Improvements in Riveting Apparatus.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 21st Aug., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
. Improvements in Riveting Apparatus.
I ELIAB GUNNELL of 10052 Ewing Avenue Chicago, State of Illinois, United States
of America, Machinist 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 novel dovice is intended for use in riveting metal plates or shapes together,
where the shank of the rivet is passed through coincident holes in the plates, and its
head is held against the surface of one of the plates while the opposite end of the
rivet is battered down and headed with a suitable hammer. It is intended more
particularly for use in riveting upon large heavy structures, such as boilers, the steel
hulls of ships and other vessels, and similar work, where riveting machines cannot be
conveniently employed and where the work of riveting must be done by hand. It is
the present practice in such work for one workinan to hold the rivet in position, with
its head against the surface of the plate at one side, by means of a heavy hammer-head
or other suitable piece of metal which he presses against the head of the rivet, while
the projecting end of the shank of the rivet at the opposite side of the plates is struck
with hammers by two other workmen and battered down and headed. The hammer-
head or other holding device which the first workmau employs to hold the rivet in
position is generally called the "holder-on," and the workiman himself is designated
by that name. In heavy work it is necessary to employ two such men, with two
hammer-heads or holding devices, in order to properly hold the rivet up against the
plates, while two men are employed to haminer the end of the rivet at the opposite
Bide of the plates, and where it is desired to finish the latter end of the rivet with a
rounded head a suitable heading tool or "button set" is held against the end of the
rivet by one of the two workmen, after the end of the rivet has been partially battered
down, while the blows of the hammer are delivered to such tool by the other workman..
The "holders-on" have to receive the shock of the hammer blows upon the opposite
end of the rivet, which is a very considerable strain upon them, while the workman
who holds the heading tool, where one is used, is also subjected to more or less shock
from the blows of the hammer. My invention may be said to consist of a novel
pneumatic "holder-on" which takes the place of the workman or workinen and the
hammer-head or other holding device heretofore employed for holding the rivet in.
position, with its hond against one side of the plate, while its opposite end is being
hammered upon. It is especially adapted for use where pneumatic hammers are
employed in place of the usual hand hammers for heading the rivets, since where anch
hammers are used for that purpose it has been found especially difficult for the
"holder-on" heretofore employed to properly hold the rivet in position, while my
novel device perfectly performs that work.
Having thus indicated the general nature and purpose of my invention I will
proceed to a description of it in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
in which Figure 1 represents an elevation partly in section, showing my invention iu
use in connection with a pneumatic haminer, in the act of riveting a pair of plates
together; and Figure 2 an enlarged detail partly in section of the piston and

page_text: renovable head of tho rivet holder or "holder-on," the pair of plates, the rivet passed
through then, and the head of the riveting tool of the pneumatic hammer.
The same letters of reference are employed to represent corresponding parts in the
two views.
In the drawinga A A' may be taken to represent two over-lapping metal plates
which are to be riveted together, and which are held in fixed position, ns, for instance,
forming part of a boiler or other large and heavy piece of work. B is the rivet passed
through coincident holes in the two plates and provided with a head C fitting against
the outer side of the plate A. Now, as before explained, under the present practice
upon work such as I have indicated one or two workmen would hold the head of the
rivet up against the plate A with a suitable holding device, while the
projecting right hand end of the rivet would be battered down and headed upon
the outer side of the plate A by the blows of hand hammers. My novel device for
holding the rivet in position with its head against the plate A is interposed between
Buch plate and any convenient fixed support or abutment, with its rivet-holding end
bearing against the head C of the rivet, and its opposite end bearing against such
fixed support, while the pneumatic pressure is employed to hold it firmly in such.
position and press its rivet-holding end against the head of the rivet, and yet permit
it to be released and readily moved from one rivet to another. In Figure 1 of the
Drawings D represents a cylinder closed at its left hand end by a plug E and having
screwed upon its right hand end a cap or cylinder head through which passes the
rod G of the piston H fitting within the cylinder. The extreme right hand ond of
the piston rod G is tapped to receive the threaded shank of a removable rivet-holding
head I which is provided with a recess adapted to fit the head C of the rivet B.
Screwed into the cylinder D-near its left hand end is a short section of pipe J which
has interposed in it a three-way cock K, and to which is connected a flexible tube I
leading to a source of supply of compressed air. Screwed upon the left hand end of
the cylinder D is a section of pipe M whose left hand end abuts against the fixed
support N, and in the present instance is shown provided with cap O. P represents a
pneumatic hammer of familiar construction to which compressed air is supplied
through a flexible tube Q, and in whose left hand end fits the shank of the riveting
tool R wliose head is provided with a suitable recess S to act upon the projecting end
of the rivet slank B.
Now, undor the construction and arrangement of parts above described, when the
liandle of the cock K is turned to admit compressed air to the cylinder D behind the
piston H the air so admitted will press the piston and piston rod to the right and the
cylinder D and pipe M to the left against the support N, and cause the rivet-holding
head I to bear against the head C of the rivet with a force determined by the degree
of air pressure and area of the piston H, and firmly hold the rivet in position
while the projecting end of its shank is battered down and headed by the tool R of
the pneumatic hammer P. Upon turning the handle of the cock K to position to cut
off the supply of compressed air and open the exhaust from the cylinder D the piston
rod G may be readily moved to the left to disengage its holding hend I from the head
of the rivet, and the whole device be moved opposite the next rivet, whereupon by
again turning the handle of the cock K to position to close the exhaust and admit
compressed air to the cylinder D the holding-head I will be pressed firmly against
the head of the new rivet, to hold it in position while its opposite end is worked
upon.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that my novel device may be moved
from one rivet to another with great facility, and that when placed in position over
any rivet and supplied with compressed air it will hold the head of the rivet firmly in
position while the opposite end of the rivet is being worked upon. As heretofore
explained, in heavy work it has been common under the old method to employ four
men in the operation of riveting, whereas it will be understood from the foregoing
description that by the employment of my novel holding device in connection with a
pneumatic hammer two men can do the same work very much more rapidly and in a

