IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF NAILS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lockwood Heward, of Newport, in the
County of Monmouth, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF NAILS."
Sealed the 11th April 1871, and dated the 14th October 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lockwood
Heward at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 14th October 1870.
I, JAMES LOCKWOOD HEWARD, of Newport, in the County of Mon-
mouth, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF NAILS," to be as
follows:-
66
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery employed for
heading and finishing wrought-iron nails after the shanks have been
forged and cut into suitable lengths preparatory to the heading operation...

page_text: For this purpose each nail shank is fed into a pair of steel dies of
peculiar shape, a series of such dies being arranged around the cir-
cumference of a wheel or die holder which rotates step by step by means
of a lever and ratchet motion. Each pair of dies is so formed as to
receive and fit closely to the sides or external surfaces of the nail shank,
except that portion which projects from the dies for the formation of
the head. The dies as they rotate with the nail shanks therein are
retained in position by means of stationary curved springs until each suc-
cessive nail arrives opposite to the header, the dies are then compressed
by suitable mechanism, and are caused to grip the shank firmly during
the heading operation, the end of the shank projecting from the dies
being forced by the header into the shape of head required. The
rotating wheel or die holder as it rotates carries each pair of dies in
succession between stationary cam or curved surfaces, having a slight
amount of elasticity. These spring, or elastic surfaces act upon pins
carried by the dies, so as to force them apart, and thus allow the headed
and finished nail to drop therefrom. A circular flat spring confined
within a groove or slotted chamber formed around the inner circum-
ference of the wheel acts to prevent the nail shank from passing too
far when fed into the gripping dies; serving also to force the nail out
of the dies when opened after the heading operation, as previously
described. The dies are formed with snugs or projections on their sides,
which enter and move to and fro in horizontal slots formed in the rim
of the wheel or rotating die holder, thus allowing the dies to have
lateral horizontal movement only when opening and closing, the dies
being retained in position from coming away by steel rings fixed on the
sides of the wheel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Lockwood Heward in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th April 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,. JAMES
LOCKWOOD HEWARD, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of October, in the year

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James Lockwood Heward, Her special licence
that I, the said James Lockwood Heward, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Lockwood Heward, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF NAILS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Lockwood Heward, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months. next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Lockwood Heward, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thercof, that is to say
-
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery employed for
heading and finishing wrought-iron nails after the shanks have been
forged and cut into suitable lengths preparatory to the heading operation..
For this purpose each nail shank is fed into a pair of steel dies of peculiar
shape, a series of such dies being arranged around the circumference
of a wheel or die holder which rotates step by step by means of a lever.
and ratchet motion. Each pair of dies is so formed as to receive
and fit closely to the sides or external surfaces of the nail shank,, except
that portion which projects from the dies for the formation of the head..
The dies as they rotate with the nail shanks therein are retained in.
position by means of stationary curved springs until each successive
nail arrives opposite to the header; the dies are then compressed by
3 suitable mechanism, and are caused to grip the shank firmly during
the heading operation, the end of the shank projecting from the dies
being forced by the header into the shape of head required. The dies.

page_text: are formed with snugs or projections on their sides, which enter and
move to and fro in horizontal slots formed in the rim of the wheel or
rotating die holder, thus allowing the dies to have lateral horizontal
movement only when opening and closing, the dies being retained in
position from coming away by steel rings fixed on the sides of the
dies arranged and constructed in accordance with my improvements for
gripping and holding each nail during the operation of heading the
same; Figure 2 is a plan partly in section of the heading wheel and
heading apparatus arranged in combination. therewith.
The heading wheel A has a series of dies a, a, arranged at equal
distances apart around its circumference, the dies a, a, being formed in
two parts, as shewn by separate views of a pair of such dies drawn full
size at Figure 3 of the Drawing annexed. The dies a, a, are slid into
slots or seats a³, as shewn, formed in the rim or circumference of the
wheel A, the dies being retained therein by a ring a² fixed by screws
.on one side of the wheel A, and by plates or segments a³ fixed by screws
on the other side of the wheel, so that by removing any one of such
plates or segments a³, the pair of dies retained thereby can be taken out
.or replaced. 6 are flat circular springs or guides which bear against the
projecting sides of the dies a, a, to press them together, so as to retain
the nail shank securely and prevent it from slipping out after it has
.been fed into them readily for the heading operation, only sufficient
endway movement of the dies being allowed to permit the nail shank
to be introduced between them, the channels formed in the dies grasping
the shank of the nail throughout its length. The wheel A is caused
to rotate step by step by means of a catch lever (not shewn in the
.Drawings, which takes into the ratchet teeth, A' formed around the
.circumference of the wheel A, which is supported by and rotates upon
friction rollers A² carried by the bracket A³ fixed on the bed plate of
the machine. The nail shanks as they are fed into and between each

page_text: pair of dies a are carried round until each die arrives opposite the
header c, which is then driven forward by the slide box c¹ moving to
and fro in guides c², the friction rollers in the slide box c¹ at the same
time acting on inclines formed on the squeezing levers d, d, moving on
axes at d¹, d', in order to close the dies a, a, upon, and squeeze the nail
shank tightly during the heading operation. The header c and its slide
are moved to and fro by means of a crank and lever (not shown in the
Drawings) connected with and actuated by a steam engine or other
motive power.
After the heading operation the wheel A with the
dies a, a, and headed nails therein as they arrive at the lower part of
their revolution in most cases become sufficently loose (being no longer
held together by the springs or guides b) to allow the nail to drop out
from between them, but in case any of them should fail to do so the
points which project through the dies into the groove A* formed in the
inner circumference of the ring or wheel A are brought in contact with
the surface of a stationary bent strip of metal e, which is fixed to the
arms which carry the friction rollers A³, and descends into the groove A*,
and thus forces out the nail; or the dies a, a, may be caused to open
by passing in their rotation with the wheel A. between stationary cam
or curved surfaces e*, e*, (shown at Figure 4 of the Drawings) having
a slight amount of elasticity, and so arranged as to act upon pins e¹, e¹,
carried by the dies a, a, to force them apart, and thus allow the headed
nail to drop out from between them. If required a circular flat spring
may be confined within the groove A* to prevent the nail shank from
passing too far when fed into the gripping dies, serving also to force
the nail out of the dies when opened after the heading operation, as
previously described. By forming the gripping dies a, a, in two parts
with a channel or groove formed in them corresponding with the form
and length of the shank of the finished nail a superior finish is imparted.
thereto by the squeezing levers and heading operation.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is carried into practice, I would have it understood
that I do not confine myself to the exact details herein described, so
long as the main features of my Invention are retained; but what I
claim is the improved arrangement of machinery for the manufacture
of nails, wherein a series of pairs of gripping dies a, a, are arranged
around the circumference of a rotating heading wheel A, such dies
being so formed as to grip and hold the shank of the nail for the whole

page_text: or greater portion of its length during the heading operation, sub-
stantially in the manner and for the purpose herein described and shewn
in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Lockwood Heward,. have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of April in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
JAMES L.. HEWARD.. (L.S.)