Year: 1888

page_text: HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of nails and to machines therefor and for
driving the nails into boots, shoes or other articles.
It also
The said invention comprises improved nails hereinafter described.
comprises suitable wire-feeding mechanism by which the wire is fed from a con-
tinuous roll or otherwise to the cutting and forming devices, and means for driving
the nails into leather or other material.
The machine is mounted upon a suitable support or standard and is driven by a
belt and pulley from any suitable motor.
The wire is fed from the roll and passes through a fixed wire guide and between a
laterally movable feed block and a roll arranged opposite thereto. The said block is,
by suitable lever mechanism, caused to press the wire between itself and the feed roll
during its downward movement to feed the wire to the cutting and forming devices
and to move away from the said roll to clear the wire, during its upward movement.
Suitable means are also provided for exerting additional pressure upon the feed block
when in its lowermost position so that the wire is firmly held while the nail forming
cutters are acting upon the said wire. The cutting and forming devices are so
arranged that the fixed cutters can be reciprocated independently of the movable
cutters, whereby, first, one of the movable cutters is caused to co-operate with one of

page_text: the fixed cutters for the purpose of pointing the wire, and secondly the other movable
cutter is caused to co-operate with the other fixed cutter for the purpose of severing
the wire and shearing off a part of one side of the nail. By the forward movement
of the second movable cutter, cach nail is presented to the driver, which has a fixed
throat arranged below it.
The nail is thus formed with one side cut away to form a diagonal surface and the
other side cut away parallel with its axis to form a flat surface of considerably greater
length than the opposite surface, the two surfaces forming a chisel-shaped point.
full diameter of the wire is therefore left at one end for a short distance and forms the
head of the nail.
The
The horn on which the boot or other article is to be held is supported upon a
screw threaded standard and is made adjustable according to the thickness of the
material to be nailed. A stop is provided which moves vertically with the horn
and determines the initial or starting point of the feed and the length of the
said feed.
A nut engages with the screw-threaded standard and with a stud having a thread
of opposite pitch; the said nut is normally turned by a spring to elevate the horn;
the tension of the said spring may he regulated as desired. The said horn is
depressed by the operator by means of a treadle. The spring actuated nut is
provided with automatic means for releasing the same and permitting the spring to
rotate it.
A lever is connected to the said nut and provided with a flange which is engaged
by dogs arranged upon another lever and actuated by an adjustable piece. The said
levers are automatically moved while they are locked together to depress the horn,
and automatically disengaged from each other.
Dated this 1st day of March Isss
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W...
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Nails, and to
Machinery therefor, and for Driving Nails into Leather or other
Material.
I HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 relates to the manufacture of nails from a continuous wire and to
machines therefor and for driving the nails into pieces of material to be united such
as the parts of the bottom of a boot or shoe or superposed layers of leather or other
material for belting.
The invention has for its object, first, to provide an improved nail provided with
a head and a clinching point secondly to provide improved means for making the
said nails and thirdly to provide improved means for automatically varying the length
of the nails to suit the thickness of the work and for adjusting the work supporting
horn to suit the requirements of the work.
To these ends the invention consists in the several improvements as hereinafter
set forth.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the head of my boot or shoe nailing machine and
mechanism connected therewith.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the base and column of the machine and mechanism
showing the connection of the rods to the treadles and horn.
Figures 4 and 4ª are side elevations of a portion of the horn lowering mechanism.
Figure 5 is a plan view of the same, partly in section.
Figure 6 is a plan view, partly in section, of the wire-feed mechanism.
Figure 7 is a front elevation of the same.
Figure 8 is a side elevation of the shoe-feed mechanism, a portion of the frame of
the machine being shown in section.
Figure 9 is an underside view of the same.
Figure 9 is a diagram of the shoe-feed motion.
Figure 10 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the horn-shaft and mechanism
connected therewith.
Figure 11 is a section on line 11. 11, Figure 10.
Figure 12 is a side elevation of the upper and lower cutting dies.
Figure 13 is a plan of the upper cutters.
Figure 14 is an underside view of the lower cutters.
Figure 15 is a cross section on the line 15 15, Figure 12.
Figure 16 is a side elevation of a portion of the wire as it is cut.
Figure 17 represents a front and side elevation of th nail enlarged.
Figure 18 is a detail elevation of the cam and lever for lowering the horn.

page_text: Figure 19 is a modification of a portion of the horn-lowering mechanism.
