the nut
in such case-being-turned-while-the bolt is held at rest.
Transferring fingers or mechanism for causing a bolt or nut to move crosswise of
its axis from the holder to the line in which the bolt and nut are screwed together.
In practice-l-prefer to-use-transferring-fingers, and to so construct and arrange
them as to transfer a bolt-to-the mechanism for turning it, but the transferring
mechanism need not necessarily have the form of fingers, and if the nut is to be
turned upon the belt the transferring fingers if used may be arranged to transfer
the nut from the nut holder or mover to the turning mechanism.
A leading cam or its equivalent to cause either the nut or the bolt to move
relatively to the other in the direction of the length of the screw bolt, so as to enter
the screw of the bolt in the nut.
A bolt discharger for ensuring the discharge of the nutted bolt from the machine
in case it does not drop when released by the bolt clamp or be not detached by the
act of bringing a new nut or new bolt to the positions where they are applied to
each other.
A bolt guard for preventing accident in case the transferring fingers fail to
transfer a bolt.
A safety device to permit the bolt or nut to maintain its position longitudinally
of the other, in case either the bolt or the nut has no screw threads, and notwith-
standing the action of the leading cam or its equivalent.
In
The various combinations of the said devices which constitute the Invention are
specified in detail at the close of this Specification. The inventor deemed it
expedient to embody all of these combinations in the same machine, but more or
less of the said combinations may be used as deemed best by manufacturers.
order that they may be fully understood, the following description and the
accompanying Drawings are given of a bolt nutting machine embodying all of the
said combinations in the best form known to the inventor at this date, it being
understood that in the said machine the aforesaid principal members are combined
by means of a main frame shafts and other devices constituting connecting
mechanism which inay be varied as circumstances or the peculiar views of users of
the Invention render expedient.
Figure 1 of said Drawings represents a plan of said machine.
Figure 2 is a front view of the same.
Figure 3 is a rear view of the same.
Figure 4 is a view of the right-hand end of the same.
Figures 5 and 6 represent cross sections.
Figures 7 to 10 represent parts of the machine detached from the residue and
drawn upon a larger scale.
The various moving parts of the said machine are connected with a strong bed
frame A, which-in-practice-is-bolted fast-to the rails-of-the factory benches,-but-
which for convenience of representation is mounted upon legs.
The various operating parts of the machine have motions imparted to them from
a set of shafts B, B1, B2, B3, connected by cog wheels C, C1, C2, C3, C4,0³, and the
last shaft B is fitted with belt pulleys (not shown in the Drawings), to which
power is applied by means of a belt in the usual manner, the belt pulleys being fast
and loose pulleys, and a shipper being provided to control the belt.
The nut holder D of this machine is upright, so that the nuts are held in a
column, and it contains a channel d, Figures 1 and 9, of a size to permit the nuts to
slide edgewise freely down it to a cross channel d', Figure 9, in which the lowest
nut is held for the nut mover by which it is presented at the position in which the
nut and bolt are screwed together.
The nut mover is a piston E moving horizontally or thereabouts in the cross
channel (Figure 1, 5, and 9), which crosses the lower end of the upright nut
channel d of the nut holder. This nut mover E is operated at the proper time by

page_text: means of a cam E', which is secured to the main cam shaft B of the machine,. and
which acts upon a slide E2 with which the nut mover E is connected by an arm E*.
The cam moves the nut mover to push the nut along the cross channel, and a
spring E (Figure 5) is provided to return the nut mover to the position whence it
is moved by the cam, the time of return being controlled by the form of the nut
moving cam E'.
The nut when fed occupies a position near the end of the cross channel d¹, and
it remains there until the bolt is screwed into it. The plate d² which forms the
front side of the cross channel is notched (as seen at ³ in Figure 5), to permit
the end of the bolt to enter the hole of the nut, and to permit the bolt stem
to move laterally with the nut after the bolt is nutted. Immediately opposite
the position of the nut in the cross channel d' is the bolt clamp F, by means
of which the bolt is held during nutting. This device consists of a pair of
vibrating gripping jaws f, f, which are connected by their pivots with a cross
head f¹ secured to the end of the shaft B2, while above this bolt clamp and a little
to one side of it is the bolt holder G for holding a supply of bolts to be nutted.
