IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Richards Harding and Thomas Walter
Harding, both of the Tower Works, Globe Road, Leeds, in the
County of York, Card, Comb, and Pin Manufacturers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Richards
Harding and Thomas Walter Harding at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 2nd December
1875.
We, THOMAS RICHARDS HARDING and THOMAS WALTER HARDING,
both of the Tower Works, Globe Road, Leeds, in the County of York,
Card, Comb, and Pin Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF PINS, COMBS, GILLS, FALLERS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," to be as
follows:-

page_text: process the wire from which the pins are to be ground is cut up from
the ring into lengths and straightened.
Our Invention consists in an improved machine for performing this
operation, and as it is important that the wire lengths should be as clean
as possible the machine is fitted with polishing apparatus, which may
be used either separately or in conjunction with the cutting arrange-
ment. The wire is taken from a winsel and passed over four revolving
buffs or polishing wheels in such a way as that the four quarters of its
circumference are acted on and polished or cleaned in succession. The
cleaned wire passes from the buffs through straightening pegs or rollers
to a pair of actuated rolls, which draw it forward and submit it to the
action of a moving cutter, by which it is divided into lengths which
fall into a hopper. The motion of the rolls and wire is continuous.
When the polishing apparatus is used alone an ordinary block or winder
serves to draw the wire over the buffs, and in this condition the machine
is suitable for polishing wire for other purposes, as for instance for the
manufacture of needles.
Our Invention consists further in an improved machine for drilling
circular combs. The circle comb to be operated on is fixed by any of
the usual means to a face plate in such a way that it projects over it so
as to permit of drilling heads being adapted on both sides to drill into
the back and front of the brass at the same time. This arrangement
may be used to drill one row with the front drill and another with the
back drill simultaneously, but it is more valuable for drilling the same
hole from opposite sides in order to drill it straight, and avoid the
deviation or running of a long drill acting from one side only. The
drills are moved by a cam, and according to the kind of work to be done
this cam may move the drill steadily forward into the comb and out
again; or the cam may be in steps allowing the drill to penetrate a
certain distance, come out again to clear itself, penetrate a little deeper,
come out again, and so on till the hole is drilled through. The cams
are so arranged that though the drills may enter simultaneously from
opposite sides, yet when acting on the same hole a slight lead is given in
one of the cams, so that the drills may perforate in succession, without
actually coming into contact. The shaft on which the cams are fixed
is driven by a belt from the motive power so as to make the machine
self-acting. This same shaft carries a snail, which actuates a pawl,
which in the interval while the drills are out of the comb acts in a

page_text: ratchet wheel and moves on the circle plate the distance required from
hole to hole. With this machine we use a system of traversing drills
for producing oblong holes for flat pins.
Our improvements consist further in an improved machine for drilling
gills. For the purposes of this machine the gill stocks may be cast
singly, or preferably in lengths of two or three feet, to be afterwards
divided; or lengths of rolled or drawn brass may be used and afterwards
cut to the required lengths. The stocks are firmly held between rollers,
and they are moved forward the required pitch between each hole by
the action of a worm working into a wheel connected with one of each
pair of rollers. On a slide in front of the rollers are mounted two
drilling heads, of which one drills the lower row in the gill stock and
the other the upper row. By this arrangement both rows are being
drilled at the same time, and the stocks are by the action of the rollers
moved continuously in one direction, being fed in by the attendant at one
side of the machine and falling out drilled at the other, and when centering
drills are required additional drilling heads may be adapted on the
slide. The machine is self-acting, the drills are moved forward by cams
on the driving shaft, which cams may be simple or in steps, according
to the work to be done. A crank or cccentric on this shaft acts on a
ratchet wheel fixed to the worm shaft, and thus causes the stock to
move forward after each hole has been drilled. There is in addition a
ratchet arrangement worked by the driving shaft, by which after the
required number of holes per gill have been drilled the drilling spindles
are held back until the stocks have moved forward the distance required
for the rivet hole and space.
Our improvements consist further in another self-acting drilling
machine for gills. In this machine the drilling heads are moved the
required distance after each hole has been drilled, and having reached
the end of the row are brought back to the starting point to act on
another gill stock, which in the interval has by means of a ratchet or
otherwise been brought in position; or the drilling heads instead of
being brought back at once to the starting point are made to move
backward in the same pitch as their forward movement, so that the
drilling is carried on in the backward as well as in the forward move-
ment of the heads, and at the moment of the reversal of their motion
the gill stocks are moved on by a ratchet arrangement or otherwise so as
to submit a different row or a different stock to the action of the drills,

