Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-11-20
How Pins Are Made.

The wire is of the size suitable for ordi-
nary pins, and the first thing required is
to straighten it, This is done by placing
il on reel, whence it is passed between
fifteen or twenty polished steel rollers,
arranged much like the keys OF violin,
the last two being placed together, so that
as the wire passes out from between them
it becomes perfectly straight and Is
wound loosely on immense spools. These
spools are hung on pegs until they are
wanted at the machines. They are then
placed on standard, and the thread OF
wire conducted into the machine. The
first thing which this ingenious little au-
tomaton does is to cut the wire the requlr-
ed length. In a moment afterward the
pin falls into vessel at the bottom, COM
plete. To describe the process by which
this is accomplished would take more
time than is required to manufacture
enough pins TO last an ordinary family
five years. Almost at the instant that the
wire is cut, a little hammer flying in and
out SO fast that it is hardly discernible,
strikes it square on the end, and literally
"puts head on it." Another finger
pushes it sideways on smooth plane un-
der a number Of CUTTERS SO arranged
that the lower half of the pins are rolled
swiftly underneath them to the extreme
right of the machines. These cutters
make about 1000 revolutions minute,
AND are so constructed as to point the pins
while they hurry them toward the re-
ceiver. Looking at the rows OF pins COM
ing swiftly over the iron apron one is puz-
them. They are constantly approaching
Ix.tt II; tta.1 O,1f of a N
where the line terminates is tin spout,
and so quickly do the pins disappear into
this that one does not see what becomes
of them until close scrutiny reveals 1t.
At the end of the spout are small tin YES
sells holding quart or SO, and beside them
larger vessels. The small pans are used
to first receive the pins, in order that If
the machines get to working badly and
making imperfect articles, the fact may be
discovered before they have become mixed
with the larger quantities, which would
necessitate the rejection of all in the same
vessel. When the pins drop into these
pans they are, as before indicated, COM
plete, SO far as the form is concerned, but
they are not yet ready for market by any
means. They are covered with oil, and
the thin brass filings Of the wire, and must
room where are two large revolving casks.
These casks are partially filled with saw
dust, and into them is also emptied a
bushel or two of pins. After thorough
shaking up here the pins and saw
dust together are taken to still an
other room, where they are run through
a fanning-mill so much like one used for
cleaning grain that a casual observer
would not note the difference. Having
been separated from the sawdust here,
they are carried to large tanks, into the
bottom of which are placed perforated
blocks of tin. Alternate layers of pins
and tin blocks are placed in these tanks
until they are filled, when the whole mass
is boiled by steam. This gives them the
silver color noticed, and is a sort of gal
vanizing process, which keeps them from
coroding. When taken out of these tanks
they are emptied into large sink and
washed Thence they are again taken to
the revolving casks, where they go through
the process of polishing and drying, and
then through the fanning-mill again.
They are now ready for the papers, and
are taken to room presided over by
young ladies, each of whom has formid-
able-looking machine at her side, looking
like cross between pair OF counter
scales and loom. About two feet above
the table where the operator sits is hop
per filled with pins, and shaken by ma
chinery like the hopper in Touring
mill. The pins are shaken out OF this
hopper on to an inclined iron plane, with
groove in the center just large enough
to permit all but the head of the pin to
fall through. This plane, with the groove
in the middle reaches downward TO an
iron rack, on which are indentations just
large enough to receive the pins. This
rack is moved with a lever, and as it is
pushed along, at the end of the groove
containing the pins shaken out of the hop
per, row OF them fall into the indenta-
tons on the rack. A movement of the
lever throws the rack to the left Of the
plane, and directly over strip of paper
designed to receive them. The movement
of another lever drives the row of pins
quietly and evenly through the ridges on
the paper, and the process is again re-
peated OF course all this is done in q
moment. five count briskly, one, two,
three, and calculate row of pins for
every time we utter "three," we have a
pretty good idea of the time required for
| this part of the work. Having got the
pins in the paper, nothing remains but to
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