IMPROVEMENTS IN TOOLS AND APPARATUS FOR CHISEL-POINTING NAILS, SPIKES, AND OTHER ARTICLES."
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Wakefield, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Machinist, and George Horatio Wakefield, of Birmingham aforesaid,
Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TOOLS AND APPARATUS
FOR CHISEL-POINTING NAILS, SPIKES, AND OTHER ARTICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Wakefield and George
Horatio Wakefield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th
March 1878.
JOHN WAKEFIELD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinist, and
GEORGE HORATIO WAKEFIELD, of Birmingham aforesaid, Machinist. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TOOLS AND APPARATUS FOR CHISEL-POINTING NAILS, SPIKES, AND OTHER
ARTICLES."
Our Invention consists of the tools and apparatus herein-after described for
producing a taper or wedge-shaped point (commonly called a chisel point) in nails,
spikes, and other articles requiring the same.
The tools by the action of which we produce the chisel point consist of two
hardened and tempered steel plates having a thickness equal to the diameter of the
nail or article to be operated upon and a depth about double the length of the
chisel point to be produced; the acting end of each of these tools is inclined, the
inclination being slightly convex.
These tools are worked in conjunction with the following apparatus or
appliances: Two strong bearing blocks or beds are fixed firmly together, their
plain opposed faces having depressions in them, which together form a channel
extending from end to end of the compound bed, the said channel being of a form
and size suitable for the reception of the tools herein-before described. The said
tools are introduced in the said channel from opposite ends, the acting faces or ends
of the tools nearly meeting at the middle of the said channel.

page_text: In the top of the compound bed and at its middle a cylindrical hole is made, in
which hole the nail or article to be pointed is introduced in a vertical position.
The distance to which the nail or article is permitted to enter the hole in the bed
is determined by a collar on the top of the compound bed, through which collar the
nail or article is passed, the under side of its head resting on the said collar. The
hole in the compound bed fits the nail or article with sufficient pressure to prevent
it being ejected upwards during the action of the tools upon it.
The tools described are fixed in a machine (constituting no part of our Inven-
tion), by which a rapid alternating motion is given to them, their acting inclined
ends rapidly approaching to and receding from one another at the middle of the
bed.
The action of the tool and apparatus is as follows:-The motion described being
given to the tools, the attendant pushes the end of the nail or article to be chisel-
pointed into the hole in the bed at the moment when the tools have receded to
their greatest distance from one another. The said tools now closing upon the 1
lower end of the nail or article compress the said ond and give it the required
chisel-pointed figure:
During the formation of the chisel point the nail or article rises slightly. When
the rising motion has ceased the pointing has been effected, and the attendant lifts
the nail or article from the hole in the bed and introduces another blank.
During each approach of the tools to one another a nail or article is pointed, and
the rate of pointing is limited only by the rate at which the attendant can con-
veniently remove the pointed nails or articles and feed unpointed ones between the
pointing tools through the hole in the compound bed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Wakefield and George Horatio Wakefield in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 4th September 1878.
JOHN WAKEFIELD, of Birmingham, in the the County of Warwick, Machinist,
and GEORGE HORATIO WAKEFIELD, of Birmingham aforesaid, Machinist. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN TOOLS AND APPARATUS FOR CHISEL-POINTING NAILS, SPIKES, AND
OTHER ARTICLES."
Our Invention consists of the tools and apparatus herein-after described for
producing a taper or wedge-shaped point (commonly called a chisel point) in nails,
spikes, and other articles requiring the same, such for example as staples.
The tools by the action of which we produce the chisel point consist of two
hardened and tempered steel plates having a thickness equal to the diameter of the
nail or article to be operated upon, and a depth about double the length of the
chisel point to be produced. The acting end of each of these tools is inclined, the
inclination being slightly convex.
These tools are worked in conjunction with 'the following apparatus or
appliances -Two strong bearing blocks or beds are fixed firmly together, their
plain opposed faces having depressions in them, which together form a channel
extending from end to end of the compound bed, the said channel being of a form
and size suitable for the reception of the tools herein-before described. The said
tools are introduced in the said channel from opposite ends, the acting faces or ends
of the tools nearly meeting at the middle of the said channel.
In the top of the compound bed and at its middle a cylindrical hole is made, in
which hole the nail or article to be pointed is introduced in a vertical position.
The distance to which the nail or article is permitted to enter the hole in the bed
is determined by a collar on the top of the compound bed, through which collar
the nail or article is passed, the under side of its head resting in the said collar.
The tools described are fixed in a machine (constituting no part of our Inven-
tion), by which a rapid alternating motion is given to them, their acting inclined
ends rapidly approaching to and receding from one another at the middle of
the bed.
The action of the tools and apparatus is as follows:-The motion described being
given to the tools, the attendant drops or feeds the end of the nail or article to be
chisel-pointed into the hole in the bed at the moment when the tools have receded
to their greatest distance from one another. The said tools now closing upon the
lower end of the nail or article compress the said end and give it the required
chisel-pointed figure.
During the formation of the chisel point the nail or article rises slightly. When
the rising motion has ceased the pointing has been effected, and the attendant lifts
the nail or article from the hole in the bed and introduces another blank. The
nail being pointed is prevented from being ejected from the hole in the compound
bed by the expansion of the end of the nail against the bearing faces of the
said bed.
During each approach of the tools to one another a nail or article is pointed, and
the rate of pointing is limited only by the rate at which the attendant can con
veniently remove the pointed nails or articles and feed unpointed ones between
the pointing tools through the hole in the compound bed.
We will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing,
the manner in which our Invention may be performed.
Figures 1 and 2 represent longitudinal sections of the compressing tools and
apparatus constructed according to our Invention for chisel pointing nails, spikes,
and other articles, Figure 1 representing the said tools open and the nail intro-

