IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF RIVETS, BOLTS, SPIKES, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Finch, of Chepstow, in the County of
Moumouth, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND
APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF RIVETS, BOLTS, SPIKES, AND SIMILAR
ARTICLES."
Sealed the 15th December 1865, and dated the 23rd June 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Finch at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
June 1865.
I, EDWARD FINCH, of Chepstow, in the County of Monmouth, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF RIVETS, BOLTS, SPIKES, AND SIMILAR
ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery and apparatus
for the manufacture of rivets, bolts, spikes, and similar articles.
On one side of a cast-iron standard a slide is arranged, working up and
down vertically, and on the upper end of this is a cutter which works in con-
junction with an upper cutter fixed to the standard so that the two blades
together form shears. When large rivets, bolts, or spikes which require the
iron to be heated are being made, the iron is brought to the shears from a

page_text: furnace where the rods are heated. This furnace consists of a brickwork
chamber exceeding in length the rods to be heated, and with a fire-box or
furnace at one end of it. Through the chamber a tube passes from end to
end, and the rods to be heated are put into this tube. There are weighted
valves at each end of the tube which close it so as to prevent the escape of
heat except when the valves are necessarily opened for the supply of rods to
the furnace, and from the furnace to the machine. The machine, already in
part described, is placed in front of the heating furnace at the end nearest the
fire-box, and the heated rods are passed to it through a small hole in the valve
which closes this end of the heating tube. When a fresh rod is required
the workman opens the valve at the end of the heating tube, seizes with
tongs the end of one of the rods, and enters its end through the hole in the
valve which is then again closed. The rod is passed between two feed rollers
which are so actuated (as will presently be described) that they tend to
draw the rod out of the furnace. These rollers feed the heated rod forward
until its end rests against an adjustable stop; the lower jaw of the shears
then rises and cuts off a length, at the same time pushing up the end of the
rod and causing it to rest against the upper shear blade, which then acts as a
stop for it; as the lower jaw again descends it comes against a lever and so
moves a guide through which the end of the heated rod is passed after it leaves
the feed rollers. This guide when moved draws the rod down clear of the
upper cutter, and then the feed rollers again throw it forward up to the stop
as before, the lower cutter again comes up, cuts off another length, and so
the work goes on.
The motion is given to the feed rollers by means of a
pulley fixed on the axis of one of them, and so arranged that in one direction
it can turn freely without the feed rollers, whilst when revolving in the other
direction it takes the feed roller with it. Around the pulley a cord is passed,
and it has a weight at each end, one a light weight sufficient only to give the
cord sufficient bite of the pulley and the other a heavy weight enough to turn
the feed rollers and move forward the heated rod. The cord has a lever
attached to it, and each time the lower jaw of the shears rises this lever also
is lifted and with it the heavy weight; the light weight then comes into
action and takes up the slack of the cord caused by the heavy weight rising.
When the shear jaw returns the weight is left up until the time comes for
again feeding forward the bar when its guide clears it from the upper cutter
and immediately the feed rollers carry it forward. The lengths thus cut off
from the heated rod are immediately carried (by a boy or otherwise) to the
heading apparatus which is on the other side of the same standard. It
consists of a slide working to and from a die fixed to the standard and having

page_text: a recess formed in it of the shape of the head required, say, for a rivet. The
slide is fitted in a suitable guide on the standard and is worked by eccentrics on
the main shaft of the machine; on these eccentrics are two straps forming
part of eccentric rods which at their further ends are connected with trunnions
formed on the slide. There is also on the main axis another eccentric besides the
two above mentioned of the heading apparatus, and this by means of a lever
centered in the middle actuates the lower jaw of the shears already described.
The slide of the heading apparatus has a cylindrical hole bored through it longi-
tudinally, and the fore end of this hole is closed by a screw bushing, through
which is a hole corresponding in diameter with the rivet rod which is being
worked. The short lengths cut off from the rod by the shears are immediately
put into the hole in the screw bushing, and a plunger within the bushing acts
as a stop and prevents the length of rivet rod entering beyond a certain
distance, so that next time the slide moves up the portion of the length of rod
remaining out of the hole in the screw bushing is forced up against the
upper die and so a head is formed. The plunger or stop within the bushing
is supported at the back by an adjusting screw by means of which its end can
be set at any distance from the face of the screw bushing to allow any
required length of stem to the rivet. At the return stroke of the slide a pro-
jection on the piece which carries the plunger is retained by a catch, so that
the plunger is held still whilst the slide recedes, and the plunger is thus caused
to expel the finished rivet from the hole in the bushing of the slide. As the
slide continues to travel back the catch is lifted and the plunger returns to
allow of another length being inserted. Bolts, spikes, and similar articles are
made in the same way.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Finch in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd December 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
FINCH, of Chepstow, in the County of Monmouth, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reigu, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Edward Finch, Her special licence that I, the said Edward Finch,
my executors, alministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
.

