Patent Publication Number: US-2010130295-A1

Title: Nail manufacturing machine

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a nail manufacturing machine, and more particularly to a nail manufacturing machine including an indexing wheel for horizontally supporting the nail blanks and for allowing the nail blanks to be stably held in place and to be effectively hammered or machined or driven by the nail machining tool. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Typical nail manufacturing machines comprise a capstan for delivering wire to feed rolls which intermittently advance an end portion of the wire to a workstation for severing the wire and for forming a pointed nail blank, and an indexing wheel conveys successively formed nail blanks to a diametrically opposed workstation for heading the nail blanks and for forming the pointed nails. 
     For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,809 to Steinhilber discloses one of the typical nail making machines comprising an indexing wheel vertically and rotatably supported in a machine body and including an outer peripheral portion for receiving the end portion of the wire or for receiving the pointed nail blanks and for delivering the pointed nail blanks to a heading station for heading the nail blanks. 
     For stably supporting the pointed nail blanks in the outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel, a number of nail blank holders and a number of holding posts and a number of spring-biased nail blank retaining members are required to be provided and disposed or engaged into the outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel for engaging with the pointed nail blanks and for stably retaining the pointed nail blanks in the outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel. 
     However, the nail blank holders and the holding posts and the spring-biased nail blank retaining members are complicated and may not be easily and quickly attached or assembled or mounted into the outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel. In addition, the pointed nail blanks may not be stably supported and retained in the outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel when the spring-biasing force of the spring-biased nail blank retaining members is decreased or when the spring-biased nail blank retaining members have become failed. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional nail making or manufacturing machines. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a nail manufacturing machine including an indexing wheel for horizontally supporting the nail blanks and for allowing the nail blanks to be stably held in place and to be effectively hammered or machined or driven by the nail machining tool. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a nail manufacturing machine comprising a machine table, two cutting tools slidably supported on the machine table and movable toward each other for cutting a wire into a nail blank, a sorting member including a channel formed therein for receiving and engaging with the nail blank, a delivering device disposed between the cutting tools and the sorting member for delivering the nail blank into the channel of the sorting member, an indexing wheel disposed below the sorting member, and including a number of nail blank holding grooves formed in an outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel and parallel to the channel of the sorting member for selectively and horizontally receiving the nail blank from the channel of the sorting member, a nail machining tool slidably supported on the machine table and including a tool member movable toward the nail blank for machining the nail blank, and a driving device including a spindle rotatably supported on the machine table and coupled to the nail machining tool for moving the tool member of the nail machining tool toward the nail blank in order to machine the nail blank, and including two shafts supported on the machine table and coupled to the spindle and the cutting tools for moving the cutting tools toward each other in order to cut the wire into the nail blank and for allowing the nail blanks to be stably held in place and to be effectively hammered or machined or driven by the nail machining tool without complicated nail blank holders and retaining members. 
     The sorting member includes at least one notch formed in the sorting member and communicating with the channel of the sorting member for engaging with a stop, and the stop is used to engage with the nail blank for limiting the nail blank to move relative to the sorting member and for guiding the nail blank to move through the channel of the sorting member. 
     A carrier is further provided and slidably attached to the sorting member and includes at least one finger slidably engaged into the sorting member and extended across the channel of the sorting member for selectively engaging with the nail blank and for controlling the nail blank to move out through the channel of the sorting member. 
     A handle is further provided and rotatably attached to the sorting member and includes an extension for engaging with the carrier and for selectively disengaging the finger of the carrier from the channel of the sorting member and for allowing the nail blank to selectively move out through the channel of the sorting member and into the indexing wheel. 
     The carrier includes a curved slot formed therein and/or a cam member provided therein for engaging with the extension of the handle and for allowing the finger of the carrier to be selectively disengaged from the channel of the sorting member when the handle is rotated relative to the carrier. 
     The sorting member includes an inclined tray attached to one side portion for receiving and collecting the nail blank that may not be engaged into the channel of the sorting member. The indexing wheel includes a number of inserts engaged into the outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel for forming the nail blank holding grooves. 
     A clamping member is further provided and slidably supported on the machine table and movable toward the indexing wheel for selectively engaging with the nail blank and for stably clamping and retaining the nail blank to the indexing wheel. The clamping member includes a recess formed therein for receiving and engaging with the nail blank and for clamping and retaining the nail blank in the indexing wheel. 
     An anvil is further provided and disposed close to the clamping member and the indexing wheel and disposed behind the nail blank for anchoring and positioning the nail blank and for allowing the nail blank to be machined by the nail machining tool. The driving device includes a pulley attached to the spindle, and the spindle is coupled to the shafts with bevel gears. 
     Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an upper and front perspective view of a nail manufacturing machine in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial upper and rear perspective view of the nail manufacturing machine; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial top plan schematic view of the nail manufacturing machine; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating a cutting device of the nail manufacturing machine; 
         FIG. 5  is a partial upper and rear perspective view illustrating an indexing wheel and a heading device of the nail manufacturing machine; 
         FIG. 6  is another partial upper and rear perspective view as seen from the other angle of the indexing wheel and the heading device of the nail manufacturing machine; 
         FIG. 7  is a top plan schematic view of the indexing wheel and the heading device of the nail manufacturing machine; 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged partial top plan schematic view of a nail blank sorting or feeding or delivering device of the nail manufacturing machine; 
         FIG. 9  is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the nail blank sorting or feeding or delivering device of the nail manufacturing machine; 
         FIG. 10  is a side plan schematic view illustrating the nail blank sorting or feeding or delivering device of the nail manufacturing machine; 
         FIG. 11  is a top plan schematic view illustrating the nail blank sorting or feeding or delivering device of the nail manufacturing machine; 
         FIG. 12  is a top plan schematic view similar to  FIG. 11 , illustrating the operation of the nail blank sorting or feeding or delivering device of the nail manufacturing machine; 
         FIG. 13  is a plan schematic view illustrating the nail blank sorting or feeding or delivering device and the indexing wheel and the heading device of the nail manufacturing machine; 
         FIG. 14  is another partial upper and rear perspective view similar to  FIG. 5 , illustrating the operation of the indexing wheel and the heading device of the nail manufacturing machine; 
         FIG. 15  is an enlarged partial upper and rear perspective view of the indexing wheel; 
         FIG. 16  is a partial side plan schematic view of the nail blank sorting or feeding or delivering device and the indexing wheel and the heading device of the nail manufacturing machine; and 
         FIG. 17  is an enlarged partial side plan schematic view illustrating the operation of the heading device of the nail manufacturing machine. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, and initially to  FIGS. 1-3 , a nail manufacturing machine  1  in accordance with the present invention comprises a machine table  10  including a front portion  11  having a horizontal feeding station  12  and a vertical feeding station  13  for engaging and for feeding a wire  14  into the nail manufacturing machine  1 , and including a housing  15  disposed or engaged into the inner and lower portion of the machine table  10  for receiving and collecting the cut chips or dirt, and including a container  16  disposed or engaged into the inner and lower portion of the machine table  10  for receiving and collecting the pointed nails. A feeding device  20  is further provided and attached or disposed in front of the vertical feeding station  13  for receiving and feeding or delivering the wire  14  further forward into the nail manufacturing machine  1 . 
     For example, the feeding device  20  includes one or more (such as two) gears or pulleys or wheels  21 ,  22  disposed in front of the vertical feeding station  13  for receiving and engaging with the wire  14  and for further feeding or delivering the wire  14  into the nail manufacturing machine  1 , and includes a guiding member  23  disposed in front of the gears or pulleys or wheels  21 ,  22  and having a bore  24  formed in the guiding member  23  for receiving and guiding the wire  14  to move further forward into the nail manufacturing machine  1 . A cutting device  30  is disposed in front of the guiding member  23  and includes two sliding members or bases  31 ,  32  slidably supported on the machine table  10  and each having a cutting tool  33 ,  34  ( FIGS. 3 ,  4 ) attached or disposed on the bases  31 ,  32 , and the cutting tools  33 ,  34  and the bases  31 ,  32  are movable toward each other for cutting the wire  14  into a nail blank  8  ( FIGS. 5 ,  7 - 8 , and  13 - 16 ). 
     Another feeding or delivering device  35  is further provided and attached or disposed in front of the cutting device  30 , and includes one or more (such as four) rollers  36  ( FIGS. 5 ,  14  and  16 ) for receiving and engaging with the nail blank  8  and for feeding or delivering the nail blank  8  further forward and toward or into a nail blank sorting device  4 . As shown in  FIGS. 1-3  and  5 - 14 , the nail blank sorting device  4  includes a block or sorting member  40  having a channel  41  vertically formed in the sorting member  40  for receiving and engaging with the nail blank  8  from the nail blank feeding or delivering device  35  and for guiding or sending or delivering the nail blank  8  downwardly toward an indexing wheel  60 , and having one or more notches  42  formed in the sorting member  40  and communicating with the channel  41  for engaging with a plug or stop  43  ( FIG. 8 ). 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5-8 , the nail blank  8  sent or delivered from the nail blank feeding or delivering device  35  may be fed or sent or delivered or moved into the channel  41  of the sorting member  40  or of the nail blank sorting device  4 , and the stop  43  may be used to engage with the nail blank  8  for limiting the nail blank  8  to move relative to the sorting member  40  and for suitably guiding the nail blank  8  to move downwardly through the channel  41  of the sorting member  40  and then to move toward or into the indexing wheel  60  which is disposed below the sorting member  40 . Am inclined or tilted ramp or supporting tray  44  is attached or disposed on one side portion of the sorting member  40  for receiving and supporting or collecting the nail blanks  8  that may not be engaged into the channel  41  of the sorting member  40  or of the nail blank sorting device  4  ( FIGS. 7 ,  8 ). 
