IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NUT BLANKS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CON- NECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in tho
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF NUT BLANKS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CON-
NECTED THEREWITH." A communication from abroad by Samuel Sharpless
Townsend, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
Sealed the 24th April 1877, and dated the 30th November 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th November 1876.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NUT BLANKS, AND IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH." A communication from
abroad by Samuel Sharpless Townsend, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United
States of America.
The object of this Invention is to manufacture square and six-sided nut blanks
with rapidity and precision from punched bars of iron without heating the metal,
and this object is attained in the manner and by means of the apparatus herein-
after described.
In carrying out the Invention as applied to the manufacture of square nut blanks,
for example, a block of wrought iron is employed properly secured to a bed, and
into recesses in this block are fitted and properly secured three steel dies, herein-
after termed dies No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3, the upper surface of the dies being in
the same plane with that of the block. A square reciprocating cutting plunger of
the same size as the nut is adapted to die No. 1, in which also operates a recipro-
cating ejector.
In the top of the die No. 2 is made a concave recess, above which is a recipro-
cating pressure plunger, a spindle being arranged to slide in the die, and a spring
having a tendency to force this spindle upward.
The third die, No. 3, has a square opening of the precise size of the nut to be
produced, and above this opening is a square reciprocating plunger of the same
dimensions.
Having selected a bar of appropriate size holes are punched therein of the
desired diameter at proper intervals. The bar is distorted by this punching, the.

page_text: inetal being made slightly concave at that side where the punch enters it, and the
bar being distended laterally at the points where the holes occur.
The first operation is to place the nut bar on the first die while the cutting
plunger is elevated, care being taken that the end hole of the bar be in proper
position in respect to the opening of the die, a position which may be determined
by appropriate stops or other appliances. On the descent of the plunger the four
edges of the latter acting in conjunction with the four edges of the opening in the
die will sever the bar, and at the same time shave the three sides of the severed
portion of the bar, which is thus converted into a crude quadrangular nut blank,
the blank being forced into the opening of the die prior to being expelled therefrom
by the ejector. While this crude nut blank constitutes an article of manufacture,
which may be finished by different operations, it is preferred to convert it into a
completed blank by the following operations
:-
The blank, although made truly square by the first operation described above, its
opposite faces are slightly irregular, one face being depressed, and the other slightly
convex; hence the second operation performed by the combined action of the die
No. 2 and its pressure plunger.
The crude blank is placed in the cavity of the die No. 2, and the plunger
descending subjects the blank to such pressure that one side is flattened, and
the other has the desired rounded edges imparted to it. As the pressure plunger
If desired
rises the spring spindle raises the blank above the cavity of the dic.
both sides of the nut may be thus rounded at the edges by making a proper cavity
on the upper as well as in the lower die. The pressure thus imparted to the blank
causes slight fins and protuberances on the sides of the blank, but these are removed
by the last operation performed by the die No. 3 and its plunger, the latter forcing
the blank through the die, the edges of the opening in which shave off the fius and
complete the blank.
In some cases the blank is subjected to a fourth operation simultaneously with
the third, that is, the cleaning out of the punched hole by causing the plunger last
mentioned to force the blank over a spindle simultaneously with the forcing of the
same blank through the die.
In order to conduct the before-mentioned operations machinery or apparatus is
employed constructed and arranged in the following manner :-A vertically recipro-
cating cross head is provided adapted to guides on standards or housings, which are
secured to or form a part of the bed of the machine, this bed being situate a short
distance above the base of the framework. To the under side of this cross head are
secured the above-mentioned plungers, and to recesses in a block secured to the bed
are fitted the above-mentioned dies.
The cross head is operated by an eccentric in the main shaft, which is adapted
to suitable bearings on the standards, and which is driven by any suitable system
of gearing.
