IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SPINDLES AND FLYERS, PART OF WHICH MACHINERY 18 APPLICABLE FOR CUTTING SCREW THREADS FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Butterworth Collingwood, of Rochdale,
in the County of Lancaster, Machine Agent, and William Hardman,
of Farnworth, near Bolton, in the same County, Spindle and Flyer
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF SPINDLES AND FLYERS, PART OF WHICH MACHINERY 18
APPLICABLE FOR CUTTING SCREW THREADS FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 27th April 1869, and dated the 12th November 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Butterworth
Collingwood and William Hardman at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 12th November
1868.
We, THOMAS BUTTERWORTH COLLINGWOOD, of Rochdale, in the County
of Lancaster, Machine Agent, and WILLIAM HARDMAN, of Farnworth,
near Bolton, in the same County, Spindle and Flyer Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SPINDLES AND FLYERS, PART OF WHICH

page_text: MACHINERY IS APPLICABLE FOR CUTTING SCREW THREADS FOR OTHER PURPOSES, to
be as follows:-
The spindles and flyers to which our Invention more particularly
applies have one or more "quick" pitched threads for securing the flyer
upon the spindle, which cannot be manufactured by the ordinary tools
or machinery hitherto used for making the common spindle and flyer.
Our improvements consist in arranging to radiate from a centre as
many separate cutters as there are threads to be cut, so that such cutters
can be simultaneously adjusted by a cone to and from the centre from
which they radiate, and in cutting the threads on the spindle by causing
these cutters to rotate and advance at the same time against the spindle,
which is fixed, or in giving these screw movements to the spindle, the
cutters being fixed, or in giving one movement to the spindle, and the
other to the cutters.
Another arrangement consists in using only one cutter, or in using
fewer cutters than there are threads to be cut, and in arranging and
working the cutters or spindle, or both the cutters and spindle, as above
described, adding means by which either the cutters or spindle will be
advanced after each thread or set of threads has been cut, to cut the
next thread or series of threads. As far as our present experience goes
we prefer to cut one thread at a time by a cutter secured in a slide so as
to adjust the depth of the cut, such slide being mounted upon the end
of a solid or hollow shaft which is made to oscillate and advance at the
same time screw-wise to cut the thread, the spindle being stationary,.
but secured in a chuck or hollow shaft so as to be rotated after each
thread has been cut. The machine being self-acting and actuated by
cams, cranks, or excentrics, and intermittent gear. The machine last
described may also be used for cutting the internal threads of the flyers.
by a suitable tool or cutter and chuck for holding the flyers, and may
also be used for cutting steep-threaded screws for other purposes.
Our improvements also consist in forming threads upon spindles by a
milling process, and we prefer to use two mills, one to counteract the
pressure exerted by the other, either the spindle or mills being positively
driven. For cutting the internal threads of flyers the taps are made
with a long taper, and a groove is undercut at right angles to the thread,
and these taps are actuated by a shaft screwing through a boss, the pitch
of the thread upon the shaft agreeing with that of the tap.

page_text: Our improvements also consist in arrangements by which flyers may
be operated upon to form the threads by several taps in succession, so
that when one tap has operated the flyer will be moved forward to the
next tap, and so on. The shafts carrying the taps are arranged in a
circular curve parallel to each other and to the axis of a rotary face
plate, from the axis of which they are equally distant; the flyers are
placed and held in this rotary face plate which moves intermittently,
being stationary while the taps are operating upon the flyers and
advancing to take the flyers forward to the next set of taps, one flyer
being placed or secured in the face plate, and one being removed after
each movement, the former having yet to be operated upon, and the
latter having been operated upon by all the taps. The shafts for the
taps are all geared together and may be rotated by either hand or
power.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Butterworth Collingwood and William
Hardman in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 10th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
BUTTERWORTH COLLINGWOOD, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster,
Machine Agent, and WILLIAM HARDMAN, of Farnworth, near Bolton, in
the same County, Spindle and Flyer Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did; for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Thomas Butterworth Collingwood and
William Hardman, Her special license that we, the said Thomas Butter-
worth Collingwood and William Hardman; our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Butterworth Colling=
wood and William Hardman, our executors, 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 Ireland; the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE OF SPINDLES AND FLYERS, PART OF WHICH MACHINERY IS APPLICABLE FOR

