IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RIVETTING IRON SHIPS OF OTHER STRUCTURES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John McMillan, of the Town and County of Dumbarton,
North Britain, Shipbuilder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR RIVETTING IRON SHIPS OF OTHER STRUCTURES."
Sealed the 19th January 1877, and dated the 28th July 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John McMillan at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th July 1870.
JOHN MOMILLAN, of the Town and County of Dumbarton, North Britain,
Shipbuilder. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RIVETTING
IRON SHIPS OR OTHER STRUCTURES."
This Invention has reference to a new or improved mode of, and means or
mechanism of a portable character for, rivetting the plating or other parts of iron
ships and other structures where ordinary stationary rivetting machines cannot
be applied.
And the nature of the Invention consists in beating up the hot rivets (after
their insertion and while holding them on from behind by hand as usual in the
previously bolted and set up plates or other work) by the repeated blows or impact
of a reciprocating rivet hammer faced steel block, screwed or otherwise secured in
the front end of the strong piston rod of the reciprocating piston of a small port-
able steam cylinder, the piston rod working out through a stuffing box in. the
front end. The controlling steam valve is round and oscillates on its steam chest
formed or fitted transversely at the back end of the cylinder, with inlet and
exhaust branches preferably on the lower side, so that all condensed steam or
water may run freely back by these branches and pipes fixed to them, which
are preferably of the flexible or lapped india-rubber and canvas class, to allow
the cylinder to be freely moved on its framing at a distance from the steam boiler
of an ordinary construction placed as near the work as convenient. The admission
of steam to the valve casing is controlled by a small screw hand wheel, and the
valve is oscillated to and fro (to admit the steam to the back of the piston and
exhaust it from the front, and vice versa, to give the outward rivetting and back
strokes of the piston respectively) by a lever fixed on the end of its spindle passed
out through a stuffing box in one end of its casing, and by a short connecting rod
attached to it and to the outer free end of a two-armed lever, carried on a joint
[Price Gd.]

page_text: pin in the middle of an open or wide slotted frame with a steadying or directing
hand lover behind, formed or fitted to the back end of the cylinder, through a
stuffing box in which a rod reciprocates from the back end of the piston up through
the centre of the open frame so as to actuate the inner arm of the two-armed
lever through a slot in it, all so as to reciprocate the controlling inlet and exhaust
steam valve by the short connecting rod and levers before described, these being
all capable of adjustment to suit the proper stroke of the piston and rivetting
block, but other forms of valve and valvo gearing may be used. The cylinder
is carried by an adjustable collar secured to it in front of the steam chest, and
with a forked glaud or snugs which rest, on and take loosely over a strong square
or other longitudinal bar, which thus carries the cylinder and receives the recoil
or reacting force of the steam in rivetting. This bar is secured to strong brackets
screwed to the bolted-up plates or sides of the ship, and the brackets and bar are
arranged with holes and suitable glands for shifting them, so that the bar may
be secured parallel to the row of holes to be filled and rivetted with the axis of
the cylinder nearly in a line therewith, so that the attendant can by one hand on
the back steadying hand lever direct the rivetting block or hammer of this port-
able steam riveter over the hot rivet until it is thoroughly finished, and with the
other hand control its action by the admission of steam with the inlet valve and
screw hand wheel, and instantly stop the rivetting when the rivet has been
sufficiently beaten up either by shutting off the steam or disconnecting the valve
connecting rod, or by oscillating the cylinder to such an angle that tho rivetting
block could not reach the work, when any superfluous hot metal may then be
cut of as usual and the last finish given to the rivet and beating up of the plate,
all as completely and efficiently as by hand rivetting.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John MMillan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th January
1877.
JOHN MCMILLAN, of the Town and County of Dumbarton, North Britain,
Shipbuilder. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RIVETTING
IRON SHIPS OR OTHER STRUCTURES."
My said Invention has reference to a new or improved mode of, and means or
mechanism of a portable character for, rivetting the plating or other parts of iron
ships and other structures where ordinary stationary rivetting machines cannot
be applied.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing my said Inven-
tion may be properly understood I shall now proceed to describe the several
Figures on the Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for that purpose,
the same reference letters indicating the same parts in all the Figures where shown.
