The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-03-21
How Pins Are Made.
From the Scientific American.


It seems that the modern manufacturing
process of pinmaking began with the inven-
ton of process for drawing wire. The
process in question had its origin in France
and Germany, which countries for 200
years had a complete monopoly OF the IN
dustry.
This was about the year 1920. Not
until the middle of the last century, how
ever. we're the machines in successful OPP
Grafton which, from the drawn wire, could
complete the pins now used all over the
world and stick them in crimped paper by
the process described here:
Wire is drawn from reel automatically by
pair of pincers between fixed studs which
straishten the WIRE A pin length is Their
gripped by a pair of lateral jaws, from
which portion of the wire is left project,
ING. A snap-head die then advances and
partially shapes the head. The blank Il
now released and pushed forward about
twentieth of an inch. The head is ther
given another squeeze by the same die
By this repetition of motion the head II
completed, and the blank is cut off :h'
wire in the length desired. About al
eighth of an inch of the wire is necessar,
to make pinhead.
The headed blanks are dropped into ;
receptacle in which they arrange them
selves in the line of slot formed by tw
inclined and bevel-edged bars. Since tn
opening between the bars is just larg
enough to permit the shank to fall through
the pins are suspended in row along thu
slot. When the blanks reach the lowe
end of the inclined bar in their suspende'
position they are seized between two part
of the machine and passed along, rotatln:
as they move in front of a cylindrical cut
ter, with sharp grooves on its surface
whereby the pins are pointed.
Thus properly shaped, the pins ar
thrown from the machine. If they b.
brass, they are cleaned by being boiled il
weak, sour beer After they have beef
cleaned they are timed. This process
effected by placing alternate layers of pin
and grain tin in a copper can to which
weak solution of bitartrate Of potash l
added The can is heated and solution
of tin is produced, which is deposited OF
the surface of the pins. The pins are re
moved and frightened by being shaken IL
a revolving barrel of bran or sawdust.
Now comes the final operation OF pa
pering." The pins to be struck are place.
in hopper, in connection with which
steel plate is used, with longitudinal slit
corresponding with the number of pin
which form row in the paper. The pin
in the hopper are stirred up by a comb-llk'
tool; the shanks drop through the Sits IL
the steel plate, and the pins are SUSTAINED
by their heads. Long, barrow sheets o
paper are presented by the operator to thu
action of Il machine, by which two RAISED
holes are crimped The row of pins col
lected in the steel plate is then pressed
through two crimped folds by the same ac
ton These operations are repeated unit
the requisite rows of pins are struck in the
paper.
In the United States the manufacture Of
pins has become such an industry that the
mills in this country do much to supply the
world $ demand In 1900 the 10, 600,
600 people in the United States used GO,
600, 600 gross Of common pins, which is
equal to 800, 900, 900 pins, or an aver
age of about 1913 pins for every man,
woman and child in the country. This is
the highest average reached anywhere in
! the use Of pins.