At each end of the machine is a projection forming part of the bed, and each
projection has a dovetailed groove for two slides, the latter being connected together
by a spring which tends to force the slides towards each other, the movement of
the slides apart from each other being caused by a wedge at the lower end of a
A bar is
guided rod, which may be operated from the main shaft of the machine.
carried by the two slides on one side, and a similar bar is carried by the two slides
on the other side, these two bars being reciprocated in the slides, say, for example,
from the shaft through the medium of a cam and rod operating on a bell-crank
lever a bearing, on the long arm of which embraces a spindle, the latter being
adapted to bearings on continuations of bars which can slide from and towards
each other on the said spindle. These bars are provided with adjustable jaws
adapted to the nut blanks, the under sides of these jaws being very nearly in
contact with the upper surface of the block before mentioned, which is in the
same plane as the upper surfaces of the three dies previously referred to.
Two movements are imparted to the last-mentioned bars, one being a simultaneous
intermittent reciprocating movement in the slides, the other being the simultaneous

page_text: and intermittent reciprocating movement of the bars towards and from each other,
this being caused by a like movement of the slides.
The bars with their jaws automatically transfer the nut blanks from one die to
another in the following manner-Assuming that the bars have just completed
their movement during which one set of jaws has transferred a nut blank from
die No. 1 to die No. 2, & the other set of jaws has transferred another nut blank
from the die No. 2 to the die No. 3, the moment this transfer has been effected the
three plungers are brought into action, the plunger of die No. 1 severing a blank
from the nut bar, and forcing the blank into the die, the pressure plunger com-
pressing another partly finished blank against the die No. 2, and the plunger of die
No. 3 operating on a third blank, and completing the same by forcing it through its
die. The jaws had continued to grip the blanks until the plungers had commenced
to act on the same, but when a proper action on the blanks has been assured they
had been released by the wedges, which forced the bars apart from each other.
After the nuts have been thus released the bars move back, while they remain at
the limit of their movement apart from each other.
When the bars have reached such a position that one set of their jaws coincides
with the opening in the die No. 1, and the other set of jaws with the opening in
the die No. 2, the said bars remain stationary until the ejector of the die No. 1
has raised the crude nut blank from the latter, and the spindle has elevated the
blank which had been compressed against the die No. 2 by its pressure plunger.
The under sides of the blanks being now on a level with or slightly above
the upper surface of the block, and the cross head with its plungers being elevated,
the wedges are raised and the springs draw the slides, and consequently the bars
Lowards each other, so that the blank above the die No. 1 will be gripped by the
one set of jaws, and the blank above the die No. 2 by the other set of jaws after
which the bars are again moved, the blank above the die No. 1 being transferred
to a position above the die No. 2, and that above the latter die to the die No. 3.
When this transfer has been effected and the plungers have commenced to act on the
blanks, and the plunger No. 1 to sever another blank from the nut bar, the bars
will release the blanks, and again move in the rearward direction prior to a repetition
of the above movements.
In carrying out the Invention as applied to the manufacture of hexagonal nuts
the nut bar is first made, the bar being as thick as the desired nut, and having
opposite indentations alternating with angular projections of such form that the
bar shall consist of a series of united hexagonal sections, which when severed from
each other become crude hexagonal nut blanks.
Having made a number of these bars by rolling, swagging, or otherwise, a series
of holes of the desired diameter is punched in then, one hole through each hexagonal
section. This punching of the bar has the effect of slightly distorting the sections;
the projections on the bar, morcover, are in a comparatively rough condition, so
that the sections if severed from the bar would not be true hexagons, hence the
adoption of the following branch of the process-A dic is made of hardened steel
and properly secured to a suitable bed, the die having a hexagonal opening some-
what smaller than the crude nut blank, and of the precise size and form of the
finished blank. Directly above the opening in the die is a guided ram, to which a
vertical reciprocating motion is imparted by any suitable mechanism, the ram being
by preference hexagonal, and of the same size as the opening in the die.
attendant, holding the nut bar in his hand, places the end section in the proper
position on the die, and the descending ram forces this section through the opening
in the die, thereby severing the section from the bar with a clean cut, and at the
same time shaving the five sides of the blank, which is thus converted into a true
hexagonal nut blank; section after section of the nut bar is thus operated on.
The
In order to facilitate the adjustment and proper centering of each section there
may be on the under side of the ram a projection adapted to the holes in the bar,
so that when the ram is elevated the attendant can raise the bar and adjust it to
the projection of the ram before the latter descends.

