IMPROVE- MENTS IN DRILLING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: THOMAS HENRY WARD of the Firm of Lee Howl Ward & Howl Engineers
Tipton Staffordshire do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN DRILLING MACHINES to be as follows:-
a
My Invention has for its object the production of an improved Drilling
Machine, containing decided commercial, & mechanical advantages; the chief
points of novelty being in the Purchase or Driving Gear, & in the Feed Motion.
According to one simple arrangement of any invention, which for an example
I will now describe, considering it to be by far the best, but which is capable of
modifications without departure therefrom; I use a frame preferably |-- section,
the lower end of which is spread to form a foot or base to stand upon, & to which
preferably a table is attached freely by a pin or hinge joint, for the purpose of
horizontal adjustment of the piece to be drilled.
The upper end of the frame projects upwards & outwards, & terminates at its
extremity with a boss or bearing, a branch of which frame however extends
upwards again, terminating preferably with two other such bosses. These three
bosses carry the ordinary vertical drill spindle.
A horizontal bracket is attached or cast to the said frame, situated above the
first boss, for the purpose of carrying a horizontal or first motion shaft. This shaft
radiates from the vertical spindle, & is connected thereto by bevel, mitre, or other
gear, for the purpose of transmitting motion. It also contains at its outer extremity,
a bevel wheel or its equivelent fixed or cast thereon, facing outwards, & concentric
with the shaft.
This horizontal shaft projects outwards beyond the dead bevel wheel, & a lever
arm, or handle, or band pulley is threaded thereon loosely. Beyond this arm it
also carries another bevel wheel facing inwards. Now these two bevel wheels
are connected by a third bevel, which rotates loosely upon a stud carried by the
said arm.
These three wheels together with the arm or pulley or wheel containing part
thereof, & which plays the part of a prime mover to the rest, together also with
the first or dead bevel wheel as described, serves as a train of wheels, such that
rotation is imparted to the shaft, in the same direction as the arm, but at a speed
of rotation considerably greater, & which may be still further increased by making
the dead wheel the largest.

page_text: For heavy drilling a slower & more powerful motion is necessary; this is
obtained by releasing this gear & by securing the lever to the shaft itself. Several
modes of doing this will suggest themselves to the practical mind, but I prefer
to draw the idle bevel wheel on the arm out of gear with the dead bevel wheel,
& then to secure the shaft to the arm directly or indirectly.
That part of my Invention which relates to the feed motion, has for its object,
providing an automatic feed, that shall ensure a constant or nearly constant
pressure on the drill as most suitable; capable of automatically varying or
regulating, or controlling the rate of feed, according as the resistance to the tool
varies accidentally, or otherwise; such for example, as shall feed quickly until the
tool comes in contact with the work, & very slowly afterwards, varying more or
less as the resistance fluctuates.
In order to accomplish this part of my Invention, I screw the drill spindle,
which is carried in the bearings of the frame, & I provide a nut thereon.
So long as this nut is free to rotate with the spindle, no feed motion is possible.
On the other hand, so long as it is not free to rotate, then the rate of feed per
revolution will be equal to the pitch of the screw, which would be impractically
great. These two extremes therefore are useless.
Now it is evedent the upward thrust or pressure of the drill spindle is conveyed
through the nut to the abutment or top bearing, but since it acts there at a greater
radius or leverage than the screw itself, the nut is consequently prevented from
rotating at all with an ordinary screwed spindle.
To prevent this, I provide that the thread of the screw shall be cut on the thrust
or top side, with such a steep angle, as to play the part of a wedge also; increasing
thereby the binding pressure between it & the nut, sufficient to ensure the
rotation of the latter naturally.
Preferably, by means of a cone sleeve surmounting & frictionally engaging the
nut, & which is secured from rotation with it, but which should be free otherwise;
I retard the rotation of the nut more or less, & at will, according as I apply
external pressure, either by hand, by gravity, a weight, by spring or equivelents.
The result being that a differential motion is set up between the nut & the spindle,
that is to say, the nut is rotating almost but not quite at the same rate as the
drill spindle itself, & by virtue of this difference, actuating the screw vertically, it
represents the feed motion.
Refering again to the driving gear, there is another somewhat similar arrange-
ment, which perhaps I had better anticipate here. As before arranged, it has a
dead wheel on the bracket on the one side, & a live wheel on the other side of the
arm or lever, & the wheel gearing connecting these two together is likewise
provided & carried on the arm or lever, & in a circuit around the shaft, as
before; the difference being that spur gear is used in lieu of bevel gear,
necessitating as a consequence certain departures in detail, consisting of threading
or carrying a secondary shaft not central with the main shaft through the arın
with a spur wheel fixed at each end which gears the dead to the living wheel
directly, or indirectly through a third wheel on the one side, rather than connecting
the same by means of a bevel carried on a stud fixed to the arm.
This gear is
capable of course of a like change of speed of motion or purchase as before
mentioned.
Again, instead of ordinary bevel gear, friction bevel gear may be provided.

