IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF NAILS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Woolley Summers, of Stalybridge, in the County
of Lancaster, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF NAILS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Woolley Summers
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd June 1882.
JAMES WOOLLEY SUMMERS of Stalybridge in the County of Lancaster
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF NAILS"
This invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for the
manufacture of nails known in the trade as "cut nails," the object being to feed
the machine with the metal plate or strip from which the nails are to be cut by an
improved self-acting mechanism instead of being fed by hand as has been hitherto
more generally the case.
The invention consists principally in causing the tube or barrel through which
the clamp carrying the plate or strip of metal passes, to have an intermittent
rotary motion in one direction imparted to it by means of a star wheel and a train
of gearing from a shaft beneath which shaft is actuated in its turn from the main
driving pulley of the machine.
The tube or barrel is mounted in bearings on a bed plate in front of the machine
and is provided with a pinion at or near one end, which is driven by a spur wheel
beneath.
This spur wheel has a star wheel cast or otherwise secured to the face thereof,
which star wheel is operated upon by studs or projections on a disc keyed on the
end of, and driven by, the driving shaft before mentioned.
By the use of this star wheel a certain "dwell" is given to the metal plate, at
each half revolution of the tube or barrel whilst the cut is made at the same time
that it has an intermittent revolving motion imparted to it in one direction only
instead of being turned over from right to left and back again alternately as
hitherto.

page_text: .
The above mentioned pinion is mounted loosely on the tube and is provided
with a sleeve passing through its bearing, this sleeve has a flange at its end in the
face of which is a hole into which fits a pin or projection upon a split boss
tightened on to the tube by means of flanges held together by a bolt so that upon
loosening the latter, the boss, the sleeve and the pinion are looso on the tube which
may be moved out of the way when required for sharponing the knives or cutters
or for any other purpose.
Or the pinion may be mounted upon a long key or feather on the tube but I
prefer the method above described.
The tube is mounted loosely in the bearing to allow of the necessary up and
down motion obtained in the manner I will now describe.
In place of the cam usually employed to lift the tube after each nail has been
cut I employ an excentric upon a fixed stud beneath and concentrically upon the
former is fixed a pinion gearing into a spur wheel on the tube.
The tube is also provided with a ring attached to a clip on the excentric, and
thus as the tube revolves it causes the excentric to revolve also and lift the said
tube thus keeping the distanco between the centres of the spur, wheel and the
pinion invariable.
This motion is much more steady and free from shocks, than that imparted by
the cam hitherto employed, I also make the "nose piece" of the tube (through
which the strip of metal projects) removable and attach it thereto by a union or
screwed joint so that whon this "nose piece" is worn out it can be replaced
without wasting the remaining length of the tube.
There is also an arrangement for feeding or drawing the clamp down the tube
whereby all pressure is removed from the strip when the cutter is rising having
only the clamp and the strip to push back instead of as previously in addition a
considerable weight used to pull the strip down the tube.
This is effected by fixing on a bracket a clutch which as it moves from the
machine passes freely over the clamp but on moving towards the machine draws
the clamp and strip down the required distance.
This clutch is actuated by a link and lever connected thereto, and worked by a
grooved cam fixed on the end of the bottom driving shaft.
1 would remark in conclusion that the improvements herein described in the
construction of the tube and apparatus for mounting and lifting the same and for
feeding the metal plate between the cutters are adaptable to other nail cutting
machinery in which an alternate circular motion is given to the tube instead of
the intermittent revolving motion described in this invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Woolley Summers in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd December 1882.
JAMES WOOLLEY SUMMERS of Stalybridge in the County of Lancaster
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF NAILS
"
•
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for the manu-
facture of nails known in the trade as "cut nails" the object being to feed the
machine with the metal strip from which the nails are cut by an improved self-
acting mechanism instead of being fed by hand as has been hitherto moro
generally the case.
The Invention consists principally in causing the tube or barrel through which
the metal strip passes to have an intermittent rotary motion in one direction
imparted to it by means of a star wheel and a train of spur wheels and a shaft
from the main driving shaft of the machine. The tube or barrel is mounted in
bearings on a bed plate in front of the machine and is provided with a pinion at
or near one end which is driven from a spur wheel beneath. This spur wheel has
a star wheel cast or otherwise secured to its face which star wheel is operated upon
by studs or projections on a wheel or disc secured to a shaft beneath, which shaft
in its turn is driven from the main driving shaft as has been previously mentioned.
By the use of this star wheel a certain "dwell" is given to the metal strip at each
half revolution of the barrel so that the "cutting off" of the nail may be
efficiently accomplished. At the same time the tube has an intermittent revolving
motion imparted to it in one direction only instead of being turned over from
right to left and back again alternately as hitherto. To facilitate the extraction
and setting of the cutters I so arrange the barrel that it can be drawn through
the pinions and bearings away from the mouth of the machine. For this purpose
the above mentioned pinion is provided with a sleeve passing through its bearing
this sleeve has a flange at its end on the face of which is a hole into which fits a
pin or projection upon a split boss tightened on to the tube by means of flanges
held together by means of a bolt so that upon loosening the latter the pinion the
eleeve and the boss are loose upon the tube which may be drawn through.
Or the pinion may be mounted upon a long key or feather on the tube but I
prefer the above method. The tube is mounted loosely in the bearing to allow of
the necessary up and down motion obtained in the manner I will now describe.
In place of the cam fixed upon the barrel usually employed I make use of an
eccentric not placed on the barrel itself, but connected to it by means of a ring
and connecting rod and actuated by any convenient mechanism. By one arrange-
ment I place the eccentric upon a fixed stud beneath the barrel and concentrically
upon the former is fixed a pinion gearing with spur wheel on the tube. The tube
is also provided with a ring attached to a clip on the eccentric and thus as the
tube revolves it causes the eccentric to revolve also and lift the said tube thus
keeping the distance between the centres of the spur wheel and pinion invariable.
I sometimes modify this arrangement and drive the above named eccentric by a
train of wheels from the shaft used to actuate the star wheel before mentioned.
Any other convenient method of actuating the eccentric above described may be
employed. This motion is much smoother and sweeter than that imparted by a
cam I also make use of an arrangement for feeding or drawing the clamp down
the tube whereby all pressure is removed from the strip when the cutter is rising
having thus only the strip and the clamp to push back instead of as previously in