page_text: The bar may be severed into crude nut blanks prior to the forcing of the same
through the die, but the operation is much facilitated by severing a section from the
bar simultaneously with the shaving of the sides of that action.
It will be evident that the above-described machine may be used for the manu-
facture of hexagonal nut blanks, the gripping jaws and dies being made to accord
with the desired blanks.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
May 1877.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NUT BLANKS, AND IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH." A communication from abroad
by Samuel Sharpless Townsend, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of
America.
The said Invention has for its object the manufacture of square and six-sided nut
blanks with rapidity and precision from punched bars of iron without heating the
metal, and this object is attained in the manner and by means of the machinery or
apparatus herein-after described.
Before the machinery employed for carrying the said Invention into effect is
described it will be well to explain the mode of manufacturing square nut blanks
as illustrated by Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1
being a perspective view of the punched nut bar; Figure 2, a vertical section
(drawn to a reduced scale) of the dies and their appurtenances; and Figures 3, 4,
and 5 perspective views of the nuts as they appear in different stages of the
manufacture.
In Figure 2 B is a block of wrought iron properly secured to a bed B¹, and into
recesses in this block are fitted and properly secured the three steel dies D, D¹,
and D, the upper surface of the dies being in the same plane with that of the
block.
A square reciprocating cutting plunger E of the same size as the nut is
adapted to the die D, in which also operates a reciprocating ejector F.
In the top of the die D¹ is made a concave recess, above which is the reci-
procating pressure plunger E', a spindle F' being arranged to slide in the die D',
and a spring u having a tendency to force this spindle upwards.
The third die D has a square opening of the precise size of the nut to be pro-
duced, and above this opening is a square reciprocating plunger E" of the same
dimensions.
Having selected a bar A of appropriate size holes are punched therein of the
desired diameter at proper intervals. The bar is distorted by this punching, the
metal being made slightly concave at that side where the punch enters it, and the
bar being distended laterally at the points where the holes occur.
The first operation is to place the nut bar on the first die D while the cutting
plunger E is elevated, care being taken that the end hole of the bar be in proper
position in respect to the opening of the die, a position which may be determined
by appropriate stops or other appliances. On the descent of the plunger E the four
edges of the latter acting in conjunction with the four edges of the opening in the
die D will sever the bar on the line a, and at the same time shave the three sides
of the severed portion of the bar, which is thus converted into a crude quadrangular
nut blank (Figure 3), the blank being forced into the opening of the die prior to
being expelled therefrom by the ejector F. Although this crude nut blank con-
stitutes an article of manufacture which may be finished by different operations it
is preferred to convert it into a completed blank by the following operations:-
The blank, Figure 3, although made truly square by the first operation described

page_text: above, has its opposite faces slightly irregular, one face being depressed and the
other slightly convex, hence the necessity for the second operation performed by
the combined action of the die D' and pressure plunger E¹.
The crude blank, Figure 3, is placed in the cavity of the die D₁, and the
plunger E descending subjects the blank to such pressure that one side is flattened
and the other has the desired rounded edges imparted to it (see Figure 4). As the
pressure plunger E' rises the spring spindle Fraises the blank above the cavity y
of the die D. If desired both sides of the nut may be thus rounded at the edges
by making a proper cavity on the upper as well as in the lower die. The pressure
thus imparted to the blank causes slight fins and protuberances on the sides of
the blank, but these are removed by the last operation performed by the die D¹
and plunger E, the latter forcing the blank through the dic, the edges of the
opening in which shave off the fins and complete the blank.
In some cases the blank is subjected to a fourth operation simultaneously with
the third, that is, the cleaning out of the punched hole by causing the plunger E
to force the blank over a spindle simultaneously with the forcing of the same blank
through the die D¹¹.
Figure 6 represents a front view of the machine by which the above operations
are conducted; Figure 7 is a sectional plan, the section being taken along the
line 1, 2, (Figure 6); Figure 8, a vertical section taken along the line 3, 4,
(Figure 6); and Figure 9, an end view of the same, all corresponding to
Figure 6.
Figures 10, 11, 12, and 13 are views of a nut bar and mechanism for producing
finished hexagonal nuts from the bar.
