IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRILLING OR BORING HOLES IN THE SCALES, SPRINGS, AND BLADES OF KNIVES AND OTHER EDGED TOOLS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Reuben Clarke, of Sheffield, in the County of York, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRILLING OR BORING HOLES
IN THE SCALES, SPRINGS, AND BLADES OF KNIVES AND OTHER EDGED
TOOLS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Reuben Clarke at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th March 1878.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
REUBEN CLARKE, of Sheffield, in the County of York.
APPARATUS FOR DRILLING OR BORING HOLES IN THE SCALES, SPRINGS, AND
BLADES OF KNIVES AND OTHER EDGED TOOLS.".
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
apparatus for drilling holes in the springs, scales, and blades of knives of various
kinds, scissors, or other edged tools, such holes being for the purpose of receiving
the rivets by which the several parts of the knives or other instruments are held
together, or upon which the blades or other parts are pivotted.
By these improvements-all the holes in the several parts of such knives or other
edged tools or instruments can be drilled simultaneously instead of separately, and
such parts are pressed steadily and uniformly against the points of the drills.
Great economy of time and labour is effected by the use of apparatus constructed
according to my Invention, the risk of breaking the drills is lessened, and the work
is done more accurately.
I take a frame of metal or other suitable material which I fix in any convenient
position (preferably horizontal) to a table or other suitable support. Across this
frame I arrange two parallel bars, preferably of iron or steel, having formed in each
a number of holes corresponding exactly in position with those in the knife or other
edge tool through which the holes are to be drilled. The two parallel bars are
fixed vertically to the frame by bolts, screws, or standards near their extremities,

page_text: and at such a distance apart that the holes through them serve as journals or
bearings in which revolve a corresponding number of spindles, preferably of steel.
The front end of each of these spindles has a central hole formed in it, into which
is fitted a drill, the front end of which has a cutting edge of a size and shape
suitable to the holes which are to be drilled. in the knife or other tool. I prefer to
make the back ends of the spindles press against a vertical steel or other plate
fixed to the framework, or against the points of screws fixed into such plate and
pressing against countersunk recesses in the ends of the spindles, and I fix a collar
upon each spindle behind one of the vertical plates in which it revolves, in order to
prevent the spindle from moving forward when the drill ceases to operate. Upon
the sides of the frame, and parallel with the spindles, I fix or form guides, upon the
upper edges of which (which I prefer to make of a dovetailed shape in cross section)
are fitted and slide the ends of a transverse travelling frame. This travelling frame
is provided with adjustable studs, screws, or other suitable attachments and guages,
by which the parts of the knives or other edged tools can be quickly attached to it
in the proper position opposite to the ends of the drills. I arrange a screw
revolving in bearings upon the ends of the frame, and working through a nut or
projection upon the travelling frame, a handle being fixed upon the end of the screw
so that by turning the latter round the travelling frame with the parts of the-knife
fixed to it is made to approach to or recede from the points of the drills. The
spindles are provided with pulleys, round which cords or straps pass, so that they
can be made to revolve at any required speed by means of a steam engine or other
suitable power.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The travelling frame being withdrawn
from the drills has fixed upon it in their proper position one or more of the external
scales, the internal or brass scales, and the springs and blades of the knives which
are to be drilled, or of the parts of other edged tools: The spindles and drills being
then set in rapid revolution the travelling frame is brought up to the latter by
turning the screw, and its forward notion is continued until the holes are coin-
pletely drilled. The travelling frame is then withdrawn, and the several parts of
the knives are removed and others substituted as long as may be necessary, the
operation being performed with great rapidity and accuracy, and all the holes
drilled simultaneously.
For the convenience of adjusting the position of the several spindles to suit the
varying size and shape of the knives or other instruments I sometimes fit bushes
into the vertical plates in which the spindles revolve. The spindles revolve in these
bushes, which I make adjustable by means of screws vertically or horizontally in
the plates, so that the relative positions of the parallel spindles may be altered and
adjusted as required:
Apparatus constructed according to my Invention may be arranged to work hori-
zontally, vertically, or in any other desired position:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Reuben Clarke in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th September
".1878.
REUBEN CLARKE, of Sheffield, in the County. of York. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR DRILLING OR BORING HOLES IN THE SCALES, SPRINGS, AND
BLADES OF KNIVES AND OTHER EDGED TOOLS."
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
apparatus for drilling holes in the springs, scales, and blades of knives of various
kinds, scissors, or other edged tools, such holes being for the purpose of receiving
the rivets or screws by which the several parts of the knives or other instruments
are held together, or upon which the blades or other parts are pivotted.
By my improvements all the holes in the several parts of such knives or other
edged tools or instruments can be drilled simultaneously instead of separately, and
the parts to be drilled are pressed steadily and uniformly against the points of the
drills. In this way great economy of time and labour is. effected by the use of
apparatus constructed according to my Invention, the risk of breaking the drills is
lessened, and the work is done more accurately than by the methods ordinarily
used.
