Improvements in Apparatus for Facing, Boring, Tapping and Finishing Nuts and similar Articles.
Year: 1895

page_text: :
Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 16th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Facing, Boring, Tapping and
Finishing Nuts and similar Articles.
We, BABCOCK & WILCOX, LIMITED, of 147 Queen Victoria Street, in the
City of Loudon, Steam Boiler Manufacturers, and OSCAR HARMER, Engineer at
Babcock & Wilcox, Limited, 21 Bothwell Street, in the City of Glasgow, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention which relates to apparatus for facing, boring, tapping and
finishing nuts more especially cap nuts of the class described in the Specification
of Patent No. 6961 of 1886 and for similarly operating on like articles has mainly
for its object to lessen the time required in effecting the series of operations to
which each article is subjected and thus increase the output of the finished goods.
The improved apparatus is designed to replace that class of lathe or machine
in which a single nut or other article is held in a rotating chuck and operated ou
successively by a number of tools carried on a multiple tool holder; and it is
arranged to carry a number of the nuts or articles to be operated on, generally one
in excess of the number of the operations to be effected; and the several operations
are performed by separate tools acting simultaneously the articles being as regards
completion cach a stage in advance of that adjoining it, so that for each blank
placed in the machine a completely finished nut or other article. is removed.
The machine comprises a framing having at one end a headstock fitted with an
intermittently rotated face-plate on which are a number of chucks arranged in a
circle and each holding a nut or nut blank or other article to be operated on, the
chucks being preferably eight in number in dealing with cap nuts for which there
are seven separate tools used.
The tools are held and operated ench by separate spindles carried in a head
stock opposite the face-plate and driven by gearing placed within the machine
frame. They embrace (1) a cutter for rough-facing the nut and beveling the edge
(2) a cutter for coning the mouth of the hole cored in the nut (3) a milling cutter
for finishing the face of the nut (4) a drill or boring tool for boring out the hole in
the nut (5) a taper tap (6) an intermediate tap and (7) a plug tap for screw-
threading the hole in the nut.
The spindles carrying the tools Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, while revolving, are advanced,
towards the faces of the nuts longitudinally by means of cams, at first rapidly:
until the cutters come into action, and then more slowly but at a suitable speed to.
give the necessary feed to the tools during the cutting operation. As soon as this
is completed the spindles are rapidly drawn back to their original position.. The
cams advance the spindles by operating upon the lower ends of levers whose ends.
are, provided with rollers which bear against the cams, while the upper ends are
connected to collars upon the ends of the spindles, the fulcrums of the levers being
placed between the cams and the spindles. The fulcrums are arranged so
that they may be moved to give a different ratio of movement to the ends of the
levers.
The spindles Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, are drawn back by the action of tension springs
upon the lower ends of the levers which compel the rollers to follow the peripheries
of the cams. Spindles Nos. 5, 6. 7, which carry the taps are drawn back by
reversing their direction of rotation.
-retracted
These spindles being used for tapping the nuts, are not advanced or
by cams, but are provided with sleeves which revolve with the spindles, the sleeves

page_text: having each a screw thread cut upon the outside of the same pitch as the tap.
The sleeves revolve in a fixed nut, so that the spindle may advance with the tap
to its work, and feed up the tap at the same rate as the tap enters the hole.
Upon the tapping operation. being completed, the direction of rotation of
spindles Nos. 5, 6, 7, is reversed automatically by means of a clutch which is
operated by a lever actuated by a cam.
The clutch is so arranged that it may either rotate the tapping spindles in the
direction for tapping, or in the reverse direction at an increased speed for with-
drawing the taps.
In either case the clutch operates by engaging with one or the other of two
trains of spur gears.
Upon the whole of the spindles.completing their respective operations, they are
drawn back to their original positions clear of the nuts, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, by the
springs pulling upon the cam, levers and Nos. 5, 6, 7, by their direction of rotation
being reversed and the taps being screwed out of the nuts as described.