page_text: addition a considerable weight used to draw the strip down the tube. This is
effected by fixing on a bracket a clutch which as it moves from the machine
passes freely over the clamp but on moving towards the machine it draws the
clamp and strip the required distance down the tube. This clutch is actuated by
a link and lever connected thereto and worked by a grooved cam placed on the
end of the shaft used for driving the star wheel before mentioned. I would
remark in conclusion that the improvements herein described in the mounting and
lifting of the tube and for drawing the metal strip between the cutters are
adaptable to other nail cutting machinery in which an alternate rotary motion is
given to the tube instead of the intermittent revolving motion described in this
Invention
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig: 1 shows a side view of the nail machine
and feeder combined. A is the main driving shaft keyed upon which is a pinion C
gearing into a spur wheel B. The ratio of the gearing B to C is as 4 to 1. D and E
Fig 2, are 2 equal bevel wheels which communicate the motion to the shaft X
which in its turn actuates the bevel wheels F and G and thus turns the driving
shaft H. The ratio of the gearing F, G is as 3 to 2. The shaft H imparts its motion
to the disc K (Figs 3 and 1) the projections on which imparts an intermittent
motion to the star wheel L this motion is continued to the barrel by gearing
M and N whose ratio is as 3 to 1. The barrel thus makes 1 revolution whilst the
machine makes 2 and it dwells every revolution to allow the nail to be cut off.
The eccentric for raising the barrel according to my first arrangement is shown
at P (Fig 1) and the eccentric pinion Q is secured to the eccentric P concentrically.
The pinion Q and the eccentric P are actuated by the spur wheel R secured to the
barrel O. The ratio of R to Q being as 2 to 1. The eccentric P is connected by a
clip and connecting rod to the ring S on the barrel O. By this arrangement the
wheels and R are always kept the right depth in gear and the tube O is raised
and lowered once for every half revolution communicated to it. T is a guide to
ensure the barrel rising vertically and steadily; it is adjustable by the scrow V
The tube is mounted loosely in the bearing W to allow of the above mentioned up
and down notion. The pinion N and the flange Y are all in one piece and
connected by a sleeve passing through the bearing W. Z is a split boss having
a projection fitting into a holo in the flange Y and held there by a screw b. The
boss Z is tightened on the barrel O by a bolt d and the pinion being loose on the
barrel, when the bolt d is slackened the barrel can be slided through away from
the machine. At A¹ (Fig. 1) is seen the clutch used for drawing the clamp C"
down the tube. It is actuated from the grooved cam D¹ by means of the lever B'
pivoted at its centre. The clutch A' when moving from the machine passes freely
over the clamp C¹ but on returning draws it down the tube. Fig 4 shows another
mode of driving the eccentric P (Fig 1). H is the bottom driving shaft upon
which is keyed a wheel Y¹ gearing into a pinion N¹, fastened on to a spur wheel M'
and revolving upon the stud O'. Y¹ is to N¹ as 3 to 1. M¹ actuates the pinion Q
which is fastened on to the eccentric P which raises the barrel O. The gearing M
and Qaro in the proportion of 2 to 1. By this means the same result is obtained
as by the lifting arrangement shown in Fig: 1.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be carried into practical effect I wish it to be distinctly
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details, relative proportions
or dimensions of the several parts of the improved self feeding mechanism for the
manufacture of nails herein described and illustrated on the accompanying drawings
as the same may be considerably varied without departing from the Invention, but
what I do claim is:-
First, in a self-feeding nail machine the employment of a star and peg wheel
shown in Fig 3 of the accompanying Drawings substantially as and for the
purpose herein described.
Second, the use of an eccentric actuated by any suitable gearing for raising and
lowering the tube substantially as herein set forth,

page_text: Third, the use of a clutch or presser for drawing the clamp down the tube or
barrel substantially as herein set forth.
Fourth the use of a split boss for securing the pinion to the barrel, substantially
as herein set forth.
In witness whereof I the said James Woolley Summers have hereunto set
my hand and seal this twentieth day of December in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.
TAMEO
WAATTE
ARVienna
JAMES WOOLLEY SUMMERS (L.B.)