provements in or relating to Automatic Screw Machines.or Automatic Capstan Lathes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Feb., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 10th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 10th Dec.,
1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in or relating to Automatic Screw Machines.or
Automatic Capstan Lathes.
I, ALFRED HERBERT, of "Brantwood," Spencer Road, Coventry, in the County
of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to automatic screw machines or automatically-actuated
capstan lathes and like tools, in which cams mounted on drums are employed
to automatically impart to a tool motions of a predetermined nature and extent
in relation to the work operated upon.
In machines of this kind as at present constructed a bed or frame casting
carries at one end a headstock, towards the centre a cut-off slide, and at or near
the other end a capstan or revolving head carrying the necessary tools for the
various operations required.
Automatic motion is imparted to the machine by means of a cam shaft running
longitudinally beneath the machine and driven by worm gearing or other suit-
able means. This cam shaft carries three sets of cams, one for opening and
closing the chuck of the headstock and for feeding forward the bar which is
being operated on the second for operating the cutting off rest and the third for
moving forward and backward the slide carrying the capstan.
My invention is in connection with this latter set of cams and the capstan
slide controlled by it.
At present the slide carrying the capstan head is mounted directly on the bed,
and the cams which are for convenience mounted on the periphery of a drum
carried on the cam shaft operate on a stud or roller projecting from the under
side of the capstan slide.
L
In existing machines the position of the cam-drum is fixed longitudinally, on
its shaft.
In designing machines of this kind the capstan slide is located at such, a
distance from the headstock of the machine as may be necessary to enable the
machine to operate in pieces of the maximum length for which the. machine is
designed and when operating on shorter pieces it is frequently necessary to use
tools projecting considerably from the capstan to enable them, to reach..such
shorter pieces of work-this is very objectionable as it gives rise to springing
and loss of the rigidity so necessary in machinery of this kind.
".
My improvement consists in mounting the capstan slide, on an adjustable
saddle which has a certain movement longitudinally on the bed, and also in
mounting the cam drum in its shaft in such a manner that it has a longitudinal
adjustment along its shaft.
This enables the capstan to be brought nearer to the headstock of the machine
when engaged on short work and to be moved further away from the headstock
when engaged on long work, and also permits the cam-drum to be similarly
moved along its shaft.

page_text: It is desirable that the stud or roller on which the cams operate should, when
at the extreme end of its longitudinal movement, be at a fixed distance longi-
tudinally from the centre of the width of the cam drum, and in order to ensure
this and still permit of the aforesaid adjustment of the saddle and cam-drum I
provide for a series of fixed positions both of the 'saddle and the cam drum, these
positions are so arranged that, whilst allowing a number of different working
positions, the stud or roller and the cam drum maintain their relative longi-
tudinal position with relation to each other. This I effect by providing a number
of taper holes at fixed distances on the bed of the machine and a similar number
of taper holes at similar distances on the cam-shaft. The capstan saddle and
the boss of the cam-drum are provided with taper plungers fitting into these
holes. These holes may be numbered so that in adjusting the machine it is only
necessary to move the saddle and the cam-drum so that their respective plungers
are engaged with holes of corresponding number-thus ensuring the maintenance
of the desired relative longitudinal position of the aforesaid parts.
01
1
T
1000
ALFRED HERBERT,
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Automatic Screw Machines or
Automatic Capstan Lathes.
I, ALFRED HERBERT, of "Brantwood," Spencer Road, Coventry, in the County
of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
1
"This invention relates to automatic screw" machines or automatically-actuated
capstan lathes and like tools, in which cams mounted on drums are employed
to automatically impart to a tool motions of a predetermined nature and extent
in relation to the work operated upon.
"
In machines of this kind as at present constructed a bed or frame casting
carries at one end a headstock, towards the centre a cut-off slide, and at or near
the other end a capstan or revolving head carrying the necessary tools for the
various operations required.
Automatic motion is imparted to the machine by means of a cam shaft running
longitudinally beneath the machine and driven by worm gearing or other suit-
able means.
This cam shaft carries three sets of cams, one for opening and
closing the chuck of the headstock and for feeding forward the bar which is
being operated on the second for operating the cutting off rest and the third for
moving forward and backward the slide carrying the capstan.
My invention is in connection with this latter set of cams and the capstan
slide controlled by it.
At present the slide carrying the capstan head is mounted directly on the bed,
and the cams which are for convenience mounted on the periphery of a drum
carried on the cam shaft operate on a stud or roller projecting from the under
side of the capstan slide.
In existing machines the drum is fixed permanently on its shaft.
In designing machines of this kind the capstan slide is located at such a