Figures 20 and 21 represent end and side elevations of the machine without
a work supporting horn and adapted to be used for tacking on the outer soles of
boots and shoes.
The main shaft a is rotated by means of the pulley b, which is connected to or
disconnected from the shaft by means of a friction-clutch, the said clutch being
operated in an old and well known manner by means of the wedge c, rod d, and
treadle e.
The clutch is thrown out by a spring, except when the treadle is pushed
down by the operator. The driver is fastened to the driver-bar g by a nut and
bolt h, said driver-bar being lifted by the cam i, which lifts the driver bar g by
means of a block bolted to the bar, and holds the said bar up against the tension of
the spring until it clears the line k, when the driver-bar is driven down by the action
of the spring, all being done in an old and well known manner.
In the machine constructed according to my invention 1 have provided means for
automatically lowering the horn a certain distance away from the lower surface of
the sole of the boot or shoe or piece being operated upon.
In Figures 3, 10, 11 and 18 it will be seen that the horn shaft has a bearing P
in the column m. On said shaft I provide a screw-thread of a very steep pitch, a
corresponding screw-thread being tapped in the gear or pinion and about halfway
through the same. The lower half of the pinion 12 is tapped for a screw-thread of
opposite pitch, the upper half of the pinion having a right hand thread and the lower
half a left hand thread. The lower half of the pinion is screwed upon a stud 1³,
said stud being secured to the column by a nut 1, which draws the stud against a
shoulder. A spiral spring 1, encircles the stud or shaft 13 one end of said spring
being fastened to the pinion 12 and the other to a worm-gear which is loose on the
stud 13 and is rotated by the worm 17 and handle 18, thus increasing or diminishing
the tension on the spring 5. The tension of the spring is so arranged as to turn the
gear in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 10. This rotation of
the gear causes it to raise the shaft and the horn connected therewith by means
of the screw threads on the shaft and stud 13 and in the gear 12. The pinion 12
meshes with a rack 1º, which slides in a casting 110, screwed to the inside of of the
column m.
The rack is connected by a link ", to a lever 112, pivoted at 116 to a boss on the
column m.
The lever has a boss, 17, on its lower side, in which a rod 14, fits
loosely, the other end being fastened to a treadle 71. On the outer end of the
lever 12 is a flange 13, as seen in Figures 4 and 5. Said flange is gripped by
the dogs nn, which are pivoted in studs n' n', which have bearings in the end of a
lever n².
To the same studs n' n¹ are fastened two arms or dogs n³ n³. The dogs n n
are held against the flange 113 by the spiral tension springs n n*. The lever n² is
pivoted on the stud 16, and is fastened to a rod n', by à nut and stud no, said stud
passing through a slot n in the lever n². The upper end of the rod n³ is attached
to a lever n pivoted at n³ to the frame of the machine. The upper end of the lever n
is provided with a friction roll n", and bears against a cam no, on the main shaft a.
The friction-roll is held against the cam by a spring 12, one end of which
bears against the boss on the column and the other against a collar on the rod n³.
A casting 13, is adapted to be adjusted up and down in a projection, on the
column m.
Said casting n¹³, is provided with two cain-shaped surfaces n¹ nis, which
when the lever n² is raised to a certain height throws out the dogs n³, allowing the
lever to drop and the horn to be raised and grip the leather of the boot or shoe
being nailed.
10
It will thus be seen that the action of the horn releasing mechanism as a whole
is as follows: When it is desired to lower the horn in order to place a boot or shoe
thereon, the operator presses his foot on the treadle 15, thus raising the rod ¹ and
lever and carrying the rack 11 to the right, Figure 10 giving the pinion a partial
rotation in the same direction, and thus lowering the horn by means of the screw
threads in the horn shaft l and stud 13.
The automatic release of the horn to a certain distance from the lower surface of

page_text: the sole of the shoe is secured as follows: The action of the spring is such as to keep
the horn up against the sole of the shoe, pressing it firmly against the throat o.
Supposing the shoe to be thus gripped and the nail driven, the horn is then released
or carried a certain distance, as follows: The cam no throws out the lever n8, as seen
in Figure 18, thus raising the rod n and lever n², gripping and lifting the flange ¹³
by means of the dogs nn, thus raising the lever 12 and pulling back the rack 0,
overcoming the spring by the rotation of the pinion 2 and lowering the horn-shaft
the required distance, said shaft being prevented from rotating by the spline 1.