This bolt holder contains an upright channel g (Figures 1 and 10), wide enough to
let the stems of the bolts slide sidewise down it, and the channel is capped at one
edge by a guide g¹ between which and the adjacent edges of the plates forming
the channel the heads of the bolts are received and guided. At the lower end
of the channel of the bolt holder a sliding bolt mover H is fitted to move cross-
wise of said channel a sufficient distance to move a bolt laterally from the channel
to the bolt holder and hold it for being taken by the bolt transferring fingers
herein-after described. In order that the bolt mover may remove a bolt from
the bolt holder, the said mover is constructed (see Figure 10) with a cavity to
receive a bolt whenever this cavity is beneath the channel of the bolt holder, and
in order that the dropping of bolts from the bolt holder may be prevented while the
bolt mover is moving a bolt therefrom, the shank of said mover is constructed as a
slide to close the bolt channel by sliding across its lower end. The bolt mover H
is moved at the proper times by a cam H', and a spring H2; the cam being secured
to the main cam shaft B and operating upon the bolt mover H through the
intervention of the lever H7, connecting rod H³, rock shaft H, and rock shaft
arms H, H, while the spring H2 is arranged to operate upon the lever H
antagonistically to the cam 'H'.
In order that the bolt removed from the bolt holder G by the bolt mover H may
be transferred to the bolt clamp F transferring fingers are provided. These consist
of a pair of fingers I, I¹ (Figure 5), which are connected with an arm I2 by which
they are held while being moved to and fro between the bolt clamp on the one
hand and the bolt mover on the other. The movement at the proper times is
effected by means of cam I³ secured to the main cam shaft B, and a spring I* acting
antagonistically to said cam. The cam and spring operate upon the transferring
fingers I, I, through the intervention of the arms 12, rock shaft I, and arm I. One
finger I is secured rigidly to the arm I2, the other finger I is connected with the
arm by a pivot, and a spring 17 (Figure 5) is provided to cause the moveable finger
to bear against the fixed finger with a yielding pressure, so that the former may
open by pressure to admit a bolt shank between the fingers or to release a bolt
shank. The adjacent points of the fingers are bevilled so that when these points
are forced against a bolt shank they may readily straddle it. The cam Is is of the
proper form to impart the following movements to the transferring fingers
(assuming that the latter are at their highest position, and that the cavity of the
bolt mover H is in its outmost position relatively to the bolt channel); the trans-
ferring fingers are moved first downward sufficiently to cause the points of the
finger to straddle the shank of the bolt by the bolt mover and until a notch in
the inner side of the spring finger I receives the bolt shank. Next the fingers are
raised sufficiently to lift the bolt clear of the cavity of the bolt mover. Then the
transferring fingers are moved down to present the bolt to the bolt clamp F; and
lastly, they are raised to the position whence they started. In order to ensure the

page_text: .
presentation of the bolt accurately to the bolt clamp the descending movement of
the fingers is stopped by a stop Is (Figure 5) and an adjusting screw I is provided
to permit the finger arm 12 and fingers to descend more or less. The lateral adjust-
-ment of the fingers is provided for by constructing the finger arm of two parts
adjustable longitudinally and capable of being fastened by a screw I10 when
adjusted.
The bolt clamp F is in this machine connected with the turning mechanism_for
producing the turning movement by which the bolt and nut are screwed together,
_and_also_with_the.leading.cam_by_which connections_the_screw_threads-of-the-nut
and bolt are engaged by a movement longitudinally of the bolt. In the present
machine the rotating shaft B2, to the head of which the bolt clamp F is secured,
constitutes the turning mechanism, the said shaft being caused to revolve by reason
of being connected with the driving shaft B by means of the cog wheels C², 03.
