Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-06
An Invention Intended to Set in
Motion Many Thousand Ma
chimes That Are Now Idle.
A SUCCESSFUL SOUTHSIDE TEST
ef an Attachment for Plate Nail Mills By
Which Wire Nails Can be
Easily Made.
CAN BE ADJUSTED In THIRTY MINUTES.
The inventor Worked Year and a half on il, and
Now Has il Perfect.

Some very interesting-and at the same
time, in their result, very important-triaIs
in connection with the manufacture of wire
nails, were conducted at the American Iron
Works, yesterday afternoon. These were
nothing else than the making of wire nails
on an ordinary plate nail machine, thing
that has hitherto been regarded as impossi-
bic. But nothing is impossible 10 the in
ventive genius of the American mechanic,
and the trials, successfully conducted yester-
day, were owing to the creative faculty of a
mechanic, whose name for the present must
remain unannounced.
Through the courtesy of General Manager
G. Shively, representative of The DIS
PATCH was permitted to inspect the process.
One of the long row of nail plate machines
out of scores now standing idle had been
fitted with the new arrangement. The self
feeder had been removed, and in its place
was substituted an ordinary wire nail ma
chine feed, operating from the left side.
The bedplate, gripping and heading dies re-
mained as in the old machine, but from the
clamp at the back had been attached an ar
rangement for cutting and pointing the
wire, similar to the manner in which this
process is done in regular wire nail ma
chimes. These were, in most, the extent of
the alterations on the old machines.
AS GOOD AS ANY.
The power was put on, and the machine
began to turn out perfectly formed wire
nails, at the rate of $50 minute. It was
claimed for the device that the heading die
performed its work better than that of the
regular wire nail machine. The heading
arrangement of the latter works firm above,
and fashions the head with a quick blow.
The heading die of the transformed nail
plate machine works from the right-hand
side, and works the head with a more
gradual motion.
A handful of the nails examined seemed
to be thoroughly well-msde, well-pointed,
and with head large, and without any indi-
cation of splitting. The nails were of the
eight-penny size, but by changing the space
block, 4 6, and 10-penny sizes can be made.
The time necessary to transform a plate
nail machine into wire nail machine is
short half an hour. The product OF the I'm
proved plate nail machine is stated to be
from 200 to $50 minute, againt 16o nails to
the minute turned out by the regular wire
nail machine.
The trials referred to were made under the
direction of Mr.. b. R. Beam, of Chicago,
who has been engaged for the last month in
bringing the arrangements to perfection.
NOT THE INVENTOR.
Mr.. Beam, though not the original in
ventor of the device, holds the patents. He
said yesterday that he was indebted to
Messrs. Jones & Laughlins for the privi-
lege of trying the new arrangements on one
of their machines. It had taken him q
month to bring his plans into successful op-
Grafton, but be now felt assured that the de-
vice for making wire nails on plate nail ma
chimes was thoroughly successful. He had
most difficulty, he SAID, in fashioning the
head, not being practical naiimaker, and
he was indebted to Mr.. Hunter, OF the de- |
partment, for helping them out.
"It has taken q year and hal, said |
Mr.. Beam, 'to bring this invention into |
practical operation, but am now satisfied |
that 1 hold a very important invention. |
Anv plate-nail machine can be converted |
into q wire-nail machine in a very short |
time and at a very small cost. 1t has been |
held impracticable to adopt the old ma
chimes to the manufacture of wire nails, but |
1 am prepared to convince the skeptical that 1
IL is no longer SO"
The Importance of this innovation in nail |
making can hardly be over-estimated. 1t is |
stated that there are at least 1000 plate nail |
machines idle to-day throughout the coun-
try, owing to the inability of the manufac-
turers to make anything out of plate nails |
at present prices. The Wheeling manufac-
turers, by refusing to sign scale, have prac-
tlcally obtained control of the business, and /
makers here and elsewhere have gone out of |
the business because there was no money in /
it for them. The plants are idle. and the |
amount of capital invested in them lying |
dormant
MUCH BRIGHTER PROSPECTS.
Under the patents controlled by Mr.. |
Beam, every nail machine in the country |
can once more go into full operation and OBJ |
tain share of the increasing demand for |
wire nails, nails which are gradually beat |
ing the cut nail out nf the market.
Another effect which will likely result |
from an extended use Of this arrangement is |
the destruction Of the plans of the wire nail |
trust promoters. Readers of The DIS |
PATCH will remember the efforts made to |
combine interests In this product last year,
and the non-success that ensued through |
manufacturers failing to harmonic on the |
point.
The report that Messrs. Jones & Laugh |
Inns were adding an extensive wire nail |
plant to their works was probably due to |
Mr.. Beams efforts to transform the plate |
nail machines. The firm does not know |
what it will do in the matter The trials |
were made by Mr.. Beam, altogether on his |
own account and independently of the firm. |
He has mt made auv arranpements with
Jones & LaughlIns to adopt his improve
ments.
CHANGE of life, backache, monthly ir- |