Improvements in the Manufacture of Cut Nails and in Machinery to be Employed in the said Manufacture.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 10th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1888
Improvements in the Manufacture of Cut Nails and in Machinery to
be Employed in the said Manufacture.
1, FELIX HADLEY, of Mitre Nail Works, Eyre Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire,
Nail Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to the manufacture of what are known as Patent
sharp pointed or spear pointed cut nails which according to this invention are pointed
in the same machine by which they are cut from the strip and headed, instead of being
pointed in a separate machine as is now sometimes done.
I will describe my invention in connection with an ordinary cut nail machine in
which the nails are cut from the end of a metal strip a little wider than the length of
the required nail by means of a cutter carried by a cutting beam and moving through.
an arc at the end of another cutter which is fixed to the bed of the machine in an
almost horizontal position and on which the strip of metal rests. After being cut off
the partly finished nail is carried a little lower down and held by a pair of gripping
jaws and headed.
In carrying out my invention I provide in the tool box on the bed of the machine
and at that side of the stationary entter where the point of the nail is formed, an extra
stationary cutter (or this extra cutter may form part of the usual stationary cutter)
which call the pointing cutter. The cutting end of this pointing cutter is a very
obtuse angle or
shape projecting from the cutting edge of the stationary cutter.
The moving cutter is of the ordinary form except that its lower edge projects con-
siderably so as to form a hollow immediately above it and the cutter is made as
wide as the stationary cutter and half the pointing cutter with which one of its edges
is bevelled off to correspond. Near this bevelled edge of the moving cutter but a
little higher up than its cutting edge is a moving pointing cutter corresponding
with the outer inclined end of the said stationary pointing cutter.
This moving
pointing cutter is carried in a tool box formed underneath the cutting beam where
it is removably secured by a screwed bolt which passes up through the beam and is
provided with an eye at its lower end through which the moving cutter passes.

page_text: The pointing is effected as follows:-After a nail has been cut from the end of the
strip and while the moving cutter is carrying this nail down to the heading grippers,
the end of the strip is on being fed forwards also moved sideways (by an arrangement
of mechanism hereinafter described) until its edge which forms the point of the nail
comes over the outer inclined side of the stationary pointing cutter. By this time the
moving pointing cutter arrives on the strip and cuts a small V-shaped piece off one
side of the end of the strip which now corresponds with one side of the required
nail and half the required point. On the cutting beam rising the sirip is moved
back (by the mechanism above alluded to) to the usual position on the stationary
cutter and when in this position the cutting beam again descends and cuts off the
partly formed nail the bevelled edges of the moving cutter and the corresponding
inclined edge of the stationary pointing cutter will form the other half of the
required V point on the nail which will then be carried down to be headed as
usual. The strip is then moved sideways again as above described and the V shaped
piece (half of which will be projecting from the end of the strip) is separated by
the pointing cutters leaving the end of the strip ready to form the next pointed nail.
The mechanism above alluded to for moving the strip sideways over the pointing
cutter and for holding the strip while the moving pointing cutter is cutting off
the V-piece is preferably constructed and arranged as follows:-Across the tool box
in which the stationary cutters are fixed and a short distance from their cutting
edge is a horizontal lever on which the strip of metal,. from which the nails
are formed, rests. This lever has two friction rollers between which the said strip
passes and which act as guides and are so arranged by their pins fitting in slots in the
lever that their distance apart can be varied to suit all widths of strips. The said
lever is bent back from the front of the cutters and pivotted on a pin near the end of
the tool box over the other side of which the free end of the said lever projects.
Pivotted to this side of the tool box is a vertical lever which moves to and fro with the
cutting beam by being connected thereto at its upper end by a link. The horizontal
lever carrying the friction rollers and strip receives to and fro motion from and with
this vertical lever, this motion being regulated by adjustable stops. A spiral or other
spring presses the horizontal lever towards the cutters against one of the said adjust-
able stops which thus regulates the position of the strip over the cutters and ensures
the strip always coming back to the same point thus making all the points uniform.
It is necessary during the partial process of pointing, that is while the moving pointing
cutter is operating, that the strip should be held perfectly rigid and for this purpose I
employ a flat or other spring between the vertical and horizontal levers so that, when
by one of the said adjustable stops the progress of the horizontal lever has been
arrested and the partly pointed strip is in its right position for the pointing cutters,
this spring will give to any additional motion the vertical lever may make.
It is necessary that the strip should be held or supported at the other or outer end
during the process of pointing and for this purpose I employ a swivel guide stand
which the strip freely passes through and which also forms a centre for the radius the
strip makes.
Dated this 9th day of December 1887.