The leading cam is the cam J secured to the main cam shaft B. This cam operates
upon the bolt clamp through the intervention of the lever J, the slide J2, and the
piston rod J³, which slides to and fro endwise within the shaft B2, which is tubular.
The same cam J is also made use of to close and open the jaws of the bolt clamp F
and to withdraw the bolt clamp (after a bolt has been nutted) to the position for
receiving a new bolt from the transferring fingers I, I'. The cam J is grooved so
that it is capable of moving the lever J' in both directions. In order that the cam
may effect the closing of the jaws of the bolt clamp, the head of the piston rod J³
is constructed with two notches a (Figure 8), whose inner shoulders being inclined
operate when moved forward as a wedge to spread the shank of the clamp jaws,
and thus compel the jaws to close upon the bolt. In order that the bolt clamp with
the shaft B may not move endwise while such clamping is being effected, a stop
latch K is provided to act upon a collar K' of the shaft B2, and prevent endwise
motion of the shaft and bolt clamp during the clamping. This stop latch K (see
Figure 7) has the form of a bell crank, and is arranged to swing upon a stud
protruding from the stand a' of the main frame A. It is pressed towards the shaft B
by a spring K2, and it is withdrawn from the shaft B, and is held back when it is
not to operate upon the shaft by means of a cam K³ secured to the main cam
shaft B, and operating upon the stop latch through the intervention of a lever K*.
When the stop latch is permitted to engage with the collar of the shaft B2 the latter
and the bolt clamp are held from moving endwise until the piston rod J³ has been
moved sufficiently to effect the clamping of the bolt, after which the latch is with-
drawn, whereupon the continued movement of the piston rod J³ by the incline of
the cam J moves the bolt clamp bodily forward, or advances it and leads the screw
of the bolt into the screw thread of the nut. When the screw bolt has been nutted
the withdrawing incline of the cam J draws the piston rod backward; as however
the bolt is held from moving backward by being screwed into the nut, which is held
by the side plate d² of the nut holder, and as the jaws of the bolt clamp hang on
the stem of the bolt, the bolt clamp and shaft tend to retain their forward positions;
hence the backward movement of the piston rod J3 withdraws the wedge-formed
shoulders of its head from between the shanks of the clamp jaws, thereby permitting
those jaws to be opened by the action of the springs and release the bolt. When
the bolt is released the bolt clamp is permitted to move back with the shaft B²
and piston rod J³ to the position for receiving a bolt from the fingers I, I'.
,
After a bolt has been nutted the advancing movement of the nut mover might
push the next nut against the nut of the nutted bolt and eject the last, but in order
to discharge the nutted bolt rapidly, and to have it out of the way of the next nut
and bolt to be connected, the bolt discharger is provided. This discharger in the
present case has the form of a swinging arm L (Figure 5), which is pivotted to the
main frame with its upper end in a position to sweep forward across the position
occupied by the bolt during nutting.
The bolt discharger is moved forward (to cause its upper end to strike the nutted
bolt and disengage the nut thereof laterally from the nut holder) by the end of the
slide E2 that operates the nut moyer. The nutted bolt thus discharged drops, and

page_text: the bolt discharger is restored to its backward position by means of a spring L',
when the backward movement of the slide E permits this spring (L) to move the
discharger. As the slide E is moved by the nut moving cam E, the bolt discharger
is also inoved by that cam; but if preferred a special cain may be provided for the
latter purpose, or to retrograde the nut discharger and to permit it to be moved
quickly forward by a spring,
It may happen in practice that the transferring fingers may fail to take the bolt
from the bolt mover, in which event the bolt mover by its backward or return
movement would tend to return such bolt beneath the bolt holder. In order to
prevent such return the bolt guard N (Figures 3 and 10) is provided. This bolt
guard is arranged to slide up and down at the side of the bolt holder, with its lower
end crossing the track in which the bolt is carried by the bolt mover. The lower
end or head of the bolt guard is inclined at the side facing the bolt holder, but is
flat on its opposite side, consequently when a bolt is moved away from the bolt
holder its stem, bearing against the inclined side of the bolt guard, pushes the latter
upwards, and when the bolt has passed the bolt guard the latter drops behind it.
however the bolt remains in the bolt mover during its return movement the stem of
the bolt strikes against the flat side of the bolt guard, which stops its return, while
the bolt mover continuing its return withdraws from beneath the bolt, permitting it
to drop.
