of Wire-nails.
Year: 1886

page_text: of Wire-nails.
I, CLINTON LOVELL, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, 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 that class of wire-nail-making machines in which half
dies cooperate in pairs in severing a length of wire midway of its length into two
parts and forming points on the proximate ends of said parts, and hammers
arranged in pairs cooperate with said dies in upsetting or forming heads simul-
taneously on the outer ends of the nails or nail blanks held by the said dies, two
nails being thus formed by one operation.
The invention has for its object to improve the construction and operation of
machines of the class above named, and it consists in the several improvements
hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the improved machine, a portion at one
end being broken away.
Figure 2 represents a top, view of the same.
Figure 3 represents an end view.
Figure 4 represents a side view of the rotary head.
Figure 5 represents a front view of the head.
Figure 6 represents a section on line xx, Figure 4.
Figures 7 and 8 represent detail views.
a represents the supporting frame of the machine, having bearings in which is
journalled the horizontal axis b¹ of a rotary head b (shown in detail in Figures 4,
5, 6 and 7). The head 6 has a series of half dies c, which cooperate with similarly
formed reciprocating half dies c¹, in severing lengths of wire into two equal parts
and forming points on the adjacent ends of said parts. The head b is rotated step
by step by mechanism hereinafter described, and is held after each partial rotation
while the half dies c¹ advance and recede from it, said half dies being attached to
slides or cross-heads & shown in Figure 2, and in dotted lines in Figure 1.
The half dies c¹ are located at opposite siles of the head b and are reciprocated
simultaneously, so that when one is approaching the head the other is receding

page_text: from it. The head is held after each partial rotation to present two of its half dies
to the dies c¹ so that when each half die c¹ advances it co-operates with one of the
half dies c, in severing a length of wire and pointing the parts thus separated.
The bead is rotated step by step by means, shown clearly in Figure 8, and by
dotted lines in Figure 1, and consisting of a pawl e, a collar f mounted to oscillate
loosely on the axis of the head, and having an ear to which said pawl is pivoted,
and a ratchet g affixed to said axis, the pawl being engaged with the teeth of said
ratchet by a spring i. The plate or collar f is oscillated to cause the pawl to
alternately slip upon and engage with the ratchet by means of a cam h on a
vertical shaft, journalled in bearings at one side of the frame a; a lever k, pivoted
at 1 to the frame and having its shorter arm engaged with said cam, and a rod m
connecting the longer arm of said lever with an ear on the plate or collar f. The
oscillations thus imparted to the collar fare of sufficient length to cause the pawl
to alternately rotate the ratchet g, a distance equal to the length of one tooth
thereof, and to slip back a like distance. The head is locked after each step or
partial rotation by a tooth or detent n, formed on a rod o which is adapted to slide
in bearings p on the frame a, and is pressed normally by a spring q against the
ratchet so as to enter a notch r formed in each ratchet tooth, at the close of the
movement imparted by the pawl. Said tooth is lifted during each backward
movement of the ratchet by the contact of a cam projection 8, on the collar f,
with a shoulder t on the rod o, the ratchet being thus unlocked so that it can be
rotated another step by the pawl e.
The slides or cross-heads d carrying the half dies c¹, are reciprocated by toggle
joints u, the members of which are pivoted respectively to said slides and to the
frame a, as shown in Figures 1 and 2; a lever v, pivoted at y to the frame a and
oscillated by a crank or eccentric z on the main driving shaft; and rods w, connecting
the lever v with the toggle joints u, the arrangement being such that the oscillations
of the lever throws the members of one joint out of, and those of the other joint
into alignment simultaneously, as shown in Figure 1, thus forcing one half die c¹
against and drawing the other away from the head b.
The wire to be converted into nails supplied to the head b at two points, by
two pairs of feed rolls d¹ and e¹, two lengths of wire being moved simultaneously
by said feed rolls into position to be cut off from the supplying wires. Said feed
rolls are arranged to deliver the wire near the perimeter of the head bat
diametrically opposite sides thereof, as shown in Figure 1, and each pair of rolls
delivers its wire through a tubular guide f¹ (shown in Figures 2 and 6) which
guides are externally screw-threaded and inserted in threaded sockets in the
frame a, so that they are adjustable in and out.