page_text: Two stocks, or more, according to the number of drilling heads, are
being acted on at once. Instead of the pitch between the holes being
obtained by the movement of the drilling heads it may be obtained by
moving the stock holders. By various adaptations this machine is made
suitable for drilling porcupines, gill combs, hackles, etc.
Our Invention consists further in a machine for drilling fallers in
which the drills act simultaneously on opposite sides of the fallers so as
to drill the hole more perfectly. The pressure with which the drills
are kept up to their work is given by weights or springs.
Our Invention consists further in making fallers with slight pro- ]
jections or seatings when the fallers are to be used with gill stocks. By
this arrangement unseated gill stocks of rolled or drawn brass or other-
wise may be used without losing the advantage of the seats hitherto
ised on the gill stocks themselves; or in lieu of the seating on the faller
we use a loose washer of suitable thickness introduced between the ]
stocks and the fallers and traversed by the gill rivet.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Richards Harding and Thomas Walter
Harding in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st June 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
RICHARDS HARDING and THOMAS WALTER HARDING, both of the Tower
Works, Globe Road, Leeds, in the County of York, Card, Comb, and
Pin Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Thomas Richards Harding
and Thomas Walter Harding, Her special license, that we, the said
Thomas Richards Harding and Thomas Walter Harding, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas
Richards Harding and Thomas Walter Harding, our executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein

page_text: expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PINS, COMBS, GILLS, FALLERS, AND OTHER SIMILAR
ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Thomas Richards Harding and Thomas Walter Harding, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their
hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Richards Harding, for
myself and on behalf of the said Thomas Walter Harding, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, and the Drawings therein
referred to (that is to say) :-
c
Our Invention consists in improved machinery for the manufacture
of the pins used in combs, gills, fallers, and other similar articles.
Before the grinding process the wire from which the pins are to be
ground is cut up from the ring into lengths and straightened.
The Invention consists, firstly, in an improved machine for performing
this operation. As it is important that the lengths of wire should be
as clean as possible the machine is fitted with polishing apparatus,
which may be used either separately or in conjunction with the cutting
arrangement. The wire is taken from a winsel and passed over four
revolving buffs or polishing wheels, in such a way that the four quarters
of its circumference are acted on and polished or cleaned in succession.
The cleaned wire passes from the buffs through straightening pegs or
rollers to a pair of actuated rolls, which draw it forward and submit it
to the action of a moving cutter, by which it is divided into lengths
which fall into a hopper. The motion of the rolls and the wire is con-
tinuous. When the polishing apparatus is used alone an ordinary block
or winder serves to draw the wire over the buffs, and in this condition
the machine is suitable for polishing wire for other purposes, as for
instance for the manufacture of needles.

