IMPROVEMENTS IN WOOD SCREWS AND SCREW-DRIVERS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING SUCH SCREWS
Year: 1876

page_text: In the Matter of Letters Patent granted to WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the
Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings,
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WOOD SCREWS AND
SCREW-DRIVERS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING SUCH SCREWS." A
communication from abroad by Thomas James Sloan, of the City and
State of New York, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer,
dated 31st January 1876.
DISCLAIMER AND MEMORANDUM OF ALTERATION proposed to be
entered by the said William Robert Lake.
WHEREAS Her Most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters Patent
bearing date the Thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy six, in the Thirty ninth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, her heirs and successors, give and grant unto the said William Robert
Lake, his executors, administrators, and assigns, the sole privilege of making, using,
exercising, and vending within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WOOD SCREWS AND SCREW-DRIVERS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING SUCH
SCREWS," for and during the term of fourteen years thence next ensuing :
And whereas a Complete Specification of the said Invention was filed with the
petition for the said Letters Patent in the Great Seal Patent Office:
And whereas I have been instructed by the said Thomas James Sloan that he
has been informed, and believes that portions of the said Specification are defective
in respect of certain words thereof, which have no definite meaning, and by reason
of their ambiguity may be construed in a manner inconsistent with the other parts
of the said Specification, and prevent a clear understanding of the scope of the said
Invention:
:

page_text: NOW KNOW YE therefore, that I, the said William Robert Lake, by and with
the consent of Her Majesty's Attorney General, do alter and amend the said
Specification as follows, that is to say :-
Referring to the Queen's Printers Copy of the said Specification, on page 1 of
the same, I strike out of the 8th line the word "having," and in the 9th line I
strike out the words "the usual depth at the centre of the head and." On page 5
I strike out of the first claiming clause the words "has the same
"in the 14th line,
and I strike out of the 15th line the words "depth at its centre as the nick of a
common wood screw but."
And in order that the effect of the said Disclaimer and Memorandum of Altera-
tion may be fully understood, I annex a copy of the Specification as it will appear
when such Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alteration have been made, omitting
the introductory and concluding clauses thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby declare that
the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal, fully describes and
ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings forming a part of this Specification.
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"This Invention comprises a wood screw constructed with a groove or nick
deepened outwardly, with sloping surfaces to the sides of the head, whereby, as
may be preferred or as occasion may require, a notched or specially constructed
"driver may be applied to the screw to exert a great degree of force in driving
"the same without danger of slipping; or when preferred a common screw driver
may be employed in the ordinary manner to turn the screw."
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The said Invention further comprises machinery for making the aforesaid screw,
"and capable also of use in making a screw differing therefrom; in the fact that
the groove or nick sloping in opposite directions to the sides of the head is inter-
rupted at the centre of the head by metal flush with the top of the latter. This
portion of the said Invention embraces in an organized machine for the manu-
facture of slope nicked screws, as aforesaid, a blank-holding spindle having an
"intermittent revolving movement around its own axis in combination with a
nicking saw arranged to automatically move to and from the blank-holding end
"of said spindle alternately with each semi-revolving movement of said spindle,
whereby provision is made for forming the oppositely sloping surfaces of the
nicks of the aforesaid variety of screws."
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"The said Invention also embraces an organized machine comprising the double
revolving spindles, arranged to hold screw blanks during the operation of nicking,
"and having an intermittent movement around an axis common to both, a
mechanism for giving each of the said spindles alternately a half revolution
around its own axis, and a nicking saw provided to move to and from each spindle
"in the intervals between its aforesaid revolutions, the whole being so combined
"and arranged with reference to mechanism for feeding the screw blanks to the
spindles that the said blanks passing from the feeding mechanism to the spindles
are when desired first shaved, and are then nicked with the peculiar sloping nick
desired, the blanks following each other in rapid succession, so that the cost of
manufacturing this variety of screws is brought down to a cost not appreciably
greater than that of common wood screws."
