Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1887
Complete Left, 4th May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 8th June, 1888
I, HIRAM EMERY FULLER of Leadenhall Buildings in the City of London, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to machines by which nails are formed from continuous
lengths of wire or rod by passing between rollers having on their peripheries die
recesses suited to the form of the nails.
For this purpose I employ two pairs of rollers the axes of one pair being parallel to
each other but at right angles to the axes of the other pair, so that the wire or rod
being squeezed in the one direction in passing between the first pair, is squeezed in
the transverse direction in passing between the second pair.
I make the rollers of considerable diameter at their middles tapering down to small
diameter at each end and thus I am enabled to bring the bite of the second pair of
rollers nearly up to the bite of the first, so that the nail is seized by the second dies
before it has fully left the first. Instead of engraving or otherwise forming the die
recesses in the rollers themselves, I form them in separate pieces which are keyed or
otherwise fixed in beds formed in the circumferences of the rollers so that each die
can be tempered, fixed, removed or replaced independently of the others on the same
roller.

page_text: Improvements in Nail Rolling Machines.
I, HIRAM EMERY FULLER of Leadenhall Buildings in the City of London Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention relates to machines by which nails are formed from continuous lengths
of wire or rod by passing between rollers having on their peripheries die recessos
suited to the form of the nails. For this purpose I employ two pairs of rollers the
axes of those of a pair being parallel to each other but at right angles to the axes
of those of the next pair so that the wire or rod being squeezed in to one direction
in passing between the first pair, is squeezed in the transverse direction in passing
between the second pair. I make the rollers of considerable diameter at their middles
tapering down to small diameter at each end and thus I am enabled to bring the
bite of the second pair of rollers nearly up to the bite of the first pair, so that the
nail is seized by the second dies before it has fully left the first. Instead of engraving
or otherwise forming the die recesses in the rollers themselves I form them in separate
pieces which are keyed or otherwise fixed in beds formed in the circumferences of the
rollers, so that each die can be tempered, fixed removed or replaced independently of
the others on the same roller.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown a machine in its simplest form in which
only two pairs of rollers are used.
Fig. 1 represents a plan with the feeding mouth removed and Fig. 2 shews a side
elevation of the machine. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional elovations of the machine taken
at right angles to one another showing respectively one of the upper rollers and one
of the lower rollers in section. Fig. 5 shews to an enlarged scale, the way in
which the dies are secured in the rollers, and Fig. 6 shews a plan of the feeding
mouth.
On the bed plate or framing of the machine are mounted two pairs of rollers R' R³
and R³ R*. The axes AA2 of the upper pair of rollers R¹ R2 revolve in
bearings B B parallel with one another, while the axes A³ A of the lower pair of
rollers R³ R revolve in bearings B³ B4 also parallel to one another but at right angles
to the axes of the upper pair of rollers and at such a distance below them that the
point where the peripheries of the lower pair of rollers nearly meet is brought
immediately under and in close proximity to the point where the peripheries of the
upper pair of rollers nearly meet.
The caps of the bearings B1 B2 B3 B are oblique so that all the wear that takes
place when taken up by screwing the caps down, keeps the centres of each pair of
rollers in the same relative position and the distance between the axes of the two
pair of rollers constant.

page_text: Above the upper pair of rollers and in line with the intersection of the centre
planes of the four rollers are mounted two small grooved rollers between
brackets P1 P2 which support a feeding mouth D through which the wire or rod is
fed into the rollers. The axis of the roller is fitted into slots in the brackets, so
that it can be adjusted nearer to or farther from that of ¹ by means of the set
screws e in order to suit varying guages of wire.
The several rollers are constructed with considerable width at their centres tapering
down to a small width at their peripheries in which are formed deep channels. In
these channels are fixed die blocks dd preferable arranged in sections corresponding
with the lengths of the article to be produced. These die blocks are fitted into each
roller so as to form its periphery a true rolling circle, and each pair have their
peripheries in close rolling contact. They are all made with grooves formed at the
lower part of one side, into which inclined set screws s are screwed to keep the die
blocks firmly down in their respective places. Suitable cotters are inserted in each
roller to prevent circumferential slipping of the dies in the channels.
The die blocks of the upper pair of rollers are engraved or milled out at their
peripheries to the required configuration for forming primary blanks of the nail or
article to be produced. The die blocks of the lower pair of rollers are also engraved
or milled out to a configuration suited to the finished nail or other article, and are
made of greater length than the dies of the upper rolls to allow for the drawing out
and pointing of the nails.
The two pairs of rollers are rotated at a uniform speed by worm wheels w¹ w²
ww keyed on the axes A¹ A2 A3 A4 and driven by the worms t¹ t2t3 t4 on the
shafts h³ the motion of the shafts / h² for the upper pair of rollers being
derived from the shafts h h by means of skew wheels K', K and the shafts h³h being
in their turn driven by the driving pulley V at the side of which is mounted a loose
pulley W.
In order that the peripheral positions of the dies on the upper pair of rollers R¹ R²
may be accurately adjusted to each other I connect the two shafts h' h² together by
means of flanged couplings in one of which couplings are formed elongated
bolt holes, so that the one shaft may be moved round until the true relative angular
position of the peripheral dies of the rollers is arrived at, whereupon the nuts are
screwed up so as to hold the two shafts firm in their relative positions. Similarly the
peripheral positions of the dies on the lower pair of rollers R³ R are adjustable by
means of the flanged couplings f³ ƒ¨*.
The skew wheel K' is inade adjustable on its shaft by means of the set screws e, so
that the relative positions of the shafts h h and h³ h may be altered and through
them the relative position of the dies of the upper pair of rollers R¹ R² may be adjusted
to that of the dies of the lower pair of rollers R³ R*, so that the article to be rolled as
it is being released from the first dies is at the right moment gripped by the dies of
the second pair of rollers.
The operation of the machine is as follows:
A continuous length of wire is fed from a reel above through the feeding mouth D
where it is seized by the first pair of rollers R¹ R²; in rolling through the dies of these
rollers it becomes squeezed to their shape and is partially or wholly severed at intervals
suited to the length of the nail, rivet or other article to be made. These partially
formed articles or primary blanks before passing out of the grip of the upper pair of
rollers are seized by the dies of the second or lower pair of rollers R³ R and in passing
through them are squeezed in a direction transverse to that in which they were squeezed
in the first pair of rollers and are thus formed into the finished nails, rivets or other
articles, and drop into the hole H made in the framework of the machine, whence they
can be collected in any suitable manner.
Although I have shewn in the drawings ouly two pairs of rollers, it is obvious that
other pairs may be arranged in like manner below those shown, so that the wire or
rod fed to the machine instead of being converted into finished nails or the like by
the action of only two pairs of rollers may be subjected to a succession of similar
actions, gradually bringing its parts to the required shape.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. For rolling nails and similar articles from a continuous length of wire or rod
the use of successive pairs of rollers so formed and arranged that the wire or rod in
passing between a first pair of rolls is squeezed by their dies to the form of successive
primary blanks, and then before each such blank is let go by the first rollers, it is
scized by the next pair which revolve on axes at right angles to those of the former
rollers and have dies that again squeeze the blanks in a direction transverse to that of
the first squeeze.
2. The construction and use of a nail rolling machine having two or more pairs of
rollers formed, arranged and operating substantially as herein described.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.