page_text: On Sheets 1 and 2, the polishing and cutting arrangements are shown
separately. Fig. 1, Sheet No. 1, is a plan; Fig. 2 is a side elevation;
Fig. 3 is an end view of the polishing machine. The wire to be operated
on is placed on a winsel, from which it is drawn over the four buffs
A, A¹, A", A¹¹¹, which are driven by straps B, B', B", B¹¹, from the
shaft C, the buffs are so placed that they act on the four different
quarters of the wire so as to polish it all round; D is a block driven
through the wheels E, E¹, from the shaft C, around which block the
polished wire is coiled and by which the wire is drawn through the
machine. The buffs can be adjusted by the carriages F, F¹, F², F³, F',
and F, so as to cause the wire to bear on a greater or less portion of
their circumferences.
Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a plan; Fig. 5 is a side elevation; and Fig. 6 is an
end view of the cutting machine. A is a loose pulley carrying the strap
when the machine is at rest; A' is the driving pulley keyed on the
axle A² of and actuates the grooved cutter disc B, and through the train
of wheels C, C¹, C³, C³, and C*, gives motion to a pair of rolls D, D¹.
These rolls serve to draw the wire through the polishing apparatus when
it is used in connection with the cutting machine, but if the cutting
part is used alone they serve to draw the wire from a winsel through
straightening rollers; E, E', are the moveable cutter carriages pivotted
to the sides of the disc B at F, F'; on the extreme end of these cutter
carriages are two bowls G, G', (or they may be fixed parts) and which
as they revolve with the disc B come into contact with the fixed
cams H, H', and are by them pressed forward towards each other so as
to cut the wire passing between them. The wire which is fed in con-
tinuously by the rollers D, D', runs in the groove I of disc B and at
every revolution of the rollers D, D', and the cutter disc B, it is cut off
into lengths which fall into a hopper placed to receive them.
Our Invention consists further in an improved machine for drilling
circular combs. The circular comb to be operated on is fixed to a face
plate, so as to project and to permit of drilling heads being adapted on
both sides of the comb to drill into the back and front of the circle at
the same time. This arrangement may be used to drill one row with
the front drill and another with the back drill simultaneously, but it is
more valuable for drilling the same hole from opposite sides, in order
to drill it straight and avoid the deviation or running of a long drill
acting from one side only. The drills are moved by cams, and according

page_text: to the work to be done these cams may move the drills steadily forward
into the metal, or the cams may be in steps allowing the drills to
penetrate a certain distance, come out again to clear themselves,
penetrate a little deeper, come out again, and so on, till the hole is
drilled through. The cams are so arranged that though the drills may
enter simultaneously from opposite sides, yet when acting on the same
hole a slight lead is given in one of the cams so that the drills may
perforate in succession without actually coming into contact. The shaft.
on which the cams are fixed is driven by a belt from the motive power,
so as to make the machine self-acting. This same shaft carries a snail
actuating a pawl, which in the interval, while the drills are out of the
comb, acts on a ratchet wheel and moves on the circle plate the distance
required from hole to hole.
.
Fig. 7, Sheet 3, is a plan; Fig. 8 is a side elevation; and Fig. 9 is an
end view of the machine; A is the circle or face plate, upon which the
circle is fastened by means of screw holders of which three are shewn in
Drawing B, B¹, and B', which are adjusted to grip the inside of the
comb by turning the thumb screws C, C¹, C. The drilling spindles
D, D', are mounted on the casting E, and can be set to any desired
angle to the comb by the circular slot F and bolts F' and F³. They can
also be adjusted to the different rows to be drilled by means of the
slide G and hand wheel and screw H, H; I is the driving shaft which
is driven by any suitable motor, it carries the cams J, J', which regulate
the motion endwise of the spindles D, D'. These cams may be placed
as at J, where the drill is forced in by the action of a weight K, and the
cam regulates the depth of the perforation; or the cam may be placed
as at J¹ where it acts directly on the drill which is brought back by the
spring L. The former arrangement is more suitable for some kinds of
drilling, while the latter is useful specially for punching out the holes
for flat pins. The cams are for some purposes made with one step, as
for centering and punching; but for fine drilling we find it best to use
cams in several steps, as shewn at J and J'; this permits of the drill.
coming out several times to clear itself before the perforation is accom-
plished. On the driving shaft I is the snail M, which acting through.
the lever N and the ratchet O, moves on the screw P during the interval
while the drills are out of the perforations. Instead of the snail Ma.
cam or eccentric may be used. This machine is useful for cutting out:
oblong holes by means of a traversing drill, in which case we use one