page_text: distance from the headstock of the machine as may be necessary to enable the
machine to operate on pieces of the maximum length for which the machine is
designed and when operating on shorter pieces it is frequently necessary to use
tools projecting considerably from the capstan to enable them to reach such
shorter pieces of work-this is very objectionable as it gives rise to springing
and loss of the rigidity so necessary in machinery of this kind.
My improvement consists in mounting the capstan slide on an adjustable
saddle which has a certain movement longitudinally on the bed, and also in
mounting the cam drum on its shaft in such a manner that it may be given a
corresponding longitudinal adjustment along its shaft.
Thus when. the machine is engaged on short work the capstan on its slide is
run close to the headstock and the adjustable saddle carrying that slide is moved
longitudinally in its bed so that it also is brought nearer to the headstock of the
machine to afford efficient support to the capstan slide in the new position of
the latter. In a similar manner for long work the saddle and capstan may be
moved in the opposite direction. But the capstan slide carries the roller or stud
engaging with the cams on the drum, so that the relative positions of the stud
or roller and the cams on the drum are altered, whenever the capstan slide is
shifted by adjustment of the saddle. To overcome this disadvantage the cam
drum is constructed to move longitudinally along its shaft through a distance
corresponding to that through which the saddle is adjusted. To enable this
movement to be rapidly effected with accuracy, a number of taper holes are made
at fixed distances apart on the adjustable saddle of the machine and a similar
number of taper holes at similar distances apart on the cam shaft. The main
frame of the machine and the boss of the cam drum are provided with taper
plungers fitting into these holes. These holes may be numbered so that in
adjusting the machine it is only necessary to move the saddle and the cam drum
so that their respective plungers are engaged with holes of corresponding
number thus ensuring the maintenance of the desired relative longitudinal
position of the aforesaid parts.
Alternatively, other known or convenient locking-devices may be employed
to retain the saddle and the cam drum in their normal relationship to one another
after adjustment of the kind described.
In the accompanying drawings;
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automatically-actuated capstan lathe, partly
in section:
Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The bed A is formed with a longitudinal rectangular channel A', in which
slides the adjustable saddle B, provided with a longitudinal recess B¹ dove-tailed
or undercut at B2. The saddle B preferably projects above the bed A and on
the shoulders B3 thus formed, plates C are bolted projecting over the recess B¹.
These plates C may be combined with or replace the undercut portions B2. The
turret or capstan slide D travels in the recess B₁ and carries the turret or
capstan D. Motion is given to the capstan slide D through a stud D2 carrying a
roller 13 passing through slots 13 A2 in the slide B and bed A respectively by
detachable cams E mounted on a drum E.
The saddle B is secured in the desired position by a stud B with a tapered
point passing through a screw-threaded hole A³ in the bed A and engaging with
tapered holes 13 in the saddle B.
The drum E is mounted on the longitudinal shaft F which is provided with a
feather F. The drum is secured in positions corresponding to those of the
saddle B by a stud E2 with a tapered point passing through a screw-threaded
hole E3 in the boss E of the drum E, and engaging in tapered holes F2 in the
shaft F.
The holes 13 and F2 corresponding to one another are preferably indicated by
numbers, as shown in Figure 1, so that when the saddle B is in a given position

page_text: the drum E will be in its proper place when the bolt E2 engages with a hole Fª,
which bears the same number as the hole 16 in which the bolt B³ engages.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In an automatic lathe or screw machine an adjustable saddle carrying the
turret slide for the purpose described.
2. In an automatic lathe or screw machine the combination with the turret
slide of an adjustable saddle and a correspondingly adjustable cam drum, for
the purpose described.
3. In an automatic lathe or screw machine the combination with the turret
slide of a saddle and cam drum adjustable as described and locking devices
arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 8th day of November 1898.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.