After the horn is released, as above described, the boot is fed for the required
distance by a mechanism to be hereinafter described, when, by a slight throw in the
cam n the lever n² is raised still higher, bringing the dogs n³, n³ in contact with the
cam surfaces n¹n and throwing out the dogs n n, releasing the flange 13 and
lever, and thus allowing the horn to be raised by the spring until the boot is
again gripped by the horn. The lever n² is now lowered a certain distance by the
release on the cam no, as shown in Figure 4ª, the dogs n n gripping the flange at a
point equally distant from the cam-shaped surfaces. It will thus be seen that
although the thickness of the leather may vary and the position of the flange be changed
so that the dogs n n will grip the said flange at different points, yet the distance
that the flange 13 is raised by the lever n before it is disconnected by the knocking
out of the dogs n n is always the same, and hence it will be seen that the horn always
lowers the same distance from the lower or inner surface of the shoe sole.
If it is required to release the horn more or less, it can be done by raising or
lowering the stop n¹³.
In the improved machine I also provide mechanism for automatically measuring
the nail according to the thickness of the stock to be fastened.
In Figures 2, 3, 6 and 7 it will be seen that the wire o¹ is fed from a reel through a
slot cut in the frame to the cutters. An arm o3. is fastened to the horn shaft l'and
moves up and down with it, according to the varying thickness of the stock. The
arm o³ is connected to a lever o, by the rod o. Said lever of is pivoted to the frame
at o, and has a stop o, secured to the end. The wire o is fed between a grooved
feed-roll o, and a sliding block o'. The feed-roll o is pivoted on a sliding piece o³,
said piece being held against the wire o by the spring o. The block o' is lowered by
the lever o, which has a forked end, through which projects a pin o¹, fastened to the
sliding block o. The lever o¹ is fastened to a shaft o12, which has a bearing in a boss
on the frame and pinned at the other end to a lever o¹³, said lever 3 being provided
at its outer end with a friction-roll 015, said roll being held against a cam-path o, by
the spring o. The spring o" is held at one end by the frame, the other end being
fastened to the lever 10. I provide a lever o¹7, pivoted at 18 to the frame, one end of
lever o being cam-shaped and the other end having bolted to it a friction-roll 020,
which runs in a cam-groove o".
The operation of the wire-feed mechanism as a whole is as follows: The wire is fed
down by the sliding block o' and levers o¹ and ol until the full throw of the cam o
is reached. The wire is then gripped by the block o', said block being pressed against
the wire by the cam-shaped end o¹ of the lever o, said lever being thrown down at the
proper time by the cam o. The wire is thus held while being operated upon by
the cutters, after which the block is released by the lever o", and is drawn up by the
spring until the pin o strikes against the stop o. The block o' is held back from
the wire o' when being raised by the spring o23. A spring-pawl o, bears against the
wire o¹ and holds it stationary while the block o' is returning to take a new grip.
When the block o' first starts down to feed the wire, a slight throw in the cam 01 over-
comes the spring o3 and presses the block against the wire against the spring tension
of the feed-roll of. The sliding block o' is always carried to the same point; but
the point to which it returns will be governed by the position of the stop o, said stop
varying in position up or down according to the position of the horn, as previously
described, and hence it will be seen that as the horn is changed the amount of feed
given the wire will change automatically, giving a long nail for thick stock and a
short one for thin stock.

page_text: The boot or shoe to be operated upon is fed a certain distance by the following
mechanism A bevel-gear, on the main shaft meshes with a bevel-gear 2, on the
vertical shaft. Said shaft has a bearing in the frame of the machine, as shown
in Figures 8 and 9. To the lower end of the shaft is fastened a cam 7. On the
under side of the cam is an eccentric pin, which passes through a sliding block,
said block working in a slot in the feed-lever, said lever being held up by the
screw and washer. The feed lever is of cylindrical form at the right end,
Figures 8 and 9, and passes through a block 10, provided with a shank, which
has a bearing in the frame of the machine. A shoulder 13, secured to the feed-
lever, is pressed by a spring 12, against the cam.
It will be seen that by means of the above described mechanism a path of the shape
indicated by the diagramn Figure 9a will be described by the point of the lever 78, thus
feeding the shoe in a straight line a b, the motion forward and back being obtained by
the cam, the side motion being given by the eccentric p³.