page_text: CUTTING SCREW THREADS FOR OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Thomas Butterworth Collingwood and William
Hardman, by an instrument in writing under our hands and scals, or
under the hand and scal of one of us, 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 Scal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Butterworth Colling-
wood and William Hardman, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
and the accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
The spindles and flyers to which our Invention more particularly
applies have one or more quick pitched threads for securing the flyer
upon the spindle, which cannot be manufactured by the ordinary tools
or machinery hitherto used for making the common spindle and flyer.
Our improvements consist in arranging to radiate from a centre as
many separate cutters as there are threads to be cut, so that such cutters
can be simultaneously adjusted by a cone or other means to and from
the centre from which they radiate, and in cutting the threads on the
spindle by causing these cutters to rotate and advance at the same time
against the spindle, which is fixed, or in giving these screw movements
to the spindle, the cutters being fixed, or in giving one movement to the
spindle and the other to the cutters.
Another modification consists in only using one cutter, or in using
fewer cutters than there are threads to be cut, and in arranging and
working the cutters or spindle, or both the cutters and spindle, as above
described, adding means by which either the cutters or spindles will be
advanced after cach thread or set of threads has been cut, to cut the
next thread or series of threads. As far as our present experience goes
we prefer to cut one thread at a time by a cutter secured in a slide so as
to adjust the depth of the cut, such slide being mounted upon the end
of a solid or hollow shaft which is made to oscillate and advance at the
same time screw-wise to cut the thread, the spindle being stationary, but
secured in a chuck or hollow shaft so as to be rotated after each thread
has been cut, the machine being self-acting and actuated by cams,
cranks, or excentrics, and intermittent gear. The machine last described

page_text: may also be used for cutting the internal threads of the flyers by a
suitable tool or cutter and chuck for holding the flyers, and may also be
used for cutting steep-threaded screws for other purposes.,
Our improvements also consist in forming threads upon spindles by
a milling process, and we prefer to use two mills, one to counteract the
pressure exerted by the other, either the spindle or mills being positively
driven. For cutting the internal threads of flyers the taps are made
with a long taper, and a groove is undercut at right angles to the thread,
and these taps are actuated by a shaft screwing through a boss, the pitch
of the thread upon the shaft agreeing with that of the tap.
Our improvements also consist in arrangements by which flyers may
be operated upon to form the threads by several taps in succession, so
that when one tap has operated the flyers will be moved forward to the
next tap, and so on. The shafts carrying the taps are arranged in a
circular curve parallel to each other and to the axis of a rotary face
plate, from the axis of which they are equally distant; the flyers are
placed and held in this rotary face plate which moves intermittently,
being stationary, while the taps are operating upon the flyers and
advancing to take the flyers forward to the next set of taps, one flycr
being placed or secured in the face plate, and one being removed after
each movement, the former having yet to be operated upon, and the
latter having been operated upon by all the taps. The shafts for the
taps are all geared together and may be rotated either by hand or
power.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section (half size) of mechanism for cutting
threads upon spindles and for like purposes whero as many separato
cutters are used as there are threads to be cut, and Fig. 2 is an end view
looking towards the face of the cutters.
a is a hollow shaft having an enlarged end in the face of which there
arc as many radiating grooves as there are cutters to be used, which
cutters (a) are fitted to slide freely in the lengthway of the grooves, as
shewn. The grooves may be made at an angle if desired, so that the
flat sides of the cutters (a) may be brought in the line of the cut to be
made. The cutters are secured in their places by a plate (a) secured by
screws. The points of the cutters are ground to the shape of the intended
screw threads, and their outer ends are bevelled to fit the cone by which
they are simultaneously forced inwards. This conc (b) is upon the end
of a hollow shaft that slides upon the central shaft (a), and also at one