page_text: Edward Finch, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF RIVETS, BOLTS, SPIKES, AND
SIMILAR ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Edward Finch, 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 Edward Finch, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be 1
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery and apparatus
for the manufacture of rivets, bolts, spikes, and similar articles.
The first improvement consists in combining together for these purposes 2
machinery or apparatus in the following manner :-On one side of a cast-iron
standard a slide is arranged working up and down vertically, and on the upper
end of this is a cutter which works in conjunction with an upper cutter fixed
to the standard, so that the two blades together form shears for cutting of
lengths of metal to be formed into rivets or similar articles. On the opposite a
side of the same standard a heading apparatus composed of a slide working to
and from a die fixed to the standard, and having a recess formed in it of the
shape of the head required, say for a rivet; the slide is fitted in a suitable
guide on the standard, and is worked by eccentrics on the main shaft of the
machine; on these eccentrics are two straps forming part of eccentric rods,
which at their further ends are connected with trunnions formed on the slide.
There is also on the main axis another eccentric besides the two above
mentioned of the heading apparatus, and this by means of a lever centered in
the middle actuates the lower jaw of the shears, already described. When
large rivets, bolts, or spikes are to be made, I heat the rods of iron from
which they are to be made in any suitable furnace, and feed them up to the
shears which are to cut them into lengths by two feed rollers, which are so
actuated (as will presently be described) that they tend to draw the rod out of
the furnace; these rollers feed the heated rod forward until its end rests

page_text: against an adjustable stop; the lower jaw of the shears then rises and cuts off
a length, at the same time pushing up the end of the rod, and causing it to
rest against the upper shear blade, which then acts as a stop for it; as the
lower jaw again descends it comes against a lever, and so moves a guide
through which the end of the heated rod is passed after it leaves the feed
rollers; this guide when moved draws the rod down clear of the upper cutter,
and then the feed rollers again throw it forward up to the stop as before, the
lower cutter again comes up, cuts off another length, and so the work goes on.
The motion is given to the feed rollers by means of a pulley fixed on the axis
of one of them, and so arranged that in one direction it can turn freely.
without the feed rollers, whilst when revolving in the other direction it takes
the feed roller with it. Around the pulley a cord is passed, and it has a
weight at each end, one a light and the other a heavy weight enough to turn
the feed rollers and move forward the heated rod. The cord, has a lever
attached to it, and each time the lower jaw of the shears rises this lever also
is lifted, and with it the heavy weight; the light weight then comes into
action and takes up the slack of the cord caused by the heavy weight rising.
When the shear jaw returns the weight is left up until the time comes for
again feeding forward the bar, when its guide clears it from the upper cutter,.
and immediately. the feed rollers carry it forward. The lengths thus cut off
from the heated rod are immediately. carried (by a boy or otherwise) to the
heading apparatus. The slide of the heading apparatus I form with a cylin-
drical hole bored through it longitudinally, and the fore end of this hole is
closed by a screw brushing, through which is a hole corresponding in diameter
with the rivet rod which is being worked. The short lengths cut off from the
rod by the shears are immediately put into the hole in the screw bushing, and.
ก plunger within the brushing acts as a stop, and prevents the length of rivet.
rod entering beyond a certain distance, so that next time the slide moves up;
the portion of the length of rod remaining out of the hole in the screw bushing.
is forced up against the upper die, and so a head is formed. The plunger or:
stop within the bushing is supported at the back by an adjusting screw, by
means of which its end can be set at any desired distance from the face of the.
screw bushing, to allow any required length of stem to the rivet. At the.
return stroke of the slide a projection on the piece which carries the plunger:
is retained by a catch, so that the plunger is held still whilst the slide receeds,
and the plunger is thus caused to expel the finished rivet from the hole in the.
bushing of the slide. As the slide continues to travel back the catch is lifted
and the plunger returns to allow of another length being inserted. Bolts,,
spikes, and similar articles are made in the same way.
.