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"The said Invention further embraces certain novel combinations of parts for
“giving to the spindles the requisite semi-revolutions around their own axis, and
for communicating the requisite to-and-fro movement of the nicking saw in unison
"with the movements of the blank holding spindles aforesaid."
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"The said Invention further comprises à notched screw driver constructed with
" bevelled lateral edges, whereby sloped nicked screws may be driven until their
heads are brought flush with the surface of the material into which they are
"forced without the tearing or abrasion of said material by the corners of the
" driver,"

page_text: "
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine made according to my Invention ;
Figure 2 is an elevation of one end; Figure 3 is an elevation of the opposite
" end of the same; Figure 4 is a plan, and Figure 5 is a vertical section of the
same on the line x, x, Figure 4; Figure 6 shews one portion of the same
" detached."
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Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are views shewing the form and construction of
"the slope nicked screws for the manufacture of which the said machine is
designed."
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Figure 12 is a view representing the driver intended for driving said screws."
A, A, are two spindles parallel with each other in a frame B carried by a
"shaft C placed equidistant between them and supported in suitable bearings a.
"Each spindle A has at one end a pair of clamping jaws b for holding screw blanks
during the operations of nicking and shaving, these clamping jaws being identical
" in construction and operation with those used in the machinery for nicking and
shaving wood screws in common use, and therefore requiring no specific description
"here. At the opposite end of each spindle is a small gear wheel c, and midway
on each of said spindles is a peripherically notched disc d and a band wheel e.
Upon that end of the shaft C adjacent to the gear wheels c is a transverse bar D,
"the opposite extremities of which are forked, as shewn at a¹. E is the driving
"shaft rotated by any suitable means, and furnished with a driving pulley A.
"From this pulley extends the driving band B¹, which passes over an idle pulley C",
"carried on a spring arm D', thence around the spindles A in contact with the band
"wheel e farthest from the idle pulley aforesaid, and then with an inward bend in
"contact with a pulley E¹ on a shaft F¹, as shown in Figure 3. Upon the end of
"the shaft F¹ is a pinion g, which gears into a spur wheel G that has a radial
arm G¹ provided with an inwardly projecting pin 61, which in the rotation of the
"shaft F turns the spur wheel G, so that its pin b₁ enters the adjacent forked
"end a¹ of the bar D. The continued rotatory movement of this pin will carry
"the bar D, and consequently the shaft C, with its attached spindles A, one half of
a revolution around, bringing the bar to its original position, but with its ends
" reversed, so that when the pin b' comes around again it will cause another half
"revolution of the shaft C and its adjuncts. The shaft H of the spur wheel G has
"a cam I, which acts upon a lateral stud c¹ of a lever J to give movement to a rock
"shaft d, which carries a toothed sector K arranged in such position that at each
"semi-revolution of the shaft C, in other words, of the spindles about an axis
common to both, the gear wheel c of that spindle nearest the sector K will come
" into gear therewith, so that the action of the cam I lifting the lever J, and con-
sequently the sector K, will turn the aforesaid spindle one-half of a revolution
"about its own axis."