Figure 1 is a transverse section of one side of an iron ship Z, showing one
modification or construction and arrangement of my said Invention as applied to
the rivetting of the plates forming the sides or walls of the ship. Figure 2 is a
plan or horizontal section of the same taken on the line 1---1, in Figure 1, to which
it corresponds, but turned at right angles to it, to show the general arrangement
of the lateral frames K, L, and longitudinal bar B carrying the rivetting cylinder A,
and mechanism proper. Figures 3, 4, and 5 are a side elevation and corresponding
longitudinal and transverse sections, respectively taken on the lines 2--2, and 3---3,
each on the other of the steam cylinder A and its direct-acting piston a and
hammer b with its reversing valve and working connections all to a large scale (as
detached from the general arrangement, Figures 1 and 2) to show the details of
construction and action more clearly than could be seen in the other Figures.
Referring to the Figures 1 to 5, the Invention consists in rivetting or beating up
the hot rivets (after their insertion and while holding them on from behind by

page_text: the large hand hammer or bolster x as usual in the previously bolted and set up
plates and frames or other work) by the repeated blows or impact of a recipro-
cating rivet hammer faced steel block b screwed or otherwise secured in the front
end of the strong piston rod a¹ of the reciprocating piston a of a small portable
steam cylinder A, the piston rod working out through a stuffing box A¹ in the
front end. The controlling steain valve C is preferably round, and oscillates with
a setting up stud d within its steam chest D, formed and fitted transversely preferably
at the back end of the cylinder A, behind its carrying bar B with inlet and exhaust
ports and branches c, c, E, F, preferably on the lower side, so that all condensed
steam or water may run freely back and down these branches and their pipes E, F,
fixed to them, which are preferably of the flexible or lapped vulcanized india-
rubber or canvas class to allow the cylinder to be freely moved on its framing at a
listance from the steam boiler, which is preferably of an ordinary portable construc-
tion placed on a carriage as near the work as convenient, and of a size sufficient to
supply one or more of these improved rivetting machines as are capable of being
worked near it.
The admission of the steam to the valve casing D is controlled by a small hand
screw wheel stop valve G, G¹, and the inlet and exhaust valve C of the cylinder is
oscillated as stated to and fro (to admit the steam to the back of the piston a, and
exhaust it from the front through the ports c, c, and vice versa, to give the outward
rivetting and back strokes of the piston respectively) by the lever C² fixed on the
end of its spindle passed out through a stuffing box D¹ in one end of its casing 1,
and by a short connecting rod C" attached to it at the near end, and at its outer
free end to a lateral pin in the lower arm or end of a two-armed lever H carried
on a joint pin H' in snugs i projecting down from the middle of an open or wide
slotted frame I with a hollow steadying or directing hand lever J behind, formed
or fitted to the back end of the cylinder A having a stuffing box A" in its back
end through which the small back rod a of the piston a reciprocates from the
back end of the piston up through the centre of the open fraine and hand lever J, J,
so as to actuate the inner arm of the two-armed lever H which projects up through
a slot a² in the rod a", all so as to reciprocate the controlling inlet and exhaust
steam valve C, by the short connecting rod C" and levers C₁ before described,
these being capable of adjustment to suit the proper stroke of the piston a and
rivetting block b, by the fixing of the lever c' on the spindle of the valve C; but
it will be understood that other forms of valve 'and valve gearing may be used.