G is a vertically reciprocating cross head adapted to guides a¹ on the standards or
housings B, B, which are secured to or form a part of the bed B' of the machine,
this bed being situate a short distance above the base B of the framework. To
the under side of this cross head are secured the above mentioned plungers E, E,
and E, and to recesses in the block B secured to the bed B are fitted the above-
mentioned dies D, D', and D¹¹.
The cross head G is operated by an eccentric bon the main shaft H, which is
adapted to suitable bearings on the standards B", B, and is driven by any suitable
system of gearing (the eccentric rod for connecting the eccentric with the cross head
being omitted in the Drawing).
At each end of the machine is a projection d forming part of the bed B', and each
projection has a dovetailed groove for the two slides I, 1', the latter being con-
nected together by a spring e which tends to force the slides towards each other,
whilst the movement of the slides apart from each other is caused by a wedge fat
the lower end of a guided rod J which may be operated from the main shaft H of
the machine in a manner which it has not been deemed necessary to illustrate in
the Drawing. A bar K is carried by the two slides I, I, and a similar bar K' is
carried by the two slides 1', I, these two bars being reciprocated in the slides in the
present example from the shaft H through the medium of a cam and rod operating
on a bell-crank lever L, a bearing on the long arm of which embraces a spindle m,
the latter being adapted to bearings fitted on continuations of the bars K, K', and
which are capable of sliding with the bars from and towards each other on the said
spindle. The bars K, K¹, are provided with adjustable jaws n, n', and p, p, adapted
to the nut blanks, the under sides of these jaws being very nearly in contact with
the upper surface of the block B which is in the same plane as the upper surfaces of
the three dies previously referred to.
Two movements are imparted to the bars K. and K', one being a simultaneous in-
termittent reciprocating movement in the slides I, I, and I, I', the other being the
simultaneous and intermittent reciprocating movement of the bars towards and from
each other, this being caused by a like movement of the slides.
As it is immaterial what mechanism may be employed to actuate these bars, and
as I do not desire to confine myself to any specific devices for that purpose it will

page_text: suffice to explain the manner in which the bars with their jaws automatically
transfer the nut blanks from one die to another.
As shown in the plan view, Figure 7, the bars K and K¹ have just completed
their movement in the direction of the arrow, during which movement the jaws n, n³,
have transferred a nut blank from the die D to the die D', and the jaws p, p, have
transferred another nut blank from the die D' to the die D. The moment this
transfer has been effected the three plungers E, E, and E" are brought into action
the plunger E severing a blank from the nut bar and forcing the blank into the
die D, the pressure plunger E' compressing another partly finished blank against the
die D and the plunger E operating on a third blank and completing the same by
forcing it through the die D. The jaws had continued to grip the blanks until
the plungers commenced to act on the same, but when a proper action on the blanks
had been assured they had been released by the wedges ff, which forced the bars
apart from each other. After the nuts have been thus released the bars K, K., move
back in a direction contrary to that indicated by the arrows, while they remain at
the limit of their movement apart from each other.
When the bars K, K, have reached such a position that their jaws n, n, coincide
with the opening in the die D and the jaws p, p, with the opening in the die D¹,
the said bars remain stationary until the ejector F of the die D has raised the crude
mut blank from the latter and the spindle has elevated the blank which had been
compressed against the bar D1 by the pressure plunger El. The under sides of the
blanks being now on a level with or slightly above the upper surface of the block B,
and the cross head with its plungers being elevated, the wedges f, f, are raised and
the springs e draw the slides 1, I', and consequently the bars K, K', towards each
other, so that the blank above the die D will be gripped by the jaws n, n¹, and the
blank above the die D¹ by the jaws p, p, after which the bars K, K¹, are again
moved in the direction of the arrow, Figure 7, the blank above the die D being
transferred to a position above the die D, and that above the latter die to the
die D. When this transfer has been effected and the plungers have commenced to
act on the blanks and the plunger D to sever another blank from the nut bar the
bars K, K', will release the blanks and again move in the rearward direction prior
to a repetition of the above described movements.
Figures 10, 11, 12, and 13 illustrate the improvement in the manufacture of
hexagonal nuts.