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"In order that the coming into gear of the gear wheels c and sector K may not
"risk the breakage of the teeth of either, the sector K is pivotted at its upper
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end to the upper extremity of the lever J, and held forward in position proper
"for the meshing of the gear wheels by a spring f¹, the sector being thus enabled
" to yield to the contact of the gear wheels, when for any reason the same jar or
"strike with too much force against the sector. It will be observed that the belt
"B¹ passing over the band wheel e of the uttermost spindle A, must rotate the
"said spindle continuously about its own axis, this motion of the outermost spindle
"however having reference to the shaving of the screw blank which it is designed
"shall proceed in conjunction with the operations especially relating to or included
"in this Invention; M is a fixed hopper arranged above the jaws b of the outer-
"most of the spindles A; N is a carrier for receiving the screw blanks one by one
"in succession from the hopper M, this carrier being formed with a channel or
cavity in its upper side to receive the screws, and having its supporting

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arm h attached to the lever I', worked by a cam i on the shaft H; P, P, are
picker fingers which pick up the blanks one at a time from the carrier, and con-
vey them downwards and hold them in line with the opening of the jaws b of
"the aforesaid outermost spindle, the requisite motion being given to the picker
fingers from a cam m on the shaft H, acting upon a lever n connected by a rod
"with the pivoted arm m¹ by which the picker fingers are carried. When the
screw blanks are brought in line with the opening of the jaws b they are forced
longitudinally inward to the same to the requisite degree by a rod or pusher R,
provided on a sliding bar P¹, pressed outward by a spring n¹, and moved inward
"in the above-described operation of the pusher by a cam on the shaft H. As
the aforesaid hopper carrier, picker fingers, and pusher, although constituting
together one of the elements of one of my novel combinations, are identical with
those used in common shaving and nicking machines, both in their construction
" and modus operandi in feeding the blanks to the jaws, they require no further
"detail description. S is the ordinary shaving tool brought adjacent and in suitable
"relation to the head of the blank held in the jaws of the outermost spindle A,
by means of a cam u on the shaft H; T is the ordinary back rest operated in
"like manner by a cam won the said shaft H, each of the blanks being conveyed
as herein before set forth from the hopper to the jaws of the outermost spindle
A, is there shaved in the usual manner; as soon as the blank is thus shaved the
pin b' of the arm G¹ entering one of the forked ends of the bar D turns the
"shaft C one-half of a revolution, thereby bringing the spindle A holding the
"shaved blank to the inner side of the apparatus, and bringing the other of the
"said spindles outside, where it receives the succeeding blank from the hopper to
"be shaved in like manner."
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"In order that the two spindles may be held in exact position after each semi-
"revolution about their common axis as explained a cross bar y is provided in each
"end of which is an angular notch a¹¹. An elbow lever V actuated by a cam Vi
on the shaft H has at its upper extremity a stud c, which at the end of each
"semi-revolution of the two spindles, as aforesaid, enters the adjacent notch a¹¹ and
"holds the spindle firmly until the continued rotation of the cam V' releases the
same preparatory to another semi-rotation of the said two spindles."
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"As the two spindles are thus rotated by and around the shaft C, the spindle
holding the shaved blank brings the projecting portion of the said blank in contact
"with a fixed shoulder A", simultaneously with which action a movable clamp Bu
pivotted to the shoulder A" at f", and actuated by a cam g* on the shaft H is
brought against the opposite side of the aforesaid projecting portion of the shaved
blank, the said portion being thereby steadied and held firmly during the suc-
ceeding operation of nicking. The spindle is also steadied against even slight
"rotation by a stud a² on the end of a lever A2 actuated by à cam B on the shaft
H, the said stud entering one of the notches of the disc on the spindle, having the
shaved blank to keep the same from turning until released by a further move-
"ment of the cam. W is the nicking saw, the arbor g of which is carried in
bearings in the upper part of a rocking standard G, and which has upon that
end opposite the nicking saw a spur wheel I", which receives motion from another
spur wheel J, and a lantern or bevel wheel K₁ which gears into a pinion L" on
the shaft F. The rocking standard G is pivoted at r, and has a horizontally
extending arm connected by a rod t with a lever d* actuated by a cam u¹¹ on
the shaft H, the free end of said lever being pressed in contact with the face of
the said cam by a spring 7*. The rotary motion of the nicking saw W, being as
" herein-before explained, derived from the shaft F¹ is continuous.
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When the semi-revolution of the shaft C, and consequently of the two spindles
"A has brought that one of the latter holding the nicked screw between the clamp
B and the shoulder A" as hereinbefore explained, the action of the cam u rocks
"inward the rocking standard G", and thereby brings the nicking saw W against
the lower half of the head of the blank, thereby cutting a sloping half nick in
said lowermost side of said head; this sloping half nick extends from the axial

page_text: "cutter of the head to the outer edge or side thereof, shallowest or merging to
"the flat surface of the head at the axial line thereof, but deep at the odge or
"circumference.
