IMPROVEMENTS IN RIVETTING, PUNCHING, AND SHEARING APPARATUS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hector Mac Coll, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hector Mac Coll at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd November 1875.
I, HECTOR MAC COLL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RIVETTING, PUNCHING, AND SHEARING APPARATUS," to
be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object the prevention of excessive and
injurious strains in rivetting, punching, and shearing apparatus when
driven by gearing or mechanism having a positive and definite stroke,
and the improvements allow of the strain exerted being known, and of
its being easily controlled and adjusted.

page_text: The Invention consists in interposing between two parts of a ram
through which the strain is transmitted to the rivetting die, or punch, or
shearing cutter, a confined space filled with a liquid which has access to
a loaded valve. As long as the strain transmitted does not exceed what
corresponds to the load on the valve the liquid in the confined space
simply acts as a solid part of the ram, but on such strain being exceeded
(from excessive resistance or otherwise) a part of the liquid passes
through the loaded valve, and thereby relieves the excess of strain.
One
In carrying out the Invention according to one modification the ram
is in two separate parts, which work through cupped washers in the
opposite ends of a cylinder, the interior of which cylinder between the
two parts of the ram is filled with water or other suitable liquid. The
interior of the cylinder is provided with an outlet closed by a loaded
valve; and a separate inlet valve is also provided for the return of any
expelled liquid on the return stroke of the rams or part rams.
ram is made to draw back the other by means of an internal rod and
screwed nut, one of which can be adjusted in position by turning the
outer ram; and by these means the distance to which the outer rain is
projected during the stroke can be regulated. A pressure gauge may
be put in communication with the confined liquid, and will indicate the
strain actually exerted at any part of the stroke.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Hector Mac Coll in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd May 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HECTOR
MAC COLL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of November, 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 me, the said Hector Mac Coll, Her special
licence, that I, the said Hector Mac Coll, my executors, administrators, ·
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Hector Mac Coll, my exe-
.

page_text: cutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ircland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RIVETTING, PUNCHING, AND SHEARING APPARATUS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Hector Mac Coll, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, 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 Hector Mac Coll, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object the prevention of excessive and
injurious strains in rivetting, punching, and shearing apparatus, when
driven by gearing or mechanism having a positive and definite stroke;
and my improvements allow of the strain exerted being known, and
of its being easily controlled and adjusted.
My Invention consists in interposing between two parts of a ram
through which the strain is transmitted to the rivetting dic, or punch,
or shearing cutter, a confined space filled with a liquid which has access
to a loaded valve. As long as the strain transmitted does not exceed
what corresponds to the load on the valve the liquid in the confined
space simply acts as a solid part of the ram, but on such strain being
exceeded (from excessive resistance or otherwise) a part of the liquid
passes through the loaded valve, and thereby relieves the excess of
strain. The confined liquid may be interposed in various ways, so as
to prevent the strain exerted between any two parts of the apparatus
from exceeding a predetermined amout; thus, where the strain is
transmitted by a lever the fulcrum may be made to yield by forcing
liquid out of a confined space through a loaded valve, or the resisting
or holding-up die or block may be arranged to yield in a similar way
when the proper strain is exceeded.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood, I hereunto append a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to, and representing
some examples of the application of my improvements. In these
Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or
like parts wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a longitudinal vertical
section, and Figure 2 is a back elevation, of a rivetting machine. It is
unnecessary to describe the framing or gearing in detail, as I make no
claim respecting these parts and as they will be easily understood from
the Drawings. A transverse horizontal crank shaft 1 made to rotate
by means of suitable gearing between it and a first motion shaft 2,
having on it a pulley for a driving belt, imparts a horizontal recipro-
cating movement to a ram, which is in two parts 3, 4, made in this
example of malleable iron, and turned to fit and work through a bore in
a massive part 5 of the main frame casting. The borc in the part 5
serves as a guide for the ram 3, 4, and is fitted with cup leathers on
each side of a middle space, a part 6 of which, between the two parts
3 and 4 of the ram is filled with liquid. This liquid is in communication
by a passage 7 with a valve 8, which is loaded by a spring 9 (or it might
be by a weighted lever or direct weight), and which is situated in a
cistern 10; and when the ram 3, 4, is subjected to a strain exceeding
what corresponds to the load on the valve 8 this valve opens and allows
some liquid to pass out into the cistern 10 from the space 6 between the
two parts of the ram. On the return inwards of the ram any liquid
which has been forced out passes back to the space 6 through an inlet
valve 11 provided for the purpose and opened either by the liquid itself
or by a lever 12 on a spindle passing through the side of the cistern, an
arm 13 on the outer end of the spindle, and indicated by dotted lines in
Figure 1 being acted on by a cam piece 14 on one of the spur wheels
on the crank shaft. The full backward travel of the outer part 4 of the
ram is insured by means of a bolt 15 screwed into the part 3 acted on
by the crank and projecting into a bore in the outer part 4. Nuts 16
are screwed on the end of the bolt, and when moving back bear against
a ring screwed into the mouth of the bore, so that one part 3 of the ram
pulls back the other part 4 as soon as the space 6 has refilled to the
proper extent with liquid.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the main part of a modi.