In order to carry out my Invention I take a frame of metal or other suitable
material which I fix in any convenient position (preferably horizontal) to a table or
öther suitable support. Across this frame I arrange two parallel bars, preferably of
wrought iron or steel, each having through it a number of holes corresponding
exactly in position with those in the knife or other instrument through which the
holes are to be drilled: These two parallel bars are fixed vertically across the
frame by bolts, screws, or standards near their extremities, and at such a distance
apart that the holes through them serve as bearings or journals in which revolve a
corresponding number of spindles, preferably of steel. The front end of each of
these spindles is provided with a central hole, into which is fitted and fixed a drill,
the front or outer end of which has a cutting edge of a size and shape corresponding
with the holes which are to be drilled through the parts of the knife or other
instrument, for the purpose already described. I prefer to make the back ends of
the revolving spindles press against a vertical steel or other plate fixed to the frame,
or against the points of adjustable screws fixed into such plate and entering counter-
sunk recessos formed in the ends of the spindles; and I make or fix a collar upon
each spindle behind one of the vertical plates in which it revolves, in order to
prevent the spindle from moving forward when pressure upon the point of the drill
eeases. Upon the sides of the frame, and parallel with the spindles, but in front of
the latter, I fix or form guides, upon the upper edges of which (preferably of a
dovetailed shape in cross section) slides a transverse travelling frame which is fitted
upon them. I provide this travelling frame with adjustable studs, screws, slots, or
other suitable attachments, and guides or guages, by which the several parts of the
knives or other instruments which are to be drilled can be readily and quickly
adjusted and fixed in their proper position opposite to the cutting ends of the drills.
I arrange a screw revolving in bearings upon the ends of the lower frame, and
working through a nut or projection upon the transverse travelling frame, a handle
being fixed upon the outer end of the screw so that by turning the latter the
travelling frame, together with the parts of the knife or other instrument, can be
made to approach to or recede from the points of the drills. Upon the revolving
spindles are fixed or formed pulleys, round which cords or straps pass, so that they
can be made to revolve at any required speed by means of steam or other suitable
power.
The accompanying Drawing is in illustration of my Invention.
T
T
1

page_text: a is the frame, across which are fixed by the clamps b, b, b; b, the two transverse
vertical plates c, c¹, each provided with holes or bearings at d, d, d, d³, d², d', in
which revolve the spindles e, e¹, e¹. The front ends of the spindles are fitted with
drills e, e, e, and their back ends press against the vertical plate f. Pulley g, g, G,
are fixed upon the spindles, by which the latter can be set in rapid rotation, and
the collars h, h, h, prevent them from moving forward when pressure upon the points
of the drill ceases. The transverse plate i is fitted upon the parallel guides k, k²,
and can be made to traverse to or from the drills by the screw 4, revolving in
bearings m, m', upon the frame a, and working through the nut n. Guages and
fastenings o are fixed upon the plate i, and the parts of the knives or other instru-
ments which are to be drilled are fixed to them, as shewn in front view, in dotted
lines, at Figure 3.
The relative positions of the spindles and drills are adjusted so as to correspond
exactly with the holes to be drilled, as shewn in Figure 4.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The traversing plate i being with-
drawn from the drills one or more of the external scales, the inner or brass scales,
and the springs and blades of the knives which are to be drilled, or of the parts of
the other edged tools or instruments, are fixed to it. The spindles and drills being
in rapid revolution the traversing frame i is brought up against the cutting points
. by turning the screw 7, the motion of which is continued until the holes are com-
pletely drilled through. The traversing frame i is then withdrawn by reversing
the movement of the screw, and the several parts of the knives are removed and
others substituted for them as often as may be desired, the operation being per-
formed with great speed and accuracy, and all the holes being drilled simultaneously.
In order to adjust the relative position of the several spindles and drills to suit
the varying size and shape of the knives or other instruments I sometimes fit
bushes into the vertical plates in which the spindles revolve. The spindles are
fitted into these bushes, which I make adjustable by means of screws, vertically or
horizontally, or both, so that the relative position of the parallel spindles and drills
can be altered and adjusted as may be required. This arrangement is shown in
Figure 5 (Sheet 2), in which the bearings d, d, carrying the spindle e² are adjustable
vertically by the screws p, p, above and below the bearings, and d¹, d, and d¹¹, d¹¹,
are adjustable laterally, and can be fixed in any desired position by means of the
guides and nuts rº, n.
Apparatus constructed according to my Invention may be arranged to work
horizontally, vertically, or in any other desired position.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner in which it is to be per-
formed, I claim,―
The general construction and arrangement of the apparatus, substantially as and
for the purposes described, and shewn in the Drawings.
Also the method of adjusting the relative positions of the spindles, substantially
as described, and shewn in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Reuben Clarke, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
.
Witness,
E. EDWARDS,
Patent Agent and Engineer,
40, Southampton Buildings.
REUBEN CLARKE, (L.S.)