AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF AUGERS, BITS, DRILLS, AND LIKE TOOLS AND ARTICLES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thomson King, of 4, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF AUGERS, BITS, DRILLS, AND
LIKE TOOLS AND ARTICLES."-A communication from abroad by William
Watson Grier and Robert H. Boyd, of Hulton, Pennsylvania, United
States of America.
Sealed the 20th November 1866, and dated the 25th May 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thomson King at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
May 1866.
I, JOHN THOMSON KING, of 4, Clayton Square, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF AUGERS, BIT3, DRILLS, ALD
LIKE TOOLS AND ARTICLES," the same being a communication to me from
abroad by William Watson Grier and Robert H. Boyd, of Hulton, Pennsylvania,
United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a machine or machinery for twisting metal "blanks"
into augers, bits, drills, and other like tools and articles which require a
helical winding or screw-like form. A shaft formed with a slot or hole at
its end to receive the metal "blank" to be twisted, and so connected or geared
that it can be rotated and at the same time by a screw thread fitted or formed

page_text: thereon, and a fixed pin or nut to work in the said screw thread made to
travel to and fro, is supported on substantial framework of any desired outline.
Parallel to and preferably geared with the said shaft are two other shafts
on each of which cams are fitted. Between the said cams and the end or the
line of the end of the shaft first above mentioned, and resting in guide frames,
are two sets of clamps or dies, in each of which the number is equivalent to
that of the cams already mentioned; or if the cams on each shaft be made in
one piece to the number of the pressure giving surfaces thereon the inner
ends of these clamps or dies form in outline a negative of the article to be made.
Under or outside the clamps or dies there is a recessed space to receive the
metal "blanks and the gripping tongs which have long and strong serrated
jaws in which each one is held; the said recessed space is of such form that
when a metal "blank" and its gripping tongs are placed therein they fit so
closely that they cannot turn round during the twisting of the former. A
metal "blank" being placed in the recess mentioned, and its end fitted into
the slot or hole in the shaft first described, the mode of action or operation of
the machine or machinery is as follows:- Motion is given from any available
motive power to the shaft, causing it to rotate on its own axis and at the same
time travel longitudinally or slightly recede from the clamps or dies; each
revolution gives a twist or turn to the "blank" it also brings, when the
parts are geared together, the cams round so as to make them push forward
the clamps or dies to press against and hold securely the part of the "blank"
which has been twisted. It will be obvious that when the cam shafts are
not geared with the other shaft the cams must be made to rotate at proper
speed so as to push the clamps or dies forward at the proper time. By the
means described not only are the tools or articles twisted, but in the case of
augers or bits the lips thereof are set up during the same operation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Thomas King in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th November 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
THOMSON KING, of 4, Clayton Square, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
8
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters,
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord 3
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her

page_text: me,
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
the said John Thomson King, Her special license that I, the said John
Thomson King, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said John Thomson King, 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
"AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF AUGERS, BITS, DRILLS, AND
LIKE TOOLS AND ARTICLES," the same being a communication to me from abroad
by William Watson Grier and Robert H. Boyd, of Hulton, Pennsylvania,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Thomson King, 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 mouths next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Thomson King, 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 accompanying Drawings,, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, relates
to a machine or machinery for twisting metal "blanks" into augers,, bits,
drills, and other like tools and articles which requiro a helical winding or
screw-like form. The Invention consists primarily of a rotating shaft baving
a recess in its end for receiving the blank and twisting it in connection with a
series of dies arranged to clasp and hold the auger as fast as twisted, and
thereby complete the process of twisting and turning it at a single operation..
Fig. 1 is a top plan view; Fig. 2 is a transversa vertical section taken on the
line of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a similar sectional view taken on the line,, of
Fig. 1; Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are views and portions detached. A represents a
strong frame made of any suitable size and material, in which are mounted
two shafts E, as shown in Fig. 1, each of these shafts being provided with a
gear wheel F, as shown; B represents a shaft located between the shaft E and
parallel therewith, and having a pinion 9 mounted thereon, gearing on one
side into one of the wheels F, while on the under side it gears into a similar
sized pinion H, which latter gears into the other wheel F, as shown clearly in