The lengths of wire are severed from the main wires by cutters g¹, which are in
rubbing contact or nearly so with the inner ends of the tubular guides f¹ through
which the wires are fed, and are reciprocated crosswise of said guides by oscillating
levers h¹¹, to which they (the cutters) are secured, (see Figure 7). Said levers
are pivoted respectively at j' and ' to the frame a, and are oscillated so as to cause
the cutters to operate simultaneously, the cutters moving simultaneously in opposite
directions and cutting the wires while moving toward the axis of the head b in the
direction indicated by the arrow in Figures 6 and 7.
The lever h¹ is engaged at one end with a cam l' on a vertical shaft m³ journalled
in bearings on the frame a, and is oscillated by said cam. The lever is connected
by a rod n¹ with the lever h' and is oscillated by said lever h¹ as will be readily
seen by reference to Figure 7.
The arbors of the feed rolls d¹ are connected by gear wheels o' p¹ and the arbors
of the feed rolls e³ are connected by gear wheels q¹¹.
represents a vertical shaft journalled in bearings in the frame a and having at
its upper end a gear-wheel t¹ meshing with the gear wheel o' and imparting motion
to the feed rolls d'. The arbor of one of the feed rolls e¹ is extended downwardly
and provided at its lower end with a gear wheel u meshing with the gear wheel t¹
on the shaft s¹, so that the gear wheel t¹ imparts motion to both pairs of feed rolls.

page_text: The shaft 8 is operated step by step to operate the feed rolls intermittingly by an
arm v mounted to oscillate loosely on the shaft 8¹, a pawl w¹ pivotted to said arm,
a ratchet x affixed to the shaft s¹ and engaged by said pawl, a crank y¹ on the
vertical shaft m¹ and a rod z¹ connecting the wrist pin of the crank y¹ with the
arm so that the said arm is oscillated and its pawl is caused to alternately
engage with and rotate the ratchet ¹ and the shaft s¹ and to slip back on said
ratchet. Said wrist pin is adjustable so that the throw of the rod 2¹ can be varied
to vary the length of the feed movement.
When the wires are being fed forward, the head b is locked by the devices
already described and the wires are fed between pins a³ projecting outwardly from
the half dies c, said pins being arranged at opposite sides of the wire receiving
cavities of said dies, so that they will hold the lengths of wire laterally in the
proper positions.
Arms 6 (Figures 4, 5 and 6) are affixed to rods c attached to the frame a, and
project ever the perimeter of the head b, so that the wires when fed forward will
pass between said arms, and the two half dies c; then in position to receive said
wires; the arms 63 being separated from the perimeter of the head sufficiently to
permit the easy insertion of the wires between their outer ends and the said half
dies. Between the arms 62 are located spring guides e³ extending substantially
parallel with the perimeter of the head from the outer ends of the arms b³ to or
beyond the points on the perimeter of the head, where half dies c stand when in
position to co-operate with the reciprocating half dies c¹, said spring arms being
arranged to hold the lengths of wire against the balf dies while the head is being
rotated to carry the lengths of wire from the positions they occupy when first
severed, to the positions they occupy when they are being divided, pointed and
headed.
Each half die c is composed of a block or body suitably affixed to the head and
provided with wire receiving cavity extending lengthwise of it and cross-wise of
the perimeter of the head, a central swaging cutter 3 formed to cooperate with a
like cutter on the reciprocating half dies divide a length of wire and make tapering
points on the two parts into which it divides the length, and two gripping dies or
jaws 4, at the ends of the block, said jaws being formed to cooperate with jaws of
like form on the reciprocating half dies in grasping the wire sections while they
are being headed.
The cutters 3 are adjustable in the blocks so that they may be moved outwardly
to compensate for wear. The adjusting devices here shewn are two wedges f* g²
which are inserted in cavities in the head b, one of said wedges bearing against the
back of the cutter 3, as shewn in Figure 6. The inner one of each pair of wedges
may be moved by means of a screw h³, to adjust the cutter, as will be readily seen,
any other suitable adjusting device may be employed however, if preferred.