The face-plate containing the nuts is now made to make an eighth or other
portion of a revolution automatically, so that the nut which was formerly operated
upon by No. 1 spindle, is now opposite No. 2 and the nut operated upon by No. 2
opposite No. 3 and so on.
As the face-plate carries eight chucks, or one more than the total number of
spindles, when it is turned the nut which has received the final operation of the
finishing tap comes opposite a vacant space between Nos. 7 and No. 1 spindles,
and is removed and replaced by a blank or rough nut from the stock to be operated
upon.
The face-plate carrying the nuts is automatically turned by means of a weighted
lever, which is lifted by a cam on a spindle operated by a worm shaft and in the
descent of the lever the face-plate is caused to make a portion of a revolution.
The lever is so mounted as to swing about the centre of the face plate spindle
and upon this spindle is secured a ratchet wheel, and also a disc having eight
notches. The ratchet wheel is used in conjunction with a pawl for the purpose of
turning the face-plate, and the notched disc is used in conjunction with a spring
catch for the purpose of locking the face-plate. The weighted lever in its ascent
lifts the spring catch out of the notch at the same time causing the pawl to slip
over the next tooth in the ratchet wheel. At the end of the lift the cam allows
the weighted lever to descend rapidly and the pawl being attached to the lever
and in gear with the ratchet wheel, this and the face-plate are caused to revolve
by the action of the weight, until the next notch in the disc comes opposite the
spring catch, which immediately engaging therewith, the further rotation of the
face-plate is prevented, and the face-plate is firmly held until the next ascent of
the lever. The operation of turning is timed by the rotation of the cam so that it
commences immediately after the spindles carrying the various cutters are drawn
back clear of the nuts, and is completed immediately before the spindles are
advanced with the cutters into contact with the nuts, the face-plate being firmly
held during the cutting operation.
The worm shaft which actuates the spindle carrying the cam through worm
gear, is provided with a flanged friction coupling so as to allow the turning
mechanism to be set in any relation to the worm shaft, so that the turning of the
face-plate can be arranged with any desirable relation to the position of the
spindles. The worm shaft is driven by a train of gears arranged 'so that
the relative speed of this, and the centre shaft driving the spindles, may be
varied.
Each and every spindle is provided with an independent longitudinal adjustment
by means of screwed sleeves.
.
To ensure that the second and third taps will properly enter the thread in the
hole in the nut to avoid stripping the already cut thread the tool holder carrying
the taps is fitted with a spring or springs interposed between the jaw part actually
holding the tap and its driver on the spindle. This spring yields under the
--

page_text: feeding movement of the spindle when the tap does not at once enter the screw
thread in the nut.
Dated this 13th day of April 1895.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent.
Improvements in Apparatus for Facing, Boring, Tapping, and
Finishing Nuts and similar Articles.
We, BABCOCK & WILCOX, Limited, of 147 Queen Victoria Street, in the
City of London, Steam Boiler Manufacturers, and OSCAR HARMER, Engineer at
Babcock & Wilcox, Limited, 21 Bothwell Street, in the City of Glasgow, 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 :-
This invention which relates to apparatus for facing, boring, tapping and
finishing nuts more especially cap nuts of the class described in the Specification
of Patent No. 6961 of 1886 and for similarly operating on like articles has mainly
for its object to lessen the time required in effecting the series of operations to
which each article is subjected and thus increase the output of the finished goods.
The improved apparatus is designed to replace that class of lathe or machine in
which a single nut or other article is held in a rotating chuck and operated on
successively by a number of tools carried. on a multiple tool holder; and it is
arranged to carry a number of the nuts or articles to be operated on, generally one
in excess of the number of the operations to be effected; and the several operations
are performed by separate tools acting simultaneously the articles being as regards
completion each a stage in advance of that adjoining it, so that for each blank
placed in the machine a completely finished nut or other article is removed.
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 of which is a longitudinal elevation of the lathe or machine, Figure 2
a plan, and Figures 3 and 4 elevations from opposite ends of the same.
Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section through the spindle carrying head of
the machine, and
Fig. 6 a detail view of the socket for holding the taps.