page_text: very much better manner than could the four men before, while the shock and strain
upon the "holders-on" heretofore employed, as well as upon the workmen who held
the "button-set" or heading tool, are entirely obviated. It is furthermore possible
for a single workman to carry on the operation of riveting alone, moving from one sido
of the plates to the other to alternately adjust the holding device and operate the
hammer, which was not possible under the old method.
A number of pipes M of different lengths may be used in connection with the same
cylinder D according to the distance between the plates being riveted and the most
convenient support for the end of the pipe M to abut against. The cylinder D will
of course permit of an adjustment of approximately the full length of the cylinder,
and where this is sufficient the pipe M may be dispensed with and the left hand end
of the cylinder be allowed to abut against the support.
The piston shown in the drawing is composed of the head or disk H formed upon
the rod G, the nut $ screwed upon the reduced threaded end of the rod G, and the
leather packing cup U confined between the nut S and head H and surrounding the
nut, the nut being provided with a circumferential groove to which the air pressuro
is admitted through a passage W in the nut, to cause the leather cup U to be pressed
outward against the boro of the cylinder; but any other suitable form of piston may
bo employed. It will be understood that the cylinder D is provided at its right hand
end with an air vent which will permit ingress and egress of the atmosphere at that
end of the cylinder as the piston is moved in one direction or another. In the present
instance the piston rod G may be assumed to fit loosely enough in the hole in the
cap F to furnish such air vent.
The provision of the removable holding head I permits heads having different forms
of recesses, to fit different rivet heads, to be substituted for one another upon the
piston rod as occasion may require.
In the device which I have in practical use the cylindor D is composed of a two-
inch pipe, which with air pressure at from seventy-five to one hundred pounds per
square inch upon the piston H serves to hold the rivets in position with sufficient
firmness for satisfactory work. The cylinder may of course be of greater or less length,
according to the range of adjustment desired, that which I have in use being eighteen
inches in length, while the piston rod is about double that length. The lengths of
the pipes M, where a number of them are provided, will of course vary with the
additional range of adjustment desired for the device.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The herein described pneumatic "holder-on" for riveting, adapted to be
interposed betweon the work being riveted aud a fixed support or abutinent and to
bear against the head of the rivet and hold it in position while its opposite end is
being hammered down and headed, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In the operation of riveting as described, the combination of a pneumatic
"holder-on" adapted to be interposed between the work being riveted and a fixed
support or abutment and to bear against the head of the rivet and hold it in position,
in combination with a convenient pneumatic hammer and heading-tool operating
upon the opposite end of the rivet to haminer it down and head it while the rivet is
held by the "holder-on," substantially as set forth.
3. A pneumatic "holder-on" for riveting, composed of the cylinder D containing
the piston 1f having the rod G projecting through the head of the cylinder and
provided at its end with the holding head I, the pipe J connected to the rear end of
the cylinder and having the flexible air supply tube L connected to it, and the three-
way cock K in the pipe J, substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. A pneumatic "holder-on" for riveting, composed of the cylinder D containing
the piston H having the rod G provided with the holding head I, and means for
admitting and releasing air at the rear end of the cylinder D, in combination with the

page_text: pipe M detachably secured to the rear end of the cylinder D, substantially as and for
the purpose described.
Dated the 27th day of August 1896.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, Agents to Applicant.