page_text: drill which passing through the hole enters into a recess in the opposito
spindle, and is thus supported at both ends when the traverse is applied.
Our improvements consist further in an improved machine for drilling
gills for the purposes of this machine, the gill stocks may be cast singly
or preferably in lengths of two or three feet, or lengths of rolled or
drawn brass may be used and afterwards cut to required lengths. The
stocks are firmly held between rollers, and they are moved forward the
required pitch between each hole by the action of a worm working into
a wheel connected with one of each pair of rollers, the upper rollers
being connected with the lower by means of wheels taking into the said
worm wheels. On a slide in front of the rollers are mounted four
drilling heads, of which two are used for centering and two for drilling
the rows in the gills; by this arrangement both rows are being drilled
at the same time, and the stocks are by the action of the rollers moved
in one direction, being fed in by the attendant at one end of the machine
The drills are moved forward and
and falling out drilled at the other.
backward by the action of springs and cams, the cams being on the
driving shaft, which cams may be simple or in steps according to the
work to be done. A crank or eccentric on this shaft acts on a ratchet
wheel fixed to the worm shaft and thus causes the stocks to move
forward after each hole has been drilled. There is in addition a ratchet
arrangement worked by the driving shaft, by which when the required
number of holes per gill has been drilled the drilling spindles are held
back until the stocks have been moved forward the distance required for
the rivet space.
Fig. 10, Sheet 4, is a plan; Fig. 11 is a side clevation; Figs. 12 and
13 are end views of the machine. A is the driving shaft.
This carries
the crank disc B and stud B', which acting on the ratchet C moves on
the screw D the required distance at each turn of the shaft A. The
screw D acts through the wheels E, E', E³, and E³, on the rollers F to F³.
The upper
rollers F to F receive their motion by the wheels E' to E7,
These rollers hold the stock G which
taking into the wheels E to E³.
by these means is moved on after each backward movement of the drills
H, H³, H³, and H³. The carriages on which these drills are mounted
can be raised or lowered by the set screws I so as to permit of their being
adapted to drill the different rows of holes in the stocks. The drills are
moved forward by the action of the springs J, and their motion is regu-
lated by the cams K, K¹, K³, and K³. The driving shaft A carries the

page_text: crank disc L and stud L' which actuates the ratchet M. After the
required number of holes has been drilled the projection N on the
plate N¹ acts on the levers O and O¹ and draws the bolt P which locks
the drills and prevents their acting on the stock G until it has been
moved on the required distance to form the space, when the pro-
jection Q on plate N³ withdraws the bolt P and thus allows again
the action of the drills to go on. R and R¹ are guides for the
stocks; S, S, are screws to regulate the pressure of the rollers F
to F. The attendant feeds in the stocks by the guide R, and the
drilled stocks fall out at R¹ to be afterwards cut into lengths as
required.
Our improvements consist further in a modification of the last
machine specially suitable for drilling seated stocks or unseated stocks
already cut to length. Fig. 14, Sheet 2, is a side view; and Fig. 15 is
an end view of portions of the machine. There are one or more drilling
heads, the spindles of which are moved by cams on the driving shaft A,
as described for the last machine (Figs. 10 to 13, Sheet 4). On the
slide B are mounted one or more cylinders C and hoppers D, after each
hole has been drilled the ratchet E is moved the required distance,
acting through the screw F on the slide B. When the required number
of holes has been drilled to form a row the action of the drills is sus-
pended by the bolt G in the same manner, as shewn in Figs. 10 to 13,
Sheet 4, while with the lever H the attendant disengages the nut H¹
from the screw F and brings back the slide B to the starting point, and
while doing so the ratchet I is being acted on by a suitable pawl and
moves on the cylinder C so as to bring another stock in position. By
the use of a weight attached to the lever H and slide B and released at
the end of each row, the bringing back to the starting point may be
made self-acting. Instead of this lever arrangement simple reversing
gear may be used so as to drill on the return as well as in the forward
movement. The stocks are fed by the attendant into the hopper D and
fall successively into the recesses of the cylinder C. Springs or other
suitable holders J and J' embrace the cylinder for a portion of its cir-
cumference and press upon the stocks at each end and hold them in
position during the operation of drilling. By substituting for the
cylinder C and hopper D a suitable holder the machine is made
applicable to the drilling of gill combs, hackles, porcupines, and other
similar articles. The same result will be attained by adapting the

