Improvements in Nails, Tacks, and the like, and in Machinery for the Manufacture thereof.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 7th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 2nd Apr., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Nails, Tacks, and the like, and in Machinery for
the Manufacture thereof.
I, RODOLPHUS CUSHING WATERMAN, Manufacturer, of Hanover, in the State of
Massachusetts, one of the United States of America, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to machines for the manufacture of tacks, nails,
etc., and has for its primary object the production of tacks, nails, etc., from a con-
tinuous wire, without waste of material, the tacks, nails; etc., thus formed being
also stronger, stiffer, smoother and otherwise better than those that are made from
plate metal.
According to the invention, the wire or stock, from which the tacks are to be
formed, is fed from a reel or other proper support in a continuous strip, and delivered
alternately to one and the other of two cutting and forming mechanisms, so that
when one mechanism is forming the tack, the other mechanism has finished the
tack which it held and is cutting another one, the latter to be formed in turn while
the wire is being shifted over and fed to the first mechanism again. By this means,
the tacks can be produced with great rapidity without sacrificing precision of
operation and perfection of finish.
The invention both as to the machine and the product thereof will be more fully
understood from the detailed description thereof hereinafter.
The mechanism constituting one embodiment of the invention, is mounted upon
a suitable frame, consisting in the present instance of front and rear standards
connected together near their lower ends by convenient tie braces and joined
together by and supporting at their upper ends, the base plates at either side
thereof; said plates for convenience, being bolted together at their inner meeting
edges.
The base plates by means of journal brackets at either end thereof and by means
of a central bracket extending from the meeting edges thereof at the front of the
machine, support the working parts of the machine.
The latter may be conveniently considered in three groups; to wit: the two tack
or nail forming mechanisms, one at either side of the machine and operated
respectively by shafts journalled in brackets and the wire feeding mechanism at
the front of the machine, between the two tack forming mechanisms and supported
on a bracket..
The wire passes to the feeding mechanism from a suitable reel, and is fed first
to one forming mechanism and then to the other by suitable means.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the said means comprises a bodily
reciprocating movement sidewise and also a swinging or oscillating movement,
although I do not restrict the invention to these two movements, as either one may
be omitted or other substituted.
'
On the forward end of a bracket a slide is mounted' to move back and forth
laterally by a suitable connection as by a dovetailed' guide way fitting into a
similar dovetailed recess formed in the slide being so reciprocated by means of a
rocker arm and link.

page_text: A rock shaft carries an arm and is suitably journalled in the standards and in
a bearing of a hanger secured to the bracket.
The wire feeding carriage is preferably pivotally mounted on the slide being
provided at its rear underside with a slot to receive the roll of an oscillator bar.
The latter, in the present instance, reciprocates in a way formed by a projection from
The slide and an adjustable block, the necessary reciprocating motion being given
to the oscillator bar by means of a rock shaft, arm and link. This last rock shaft
is adjustably connected at its rear end, to a shaft by means of a crank and pitman
the latter having radial adjustment relatively to the shaft by a nut and screw con-
nection carried by an arm revolving with the shaft, this adjustment serving to vary
the stroke of the crank and thereby the amount of reciprocation of the oscillator bar
and carriage. A rock shaft before mentioned, is operated by a similar connection
with a shaft, the arm of this shaft carrying an adjusting screw and a nut to radially
move the upper end of a pitman, whereby correspondingly altering the stroke of
crank and the consequent movement of the rock shaft, arm, slide and the supported
parts thereon.
The carriage has longitudinally movable thereon in bearings, a sliding bar having
at its rear end a friction roller, which is normally held in yielding engagement
against the adjustable feed regulators by suitable means, as by a coiled spring
mounted between a shoulder and collar on a rod projecting preferably from the
upturned end of a bar.
As the rear end of the carriage is oscillated or otherwise moved from one side of
the machine towards the other, a roller rides on one or the other of the feed regu-
lators, correspondingly reciprocating the sliding bar to feed the wire to the machine,
which it does by means of the mechanism.
Loosely mounted upon a shaft is a pawl carrier arranged to be rocked back and
forth by a rod pivotally connected to the end of the sliding-bar, said carrier being
provided with suitable clutching means to engage and turn the shaft on the rear-
·ward movement thereof, such means being preferably a ratchet wheel fixed to the
shaft and a plurality of spring pressed pawls on the pawl carrier and arranged out
of step with the teeth of the ratchet wheel.
The shaft carries at its outer end a feed roll arranged to cooperate with a second
feed roll on a shaft the latter being driven by means of a gear meshing with a
gear keyed to the shaft. These feed rolls also preferably act as pressure rolls, for
a purpose more fully set forth later on.
The two last mentioned shafts are mounted in suitable sliding journal boxes
mounted in guide ways in upward projections of the carriage thus permitting the
pressure rolls to be moved toward or from each other by an adjusting wheel to
give a greater or less amount of pressure to the wire as it passes between the rolls.
The wire first passes to the machine from a suitable reel, through a thimble
between straightening rolls, and then to the pressure rolls where it is flattened,
and from which it passes through the tube or other support to a nose picce adjust-
ably attached to the rear end of the carriage and provided at its rear end with an
accurate guide for the wire, preferably removable in part and may be supported
by a slotted downward projection in whose slot is mounted the upper jaw of the
wire guide secured therein by a pin projecting through and beyond the sides of
said mouth piece.
Beneath the upper jaw is a movable under jaw provided with pins projecting
through slots in the sides of the mouth piece and held in position therein by springs,
the under jaw having preferably a projection which extends upward between
downward projections of the upper jaw to prevent endwise movement.
The wire in passing from the feed rolls passes between these jaws, the tension
of the springs being sufficient to afford a suitable hold upon the wire at the point
where it is to be presented to the cutting jaws while at the same time the jaws may
yield to allow the passage of wire of varying thicknesses. These jaws are changed
for others for varying widths of wire.