page_text: end in a hole in the frame or stand (A), as shewn. The exterior of
the conc part (b) is screwed and screws into a hollow shaft (c) having
bearings in the stand (A), as shown; and this hollow shaft (c) has a hand
wheel (c) formed upon it, by turning which the conc (b) can be moved
cither way to adjust the cutters. The central shaft (a) is secured in the
stand or frame (A) by a set screw (a), and is prevented from turning
by a key (a). A pin (a) is scoured in the shaft (a) to fit a groove in
the cone shaft (b) to keep it from turning. The spindle (2) to be cut is
carried at on end in a stand (k) having a V notch in it for the spindle
to slide through, which is kept in the notch by a cap (d) secured by a
screw. The footstep end of the spindle is made to enter a concave centre
in a shaft (e) carried by a stand (A2). Upon the end of this shaft (e) a
face plate (e) is formed, and to it one end of a bar (e) is jointed upon a
bolt (e) passing through a short slot the lengthway of the bar, the other
end is secured by a bolt (e) which passes through a similar slot. This
bar (e) and another (e) secured to it by screws (e") forms a driver to
the spindle which passes between the two bars, and thus the spindle will
rotate or move endways with the shaft (e). The bearing of the shaft (e),
nearest the face plate (e¹) is a screw (e) and the stand (A²) forms the
nut of the screw, the pitch of which is the same as that of the screw
thread (a) to be formed upon the end of the spindle. The outer end of the
shaft (e) has a screw thread of common pitch and screws through a thread
formed in a hollow shaft (f) having its bearing in the stand (A2), as
shown. This shaft has a hand wheel (f) formed upon it, by turning
which the screw shaft (e) will be moved endways, while the steep pitchied
thread (e) at the face plate end will cause the shaft at the same time to
turn more or less according to the length of end movement. The screw
(f) and wheel (f¹) may be dispensed with, and a wheel or lever may be
applied directly to rotate the screw shaft (e), or a lever (w) may be
applied, as shown in peculiar dotted line in Fig. 1, to give end move-
ment to the screw shaft (e). In using this machine the cutters (a¹) are
gradually brought towards the centre each time the spindle (x) is moved
forwards until the full depth of the cut has been obtained. If desired
the hollow shaft (a) could be lengthened and placed in bearings so as to
rotate, or both rotate and move endways, but we prefer the arrangement
shown by the Drawings.

page_text: used.
A represents the bed of the machine. The spindle (x) to
operated upon is held between concave conters, one end in a stand (A')
secured so as to be adjustable in the lengthway of the bed, the other end
is held in a centre in a following head (A') of a common and well known
type, also adjustable on the bed. The spindle (x) passes through a
hollow shaft (ex) carried in a stand (A³) adjustable on the bed, and the
hollow shaft has a face plate (e¹) toothed upon its edge formed on or
attached to it, which is provided with bars (e and e³) arranged as hercin-
before described in reference to Fig. 1. The wheel (e¹) is geared by a
train of wheels with the shaft (g) passing from end to end of the bed,
which shaft has a pin plate (g) upon it which gives motion to a disc
plate on a stud, and this plate is in gear (by toothed wheels) with the
face plate wheel (e¹), this arrangement being the well known intermittent:
motion which will give one movement every revolution of the shaft (g).
A* is a headstock carrying a screw shaft (e) similar to that (e) shown in
Fig. 1, which can both oscillate and move endways. This shaft has a
collar (e) upon it in which the shaft (e) can turn, hut it is prevented.
from moving endways by a shoulder upon one side and the lock nuts (e')
upon the other side. The collar (es) has a pivot on each side upon which
the ends of two links (h) are jointed, the other ends of which are jointed
with a lever (4) having its fulcrum (h) upon a projection from the
headstock. The lower end of this lever (h¹) has a bowl upon it which
enters the double-action cam (h³) upon the end of the first motion
shaft (g). This cam (h³) is shaped to give a to-and-fro motion, something
like a crank motion, according to the length of the cut to be made. It
may be made to "dwell" after making the back reciprocation to give
time for partly rotating the spindle (x). Upon the end of the shaft (e)
an arm (e) is secured, the weight of which is counterbalanced by means
of the arm (e). The arm (e¹) has a slide (b) mounted upon it to move
in a radial line to and from the axis of the shaft (e), which slide is
adjustable by a screw (6'). This slide carries a tool box in which the
cutting tool (a) is secured, which tool may be fixed at such angle as to
face the line of the cut. The fast and loose driving pulleys (92) for
driving the machino are placed upon the end of the shaft (g), and cach
revolution of this shaft will cause the screw shaft (e) to slide forward,
the serew thread (e) causing it to partly rotate at the same time, it will
then move back, the spindle (a) remaining stationary during these.
movements, then the spindle will turn partly round, and these move-
ments will then be repeated. The cut may be made to the full depth at