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In order to complete the nickling operation, it is necessary to form a second
"half nick of the same character exactly opposite the first; therefore as soon as
"the first is done, the nicking saw is caused by the requisite operation of the spring
and cam 1 to recede from the head of the blank, and the toothed sector K is
"actuated by its cam I to rotate the spindle carrying the now half nicked blank
one half of a revolution around its own axis, that is, the axis of the said spindles,
thereby bringing the upper part of the head of the blank into the same relation
"with the nicking saws as that previously occupied by tho upper part. This done
"the cam u again moves inward the nicking saw to form a second nick exactly
opposite the first, the head of the blank, as thus nicked, having a nick with a
"double slope from the centre of the head outwards, as shown in section in Figure
7, in side view in Figure 8, and in top view in Figure 9, these last-named three
Figures representing the screw, for the inanufacture of which my present Inven-
"tion is designed. The position of the nicking saw with reference to the head of
"the blank when cutting the one or the other of the two slopes of the finished nick
"is more fully represented in Figure 6. The head being thus nicked the shaft C,
"with the spindles A, is further turned the one half of a revolution in the same
manner as hereinbefore described, thus bringing the other spindle carrying a shaved
blank to the nicking saw to be nicked in the inanner set forth."
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"The blank already nicked is discharged from the jaws b of the spindle, holding
"it in the same manner that the blank is discharged from the holding jaws of a
common nicking apparatus. After the nicked blank is discharged, it is replaced
by another from the hopper M, and the operation is continued upon any desired
"number in succession of the blanks.
"
"It will be understood that while in practice a great economy in the manufacture
"of the screws is ensured by causing the shaving to be done in the same machine,
"the peculiar function of my machine, the formation of the double sloping nick
"would be as effectively performed if the shaving devices were dispensed with, and
"the feed mechanism used to supply the blanks to the jaws for the sole purpose of
nicking.
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"It now remains to describe the screw represented in Figures 10 and 11, which is
"made in the above-described mechanism in substantially the same manner as the
screw represented in Figures 7, 8, and 9, but differs from the latter in the
following particulars. At the centre of the head of the screw, the surface of the
sloping nicks where they join at the centre aforesaid is an appreciable distance
" below the flat surface of the head of the screw, sufficient depth being thus
" afforded to permit an ordinary straight-ended screwdriver to be inserted to turn
"the screw as a common wood screw is turned; but for turning these screws as
"well as for turning those shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9, it is much better to use
"the driver shown in Figure 12. The end of this driver is notched as represented
"at m*, so that its lateral portions will fit snugly into the sloping nick, and hold
"therein with much greater firmness and security than is possible with a common
screw driver inserted in the nick of an ordinary wood screw. The lateral edges
of this driver are bevelled as shown at n*, so that when the end of the driver is
"inserted in the sloping nick of the screw head the said lateral edges of the driver
"will coincide with the taper of the screw head, and thereby avoid that tearing of
"the material into which the screw is driven, which tearing would inevitably
occur if the said screw was driven with this head flush with the surface of the
"material by the use of a driver having corners that could project beyond the
sides of the head.
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It will of course be perceived that the driver thus made, as shown in Figure 12,
"will hold in the entire space afforded by the slope nicks in the screw head, and
"
thereby act most efficiently in turning the screw.
"
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my

page_text: "foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,-
"First. The wood screw in which the groove or nick of its head is deepened
"with sloping surfaces to and through the sides of the head as above described,
"and for the purpose set forth.
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"Second. In a machine for making slope nicked screws a blank-holding spindle
having an intermittent revolving movement around its own axis in combination
with a nicking saw arranged to automatically move to and from the blank-
holding end of the said spindle alternately with the semi-rotations of the latter,
as above described and for the purpose set forth.
"Third. The machine comprising the double revolving spindles A, A, the
"mechanism for giving each of the said spindles alternately a half revolution
around its own axis, and a nicking saw provided to approach and recede from
"cach spindle after cach semi-revolution of the same, the whole combined and
arranged for operation in connection with a suitable apparatus for feeding the
"blanks to the holding jaws of the spindles, as above described and for the purpose
" set forth.
"
"Fourth. The vibrating spring toothed sector in combination with the pinions
"of the double revolving spindles, as above described and for the purpose herein
" set forth.
"Fifth. The rocking standard carrying the nicking saw and its operating gear
"wheels in combination with the double revolving spindles and the actuating cam,
as above described and for the purpose set forth.
"
"Sixth. The notched driver shewn in Figure 12, constructed with the bevelled
"lateral edges, for the purpose set forth."
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
I hereby grant my fiat giving leave to the above named William Robert Lake to
file in the Great Seal Patent Office with the Specification to which the same rclates
the above written Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alteration.
Dated this Fourteenth day of June, A.D. 1879.
JOHN HOLKER

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WOOD SCREWS AND SCREWDRIVERS, AND IN MACHINERY
FOR MAKING SUCH SCREWS." A communication from abroad by Thomas James
Sloan, of the City and State of New York, United States of America,
Mechanical Engineer.
Sealed the 17th March 1876, and dated the 31st January 1876.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st January 1876.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WOOD SCREWS AND SCREW-
DRIVERS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING SUCH SCREWS." A communication to me
from abroad by Thomas James Sloan, of the City and State of New York, United
States of America, Mechanical Engineer.
This Invention comprises a wood screw constructed with a groove or nick having
the usual depth at the centre of the head and deepened outwardly with sloping
surfaces to the sides of the head, whereby as may be preferred or as occasion may
require a notched or specially constructed driver may be applied to the screw to
exert a great degree of force in driving the same without danger of slipping; or
when preferred a common screwdriver may be employed in the ordinary manner to
turn the screw.
The said Invention further comprises machinery for making the aforesaid screw,
and capable also of use in making a screw differing therefrom in the fact that the
groove or nick sloping in opposite directions to the sides of the head is interrupted
at the centre of the head by metal flush with the top of the latter. This portion of
the said Invention embraces in an organized machine for the manufacture of slope
nicked screws, as aforesaid, a blank-holding spindle having an intermittent
revolving movement around its own axis in combination with a nicking saw
arranged to automatically move to and from the blank-holding end of said spindle
alternately with each semi-revolving movement of said spindle, whereby provision
is made for forming the oppositely sloping surfaces of the nicks of the aforesaid
variety of screws.
The said Invention also embraces an organized machine comprising the double
Dis 31

page_text: revolving spindles arranged to hold screw blanks during the operation of nicking,
axis common to both, a
and having an intermittent movement around an
mechanism for giving each of the said spindles alternately a half revolution
around its own axis, and a nicking saw provided to move to and from each
spindle in the intervals between its aforesaid revolutions, the whole being so 5
combined and arranged with reference to mechanism for feeding the screw blanks
to the spindles that the said blanks passing from the feeding mechanism to the
spindles are when desired first shaved, and are then nicked with the peculiar sloping
nick desired, the blanks following each other in rapid succession, so that the cost
of manufacturing this variety of screws is brought down to a cost not appreciably 1
greater than that of making common wood screws..
The said Invention further embraces certain novel combinations of parts for
giving to the spindles the requisite semi-revolutions around their own axes, and for
communicating the requisite to-and-fro movement of the nicking saw in unison
with the movements of the blank-holding spindles aforesaid.
The said Invention further comprises a notched screwdriver constructed with
beviled lateral edges, whereby slope nicked screws may be driven until their heads
are brought flush with the surface of the material into which they are forced
without the tearing or abrasion of said material by the corners of the driver.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine made according to my Invention ;
Figure 2 is an elevation of one end; Figure 3 is an elevation of the opposite end of
the same; Figure 4. is a plan; and Figure 5 is a vertical section of, the same, on the
line x, x, Figure 4; Figure 6 shews one portion of the same detached.
Each
Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are views, shewing, the form and construction, of the,
slope nicked screws, for the manufacture of which the said 'machine is designed.
Figure 12 is a view representing the driver intended for driving said screws.
A, A, are two spindles parallel with each other in a frame B carried by a shaft C
placed equidistant between them and supported in suitable bearings a.
spindle A has at one end a pair of clamping jaws b for holding screw blanks during
the operations of nicking and shaving, these clamping jaws being identical in
construction and operation with those used in the machinery for nicking and
shaving wood screws in common use, and therefore requiring no specific description
here. At the opposite end of each spindle is a small gear wheel c, and midway on
each of said spindles is a peripherically notched disc d and a band wheel e. Upon that
end of the shaft C adjacent to the gear wheels c is a transverse bar D, the opposite
extremities of which are forked, as shewn at a: E is the driving shaft rotated
by any suitable means and furnished with a driving pulley A¹. From this pulley
extends the driving band B', which passes over an idle pulley C₁ carried on a
spring arm D, thence around the spindles A in contact with the band wheel e
farthest from the idle pulley aforesaid, and then with an inward bend in contact
with a pulley E on a shaft F¹, as shown in Figure 3. Upon the end of the
shaft F is a pinion y which gears into a spur wheel G that has a radial arm G¹
provided with an inwardly projecting pin which in the rotation of the shaft F
turns the spur wheel G, so that its pin 6 enters the adjacent forked end a¹ of the
bar D. The continued rotatory movement of this pin will carry the bar D, and
consequently the shaft C with its attached spindles A, one-half of a revolution
around, bringing the bar to its original position, but with its ends reversed, so that
when the pin b comes around again it will cause another half revolution of the
shaft C and its adjuncts. The shaft H of the spur wheel G has a cam I which acts
upon a lateral stud c¹ of a lever J to give movement to a rock shaft d' which carries
a toothed sector K arranged in such position that at each semi-revolution of the
shaft C, in other words, of the spindles about an axis common to both, the gear
wheel c of that spindle nearest the sector K will come into gear therewith, so that
the action of the cam I lifting the lever J, and consequently the sector K, will turn
the aforesaid spindle one-half of a revolution about its own axis:

page_text: In order that the coming into gear of the gear wheels cand sector K may not
isk the breakage of the teeth of either, the sector K is pivoted at its upper end to
the upper extremity of the lever J, and held forward in position proper for the
meshing of the gear wheels by a spring f¹, the sector being thus enabled to yield to the
contact of the gear wheels when for any reason the same jar or strike with too much
force against the sector. It will be observed that the belt B¹ passing over the band
wheel e of the outermost spindle A must rotate the said spindle continously about
its own axis, this motion of the outermost spindle however having reference to the
shaving of the screw blank, which it is designed shall proceed in conjunction with
the operations especially relating to or included in this Invention. M is a fixed.
hopper arranged above the jaws b of the outermost of the spindles A; N is a
carrier for receiving the screw blanks one by one in succession from the hopper M,
this carrier being formed with a channel or cavity all in its upper side to receive
the screws, and having its supporting arm h attached to the lever I worked by a
cam i on the shaft H; P, P, are picker fingers which pick up the blanks one at a
time from the carrier, and convey them downwards and hold them in line with the
opening of the jaws b of the aforesaid outermost spindle, the requisite motion being
given to the picker fingers from a cam m on the shaft H acting upon a lever n
connected by a rod i with the pivoted arm m¹ by which the picker fingers are
carried. When the screw blanks are brought in line with the opening of the jaws b
they are forced longitudially inward, to the same to the requisite degree by a rod or
pusher R provided on a sliding bar P¹ pressed outward by a spring n¹, and moved
inward in the above-described operation of the pusher by a cam on the shaft H.
