IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRASS-HEADED NAILS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Hookham and Alfred Ludlow, both of Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRASS-HEADED NAILS."
Sealed the 19th Aug 1878 and dated the 23rd Fohm 1878
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Hookham and Alfred
Ludlow at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd February
1878.
GEORGE HOOKHAM and ALFRED LUDLOW, both of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRASS-
HEADED NAILS."
Our Invention has reference to the manufacture of nails commonly known in
commerce as brass-headed nails, that is, nails made of iron, and having the upper
part of their heads covered with sheet brass.
In the ordinary method of manufacturing the said nails the iron head is smaller
than the head of the finished nail, the base and marginal portions of the head
being made from a washer of zinc, which is shaped and pressed into close contact
with the iron head by the pressing process which connects the brass covering to
the head.
In manufacturing the said nails, according to our Invention, we make each nail
of four parts, namely, the iron nail, the brass covering, a cupped disc of sheet iron
or tinned sheet iron having a central perforation, and a collar or ring of paper.
The said disc of tinned sheet iron forms the back or under side of the head, as
berein-after explained.
The nail may either be a forged nail or a nail made from wire, the latter kind
being known as "points de Paris."
The brass covering consists of a shallow cup, the bottom of which is convex
externally.

page_text: The disc of tinned sheet iron is cupped, and the central perforation is of a size
suitable for the passage through it of the stem or body of the nail.
The collar or ring of paper may either be made by rolling up a strip of paper, or
it may be cut from millboard or made from paper pulp.
The parts are connected together, and the manufacture of the nail completed by
dies and pressure.
The lower fixed die has a central recess, of the diameter of the
head of the finished nail, and an axial hole for receiving the stem or body of the
nail. The bottom of the recess is curved where it joins the cylindrical portion,
the figure of the said recess being that of a cylinder with its lower circular edge
rounded. The upper moveable die is concave on its under side, and fits the central
recess in the lower die.
The press employed is an ordinary screw press; before operating on the nail in
the press the paper collar is first passed on to the nail and afterwards the tinned
iron disc, the concave side of the latter being turned to the under side of the head.
The nail with these parte upon it, that is, immediately under its head, is dropped
into the lower die, and the brass covering cup is placed, mouth downwards, upon
the head of the nail; the said cup being of somewhat greater diameter than the
tinned iron disc, the edge of the former encloses the edge of the latter. By now
bringing down the upper die the several parts are shaped and connected together,
and the manufacture of the nail completed by one operation. The pressure of the
upper die gives the required shape to the brass covering, compresses and solidifies
the paper ring, and forcing the edge of the said covering against the rounded
bottom edge of the lower die causes it to turn under and grip the tinned iron disc;
there is thus formed a brass-headed nail, having a head without any cavity, the
front and edge and marginal portions of the under side being covered with brass,
the back or under side covered with tinned sheet iron, the interior being filled
by the comparatively small iron head of the original nail and the compressed paper
or paper pulp.
The cupped sheet iron or tinned sheet iron disc described may in some cases be
dispensed with, the nail being sufficiently strong for most purposes without it.
We prefer, however, to carry our Invention into effect in the way first described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Hookham and Alfred Ludlow in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th August 1878.
GEORGE HOOKHAM and ALFRED LUDLOW, both of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRASS-
HEADED NAILS."
Our Invention has reference to the manufacture of nails commonly known in
commerce as brass-headed nails, that is, nails made of iron and baving the upper
part of their heads covered with sheet brass.
In the ordinary method of manufacturing the said nails the iron head is smaller
than the head of the finished nail, the base and marginal portions of the head
being made from a washer of zinc, which is shaped and pressed into close contact
with the iron head by the pressing process which connects the brass covering to
the head.
In manufacturing the said nails, according to our Invention, we make each nail
of four parts, namely, the iron nail, the cupped disc of sheet iron or tinned sheet
iron, having a central perforation, and a collar or ring of paper. The said disc of
tinned sheet iron forms the back or under side of the head, as herein-after
explained, but a disc of brass may be employed in place of the said sheet iron or
tinned sheet iron disc.
The nail may either be a forged nail or a nail made from wire, the latter kind
being known as "points de Paris."
The brass covering consists of a shallow cup, the bottom of which is convex
externally.
The disc of tinned sheet iron is cupped, and the central perforation is of a size
suitable for the passage through it of the stem or body of the nail.
The collar or ring of paper may either be made by rolling up a strip of paper, or
it may be cut from millboard or made from paper pulp.
The parts are connected together, and the manufacture of the nail completed by
dies and pressure. The lower fixed die has a central recess, of the diameter of the
head of the finished nail, and an axial hole for receiving the stem or body of the
nail. The bottom of the recess is curved where it joins the cylindrical portion, the
figure of the said recess being that of a cylinder with its lower circular edge
rounded. The upper moveable die is concave on its under side, and fits the central
recess in the lower die.
The press employed is an ordinary screw press; before operating on the nail in
the press the paper collar or ring is first passed on to the nail, and afterwards the
tinned iron disc, the concave side of the latter being turned to the under side of
the head. The nail with the parts upon it, that is, immediately under its head is
dropped into the lower die, and the brass covering cup is placed, mouth downwards,
upon the head of the nail; the said cup being of somewhat greater diameter than
the tinned iron disc, the edge of the former encloses the edge of the latter. By now
bringing down the upper die the several parts are shaped and connected together,
and the manufacture of the nail completed by one operation. The pressure of the
upper die gives the required shape to the brass covering, compresses and solidifies
the paper ring, and forcing the edge of the said covering against the rounded
bottom edge of the lower die causes it to turn under and grip the tinned iron disc;
there is thus formed a brass-headed nail, having a head without any cavity, the
front and edge and marginal portions being covered with brass, the back or under-
side being covered with tinned sheet iron or brass, the interior being filled by the
comparatively small iron head of the original nail and the compressed paper or
paper pulp.
We will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing,
the manner in which our Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in elevation, and Figure 2, the same partly in section, a
brass-headed nail made according to our Invention.

