Improvements in or relating to Apparatus or Machines for Cutting or Forming Screw Threads upon Bolts, Nuts, and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 6th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 12th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus or Machines for Cutting
or Forming Screw Threads upon Bolts, Nuts, and the like.
We JOHN ARTHUR INGHAM, of Sandbrook Mill, Orrell near Wigan, Cotton
Spinner, and SYLVESTER DERBYSHIRE, of 6, Mill Road, Orrell near Wigan,
both in the County of Lancaster, Overlooker, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has for its object to provide an apparatus or machine which, when
the screw thread has been formed on the article, such as a bolt or nut, will
automatically retire or withdraw the article from the action of the tool, such as
the die or in the case of a nut withdraw the tap, and also an apparatus or machine
which can be set so as to cut or form the screw threads on the article to any
determined length.
Our apparatus consists of the following parts:-
1. The ordinary tools, such as dies or taps, which cut or form the screw threads.
2. Means by which the article, such as a bolt, or else the tap is held and turned,
and which also serves for working the reversing means.
3. Means for reversing the apparatus so that, when the screw thread has been
formed, the article or the tap will be retired or withdrawn and the apparatus be
left in a position ready to commence work afresh.
The apparatus or machine has any suitable framework for holding the foregoing
parts, the tools can be at one end of such framework, and, at the other end, the
means by which the article is held and turned and by which the reversing means
is worked, whilst the means for reversing the apparatus may be placed in the
framework in between.
The tools are held in any suitable way, such as in guides placed on a support
or table at the end of the framework, whilst the means for holding and turning
the article consist of a fast and two loose pulleys, with suitable belt shifters,
at the other end of the framework on a shaft, which shaft passes through the
framework and has a worm about its centre, and there is fitted to its end a holder
for carrying the article such as a bolt, to be operated on. The single shaft may
be substituted by two or more shafts with intermediate gearing so that the power
may be increased.
It will be understood that, when an article is to be screw threaded internally,
such as a nut, a tapping tool would replace the holder and the dies would be
replaced by a suitable holder for the nut.
The means for reversing the apparatus consists of a disc, suitably mounted
on a shaft and moved round by the aforesaid worm engaging with suitable
gearing; this disc has on its face two pins controlling a catch or pawl (also
mounted on the same shaft as the disc) which engages an arm or lever by which
the belt shifters aforesaid are moved, a spring, or its equivalent, such as a weighted
lever, returns the arm or lever when freed from the catch or pawl.
--
The mode of action of the apparatus or machine is as follows:-
The apparatus being driven by an open and by a crossed belt, one belt is on
one loose pulley and the other on the other loose pulley, the fixed pulley, between
the two loose pulleys, will revolve in either one direction or the other accordingly
as either the open or the crossed belt is on it.
When the apparatus is at rest the belt shifters are in a position with their
respective belts on the loose pulleys, the attendant having put a blank or article
to be screw threaded into the apparatus, theu draws aside the arm or lever
aforesaid until the catch or pawls engages in its notch in such arm or lever, by

page_text: which time the open belt will have been shifted until it is on the fast pulley.
As such pulley revolves, its shaft with the holder and the article, will be turned
round, the dies operating on the article will gradually draw it forth and screw
thread it until the shaft ceases to revolve in the one direction.
Whilst the shaft is so revolving its worm is also engaging with the gearing
and moving round the disc aforesaid, the pins of which control the action of the
catch or pawl aforesaid in such way that when the predetermined length of screw
has been given the catch or pawl escapes or becomes free from the control of
such pins, thereby freeing the arm or lever (by which the belt shifters are moved),
which under the action of the spring or its equivalent, drops back and shifts the
open belt from off the fast pulley bringing the crossed belt onto it instead. The
pulley will then revolve in the reverse direction and with it the shaft and also
the holder, thereby retiring or withdrawing the finished article; the apparatus
continuing to work until the belt shifters under the action of the catch or pawl
and pins have come into such position that both belts are on the loose pulleys;
the attendant has then only to remove the finished article, put a blank in its place,
draw the arm or lever to one side when the open belt will again be on the fast
pulley and the apparatus will again work.
The position of the disc on its shaft and of the pin or pins on the disc may be
altered and by means of such variation in their position, the length of screw thread
to be given to the article may be previously determined upon.