page_text: fication, in which one part 3 of the ram is made in the form of a
cylinder, having the liquid space 6 within it, and also a piston 17
attached to the other ram part 4.
Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section corresponding to Figure 3.
The valve apparatus 8, 11, &c., is mounted on the cylinder, and com-
municates with a cistern (not shown) by a flexible pipe 18 This
cistern may be placed sufficiently high for the consequent head of water
to refill the space 6 and cause the two ram parts 3, 4, to become
sufficiently separated during each backward movement. The neck of
the outer ram part 4 is screwed, and has on it a nut 19, which is
prevented from turning by a feather fitting a groove in the cylinder,
and which can be adjusted by turning the outer ram part 4, so as to
limit the extent to which the two ram parts 3, 4, can be separated, and
thereby regulate the length of stroke. The cylinder part 3 is in this
example supposed to be made of malleable cast iron or steel.
Figuro 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of a modification in which
an outer annular holder or compressor 20 is combined with the rivetting
ram part 4. The compressor 20 is attached to an annular ram 21
packed to work inside the cylindrical bore of the back ram part 3, and
the other ram part 4 is packed to work inside the annular ram 21.
When the crank shaft 1 moves the parts forwards the compressor 20
first compresses together and holds the two plates that are being rivetted,
and on the compressor's motion being arrested the remaining movement
takes effect in forcing forward the rivetting ram part 4. The parts are
drawn back by a cross bar 22 passing through slots in the parts 4, 21,
and held by a ring, the movement of which within the cylindrical back
part 3 is limited.
Figures 6 and 7 are vertical sections, as at right angles to each
other, of a modification in which the parts introduced to carry out my
Invention are arranged in what constitutes a short connecting rod
between the crank 1 and one end of a lever 23, the other end of which
has jointed on it the block 24, having the rivetting die attached to it.
The fulcrum of the lever 23 is represented as fitted with an eccentric
bush, by adjusting which the stroke of the block 24 can be modified.
In the connecting rod parts one, 3, which is jointed on the crank 1, is
made as a ram and works within the other 4, which is made as a
cylinder and is jointed to the lever 23. The valve details are carried

page_text: by the cylinder part 4, and are connected by a flexible pipe 18 to a
cistern (not shown).
Figures 8 and 9 are vertical sections, as at right angles to each other,
of a modification in which my improved relief apparatus is applied to
the fulcrum of a lever 23, through which the force for rivetting is
transmitted. The fulcrum pin 25 is held in a forked part of a ram
piece 3 which works in a cylinder 4 formed in a part of the stationary
framing; and this cylinder contains water or other liquid, and has
valve details and a cistern in connection with it, as in the examples
herein before described. When the predetermined strain is exceeded
the ram 3 yields and with it the fulcrum pin 25, with the same result
as in any of the other modifications. The fulcrum pin 25 is made with
eccentric journals to allow adjustment of the position of the lever 23,
the pin being turned by means of a worm wheel 26 and worm (the latter
not shown). The weight of the lever 23 will be sufficient to draw
down the fulcrum pin 25 with the ram 4 after it has yielded at any
time, its descent being limited by a stop placed below.
In some cases it will be most convenient to apply my relief apparatus
to the resisting or holding up die or block, which will in such cases be
attached to or form part of a ram working in a cylinder formed in or
fixed to the head of the standard 27. The interior of the cylinder,
which should be filled with water or other liquid, should communicate
by a pipe with a closed cistern or vessel arranged and loaded like an
"accumulator" to the desired pressure.
Figures 10 and 11 are sectional elevations, as at right angles to each
other, showing the adaptation of my improved relief apparatus to a
combined shearing and punching machine. The slides 4 carrying the
moving cutter and the punch respectively are formed with cylindrical
bores or spaces 6 for the confined liquid, and rams 3 which enter these
bores are directly acted on by the cranks 1 on the main revolving shaft.
The valve details are fitted at the top of each slide, and communicate
by flexible pipes 18 with a cistern 10 placed on the highest part of the
machine.

page_text: In a rivetting machine provided with my improvements a prolonged
squeeze can be applied when desirable, and the duration of the com-
pression can be varied as required, whilst the maximum pressure can be
quickly adjusted to suit the work. No power is wasted in uselessly, if
not injuriously, straining the machine, but the work done is a full
equivalent for the power expended.
A pressure gauge 28, Figure 1, may be put in communication with
the confined liquid 6, and will indicate the strain actually exerted at
any part of the stroke.
.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I have to state that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that
what I believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,
the interposing in rivetting, punching, and shearing apparatus driven
by gearing having a positive and definite stroke of a confined space
filled with liquid and having an outlet valve loaded to correspond to the.
maximum strain desired to be exerted, substantially as and for the
purposes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hector Mac Coll, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
H. MAC COLL. (L.S.)