The machine comprises a framing A having at one end a headstock B fitted with
an intermittently rotated face-plate C on which are a number of chucks D
arranged in a circle and each holding a nut or nut blank or other article to be
operated on, the chucks D being preferably eight in number in dealing with cap
nuts for which there are seven separate tools E, E', E², E³, E, E³, E' used.
The tools E, E¹, E³, E', E*, E³, E are held and operated each by separate
spindles F, F1, F2, F³, F, F, F° carried in a headstock G opposite the face plate
and driven by gearing G¹ placed within the machine frame. They embrace (1) a
cutter for rough facing the nut and beveling the edge (2) a cutter for coning the
mouth of the hole cored in the nut (3) a milling cutter for finishing the face of the
nut (4) a drill or boring tool for. boring out the hole in the nut (5) a taper tap
(6) an intermediate tap and (7) a plug tap for screw threading the hole in the nut.
Either or all of these tools may be changed in form so as to produce any desired
shape of article.
;
The spindles F, F1, F2, F3 carrying the tools E, E', E', E³ while revolving are
advanced towards the faces of the nuts longitudinally by means of cams H, H',
H, H, on a spindle I carried transverse of the machine and operated by a
countershaft 1.at first rapidly until the cutters come into action and then more
slowly but at a suitable speed to give the necessary feed to the tools during the

page_text: :
cutting operation. As soon as this is completed the spindles F, F¹, F², F³ are
rapidly drawn back to their original position. The cams H, H, H, Hadvance
the spindles F, F1, F2, F³ by operating upon the lower ends of levers J, J¹, J³, J³,
whose ends are provided with rollers which bear against said cains, while the upper
ends of the levers J, J, J, J³, are connected to collars K, K³, K³, K³,
ends of the spindles F, F1, F2, F3 respectively, the fulcrums L, L', L, L of the
levers being placed between the cams and the spindles as shewn. The fulcrums L,
L', L, L³, are arranged so that they may be moved to give a different ratio of
movement to the ends of the levers J, J, J, J³.
upon the
The spindles F, F1, F2, F3 are drawn back by the action of tension springs M,
M', M, M upon the lower ends of the levers J, J', J, J³ which compel the
rollers to follow the peripheries of the cams H, H1, H2, H. The spindles F,
F, F which carry the taps E, E, E are drawn back by reversing their direction
of rotation.
The spindles F, F, F, being used for tapping the nuts, are not advanced or
retracted by cams, but are provided with sleeves M, M5, M6, which revolve with
the tapping spindles F, F, F, the sleeves M, M5, M6, having each a screw thread
cut upon the outside of the same pitch as the tap. The sleeves M, M5, M* revolve
in fixed nuts N4, No, No so that the spindles may advance with the taps to the
work and feed up the taps at the same rate as the taps enter the hole.
Upon the tapping operation being completed, the direction of rotation of the
spindles F, F, F is reversed automatically by means of a clutch O sliding on a
spindle O' said clutch being operated by a lever P actuated by a cam Q.
The clutch O is so arranged that by engaging with the sleeve of either of the
wheels R which gear with a train of loose and keyed wheels R' in any suitable
manner it may either rotate the tapping spindles F, F, F in the direction for
tapping, or in the reverse direction at an increased speed for withdrawing the taps.
In either case the clutch ( operates by engaging with one or the other of the
wheels R of the two trains of spur gears R¹, arranged on the spindles in the
manner shewn by the drawings.
Upon the whole of the spindles completing their respective operations, they are
drawn back to their original positions clear of the nuts, the spindles F, F1, F, F
by the springs M, M', M, M³ pulling upon the cam levers J, J', J, J' and the
spindles F, F, F by their direction of rotation being reversed and the taps being
A friction brake F7 is provided in conjunction
with the spindle E to stop the backward rotation of the tapping spindles and
prevent the withdrawal too far of the taps.
screwed out of the nuts as described.
The face-plate C containing the nuts is now made to make an eighth or other
portion of a revolution automatically, so that the nut which was formerly operated
upon by the spindle F is now opposite the spindle F¹ and the nut operated upon
by the spindle F' opposite the spindle F and so on.