8 represent four hammers or headers, which are adapted to slide in guides or
sockets in the frame, and are arranged in pairs, those of each pair being forced
inwardly simultaneously against the outer ends of the nail blanks while said blanks
are held between the half dies of the head and the reciprocating half dies, the
projecting ends of the nail blanks being thus upset and converted into heads. The
two pairs of hammers operate alternately, those of one pair being forced outwardly
by springs t, while those of the other pair are being forced inwardly.
The hammers are operated by two levers u (Figure 2) pivotted to ears to
ears on the frame and bearing against the hammers as shewn in Figure 2. The
longer arm of said levers have slots w³, in which are fitted slides x which receive
adjustable wrist pins y³ eccentrically affixed to discs z² on the vertical shafts j
and m¹. The rotation of said shafts (effected by bevel gear wheels a³ thereon
meshing with bevel gear wheels 63 on the driving shaft r³) causes the levers us to
oscillate and thus operate the pairs of headers alternately as above described.
The gripping jaws belonging to the half dies c are movable radially in guides in
the head 6 and are made operative to grasp the nails only after they have been
separated and pointed by the cutters, so that, during the separating. and pointing

page_text: operation the wire is free to elongate and the nails will not be bent, as they would
be likely to be if the wire were grasped by the gripping jaws while the nails are:
being separated and pointed,
To this end two collars,
are fitted to rotate on the axis b¹ of the head b, each
collar having two projections (Figure 4).
Fitted to slide in radial guides in the sides of the head b are a series of slides or
blocks, the inner ends of which are arranged to come in contact with the
projections on the collars 2, while their outer ends bear against the inner ends
of the gripping jaws 4. To the collars i are affixed arms 12, which are connected
Said rock-
by rods m² with arms n² on a rock shaft o³, journalled in the frame a.
shaft is provided with a bifurcated arm p², the bifurcations of which bestride a
cam q², on the driving shaft 3, the arm p2 and rock shaft o' being oscillated by
the rotation of the cam q³, and thus caused to oscillate the collars through the
connecting rod m²
The projections being in the position shown in Figure 4 à movement of the
collars in the direction indicated by the arrow in said Figure will cause the
projection at the right of the collar to push outwardly a slide 2, and through
the latter, the grippers 4 in the operating half die c, at the right hand side of the
head, thus causing the grippers of said half die to grasp the nails therein. The
succeeding movement of the collar in the opposite direction causes the other
projection to act in like manner on the grippers of the other operating half
die and so on, the grippers of each half die being forced outwardly after the
nails have been separated and pointed, so that the nails are rigidly held lengthwise
only while the headers are operating to form the heads.
The operation of the improved apparatus is as follows:--
The wires having been simultaneously fed forward until a quantity of each wire
sufficient for two nails projects between the head b and the spring arms e², the
cutters g³ move simultaneously, cutting off two lengths of wire. The head b then
makes a partial rotation until it brings the two half dies c having the lengths of
wire, into position to co-operate with the reciprocating half dies c¹ and is locked
in such position by the devices above described.
One of the half dies c¹ then moves toward the head and cooperates with one of
the half dies c in severing the length of wire thereon, and pointing the two parts
into which the wire is severed. The other half die c¹ at the same time moving
away from the head. After the severing and pointing operation the grippers 4 of
the operating half-die c are forced outwardly, the operating half die c¹ remaining
in the same position, the nail blanks being thus firmly grasped. Then while the
blanks are thus grasped the headers of one pair are moved inwardly and form the
heads, thus completing the nails.
The half dies care then moved simultaneously in the opposite direction, thus
separating the half die c' whose operation has just been described, from the head
and causing the other half die c¹ to cooperate with the half die at the opposite
side of the head, the successive operations of severing, pointing and grasping being
performed by the half die c and c¹, and their accompanying devices thus made
operative and the heading operation by the other pair of headers.
After the four nails have been completed the head is released and rotated
another step, thus bringing two fresh lengths of wire into position to be acted on
by the dies, and the operation is thus continued, four nails being formed after each
partial rotation of the head. The wires are fed and cut off while the head is held
during the nail forming operations, so that when the four nails are completed the
head is ready to carry, by another partial rotation, two fresh lengths of wire to
the points where they are converted into nails.