page_text: I THOMAS HENRY WARD of the firm of Lee Howl Ward & Howl of Tipton
in the County of Stafford Engineers do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My Invention has for its object the production of an improved drilling machine
very efficient in action and simpler in construction and more economical in pro-
duction than are such machines as hitherto made the feeding movement of the
drill to the work being effected automatically in accordance with the work being
done by the machine I provide an improved arrangement of gear for imparting
the rotary motion to the drill and I provide a very simple arrangement for auto-
matically feeding the drill to its work the said feeding arrangement consisting in
a combination of a screwed nut through which the screwed spindle carrying the
drill passes and an abutment or frictional surface or surfaces relative to the vertical
upward thrust of the drill the said screw and its nut and the abutment or frictional
surface or surfaces being so arranged relatively to each other that the rotation of
the screw in the nut is automatically retarded more or less when at work by the
abutment or frictional surface or surfaces (variable also by the pressure and
consequent friction which can be brought to bear thereon), thus causing a
differential motion to be set up between the nut and the spindle, that is to say
the nut is caused to rotate against the abutment or frictional surface or surfaces
at a lesser speed than the spindle rotates in the nut and this difference represents
the feed motion automatically given to the drill during work in accordance with
the resistance of the material being operated upon.
I will explain my Invention with reference to the accompanying drawings which
represent the best ways with which I am acquainted for carrying my Invention
into effect.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a drilling machine constructed according to my
Invention Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same, and Figure 3 is a plan of the
same partly in section The other figures represent details and modifications as
hereinafter described.
A is the frame of the machine the lower end being spread to form a foot or base
to which the table B is attached by the pin or hinge joint C for allowing of
horizontal adjustment of the work to be operated upon. The upper end of the
frame is provided with projections or bosses a³ ³ to carry the drill spindle D.
A horizontal bracket at is fixed on or cast to the said frame A above the boss a³
to carry the horizontal or first motion shaft E which radiates in plan from the
drill spindle and is connected thereto by the hereinafter described gearing for
transmitting motion thereto The said bracket a' has at its outward and a "dead"
(non rotating) bevel wheel a³ or its equivalent fixed or cast thereon, facing out-
wards and concentric with the shaft E which shaft projects at its outward end
beyond the bracket a' and dead wheel a" and there carries a lever arm or handle
loosely mounted thereon and beyond this a bevel wheel e facing inwards is fixed
to the said shaft. These two bevel wheels a³ and e² are connected by a third bevil:

page_text: wheel which rotates loosely upon a stud ƒ³ carried by the boss of the handle e.
9 g³ are the bevel wheels on the shaft E and the drill spindle for transmitting
motion to the latter in the ordinary way The wheels ef and a' together with
the arm or handle e play the part of a prime mover to the drill spindle and
constitute a train of wheels whereby rotation is imparted to the shaft in the same
direction as that in which the handle e is turned but at the speed of rotation
considerably greater. This speed may be further increased by making the dead
wheel a larger than c².
For heavy drilling a slower or more powerful motion is necessary-This can be
readily obtained by releasing the herein before described gear and by securing the
lever e to the shaft E. I do not restrict myself to any particular way of effecting
this but I prefer to draw the shaft E outward for which purpose allowance in its
length is made at es and the wheel g is secured to the said shaft by a groove and
feather so that the bevil wheel is drawn out of gear with the dead wheel a³ and
then the handle e is fixed to the shaft E directly or indirectly for example by
nipping the wheel f tightly against the boss of the handle by means of a nut on
the stud f. e4 is a pin which retains the shaft in the bracket by engaging with
one or other of the grooves e according to the position to which the shaft E is
adjusted.
Figures 4 and 5 represent in views at right angles to each other a modification
of the driving gear whereon ordinary spur gearing wheels are used in place of
level wheels. The parts which correspond with the parts which fulfil the same
functions in figures 1, 2 and 3 are marked with the same lotters of reference.
As in the arrangement first described there is a dead wheel as on the one side
of the bracket at and a live wheel e² on the other side of the lever or handle c
the wheels f1, f³ and f' gearing together and transmitting motion between the
wheels e¹ and as the wheels f¹ and f³ being carried on the lever or handle e and
being moved in a circuit around the shaft E as in the before described arrangement
the difference being that as spur gear is used in lieu of bevel gear it is necessary to
thread or carry the secondary shaft f2 (not central with the main shaft E) through
the lever or handle e with the spur wheels f¹ and f³ fixed at each end the latter
engaging with the dead wheel as either directly or indirectly through a third
wheelf on the one side as shewn carried on a stud fixed to the handle e. This
gear is capable of course of a like change of speed of motion or purchase as before
mentioned-Instead of toothed gear friction gear may be employed. Figures 6
and 7 are similar views shewing a slight modification wherein all the wheels are
carried at one side of the handle e. The parts are marked with the same letters of
reference as corresponding parts in Figures 4 and 5 and will be readily understood
without further description.
