IMPROVEMENTS IN CUT NAIL AND CUT TACK MACHINERY
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Paul Bedford Elwell, of Wolverhampion, in the County
of Stafford, Manager for the Patent Tip and Horse Shoe Company, of Wolver-
hampton, aforesaid, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CUT NAIL AND
CUT TACK MACHINERY."
Sealed the 26th May 1877, and dated the 2nd December 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Paul Bedford Elwell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd December 1876.
PAUL BEDFORD ELWELL, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Manager
for the Patent Tip and Horse Shoe Company, of Wolverhampton, aforesaid..
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CUT NAIL AND CUT TACK MACHINERY."
This Invention relates more especially to machines which have two heading dies
and which cut the blanks without turning over the strip of iron; but parts of my
improvements are applicable to machines which have only one heading die and
which require the strip of iron to be turned over for each blank, as will be hereafter
obvious.
The main shaft of the machine is carried in bearings fixed underneath the bed
instead of in bearings raised above or at the back of the bed, as in the ordinary
machines, and the gripper is worked from a crank or cam on the said shaft and
through the medium of a vertical rod connected to a knuckle joint at the back of
the said gripper. The gripper is carried by a pair of centre points, having their
common centre line vertically below the points of the gripping dies, and at such a
distance below as to make the line of action of the dies practically horizontal. To
prevent the gripper from being forced sideways by the action of either header I
place on each side of the head of the gripper a horizontal rod parallel to the line of
action of the said headers. The said horizontal rod acts as a strut between the
head of the gripper and the bed of the machine, and is carried at each end by means
of a ball-and-socket joint. The beam is of the ordinary description and is worked
by means of a crank in the main shaft and through the medium of a connecting rod,
similarly as from the overhead shaft in the ordinary machine.
A horizontal countershaft is carried at right angles to the main shaft, and in
Din Cal

page_text: bearings at one side of the machine. The said countershaft is driven direct from
the main shaft by means of bevel gearing in the proportion of one to two, that is,
so as to revolve the countershaft once to two revolutions of the main shaft. Upon
the said countershaft I hang a fly wheel so as to equalise the work of the bevel
gearing.
Each header is carried by a pair of centre points having their common centre line
vertically below the point of the heading die, and at such a distance below as to
make the line of action of the die practically horizontal. At the back of each
header is a knuckle joint from which a vertical rod passes down to its connection
with a cross lever placed at or near the bottom of the frame, the fulcrum of the said
lever being midway between the points of connection of the two vertical rods from
the knuckle joints behind the headers. One end of the said lever is continued to a
point below the countershaft, from which it is actuated by means of a crank and
connecting rod.
The top of the frame or bed of the machine is constructed so that the centres of
the strains exerted upon the bed by the gripper, headers, and strut rods occur at
points in, or nearly in, the same plane with each other, and the metal forming the
said bed is carried in a direct or nearly direct manner from the point where one
strain occurs to that where the next occurs, and so on throughout the said bed.
In adopting the arrangements before described the main framing of the machine
is arranged underneath the bed thereof, and in the place usually occupied by the
standards which support the bed.
For adjusting the lateral position of the dies in the gripper head a V piece or
wedge is employed, and is forced down between the said dies by means of set screws
on the top thereof. The outsides of the dies are adjusted by set screws in the
ordinary manner. The last-mentioned dies are shaped or have loose wedge pieces
so as to receive the V piece or wedge.
The feeder is formed chielly of two frames, which stand out the one in front of
the other at the front of the machine. The first frame is pivoted to the main frame
of the machine by means of two pivots vertically in line with each other, and the
second frame is similarly pivoted to the first frame. The second frame holds a
trough which carries the strip to be cut.
A stud pin is fixed to each of the frames and the said stud pins are connected
to adjustable cranks, cams, or discs, one of the said cranks, cams, or discs being
fixed upon the end of the countershaft and the other on a parallel shaft geared
direct therefrom and revolving at the same speed. The connecting rods from the
said cranks, cams, or discs are connected to the stud pins by means of universal
joints.
By adjusting the throw of the said cranks, cams, or discs, the feeding trough
may be vibrated sideways to any desired position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Paul Bedford Elwell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st May
1877.
PAUL BEDFORD ELWELL, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Manager,
for the Patent Tip and Horse Shoe Company, of Wolverhampton, aforesaid.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CUT NAIL AND CUT TACK MACHINERY."
This Invention relates more especially to machines which have two heading dies,
and which cut the blanks without turning over the strip of iron; but parts of my
improvements are applicable to machines which have only one heading die, and
which require the strip of iron to be turned over for each blank.
That the method of carrying my Invention into effect may be clearly understood,
I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 are shewn to a scale of 2 inches to a foot.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a cut nail or cut tack machine having two
heading dies, and is constructed according to one modification of any said Inven-
tion; Figure 2 is a plan, and Figure 3 a side elevation of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a
section on line x, x, of Figure 1.
To avoid complication the nipper and gauges, besides other parts about which
there is no novelty, are omitted from the Drawing.