Dated this 6th day of May 1891
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus or Machines for Cutting
or Forming Screw Threads upon Bolts, Nuts, and the like.
We, JOHN ARTHUR INGHAM of Sandbrook Mill, Orrell near Wigan, Cotton
Spinner, and SYLVESTER DERBYSHIRE of 6 Mill Road, Orrell near Wigan, both
in the County of Lancaster, Overlooker, 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 :-
Our invention has for its object to provide an apparatus or machine which, when
the screw thread has been formed on the article, such as a bolt or nut, will
automatically retire or withdraw the article from the action of the tool, such as the
die, or, in the case of a nut withdraw the tap, and also an apparatus or machine
which can be set so as to cut or form the screw threads, on the article to any
determined length.
The invention will be best understood by aid of the accompanying sheet of
illustrative drawings which represents a machine for screw threading a bolt,
Figures 1, 2 and 3 being respectively a side elevation, a sectional elevation and
a plan view of the machine in question.
Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view showing more clearly the essential parts of our
invention.
Figure 5 is a view of one of the details hereinafter referred to.
Our apparatus or machine consists of the following parts-
1. The ordinary tools, such as dies or taps, which cut or form the screw
threads.
2. Means by which the article, such as a bolt or else the tap is held and turned,
and which also serves for working the reversing means.
3. Means for reversing the apparatus so that when the screw thread has been
formed, the article or the tap will be retired or withdrawn and the apparatus be left
in a position ready to commence work afresh.

page_text: The apparatus or machine bas any suitable framework A. A for holding the
foregoing parts, the tools B B can be at one end of such framework, and, at the
other end, the means C C by which the article is held and turned and by which
the reversing means hereinafter particularly described is worked, whilst the means D
for reversing the apparatus may be placed in the framework in between.
The tools are held in any suitable way, such as in guides placed on a support
or table at the end of the framework A A; as shown in the drawings, the tools B B
(that is the cutting dies) are fixed at the end of spindles E E in suitable collar
boxes FF so that they can be moved to and from one another by means of the
hand wheel H, the spindle I of which is provided at either end with a pinion
engaging the wheel K K at end of spindle E E. This arrangement for traversing
the parts, so as to approach them to the article or tool at the end of shaft C is,
we believe, a well known one, it may be equally well replaced by any other
suitable one.
The means for holding and turning the article consist of a fast pulley L and
two loose pulleys M M with suitable belt shifters N N¹ at the other end of the
framework A on a shaft O. This shaft passes through the framework A and has
a worm about its centre, and there is fitted to its end a holder for carrying the
article, such as a bolt, to be operated on, or else a tap when an article, such as a
nut, is to be screw threaded internally.
The single shaft may be substituted by two or more shafts with intermediate
gearing so that the power may be increased, and this latter arrangement is what we
prefer and is as shown on the drawings.
It will be seen that, besides the pulley shaft O, there is the counter or subsidiary
shaft P armed with the aforesaid worm Q.
These shafts have adapted to them the intermediate gearing R. S is a swing
piece, such as is commonly used in spinning machinery, which carries the change
wheel R¹ of the intermediate gearing. So that the parts may be fully understood,
it may be remarked that the two inside toothed wheels, lying close to the swing
piece S, are always in gear, being on fixed centres as regards one another: the
change wheel R' (on the same axis as the upper of these inside toothed wheels)
can be brought into gear with the toothed wheel at the end of the shaft C when
the swing piece is, by means of its handle, moved up or down (the axis of the
lower inside toothed wheel acting as its pivot) according as a less or greater sized
change wheel is made use of and the machine is to be worked more slowly or more
quickly.
It will be understood that, when an article is to be screw threaded internally,
such as a nut, a tapping tool would replace the holder, and the dies would be
replaced by a suitable holder for the nut.
The means for reversing the apparatus consists of a disc T mounted on and
moving with a collar which turns on the fixed stud U sustained in supports V V,
and which collar is moved round by the aforesaid worm Q engaging with a
suitable cog wheel W on it; this disc T has on its face two pins t t¹ controlling a
catch or pawl X (mounted on the stud U) which engages an arm or lever Y by
which the belt shifters aforesaid are moved, a spring, or its equivalent, such as a
weighted lever Z, assists to return the arm or lever Y when freed from the catch
or pawl X.