page_text: Fig. 2, the motion of said wheels being indicated by the arrows marked
thereon. The pinion g is secured to the shaft B by a feather e, as shown in
Fig. 2, for the purpose of causing the shaft to turn with the pinion and still
'permit the shaft to move longitudinally independent of the pinion; C represents
a screw secured to the shaft b, by which, as it is rotated, the shaft is caused to
move forward or back according as it is turned one or the other direction.
The shaft B has a hole or recess formed in its front end of proper size to
receive the blank or bar of which the augers or other tools or article is to be
made when forged of the required form and size, the form of the blank being
shown in Fig. 5. On opposite sides of the shaft B at the front portion of the
frame is located a series of dies h, as shown in Fig. 1, the number, being in
proportion to the length and twist of the tool to be made. These dies are
arranged to meet on the line of the axis of the shaft B, and have their adjoining
ends or faces so formed as to correspond with the shape of the auger or tool
when twisted. These dies are arranged to move longitudinally and are
operated by the corresponding series of cams n on the shafts E, these canis
being so arranged on the shaft E as to strike their respective dies h in regular
succession, the relative position of the cams being shown in Fig. 3. Connected
with each die h is a spring o for forcing the dies back as soon as the cam
has passed it, the dotted lines in Fig. 3 indicating their position when moved
back. By this arrangement it will be seen that as the shaft B is rotated
in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 it begins to move gradually
backward, and that as soon as it has receded a distance equal to the thickness
of the first die the cam n will strike the die and force it forward, this operation
occuring simultaneously with both of the first pair of dies and continuing
until the shaft b shall have traversed the entire distance occupied by the
series of dies. The thread of screw C for a half turn at its front end is not
inclined but is formed so that its plane is a right angle to that of shaft B,
whereby the shaft is permitted to make a half revolution before it begins to
move backward. The last portion of thread of screw C for a quarter turn is
made in a similar manner, thereby permitting the shaft B to make one quarter
of a revolution after it has ceased to move back, the object of which will be
herein-after explained. The blank of which the auger is to be formed is.first
forged by proper dies to the required form as shown in Fig. 5; a pair of
tongs is then provided having a recess e formed in the face of each jaw, as
shown in Fig. 4 (where the face of one jaw is seen), of proper form and size to
receive and firmly grasp the shank and head of the blank. It will be
observed that one corner is cut from the point of each jaw of the tongs, as
shown at r, this portion being curved to correspond with the twist to be given

page_text: to the auger. When the two jaws of the tongs are placed face to face ready
for use the curved portion of one jaw will be above and the other below
exactly corresponding to the twist of the auger when completed. The blanks
being properly heated in a suitable furnace or fire are placed properly in the
tongs L and shoved into the hole in the end of the shaft B, the tongs being
held firmly in the recess in the front of the frame A, as shewn in red in
Fig. 1. Motion being imparted to the shaft B it begins at once to twist the
blank, the curved portion of the tongs serving as a die to regulate the form
of the twist at the beginning, and while the point b that feeds the screw C
along remains in the straight portion of the thread at the rear end of C and
which will continue until the shaft B has made a quarter of a revolution.
As the motion of the shaft continues it begins to recede as the point b enters
the inclined portion of the thread, thereby drawing the shaft off from the
blank and twisting it at the same time. As soon as the shaft has receded
a distance equal to the thickness of the first set of dies h the cams n come in
contact therewith and force the dies forward, causing them to close on the
twisted portion of the blank, this operation being continued by each pair
of dies successively, thereby serving to form the twists with perfect regularity
and at the same time holding the twisted portion firm and preventing it from
being twisted any more while the remaining portion is being twisted. By
the time that the last pair of dies is closed the point or guide p will have
entered the straight portion of the thread at the front end of the screw C, and
which, as previously explained, stands half way round shaft B; by this
operation the blank will be twisted as shown in Fig. 6, the lips protruding as
indicated by the red lines. This straight portion of the screw thread permits
the shaft B to still make a balf revolution, by which the lips are given a proper
set or inclination and thus finished ready for sharpening. When the operation
is thus completed the motion of the shaft B is reversed, the twisted blank
having been removed, by which the parts are restored to their original
position ready for twisting another blank. It is obvious that any number of
dies may be used, and that they may be made of any desired thickness, the
number of the cams being made to correspond. It is also obvious that any
style or form of auger, bit, drill, or other tool or article may be twisted by a
machine constructed and operated on this plan, the form of the hole in the
shaft B being made to conform to the form of the blank, and the face of the
dies to conform to the twist of the tool; for instance, in Fig. 7 I represents
the end of shaft B fitted to twist that style of bit which are twisted like a
cork screw, v representing the dies to be used therewith; Fig. 8 represents
a cross section of the blank necessary to form the "twist drill," and which may

page_text: be readily completed by this machine, whereby a great saving will be effected
over the process now in use of cutting the twisted groove in them by means
of milling tool. It will of course be understood that a different machine
will be used for each of the various sizes of tools to be made, the dies, cams,
and screw being all arranged to operate conjointly and proportioned each to
the other. By arranging the cams so that they can be adjusted on the
shaft E and changing the dies h and screw C a variety of tools having various
twists and sizes may be formed in the same machine, but in practice it will
doubtless be fund preferable to have a machine adapted to make each of
the different sizes seperately.
Having thus fully described the Invention, what I claim and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is,-
First, a machine for twisting augers, bits, drills, and similar articles, and
consisting essentially of the shaft B and a series of dies arranged to operate
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Second, the rotating and longitudinal moving shaft B having a hole made
longitudinally therein of proper size and form, and receiving the blank and
hold it while being twisted and drawn out as shown and described.
Third, in combination with said shaft B, I claim the tongs L having their
jaws constructed as shown and described.
Fourth, in combination with the shaft B, I claim the screw C with its
thread constructed as described for the purpose of imparting to the shaft an
intermittent longitudinal movement, while it has a continuous rotatory move-
ment during the operation of twisting the blank for the purpose of twisting the
blank and setting the lips at one operation.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Thomson King, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
'E. J. CHARLISH.
JOHN THOMSON KING. (LS.)