I will now describe that part of my Invention which relates to the feed motion
and has for its object providing an automatic feed that shall ensure a constant or
nearly constant pressure on the drill according to the work being done, the rate of
feed being automatically varied regulated or controlled according as the resistance
to the tool varies accidentally or otherwise, ensuring thereby a much quicker feed
until the tool comes in contact with the work and more slowly afterwards, varying
more or less as the resistance fluctuates in accordance with hardness of the material
operated upon as before stated.
This may be accomplished according to several modifications resembling each
other in the principle of their action. I have illustrated three modifications in
vertical section at Figures 8, 9 and 10, that shewn at Figure 10 being the one
which I have shewn applied to the machine Figures 1 and 2 and it is also shewn
separately in plan in Figure 11 I will first describe the modification shewn in
Figure 8. I screw the drill spindle at d it passing freely through holes in the
bosses a¹ a² of the frame and I provide a nut h between the said bosses in which
nut the said screw works. So long as this nut is free to rotate with the drill
spindle no feed motion is possible. On the other hand so long as it is not free to
rotate then the rate of feed per revolution will be equal to the pitch of the screw

page_text: which would be impractically great. These two extremes therefore are useless.
It is evident that the upward thrust or pressure of the drill spindle is conveyed
through the nut to the abutment or top bearing of the nut on the underside of
the boss a¹ and since it acts there at a greater radius or leverage than the screw
itself I cut the thread of the screw d at such an angle as to play the part of an
inclined plane or wedge increasing thereby the binding pressure between it and
the nut sufficiently to ensure the rotation of the latter naturally.
For the foregoing purpose I may make the thrust or top side of the thread
inclined as shewn in Figure 8 or I may use a screw as hereinafter explained and
shewn in Figures 9 and 10.
I retard the rotation of the nut h preferably by means of a cone sleeve J
surmounting and frictionally bearing upon the correspondinly coned exterior of
the nut h the said sleeve being secured from rotation with it by means of horns
situated on either side of the adjacent part of the frame but being free otherwise.
By bringing pressure on this sleeve I retard the rotation of the nut h more or less
and at will according as I apply external pressure either by hand by gravity or
weight or by spring or equivalents for example by a spring as at k. The result is
that a differential motion is set up between the nut h and the drill spindle D, that
is to say the nut h is rotating almost but not quite at the same rate as the drill
spindle itself, and by virtue of this difference actuating the screw vertically it
represents the feed motion. Figure 9 represents a modification wherein a screw
thread of ordinary form is employed. It will be evident that the abutment may
be made against the boss a' instead of the boss a¹ when the latter boss may be
dispensed with. This modification is shewn in figure 10 and 11 where the nut h
is fixed to or formed on a sleeve'h' which passes through the boss a² and is furnished
with a collar h³ to bear on the underside of the boss a².
The retarding more or less of the nut h by means of the handle j greatly
facilitates the rapid return of the drill from its work when the motion of the
handle is reversed whilst it further serves the purpose of adding more feed in the
forward direction if desired.
is a distance piece between the lower boss (or the collar of the nut) and the
bevel wheel g on the drill spindle.
I do not limit myself to the use of a coned surface to the nut. Figure 12 is an
illustration of an arrangement wherein the retarding effect is produced without
this coned surface and by means of a friction hand wheel h³ affixed to the nut h.-
I find in practice that an iron screw d with a square thread and seven-eighths of
an inch in diameter with five threads to the inch working in a gun metal nut gives
good results.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
First, In drilling machines, à driving gear consisting of a dead or fixed wheel on
the bracket or bearing carrying a driving shaft, and gearing or friction wheels for
conveying motion to the drill spindle substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
Second, The arrangements or combinations of parts constituting the driving gear
of drilling machines as illustrated respectively by Figures 1, 2 and 3. Figures 4
and 5 and Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying Drawings.
Third, In drilling machines a feed motion constituted by a screw and nut and
abutment or frictional bearing for the nut so that by the direct upward thrust of
the tool there is a differential action of the said nut and screw substantially as and
for the purpose herein before described.
Fourth, The arrangements and combinations of parts constituting the feed
motions of drilling machines as illustrated respectively by Figures 1, 2, 10, 11
and 12 and Figures 8 and 9 of the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Fifth, The arrangement and combination of parts constituting a drilling machine
with improved driving gear and feeding devices substantially as hereinbefore
described under several modifications.
Sixth, In drilling machines, means for utilizing the upward thrust of a rotating
screwed nut as imparted by the tool against the bottom side of an abutment
bearing together with its superior torsional leverage over that of the screw itself
for partially arresting the said nut and thereby obtaining a differential automatic
feed motion either directly or indirectly through a frictional cone sleeve or its
equivalent substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 8,
9, 10 and 12 of the accompanying Drawings.
Seventh, In drilling machines, the arrangement and combination of parts
substantially as herein before described for applying hand friction to the nut for
the double purpose of still further increasing the differential feed of the drill as
required, and also of rapidly withdrawing the tool by applying like frictional
pressure thereto at the moment the drill spindle is being rotated in a backward
direction substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
1002