Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-08-05
How Nails Are Made.

Where do all the nails come from"
This was the somewhat impatien in
curry OF an overWorked mother.
II find them on the fioor. and in all the
nails, nails
Wen, when you think OF il, somebody
must be quite busy i'll this branch of III
dustry. We shall be interested in look
ing into it little.
Up to the beginning of this century al
most all the nails used were pounded out
on an anvil with hammer. Think what
il would mean II We did not have any
other way Of making them now!
About 1910 an American invented a ma
chine which would turn cut and cut nails
at the rate OF one hundred a minute.
This was such an advance over the old
way that many men set about still fur
ther improving machines for nail max
Ing. Up To the year lAIi more than three
hundred patents had been issued to IN
ventors who thought they could see a
way TO manufacture nails mere cheaply
and more rapidly the machine when
in 1910 seemed SO wonderful has been SUI
perseded by those which will send OUT :
perfect stream OF nails, al. ready for the
market.
Let us see how these machines work
First the iron is melted and nicely tenn
pered. Then it is rolled into thin sheets,
it is intended TO produce. For single
and latn nails the sheets must be very
thin; while for the great Juveniles" or
'.forties' they would need TO be much
slot where they are chopped off into
pieces and sliced up into wedge shaped
bits OF metal. Being pushed rapidly
along, another part Of the machine titS
these slices on the large end and makes
a head upon them. They then fall into
a trough below, along which they are
hurried through a cleaner. which takes
off any rough particles which may cling
to them. Then they are carried on TO be
weighed and put into kegs Even this Is
done by machinery After being placed
In = h-Nr aAd a =
forms which move up and down with a
heavy. 1olting motion, which packs the
nails down firmly, as they are found in
the kegs at the hardware store. Boys
deftly head up the kegs. mark the size
and weight upon them and the name OF
initials OF the manufacturer, when they
are ready for shipment.
The machine Tor making wire mans, OF
which immense quantities are now used.
is more simple, but what noisy thing
1t is, Its ceaseless rattle Is almost
tracted: still. those who attend 1t tell Us
that they soon become accustomed TO the
sound. SO that they do not mind IT,
These now very popular nails were frst
made in France. a heavy reel of wire of
the size desired is placed upon spindle
near the Matchmaking machine proper
One end of the reel is brought between a
pair of cam grippers, which holds 1t up
10 a punch long enough for the head 10
be upset upon the wire. Quickly the rod
Is pushed forward to meet two other
punches, Wnch advance. one from edch
side to form the point Before you know
IL a strong arm, called the 'knocker-on.
comes up and hits the nail a rap, which
sends ii out a finished nail.
The making of horseshoe nails forms
business by itself. requiring machinery
quite different from that already. de
scribed Only the very best Of steel can
be used for this kind of nail. Shoe nails
call for sill another kind of machine.
These are made from sheets OF zinc
Tacks. brads barbed, screw and orna-
mental nails also require machines adapt
ed TO that particular branch OF nail max
ing.
In calling for nails we use the term
'fourpenny' or "siXpenny, as the case
may be. This term is said to be cor
ruption of ''four-pound.' exc, and means
that a thousand such nails will weigh
four pounds while of the siSpennies a
thousand are needed for six pounds.-k.d-
gar l.. Vincent in the Christian Advo-
cate.