AN IMPROVEMENT OB IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOLTS, RIVETS, SPIKES, SCREW BLANKS. NUTS FOR SCREWS, AND WASHERS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Leonard Bower, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OB
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOLTS, RIVETS, SPIKES, SCREW
BLANKS. NUTS FOR SCREWS, AND WASHERS."
Sealed the 26th September 1856, and dated the 24th June 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Leonard Bower at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on tho
24th June 1856.
I, LEONARD BOWER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IN-
PROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOLTS, RIVETS, SPIKES,
SCREW BLANKS, NUTS FOR SCREWS, AND WASHERS," to be as follows:-..
My Invention consists.in the manufacture of the said bolts, rivets, spikes,
screw blanks, nuts for screws, and washers by the use of a vacuum stamp; that
is. to say, a stamp, the ram or hammer of which is raised by the exhaustion of
a cylinder, the said ram or hammer being connected with a piston working in
the said cylinder. I attach to the under side of the ram or hammer a die or
tool of a suitable form to produce a bolt or spike, head washer, or other article
comprised in my Invention, and I fix on the bed of the press a die suitable' to
form the under part of the said article. The form of the dies or tools is varied
to suit the various forms to be given to the heads of the bolts, spike or screw

page_text: blanks, and the nuts or washers; but I do not consider it necessary to describe
the different tools employed, as my Invention consists in making the articles
enumerated by the use of dies or tools actuated by a vacuum stamp, however
the form of the articles may vary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Leonard Bower in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th December 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LEONARD
BOWER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Leonard Bower, Her special licence that I, the said Leonard Bower,
my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Leonard Bower, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during tho 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 IMPROVE-
MENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOLTS, RIVETS, SPIKES, SCREW
BLANKS, NUTS FOR SCREWS, AND WASHERS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Leonard Bower, 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 months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Leonard Bower, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of the improvement or improvements in manufacturing
bolts, rivets, spikes, screw blanks, nuts for screws, and washers, herein-after
described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing; that is to say, by the
use of a vacuum stamp, or a stamp the ram or hammer of which is raised by

page_text: the exhaustion of the cylinder, the said ram or hammer being connected with
the piston working in the said cylinder.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing reprosents in side elevation, and
Figure 2 in vertical section, a vacuum stamp or hammer provided with tools
for making bolts, rivets, spikes, and screw blanks according to my Invention.
a is the ram or hammer working in the guides b, b; c is a die fixed to the
under side of the ram or hammer a; and d is a die fixed on the bed of the
machine; e, f, are a pair of cutting tools on the lower one f, of which the iron.
to be fashioned is cut off. In making a bolt the piece of iron cut off by the
cutters e, f, is dropped into the cylindrical hole in the die d, and rests upon
the rod g. On the descent of the ram or hammer a, the die c falls upon the
top of the die d, and strikes the protruding end of the rod h by one or more
blows into the head i of the rivet or screw blank. As the ram or hammer a
rises, the book k raises the connecting rod 1, lever m, and bolt n; the rod g on.
which the rivet or screw blank rests is thereby raised, and the said rivet or
screw blank removed from the said die d. In order to prevent the die c
striking upon the die d, by which both the said dies would be injured, I place
steel rings, marked o, around both the upper and lower dies, which said steel
rings projecting a little beyond the face of one or both dies, receive the blow,
and prevent injury to the said dies. When worn, the said steel rings may be
replaced by others. Instead of using the rings o, I sometimes make the outer
edge of one of the dies project so as to receive the blow on the ring-like pro-
jection.
S.
Figure 3 represents in vertical section, and Figure 4 in plan, the essential
parts of a machine for making nuts for screws and washers according to
my Invention. The dotted lines p indicate the piece of iron from which the
nut or washer is to be cut; this is laid on the die t, as represented, and the
tool descending entering the recess r cuts off the square piece
9
The piece
cut off rests on the die t, between which the die u is held, while the plunger v
descending through the die pierces the hole w in the screw nut or washer s.
The piece punched out of the nut or washer s falls down the hole in the
lower die t. The plunger y ascends with the several parts connected therewith;
the lower diet is raised, and the nut or washer s is lifted out of the mould,
and may be removed either by hand or by suitable mechanism.
The form of the dies or tools is varied to suit the various forms to be given
to the heads of the bolts, spikes, or screw blanks, and the nuts or washers; but
I do not consider it necessary to describe the different tools employed, as my
Invention consists in making the articles enumerated by the use of dies or tools
actuated by a vacuum stamp, however the form of the articles may vary.

page_text: Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood, that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described and represented, as the same
may be varied without departing from the nature of my said Invention; but
I claim as my Invention the improvement or improvements in the manufacture
of bolts, rivets, spikes, screw blanks, nuts for screws, and washers, herein-before
described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, the
manufacture of the said bolts, rivets, spikes, screw blanks, nuts for screws, and
washers by the use of a vacuum stamp.
In witness whereof, I, the said Leonard Bower, havo hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
JNO WILLIAMS.
LEONARD BOWER. (L.S.)