IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR FORMING SMALL NAILS OR TACKS FROM WIRE
Year: 1885

page_text: from Wire.
I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR FORMING SMALL NAILS OR TACKS FROM
WIRE," which invention has been communicated to me from abroad by Clinton
Lovell of Boston, Masachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman, and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
This invention has for its object to provide an improved machine for rapidly
forming small nails or tacks from wire, and it consists in the improved mechanisın
hereinafter described and claimed.
Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1.
represents a side elevation of my improved machine. Figure 2 represents a top
view. Figures 3 and 4 represent end elevations. Figure 5 represents an enlarged
section on line 3, y, Figure 1. Figure 6 represents a section on line 2, 2, Figure 5.
Figure 7 represents an end view of the parts shown in Figure 6. Figure 8
represents a modification.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
In the drawings a represents the supporting frame at one end of which is
journalled a driving shaft b. c represents a lever pivoted at one end at d, to the
frame a; and having at its opposite end a slot which receives a slide e, swivelled
on a crank f, on the driving shaft, the levers c being therefore oscillated by the
rotation of said shaft.
•
g, g¹, represent two cylinders secured to parallel arbors h, h, which are mounted
in bearings on the frame a; said cylinders are provided with longitudinal sockets
or recesses i, in their peripheries, and in said sockets are placed blocks k, l, which
are adapted to turn loosely in the sockets. Each block, has cross sections in the
form of a cylinder cut away at one side to form a flat surface. The sockets i,
are correspondingly formed, that is to say said sockets if continued outside the

page_text: peripheries of the cylinders g, g', would be cylindrical, the openings formed by
the intersection of the walls of the sockets with the peripheries of the cylinders
being of about the same width as the flat surface on the blocks k, as shown in
Figures 6 and 7. At the middle of the length of the flat surface on the blocks k,
as shown in Figures 6 and 7, and extending transversely across the same is a half
die 1, formed to co-operate with a like half die on a block in the other cylinder, in
severing a length of wire and forming pyramidal points on the ends of the parts
into which the wire is severed. The cylinders g, g¹, are rotated positively step by
step by means hereinafter described and at each step the flat surfaces of two blocks
one in each cylinder are brought together, so that the half dies on said blocks are
caused to meet and sever and point a piece of wire interposed between them. The
blocks / as before stated are adapted to turn in their sockets so that when the
dies 1, meet they remain momentarily in contact entirely across the flat faces of the
blocks, the blocks turning in their sockets to permit such contact. The effect
of the dies 1, 1, on the wire is therefore the same as if the dies moved toward each
other in opposite directions in cutting the wire. It will be seen that if the dies
were rigidly attached to, the cylinders they could not have the flat acting faces nor
the extended contact above described, and therefore act so efficiently on the wire.
The wire from which the nails are formed is fed from a reel to a point over the
center of the cylinder g, and is removed between pins n, n, on the blocks k, of
said cylinder.
The feeding mechanism is composed of a slide o, adapted to reciprocate on
the arbor of the cylinder g, and adapted to grasp the wire when the slide is moved
inwardly, the wire passing through an orifice in the slide. The slide is reciprocated
by means of a rock shaft q, journalled in bearings on the frame a, and provided at
one end with an arbor having a gear segment meshing with a rack on the slide o,"
(see Figure 3) and at the other end with an arm s, having a gear segment meshing
with a rack on a vertical slide f, which is adapted to move in guides u, u, on one
side of the frame a. The slide, is connected by a pitman v, with a crank w, on
the driving shaft b, the rotation of said shaft reciprocating the slide f, and causing
the latter to oscillate the rock shaft q, which in turn reciprocates the feeding slide.
The length of the feed movement is determined by an adjustable wrist pin w
which connects the pitman v, with the crank w, and enables the throw of the
pitman to be regulated. The feed movement is equal to the length of two of the
nails to be produced and after each feed movement a section of wire of the length
above indicated is severed from the continuous wire by a cutter a¹ (see Figure 1)
affixed to the shorter arm of a lever b' which is pivoted at c, to the frame a, and
bears at the end of its longer arm on a spur wheel d¹, the arbor e¹ of which is
mounted in bearings on the supporting frame; said spur wheel is rotated step by
step by means of an arm f¹, mounted loosely on the arbor e¹ and provided with a
dog g, engaging the teeth of a ratchet wheel h¹ secured to said arbor.
The arm f',
is connected by a rod i to the lever c, and is therefore oscillated by said lever, and
caused to rotate the spur wheel intermittingly. The rotation of the spur wheel
causes the lever b¹ to oscillate, the downward movement of its shorter arm causes
the cutter a¹ affixed thereto to co-operate with a suitable fixed cutter and sever
the wire after a suitable length of it has been fed between the pins n, n. The
cylinders g, g, are rotated step by step by means of ratchet wheels j¹, j, affixed to
their arbors, and two levers k¹, k¹, pivoted to a slide 1, (Figure 1) which is adapted
to move between the vertical guides on the frame a, and is connected by a rod m³,
with the lever c, whereby said slide is reciprocated. The levers k¹, k¹, have
projections ², k², at their upper ends which are formed to engage with the teeth of
the ratchet when the slide l' is moving downwardly and simultaneously rotate
the cylinders g, g¹, in opposite directions. The movement thus imparted to the
cylinders is sufficient to bring two of the dies 1, 1, into contact and cause them to
cut and point the length of wire held by the pins n, n, of one of the dies 1.
When the slide ', stops at the end of its downward movement the projections k², k²,
bear against the teeth of the ratchets j', ' so as to prevent said ratchets from
-

