IMPROVEMENTS IN RIVETTING MACHINES AND THE MANNER OF SUPPORTING AND ATTACHING THE SAME AGAINST THE BOILER PLATES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Franklin Allen, Engineer, of the City of New York,
in the State of New York, in the United States of America, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RIVETTING MACHINES AND THE MANNER OF SUPPORTING
AND ATTACHING THE SAME AGAINST THE BOILER PLATES."
Sealed the 21st November 1876, and dated the 29th August 187
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Franklin Allen at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th August 1876
JOHN FRANKLIN ALLEN, Engineer, of the City of New York, in the State of New
York, in the United States of America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RIVETTING MACHINES
AND THE MANNER OF SUPPORTING AND ATTACHING THE SAME AGAINST THE BOILER
PLATES."
The rivetting machine herein described is an improvement upon the Invention
communicated by me to William Robert Lake, of the Fum of Haseltine, Lake, &
Co, Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, and for which former Letters
Patent were granted to him dated the 14th June 1875, No. 2182.
The said machine has a cylinder with suitable valves, with the hainner attached
to the piston rod In the upper end of the cylinder a plug is arranged acting
against the valve rod to move the valve in such a position as to admit the pressure
above the piston. This plug is operated by the edge of the piston, giving thereby a
direct positive or mechanical motion to the valve at this end of the cylinder.
To the lower end of the valves is attached a piston working in a suitable cylinder
in the valve case A passage is made from the inside of the main working cylinder.
to this small cylinder in the valve case. When the main piston moves downward it
uncovers when near its bottom stroke this passage, and admits the pressure acting
in the cylinder into this small cylinder in the valve case below its piston, causing
thereby the valve to be moved upward to change the direction of the motive
pressure, so as to admit the same below the main piston. By this arrangement the
valve is moved by a positive motion to admit pressure above the piston, and by an
elastic medium to admit the pressure below the piston.
The piston 1od is made to move in a guide tube, on the outside of which a ratchet
wheel is attached, upon which a suitable pawl acts. In the inside of this guide tube
an inclined groove is made, in which a projection or feather fast to the end of the
piston rod or to the hammer head works. During the upward motion of the rod
Unine 71

page_text: this guide tube will be turned a certain distance around, and becomes then locked
through the action of the pawl, when by the downward motion of the rod and
hammer the latter will be turned partly around on account of its feather following
the direction of the inclined groove. By this continued automatic turning of the
hammer at each stroke the surface of the die for the desired shape of the rivet head
made in the end of the hammer may be considerably cut away, so as to leave only
a very small surface of the rivet to be acted upon at each stroke or blow of the
hammer, and whereby the weight of the hammer, and consequently the size of the
machine and cylinder, can be considerably reduced.
The rivetting rivets with countersunk heads, such as used on sides of ships, &c.,
the hammer does not require to be turned or revolved.
The arrangement of supporting and attaching this rivetting machine against the
plates to be rivetted, and of fixing the same over the rivet to be operated on,
consists of two levers turning on a fulcrum between their ends, similar to a pair of
scissors.
The rivetting machine is attached to the end of one of the arms, while to the end
of the opposite arm the die, having an opening into which the end head of the rivet
fits, is attached together with a suitable heavy weight, forming thus a substitute for
the holding-on bar.
Between the ends of the other extremities of said levers a cylinder is arranged
attached to the end of one of the arms. In this cylinder a piston is made to work
connected to the end of the other opposite arm. By admitting pressure either on
one or on the other side of this piston, these arms will be moved apart or-diawn
tight together, producing a corresponding motion at their other extremities, and
thus liberating the machine from the plates or fastening the plates tight between
the rivetting machine and the die in the holding-on arm. This die fitting exactly
over the end-head of the rivet will, when the rivet is passed through the rivet líoles
and its end placed into the die, centre the rivetting machine directly over the end
or head of the rivet to be operated upon.
By suspending the levers at their ends where the cylinder is arranged, or at any
point of one of the levers, any desired position of the machine may be obtained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Franklin Allen in the Great Soal Patent Office on the 26th
February 1877.
JOHN FRANKLIN ALLEN, Engineer, of the City of New York, in the State of Now
York, in the United States of America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RIVETTING MACHINES
AND THE MANNER OF SUPPORTING AND ATTACHING THE SAME AGAINST THE BOILER
PLATES."
This Invention relates to machines for riveting boilers, iron girders for railroad
bridges, and similar work, and for riveting iron ships; and part of said Invention is
likewise applicable for pneumatic engines used for rock drills.