page_text: duced between them preparatory to the chisel-pointing operation, and Figure 2 the
same after the said tools have closed upon and chisel-pointed the nail.
Figure 3 represents a cross section of the tools and apparatus; and Figure 4, a
plan of the same.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawing.
a, a, b, b, are the compressing or pointing tools, by the action of which the chisel
point is produced on the end of the nail or article. These tools consist of two
hardened and tempered steel plates or bars, the acting or opposed end of each tool
being inclined and convex, as seen in Figures 1 and 2; the upper parts of the
inclined and convex ends a³, 62, of the said tools when closed upon one another
enclosing a space having the Figure of the chisel point to be produced. The said
compressing tools a, a, b, b², work in a channel f left between the opposed plain
faces of the two strong bearing blocks or beds c, d, fixed firmly together in the bed
of the machine in which they are used. The faces of the said blocks or beds C,
d,
where the chisel-pointing takes place, consists of discs of hardened and tempered
steel c, d, having stems. The said steel bearing faces c, d, are made capable of
adjustment in the blocks or beds c, d, to compensate for wear. At the middle of
the compound bed c, d, and over the channel f in which the tools a, a, b, b³, work
is a screw boss 9 having a cylindrical hole in its axis for receiving in a vertical
position the nail i (or other article) to be pointed, the nail or articlo fitting the said
hole loosely. The top h³ of the hole is conical to fit the head of the nail, the
said head of the nail resting in the conical part ². The screw boss g is screwed
into the carrying plate k, which is fixed in a depression made between the beds
c, d. The screw boss g has a hexagonal head for screwing it into and out of the
carrying plate k. The said boss can thereby be accurately adjusted at the proper
height in the carrying plate k to suit nails (or other articles) of different lengths. The
compound bed or block c, d, is supported and fixed upon the bed of a machine, and
a rapid alternating motion is given to the compressing tools a, b, by the action of
the said machine, so that the acting inclined ends a², 63, of the said tools rapidly
approach to and recede from one another at the middle of the bed c, d.
The reciprocating or alternating motion of the compressing tools a, b, may be
given by means of levers, cams, or other mechanism, which will cause the tools to
close upon one another with great force. We do not however confine ourselves to
any particular mechanism for working our improved tools.
The action of the tools and apparatus is as follows:-The reciprocating com-
pressing tools a, a, b, b², having receded to their greatest distance from one another,
as illustrated in Figure 1, the attendant feeds into the cylindrical hole in the
screw boss ga nail i, the head of the nail being supported by the conical depression /²
in the boss g, and the lower end of the nail passing into the space between the open 4
tools a, a, b, b, and the bearing faces c, d, of the beds or blocks c, d, as illustrated in
Figure 1. The tools a, a, b, b2, now make their advance motion, so as to approach
one another, and the acting ends a², 62, of the said tools close upon the lower end
of the nail i, compressing the said end and giving it the required chisel-pointed
figure; the nail during the chisel-pointing rising slightly in the hole h in the screw
boss g, as represented in Figure 2, in consequence of the elongation of the stem of
the nail by the chisel-pointing. By the compression of the end of the nail between the
tools a, b, the opposite sides of the nail to those which are operated upon by the said
tools are made flat by the displacement of the metal of the end of the nail against the
plain bearing faces c, d, of the bed c, d, as seen in Figure 2, the said displacement 5
of the metal against the said bearing faces c, d, and the binding action upon the
end of the nail resulting therefrom, preventing the ejecting of the nail from the
hole h in the compound bed during the pointing operation. When the nail has
reached the position represented in Figure 2 the chisel pointing of the nail is com-
pleted, and the attendant lifts the nail from the hole h in the boss g and introduces 5
a fresh blank, when the operations described are repeated. Thus at each approach

page_text: of the compressing tools a, b, to one another a nail or article is pointed, the pointed
nail or article being removed and a fresh blank introduced as the said tools open
or recede from one another, as will be understood by an examination of the
Drawing.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we claim as our
Invention, the improvements in tools and apparatus for chisel pointing nails, spikes,
and other articles herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing, that is to say, the construction and combination of the reciprocating com-
pressing or pointing tools a, a, b, b², and the compound bed or block c, c, d, d, and
parts connected with it, the said tools and apparatus being arranged and the chisel-
pointing effected substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wakefield and George Horatio Wakefield,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Second day of September, in the
year of our Lord Oue thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
JOHN WAKEFIELD.
(L.S.)
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
GEORGE HORATIO WAKEFIELD. (L.S.)