page_text: moving after the slide has stopped. The cylinders are thus positively held after
each movement, the pins n, n, of the highest block k, in the cylinder g, being in
position to receive the wire when the cylinders stop.
While the wire is clamped between the blocks k, k, and their dies 1, l, two
headers or hammers p¹, p¹, move simultaneously against and upset the opposite
ends of the wire against the ends of the blocks k, k, which act as anvils for this
purpose (see Figure 5). The headers p¹, p³, are secured to the upper ends of
levers q, q', (Figure 4) which are pivoted to the frame of the machine at r, r¹, and
are connected at their lower ends by toggle joint links as members 8¹, s¹, with an
adjustable rod t which is suspended from the lever c. The oscillations of the
lever c are thus caused to oscillate the levers q, ql, and causes the headers p¹, p¹, to
alternately approach and recede from the ends of the blocks k, k.
The operation as a whole is as follows:-
The wire is first fed forward between the pins of the highest block k, in the
cylinder g, the cutter a¹ then severs the wire to admit the next length fed forward.
While the cutter is rising and the feeding slide is moving backward and the
cylinders g, g, are rotated one step carrying the last severed length of wire toward
the meeting point and bringing two blocks k, k, together at said meeting point, one
of said blocks having a length of wire between its pins n, m, when the cylinders
stop the feed slide moves the wire forward, and at the same time the headers act
on the ends of the wire held by the meeting blocks and dies. The cutter i, again
acts and thus the operation is continued, two complete nails being formed at every
step or movement of the cylinders g, g¹. In the present instance each cylinder has
eight blocks, hence sixteen nails will be formed by each complete rotation of the
cylinders.
.
The blocks on the cylinders g have recesses a¹ to receive the pins n, on the
blocks of the cylinder g, as shown in Figure 5, and by dotted lines in Figures 6
and 7.
It is obvious that the details of construction of the operating mechanism above
described may be variously modified without departing from the spirit of my
invention.
The arbors h, h', of the cylinders g, g¹, are mounted in boxes a³, a², which are
laterally adjustable in slots in the frame a, and are backed by screws b², b²,
whereby the boxes and the cylinders q, q', may be adjusted relatively to each other
(see Figure 5).
In Figure 8, I have shown one rotary cylinder g, having a series of blocks k,
affixed rigidly to it (instead of being swivelled as described) and pins n, n, affixed
to said blocks. In co-operation with this cylinder I show a single die 1³, which is
moved alternately toward and from the cylinder g, by mechanism hereinafter
described. The cylinder g is rotated intermittently and each time it stops, the
die k³, is moved toward it and co-operates with one of the dies of the cylinder
in severing a length of wire held by the pins and pointing the two nails into
which it converts the length of wire. The headers act simultaneously in heading
the nails against the ends of the die k³ and the co-operating block k, in the manner
already described.
To retain, the lengths of wire in place in the holders n, n, I employ curved
rods 3, which stand in close proximity to a portion of the perimeter of the
cylinder g, as shown.
The die ³, is attached to a holder m³, which is fitted to slide in suitable guides.
n³, n', represent the members of a toggle joint, the link n³, being pivoted to the
holder m³, and the link n', to a fixed support. A rod o³, connected at one end to
an eccentric p³, and at the other end to an ear on the link n³, is caused by the
movement of the eccentric p³, to alternately raise and depress the meeting ends of
the links n³, nt, and thus reciprocate the holder m³, and die ³, causing the latter
to alternately approach and recede from the cylinder g. Said cylinder is rotated
step by step by a lever, hung upon its arbor h, a pawl s pivoted to said lever
and pressed by a spring against a ratchet t³, affixed to the cylinder g, an eccentrio³

page_text: i
and a rod v³, connecting said eccentric with the lever . The lever is oscillated
by the eccentric and rod and during each movement in one direction imparts a
partial rotation to the cylinder g.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
.
First. In a wire nail machine the socketed cylinders g, g¹, the blocks k, k,
swivelled in the sockets of the cylinders, said blocks being flat on their outer
surfaces, and provided with dies combined with mechanism for rotating said
cylinders step by step, as set forth.
Second. In a wire nail machine the combination of the socketed cylinders g, g¹,
having the swivelled blocks formed as described and provided with dies, mechanism
for rotating said cylinder step by step and mechanism for supplying lengths of wire
to the cylinders, as set forth.
Third. In a wire nail machine the combination of the socketed cylinders g, g³,
having the swivelled blocks k, l, formed, as described and provided with dies,
mechanism for rotating said cylinders step by step, mechanism for supplying
lengths of wire to the cylinders, and two headers and operating mechanism
therefor, substantially as described, whereby said headers are caused to upset the
ends of the wire held by two of the blocks kc, k, as set forth.
'
Fourth. The combination of the cylinder g, having swivelled die blocks provided
with pins or holders n, n, and the cylinder g¹, having corresponding die blocks with
recesses u¹ to receive the pins n, n, as set forth.
'
Fifth. In a wire nail machine a rotary die holder, provided with a series of dies
in its perimeter each formed to partially sever and point a blank of wire centrally,
and holders accompanying each die whereby nail blanks may be held in operative
relation to said dies, combined with mechanism substantially as described for
rotating said holders step by step and thereby bringing each die and the accom-
panying blank successively to a given point, and a die co-operating with cach die
in the rotary holder at said given point, whereby blanks are successively severed
and pointed, as set forth.
Sixth. In a wire nail machine a rotary die holder provided with a series of dies
on its perimeter, and holders accompanying each die combined with mechanism
substantially as described for rotating said holder step by step. and thereby
bringing each die and the accompanying blank successively to a given point, a die
co-operating with each die in the rotary holder at said given point, whereby the
blanks are successively severed and pointed, and two headers and operating
mechanism therefor substantially as described whereby the headers are, caused to
upset the ends of the wires when they reach the point where they are acted on by
the dies as set forth.