The nature of this Invention consists in the manner of operating the valves in
engines arranged or provided with a hammer or any other suitable tool attached at
the end of its piston rod for the purpose of striking a blow. For this purpose I
arrange the port at the upper end of the cylinder, so that the piston in its upward
motion will cover the same, thereby cutting off all connection between the top of
the cylinder and the exhaust passage, and then causing the accumulated and
increasing pressure resulting from the farther moving of the piston to act upon a
suitable mechanical contrivance, whereby the position of the valve will be changed
so as to admit the pressure upon the top of the piston for the purpose of changing
its direction of motion before the same will come in contact with the top of the
cylinder.
Further, in the arrangement of an auxiliary port near the bottom of the cylinder.

page_text: connected with a space below the slide valve, which while being uncovered by the
piston, when near its bottom stroke will allow the pressure in the cylinder to pass
into this space below the valve, and thus move the same upward so as to change its
position in relation with the main passages, and thereby change the direction of the
pressure from acting upon the top of the piston to act against the bottom of the
same, and cause the piston to be moved upward. By this arrangement of operating
or changing the position of the valve when the piston has arrived close to its top
stroke so as to admit the pressure upon the top of the piston by the accumulated
and constantly increasing pressure produced in the cylinder between the top of the
piston and the top end of the cylinder after all other escape is closed, we obtain a
sudden quick, similar to a positive mechanical, motion for this purpose, and while
this thus accumulated pressure acts as a cushion between the top of the piston and
the top end of the cylinder, the sudden changing of the valve will admit the
full pressure against the top of the piston as soon as the pressure in that space
above the piston falls below the pressure in the passages; and by the arrangement
of operating the valve by means of the regular pressure in the cylinder, whenever
the piston comes near its bottom stroke and thereby opens the passage leading
below the valve so as to change thereby the direction of the pressure from acting
upon the top of the piston to act against the under side of the same, a slower motion
will result from this elastic medium, in consequence of which the necessary time will
be obtained for the hammer or other tool to produce the full force of the blow
resulting from the pressure acting upon the piston and its accumulated momentum,
even if a slight variation should be necessary in the required length of the stroke of
the piston for this purpose.
The Invention further consists in an automatic arrangement on the hammer rod,
whereby the hammer is turned partly around at each stroke of the same, and in the
construction and shape of the hammer head, whereby the weight of the same, and
consequently the size of the cylinder, can be considerably reduced.
Further, this Invention consists of two levers turning on a fulcrum similar to a
pair of scissors To the end of one of the arms a dio into which the end-head of the
rivet fits, together with a suitable heavy weight, is attached, and to the end of the
other opposite arm the riveting machine is attached, whereby when the rivet has
been passed through the plates and the die placed over its end-head, the riveting
machine is attached and supported over the rivet to be riveted.
Between the ends of the other extremities of said lever a cylinder is arranged
attached to the end of one of the arms, while the piston rod of said cylinder is con-
nected to the end of the opposite arm. By admitting pressure either on one or the
other side of the piston working in this cylinder, these arms or levers will be moved
apart or drawn tight together, producing a corresponding motion at their other
extremities, and thus liberating the machine from the plates, or fastening the
plates tight between the end of the arms or between the riveting machine and the
die in the holding-on bar or opposite arm.
In order to explain this Invention as completely as possible, I now proceed to
describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical
effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked thereon respectively ass
follows:-
Fig. I represents a longitudinal section of a riveting machine; Fig. II is a cross
section on line 2, 2, of Fig. I
Fig. III. and IV. are longitudinal section of part of the riveting machine and
cross section of the same.
Fig. V. is a top view of the holding-on bar shewn in Fig. I
Fig. VI., VII., and VIII. represents sections and a plan of the hammer head on an
enlarged scale.
Fig IX. represents a combination of the riveting machines and holding-on bar;
and Fig X. shews a front view of a holding-on bar.
Similar letters represent similar parts in all the Figures.

page_text: A is the cylinder; E, the valves for the admission and exhaustion of the pressure
to operate the piston S; R is the piston rod, the end of which P forms the hammer
head. The valve E, which is circular, is provided with a rod D passing through the
top of the valve case, and with a piston E at its lower end working in the cylin-
drical chamber m arranged in the bottom of the valve case. In the upper end of
the cylinder above the main passage wa plug B is arranged, part of which projects
into the cylinder; this plug B acts against a lever C, so arranged on the outside of
the cylinder as to act upon the valve rod D. From the main upper steam passage w
one or more steam passages h are arranged, passing into the cylinder cover F and
through the same into the top of the cylinder. The ends of these passages are
closed by a flexible valve F¹ made of leather, indin-rubber, or its equivalent, attached
to the inside of the cylinder cover F.