The mode of action of the apparatus or machine is as follows-
The apparatus being driven by an open and by a crossed belt, one belt is on one
loose pulley M and the other on the other loose pulley M', the fixed pulley L
between the two loose pulleys will revolve in either one direction or the other,
ccordingly as either the open or the crossed belt is on it. It may be here remarked
hat experience will show which pulley is to receive the open belt and which the
crossed one, according as the apparatus or machine is wanted to work in one
lirection or the other.
When the apparatus is at rest as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the belt shifters N N'
re in a position with their respective belts on the loose pulleys, the attendant

page_text: having put a blank or article, for instance, a bolt to be screw threaded, into the
apparatus (as shown in Figure 3) then draws aside, by means of the handle at its
top, the arm or lever Y aforesaid until the catch or pawl X engages in the bottom
of the notch in such arm or lever Y (being the position shown in Figure 4) by
which time one of the belts will have been shifted until it is on the fast pulley.
As such pulley revolves, its shaft O, by means of the intermediate gearing R¹ R,
will then actuate the shaft C P along with the holder, and the article, that is the
bolt, will be turned round, the dies B B operating on the article will gradually
advance along their guides G G and screw thread it, the bolt, until the shaft C
ceases to revolve in the one direction.
Whilst the shaft C is so revolving, its worm Q is also engaging with the gearing
or toothed wheel W and moving round the disc T aforesaid, the pins i t¹ of which
control the action of the catch or pawl X aforesaid in such a way that, when the
predetermined length of screw has been given, the catch or pawl X escapes or
becomes free from the control of that one of such pins t t (which will be t) which
is pressing it, thereby freeing the arm or lever Y (by which the belt shifters N N'
are moved), which, under the action of the weighted lever Z or its equivalent, drops
back and shifts the belt, which has hitherto been on the fast pulley, off it, bringing
the other belt on to it instead. The pulley will then revolve in the reverse
direction, and, with it, the shafts OC and also the holder carrying the bolt,
thereby retiring or withdrawing the finished article; the apparatus continuing to
work until the belt shifters under the action of the catch or pawl X and (one of)
the pins t t have come into such position that both belts are on the loose pulleys;
the attendant has then only to remove the finished article, put a blank in its place,
draw the arm or lever Y to one side, when the open belt will again be on the fast
pulley and the apparatus will again work.
The position of the pin or pins t t' on the disc T may be altered as regards one
another and by means of such variation in their position, the length of screw thread
to be given to the article may be previously determined upon. For instance, and
as shown clearly in Figure 4, one of the pins, say t may move in a slot t2 cut out
in the disc T and may be held fixed at a certain desired point in such slot by means
of a check nut on the end of the pin which can be tightened up against the face of
the disc T, and so hold the pin t firm; according as this pin is fixed at a greater
or less distance from the end of its slot it will be seen that the catch or pawl X
will have a tendency to become liberated later or earlier from out of the notched
incline of the arm D, and, consequently, the arm D be made to fly back
according as a greater or less length of screw thread is required, as the sooner the
arm D flies back, the sooner the belt shifters will be reversed and the shaft C
revolve in a contrary direction, and the article being screw threaded be withdrawn
from the tools operating on it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In an apparatus or machine for the purposes specified, the employment of a
disc (such as T) with pins so arranged that, on the movement of the disc, they
control a catch or pawl X, so that a rod or lever, against which the catch or pawl
bears and which is in connection with the belt shifters, can tilt back to be free of
the catch or pawl when the latter has slipped from under that one of the pins on
the disc which has been controlling it, substantially as hereinbefore described
and shown.
2. The improved means for pre-determining the length of screw to be given by
an apparatus or machine of the kind described, which consists in forming the disc T
with one of its pins capable of adjustment, so that, by adjusting such pin at a less
or greater distance from a point on the disc, the belts, by means of the intermediate
parts, will be reversed sooner or later on to the fast pulley, substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described.

page_text: 3. The general arrangement and construction of parts forming the apparatus
or machine for cutting or forming screw threads upon bolts, nuts and the like,
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
Dated this 5th day of February 1892.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agents.