The carriage is preferably held in its normal position, by means of a spring

page_text: projecting from a block adjustably secured to the slide, said spring extending at
its free end between anti-friction rolls depending from the carriage. The tension
of said spring is such as to cause said carriage to resume its normal position as
soon as the power has been removed, thus relieving the arm of a considerable
portion of the strain thereon.
The two tack or nail forming mechanisms may be continuously operated from
end shafts and each provided with suitable balance wheels and geared respec-
tively by bevel gears to other bevel gears of the drive shaft, the latter having
usual fast and loose pulleys.
As the flattened wire is delivered to one forming mechanism or the other, it is
firmly clamped by the holder against a fixed cutter while a movable cutting tool
descends and cuts off a portion of the wire to be formed into a tack or nail, this
portion of wire or blank being seized at the same moment between a carrier and
spring finger and carried thereby into position between gripping tools which
thereupon grip the same forming the shank of the tack or nail after which a
header completes the tack or nail by forming the head.
Each of the two shafts is provided with a crank which is connected by an adjust-
able connection to a wedge block mounted in ways in the underside of a cross bar,
these wedge blocks serving to operate cutting jaws and carrier jaws said jaws
being suitably pivoted to base plates and having their rolls held in yielding con-
tact with the wedge blocks by suitable means as by compression springs and
rod pivoted to the free ends of said jaws.
The inclines of the wedge blocks are shorter on the front side, the shorter portion
of the respective inclines cooperating with the roll of a cutting jaw and the longer
portion of the incline cooperating with the roll of a carrier jaw, the object being
to cause the incline to act upon the rolls of both jaws and force the said jaws down-
ward, the incline at the front side being sufficient to operate the cutting jaw a
distance to permit a cutting tool held thereby to cooperate with a fixed cutter
secured in a suitable box on the base plates and cut the wire, the roll of the
cutting jaw then entering a dwell, the carrier of the carrier jaw having at the
same moment clamped the head of the blank against a spring finger just as
the said blank was severed from the wire.
The further inward movement of the wedge block forces the carrier jaw down-
ward, carrying the blank into position between a fixed gripping tool mounted in
a block and a movable gripping tool mounted in an arm.
Arms are pivotally supported at their lower ends in the frame of the machine
and are operated by cams bearing against their upper ends which are held in
engagement therewith by means of springs. The cams and the tools are prefer-
ably adjusted so as not only to grip the blank, but also to compress the same into
the desired round or other shape preferred for the finished tack or nail.
To properly centre the point and otherwise form the point end of the tack or
nail, the tools may be beveled at their rear sides to receive spring arms, a spring
arm being provided with a block to crowd the adjacent portion of the tack or nail
blank over into properly centred position as the gripping tool grips and compresse
the said blank.
When the gripping tools seize the shank of the blank, as described, the carrier
and cutter jaws are drawn back to their original positions, and the spring finger
which held the underside of the head of the blank is moved laterally out of the
way of the header and so that it may also resume its original position to receive
another blank at the proper time.
The spring finger may be adjustably supported in an arm, the latter being
adjustably secured. There is pivoted a lever provided at its upper end with an
inclined surface while its lower end is bent inwardly and downwardly, said down-
ward projection bearing against the inner edge of the spring finger an adjusting
screw bearing upon the top of said spring finger serving to regulate the vertical
position of the operating end thereof.
Cooperating with the inclined surface is a pivoted lever actuated by a cam pro-

page_text: jection to force the lower end of the lever with the inclined surface outward,
thereby moving the spring finger from beneath the head of the blank, as desired.
The usual headers, pivoted, are operated by rod connections to eccentrics on
shafts, the opposing surfaces of the headers and gripping tools being preferably
countersunk respectively to form a rounded and flanged head. Or the head may
be flat or rounded on one side or any other shape desired.
The head having been formed on the previously rounded and centred shank, the
completed tack or nail, is ejected from the gripping tools by suitable means, the
spring arms before referred to, being preferably employed for this purpose
The spring arms are secured to a reciprocable bar mounted under a strap
and connected at its outer end with a lever pivoted to the frame.
This lever may be operated by a path cam on a shaft or may be operated by a
cam projection adjustably secured to a shaft, the resulting forward movement of
the spring arms being sufficient to dislodge the tacks from the gripping tools and
permit the same to fall into a chute or other receptacle.
The holders carried at either end of a rocker head centrally pivoted are normally
held in raised position, by suitable means as by a spring.
The rock shaft has adjustably fixed thereon two spur collars, arranged to
contact alternately, as the shaft is rocked, with a pivoted lever which projects
upwardly loosely between the adjusting screws.
These collars are so adjusted that just as the carriage has oscillated to the
extreme right or left, delivering the wire in proper position between the fixed
cutter and holder, the spur of one or other opposite collar strikes against the lever
thereby rocking the head on its pivot and bringing down the holder firmly against
the wire, releasing the same by the initial return movement of the carriage.
The screws being adjustable, accomodate the holders to different thicknesses
and shapes of wire.
In the preferred construction of the machine, the left hand cutting mechanism
is arranged to cut the wire obliquely, with the point of the blank formed thereby
facing the front of the machine, the right hand cutting mechanism being then
arranged to cut the wire transversely, the blank then pointing in an opposite
direction away from the front of the machine.
The transverse cut is preferably made somewhat angular however with less
length of head on the side opposite the point, to allow for the crushing effect of
the grippers, which spread out the metal on the weaker side of the blank more than
on the opposite side, so that after the grippers have acted upon the blank, the
head end is comparatively straight across.
A tack thus formed presents all the desirable features of the plate tack, having
the tapered or wedge-shaped or slab-shaped sides and other structural features for
holding or gripping the material in which it is driven, the quick, sheared point
for catching in the material, and the central evenly balanced head.