The same letters of reference occurring upon any of the Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4
indicate corresponding parts.
A is the main shaft of the machine, which is carried in bearings B, B, underneath
the bed C, instead of in bearings raised above or at the back of the bed, as in the
ordinary machines. D is the gripper, which is forced forward by means of a cam E
through the medium of the lever F (which has its fulcrum bar carried in centre
points), vertical rod G, and knuckle joint H, the said knuckle joint H being between
the back of the gripper head and the inner side of the bed C. A single knuckle
connected to the back end of the beam has been used before, but has been worked
by the bean and not by a vertical rod, as shewn. The gripper head is pulled back-
wards by means of the spring F, fixed to the back of the beam L, as the cain E
descends. The cam E has about half of its circumference struck from the centre of
the shaft A, so that the gripper head may grip the nail or tack for a sufficient timo
to allow of the proper action of the headers.
In the case of a machine working very rapidly it is preferred to use a spiral
spring E to pull down the lever F, in addition to the spring F1 pulling back the
gripper. The base of the gripper D extends across the inside of the frame Z, and is
carried by a pair of centre points I, I, having their common centre line passing ver-
tically, or nearly vertically, below the points of the gripping dies, and at such a
distance below as to make the line of action of the dies practically horizontal. To
prevent the gripper from being forced sideways by the action of either header, a
horizontal rod K is placed on each side of the head of the gripper, and is parallel to
the line of action of the headers when the gripper is gripping the blank and the
operation of heading is taking place. The horizontal rods act as struts between
the head of the gripper and the inside of the bed C, and are carried at each end
by means of a ball-and-socket joint. The joints at the outer ends have cylindrical
shanks fitting into drilled or bored holes in the bed C, and are adjusted by means of
pins K, K¹, screwed into the bed C and pressing against the ends of the cylindrical
shanks. The cylindrical shanks are kept from turning round by means of set pins.
L is the beam of the ordinary description, and is worked by means of the crank M
in the main shaft A, and through the medium of a connecting rod N, similarly as
from the overhead shaft in the ordinary machine.
A horizontal countershaft O is carried at right angles to the main shaft A, and in
bearings P, P, at one side of the machine. The said countershaft O is driven direct .
from the main shaft A by the bevel wheels R and S in the proportion of one to two,
so as to revolve the countershaft O once to two revolutions of the main shaft A.
Upon the said countershaft O is hung a fly wheel T so as to equalise the work of
the bevel gearing..
U, U, are the headers. The base of each header U extends from front to back of
the inside of the frame Z, and is carried by a pair of centre points V, V, having their
common centre line vertically, or nearly vertically, below the point of the heading
dies, and at such a distance below as to make the line of action of the heading dies
practically horizontal. At the back of each hender U is a knuckle joint W, from
which a vertical rod X passes down to its connection with a cross lever Y, placed at
or near the bottom of the frame Z. Knuckle joints and vertical rods have been
used before to actuate headers working in slides, and are therefor not claimed as
novel. The fulcrum of the lever Y consists of two centre points a, a, and is mid-
way, or nearly midway, between the points of connection of the two vertical rods

page_text: X, X. At this point the metal of the lever Y extends from front to back of the
inside of the frame Z. One end of the lever Y is continued to a point below the
A
shaft O, from which it is rocked by means of the crank band connecting rod c.
spring U¹ is placed between the headers U, U, so as to force cach header back as the
corresponding knuckle joint is pulled down. The spring U is fixed to one header,
and bears freely against the other.
The bed C is constructed so that the centres of the strains exerted upon it by the
gripper D, headers U, U, and strut rods K, K, occur at points in or nearly in the
same plane with each other, and the metal forming the bed C is carried in a direct,
or nearly direct, manner from the point where one strain occurs to that where the
next occurs, and so on throughout the bed C.
In adopting the arrangements before described the main framing Z is arranged
underneath the bed C, and in the place usually occupied by the standards which
support the bed of an ordinary machine.
The
Figure 5 is a cross section through the head of the gripper D, shewn to a scale
of four inches to the foot. The side elevation is shewn at Figure 3. d, d, are the
dies, having their inner sides inclined, as shown; e is a wedge-piece, and is forced
down between the dies d, d, by means of set pins f, f, which are screwed through
the cross pieces g, g. Set pins and cross pieces to keep the dies down are not novel,
but according to this Invention the dies are kept down and forced outwards by the
same pins. The dies are forced inwards and endways by the ordinary method.
The feeder is formed chiefly of two frames h, k, which stand out the one in front of
the other at the front of the machine. The frame is pivoted to the main frame Z
by means of the pivots 1, 1, vertically in line with each other; and the frame is
pivoted to the frame by the pivots m, m, vertically in line with each other.
ordinary trough which carries the strips to be cut is supported in the jaws ¹, k¹,
provided with adjusting screws. A stud pin is fixed to each of the frames h and
k, and the stud pins n, n, are connected to adjustable disc cranks 0, 2, by means of
connecting rods r and s. The disc crank o is fixed upon the end of the counter
shaft O, and the disc crank p is fixed upon the end of a parallel shaft t driven
direct from the shaft O by the wheels and v and revolving at the same speed.
