When the tap stands vertical and the nuts are put on at the upper end (the point of the tap being uppermost), the cuttings are apt to pass upwards and prevent perfect lubrication by the descending oil. When the taps stand horizontally, gravity does not assist the oil to pass into the nut, and it falls rapidly from the tap, hence it is preferable that the tap should stand vertical with its point downwards, and running in oil and water.
In machines which cut the bolt threads with a solid die, it is obvious that after the thread is cut upon the bolt to the required distance, the direction of rotation of the bolt or die, as the case may be, requires to be reversed in order to remove the bolt from the die, and during this reversal of rotation the thread upon the bolt is apt to rub against and impair the cutting edges of the chasers or die teeth.
To obviate this difficulty in power machines the dies are sometimes caused to open when the bolt is threaded to the required distance, which enables the instant removal of the finished work, and this saves time as well as preserving the cutting edges of the die or chaser teeth.
In machines in which the bolt rotates, the machine must be stopped to take out each finished bolt and insert the blank one, which is unnecessary when the bolt is stationary, because so soon as the bolt is threaded to the required distance the dies may open automatically, the carriage holding the bolt at once withdrawn and a new one inserted.
When the dies open automatically the further advantage is secured that the bolts will all be threaded to an equal distance or length without care on the part of the operator.
Fig. 1817.
A hand machine for threading bolts from 1⁄4 inch to 3⁄4 inch in diameter is shown in [Fig. 1817]. It consists of a head carrying a live spindle revolved by hand, by the lever shown at the right-hand end of the machine, being secured to the live spindle by a set-screw, so that the handle may be used at a greater or less leverage to suit the size of the thread to be cut; on the front end of this spindle are the dies, consisting of four chasers held in a collet that is readily removable from the spindle, being held by a spring bolt which, when pressed downwards, frees the collet from the spindle.
The work is held in a pair of vice jaws operated by the hand wheel shown, and this vice is moved endwise in its slideways on the bed by means of the vertical lever shown. The bolt being stationary, the small diameter of the die enables it to thread bent or crooked pieces, such as staples, &c.