In shaping the nail and cutting the same from the continuous reel of wire I use two
sets of cutters or cutting dies. The upper set of cutters, composed of the fixed cutter s*,
and the reciprocating cutters, form the point on the nail, the reciporcating cutter being
operated by the cams and lever s¹. The lower set is composed of the fixed cutter so and
reciprocating cutters, the latter being operated by the cam s² and lever s³, said levers
being pivoted to the frame at s¹ and s The wire o is fed to the upper set of cutters,
which point the nail through a hole cut in the feed-guide plates. The movable
cutter is beveled on the end on the line, as seen in Figure 12, so as to give a
shearing cut. The end of the cutters is also beveled from the centre of the wire to
the outside, as shown in line, Figure 15, to enable said cutter to shear off one
side of the wire diagonally and thereby form the flat oblique surface 2 (Figures 16
and 17). A portion of the wire passes through a hole in the fixed upper cutter stand
is held by it when the point is being cut by the movable cutter s*.
The fixed lower cutter, has a shallow vertical recess in one side, which receives a
part of the periphery of the wire, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 15. The
reciprocating cutter has a lip or flanges, at its upper edge, having an orifice
through which the entire wire passes, and below said lip the cutter has a vertical
cavity in its inner side, which receives the greater part of the periphery of the wire.
It will be seen, therefore, that when the cutter moves forward its upper edge will
shear off and sever the wire in the orifice in the lip 20, and at the same time said cutter
will carry forward the severed nail and co-operate with the fixed cutter sin shearing a
off that portion of the nail that projects into the fixed cutter, the portion thus sheared
off being below the lip so, so that the full diameter of the wire is left at the head of
the nail and the latter is formed with a flat side below said head, as shown in
figures 16 and 17. By thus cutting away the wire at two opposite sides, forming a
flat oblique surface 2, at one side and a flat surface, 5, at the opposite side parallel
with the axis of the nail, I provide the nail with a point which is adapted to turn or
clinch perfectly, and with a head larger than the body, whereby the nail is prevented
from working into the material in which it is inserted, said head being formed without
increasing the diameter of the wire.
The oblique surface 2, formed at one end of the nail and made shorter than the s
length of the nail, enables a uniform clinching-point without regard to the length of
the nail. The lower cutters and so, operate, as above described, just after the upper
cutters have formed the point of the nail, the cutter s carrying the nail forward to the
throat o, through which it is driven into the work.
After each nail is formed and driven, the cutters return to their starting positions
and the operation is repeated.
In Figure 19 I have illustrated a modification of a portion of the horn-lowering
mechanism. A cord or wire is attached at one end p³, to the column m, passing
thence around a pulley on the end of the lever to the collar p², around which it is
wound and fastened by a pin or screw p³. All the other parts remain as heretofore
described. It is evident that the cord in this case will supply the place of the rack
and pinion, previously described.

page_text: The gear, or its equivalent p², Figure 19, is really a nut, the rotation of which
causes the endwise movement of the horn-supporting shaft 7. Said nut may be
used without the lower stul 13, if desired, in which case the nut should be journalled
so that it cannot move vertically. I prefer to use the reversely-threaded stud 13,
however, engaged, as described, with the nut, because I obtain thereby a more rapid
movement of the horn than would be possible by a single screw and nut.
In Figures 20 and 21 I have shown the machine without the horn and its
operating mechanism and provided with a lever o, adapted to be moved by the
operator to vary the length of the feed movement of the wire and the length of
the nails, the machine thus shown being adapted for tacking on the outer soles of
boots and shoes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign
Correspondent I wish it understood that I claim :-
First. In a nailing machine, the combination of driving mechanism, the wire
feeding mechanism, the cutters, s, formed to make an oblique side 2, on the wire,
and the cutters, formed to sever the wire at one end of said oblique side and shear
off one side of the nail from its reduced end nearly to its head, the latter retaining the
full diameter of the wire, as set forth.
Second. In a nailing machine, the combination of driving mechanism, wire-feeding
mechanism, a fixed wire-guides, the fixed cutters stands, the reciprocating
cutters and s, mechanism for reciprocating said cutters independently, whereby,
first, the cutter so is caused to co-operate with the cutter sin pointing the wire, and,
secondly, the cutter is caused to co-operate with the cutter sin severing the wire
and shearing off a part of one side of the severed nail, a driver, and a fixed throat
under the same, to which each nail is presented by the forward movement of the
cutter, as set forth.
