CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY, TOOLS, OR APPARATUS FOR TURNING, BORING, PLANING, AND CUTTING METALS AND OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1837

page_text: WHITWORTH'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
WHITWORTH, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letter's Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Fifth day of October, in the first year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph
Whitworth, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said Joseph Whitworth, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and such
others as I, the said Joseph Whitworth, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY,
TOOLS, OR APPARATUS FOR TURNING, BORING, PLANING, AND CUTTING METALS AND
OTHER MATERIALS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that
I, the said Joseph Whitworth, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joseph Whitworth, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in Drawings hereunto annexed, and by the following explana-
tion, that is to say :-
My improvements in machinery, tools, or apparatus for turning, boring,
planing, and cutting metals and other materials, consist,―
Firstly, with reference to the lathe, in an improved mode of driving the face
plate or chuck by means of moveable friction rollers.
Secondly, with reference to the drilling or boring machine, my improvements
consist in the employment of screw or worm wheels in connexion with friction
rollers, for giving an advancing motion to the spindle.
Thirdly, with reference to the planing machine, my improvements apply to the
machine described in the Specification of my former Patent, dated the Eleventh
day of Juuc, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-five, and duly enrolled in
the Office of the Rolls Chapel in the month of December in the same year.
They consist in an improved mode of applying the friction rollers to the guide
screw for driving the table, and in an improved mode of moving the socket for
reversing the cutting tool.
Fourthly, my improvements are applicable to the screw bolt machine,
described in the Specification of my former Patent above recited, and consist
in a self-acting apparatus for shifting the strap upon the driving pullies in
order to reverse the action of the spindle which carries the shaft or bolt while
the thread is cut thereon.
Fifthly, my improvements apply to the machine for the manufacture of wood
screws, described in the Specification of my former Patent, and consist in the
mode of driving and reversing the spindle which carries the screw blank or
shaft while the thread is being cut, and also in the mode of driving the cam
shaft of the machine.
And, sixthly, my improvements are applicable to a key grooving or slotting
machine, and consist in employing a series of cutters fixed at certain intervals
in a shaft or bar, each successive cutter protruding beyond the former, so that
by one descent of the shaft the groove may be cut to the depth required.
In order that my several improvements may be more particularly ex-
plained and better understood, I have attached to these Presents 8 Sheets of
Drawings, in which are represented such views of each machine separately
as are necessary to illustrate my said improvements, the Drawings are marked
with figures and letters of reference, and have similar letters upon the cor-

page_text: responding parts in various Figures. My improved mode of driving the
face plate or chuck of a lathe is shewn in Sheet 1.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the fast headstock or mandril frame with
my improvements attached; Figure 2 is a plan or horizontal view as seen
from above; and Figure 8 is an end elevation of the same with the face plate
removed.
"
a, b, c, d, is the base of the fast headstock or mandril frame; e, f, the mandril
or spindle, supported in steps or bearings; 9, 9, is a speed pully revolving
loosely on the mandril; h, a bevil wheel fixed to the speed pully geering
with the bevils i andj; k and lare spur wheels, which, together with the
bevils i and j, are keyed fast on their axis m, n, supported in bearings at o;
P, 9, and rare spur wheels, geering with k and l; and t are pullies or
rollers, which, together with the spur wheels q, and r, are keyed to the axes
u, u, and v, v, supported in bearings at w and x in the headstock, and at y
and in the frames 1 and 2. The speed pully 9, g, being made to revolve,
will give a rotary motion in opposite directions to the rollers s and t by the
The rollers and t are
action of the bevils and spur wheels, above described.
composed of rings of leather firmly pressed and screwed together; they are
in contact with the back surface of the face plate 8, 8, which is fixed on the
mandril e, f. 4, 4, are nuts screwed on the opposite end of the mandril, by the
action of which against the bearing at f any degree of friction may be com-
municated to the rollers s, t, from the face plate 3, 8. The friction thus given
being properly regulated, the rotation of the rollers will cause the face plate to
revolve with the mandril. 5, 5, is a right and left-handed screw, supported in
bearings at 6 and 7 in the frames 1 and 2, and at 8 in the headstock; 9 is a
spur wheel keyed on the screw 5, geering with a spur wheel 10 keyed on the
axis v; 11, 11, are projecting pins in the wheel 10, with which corresponding
pins 12, 12, in the face plate come in contact as it revolves.
The motion
of the face plate is thus communicated at intervals to the screw 5, 5. 18, 14,
are nuts on the screw 5, 5, connecting by projecting arms 15, 16, with
bosses 17, 18, upon the rollers a, t. The arms 15, 16, prevent the nuts 18, 14,
from revolving with the screw, while they allow the rollers a, t, to revolve
in the manner before described. By tho revolution of the right and left handed
screw. 5,.5, the nuts 18, 14, receive a rectilinear motion in opposite directions.
along the screw 5, 5, which they impart to the rollers s, t, by the arms 15, 16;
the rollers s, t, are thus drawn along their axes u, u, v, v, in each of which is
cut a groove, or keyway to permit of the rollers sliding as they revolve, in
the manner before described. As the rollers s, t, are drawn from the centre of
the lathe their revolution describes a larger circle on the back surface of the