page_text: Figure 3 represents the iron nail before the brass covering is applied to it.
Figure 4 represents the nail, Figure 3, with the paper collar or ring and brass
back disc applied thereto; and Figure 5 represents the nail, Figure 4, with the
brass covering cup applied thereto, ready for the operation of the dies or tools repre
sented in section in Figure 11.
Figure 6 represents in plan and section the paper ring or collar separately.
the said ring or collar being made by cutting from pasteboard or moulding from
paper pulp.
Figure 7 represents the brass back disc separately.
paper,
Figure 8 represents in elevation and section the brass covering cup separately.
Figure 9 represents the paper ring or collar made by rolling up a strip of
and Figure 10 represents a cupped sheet iron or tinned sheet iron disc, which may
be used in place of the brass disc, Figure 7.
>
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawing.
a is the stem of the nail, and b is the head of the same; c is the brass covering
cup of the head; d is the internal ring or collar of paper or paper pulp; and e is
the disc, of brass (or other metal or alloy), forming the back or under side of the
head.
By an examination of Figures 6 and 7 it will be seen that the paper ring or
collar d, and the back disc e, have holes in them of a size proper to take upon and
fit tightly the stem a of the nail.
The lower die and punch or upper die, which we use in the manufacture of the
nails, are represented in section in Figure 11. The lower fixed die is marked f
and has a central recess g in it, of the diameter of the head of the finished nail,
and has also an axial hole for receiving the stem a of the nail.
The bottom of
the recess g is concave, or has the sectional figure shewn at i, the said concave part
at i effecting the cupping inwards of the brass covering cup c, as herein-after
described; k is the punch or upper moveable die fitting the central recess in the
lower die f. The said punch k is concave on its under side, corresponding in form
to the convex side of the head of the nail, and having a flat marginal part for
forming the marginal part of the head.
In making and covering the head of a brass-headed nail, according to our Inven-
tion, we proceed as follows:-We take the nail, Figure 3, and pass on to the under-
side of its head 6 the paper ring or collar d, and upon the said paper ring & we
place the brass disc e, the concave side of the said disc e being turned to the
under side of the head b, as illustrated in Figure 4. The partly made nail, Figure 4,
is now dropped into the recess g in the lower die f; the stem a, passing into the
axial hole h, and the brass covering cup c, Figure 8, is placed mouth downwards
upon the head 6 of the nail in the die f. The several parts of the nail now occupy
in the recess g in the die f, Figure 11, the respective positions represented in
Figure 5. The upper die or punch k is now brought down upon the parts to form
the head in the die f, and the several parts of the head of the nail are connected
together and the nail completed by one operation, as illustrated in Figure 11.
By the pressure of the upper die or punch the required shape is given to the 4
brass covering cup c, the paper ring or collar d is compressed and solidified, and
the edge of the said covering cup c is forced or turned under the cupped edge of
the brass back disc e and made to grip the said disc, as illustrated in the sections
of the nail head represented in the dies, Figure 11, and separately in Figure 2.
The brass-headed nail thus formed has a head without any cavity in it, the front, 5
its edge, and the under side of the head being covered with brass.
When the under side of the head is formed of a disc of sheet iron or tinned sheet
iron, in place of a brass disc, we prefer to give the said sheet iron or tinned sheet
iron disc the form represented in Figure 10. The said disc, Figure 10, is combined
with and connected to the other parts of the head in the manner described with 5
respect to the brass disc, Figure 7.
The brass or cupped sheet iron, or tinned sheet iron disc e, may in some cases be

page_text: dispensed with, the nail being sufficiently strong for most purposes without it. We
prefer, however, to carry our Invention into effect in the way first described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be perforined, we wish it to be understood that we claim as our
Invention, the improvements in the manufacture of brass-headed nails, herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, making the
heads of the said nails by covering the iron head of the nail with a brass covering
cup c and a back disc e, of brass or other metal, in combination with a collar or ring
of paper or paper pulp, for filling the space between the said covering cup and back
disc and the iron head of the nail, the said parts c, e, and d being made combined
and connected together, substantially as described and illustrated; also the modi-
fication described, in which the back metallic disc is dispensed with.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Ludlow, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
ALFRED LUDLOW. (L.S.)