Third. In a nailing or tacking machine, the combination, with nail forming and
driving mechanism, substantially such as herein described, of a laterally-movable
feed-block, a roll between which and the block the nail-wire passes, mechanism,
substantially as described, for reciprocating said block, means substantially as
described, for pressing the block toward the roll during its downward movement, and
means, substantially as described, for separating the block and roll during the upward
movement of the block, as set forth.
Fourth. In a nailing or tacking machine, the combination, with nail forming and
driving mechanism substantially such as herein described, of a laterally-movable feed-
block, a roll between which and the block the nail-wire passes, mechanism, substantially
as described, for reciprocating said block, means, substantially as described, for
pressing the block toward the roll during its downward movement, and means
substantially as described, for giving the block an additional pressure at the end of its
downward movement, and thereby rigidly holding the wire while the nail-forming
cutters are acting, as set forth.
Fifth. The combination of the vertically-movable horn, mechanism, substantially as
described, for controlling the height of the same according to the thickness of the
material to be nailed, nail-forming mechanism, a driver, a reciprocating wire-feed, and
a stop which is moved vertically with the horn and determines the initial or starting
point of the feed and the length thereof, as set forth.
Sixth. In a nailing-machine, the combination of the vertically-movable horn, the
screw-threaded standard supporting the same, a nut 1, engaged with said threaded
standard, and means, substantially as described, for rotating said nut, and thereby
raising or lowering the horn, as set forth.
Seventh. In a nailing-machine, the combination of the vertically-movable horn, the
screw threaded standard supporting the same, the stud 13, having a thread of opposite
pitch, the journaled nut tapped to engage both the standard and stud, and means,
substantially as described, for rotating said nut, as set forth.
Eighth. In a nailing-machine, the combination of the vertically-movable horn, the

page_text: screw-threaded standard, the nut engaged with said standard, a spring, as 15, whereby
the nut is normally turned to elevate the horn, and automatic means, substantially as
described, for rotating said nut in the opposite direction, and thereby depressing the
horn, as set forth.
Ninth. In a nailing-machine, the combination of the vertically-movable horn, the
screw-threaded standard the nut engage with said standard, a spring as 1, whereby the
nut is normally turned to elevate the horn, automatic means, substantially as described,
whereby the nut is rotated in the direction required to depress the horn, and devices,
substantially as described, controlled by the operator, whereby the nut may be
independently rotated in the direction last mentioned to additionally or independently
depress the horn, as set forth.
Tenth. In a nailing-machine, the combination of the vertically-movable horn, the
screw-threaded standard, the nut engaged with said standard, a spring whereby the
nut is normally turned to elevate the horn, automatic means, substantially as
described, for rotating the nut in the opposite direction, and automatic means, sub-
stantially as described, for releasing the nut and permitting the spring to rotate it, as
set forth.
Eleventh. The combination of the horn and the threaded standard, the spring-
impelled nut engaged with said standard, the lever 12, connected with said nut by
means substantially as described, and provided with the flange 113, the lever n²,
having the dogs adapted to grip said flange, means substantially as described, for
antomatically moving said levers while they are locked together to depress the
horn, and means, substantially as described, for automatically disengaging the lever n²
from the lever 1¹³, as set forth.
Twelfth. The combination of the lever 11, having the flange, the lever ², having
the dogs nn and arms ³ ³ and the adjustable piece n¹³, formed to displace the
arms and dogs n, as set forth.
22
Thirteenth. The combination of the screw-threaded horn-supporting standard, the
spring-impelled nut engaged, as described, with said standard and adapted to normally
raise the same, and means, substantially as described, for regulating the tension of
the nut impelling spring, as set forth.
Fourteenth. The combination of the horn, the threaded standard supporting the
horn the nut for raising and lowering said standard, and the treadle and inter-
mediate devices, substantially as described, whereby the operator is enabled to rotate
the nut independently by foot-power, as set forth.
Fifteenth. A nail made from cylindrical wire, having one side cut away at one end
to form a diagonal surface 2, and the opposite side cut away to form a flat surface 5,
of considerably greater length than the surface 2, the said surface 5, forming a
chisel-point by its intersection with the surface 2, and by its elongation preventing
the driven nail from turning, as set forth.
Sixteenth. A wire nail cut away at one side to form an oblique surface 2, and
cut away at its opposite side to form a flat surface 5, extending from the end
intersected by the surface 2 nearly to the opposite end, and there terminating in
a shoulder 3 the last-mentioned end having the full diameter of the wire, as set
forth.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London.
Agents for the Applicant.