If
It may happen in practice that a blank nut (or nut without a screw thread) may
sometimes be entered into the nut holder, and it may also happen that a bolt blank
(or unscrewed bolt) may be accidentally entered into the bolt holder.
In either or
both of these cases the bolt could not enter the nut, and the stoppage or breakage
of the machine must ensue unless some provision were made to prevent such
results. In order to prevent either, the head c of the piston rod J³ is made of
uniform size from the outer corners of its inclined shoulders backward, so that if a
sufficient resistance be offered to the forward movement of the bolt to make the jaws
of the bolt clamp slip upon the bolt stem the head of the piston rod will slide forward
between the shanks of the clamp jaws instead of moving the bolt clamp forward.
This combination of the head of the piston rod of uniform size with the clamp
jaws therefore operates as a safety device to prevent breakage.
The channels of the nut holder and the bolt holder of the machine are made of
the proper sizes for the nuts and bolts to be operated upon, and the leading cam J
has its leading incline of the proper slope to force the screw threads of the bolt and
nut to engage when one of the two is turned.
The
These devices, as well as the others of the machine, are adapted to the size of the
screw and nut to be connected together, and to the pitch of the screw thread.
nut holder and the bolt holder are charged with nuts and bolts by hand, or they
may be charged by some of the automatic devices in use on machines for tapping
uuts and screwing bolts. When the machine is at work the following operations
are performed:-The bolt mover H moves a bolt sidewise from the lower end of the
bolt holder G within the range of the transferring fingers I, I'. These latter descend,
seize the bolt by its stem, and ascend with the bolt, leaving the bolt mover free to
move back beneath the bolt holder and receive a new bolt. Then the transferring
fingers descend and insert the bolt stem between the open jaws of the bolt clamp F,
which is then in its backward position. Next, the piston rod J³ moves forward,
thereby compelling the jaws of the bolt clamp to clamp the bolt, which is then not
only clamped but is turned on its axis by the revolution of the shaft B, and is also
pushed endwise forward or advanced towards the nut holder. Meanwhile the nut
mover E has advanced, thereby pushing forward the lowest nut of the column in
the nut holder D to the position opposite the advancing end of the bolt. Hence by
the time the point of the bolt is advanced to the position of the nut the latter is
there to receive it, and the bolt and nut are engaged by the turning and advance of
the shaft B2, and are screwed together by the continued turning of that shaft,
during which the screw thread of the nut draws the bolt into the latter. In other

page_text: words, the bolt is nutted. When this operation is effected the withdrawal of the
piston rod J³ and bolt clamp F releases the nutted bolt, which is thereupon dis-
charged by the forward movement of the bolt discharger L. The machine then
repeats its operation.
If deemed best, the devices of the machine may be arranged to enter and turn
the bolt in the nut while the latter stands at the lower end of the column of nuts
in the nut holder. In this case the nut may be pulled out of the nut -holder-after
the bolt is nutted by pulling back the bolt, or the nutted bolt may be moved side-
wise by the nut mover, whose cam-must then be set to operate at the right time for
the purpose. If deemed best, the stop latch K may be arranged to operate upon
the shaft B twice for each bolt nutted, vis., to stop the forward movement of that
shaft until the piston rod J³ has moved far enough forward to effect the gripping of
the bolt, and to stop the backward movement of that shaft while the piston rod is
moved backward far enough to permit the jaws to release the bolt. The changes
of the latch cam K³ and of other parts of the machine for this purpose must be
obvious to the skilled mechanic, and need not be described. In place of using
springs to produce the backward movements of the several devices above described,
such movements may be effected by cams provided for the purpose. The machine
may also be varied in many other ways without ceasing to embody some of my
combinations. Parts of the Invention may be used without others, and the work
of said others be done by hand or by mechanical means differing substantially from
mine.