In carrying out this part of the Invention, the first operation is the manufacture
of the nut bar, shown in Figures 10 and 11, the bar being as thick as the desired
nut, and having opposite indentations & alternating with angular projections t of
such form that the bar shall consist of a series of united hexagonal sections which
when severed from each other on the dotted lines a, a, become crude hexagonal nut
blanks (I wish it to be understood that no claim is made to this nut bar, as it has
been previously adopted for facilitating the manufacture of hexagonal nuts by
forging).
Having made a number of these bars by rolling, swaging, or otherwise, a series
of holes of the desired diameter is punched in them, one hole through each hexagonal
section, as shown in Figure 11. This punching of the bar has the effect of slightly
distorting the sections; the projections on the bar moreover are in a comparatively
rough condition, so that the sections if severed from the bar would not be true
hexagons, hence the adoption of the following branch of the process.
A die 2 is
made of hardened steel and properly secured to a suitable bed; the die having a hexa-
gonal opening 3 somewhat smaller than the crude nut blank, and of the precise size
and form of the finished blank. Directly above the opening in the die 2 is a guided
ram to which a vertical reciprocating motion is imparted by any suitable
mechanism; the ram being by preference hexagonal and of the same size as the
opening in the die. The attendant holding the nut bar in his hand places the end
section in its proper position on the die, and the descending ram 4 forces this section
through the opening in the die, thereby severing the section from the bar with a
clean cut, and at the same time shaving the five sides of the blank, which is thus

page_text: converted into a true hexagonal nut blank. Section after section of the nut bar is
thus operated on.
In order to facilitate the adjustment and proper centering of each section there
may be provided on the under side of the rain a projection adapted to the holes in
the bar, so that when the ram is elevated, the attendant can raise the bar and adjust
it to the projection of the ram before the latter descends.
The bar may be severed into crude nut blanks prior to the forcing of the same
through the die, but the operation is much facilitated by severing a section from
the bar simultaneously with the shaving of the sides of that section.
It will be evident that the machine herein-before described may be used for the
manufacture of hexagonal nut blanks, the gripping jaws and dies being made to
accord with the desired blanks.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect,
I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,
First. The mode of manufacturing crude square nut blanks of cold iron by first
punching a bar A; and, secondly, severing the said bar, and at the same time
shaving the sides of the severed blank, substantially as herein-before described.
Second. The mode of manufacturing of cold iron finished nut blanks by the
following consecutive operations, that is to say, first, punching a bar A; secondly,
severing a blank from the bar, and at the same time shaving the blank; thirdly, com-
pressing the said blank and chamfering the top or bottom, or both, of the same;
and, fourthly, shaving from the sides of the blank the fins and other irregularities
caused by the chamfering process, all substantially as herein-before described.
Third. The combination in a nut making machine of a reciprocating plunger E,
a die D, and a reciprocating ejector F, with a device whereby the blank raised to
the top of the die may be automatically removed prior to the formation of another
blank by the combined action of the said plunger E and die D.
Fourth. The combination of the reciprocating plunger E', the die D', and its
cavity y and the ejector F'.
Fifth. The combination of the dies D, D', and their ejectors, and the plungers E, E¹,
with automatic mechanism, whereby a blank may be transferred from the die I) to
the die D¹.
Sixth. The combination of the simultaneously reciprocating plungers E, E, and
E with the dies D, D', and D, and mechanism, whereby a blank may be
transferred from the die D' to the die D¹ simultaneously with the transfer of a
blank from the die D to the die D'.
Seventh. The combination of the bars K, K', having jaws n, n³, and p, p², with
mechanism for imparting to them the two movements herein described, so as to
operate in conjunction with the three plungers and three dies in the manner herein-
before described.
Eighth. The combination of the intermittently reciprocating slides I, I, and I¹, 14,
with the intermittently reciprocating bars K, K³, adapted to the slides, and having
adjustable jaws n, n', and p, p¹.
Ninth. The mode of manufacturing hexagonal nut blanks by first reducing the
bar to a series of united hexagonal sections; secondly, punching the sectons;
and, thirdly, severing section after section from the bar, and shaving the sides of
each section by forcing it through the hexagonal opening of a dic, all substantially
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of May, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-seven
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)