To allow excess of wire as required, adjustable feed regulators are provided and
in order that the inclination thereof, and therefore the frictional resistance thereof,
may be the same and yet give the differing feed required, one regulator is longer
than the other.
By altering the reciprocating movement and position of the slide, and corre-
spondingly changing the oscillating swing of the carriage, the angle or obliquity
of the cut which forms the blank may be varied, the nearer the pivot of the carriage
is to the centre of the machine while the wire is fed to the cutting tools, the greater
the angle, while a more acute angular cut is made as said pivot is moved towards
the left of the machine.
Adjustments may be accomplished by any ordinary and convenient means,
Screw-and-nut means being provided therefor in the present instance.
The operation of the machine is as follows: suitable wire, preferably a round wire
is fed between straightening rolls, to take out any kinks there may be in the wire,
thence between feed rolls under sufficient pressure to flatten the wire the required

page_text: amount, then to a nose piece from which it will project sufficiently to reach the
cutting tools.
The carriage is then moved to the left and about its pivot, a roll acting on
inclines causing the wire to be fed during the movement, so that when the nose
piece reaches the opposite position, sufficient wire is projecting from said nose
piece to extend across a cutter to form a blank.
The holding finger then moves down upon the upper surface of the wire just
inside the moving cutting tool and holds the wire firmly while the tool moves.
downward and cuts the blank.
A carrier moves down with the cutting tool and in conjunction with the spring
arm seizes the blank at its head end outside the rear face of the cutter and conveys
it to a lower position in front of a fixed gripping tool.
The movable gripping tool on the arm is then forced from one position to another,
compressing the blank for a certain portion of its length below the head into a round
or other shaped shank, as desired, the same operation forcing the block against,
the portion of the blank, near the point thereby bending the same so that the point
is brought into axial line with the shank of the tack.
The gripping having been accomplished, the holding tool is raised and the spring
finger is moved outward from beneath the blank, and the heading tool is moved
against the larger end of the blank to compress the metal into a flat, round or
other shaped head, a portion of said metal being forced into the countersink of the
gripping tools to form a re-enforced portion between said head and the shank.
The header and one gripping tool are then withdrawn and spring fingers move in
onto the tack and force it from the gripping tools permitting it to drop into the
receptacle arranged to receive it.
The wire is again fed a sufficient distance to cause it to be presented to the cutting
tool at the right of the machine.
The one cutting tool is somewhat different from the other cutting tool being
arranged to extend across the wire and having its cutting surface crossways of the
wire, while another cooperating cutting tool is also arranged to give a cross cut to
the wire.
A holding tool and a spring finger of the right hand mechanism, are constructed
to seize the blank at a point between the two cuts and convey it to the grippers
where the completion of the work is practically the same as upon the opposite side.
of the machine.
The downward cutting movement shears the wire and crowds it over slightly
carrying the point with it, so as to form smooth strong edges leading to the point,
making the former curved and the latter substantially straight, and the setting
over of the point deflects or spirally bends the adjacent sides thereof producing
slight spiral deflections on the opposite flattened sides, which enable the tack to
grip and hold most tenaciously into the fibres of the wood or other material.
Dated the 25th day of May 1897.
Improvements in Nails, Tacks, and the like, and in Machinery for
the Manufacture thereof..
I, RODOLPHUS CUSHING WATERMAN, Manufacturer, of Hanover, in the State of
Massachusetts, one of the United States of America, do hereby declare the nature

page_text: 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:-
The present invention relates to machines for the manufacture of tacks, nails, etc.,
and has for its primary object the production of tacks, nails, etc., from a continuous
wire, without waste of material, the tacks, nails, etc. thus formed being also stronger,
stiffer, smoother and otherwise better than those that are made from plate metal.
The improved machine of the class described has a plurality of tack or nail
forming mechanisms, and a common feeding mechanism for longitudinally feeding
the metal strip to one and then another of the said mechanisms combined with
independent regulating devices respectively for said forming mechanisms cooperat-
ing with said feeding mechanisms to vary the longitudinal feed of the metal
thereby as desired and means to adjust such regulating devices substantially as will
be described and shown.
According to the invention, the wire or stock, from which the tacks are to be
formed, is fed from a reel or other proper support in a continuous strip, and delivered
alternately to one and the other. of two cutting and forming mechanisms, so that
when one mechanism is forming the tack, the other mechanism has finished the
tack which it held and is cutting another one, the latter to be formed in turn while
the wire is being shifted over and fed to the first mechanism again. By this means,
the tacks can be produced with great rapidity without sacrificing precision of
operation and perfection of finish.
The invention both as to the machine and the product thereof will be more fully
understood from the detailed description thereof hereinafter, taken in connection
with the accompanying drawings, illustrative thereof.
In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of the complete machine embodying the
invention.
Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof.
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the same, looking toward the rear, taken on the
line 3-3 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the machine omitting the upper portions of the frame
and the operating mechanism, the cutting and holding jaws being also omitted,
at the right side of the figure.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the upper part of the machine looking
towards the left, taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 1.
Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail, showing partly in section, the devices for operating
the lower blank holding finger.
Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional views similar to, and drawn to the same scale as
Fig. 5, and looking respectively towards the left and right of the machine, the
sections being taken respectively on line 7,7 and 8,8 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 9 is an enlarged partial sectional elevation looking toward the rear of the
machine, taken on the line 9-9, Fig. 1.
Fig. 10 is a sectional detail of the feeding shaft and its operating mechanism
drawn to the same scale as Fig. 9.
Figs. 11, 12, 13, and 14 show enlarged details of the wire guide.
Figs. 15 and 16 are fragmentary views of the wire before and after being sub-
jected to the action of the pressure rolls.
Figs. 17 to 25 show enlarged details of the devices for cutting and holding the
wire, and for gripping, conveying and compressing the blank and for forming the
head thereon, as more fully described hereinafter, and
Fig. 26 represents a blank cut from the flattened wire.
Figs. 27 to 32 show the successive steps of making a tack, for instance.
Figs. 33 to 37 show the tack made according to this invention.
The mechanism herein shown as constituting one embodiment of the invention,
is mounted upon a suitable frame, consisting in the present instance of front and
rear standards A, A, connected together near their lower ends by convenient tie
braces A¹, A¹, and joined together by and supporting at their upper ends, the base

page_text: plates A2, A3, at either side thereof, said plates for convenience, being bolted
together at a, a, at their inner meeting edges.
The base plates A2, A3, by means of the journal brackets J, J, at either end
thereof and by means of the central bracket A' extending from the meeting edges
thereof at the front of the machine, support the working parts of the machine.
The latter may be conveniently considered in three groups, to wit: the two tack,
or nail forming mechanisms, one at either side of the machine and operated
respectively by the shafts D and H, journalled in the brackets J, J, and the wire
feeding mechanism at the front of the machine, between the two tack forming
mechanisms and supported on the bracket A*
The wire w passes to the feeding mechanism from a suitable reel (not shown),
and is fed first to one forming mechanism and then to the other by suitable means.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention herein shown, the said means
comprises a bodily reciprocating movement sidewise and also a swinging or oscil-
lating movement, although I do not restrict the invention to these two movements,
as either one may be omitted or other substituted.
On the forward end of the bracket A4, (Fig. 5). a slide 133 is mounted to move
back and forth laterally by a suitable connection as by the dovetailed guide way A³
fitting into a similar dovetailed recess formed in the slide B3 (see Fig. 5) being so
reciprocated by means of the rocker arm B₁ and link B², Fig. 9.
The rockshaft B carries the arm B and is suitably journalled in the stand-
ards A, A, and in a bearing A7 of the hanger A6 (Figs. 2 and 9) secured to the
bracket A (Fig. 5).
The wire feeding carriage B is preferably pivotally mounted at b on the
slide B3 (Figs. 4 and 5), being provided at its rear underside with a slot b' to
receive the roll 62 of the oscillator bar 63. The latter, in the present instance,
reciprocates in a way formed by a projection 64 from the slide 13 and an adjustable
block 5, the necessary reciprocating motion being given to the bar 3 by means
of a rock shaft C', arm C and link b, Fig. 9. The rock shaft C' is adjustably con-
nected at its rear end, Figs. 1 and 2, to the shaft D by means of a crank C², and
pitman C³, the latter having radial adjustment relatively to the shaft D by a nut
and screw connection carried by the arm C revolving with the shaft D, this adjust-
ment serving to vary the stroke of the crank C2 and thereby the amount of recipro-
cation of the oscillator bar 63 and carriage B. The rock shaft B, before mentioned,
is operated by a similar connection with the shaft H, the arm H2 of the shaft H
carrying an adjusting screw and a nut H³ to radially move the upper end of
pitman H, thereby correspondingly altering the stroke of crank H and the conse-
quent movement of the rockshaft B, arm B', slide B3 and the supported parts
thereon.
The carriage B has longitudinally movable thereon in bearings c, c, a sliding
bar B5 having at its rear end a friction roller c³, which is normally held in yielding
engagement against the adjustable feed regulators d, d', (Fig. 4) by suitable means,
as by the coiled spring mounted, between the shoulder c and collar c³ on a rod c¹
projecting preferably from the upturned end B6 of the bar B5.
As the rear end of the carriage B is oscillated or otherwise moved from one
side of the machine towards the other, the roller c rides on one or the other of
the feed regulators d, d, correspondingly reciprocating the sliding bar B to feed
the wire to the machine, which it does by means of the mechanism shown best in
Figs. 4, 9 and 10.
Loosely mounted upon the shaft Eis a pawl carrier B8 arranged to be rocked
back and forth by the rod B7 pivotally connected to the end B6 of the sliding-
bar B5, said carrier 138 being provided with suitable clutching means to engage and
turn the shaft E on the rearward movement thereof, such means being shown as
preferably a ratchet wheel E' fixed. to shaft E and a plurality of spring pressed
pawls e on the pawl carrier B8 and arranged out of step with the teeth of the ratchet
wheel (see Fig. 10).
The shaft
carries at its outer end a feed roll E³ arranged to cooperate with a

page_text: second feed roll E5 on shaft. E the latter. being, driven by means of a gear E
meshing with a gear E2 keyed to shaft E. These feed rolls also preferably act as
pressure rolls, for a purpose more fully set forth later on.
The shafts E, E are mounted in suitable sliding journal boxes mounted in
guide ways in the upward projections E7, Es of the carriage B4 thus permitting the 5
pressure rolls E3, E to be moved toward or from each other by the adjusting
wheel E to give a greater or less amount of pressure to the wire as it passes between
the rolls.
The wire first passes to the machine from a suitable reel, (not shown) through the
thimble e between the straightening rolls a, e, and then to the pressure 1
rolls E3, E³, where it is flattened, as shown in Fig. 16, and from which it passes
through the tube or other support e³ to the nose piece F adjustably attached at f
to the rear end of the carriage B and provided at its rear end with an accurate
guide for the wire, preferably removable in part and herein shown as supported by
a slotted downward projection f¹ in whose slot is mounted the upper jaw f of the 1
wire guide secured therein by a pin f projecting through and beyond the sides
of said mouth piece (Figs. 12-14).
Beneath the jaw fa is a movable under jaw f' provided with the pins f³, f³, pro-
jecting through slots f6 in the sides of the mouth piece F and held in position
therein by the springs f, f, the under jaw f having preferably a projection f
which extends upward between downward projections fo, f of the upper jaw f³ to
prevent endwise movement.
The wire in passing from the feed rolls passes between these jaws, the tension
of the springs f7 being sufficient to afford a suitable hold upon the wire at the
point where it is to be presented to the cutting jaws while at the same time the
jaws may yield to allow the passage of wire of varying thicknesses. These jaws are
changed for others for varying widths of wire.
The carriage B is preferably held in its normal position, as indicated in the
drawings, by means of the spring G projecting from the block G¹ adjustably
secured to the slide B³, said spring extending at its free end between the anti-
friction rolls g depending from the carriage B. The tension of said spring is such
as to cause said carriage to resume its normal position as soon as the power has
been removed, thus relieving the arm C of a considerable portion of the strain
thereon.
I have shown the two tack, or nail forming mechanisms as continuously operated
from the end shafts D and H, each provided with suitable balance wheels I, and
geared respectively by the bevel-gears D2, D, to the bevel-gears D³, D8, of the
drive shaft D, the latter having usual fast and loose pulleys D6, D7.
This arrangement of shafts and gears is compact and powerful, but the invention
is in nowise limited to the same nor to the details thereof.
As the flattened wire (Fig. 16) is delivered to one forming mechanism or the other,
it is firmly clamped by the holder 3 against the fixed cutter 1 or 7 (see Figs. 7, 8,
17 and 24) while the movable cutting tool 5 or 6 descends and cuts off a portion
of the wire to be formed into a tack or nail, this portion of wire or blank being
seized at the same moment between the carrier and spring finger m and carried
thereby into position between the gripping tools n, n¹, (Fig. 18), which thereupon
grip the same forming the shank of the tack or nail (Fig. 23, 25) after which the
header p or p¹ completes the tack or nail by forming the head.
All these operations are accomplished in quick succession, the tacks being formed
at a very high speed. The details of the forming mechanisms will now be
-explained.
Each shaft D and H is provided with a crank J which is connected by an adjust-
able connection J to a wedge block Ja mounted in ways in the under side of the
cross bar J³, see Figs. 3, 7 and 8, these wedge-blocks serving to operate the cutting
jaws K, and the carrier jaws K₁, said jaws. being suitably pivoted to the base
plates at k, k, and having their rolls held in yielding contact with the wedge

page_text: blocks by suitable means as by the compression springs ³ and rod k pivoted to
the free ends of said jaws.
The inclines of the wedge blocks are shorter on the front side, the shorter
portion of the respective inclines cooperating with the roll of the cutting jaw K
and the longer portion of the incline cooperating with the roll of the carrier
jaw K¹, the object being to cause the incline j to act upon the rolls of both
jaws K, K, and force the said jaws downward, the incline at the front side being
sufficient to operate the jaw K a distance to permit the cutting tool or held
thereby to cooperate with the fixed cutter or secured in a suitable box L on
the base plates and cut the wire, the roll of the cutting jaw K then entering the
dwell, the carrier 8 of the carrier jaw K¹ having at the same moment clamped
the head of the blank against the spring finger m just as the said blank was severed
from the wire.
The further inward movement of the wedge block forces the carrier jaw K¹ down-
ward, carrying the blank into position between the fixed gripping tool n mounted
in the block L and the movable gripping tool n¹, mounted in the arm 0.
The arms O (Fig. 3) are pivotally supported at their lower ends at o in the frame
of the machine and are operated by the cams O' bearing against their upper ends 0³,
which are held in engagement therewith by means of the springs 03. The cams Oi
and the tools n¹ are preferably adjusted so as not only to grip the blank, but also
to compress the same into the desired round or other shape preferred for the finished.
tack or nail.
If the tack or nail were formed simply as above stated, the point thereof would
not be centred properly, the blank having been cut diagonally, as shown in
Figs. 17, 26.
Therefore, in order to properly centre the point and otherwise form the point
end of the tack or nail, I have herein shown the tools n, n¹, as beveled at their rear
sides (Figs. 23, 25) to receive the spring arms q, q', the former being provided
with the block q to crowd the adjacent portion of the tack or nail blank over into
properly centred position as the gripping tool n' grips and compresses the said
blank.
Various other devices may be substituted for properly centreing the points of
the product, or the die ends of the gripping tools may be formed to accomplish the
desired result, but I prefer the means shown, using the same also for another
purpose presently to be described.
When the gripping tools n, n', seize the shank of the blank, as described, the
carrier and cutter jaws K', K, are drawn back to their original positions and the
spring finger m, which held the underside of the head of the blank (Figs. 17, 18)
is moved laterally out of the way of the header p or p¹ and so that it may also
resume its original position to receive another blank at the proper time.
The spring finger m (see Figs. 4, 6 and 8) is herein shown as adjustably sup-
ported in an arm m¹, the latter being adjustably secured at m². Pivoted at m³
is a lever m provided at its upper end with an inclined surface m³ while its lower
end is bent inwardly and downwardly, said downward projection m6 bearing
against the inner edge of the spring finger m an adjusting screw m7 bearing
upon the top of said spring finger m serving to regulate the vertical position of the
operating end thereof.
Cooperating with the surface m³ is a lever m³ pivoted at m³, and actuated by the
cam projection m10 to force the lower end of the lever m² outward, thereby moving
the spring finger m from beneath the head of the blank, as desired.
The usual headers P, pivoted at p, are operated by rod connections P₁ to
eccentrics P (Figs. 7 and 8) on the shafts 13 and D, the opposing surfaces of the
headers and gripping tools being preferably countersunk at 23 and n² respectively
to form the rounded and flanged head shown best in Fig. 23. Or the head may be
flat as indicated in Fig. 25, and shown in Figs. 33 to 37, or rounded on one side as
in Fig. 20, or any other shape desired.

page_text: The head having been formed on the previously rounded and centred shank, the
completed tack or nail, is ejected from the gripping tools by suitable means, the
spring arms q, q', before referred to, being preferably employed for this purpose.
These spring arms q, q, are secured to a reciprocable bar 23 (see Figs. 7 and 8)
mounted under a strap and connected at its outer end with the lever q³ pivoted
at 26 to the frame.
The lever q may be operated by a path cam g7 on the shaft H, as shown in Fig. 8,
or may be operated by the cam projection adjustably secured to the shaft D*,
as shown in Fig. 7, the resulting forward movement of the arms q, q', being
sufficient to dislodge the tacks from the gripping tools and permit the same to fall
into a chute or other receptacle, (not shown).
Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the holders 73, carried at either
end of a rocker head R³ centrally pivoted at 2, are normally held in raised position,
as shown, by suitable means as by the spring s.
The shaft B has adjustably fixed thereon two spur collars R, R¹, (Fig. 3)
arranged to contact alternately, as the shaft is rocked, with a lever R2 which is
pivoted at r and projects upwardly loosely between the adjusting screws r¹, 1.
The collars R, R¹, are so adjusted that just as the carriage B4 has oscillated to
the extreme right or left, delivering the wire in proper position between the
fixed cutter and holder 3, the spur of the opposite collar R, or R¹, strikes against
the lever R³, thereby rocking the head R³ on its pivot and bringing down the
holder firmly against the wire, releasing the same by the initial return move-
ment of the carriage B4.
The screws 1 being adjustable accommodate the holders ³ to different thick-
nesses and shapes of wire.
In the preferred construction of the machine, as herein shown, the left hand
cutting mechanism is arranged to cut the wire obliquely, as indicated in Fig. 17,
with the point of the blank formed thereby facing the front of the machine, the
right hand cutting mechanism being then arranged to cut the wire transversely,
as indicated in Fig. 24, the blank then pointing in an opposite direction away from
the front of the machine.
By this means all waste is avoided, the tacks or nails being formed longitu-
dinally of the wire and successively in reverse direction, as indicated by the
dotted lines, Fig. 28.
The transverse cut is preferably made somewhat angular however with less
length of head on the side opposite the point, as shown at s¹ in Figs. 26, 28 and 29,
to allow for the crushing effect of the grippers, which spread out the metal on the
weaker side of the blank more than on the opposite side, so that after the grippers
have acted upon the blank, the head end is comparatively straight across.
The heading pressure thereon flattens out the metal into a perfectly even head,
centred with the shank and possessing uniform strength and thickness; and also
the point having been set over centrally with the head and shank the tack is
evenly balanced and proportioned in every respect.
A tack thus formed by my method, presents all the desirable features of the
plate tack, having the tapered or wedge-shaped or slab-shaped sides and other
structural features for holding or gripping the material in which it is driven,
the quick, sheared point for catching in the material, and the central evenly
balanced head.
These features have never been accomplished in a wire tack prior to this inven-
tion; wire tacks having been formed similar in shape and appearance to wire
nails.
In order to accomplish this above described oblique and transverse cutting the
mechanism being as herein shown, it is necessary that more wire should be fed to
the left hand cutting mechanism than to the right hand cutting mechanism.
Accordingly, I have provided the adjustable feed regulators d, d, pivoted at d²,
and in order that the inclination thereof and therefore the frictional resistance

page_text: thereof may be the same and yet give the differing feed required, I have made the
regulator d longer than the regulator d.
By altering the reciprocating movement and position of the slide B³, and corre-
spondingly changing the oscillating swing of the carriage B4, the angle or
cbliquity of the cut which forms the blank may be varied as desired, the nearer the
pivot b of the carriage B is to the centre of the machine while the wire is fed to
the cutting tools, the greater the angle, while a more acute angular cut is made
as said pivot is moved towards the left of the machine.
These various adjustments may be accomplished by any ordinary and convenient
means, the screw-and-nut means carried by arms C and H³ and the adjustable
pitman C, being provided therefor in the present instance as already explained.
The operation of the machine is as follows: Suitable wire, preferably a round"
wire is fed between the straightening rolls &², e², to take out any kinks there may
be in the wire, thence between the feed rolls E3, E5 under sufficient pressure to
flatten the wire the required amount, then to the nose piece F from which it will
project sufficiently to reach the cutting tools.
The first operation would be to present the wire to the cutting tools at the right
of the machine where its end would be cut off at the required angle, as has been
described.
The carriage B is then moved to the left and about its pivot b, the roll c³ acting
on the inclines d, d¹, causing the wire to be fed during the movement, so that
when the nose piece F reaches the opposite position, sufficient wire is projecting
from said nose-piece to extend across the cutter 1, as indicated in Fig. 17, to form
a blank.
The holding finger then moves down upon the upper surface of the wire just
inside the moving cutting tool and holds the wire firmly while the tool ³ moves
downward and cuts the blank.
The carrier moves down with the cutting tool and in conjunction with the
spring arm m seizes the blank at its head end outside the rear face of the cutter 1,
see Figs. 17 and 18, and conveys it to a lower position in front of the fixed grip-
ping tool n, as shown in Fig. 18.
The movable gripping tool on the arm 0 is then forced from the position
shown in full lines Fig. 18 to the position shown in dotted lines, compressing the
blank for a certain portion of its length below the head into a round or other
shaped shank, as desired, the same operation forcing the block q² against the
portion of the blank near the point thereby bending the same so that the point is
brought into axial line with the shank of the tack.
' aft
The gripping having been accomplished, the holding tool is raised and the
spring finger m is moved outward from beneath the blank, and the heading
tool is moved against the larger end of the blank to compress the metal into
a flat, round, or other shaped head, a portion of said metal being forced into
the countersink p² of the tools n, n¹, to form a reenforced portion between said
head and the shank.
The header and the gripping tool n¹ are then withdrawn, and the spring
fingers q, q', move in onto the tack and force it from the tools n, n', permitting
it to drop into the receptacle arranged to receive it.
The wire is again fed a sufficient distance to cause it to be presented to the
cutting tool at the right of the machine, in the position shown in Fig. 24.
The tool is somewhat different from the tool 1, being arranged to extend
across the wire and having its cutting surface crossways of the wire, while the
co-operating cutting tool 6 is also arranged to give a cross cut to the wire, as
shown in Fig. 24.
The holding tool and the spring finger m of the right hand mechanism, are
constructed to seize the blank at a point between the two cuts and convey it to
the grippers n, n', where the completion of the work is practically the same as
upon the opposite side of the machine.

page_text: The machine is entirely automatic, thereby saving to the manufacturer the
expense of feeders and plate cutters.
It is obvious that the relative positions of the three mechanisms constituting
the machine may be widely varied, as may also the separate parts of each of said
mechanisms; the alternate feeding may be accomplished by either the oscillating
or the reciprocating movement, or by some other movement, although I prefer the
compound movement resulting from the employment of both of the described
movements; nor is the machine restricted to the direction of feed herein shown
and described, inasmuch as the wire or strip may be delivered at any angle desired
relatively to the entire machine, and the cutting and forming tools may be set
at such angles as may be necessary to correspond thereto.
It is obvious from the foregoing description that the shape of the tack or nail.
to be cut on the machine may be varied indefinitely, both as regards length and
thickness, while either a short or long point may be made and heads of any
description may be formed by the use of suitably shaped heading tools.
By making tacks or nails from a continuous wire there is no waste of material,
thereby making a great saving to the manufacturer; also a much better tack is
made, as the shank is lengthwise of the grain of the metal, a tack made from
metal plate being cut crosswise of the grain thereby making a weaker tack; both
the head and the point are smooth, instead of rough as in plate tacks, the latter
catching the fibre and tearing or breaking it in being driven, clogging in the
hopper and runway of tacking machines, and injuring the mouth of the operator
if so held by him as is usual, also the ragged prongs on the point ends of plate tacks
easily break off, deflecting the tack when driven, whereas my improved tacks are
just as sharp and are also strong and not brittle.
These and other advantages will be clear by viewing Figs. 29-37, where Fig. 30
shows how the lateral pressure crowds up the metal on the less resisting side of
the blank at s², so that the head portion has equal sides 3, 4, (shown in plan in
Fig. 30 and in opposite elevations in Figs. 31, 32), thereby producing a perfectly
even and balanced head when swaged longitudinally, Figs. 34, 36, 37.
Fig. 31 is a top plan view of the tack as shewn in Fig. 37, and is a bottom
plan view of the tack as shown in Fig. 36. Fig. 37 is an enlargement of Fig. 34,
and is a bottom plan or underside view of Fig. 31; Fig. 36 is an enlargement of
Fig. 30 after the latter has been headed, Fig. 36 being a top plan view of Fig. 31
and a view of the opposite side of the tack from that shown in Fig. 37.
Viewing Fig. 36,-Fig. 32 is a top plan thereof, Fig. 31 is a bottom plan
thereof, Fig. 30 is a front elevation thereof, and Figs. 34 and 37 are rear elevations
thereof, the tack being turned end for end; or, in other words, Fig. 37 is a view
of the tack rotated half-way around from the position shown in Fig. 36, thereby
bringing the curved bottom side 5, Fig. 36, on top, and bringing the straight
oblique top side, Fig. 36, at the bottom.
The successive steps of rolling or flattening and of compressing or swaging stiffens
and toughens the tack, and the point is also supported and strengthened by having
one rounded side of the wire extended down to the extreme point, as shown at $5,
the original smooth, convex side of the wire rendering the point stronger, smoother,
and more delicate and accurate.
The downward cutting movement shears the wire and crowds it over slightly
carrying the point with it, so as to form smooth strong edges s6, s7, leading to the
point, making the former curved and the latter substantially straight, see
Figs. 31, 32; and the setting over of the point deflects or spirally bends the
adjacent sides thereof, producing slight spiral deflections on the opposite flattened
sides, 8, which enable the tack to grip and hold most tenaciously into the
fibres of the wood or other material.
I have thus decribed in detail the novel features of my tack, because it is a
very superior tack in each of these respects, giving moreover a considerably greater
number of tacks to the same weight and strength than has ever been produced
heretofore.

page_text: 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:
1. In a machine for manufacturing tacks and nails, two mechanisms for cutting
the blank and forming the same into a finished tack or nail, combined with a
pivoted feeding mechanism adapted to be oscillated from one of said mechanisms
to the other to feed alternately to said two mechanisms the strip of metal from
which said blanks are cut.
2. In a machine for manufacturing tacks and nails, two mechanisms for cutting
the blank and forming the same into a finished tack or nail, combined with a
pivoted feeding mechanism adapted to be oscillated from one of said
mechanisms to the other to feed alternately the strip of metal from which said
blanks are cut and means to regulate the extent of said oscillatory movement.
3. In a machine for manufacturing tacks and nails, two mechanisms for cutting
the blank and forming the same into a finished tack or nail, combined with a
reciprocating slide, a carriage pivoted to said slide, and a feeding mechanism
mounted upon said carriage, and adapted to oscillate about said pivot to alternately
feed to each of said mechanisms the strip of metal from which said blanks are
cut.
4. In a machine for manufacturing tacks and nails, two mechanisms for cutting
the blank and forming the same into a finished tack or nail, combined with a
reciprocating slide, mechanism for regulating the movement of said slide, a carriage
pivoted to said slide, and a feeding mechanism mounted upon said carriage and
adapted to oscillate about said pivot to alternately feed to each of said mechanisms
the strip of metal from which said blanks are cut.
5. In a machine for manufacturing tacks and nails, two mechanisms for cutting
the blank and forming the same into a finished tack or nail, combined with a
reciprocating slide, mechanism for regulating the movement of said slide, a
carriage pivoted to said slide, means to regulate the pivotal movement of said
carriage, and a feeding mechanism mounted upon said carriage and adapted to
oscillate about said pivot to alternately feed to each of said mechanisms the strip
of metal from which said blanks are cut.
6. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of tack or nail forming
mechanisms, and a common feeding mechanism for longitudinally feeding the
metal strip to one and then another of said mechanisms, combined with independent
regulating devices respectively for said forming mechanisms cooperating with
said feeding mechanism to vary the longitudinal feed of the metal thereby as
desired, and means to adjust said regulating devices.
7. In a machine of the class described, two tack or nail forming mechanisms,
and a common, feeding mechanism to feed the metal strip alternately to said two
mechanisms, combined with pivoted feed regulators.
8. In a machine of the class described, two tack or nail forming mechanisms, a
CoLimon stock feeding mechanism therefor, means to move the same at its feeding
end to one and then to the other of said forming mechanisms, said feeding
mechanism including a pawl and ratchet mechanism and a reciprocating bar operat-
ing the same, and inclined feed regulators in the path of movement of said feeding
mechanism and adapted to thereby reciprocate said bar.
9. The herein described feeding mechanism, comprising a laterally movable
member, carrying feed rolls and pawl and ratchet mechanism to operate said rolls,
and being also provided with a reciprocating bar arranged to intermittingly actuate
said pawl and ratchet mechanism, and inclined feed regulators, in the path of said
lateral movement, and adapted to be engaged by said bar, thereby to reciprocate the
said bar.
10. In a machine of the class described, two tack or nail forming mechanisms,
and a feeding mechanism for alternately feeding the wire or strip to said forming
mechanisms, combined with movable holders, and means for operating

page_text: said holders alternately to clamp the wire or strip adjacent the respective forming
mechanisms and positively hold the same until the required blank is cut therefrom.
11. In a machine of the class described, two tack or nail forming mechanisms,
and a feeding machanism for alternately feeding the wire or strip to said forming
mechanisms, combined with a head arranged between said forming
mechanisms, said head having at either end thereof a holder, and means to
engage said holders alternately with the wire or strip adjacent the respective
forming mechanisms and positively hold the same until the required blank is cut
therefrom.
12. In a tack or nail forming machine, a pair of grippars, one of which is
movable towards the other, said movable gripper being cut away on its face at one
side, and a block arranged to rest against said cut away surface to crowd over the
point end of the 'tack or nail into properly centred position, the movable gripper
moving said block against the tack.
13. In a tack or nail making machine, a nose piece through which the wire or
strip is delivered, said nose piece comprising two interlocking jaws having a con-
fined guide-way for accurately directing the said wire or strip, and means for
maintaining said jaws in yielding engagement.
14. In a tack or nail forming machine, two cooperating cutting tools, one of
which is mounted in a movable cutting-jaw, and a cooperating carrier and finger, the
former being mounted in a carrier-jaw adjacent said cutting-jaw, combined with a
wedge block operating against said jaws to actuate the same, said wedge block
having a dwell formed in the path of contact therewith of said cutting-jaw, whereby
the carrier-jaw continues to be moved after the said cutting-jaw comes to rest, and
means to retract said jaws.
15. In a tack or nail forming machine, two co-operating cutting tools, one of
which is mounted in a movable cutting-jaw, and a cooperating carrier and spring
controlled finger, the former being mounted in a carrier jaw adjacent said cutting
jaw, combined with a wedge block operating against said jaws to actuate the same
said wedge block having a dwell formed in the path of contact therewith of said
cutting-jaw, whereby the carrier-jaw continues to be moved after the said cutting
jaw comes to rest, and means to retract said jaws.
16. In a machine of the class described, two tack or nail forming mechanisms,
combined with a common feeding mechanism for feeding metal stock alternately
to said forming mechanisms, means to move the feeding end of said feeding
mechanism laterally from its normal position first to one and then to the other
of said forming mechanisms, and a yielding device tending to restore the said
feeding end to its said normal intermediate position.
17. The herein described method of making a tack from wire, which consists of
severing the wire obliquely towards the point to form the body for the shank, and
obliquely away from the point to form the body for the head, the blank being
thereby higher at its head on the point side thereof than on its opposite side,
compressing the body below said head to form the shank of the tack, thereby
crowding up the metal on said lower side to approximately equal the metal on the
opposite side, and while the grain of the tack is still substantially straight from
end to end heading the tack by a downward swaging longitudinally of the tack.
18. The herein described method of forming the head of a tack, consisting of
cutting the metal obliquely transverse to the length of the tack, crowd-
ing up the metal on
the lower side thereof to equal the
on the opposite higher side, setting over the point axially of the tack maintaining
the blank otherwise undeflected, and swaging down the said metal to constitute the
head.
+
metal
19. In making a tack, the method of giving the tack increased gripping qualities
which consists in providing the blank with a flattened surface adjacent the point.
and then setting over the point substantially in the direction of the plane of
said surface, whereby a spiral deflection is given to said flattened surface.
20. A tack formed from wire, tapered on all sides to a sharp point, and having

page_text: its point offset centrally in axial line with the head and shank, said tack having
the grain of the wire running lengthwise thereof from its head to its point.
21. A tack having a centred cut point, said point being sharp with all its sides
long and tapering, and a supporting convex portion 5, extending at one side from
the body of the shank to the point of the tack substantially as set forth.
22. A tack made of wire, and having its point provided on one side with a cut
surface, and on another side with a rounded surface and on a third side with a
flat straight side, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
23. A tack, having its point approached on one side by a straight edge and on
its opposite side by a curved edge s6, the opposite sides between said edges being
flat and convexed respectively, substantially as set forth.
24. A tack having a sharp point between converging edges, one side between said
edges being flat and straight, and the opposite side being convexed, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
25. A tack provided with a point having one flat surface leading thereto, and
one spirally deflected surface, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
26. A tack, having opposite sides spirally deflected and an intermediate plane
cut side, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated the 6th day of September 1897.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.