page_text: face plate, and their motion being uniform, they will drive the face plate a
a continually diminishing speed; meanwhile, tho cutting tool being made
to travel from the centre towards the circumference on the other side of the
face plate at a corresponding speed to the progress made by the rollers in the
same direction, the following important advantages are secured; first, an uni
form speed at that part of the face plate in contact with the tool; and
secondly, a steady support to the face plate in the same part. The
nuts 13, 14, and rollers s, t, may be worked back towards the centre by the
winch or handle 19 on the screw 5, 5, when a uniform speed of the lathe is
required, as in cylinder turning; the pins 12, 12, may be removed from the
face plate, and the rollers s, t, will then continue to drive the face plate in any
position to which they are brought by turning the handle 19. Thus the speed
may be varied and fixed at pleasure. Figure 4 is an end elevation of the frame,
which carries the friction apparatus for driving the face plate. In Sheet II.,
Figure 1 represents a side elevation, and Figure 2 a front elevation of a
drilling or boring machine with my improvements attached. a, a, is a
screw cut on the spindle b, b; c, c, are screw or worm wheels, geering
with the screw a, a, on opposite sides of it (see detached Figure 3), and keyed
to the axis d, d, and e, e, which revolve in their bearings; f, f, are friction
rollers keyed to the axes d and e. The spindle b, b, being made to revolve (in
the ordinary mode), will give a rotary motion to the screw wheels c, c, and
rollers ff, by the action of the screw a, a. g. 9, and h, h, are brakes for
giving friction to the rollers f,f; i, k, is a right and left-handed screw passing
through the brakes g and h, the right-handed screw being in the brake g, and the
left-handed screw in the brake h, so that on turning the screw i, k, by the lever
or handle at 7, the two brakes are simultaneously brought into contact with the
rollers ff, to which any amount of friction may thus be communicated. What-
ever friction is given to the rollers f, f, will tend to retard the rotation of the
screw wheels c, c, causing them to act as a nut on the screw a, a, and thereby
produce a forward or advancing motion of the spindle b, b. Thus, the revolu-
tion of the spindle first gives rotary motion to the screw wheels and rollers, and
the friction thrown by the brakes on the rollers and screw wheels gives back a
forward or advancing motion to the spindle b. The friction can be increased
or diminished, according to the degree of resistance encountered by the drill,
and being once adjusted to the work the machine is self-acting to the extent
of the screw on the spindle. m is a wheel on the axis e, by turning which the
spindle is made to advance rapidly by the action of the screw wheel on the
This apparatus may be applied advantageously to any drilling
machine however constructed.
screw a, a.

page_text: In Sheet III., Figure 1 represents a plan or horizontal view of the planing
machine, as seen from above, part of the table being removed in order to
hew the driving parts underneath. Figure 2 is a side elevation, and Figure 3
s a front elevation of the same.
In describing my improvements on this machine, I beg to refer to the
Specification of my former Patent, intending to explain here such parts only
s are not therein contained.
a, a, are the friction rollers, with their axes working in the steps 9, 9. The
rollers a, a, are parallel to each other and to the driving screw b, b, each roller
touches the thread of the screw b, b, in the points 1 and 2. When the screw b, b,
turns in one direction the rollers are acted upon and driven round at the points
1; when the screw b, b, turns in the other direction, the rollers are acted upon
and driven round the contrary way at the points 2. The advantage of this
arrangement over that described in my former Specification is, that it gives
greater steadiness to the action of the rollers, supercedes the necessity of a
second pair, and enables the table to travel further over the bed of the ma-
chine. c, c, are set screws, for the purpose of adjusting the stops 9, 9, 50
as to bring the axes of the rollers into true position. The improved mode of
reversing the cutting tool is also shewn in these Figures. f,f, is a curve cut
in the periphery of the tool socket; g. a segmental tooth working in the
curve ff, by the action of the rod h, at the end of which it is fixed; e, e, is
the bearing containing the tool socket; p, the extremity of a perpendicular
groove in the bearing e, e, containing the rod h. A perpendicular motion
upwards and downwards being given to the rod h, a rotary motion will be
imparted to the socket by the action of the segmental tooth
on the
curve ff, causing the socket to make half a revolution, so as to reverse the
position of the cutting tool. I is a stuffing box on the upright rod h, and is
connected by links to the lever m, which slides on the grooved cross shaft k, to
which it is keyed. A reciprocating rotary motion being given to the cross
shaft k, is thus converted into a reciprocating perpendicular motion of the rod h.
When the socket has completed half a revolution, the stop d fixed thereon
will be in contact with one of the sides of the bearing a, and prevent it from
turning further round. In this position any continued rotary motion of
the cross shaft will cause the stuffing box to slip on the rod h: The
reciprocating motion of the cross shaft k, k, is obtained in the usual mode from
the perpendicular shaft n, n, which is made to rise and fall-by a contrivance
shown in Figure 2.0 is a pin at the extremity of the shaft n, n, working in a
groove in the cam p, which is keyed on the axis j, revolving in bearings inserted
in the side-of the-bed. On the same axis ; within the bed is keyed.a pinion s,
9,

page_text: which, through an opening in the upper surface of the bed, takes into the
rack t on the sliding rod u. To this sliding rod are fitted moveable stops v, v
which communicate at proper intervals with a fixed stop won the table
The motion of the table in either direction bringing the fixed step u
into contact with the stop v or on the sliding rod u, carries it forward
in the same direction causing the rack t to act on the pinions and grooved
cam p, to which a rotary motion is imparted, and thereby a rising or falling
motion to the shaft n, n. To facilitate the illustration of this improved motion
for reserving the position of the cutting tool after the completion of every cut,
I have shewn at Figure 4 a detached view of the tool carrier and socket,
partially in section; and Figure 5 is a plan and horizontal view of the same.
Figure 6 represents a front and side elevation of the vertical bar h, with its
segmental projection or tooth g.
In Sheet 4, Figure 1 is a plan or horizontal view of the screw bolt machine,
which is similar to the bed and slow motion headstock of the ordinary lathe.
k
a, a, is the bed; b, b; the base of the frame resting thereon, and c, c,
the top part of the frame; d, e, are loose pullies; and f, a fast pully on
the axis g, revolving in bearings in the upper part of the frame or head-
stock; the pinion i and pulley d are fixed on a socket or boss h, which
revolves loosely on the axis g; the pully f and pinion are keyed fust
to the axis g; the pinion gears with the wheel on the spindle m; the
pinion & gears with an intermediate wheel n, the axis of which revolves in a
bearing attached to the base of the frame; this intermediate n gears with the
wheel. When the driving strap is on the pulley dit drives the wheel / in
one direction by the pinion i; when on the pully f, it drives the wheel / in the
opposite direction by the pinion k through the intermediate n. Each pulley
when not embraced by the strap is driven the contrary way by the wheels,
before described. The wheel is keyed to the spindle m, to which it gives
rotation, while the keyway allows a sliding motion of the spindle endways as
the thread is formed on the bolt or shaft at p. 9 is a loose collar on the
spindle m for confining the wheel l. The passing of the strap from one pulley
to the other to reverse the action of the spindle is effected in the following
manner, r, is a bevelled friction wheel, sliding on the socket s upon the
spindle m. The wheel r is fixed to the spindle m, by the pin t passing through
the groove n in the socket s. v, v, are bevil friction rollers, on sockets w, w, s
on the axis, which revolves between the centros at y, y, supported in bearings
on the upper part of the frame or headstock. The rollers v, v, are covered
with leather, and their diameter is such that their bevil surfaces will touch the
Corresponding sides of the bevil wheel on the spindle m. The sockets w, u',

page_text: slide on the axis x, x, to which they can be fixed at any required distanco from
each other by the set screws 2, z. 1, 1, is a three-threaded screw cut on
the end of the axis ; 2, 2, are two guide pins, fixed in the bearing 3, and
parallel with the screw 1, 1; 4, is a nut working on the screw 1, 1. The
fixed pins 2, 2, pass through the sides of the nut 4, and prevent it revolving
with the screw 1, while they allow a sliding rectilinear motion of the nut
along the screw. To the nut 4 is attached a guide for carrying the strap from
one pulley to the other. The spindle m being made to revolve in the manner
before described, and at the same time acquiring a sliding motion endways,
will carry with it the bevil wheel r, and bring it into contact with one of the
corresponding bevil rollers v, v, to which it will give a rotary motion by the
friction of the surfaces; the rotation of the rollers v, v, acting on the axis x, .
in the manner hereafter described, causes the screw 1, 1, to turn and carry
the nut 4 with the strap from the one driving pully to the other, thereby.
reversing the action of the spindle m. The bevil rollers v, v, revolve loosely on
the sockets w, w, which are fixed to the axis x, as before mentioned. 5, 5, are
ratchet wheels, fixed on the sockets w, w, and driven contrary-ways by the
clicks or palls 6, 6, on the bevil rollers v, v. The rotation given, as before:
described, to the bevil rollers v, v, is thus communicated to the axis x and
screw 1, 1, whereby the action of the machine is reversed. The clicks 6, 6, are
introduced to drive the axis x, in order that the bevil rollers v, v, may slip
loosely the contrary way to that in which they respectively work the clicks
against the teeth of the ratchet wheels 5, 5. This is necessary in order to
liberate the bevil wheel r from contact with the rollers v, v, after the reverse
action has taken place. To facilitate the action of the chicks 6, 6, I employ a
contrivance shewn in the detached Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; the click 6:
works loosely on a fixed centre 7 in the pully v. 8 is a projecting part of the
click, in which are two pins 9 and 10; 11 is a friction clip, embracing the
socket, with a projecting piece 12, passing between the pins 9 and 10; 18 is
a pin in the bevil roller v, confining the action of the click, in the manner
hereafter described. As the roller revolves in one direction the pin 9 is.
brought into contact with the projecting piece 12, causing the ratchet to fall
on the tooth of the ratchet wheel and drive it round; as the roller v revolves
in the opposite direction, the pin 10 is brought into contact with the piece. 12,
causing the ratchet to rise from the wheel till the projecting part & comes in
contact with the pin 18; by the action of which the friction clip 11 is made to
slip round on the socket w. 14 is a fly-wheel (see Figure 1), fixed on the
axis x, introduced for the purpose of increasing the momentum of the axis in.
its revolution in order to ensure the transposition of the shaft. -

page_text: In Sheet V. is a plan or horizontal view of the machine used in the manu-
Of
facture of wood screws, and in Sheet VI. a side elevation of the same.
these Figures I propose to describe those parts only which are not included
my former Specification.
in
a, b, c, are pullies on the axis d; b revolves loosely on the axis to faci-
litate the passing of the strap between a and c; the pully a and spur wheel e
are fixed on a socket revolving loosely on the axis d; the pully c and spur
wheelfare keyed to the axis d; the spur wheel geers with the wheel g,
keyed on the spindle h, h; the spur wheel of geers with the intermediate i,
which is in geer with the wheel g. This apparatus being precisely similar
to that already described as part of the screw bolt machine included in this
Specification, it will be sufficiently apparent that the strap in passing from one
pulley to another will give a rotary motion in opposite directions to the spindle
h, h, in which a keyway allows at the same time of its acquiring sliding
motion endways through the wheel 9 as the thread is formed at j. The mode
of passing the strap from one pulley to another will be more conveniently
described after explaining the mode of driving the cam shaft k. The disk / is
fixed on the spindle h; the ratchet wheels m, n, and spur wheels o, p, aro
fixed on sockets, which revolve loosely on the spindle h; the click 9 on the
disk drives the wheels m, o, as the spindle h revolves in one direction, and
the click on the disc drives the wheels n, p, as the spindle revolves in the
opposite direction. The spur wheel p geers with the wheels fixed on the
axis; the spur wheel o geers with an intermediate u, taking into the wheel
vfixed on the axis x; the spur wheel p, driven by the spindle, as before
described, in one direction, givas rotation to the wheels and axis a; the spur o,
driven by the spindle in the contrary direction, drives the intermediate u, and
thereby gives rotation to the wheel and axis x. The wheels & and v, with
their axis x, thus receive a rotary motion in the same direction alternately
from the spur wheel 9 and intermediate i. This motion is communicated to
the cam shaft by the wheel w on the axis a, working the change wheels
y, y, z, the latter of which is on the cam shaft I:.
و
A similar contrivance to that described for the bolt machine is employed
to raise and drop the clicks 9 and 7, by friction clips acting against pins
inserted in the projecting parts of the ratchets. The driving strap is passed
from one pully to another in the following manner:-1 is the upper end
of a perpendicular shaft, the lower end of which bears in one of the standards
of the machine; the levers 2 and 8 are fixed on the shaft 1. To the lever 3
is attached a pin 4, working in a curved groove 5, cut in the pully 6,
which is keyed on the axis x. To the lever 2 is attached the strap guide 7.

page_text: The rotation of the pully 6 with the axis a causes the groove 5 to act on
the pin 4, and thereby produce an oscillating motion of the levers 8 and 2,
which carries the strap from one pully to another. In feeding the screw
blanks into the chops on the spindle by the fingers 8, 8, as described in my
former Specification, I find it advantageous to employ a spring 9, the effect
of which is to cause the chops to take proper hold of the screw blank what-
ever may happen to be the position of the spindle.
In Sheet VII. I have shewn another mode of driving the cam shaft.
a is a hanger, fixed to the ceiling; b, the driving pully; c is a pinion, fixed on the
shaft of the driving pully, taking into the wheel d; e is a bevil pinion, fixed on
the axis of the wheel d, and geers with the bevel wheel f, fixed on the upright
shaft g. On the same shaft is fixed another bevel h, gearing with the bevel i.
On the axis of the bevel i is fixed the pinion k, taking into the wheel l.on the
cam shaft. By this system of wheels the rotation of the driving pully b is
communicated to the cam shaft. m is a lever, having its fulcrum at n. To
one end of this lever is attached the strap guide o; to the other, a pin, working
in a curved groove cut in the disk p on the shaft g. The rotation of the shaft
g thus produces an oscillating motion of the lever m and strap guide o, whereby
the strap is passed from one pulley to the other.
In Sheet VIII., Figures 1, 2, and 8 represent three shafts or bars of
different sizes, carrying the cutters, as proposed, for a slotting or key-grooving
machine.
a, a, is the shaft; 6, 6, the cutters; c, c, are nuts cut in the shaft a, a, to
adjust the set of cutters by the screwed heads d, d; e, e, represents the boss of
a wheel, with the cutters passing through it, and forming the groove or key
bed.
I have not thought it necessary to introduce the other parts of a slotting
machine adapted to the cutters above described, it being sufficiently obvious
that they may be introduced advantageously into any machine capable of
urging them forwards at a slow speed with a powerful pressure.
Having now described my improvements on the lathe, the drilling machine,
the planing machine, the screw bolt, wood screw, and slotting machines, I
wish it to be distinctly understood that although I have shewn in the Draw-
ings various parts of these machines which are already known, or have been
previously described in my former Specification, above recited, I do not intend
to include such known or previously specified parts in my present claim,
except as they combine novelty of arrangement, adaptation, or purpose.
I claim, firstly, with reference to the lathe, the employment of friction
rollers for driving the face plate or chuck.

page_text: Secondly, with reference to the drilling or boring machine, I claim the
employment of screw or worm wheels, in connection with friction rollers and
brakes, for giving an advancing motion to the drill or boring tool.
Thirdly, with reference to the planing machine, I claim an improved mode
of fixing the rollers parallel with the driving screw and touching the thread of
the screw at opposite points in the circumference, and also an improved mode
of moving the sockett to reverse the cutting tool, as before described.
Fourthly, with reference to the screw bolt machine, I claim the self-acting
friction apparatus, before described, for moving the driving strap to reverse the
action of the spindle carrying the shaft or bolt to be operated upon.
Fifthly, with reference to the wood screw machine, I claim the mechanism
or apparatus above described for the purposes of driving and reversing the
spindle carrying the blank or shaft while the thread is being cut thereon, and
also the modes, as described, of driving the cam shaft.
And, sixthly, with reference to the key-grooving or slotting machine, I claim
the employment of a series of cutters in a shaft or bar, as before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Whitworth, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.