The connecting rods and s are connected to the stud pins n, n, by means of
universal joints. By adjusting the eccentricity of the crank pins in the disc cranks
o and p, the feeding trough inay be vibrated sideways to any desired position. Tho
crank pins in the disc cranks o and p are set to throw together in the same
direction.
My second modification for a machine having two heading dies is somewhat
simpler, and will be readily understood by reference to Figures 6 and 7, drawn to
a scale of two inches to a foot. The same letters of reference occurring upon both
the views indicate corresponding parts. The same letters occurring upon the
Figures 6 or 7 as upon any of the Figures 1, 2, 3, or 4 indicate corresponding parts.
The counter-shaft O is dispensed with, and the cross lever Y is worked from a crank
at the end of the main shaft A, by bending the end of the lever under the said
The headers then
crank and connecting the two by means of a connecting rod.
work at double the speed of the before-described arrangement, but which header
heads at each alternate stroke only. In this case the feeder is vibrated by means
of a counter-shaft with adjustable disc cranks o¹, p¹, one at each end thereof.
The said counter-shaft t' is placed at the back of the frame Z and parallel with the
main shaft A, and is worked therefrom by spur wheels u' and v¹ in the proportion
of one to two, so as to revolve the back shaft t' at half the speed of the inain shaft
A. An arm a' is carried from the frame across to one side of the front of the
machine, and an arm b¹ from the frame across to the other side of the front of the
machine. The studs n, n, are fixed at the projecting ends of these arms, and are
connected to the disc cranks o¹, p, on the ends of the counter shaft t¹ by means of
connecting rods and s'. The crank pins in the disc cranks o' and p¹ are set to
throw in opposite directions to one another. As by this modification the headers
are worked at double the speed of the first modification, and act consequently much

page_text: quicker, a crank and connecting rod only may be used to actuate the knuckle joint
H, and the cam E and lever F may be dispensed with. In this case, of course, the
spiral spring E' is not required. The other parts of my second modification are the
same as those described as for my first modification.
The modification just described is used also for a machine having only one header.
This header must, of course, give a pressure for each revolution of the main shaft
A, and is preferably actuated in the manner described. in the second modification,.
but may be worked from a cross shaft. The ordinary feeding apparatus for turning
over the strip to be cut is used instead of the arrangement described for the
machine with two headers, as the strip does not in this case require to be vibrated.
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 I claim
as my Invention,―
1st. The shaft A, carried under the bed of the machine the gripper D, shaped
as shewn; the centre points I, I, as fixed in the position shewn; the cam E,
lever F, vertical rod G, the knuckle joint H, taken in combination with tho
vertical rod G, and the springs F1 and E¹; the strut rods K, K; the ball
and socket joints, the cylindrical shanks, and adjusting pins K, K¹; the
counter shaft O, and bevil wheels R and S taken in combination with the other
mechanism for actuating the headers U, U; the fly-wheel T; the headers U, U,
shaped as shewn; the spring U¹, and the centre points V, V, as fixed in the
position shewn; the cross lever Y shaped and carried in centre points a, a, as
shewn; the crank b, and connecting rod c; the bed C, shaped as shown; the frame
Z arranged under the bed C, as shewn; the gripping dies d, d, having inclined sides,
as shewn; the wedge piece l, and set pius ff; the frames h and 1, the pivots 1, 1,
and m, m; the jaws and adjusting screws ; the stud pins n, n; adjustable disc
cranks o and p, and connecting rods and s; the shaft t, and wheels and v; all
substantially as and for the purpose herein-described and shewn.
2nd. The parts described as my second modification, namely, the bent lever Y,.
the crank at the end of the main shaft A and the connecting rod; the parallel shaft
and the spur wheels u¹ and taken in combination with the other mechanism
for vibrating the feeder; the adjustable disc cranks o' and p', arms a¹ and b¹, with
the studs n, n, fixed thereto, and the rods r¹ and s¹ connecting the disc cranks o¹
and 2 and studs n, n; all substantially as and for the purpose herein-described.
and shewn.
3rd. The whole of the parts claimed as for my first modification taken in com.
bination with each other, and in combination with other obviously necessary parts
now in use, to form a complete cut nail or cut. tack machine, having two headers,
substantially as herein described, and for the most part illustrated by the Drawings.
4th. The arrangement of parts referred to in my second modification, taken in
combination with other obviously necessary parts now in use, to form a completo.
cut nail or cut tack machine, having two headers, substantially as described.
5th. The modified arrangement of parts in combination with other obviously
necessary parts now in use to formn a complete cut nail or cut tack machine having
only one header, substantially as described.
And I declare that I do not limit myself to the exact details as described and
shewn as such are not necessary to the utility of my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Paul Bedford Elwell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
JAMES A. WYNN,
Clerk to Stephen Watkins,
Patent Office,
Wolverhampton.
PAUL BEDFORD ELWELL. (L.S.)