Thus the bolt holder may be omitted, and the bolts placed by a child one at a
time in the bolt mover. In like manner the nut mover may be omitted and nuts
placed by a child one at a time in the nut holder at the place where the screwed
end of the bolt enters it. If the bolts should be placed one at a time in the bolt
mover it may remain at rest, and the lateral movement which is now given to it
may be given to the transferring fingers, by causing them to vibrate laterally on
their arm by means of a suitable cam and spring.
The following combinations are claimed as constituting the Invention, viz. :-
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the nut holder constructed
with a cross channel for the nuts, the nut mover, and the bolt discharger.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the nut holder, the bolt
holder, the bolt clamp, and the turning mechanism.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the nut holder, the bolt
holder, the bolt clamp, the turning mechanism, and the leading cam.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the nut holder, the bolt
holder, the nut mover, the bolt clamp, and the turning mechanism.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the nut holder, the bolt
mover, the bolt clamp, and the turning mechanism.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the nut holder, the bolt
holder, the bolt clamp, the turning, mechanism, the transfer mechanism, and the
leading cam.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the nut holder, the bolt
holder, the nut mover, the bolt clamp, the turning mechanism, the transfer
mechanism, and the leading can.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the nut holder, the bolt
holder, the nut mover, the bolt mover, transfer mechanism, the bolt clamp, and the
turning mechanism.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the nut holder, the bolt
holder, the bolt clamp, and the transfer mechanism.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the nut mover, the bolt
mover, the bolt clamp, and the transfer fingers.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the nut inover, the bolt
mover, transfer mechanism, the bolt clamp, the turning mechanism, and the leading a
cam.

page_text: The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the nut mover, the bolt
mover, transfer mechanism, the bolt clamp, the turning mechanism, the leading cam
and the piston rod having a head of uniform size in the rear of its shoulders.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the nut holder, the bolt
holder, the bolt clamp, the turning mechanism, and the transfer mechanism.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the nut holder, the bolt
holder, transfer mechanism, the bolt clamp, the turning mechanism, the leading cam,
and the bolt discharger.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the nut holder, the bolt
holder, transfer mechanism, the bolt clamp, the turning mechanism, the leading cam,
and the piston rod having a head of uniform size in the rear of its shoulders.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the nut holder, the bolt
holder, the bolt mover, the bolt clamp, the turning mechanism, the transfer
mechanism, and the leading cam.
The combination. substantially as before set forth, of the nut holder, the bolt
mover, the bolt clamp, the turning mechanism, the transfer mechanism, and the
leading cam.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the bolt clamp, leading cam,
and connecting mechanism, the last operating to close said clamp to move it forward
(to advance the bolt carried by said clamp into the nut), to permit said clamp to
open and to move it back.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the bolt clamp, the turning
mechanism, the leading cam, and the stop latch.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the nut holder, the bolt
holder, transfer mechanism, the bolt clamp, the turning mechanism, the leading cam,
and the stop latch.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the nut inover, the bolt
mover, transfer mechanism, the bolt clamp, the turning mechanism, the leading cam,
and the stop latch.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the nut holder, the bolt
holder, the nut mover, the belt mover, transfer mechanism, the bolt clamp, the
turning mechanism, the leading cam, and the stop latch.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the transferring fingers, the
bolt clamp, the turning mechanism, the leading cam, and the stop latch.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the bolt holder, the bolt
mover, the bolt guard, and the transferring fingers.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the bolt holder, the bolt
mover, the bolt guard, the transferring fingers, and the bolt clamp.
The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the bolt holder, the bolt
mover, the bolt guard, the transferring fingers. the bolt clamp, the nut holder, and
the turning mechanism.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sidney Pitt, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Second day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-nine.
SYDNEY PITT. (L.S.)