a narrow groove or guide between them, into which the shafts of the screw-blanks fall and hang down the under sides of their heads, resting upon the edges of the plates. Such, however, of the screw-blanks as do not come down perpendicularly, are prevented, by the breadth of their heads, from falling into the groove, and lay cross-wise upon the top edge of the guide-plates a, a. In order, therefore, to bring them all into perpendicular positions, spring-lifters b, b, connected to the drums, are, at proper times, projected into the contracted passage under the hopper, and above the guide-groove; and as the drums revolve, these lifters raise up the screw-blanks which have not fallen into the groove, holding them by the under parts of their heads, and then letting them fall, in order that they may pass perpendicularly into the groove.

The rotary motion of the drums is effected by a train of toothed gear, actuated from any of the rotary parts of the machine; and the drums are made to revolve together very slowly but simultaneously, by a rim of teeth on their edges, which take into each other.

The means by which the spring-lifters b, b, act, will be understood, by examining their construction and the forms of the cam rings c, c, shewn best in fig. 6. The springlifters b, are straight rods, placed in longitudinal ranges within the drums, standing in nearly radial positions. They are supported by brackets d, in which they slide, and their outer ends are flattened and protruded through narrow openings, in the periphery of the drums, having helical springs to project them outward. The hinder part of each of the rods are confined by bosses or heads, bearing against the backs of bars e, which carry small rollers at their ends; and these rollers, as the drum goes round, act against the internal periphery of stationary cam rings c, c, affixed to the frame-work. The greater portion of

the internal periphery of each of the fixed cam rings, is circular, and stands concentric with the axis of the drum; but it will be seen, that a part of the ring has an enlarged diameter. When the roller e, is running round the circular or smaller radius of the ring, the sliding rods b, b, are kept back; but when the roller comes to the enlarged part of the diameter of the ring, the force of the springs project the sliding rods through the opening in the drum, which takes place as the drum revolves, at the instant that the opening in the drum has passed above the edge of the guide-plates or groove a, a. The thin flattened ends of the sliding bars b, in both drums, are thus at the same time, brought under the hopper against all the screwblanks which have not fallen into the groove a, a; and as the drums proceed in their rotary progress, the series of bars or risers b, b, lift the screw-blanks up a little distance, and when the smaller radius of the rings, acting upon the rollers, draw the sliding-bars b, back again, the screwblank is let fall into the groove a, a, below.

This groove is curved downwards for the purpose of leading the screws, in consecutive succession, into a situation to be taken hold of by other apparatus, for submitting to the subsequent operations.

When the screw-blanks are placed in the groove, under the hopper, by the means above described, they are to be driven laterally from under the hopper into the curved part (just mentioned) of the grooved passage, by the following

means:

A sliding rod f, (see fig. 5,) having its end bent up to form a tooth, is placed at the end of the groove, which, being moved onward at stated periods, drives all the screwblanks before it, from that part of the groove which is beneath the hopper, into the curved passage, leaving the groove under the hopper, after its return, free to receive a fresh supply.

The movements of the sliding rod are effected by a lever h, connected to its outer end; this rod is forced inward, at intervals, by a spring i, the movements of the lever being regulated by a bolt k, connected to it; the end of which bolt works against a face-cam, on the edge of the rotary drum.

The manner in which the screw-blanks are taken from the lower end of the curved groove a, is as follows:-On the side of the frame, a bracket j, supports a sliding piece l, the inner extremity of which slider is formed like a spoon, having a recess m, for the reception of the screw-blank, as shewn in the horizontal section of the holding and turning part of the machine, at fig. 7.

It may, however, be necessary here to state the means by which the principal operating parts of the machine are actuated, before their details are described.

Upon the axle c, the rigger is fixed, by which rotary motion is given, through a strap, from any first mover. This axle also carries a fixed pulley-wheel D, from whence an endless band is passed to a small pulley E, fixed upon a shaft F, at the opposite end of the machine. On this shaft F, a larger pulley G, is also fixed, from whence an endless band is carried over a pulley н, upon the hollow axle 1, (see fig. 7,) which axle carries the die-box K, that holds the screw-blank, and turns it round, as in the chuck of a lathe.