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Cut Nails and in Machinery to
be Employed in the said Manufacture.
1, FELIX HADLEY, of Mitre Nail Works, Eyre Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire,
Nail Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention has reference to the manufacture of what are known as Patent sharp
pointed or spear pointed cut nails which according to this invention are pointed as
hereinafter described in the same machine by which they are cut from the strip and
headed instead of being pointed with cutters placed underneath or in a separate
machine as is now sometimes done.
I will describe my invention in connection with an ordinary cut nail machine in
which the nails are cut from the end of a metal strip a little wider (which is an
allowance for the size of head) than the length of the required nail by means of a
cutter carried by a cutting beam and moving through an arc at the end of another
cutter which is fixed to the bed of the machine in an almost horizontal position and
on which the strip of metal rests. After being cut off the partly finished nail is
carried a little lower down and held by a pair of gripping jaws and headed.
On the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 represents in side elevation part of an.
ordinary cut nail machine with my invention applied and Fig. 2 is a plan of the
same: Figs. 3 and 4 represent similar views to Figs. 1 and 2 respectively the parts
being shewn in different positions so as to illustrate the operation of my invention as
hereinafter described; Figs. 5 and 6 represent a nail strip and a nail and V-shaped
piece separated therefrom as hereinafter described.
A is the bed of the machine and B the fixed tool box supporting the cutter C, D is
the reciprocating cutter beam carrying the moving cutter E and describing an arc
round the beam centre F. I call the cutters C and E the principal cutters.
In carrying out my invention I provide in the tool box B on the bed of the machine
and at that side of the stationary cutter C where the point of the nail is formed, an
extra stationary cutter G (or this extra cutter may form part of the usual stationary
cutter C) which I call the stationary pointing cutter and which is secured in the tool
box by the usual set screws g. The cutting end of this pointing cutter G is a very
obtuse angle or shape projecting from the cutting edge of the stationary
cutter C. The moving cutter E is of the ordinary form except that its lower edge e¹
projects considerably so as to form a hollow e immediately above it for the purpose
of forming a gauge or stop for the strip to be fed against whilst being pointed as
hereinafter described and the cutter is made as wide as the stationary cutter C and
half the pointing cutter G with which one of its edges is bevelled off to correspond.
Near this bevelled edge of the moving cutter E but a little higher up than its cutting
edge is a moving pointing cutter H corresponding with the outer inclined end of the

page_text: stationary pointing cutter G. This moving pointing cutter H is carried in a tool
box I formed underneath the cutting beam D where it is removably secured by a
screwed bolt J which passes up through the beam D and is provided with an eye jat
its lower end through which the moving cutter H passes.
Across the tool box B and a short distance from the cutting edge of the cutters is a
horizontal lever K on which the strip of metal L, from which the nails are formed,
rests. This lever K has two friction rollers k between which the strip L passes and
which act as guides and are so arranged by the pins on which they turn fitting in
slots in the lever K that their distance apart can be varied to suit all widths of strips.
The lever K is bent back from the front of the cutters and pivotted on a pin M. near
the end of the tool box B over the other side of which the free end of the lever
projects. Pivotted to this side of the tool box is a vertical lever N which moves to
and fro with the cutting beam D by being connected thereto at its upper end by a
link O. The horizontal lever K carrying the friction rollers and strip L receives to
and fro motion from and with the vertical lever N, this motion being regulated by a
stop p' formed on the adjustable bar P and the set screw p². A spiral spring Q pulls
the horizontal lever Kiowards the front of the cutters against the stop pl which thus
regulates the position of the strip over the cutters and ensures the strip always coming
back to the same point thus making all the points uniform. While the moving
pointing cutter H is operating it is necessary that the strip L should be held perfectly
rigid and for this purpose I employ a flat or other spring R between the vertical
lever N and the horizontal lever so that, when the progress of the horizontal lever
has been arrested by coming into contact with the screw p² and the partly pointed
strip is in its right position for the pointing cutters, the spring R will give to any
additional motion the vertical lever may make. It is necessary that the strip should
be held or supported at the other or outer end during the process of pointing and for
this purpose I employ a swivel guide stand S which the strip freely passes through
and which also forms a centre for the radius the strip makes.
This being the arrangement of the mechanism its operation in pointing is as
follows: After a nail has been cut from the end of the strip L and while the
moving cutter E and spring gauge are carrying this nail down to the heading
grippers, the end of the strip is, on being fed forwards also moved sideways by the
lever K until the lever K comes into contact with the set screw p² when the edge of
the strip which is to form the point of the nail will be over the outer inclined side of
the stationary pointing cutter G (see Figs. 3 and 4). The hollow e² forms a gauge
for preventing the strip moving forwards too far. By this time the moving pointing
cutter H arrives on the strip L and cuts a small V-shaped piece off one side of
the end of the strip which now corresponds with one side of the required nail and
half the required point (see Fig. 5). On the cutting beam D rising the strip is
moved back by the spring acting on the lever K to the usual position on the
stationary cutter (see Figs. 1 and 2) and when in this position the cutting beam D
again descends and cuts off the partly formed nail a (see Fig. 6) the bevelled edge of
the moving cutter E and the corresponding inclined edge of the stationary pointing
cutter G will form the other half of the required V point on the nail which will then
be carried down to be headed as usual. The strip L is then moved sideways again by
the lever K as above described and the V-shaped piece t (half of which will be
projecting from the end of the strip) is separated by the pointing cutters leaving the
end of the strip ready to form the next pointed nail.
I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the precise details herein
described and illustrated as the same may be varied without departing from the nature
of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1st. Ina machine for making spear pointed cut nails, the combination with the
principal cutting mechanism consisting of a reciprocating cutter and a stationary

page_text: cutter, of an inclined pointing cutter moving with the reciprocating cutter and a
stationary inclined pointing cutter, the said cutters being arranged substantially as
described so as to alternately cut from the end of the strip a triangular piece of waste
metal and a pointed nail blank as hereinbefore described.
2nd. In a machine for making spear pointed cut nails, the combination with the
principal cutting mechanism consisting of a reciprocating cutter and a stationary
cutter, of an inclined pointing cutter moving with the reciprocating cutter and a
stationary inclined pointing cutter, and mechanism operating substantially as set forth
for presenting the strip alternately to the cutting mechanism and to the pointing
cutters so as to alternately cut from the end of the strip a triangular piece of waste
metal and a pointed nail blank as hereinbefore described.
3rd. In a machine for making spear pointed cut nails the combination and arrange-
ment of the mechanism hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawing for holding the strip and presenting it alternately to the principal cutter and
to the pointing cutters as herein before described.
Dated this Sth day of Santamba. 1800
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.