AN IMPROVED PORTABLE HYDRAULIC RIVETTER ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR RIVETTING STEAM BOILERS OR SIDES OF SHIPS WHILE IN POSITION
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Scott, Engine Builder, and John Rankine,
Superintending Marine Engineer, both of North Shields, in the County of
Northumberland, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED PORTABLE HYDRAULIC
RIVETTER ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR RIVETTING STEAM BOILERS OR SIDES OF
SHIPS WHILE IN POSITION."
Sealed the 21st August 1877, and dated the 2nd March 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Scott and John
Rankine at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd March
1877.
MICHAEL SCOTT, Engine Builder, and JOHN RANKINE, Superintending Marine
Engineer, both of North Shields, in the County of Northumberland. "AN IM-
PROVED PORTABLE HYDRAULIC RIVETTER. ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR RIVETTING
STEAM BOILERS OR SIDES OF SHIPS WHILE IN POSITION."
Our Invention is especially adapted for rivetting marine or other suitable boilers
when undergoing repairs without removing them from their seats. The side of a
ship, whether in or out of dock, can be also rivetted by our machine without inter-
.fering with the deck of the same.
.
To carry out our Invention, say, to rivet the bottom of a boiler, we place in the
inside of the boiler a rivetting block or abutment. On the outer side of the said
-boiler is the rivetting tool or hydraulic ram, which is, although capable of adjust-
ment, secured to a girder or support suspended from the abutment within by rods
or bolts passing through the shell of the boiler. The holes for the passage of the
said bolts may either be rivet holes or holes specially drilled for that purpose and
afterwards tapped.
The ram may be worked by a small pump in the usual way. An accumulator
is also connected thereto, which may, instead of being loaded with weights or pro-
vided with springs, derive its accumulative power from a steam boiler.
The action
of this accumulator would be as follows:-The small pump being set to work, forces
water into a small cylinder (closed at one end), wherein works a plunger connected
by a short rod to a piston of a larger diameter, which works within a cylinder sup-
plied with steam by a steam pipe. The working of the pump forces the piston in
[Price 6.1

page_text: the steam cylinder to the full length of its upward stroke, when steam being
admitted into the said cylinder, and acting with great force upon the upper side of
the piston, exerts by means of the aforesaid plunger a powerful pressure upon the
water in the small cylinder beneath.
As is frequently the case in hydraulic annaratus oil or steam may he used in lien :
the steam cylinder to the full length of its upward stroke, when steam being
admitted into the said cylinder, and acting with great force upon the upper side of
the piston, exerts by means of the aforesaid plunger a powerful pressure upon the
water in the small cylinder beneath.
As is frequently the case in hydraulic apparatus, oil or steam may be used in lien
of water.
We would remark that our Invention is equally applicable for rivetting under
ordinary circumstances, as in the case of bridge building.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Michael Scott and John Rankine in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st September 1877.
MICHAEL SCOTT, Engine Builder, and JOHN RANKINE, Superintending Marine
Engineer, both of North Shields, in the County of Northumberland.
"AN IM-
PROVED PORTABLE HYDRAULIC RIVETTER ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR RIVETTING
STEAM BOILERS OR SIDES OF SHIPS WHILE IN POSITION."
Our Invention is specially adapted for rivetting marine or other boilers when
undergoing repairs without removing them from their seats. The side of a ship,
whether in or out of dock, can be rivetted by our improved machine without inter-
fering with the deck of the same.
To carry out our Invention, say, to rivet the bottom of a boiler, we place inside
the boiler and over the part to be rivetted a rivetting block or abutment, and on
the outside a rivetting tool actuated by a small hydraulic ram, of which it forms a
part. Both the abutment and the hydraulic ram, the latter capable of longitudinal
and transverse adjustment, are each secured to a girder or support. The girder of
the hydraulic ram is suspended or hung from the girder of the abutment within the
boiler by rods or bolts passing through the shell of the boiler. The holes for the
passage of these bolts may be empty rivet holes or holes specially drilled for the
purpose and afterwards tapped.
An accumulator may be connected by suitable piping to the aforesaid hydraulic
ram. This accumulator, instead of being loaded with weights, derives its accu-
mulative force from a steam boiler in the vicinity in the following manner :-Two
-pistons, connected together by a rigid piston rod and of unequal area, say, as two is
to one, work in their respective cylinders, the smaller of the two being in communi-
cation with a force pump and with the hydraulic ram before mentioned, which latter
will be herein-after designated as the "rivetter." To the larger cylinder steam is
admitted, which, exerting a force upon the piston therein, is transmitted by the
piston rod to the smaller piston to a greater degree per unit of surface, and exerts
thereby a powerful pressure upon the water that had previously been forced into
the smaller cylinder by means of the aforesaid force pump. When the communi-
cation is opened between the accumulator and the rivetter, the latter is at once set
into operation.
We will now proceed to describe our Invention more fully by aid of the accom-
panying Drawing, reference being had to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a plan of the rivetting block or abutment, and Figure 2 an elevation
of our improved portable hydraulic rivetting machine, Figure 3 being a plan of the
under side of the same.
Figure 4 is a cross section on line 1-2 (Figure 2), showing the means employed
to adjust the rivetter and block to the hole to be rivetted.
Figure 5 is a modified form of our machine adapted for circular work.
In all these Figures G, G', are the girders or supports for the rivetting block A
and rivetter B, which may either be straight, as shewn in Figure 2, or curved, as
shown in Figure 5, to suit the nature and locality of the work engaged upon.
These girders may be formed, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, with bifurcated or forked

page_text: ends to receive the bolts t, t, which pass through empty rivet holes in the shell of
the boiler undergoing repairs. These rods attach the two girders together. The
upper girder is supported by the rivetting block A resting upon the rivet about to
be operated upon by the rivetter B, which latter may be of any approved construc-
tion, and capable of longitudinal and transverse adjustment, so as to be readily
brought directly under the rivetting block when in operation.
For the purpose of the adjustment aforesaid the girders may be provided with
slides a¹, a, moving upon guides a, a.
The bifurcation of the ends of the girders allows the tie bolts t, t, to be passed
through any convenient rivet hole within a moderate distance.
The rivetter B is of any approved construction, and may be connected by the
pipe c to the accumulator or force pump, as is usually the case.
Figure 6 is a plan, and Figure 7 a section of an accumulator worked by steam in
lieu of weights. In these Figures P is a piston working in the steam cylinder I,
provided with the necessary steam cock Ĉ, an exhaust cock k, and an air hole h.
E is a smaller cylinder containing the piston P₁, connected to the steam piston P by
a piston rod l. D is a pipe supplying this cylinder with water from a force pump,
and redirecting the same to the pipe c (Fig. 2) of the rivetter. The action of this
accumulator would be as follows:-On forcing water into the smaller cylinder E
the pistons P and P¹ are driven to the end of their respective cylinders, consequently
the cylinder E is now full of water. The exhaust cock is then closed and the
steam cock opened to admit steam under pressure into the cylinder I, which acting
with great force upon the larger piston tend to exert an accumulative pressure upon
the water, due to the difference of area of the two pistons, which pressure may be
directed to the hydraulic rivetter, and employed in the usual manner.
Strong spiral springs may be inserted, if desired, between the piston P. and the
cylinder cover I*.
By referring to the accompanying Drawing the operation of our improved portable
hydraulic rivetter would be so well understood by practical men as to require no
further explanation, but we would remark that our Invention is equally applicable
to rivetting work under ordinary circumstances, as, for instance, the flanches of
girders in bridge building, especially where such work is to be carried on in confined
situations.
As is generally the case in all hydraulic appliances, oil or steam may be used in
lieu of water.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and object of our
said Invention, together with the mode of carrying the same into effect, we wish it
to be clearly understood that we claim as our Invention, secured to us by the above
in part recited Letters Patent, the combination and arrangement of an adjustable
portable hydraulic rivetter, substantially in manner as herein more fully set forth
and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Scott, on behalf of myself and of the
said John Rankine, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first
day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-seven.
MICHAEL SCOTT. (L.S.)