A small pinion L, at the end of the axle c, takes into a toothed wheel M, on the cam-axle N; and a pinion o, on this axle, drives the two coupling-wheels P, P, which gives rotary motion to the drums B, B, as above described.

The spoon-end m, of the slider 7, in the first instance, lies immediately under the discharging aperture of the groove a, and therefore, as the screw-blanks descend, they severally come into this spoon-formed receptacle.

In order to carry the screw-blank to the holders in the

die-box K, K, the sliding piece 7, must be moved forward ;— this is done by a horizontal lever n, (see fig. 5,) moved by the rotation of a cam-wheel o, at the end of the axle N. The sliding piece l, and spoon m, with its spring-holder o, thus brings the screw-blank forward, and inserts its end into the open dies, in the box к, on the hollow shaft 1. When this has been done, a cam-wheel Q, on the shaft N, gives a lateral movement to a lever R, which shifts a clutchbox s, on the hollow axle 1, and causes the levers P, P, in the die-box, to expand and force the dies q, q, into close contact with the screw-shaft, as seen in fig. 7; and as this hollow shaft is made to revolve continually by the bands and pullies G, and H, above described, the screw-shaft now receives a rapid rotary motion, as if fixed in the chuck of a lathe.

A vertical bar T, having counter-sunk file edges, is now made to rise, in order to act against the face-edge and back of the head and upper part of the shaft of the screw-blank, as it revolves in the chuck. This file-bar T, (see fig. 4,) slides vertically in sockets r, r, and is connected at bottom. to a jointed lever v, v, v, the fulcrum of which lever is a stud, set in the side-frame at s. On the shaft N, a snailcam u, is fixed, which acts against the bent extremity of the lever v; consequently, as the snail-cam goes round, the opposite end of the jointed levers will rise and fall, and thereby move the file-bar T, vertically up and down, and cause the irregularities of the shaft and head of the screwblank, as it revolves, to be filed off.

The movements of the machine, which may be traced by the drawings, having caused the file-bar to descend, and the sliding-bar l, to retire, the spoon m, being then in a situation to receive another screw-blank, it is necessary to discharge from the chuck that one which has been turned.

This is done by the clutch s, having retired and opened

the dies of the box K, when a sliding-rod t, in the hollow axle 1, is protruded forward, and drives the screw-blank out of the chuck. Upon the axle N, there is a cam-wheel w, in the groove of which, the end of a lever x, works. This lever turns upon a fulcrum-pin u, and the reverse end of the lever is attached by a clutch to the end of the slidingrod t. Hence it will be perceived, that as the cam w, revolves, the rod t, will be projected, and the screw-blank discharged at the proper time.

The machine, in which the heads of the screw-blanks are to receive the cuts or nicks, is represented in the side elevation at fig. 8, and in the horizontal view at fig. 9. The headed and turned screw-blanks, from the last-described machine, are thrown into a hopper A, whence they fall upon the peripheries of the drums B, B, and are discharged thereon, in the manner already described.

Fig. 10, represents a detached portion of the machine, upon an enlarged scale, consisting of a part of the groove or channel a, a, in which the screw-blanks are brought forward, and of the notched wheel in which they are held, whilst under the operation of nicking. The position of these parts in the machine, will be seen by reference to fig. 9. c, is the first axle, driven by a band and rigger. Upon this shaft there is a pulley D, carrying a band, which drives the axle E. On the axle E, there is a pinion, taking into the teeth of the drum-wheel B, by which means the screw-blanks are delivered from the hopper A, and conducted into the groove or guide a, a, as before described. At the end of the axle of the drum there is a pinion F, taking into a wheel &, upon the axle H, and upon this axle H, there is also a pinion 1, which drives a wheel K, on the axle of the notched wheel L, that receives and holds the screw-blanks whilst under the operation of notching or nicking. The first-mentioned axle c, has affixed upon it