     A carrier  50  is slidably attached or secured onto the other side portion of the sorting member  40  with one or more poles or rails  51 , and includes one or more fingers  52  ( FIGS. 11 ,  12 ) slidably engaged into the sorting member  40  and extended across or through the channel  41  of the sorting member  40  for selectively engaging with the nail blanks  8  and for guiding or sending or controlling the nail blanks  8  to move downwardly through the channel  41  of the sorting member  40  and then to selectively move toward or into the indexing wheel  60 , and includes a curved slot  53  and/or a cam member  54 . formed or provided thereon. A hand grip or handle  45  is rotatably attached or secured to the sorting member  40  with an axle  46 , and includes an extension  47  extended downwardly therefrom ( FIG. 13 ) for engaging with the curved slot  53  and/or the cam member  54  of the carrier  50  ( FIGS. 11 ,  12 ) and for selectively moving or disengaging the fingers  52  of the carrier  50  from the channel  41  of the sorting member  40  ( FIG. 12 ) and for allowing the nail blanks  8  to selectively move out through the channel  41  of the sorting member  40  and then to selectively move or engage into the indexing wheel  60 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5-8 , and  13 - 17 , the indexing wheel  60  includes a number of nail blank holding grooves  61  formed in the outer peripheral portion thereof and parallel to the channel  41  of the sorting member  40  for selectively aligning with the channel  41  of the sorting member  40  and for selectively receiving the nail blanks  8  from the channel  41  of the sorting member  40 , and the indexing wheel  60  may include a number of pads or anvils or inserts  62  engaged into the outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel  60  for partially forming the nail blank holding groove  61  and for stably receiving and retaining the nail blanks  8 . Two clamping members  63 ,  64  are slidably supported on the machine table  10  and movable toward each other for selectively engaging with the indexing wheel  60  and for stably clamping and retaining the indexing wheel  60  in place. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , the clamping member  64  may further include a recess  65  formed therein for receiving or engaging with the nail blanks  8  and for stably clamping and retaining the nail blanks  8  in the indexing wheel  60 . As shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  7  and  16 , a pad or anvil  66  may further be provided and disposed close to the clamping member  64  and disposed close to the outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel  60 , or disposed behind the nail blank  8  that is engaged and clamped by the clamping member  64  for anchoring and positioning the nail blank  8  and for allowing the nail blank  8  to be hammered or machined or driven by a nail machining tool  70 , best shown in  FIG. 7 . The nail machining tool  70  is slidably disposed in front of the nail blank  8  that is engaged and clamped by the clamping member  64 , and includes a tool member  71  for being moved toward the nail blank  8  ( FIG. 17 ) in order to machine or shape the nail blank  8 , such as to form a head portion of a predetermined shape for the nail blank  8  in order to form the required pointed nail. 
     It is to be noted that the nail machining tool  70  may include a number of tool members  71  that may be changed with each other and that may be alternatively or selectively attached or assembled or mounted onto the nail machining tool  70  for machining or shaping different head portions for the nail blank  8 . The cutting device  30  may also include a number of different cutting tools  33 ,  34  that may be changed with each other and that may be alternatively or selectively attached or assembled or mounted onto the bases  31 ,  32  of the cutting device  30  for machining or shaping different nail or tip or end portions for the nail blank  8 . It is further to be noted that the nail blanks  8  may be horizontally and stably held in place and supported in the nail blank holding grooves  61  that are located in one of the two upper quarter portions of the indexing wheel  60 , best shown in  FIGS. 13-16 . 
