The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-01-30

Almost Wholly AntomAtlr' HH'-f
die cut Nail Process ii Leee huie-
made ana nneh Harden
The making ot nails IS one q the
Oldest American, as y otle q tlie
oides English industries but ii Crel5i
Brttain tie create part % Tie pEot1tiselI
has been hand work, IN America q
chine work. I.
OF mod rn nails, the wire or french
nails and tie common cut mills er r,
made n quantities which far exceed
ali other. Kinds. The wire nails have
increased enormously IN general use lll
during recent years, but there are stu
many purposes for which cut nails are
preferred.
The process Of making wire rails q
exceedingly simple and almost wholly
automatic. A large reel or spool q
wire Of i size equal to that Of the
shank Of the nail TO be made feeds
forward at each revolution Of the ma
chine piece Of wire equal g the
length Of the nail and a fraction Of 40
inch more.
This is seized firmly by clamps,
which straighten while they hold II,
and at the same time pair Of Jaws
50 cut the wire as to leave a SHARP
point to the nail.
Before the clamps let go their hold
hammer, the face Of which Is a die
strikes the other end Of the wire q
sharp blow, which forms the head.
The clamps have corrugated sur.
faces, not merely to hold the nail more
securely, but to impress upon It .
series Of ridges and depresslons, which
make it harder to draw out when
once driven home.
The making Of cut nails is less auto
matte and much harder. Any one who
las seen a nailmaker at work will I'M.
derstand the aptness Of the old express
sion, to work like a Mailer" The iron
for cut nails Is frst rolled into sheets,
the thickness Of which is equal to the
thickness Of the nail. 1t Is then cut
into nlates as wide as the nail is long
and Of such length as a man can han
die Conveniently. say from fifteen to
twenty inches
The mil cutting machine Is a heavy.
compact piece Of mechanism, not much
larger tban a sewing machine, before
which the nailmaker sits ON a stool.
II cons,sts Of but little more than a
mir Of shears. strong enough to cut
Ion Sa,, thrae.eIghths Of an inch thick. and
! heading manner
Any one who VIII examine cut nail
viii And that the shank tapers, not on
al sonr sides from the head, as lie may
have snnnosed hut ON two sides only.
me otber two sides are parallel. Il Is
tho neglect to notice this fact which
loads 90 many persons TO start II nail
lnto wood IN a way which splits 1t.
FROM n small furnace near the ma,
shine the nailmaker draws a plate
which has come to a dun red heat.
uoldino. tAis by means Of ptnchers, he
feeds tho edge farthest from him to the
iows of the machine. As they descend
thev shear a tapering strip from the
edge. TMs is. seized by clamps, which
hold 1t Just long enough for the head
iht hammer to strike the blow which
forms the head and then drop 1t.
Now, IF the naIler were simply
to push the plate forward again the
tapering character Of the strip which
is sliced OF would destroy the rectan7
gular shape OF the plate; anu Ine mans mans
would neither be OF a nngtm hor llay 4.
square heads and points. - opXlatS ",
this difficulty the plate must ee :, tutnel
over between every TWO n L,I t.' !, ~
cut, 50 that the mead OF tne ~ y, WV ~
come alternately from one slte y TUG
plate and from tne o'net. -. :.
4nls-ant II 70 'u =, 1s,,a. LIN . sim.
the nailers' worK-!s uone WI WIZ III. ~ -
pie turn or the wrlss' uuu' Vne ~, n."ss !, = y
fed forward as pelore' AZ s,' sH aS,,
chimes run at conslaer'tuls s Ks ,,.,, a
the "hop" must De acctsase,S I'M ~,
in order that the enc - u4e 'sso sy
meet the shears at .ne p ~ , ns'
and IN the right pace, Tue ulu'S w,
and the nresome ~ nu '..o,,,, ~ snms
makers WORK may pe ,tn ~. ne,5,ns M
idea OF It may De nuG ~ /, uO' na', ~
thiek END OF = sl 41s - - % q t,,rr n !,
tongs anu otlellp.Lus =. ~ t,,o ~ ,,sst tbaI
with single mGIion ~ sna % at IN ,
ale I, SUES VIZ ~
a sooN nalln"a .s w. Ill, IuA o,,t from from