As the face-plate C carries, eight chucks or one more than the total number of
spindles, when it is turned the nut which has received the final operation of the
finishing tap comes opposite a vacant space between the spindles F and F, and
is removed and replaced by a blank or rough nut from the stock to be operated
upon.
The face-plate C carrying the nuts is automatically turned by menus of a
weighted lever S which is lifted by a cam S' on a transverse spindle S² operated
by the countershaft 1¹ and in the descent of the lever the face-plate is caused to
make a portion of a revolution.
.
The lever S is so mounted as to swing about the centre of the face-plate
spindle C and upon this spindle is secured a ratchet wheel S³ and also a disc S
baving eight notches. The ratchet wheel S is used in conjunction with a pawl S
for the purpose of turning the face-plate Cand the notched disc 8' is used in
conjunction with a catch S for the purpose of preventing the rotation of the
face-plate C. The weighted lever, S.in its ascent lifts the spring catch out of the
notch in the disc St at the same time. causing the pawl S to slip over the next

page_text: tooth in the ratchet wheel S³. At the end of the lift the cam S² allows th
weighted lever S to descend rapidly and the pawl S' being attachel to the leve.
and in gear with the ratchet wheel S this and the face-plate Care caused to.
revolve by the action of the weight, until the next note in the dise St com s
opposite the catch S which immediately engaging therewith, the further rotation
of the face-plate is prevented, and the face-plate is firmly heid until the next as ent
of the lever. A locking device is provided which consists of a piece T held
between the spring catch S and a fixed head T by the action of a spring, this
piece T being moved out of the way to permit of the spring catch S being raised
out of the notch by the action of an inclined piece T on the lever S against a stud
on the piece T. The operation of turning is timed by the rotation of the cam S
so that it commences immediately after the spindles F, F1, F2, F³, F4, F³, Fe
carrying the various cutters and taps are drawn back clear of the nuts, and is
completed immediately before the spindles are advanced with the cutters into
contact with the nuts, the face-plate being firmly held and locked by the above
arrangement during the cutting operation.
The worm shaft 1 which actuates the spindle S2 carrying the cam S' through
worm gear, is provided with a flanged friction coupling V so as to allow the turning
mechanism to be set in any relation to the worm shaft I' so that the turning of the
face-plate C can be arranged with any desirable relation to the position of the
spindles F, F1, F2, F3, F4, F, F. The worm shaft I¹ is driven by a train of gears
arranged so that the relative speed of this, and the centre shaft O' driving the
spindles, may be varied.
Each and every spindle is provided with an independent longitudinal adjustment
the spindles F, F', F2, F³, by means of screwed sleeves W upon which the
collars K, K¹, K, K³, are threaded, and the spindles F, F, F, by means of the
fixed nuts N, No, No.
To ensure that the taps E', E' will properly enter the thread in the hole in
the nut to avoiding stripping the already cut thread the tool holder carrying the
taps is fitted as shewn by Fig. 6 with a spring or springs F interposed between
the jaw part F actually holding the tap and its driver F10 on the spindle. This
spring F yields under the feeding movement of the spindle when the tap does not
at once enter the screw thread in the nut.
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. A machine for facing, boring, tapping and finishing cap nuts and similar
articles constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described with
reference to the drawings annexed.
2. In a machine for facing, boring, tapping and finishing cap nuts and similar
articles the combination with an intermittently rotated face-plate carrying the
work, of a series of spindles carrying tools arranged to operate simultaneously on
a corresponding series of nuts, the tools being adapted to be advanced to and
withdrawn from the work substantially as described with reference to the annexed
drawings.
3. In a machine for facing, boring, tapping and finishing cap nuts and similar
articles, an intermittently rotated face-plate provided with a number of chucks
each carrying a nut or nut blank or other article to be operated on, said face-
plate being rotated, brought to rest and locked at the proper moments by means
of devices substantially such as described with reference to the annexed drawings.
Dated this 15th day of
1000
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agent,
62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicants.