IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING NAILS AND TACKS, PARTLY APPLICABLE ALSO TO MACHINERY FOR CUTTING BRADS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Etheridge, Machinist, in the employment of
Messrs. The Crown Nail Company, of Wolverhampton, in the County of
Stafford, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING
NAILS AND TACKS, PARTLY APPLICABLE ALSO TO MACHINERY FOR CUTTING
BRADS."
Sealed the 21st August 1877, and dated the 21st June 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Etheridge at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st June 1877.
JOHN ETHERIDGE, Machinist, in the employment of Messrs. The Crown Nail
Company, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford. IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR CUTTING NAILS AND TACKS, PARTLY APPLICABLE ALSO TO
MACHINERY FOR CUTTING BRADS."
This Invention relates more especially to double heading machines (that is, to
machines having two heading dies) for cutting nails and tacks, but is in part
applicable also, as stated in the title, to machines for cutting brads.
The right-hand header is driven in the manner usually adopted for single heading
machines, that is, by means of a crank at the end of the main shaft of the
machine, and through the medium of a connecting rod, side lever, and other usual
parts. The side lever is fixed upon a cross shaft carried in bearings in each side of
the frame, and at the other end of the cross shaft is fixed a lever or arm, which
similarly works the left-hand header. The headers thus work together, each header
alternately heading a nail or tack, and acting as a counterpressure or steady to the
opposite header. The cutting beam is worked from a crank inside the frame, as it
is not required to work the headers as in the ordinary double heading machine.
The gripping dies are fixed in boxes similar to the boxes used for single heading
machines, the back ends of the boxes being preferably open at the top as well as at
the sides to give greater facility for removing and replacing the said dies. The
bottom cutting tool is carried in a tool box fixed in an angular position, so as to
make room both for the left-hand header and also for the feed traverser. The tool

page_text: box is set at such an angle that a straight bar of steel can be used for the bottom
cutting tool.
The feed motion consists of a horizontal rocking shaft carried in bearings at back
and front of the frame underneath the machine. At the back end of this shaft,
and projecting sideways therefrom, is fixed a lever, which is vibrated from an
adjustable disc crank on the end of a countershaft. The said countershaft is carried
in bearings at the back of the machine, and is worked from the main shaft by
means of spur gearing proportioned to drive the countershaft once to two revo-
lutions of the main shaft. A connecting rod connects the said disc crank with a
ball-and-socket or universal joint on the end of the lever. At the front end of the
rocking shaft and projecting upwards is fixed a lever having a jawed end with
adjustable pins, which clips the back end of the ordinary vibrating lever. The
traverser is carried by a fulcrum, and has a jawed back end and adjustable pins,
between which the end of the ordinary vibrating lever (which is extended beyond
its fulcrum for the purpose) fits, and thus works the traverser.
When a stop gear is required for the feeder the rocking shaft is made hollow,
and an interior shaft extends therethrough and projects at each end thereof. At
the back end of the interior shaft is fixed the lever projecting sideways, having on
the inner face of its boss taper teeth, or having equivalent mechanism, gearing into
corresponding teeth or other equivalent mechanism on the back end of the hollow
shaft. The said teeth are shaped so that they may be pushed sufficiently out of
gear to stop the feed motion without being pushed entirely out of gear, in order
that the same teeth will always be in gear together when the feed motion is being
worked. The internal shaft is pushed backwards or pulled forwards from the front
end of the hollow shaft, and thus the feed may be stopped without stopping the
machine.
The internal shaft may be kept in proper position, either in or out of gear by a
spring and catch acting upon grooves in the internal shaft or by other suitable
mechanism.
Hitherto the description has referred to double heading machines only; the
feeding mechanism however, including the stop gear, but not including the traverser,
is applicable to machines for cutting brads.

page_text: the said John Etheridge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th December
1877.
JOHN ETHERIDGE, Machinist, in the employment of Messieurs The Crown Nail
Company, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR CUTTING NAILS AND TACKS, PARTLY APPLICABLE ALSO TO
MACHINERY FOR CUTTING BRADS."
This Invention relates more especially to machines for cutting nails and tacks,
but is in part applicable also, as stated in the title, to machines for cutting brads.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a nail-cutting machine constructed according to
my said Invention, and Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
The same letters of reference occurring upon both the views indicate corresponding
parts. To avoid unnecessary complication, only those parts are shewn which assist
in making the Invention clear. The application of the parts which are omitted will
be readily understood by a person skilled in the construction of nail-cutting
machines.
A is the main shaft; B, a crank formed therein for working the beam; C, a cam
thereon for working the gripper; D, a spur wheel thereon for working the gear for
vibrating and traversing the feed; E, a cam thereon for working the finger; and F,
a crank on the end thereof for working the headers; G is the beam, and H a link
connecting the tail of the beam with the crank B. The link H is omitted in the
plan. The spur pinion D drives the spur wheel I (which is twice the diameter of
the spur pinion D) upon the shaft K. L is a disc on the end of the shaft K, and M.
a connecting rod from a pin in the disc L to a lever N. The lever N is geared to
the shaft O, which is consequently rocked as the shaft K rotates. The pin in the
disc L is adjustable along a slide, as shewn, and the rocking of the shaft O can thus.
be adjusted. The connecting rod M is attached to the lever N. by means of a ball-
and-socket joint. The shaft O is hollow, and an interior shaft P passes there-
through and projects at each end. The lever N is fixed to the interior shaft, and
has a tooth projecting from its inner face and gearing into a recess in a block
fixed on the end of the hollow shaft O. The other end of the shaft P is provided
with a handle and with a barrel-shaped part R. A sliding piece S, which is pressed
down by a spiral spring, presses upon the barrel-shaped part R. When the shaft P
is in the position shewn, and the tooth Q fully in gear, the sliding piece S keeps
the shaft P in its forward position, as shewn, on account of the swell on the part R.
When the shaft P is pushed backwards until the tooth Q has sufficient play.in. the
recess to prevent the lever N rocking the shaft O, the sliding piece S bears upon the
other end of the part R, and keeps the .shaft P in its backward position. The
tooth Q, not being pushed entirely out of the recess, is of course always brought
back into gear when the shaft P is pulled forwards. When the operator moves the
shaft P the sliding piece S is forced up over the swell on the part R.
To relieve the pressure on the sliding piece S when the shaft P is being moved, a
lever T may be used to raise the sliding piece S. U is a lever fixed on the end of
the shaft O, and is provided at its upper extremity with a jaw and set pins, as
shewn. V is a lever vibrating on a fulcrum W. The long end of the lever V is
vibrated by the jawed end of the lever U, and the short end of the lever V works
between two set pins in the jawed end of the lever X, and vibrates the said
lever X. The set pins at the top of the lever U are for adjusting the vibration of
the strip, and the corresponding pins in the lever X are for adjusting the traverse of
the strip. The pins may be screwed up to the lever V, as shewn at the long end,
or may be allowed "play," as shewn at the short end, according as required. The

page_text: lever X has its fulcrum at Y. The feed traverser Z, Z, is fixed to the lever X, and
is thereby made to traverse. The holder for holding the strip is carried in the
support a, and the cord for the weight passes through a hole in the short end of the
lever V, and thence over a pulley b to the weight, as shewn. The strip is thus
traversed and vibrated as required. a) is a frame for carrying the levers V and X;
b¹ is a rail for supporting the back end of the lever V; and c¹ is a guard to prevent
the lever V rising from off the rail b.
A
If a stop gear for the feed is not required the shaft P is dispensed with, and the
lever N is fixed direct upon the shaft O, which in that case may be made solid.
connecting rod c connects á crank pin in the crank F with the back end of the
lever d, which works the right-hand header in the manner usually adopted for
working the header of a single heading machine. The lever d is fixed upon one
end of a shaft e, which passes through to the other side of the machine. Upon the
other end of the shaft e is fixed a lever or arm f, exactly similar to the short end
of the lever. d. The lever or arm f works the left-hand header precisely as the
short end of the lever d works the right-hand header. The headers thus work
together, each header alternately heading a nail and acting as a counterpressure or
steady to the opposite header. The bottom cutting tool g is carried in a tool box h
fixed in an angular position, so as to make room both for the left-hand header and
also for the feed traverser. The tool box h is set at such an angle that a straight
bar of steel can be used for the bottom cutting tool, the ground or cutting part
being bevelled, as shewn." The tool g is held in position by the set pins i, i, i, and
by a set pin screwed through a snug, as shown on plan. The left-hand side
guage m, which acts both as a holder-down and side guage, is fixed to the tool
box h by the pins m, n, passing through slotted holes in the guage for the sake of
adjustment. The right-hand side guage is fixed in the ordinary manner, but is
omitted on the Drawing to avoid complication. On account of the position of the
tool box h the inner end of the left-hand heading slide is shaped as shewn on plan,
and the V slide therefor is held down in its recess by the pin o.
The heading slides are preferably provided with slides d¹, d', extra to the ordinary
slides.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the gripper; and Figure 4, a front elevation of the
front part of the gripper. The dies p, p, are fixed in boxes, as shewn, the said
boxes being each similar to the single box used for single heading machines, the
back ends of the boxes being preferably open on the upper side at the back, as
shown at r, r, as well as at the sides, to give greater facility for removing and
replacing the dies.
With the exeption of the method of fixing the dies in the gripper the construc-
tion and arrangement of the parts not shewn in Figures 1 and 2 (for instance, the
top tools, finger, and right-hand header) have no special features of novelty.
The above description is applicable also to a double heading machine for cutting
tacks.
Hitherto the description has referred to double heading machines only, but the
mechanism for vibrating the strip, that is, the lever V, together with the mechanism
for vibrating it, is applicable also to machines for cutting brads; and, as shown at
Figure 5, the under shaft, together with the mechanism for working it, may be
employed for turning over the strip in single heading machines.
Referring to Figure 5, s is the shaft corresponding to O in Figures 1 and 2; t is
a lever fixed to the shaft s; u is a cord, chain, or band connected to the lever t, as
shewn, and passing over the pulley v on the turnover spindle. is a peg or stud
to which the cord, chain, or band is connected, and thus the lever t actuates the
turnover spindle. This arrangement also may be provided with a stop gear as
described.
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 do not
limit myself to the exact details as described and shewn, as such may be varied

page_text: without departing from my Invention; but what I claim as my Invention, and
desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-
First. In double heading machines for making nails and tacks, working the
headers in the manner substantially as herein described and shewn.
Second. In double heading machines for making nails and tacks, vibrating and
traversing the feed through the medium of an under shaft worked substantially as
shewn, and actuating the feed substantially as shewn, and also the stop gear for the
same, all substantially as herein described and shewn.
Third. In double heading machines for making nails and tacks, the method of
carrying the bottom cutting tool in a box set at an angle, substantially as and for
the purpose herein described and shewn.
Fourth. In double heading machines for making nails and tacks, fixing the
gripping dies, substantially as herein described and shewn.
Fifth. The whole of the improvements mentioned in the foregoing claims taken
in combination with each other, and in combination with other obviously necessary
parts, to form a complete nail-cutting or tack-cutting machine having two headers,
substantially as herein described, and for the most part illustrated by the Drawings.
Sixth. In a machine for cutting brads, vibrating the strip substantially in the
manner herein described, and also the stop gear for the same, substantially as
described.
Seventh. In a single heading machine for making nails and tacks, turning over
the strip, substantially as herein described and shewn, and also the stop gear for the
same, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Etheridge, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Assoc. Inst. C.E.,
Patent Office,
Wolverhampton.
JOHN ETHERIDGE. (L. S.