To prevent the completed nails from clinging to the half dies of the head
I provide arms c³ which are affixed to the rods c and project into grooves d³
(Figure 5), in the periphery of the head, said grooves extending, across the half
dies, so that in case any nails cling to the half dies they will be dislodged
therefrom, when said dies are passing the ends of the arms c³,

page_text: This invention is not limited to the details of mechanism berein shewn, as the
same may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit of
our invention. And other suitable mechanism for feeding the wire, and any other
suitable devices for adjusting the cutting dies and grippers may be employed.
The means for grasping the nails only when they are being headed so that they
are free to elongate while they are being pointed are not limited to a machine
having the two complete sets of nail forming devices, but may be used on any
machine in which two nails are formed at one operation.
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,
First In a wire-nail making machine, the combination of a pair of dies which
sever a length of wire into two parts and point said parts, two headers which
simultaneously form heads on the outer ends of said parts after the severing and
pointing operation, grippers adapted to grasp the nails or parts of the wire, and
mechanism whereby said grippers are forced against the wire between the dies
while the headers are operating, and released while the dies are operating, so that
the wire is free to elongate during the severing and pointing operation, as
set forth.
Second: In a wire-nail making machine, the combination of a rotary head
having a series of half dies, means substantially as described for alternately
rotating and locking said head and holding two of its half dies at a time in
operative position, two reciprocating half dies located at opposite sides of the head
and adapted to co-operate with the two operatively held half dies of the head in
severing lengths of wire into two parts and pointing said parts, and mechanism
for reciprocating said half dies and thereby presenting them to and withdrawing
them from the two operative half dies of the head, after each locking of the head,
as set forth.
Third: In a wire-nail-making machine, the combination of a rotary head
having a series of half dies, means substantially as described for alternately
rotating and locking said bead and holding its half dies in pairs in operative
position, two sliding half dies and mechanism to reciprocate them arranged to
co-operate with the operatively held half dies of the bead, mechanism for feeding
two wires simultaneously to two of the half dies of the head which are not in
operative position, cutting mechanism whereby two lengths are cut from said wires
after they are fed forwar 1, and devices whereby said lengths of wire are held upon
the half dies of the head while they are being moved to the point where they are
operated upon by the reciprocating half dies, as set forth.
Fourth In a wire-nail making machine, the combination of a rotary head
having a series of half dies, means substantially as described for feeding two wires
simultaneously to said head cutters for severing said wires, devices for holding the
lengths of wire upon the half dies, means substantially as described for alternately
rotating and locking said head, two sliding half dies arranged as described at
opposite sides of the head, mechanism to reciprocate said sliding dies, and two
pairs of hammers, or headers and operating mechanism therefor as indicated, the
arrangement being such that the hammers form four nail heads at each stoppage of
the rotary head, as set forth.
Fifth In a wire-nail making machine, the combination of a rotary head
having a series of half dies, means substantially as described, for alternately
rotating and locking said head, movable normally loose grippers accompanying said
half dies, two sliding half dies located at opposite sides of the head, mechanism for
reciprocating said half dies simultaneously whereby they are caused to co-operate
alternately with the half dies of the head, the headers and their operating
mechanism, and means substantially as specified for forcing the grippers against
the wire while the headers are operating, and releasing the grippers when the dies
are operating, as set forth.

page_text: •
Sixth-The combination of the rotary, head the ratchet affixed to its axis, the
spring rod having a tooth or detent which engages with and locks the ratchet, the
collar mounted loosely on the axis of the head and provided with a pawl engaging
the ratchet, a cam formed to disengage the detent from the ratchet, and means for
oscillating said collar, as set forth.
.. Seventh-The combination of the rotary head having the half dies and the
wire holding pins, the wire feeding and cutting off devices, the fixed arms between
which and the perimeter of the head the wires are fed by the feeding devices, and
the spring arms extending over portions of the perimeter of the head, as set. forth.
Eighth The combination of the rotary bead having a series of half dies and
provided with grooves in its perimeter extending across said dies, the reciprocating
half dies co-operating as described with the half dies of the head, and the arms or
fingers projecting into said grooves to dislodge nails from the half dies of the head,
as set forth.