page_text: .
drilling heads to a slide instead of the stock holders, and thus obtaining
the space after each hole has been drilled.
Our Invention consists further in a machine for drilling fallers in
which the drills act simultaneously on opposite sides of the fallers.
Fig. 16, Sheet 5, is a plan; Fig. 17, a side elevation; and Fig. 18 an
end elevation of the machine. A, A', are the drilling spindles carried
by the vertical slide B, which may be raised and lowered by the screw C
and hand wheel C¹; D is a slide on which the faller is fixed by the
screws E and E'. This slide is moved after each hole has been drilled
by the wheels F, F, F, F³, and screw H. The drills are moved forward
by the action of the weights I, 1', and are brought back by the levers
J, J', which are also connected by the rod K, so that one of the levers
may act upon both drills. The drills are set so as not quite to meet,
and the whole row is drilled thus:-A single perforating drill is after-
wards used, or both drills may be made to perforate in succession, thus
by first causing them to act simultaneously until the point of stop
screw L comes into contact with the headstock at L', and the stop
screw M comes into contact with the stop piece N; these stops being
adjusted so that the drills do not meet, then by moving up the handle K
till the stud K³ reaches the top of slot at K², thereby moving the
drill spindle A backwards, and turning the stop N out of the way of
the screw M, thus allowing the spindle A¹ to move forward and com-
plete the hole.
Our Invention consists further in making fallers with projections or
seatings O, O, as shewn at Fig. 19, when the fallers are to be used with
gill stocks. By this arrangement unseated gill stocks of rolled or drawn
brass or otherwise may be used without losing the advantage of the
seats hitherto used on the gill stocks themselves; or in lieu of the
seatings on the faller we use loose washers P, P, of suitable thickness
introduced between the stocks and the faller and traversed by the rivets,
as shewn at Fig. 20.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire to have it under-
stood that we do not confine ourselves to the exact details shewn in the
Drawings as the same may obviously be modified without departure from
the distinctive characteristics of our Invention, as herein set forth, and
we claim,―
First. The arrangement, construction, combination of parts, and method

page_text: of action of the machinery or apparatus, herein-before described, for
polishing and cutting wire, for drilling circular combs, for drilling gills,
gill combs, hackles, porcupines, and for drilling fallers, substantially as
herein set forth.
Second. The arrangement of four revolving buffs so placed as to
act on the four quarters of the circumference of wire passing by
them.
Third. The combination of travelling cutters with gripping rollers,
so as to cut wire passing continuously.
Fourth. The arrangement of holders, substantially as described, for
gripping the circle combs internally, and the actuation by a combination
of cams with weights or springs, of the drilling spindles, acting front
and back of the circle combs.
Fifth. The arrangement of rollers for giving to gill stocks movement
in one direction, and the combination with said rollers of drilling heads,
ratchets, and locking apparatus, for the self-acting drilling of the said
gill stocks.
Sixth. The arrangement of cylinders and hoppers, as shewn in Figs.
14 and 15, and the combination of drilling heads with ratchets locking
and reversing apparatus for the self-acting drilling of gill stocks, gill
combs, hackles, and other similar articles.
Seventh. The arrangement of spindles for drilling fallers front and
back, and the actuation of said spindles by a combination of levers with
weights or springs.
Eighth. The making of fallers with projections or seatings, as
described.
Ninth. The use of loose washers introduced between the fallers and
gill stock to act as seatings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Richards Harding, 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-
six.