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe
more fully the manner of performing the same.
.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
In Sheet 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed is shewn a furnace suitable
for heating the rods of metal to be formed into rivets, but to the construction
of this furnace I lay no claim. The furnace is composed of a chamber of
brickwork contained within an iron carriage; into this chamber the rods to be
heated are placed, the chamber being of greater length than the rods; the
chamber is heated by two fire-boxes or furnaces, one at one end and the other
near its middle; and the products of combustion pass away through a flue at
the opposite end of the chamber; above the brick arch forming the top of the
chamber ashes or other non-conducting material are placed; cach end of the
chamber is closed by a weighted sliding door, and the escape of heat so
prevented, except at the times when the valves are necessarily opened for the
purpose of supplying rods to and withdrawing them from the chamber. The
machine for making rivets or similar articles is placed in front of the door at
one end of the furnace, and the end of the heated rods are in succession passed
to the machine through a small hole in the door.
I will now proceed to describe the various views bereunto annexed of a
machine for making rivets and similar articles, in which each part of my
Invention is embodied.
At Sheet 2 is shown a side view of the machine, at Sheet 3 an end view,
at Sheet 4 the opposite side view, and at Sheet 5 the opposite end view; at
Sheet 6 is shewn a horizontal section of the machine, and at Sheet 7 are
shown enlarged views of some of the parts. In these Figures a is the iron
standard of the machine, on one side of which is a slide 6 carrying a cutter b¹
that works in a conjunction with a cutter c fixed to the standard. On the opposite
side of the standard is a heading apparatus composed of a slide d working to
and from a die e fixed to the standard; this die has a recess formed in it of
the shape of the head required for a rivet or similar article; the slide d
receives motion from the eccentrics f on the shaft g; between these eccentrics
is a third eccentric h, which, as is seen at Sheet 5, gives motion by a lever i
to the slide 6 of the shear; I by preference give motion to the axis g by
causing a toothed wheel upon it to gear into a pinion on another axis k,
which is driven by a strap and pulley, as shown in the Drawing.
I will now more fully describe my arrangement of apparatus for feeding
rods of metal up to the shears; this apparatus is clearly seen in the side view,
Sheet 2. 1, 1, are the pair of rollers between which the end of the rod is

page_text: passed, the upper roller is pressed towards the lower roller by a spring , as is
shown. On the pin that carries the lower roller is a pulley, around which
two grooves are formed; in each groove a cord is fixed, one cord after passing
partly around the groove passes down to a lever m to which it is connected,
and then passes down to a heavy weight n; the cord fixed in the other groove
of the pulley is lead partly around this groove, and has a weight attached to its
end. The pulley carries a clutch arrangement shown in the detail views,
Sheet 7, by which when the heavy weight n is allowed to turn the pulley, the
roller is caused to turn with it, but when the smaller weight o. turns the
pulley the pulley can turn back without turning the roller. The rod of metal
after passing between the rollers passes through a tube p; this tube is
carried by one arm of a lever p¹ turning on a centre at p³. When the slide 6
of the shearing apparatus rises the cutter carried by it cuts off a length from
the rod of metal, and at the same time raises it and the tube, so that the end
of the rod of metal passing through the tube bears against the fixed cutter c,
a projection 63 on the slide bat the same time comes underneath the lever m
and raises it, thereby raising the heavy weight n; the pulley is then turned
back by the smaller weight o without turning the rollers 7. When the slide 6
descends a projection acts upon the lever b³, and causes it to push out the
lower end of the lever p', and so turns down the tube p¹ until the end of the
rod carried by it is free from the cutter c; the heavy weight n which is then
free to descend causes the rollers to turn and feed forward the bar of metal
until its end comes against the stop 1, the position of which can be adjusted
by means of the set screw ¹, so that the shears can be adjusted to cut off
any desired length from the rod of metal. When the slide 6 again rises
the end of the rod so fed forward is cut off by the cutter 6', and then the same
operation is repeated.
I will now more fully describe my improvements in machinery for forming the
heads of rivets and similar articles; these improvements which relate to the
mode of supporting and giving the required motions to the plunger carried by
the hollow slide d, will be best seen in the detail views shown on Sheet 7.
In these views s is the plunger working through a hole in the screw bushing d',
that is, at the top of the hollow slide d; the stem carrying the plungers screws
into a slide s' fitting in the hollow slide d. When a head is being formed to
a rivet, the bottom of the slide s¹ rests on and is supported by the end of the
screw t carried by the slide d. When the slide d descends the slide s¹ is
arrested by a projection 82 upon it, coming against a stop u' carried by a
lever u, that at its upper end turns on a fixed pin supported by the framing;
the stop u¹ holds up the slide s¹ until the top of the screw bushing d¹ has

page_text: descended below the top of the plungers; an incline & carried by the slide d
then strikes against an incline u² on the lever u, and pushes back the lever, so
moving the stop u¹ from under the projection on the slide s¹; the slide s¹ is
then free to fall until it is arrested by the screw t..
The action of the machine is as follows:-When the slide d is in its lowest
position a boy places a length of metal into the hole in the screw bushing d',
the slide then rises and forces the top of the length of metal that has been
placed in the screw bushing into the hollow of the fixed die e; the slide d then
descends, and when it has descended a short distance the slide s' is arrested until
the plunger has forced the rivet or other article out of the hole in the screw
bushing, the slide s' is then set free and falls on to the end of the screw t; a
fresh length of metal is then put in the hole in the screw bushing, and when
the slide d again rises the same operation is repeated. The length of the
stem of the rivet or other article produced can be regulated by turning the
screw stop t, so as to allow the slide s¹ to descend a greater or less distance.
The machine can also readily be changed so as after making rivets of one
diameter to make rivets or other articles of a different diameter by changing
the screw bushing and plunger s; the heading die can also be readily removed
as shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Finch, have hereunto set my
.hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
EDWARD FINCH. (L.s.)