page_text: once the spindle having to turn only once round, or the spindle .may
turn several times round, the cutter (a) being fed deeper each time round
until the full depth of the thread has been obtained. This machine may
be used for cutting internal screw threads in flyers and other articles by
fixing the flyer in a suitable chuck on the face plate and using a cranked
cutter of suitable shape and of sufficient length, the stand (A) and
following head (A) not being required in this case. In milling screw
threads upon the end of spindles the spindle is placed between lathe
centers and is rotated, and the mill or mills are brought against the part
to be screwed until the required thread has been produced. We prefer
to use two mills, one to counteract the pressure exerted by the other,
which may be mounted in bearings each on a separate slide, both slides
acted upon by the same weight or screw to bring them against, but on
opposite sides of the part to be milled, or each mill (k) may be mounted
upon an arın (k¹) (see Fig. 4, a side, and Fig. 5, an edge view) jointed at
their lower ends to a plate (A³) secured to the bed of the lathe, the
axis (*) of each mill coming on a level with the axis of the spindle (x).
The two arms (k¹) are connected by a screw () screwing through swivel
blocks (3) jointed in each arm, as shewn. Fig. 6 shows a long taper
tap for screw tapping flyers, the lines in one direction represent the
thread, those across in the other direction the under cut grooves to give
the cutting edges to the threads. This tap is fixed in the end of a shaft
arranged similar to the shaft (e) shown in Fig. 1, and the screw thread
(e) upon the shaft and tap are made to agree in pitch, the flyer to be
operated upon being held in a suitable chuck. Fig. 7 is a front view of
the face plate, Fig. 8 a longitudinal section, and Fig. 9 an end view,
showing a machine for tapping flyers and other articles by a succession
of screw taps. Each screw tap (1) is secured in the end of a shaft (e)
similar to the shaft (e), Fig. 1, the pitch of the thread (e) upon the
shaft and that of the tap agrecing; the end of each shaft screws through
a wheel (f) arranged as shown, and each wheel gears with one upon a
central shaft (m) turned by a handle (m). In the machine illustrated
three taps are supposed to be used, each equally distant from the central
shaft (m). Upon a shaft (n) having bearings in a stand (A") a face plate
(12) is mounted which has four radiating grooves cut in its face equally
distant and a.hole to receive the boss part of the flyer, the leg part of
the flyers fitting the radial grooves. The holes for the bosses of the
flyers are exactly opposite the axis of the taps. Passing round about
three-fourths of the face plate (¹) there is a guard (1) which prevents.

page_text: the flyers from getting out of their places while passing from one tap to
the other, this guard being secured to the stand (A), is shown. The
flyers (a) are placed in the face plate on that side marked (y), and as
the plate is turned in the direction pointed by the arrow each flyer
immediately passes between the guard (²) and the face plate; but when
the flyer has passed the position marked (2) an inclined piece (n³) acts
to force the flyer out of the face plate and it drops into any suitable
receptacle. There may be on the shaft (n) a hand wheel (n) to turn the
face plate, and in this wheel or in the edge of the face plate there are
notches equally distant in which a sliding or other spring catch (p) will
enter so as to hold the face plate after each movement so that the axis
of the holes in the bosses of the flyers will be exactly opposite the screw
taps. By turning the handle (m) the taps are simultaneously forced
through the bosses of the three flyers, and while this is being done a
flyer is placed in the vacant space; then, after the back movement the
face plate (n) is turned one division and the operation is repeated, one
flyer being completed at each operation. For screw-tapping flyers of a
common pitch the screw thread upon the back end of each shaft is
dispensed with, and the wheels (f) are made to rotate the shafts (e) by
means of a key and key groove so that each shaft can be rotated while
sliding through the boss of the wheel. Instead of actuating the shafts
(e) in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, and 9 by giving end movements to them, they
may be actuated by giving rotary or partial rotary movements, using a
screw incline (e) upon a large diameter.
We have now particularly described the nature of our Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, and claim as our
Invention,―
Firstly. The system or mode of cutting quick-pitched threads by
mechanism combined and arranged substantially as hercin-before
described and illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 of the Drawings.
Secondly. The simultaneous cutting of a number of threads by
separate cutters arranged so as to be adjustable to and from the axis
of the article to be cut, substantially as hercin-before described and
illustrated by the Drawings.
Thirdly. The combination and arrangement of self-acting mechanism
for cutting one or more threads at a time, substantially as hercin-before
described and illustrated by the Drawings.
Fourthly. The making of quick-pitched screw threads upon spindles

page_text: by a milling process, as herein-before described and illustrated by the
Drawings.
Fifthly. The screw tapping of flyers by means of a taper screw tap
combined with a quick-pitched screw shaft, as herein-before described
and illustrated by the Drawings.
Sixthly. The screw tapping of flyers and other articles by the
arrangement and combination of mechanism herein-before described and
illustrated by Figs. 7, 8, and 9.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Butterworth Collingwood,
on my own behalf, and on behalf of the said William Hardman,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of May,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.