Near the lower end of the cylinder a passage a is arranged, connecting the inside
. of the cylinder A with the chamber m in the bottom of the valve case.
The main upper passage w is so arranged that the piston S will cover and close
the same beforo arriving at its top stroke, and the auxiliary passage a is so arranged
that the piston S will uncover the same when near its bottoin stroke
When the piston S arrives near the end of its top stroke the same will cover the
passage w, closing thereby all escape for the pressure, which will remain above the
-piston, compressing thereby this remaining pressure, which will soon increase in
density, acting as an elastic cushion between the top of the piston and the end of the
cylinder, and at the same time act against the plug B, forcing the saine outward,
and operate through the lever C upon the valve rod D to change suddenly the
position of the valvo E in such a manner as to cause the pressure to pass into the
top passage w. This passage being closed by the position of the piston S over its
opening the pressuo will pass through the auxiliary passages h and through the
cover upon the piston S whenever the pressure above the piston falls below that
in the passages, and thus change its motion and cause the sanie to move downward.
When the piston S has passed the opening of the main passage w the pressure will
pass though the same in the usual manner, while the ends of the passages will be
closed by their valve F¹.
To prevent any possible accident and ensure the motion of the valve E at the
exact desired moment the end of the plug B is made to project into the cylinder,
so that the end of the piston S can operate the same so as to force this plug out-
ward, and thus operate the valve E as above described before the piston arrives at
the end of its stroke, in case the accumulated pressure should not have previously
operated said plug as above mentioned.
When the piston S arrives near its bottom stroke it uncovers the auxiliary
passage a, allowing thereby the pressure from the inside of the cylinder to pass into
the chamber m in the valve case under the ring E¹ of the valve, moving thereby the
valve E upward, and thus changing the direction of the pressure so as to pass into
the lower end of the cylinder through the lower main passage w¹ and act against
the under side of the piston S, at the same time forming a communication between
the upper part of the cylinder and the exhaust passage G through the valve in the
usual manner. The effective area of this ring E¹ is greater than the effective area
of the top ring E or the top of the valve, as the area of the rod D must be sub-
tracted from the area of this top ring E, which will facilitate this operation of
moving the valve upward. This elastic medium of the pressure in the cylinder to
operate the valve acts slower than if a positive mechanical arrangement would be
employed for the purpose, in consequence of which the necessary time will be
obtained for the hammer or other tool attached to the end of the piston rod to strike
the required blow and at the same time allows a slight variation in the length of
the stroke of the piston, which might be necessary for that purpose before the
pressure admitted into the bottom of the cylinder will act against the bottom of
the piston.
To the bottom of the cylinder a tube H is attached, into which an inner tube or
sleeve N is fitted capable of turning, which said tube N acts as a guide for the

page_text: piston rod R and hammer head To this sleeve N a ratchet wheel M is attached,
into the teeth of which a pawl lover K hinged at c to the tube H is made to work
and kept in gear by a suitable spring n acting against the other end of said pawl
lever K. In the inside of this sleeve N an inclined groove p is made, the inclina-
tion of which corresponds with the pitch of the teeth on the ratchet wheel M. Into
this groove pa projection or feather arranged and fastened near the end of the
hammer head is made to work.
The piston rod and hammer being heavier than the sleeve N will, during the
upward motion of the piston, turn said sleeve the distance of the inclination of
the groove p, or the distance of one tooth on the ratchet wheel on account of
the feather near the hammer head working in this inclined groove p. During
the downward motion of the piston rod and hammer the sleeve N is held fast
and prevented from turning through the pawl K acting against a tooth on the
ratchet wheel M and the hammer head being guided through its projecting
feather in the inclined groove 2 is made to turn around a distance correspond-
ing with the inclination of said groove This continued turning around of the
haminer at each stroke allows the cutting away of the hammer face as here-
after described, so that only part of the rivet face is acted upon at each stroke,
producing at the same time the complete circular head of the rivet, while this re-
duction of the hammer face will enable the same to be made much lighter, and like-
wise to reduce the size of the cylinder.
Instead of arranging the parts for the automatic turning of the hammer in the
manner above described, the same may be made as represented in Fig. III. and IV.,
where a ratchet wheel M¹ with internal teeth is fitted into a suitable recess in the
piston rod R near the hammer head P. A spring pawl or tooth O fitted into the
rod R is made to work into the teeth of this ratched wheel M¹. The piston rod R
is guided in the tube H in which the inclined groove p¹ is made, while the projec-
tion or feather to work in said groove is attached on the outside of the ratchet
wheel.
The upward motion of the piston rod will cause the ratchet wheel M¹ to turn the
distance of one tooth around, while during the downward motion of the piston rod
this ratchet wheel M¹ will be securely locked to the rod through the action of the
spring tooth O, and the piston rod R and hammer will be made to turn around the
distance of one tooth or the inclination of the groove p¹. This arrangement dis-
pences with the inner tube or sleeve N, and prevents the necessity of the open-
ing of the tube H necessary for the placing and motion of the ratchet wheel M, shewn
in Figures I and II
In the Figures VI, VII., and VIII., which represent the hammer, Fig. VIII is a
plan of the hammer; Fig. VI, a section at line 2, 2; and Fig. VII., a section of line
y, y, of Fig. VIII. In Fig. VI. the shape of the rivet head is apparent
Two sides
3, 3, opposite to each other of the hammer are cut away, leaving the bottom surface
only one half the width The surfaces from the lower corners 5, 5, 5, 5, of these
side chamfers to the central point of the cavity, are again cut away, leaving only
the surfaces d, d, the exact shape of the finished rivet head. The dotted lines
8,8, would represent the section of the hammer head in Fig. VII without these
cut away surfaces. By this construction of making only the surfaces d, d, the exact
desired shape of the rivet head, the action of these surfaces upon the end of the
rivet will allow the spreading out of the same opposite the cut away surfaces 7, 1',
while the continued turning of the hammer will eventually act upon each part, and
produce the regular shape of the head when finished.
This construction of the hammer head while necessitating the turning of the
hammer, either by hand or automatical, allows the use of a much lighter hammer,
and consequently sinaller cylinder.
At one side of the tube H a bracket J is arranged projecting below the end of
the tube to support the machine upon the plates. To this bracket J (see Fig I.), a
steady pin L is fixed, arranged to enter the adjoining rivet hole in the plates, to
regulate and fix the position of the machine. Another pin T is attached to this
"

page_text: bracket J arranged so as to pass through the second livet hole in the plates This
pin T is secured by means of a suitable nut b, and made of sufficient length to
receive the head of the holding on bar W which rests upon the shoulders i
produced by flattening the lower part g of this pin T The head Q of this holding-
on bar is provided with an opening g (see Fig. V.) to pass over the end of the
pin T, and with an oblong opening g' fitting on the flattened part g of the bolt T.
Into the face of this head Qa moveable die U is arranged provided with a recess
corresponding with the shape of the end head of the rivet. The upper part of the
pin T in the bracket J is surrounded by a square sleeve t fitting into the longi-
tudinal opening in said bracket, to hold the pin T steady sideways, and allow for
any longitudinal deviation in the distances of the several rivet holes. Below the
nut 6 which fastens the pin T an india-rubber washer 8 18 arranged to give an
elastic bearing and counteract the blow on the holding-on bar.
In Fig. IX. which represents the combination of a riveting machine and holding-
on bar Y and Z are two levers turning on a fulcrum situated between their two
extremities similar to a pair of scissors. To the end of the arm Y the riveting
machine is firmly attached, and to the end of the arm Za die U is fixed directly
opposite and in a line with the centre line of the hammer of the riveting
machine as well as a heavy weight V.
In the face of the dio U a recess is made into which the end head of the rivets
fit. This die is made changeable to be substituted by another die whenever a
different style or size of rivet is operated upon as the end head of the rivet must
always fit exactly into the recess in the face of this die for the purpose hereafter
described.
The end of the rib J of the riveting machine to which the arm Y is fastened
must be made of such a length as to regulate thereby the distance of the end of the
riveting machine from the face of the plates to be riveted, and which said plates
will then be held tight when the rivet is in its place between the end of this rib J
and the end head of the rivet in the die U whenever the levers Y and Z are forced
together.
As the recess in the die U fills exactly the end head of the rivet, the placing of
said die over this end head after the rivet has been passed through the rivet holes
in the plates will, whenever the ends of the levers Y and Z are forced together,
centre the riveting machine and bring the hammer directly over and in the centre
of the rivet to be operated upon.
Between the other extremities of the levers Y and Z a cylinder x is arranged, in
which a piston S¹ is made to work, and provided with a suitable valve N¹ to admit
the pressure employed to operate this piston either on one or the other side of said
piston. This cylinder a is attached to the end K¹³ of the arm Y, while the piston
rod R¹ is attached at to the end of the arm Z directly opposite.
When the rivet has been passed through the rivet holes and the die U placed
upon or over its end head pressure is admitted into the cylinder, so that the
action of its piston S¹ will cause the ends of the arms Y and Z to be drawn tight
together. By this operation the hammer in the riveting machine will be brought
directly over the end of the rivet to be operated upon, and the two plates to be
riveted together will be firmly gripped between the end of the rib J, and the end
head of the rivet held in the face of the die U when pressure is admitted into the
cylinder of the riveting machine to operate its piston and hammer, and thus form
the head of the rivet. When the rivet head is completed and the operation of the
riveting machine is stopped, the pressure is admitted against the other side of the 5
piston S¹ so as to move the ends of the levers Y and Z apart, whereby the die and
the riveting machine are moved away from the rivet which has been operated upon,
and can then be moved to act on another rivet in the same manner.
This machine is suspended either at the ends and k³ of the levers or from any
point of one of said levers by suitable cords or chains, whereby any desired 5
position and inclination for the riveting machine to operate may be obtained.
The levers arranged and operated as described may be used only as a holding-on

page_text: bar, as shown in Fig. X, in which case the end k of the lever Y is provided with a
projection g, instead of the riveting machine
In the usual operation of driving rivets by hand there are required, one man to
operate the holding-on bar and two men or riveters to form the head of the rivet.
In the riveting machine represented in Fig. I. there are required, one man to
operate the holding-on bar and one man to operate the riveting machine; while in
the combined machine represented in Fig IX., only one man will be required to
perform the whole opciation A great advantage of this machine represented in
Fig. IX consists in the manner of attaching and fixing the riveting machine in its
proper place through the end bead of the rivet to be operated upon, and whereby
single rivets in the centre of plates as used for girders for bridge building can be
riveted by this machine while with riveting machines, as shown in Fig. I, the
adjoining rivet holes are required for the purpose of attaching and fixing the
machine to its work.
Instead of arranging a cylinder with piston operated by pressure between the
levers to open and close the saine, as shown in Fig IX and X., a screw working in
a nut or a knuckle joint may be employed for this purpose; and instead of placing
the fulcrum between the two extreme ends of the levers, the same may be arranged
at the ends of the levers, and the mechanism to operate said levers arranged on the
same side of the fulcrum with the die and riveting machine
Having now fully described and set forth said Invention and the manner of
operating the same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First In the pneumatic engines arranged with the hammer or other suitable
tool firmly attached to the end of the piston rod operating the valves to admit
pressure to act upon the top of the piston by the increased accumulated pressure in
the cylinder produced between the upper end of the piston, and the end of the
cylinder in combination with operating the valve to admit pressure to act against
the bottom of the piston by the pressure acting in the cylinder, substantially as
set forth
Second I claim the plug B in the end of the cylinder above the main passage w,
lever C, valve stem D, and valve E, in combination with the auxiliary passages h
provided with self-acting valve Fl arranged to operate in the manner and for the
purpose set forth.
Third. I claim in combination with the valve E the ring El arranged in a
chamber m connected through an auxiliary passage a with the inside of the
cylinder A, the whole being arranged to operate in combination with the piston S
in the manner described and for the purpose, substantially as specified..
Fourth I claim the sleeve N with ratchet wheel M, pawl lever k, and the
inclined groove p in the inside of said sleeve N in combination with the
reciprocating piston rod R, provided with a suitable projection or feather working
in said incline groove p, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
Fifth. I claim the ratchet wheel M¹ with internal teeth and a suitable spring.
bolt or tooth O arranged on the lower end of the reciprocating piston rod R in
combination with the guiding tube H, provided with an incline groove p¹ in which
a feather on the ratchet wheel M¹ is made to work, arranged to operate in the
manner and for the purpose substantially as set forth
Sixth. I claim in a riveting machine the bolt T supporting the holding-on bar in
combination with the square guiding sleeve t, and the elastic washer 8 under the
nut b for the purpose set forth
Seventh I claim the construction of the hammer head P by cutting away the
opposite sides 3, 3, and chamfering the surfaces r, r, substantially in the manner
described and for the purpose specified.
Eighth. I claim the levers Y and Z turning on a fulcrum, having on one arm a
riveting machine and on the other arm a die U and a suitable weight V attached
directly opposite each other in combination with a cylinder a provided with suitable
valves piston and piston rod, said cylinder being connected to one arm and the
piston rod to the other arm opposite, the whole being suspended by suitable cords

page_text: or their equivalent, and arranged to operate in the manner and for the purpose
substantially as set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Franklin Allen, have hereunto sot my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
HENRY E. ROEDER,
302, Broadway,
New York,
America.
JOHN FRANKLIN ALLEN. (L.S.)