     Referring again to  FIGS. 1-3 , the machine table  10  includes a driving device  9  disposed or engaged onto the upper portion of the machine table  10 , and the driving device  9  includes a spindle  91  rotatably attached or supported on the upper portion of the machine table  10 , and includes a wheel or pulley  90  attached to one end portion of the spindle  91  for coupling to a motor driving facility (not shown) and for being driven or rotated by the motor driving facility, and includes two bevel gears  92 ,  93  attached to the spindle  91 . Two shafts  94  are also rotatably attached or supported on the upper portion of the machine table  10  and meshed or coupled to or engaged with the bevel gears  92 ,  93  for allowing the shafts  94  to be driven or rotated by the spindle  91 , and two axles  96  are rotatably attached or supported on the upper portion of the machine table  10  with arms  95  and coupled to the shafts  94  with chain-and-sprocket, pulley-and-belt, or gearing coupling device  97  for allowing the axles  96  to be driven or rotated by the spindle  91  and the shafts  94  of the driving device  9 . 
     The driving device  9  further includes a crank or cam or actuating device  98  attached to the spindle  91  and coupled to the nail machining tool  70  for moving the tool member  71  toward the nail blank  8  ( FIG. 17 ) in order to machine or shape the nail blank  8 , such as to form the head portion for the nail blank  8  in order to form the required pointed nail; and further includes two cranks or cams or moving devices  99  attached to the axles  96  respectively and engaged with the bases  31 ,  32  of the cutting device  30  for moving the cutting tools  33 ,  34  of the bases  31 ,  32  toward each other in order to cut the wire  14  into the nail blank  8 . The feeding device  20  may include another chain-and-sprocket, pulley-and-belt, or gearing coupling device  25  coupled to the axles  96  for allowing the wheels  21 ,  22  of the feeding device  20  to be driven or rotated by the spindle  91  and the axles  96 . 
     Similarly, the nail blank feeding or delivering device  35  may also include a further chain-and-sprocket, pulley-and-belt, or gearing coupling device  37  ( FIGS. 6 ,  13 - 14 ) coupled to the axles  96  or the shafts  94  for allowing the rollers  36  of the nail blank feeding or delivering device  35  to be driven or rotated by the spindle  91  and the axles  96  or the shafts  94 . The indexing wheel  60  may also include a further chain-and-sprocket, pulley-and-belt, or gearing coupling device  67  ( FIGS. 6-7 ,  13  and  16 ) coupled to the axles  96  or the shafts  94  for allowing the indexing wheel  60  to be driven or rotated by the spindle  91  and the axles  96  or the shafts  94 . The clamping members  63 ,  64  may be coupled to the axles  96  or the shafts  94  with a still further chain-and-sprocket, pulley-and-belt, gearing coupling device, or crank device  68  ( FIGS. 5-7  and  14 ) for allowing the clamping members  63 ,  64  to be moved toward each other for selectively engaging with the indexing wheel  60 , such that the wheels  21 ,  22  of the feeding device  20 , the bases  31 ,  32  of the cutting device  30 , the rollers  36  of the nail blank feeding or delivering device  35 , the indexing wheel  60 , and the clamping members  63 ,  64  may all be actuated or operated with the spindle  91  of the driving device  9 . 
     In operation, as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the wire  14  may be fed or sent or delivered out through the bore  24  of the guiding member  23  by the horizontal feeding station  12  and/or the vertical feeding station  13  and/or the wheels  21 ,  22  of the feeding device  20 , and may then be cut into the nail blanks  8  with the cutting tools  33 ,  34  of the cutting device  30 , the nail blanks  8  may then be fed or sent or delivered to the channel  41  of the sorting member  40  or of the nail blank sorting device  4  with the rollers  36  of the nail blank feeding or delivering device  35  ( FIGS. 5-8 ), and the nail blanks  8  may then be selectively sent out through the channel  41  of the sorting member  40  and into the indexing wheel  60  with the fingers  52  of the carrier  50  and the handle  45  ( FIGS. 11-12 ) and for allowing the nail blanks  8  to be horizontally and stably held and supported in the nail blank holding grooves  61  that are located in one of the two upper quarter portions of the indexing wheel  60  and for allowing the nail blanks  8  to be effectively machined or shaped by the tool members  71  of the nail machining tool  70 . 
     It is to be noted that no complicated nail blank holders and holding posts and spring-biased nail blank retaining members are required to be provided and disposed or engaged or attached or assembled or mounted onto the outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel  60  such that the manufacturing cost for the nail manufacturing machine may be decreased. In addition, the nail blanks  8  may be horizontally and stably held and supported in the nail blank holding grooves  61  of the indexing wheel  60  and will not be disengaged from the indexing wheel  60 . 
     Accordingly, the nail manufacturing machine in accordance with the present invention includes an indexing wheel for horizontally supporting the nail blanks and for allowing the nail blanks to be stably held in place and to be effectively hammered or machined or driven by the nail machining tool. 
     Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.