The cylinder A is carried by the fixed and adjustable collar A secured to it in
front of the steam chest D, and with a forked gland or snugs A³ below, which
rest on and take loosely over the strong square or other longitudinal bar B (with n
securing pin B below), which thus carries the cylinder and receives the recoil or
reacting force of the steam in rivetting. This bar B is secured by slotted eyes or
sockets B to the vertical slide bars K (with retaining pin holes in them) of the
strong duplex or bow brackets K, L, the latter L being screwed to the bolted-up
plates or sides 2 at I of the ship through some of the open rivet holes. The
vertical bar K of each of these duplex brackets K, L, is secured to its bow arms L
by adjustable screws and fixing nuts at l, all so as to set and fix the bar B parallel
to the horizontal joint in the plates and row of holes to be filled and rivetted, with
the axis of the cylinder A and rivetting hammer b nearly in a line therewith, so
that the attendant can by one hand on the back steadying hand lever J lirect the
ivetting block or hammer of this portable steam rivetting cylinder A over the
hot rivet until it is thoroughly finished, and by the other hand control its action
by the admission of steam with the inlet valve and screw hand wheel G¹, and
instantly stop the rivetting when the rivet has been sufficiently beaten up, either
by shutting off the steam by the valve G, G¹, or setting and holding or fixing the
valve C by the handle of the lever H, so as to equalize the pressure on both
sides of the piston a, or this might be done by disconnecting the valve rod Cor
by oscillating the cylinder to such an angle that the rivetting block b could not
each the work z.

page_text: Any superfluous part of the rivet projecting above the flush of the plates
may then be instantly cut off while hot as usual, and the last finish given to the
rivet and beating up of the plate, all as completely and efficiently as by hand
rivetting.
The cylinder A is fitted so loosely on its longitudinal carrying bar B that it can
be angled considerably to set up the rivets as found best during the operation;
and it is shifted and set in the longitudinal direction along the bar B to suit the
rivetting by the handles n and o; and when desired this might be done by a cord
attached to the cylinder A, and passed over reversing pulleys at both ends of the
rod B. And the rivets in the vertical joints and rows of holes can be rivetted by
the lowering of the bar B, on its carrying slides K by the withdrawing of one set of
pins and insertion of another in the holes below them; and shorter rods B could
be used for this purpose, with their carrying bow brackets L, secured in the adjacent
joint holes at the opposite ends of the plates being rivetted.
A temporary platform as Y may be fitted as usual for supporting the men where
the rivetting or setting up of the joints is being proceeded with, as also one on the
inside for the attendant inserting and holding on the rivets, all substantially as in
the case of hand rivetting.
The collar A2 of the cylinder A is formed with a retaining gab All on the upper
side, so that it may be reversed on or hung to the bar B, instead of being worked
as shown; or these gabs A³ or All may be used for attaching the cylinder to vertical
slide supporting bars as K, when desired for rivetting the vertical rows of rivets
without the use of the intermediate horizontal bars B in this case.
Although the rivets have been shown as held on from the inside by the ordinary
holding on
or hammer x, it is to be understood that other means may be
used, such as a bar corresponding to B on the outside, with movable holding-on
lover or screw purchase or other equivalent.
It will be also understood that although portable steam boilers have been
described as preferred for supplying the steam to these rivetting machines, the
steam pipes might be made of metal with stuffing box or ground joints, and that
these might be coupled to service valve branches fitted at convenient intervals in
main steam pipes laid in covered channels in the ground along each side of the
ways or dock where the vessels are built, the steam in this case being supplied by
stationary steam boilers for the whole work and pipes, which would be well covered
in by non-conducting material to prevent condensation of the steam; and water
traps may be fitted at the lower ends of the pipes to draw off the water of conden-
sation from the main or service pipes. And although steam has been described as
the motive fluid conducted to and acting within the cylinders A, it is to be under-
stood that other pressure fluid may be used in like manner, as compressed air or
gases or explosive gas such as used for some kinds of engines.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise details
herein described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original, and there-
fore claim as the Invention secured to me by the heroin-before in part recited
Letters Patent, is-
First. The general construction or arrangement of portable automatic direct-
acting motive rivetting machine or mechanism and its portable carrying or support-
ing framing, all substantially as and for the purpose lierein described in reference
to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The general construction of a portable direct-acting motive cylinder
piston and hammer with its automatic oscillating valve and gear, and guide or
steering levers for the rivetting of iron ships, or other such large plate structures,
substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings, or any merc modification thereof.
Third. The general construction or arrangement of portable framing K, L, with
horizontal bar B for carrying portable direct-acting or motive power rivetting
machines for the rivetting of iron ships or other large plate structures, substantially

page_text: as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or
any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said John McMillan, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
J. MCMILLAN, jr.,
Witness.
JOHN MCMILLAN. (LS.)
J. MCMILLAN, jr.,
Witness.