As the aforesaid hopper carrier, picker fingers, and pusher, although constituting
together one of the elements of one of my novel combinations, are identical with
those used in common shaving and nicking machines, both in their construction
and modus operandi in feeding the blanks to the jaws, they require no further
detailed description. S is the ordinary shaving tool brought adjacent and in suitable
relation to the head of the blank held in the jaws of the outermost spindle A by
means of a cam u on the shaft H; T is the ordinary back rest operated in like
manner by a cam w on the said shaft H. Each of the blanks being conveyed as
herein-before set forth from the hopper to the jaws of the outermost spindle A is
there shaved in the usual manner; as soon as the blank is thus shaved the pin b¹
of the arm G¹ entering one of the forked ends of the bar D turns the shaft C one-
half of a revolution, thereby bringing the spindle A holding the shaved blank to the
inner side of the apparatus, and bringing the other of the said spindles outside
where it receives the succeeding blank from the hopper to be shaved in like
manner.
In order that the two spindles may be held in exact position after each semi-
revolution about their common axis, as explained, a cross bar y is provided,
in each end of which is an angular notch a¹¹ An elbow lever V actuated by a
cam Von the shaft H has at its upper extremity a stud c¹¹, which at the end of
each semi-revolution of the two spindles, as aforesaid, enters the adjacent notch all
and holds the spindle firmly until the continued rotation of the cam V1 releases the
same preparatory to another semi-rotation of the said two spindles.
As the two spindles are thus rotated by and around the shaft C the spindle
holding the shaved blank brings the projecting portion of the said blank in contact
with a fixed shoulder A", simultaneously with which action a movable clamp B¹¹
pivoted to the shoulder A" at f" and actuated by a cam g* on the shaft H is brought
against the opposite side of the aforesaid projecting portion of the shaved blank,
the said portion being thereby steadied and held firmly during the succeeding opera-
tion of nicking. The spindle is also steadied against even slight rotation by a
stud a² on the end of a lever A actuated by a cam B on the shaft H, the said stud
entering one of the notches of the disc on the spindle, having the shaved blank to
keep the same from turning until released by a further movement of the cam.
W is the nicking saw, the arbor gll of which is carried in bearings in the upper
part of a rocking standard G", and which has upon that end opposite the nicking

page_text: saw a spur wheel 111, which receives motion from another spur wheel J and a
lantern or bevel wheel K, which gears into à pinion on the shaft F¹. The
rocking standard G₁ is pivoted at 2, and has a horizontally extending arin 11 con-
nected by a rod t with a lever d* actuated by a cam u" on the shaft H, the free end
of said lever being pressed in contact with the face of the said cam by a spring
The rotary motion of the nicking saw W being, as herein-beföre explained, derived
from the shaft F1, is continuous.
When the semi-revolution of the shaft C, and consequently of the two spindles A,
has brought that one of the latter holding the nicked screw between the clamp B
and the shoulder A", as, herein-before explained, the action of the cani u rocks
inward the rocking standard G, and thereby brings the nicking saw W against
the lower half of the head of the blank, thereby cutting a sloping half nick in said
lowermost side of said head; this sloping half nick extends from the axial cutter
of the head to the outer edge or side thereof shallowest or merging to the flat
surface of the head at the axial line thereof, but deep at the edge or circumference.
In order to complete the nicking operation it is necessary to form a second half
nick of the same character exactly opposite the first; therefore as soon as the first
is done the nicking saw is caused by the requisite operation of the spring * and
cam ¹ to recede from the head of the blank and the toothed sector K is actuated
by its cam I to rotate the spindle carrying the now half nicked blank one half of a
revolution around its own axis, that is, the axis of the said spindles, thereby
bringing the upper part of the head of the blank into the same relation with the
nicking saws as that previously occupied by the upper part. This done the cam u¹
again moves inward the nicking saw to form a second nick exactly opposite the
first, the head of the blank as thus nicked having a nick with a double slope from
the centre of the head outwards,. as shown in section in Figure 7, in side view in
Figure 8, and in top view in Figure 9, these last-named three Figures repre-
senting the screw for the manufacture of which my present Invention is designed.
The position of the nicking saw with reference to the head of the blank when
cutting the one or the other of the two slopes of the finished nick is more fully
represented in Figure 6. The head being thus nicked the shaft C with the
spindles A is further turned the one-half of a revolution in the same manner as
herein-before described, thus bringing the other spindle carrying a shaved blank to
the nicking saw to be nicked in the manner set forth.
The blank already nicked is discharged from the jaws b of the spindle, holding it
in the same manner that the blank is discharged from the holding jaws of a common
nicking apparatus. After the nicked blank is discharged it is replaced by another.
from the hopper M, and the operation is continued upon any desired number in
succession of the blanks.
It will be understood that while in practice a great economy in the manufacture
of the screws is insured by causing the shaving to be done in the same machine,
the peculiar function of my machine, the formation of the double sloping nick
would be as effectively performed if the shaving devices were dispensed with and
the feed mechanism used to supply the blanks to the jaws for the sole purpose of
nicking.
It now remains to describe the screw represented in Figures 10 and 11, which is
made in the above-described mechanism in substantially the same manner as the
screw represented in Figures 7, 8, and 9, but differs from the latter in the following
particulars At the centre of the head of the screw, the surface of the sloping
nicks where they join at the centre aforesaid is an appréciable distance below the
flat surface of the head of the screw, sufficient depth being thus afforded to permit
an ordinary straight-ended screwdriver to be inserted to turn the screw as a common
wood screw is turned; but for turning these screws, as well as for tuning those
shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9, it is much better to use the driver shewn in Figure 12.
The end of this driver is notched as represented at m* so that its lateral por-
tions will fit snugly into the sloping pick and hold therein with much greater firmness
and security than is possible with a common screwdriver inserted in the nick of an

page_text: ordinary wood screw. The lateral edges of this driver are beviled, as shown at n*,
so that when the end of the driver is inserted in the sloping nick of the screw
head the said lateral edges of the driver will coincide with the taper of the screw
head, and thereby avoid that tearing of the material into which the screw is driven,
which tearing would inevitably occur if the said screw was driven with this head
flush with the surface of the material by the use of a driver having corners that
could project beyond the sides of the head.
It will of course be perceived that the driver thus made, as shown in Figure 12,
will hold in the entire space afforded by the slope nicks in the screw head, and
thereby act most efficiently in turning the screw.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. The wood screw in which the groove or nick of its head has the same
depth at its centre as the nick of a common wood screw, but is deepened with
sloping surfaces to and through the sides of the head, as above described and for the
purpose set forth.
Second. In a machine for making slope-nicked screws a blank-holding spindle
having an intermittent revolving movement around its own axis in combination
with a nicking saw arranged to automatically move to and from the blank-holding
end of the said spindle alternately with the semi-rotations of the latter, as above
described and for the purpose set forth.
Third. The machine comprising the double revolving spindles A, A, the
mechanism for giving each of the said spindles alternately a half revolution around
its own axis, and a nicking saw provided to approach and recede from each spindle
after each semi-revolution of the same, the whole combined and arranged for
operation in connection with a suitable apparatus for feeding the blanks to the
holding jaws of the spindles, as above described and for the purpose set forth.
Fourth. The vibrating spring toothed sector in combination with the pinions
of the double revolving spindles, as above described and for the purpose herein set
forth.
Fifth. The rocking standard carrying the nicking saw and its operating gear
wheels in combination with the double revolving spindles and the actuating cam, as
above described and for the purpose set forth.
Sixth. The notched driver shewn in Figure 12 constructed with the beviled
lateral edges, for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
JAMES EDWARDS,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
WM. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)