IMPROVEMENTS IN FINISHING HORSE NAILS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE SAME
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Albert Huggett, of 12, Ferndale Road, Clapham,
in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FINISHING
HORSE NAILS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE SAME."
Sealed the 31st October 1879, and dated the 21st May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Albert Huggett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st May 1879.
JOHN ALBERT HUGGETT, of 12, Ferndale Road, Clapham, in the County of
Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FINISHING HORSE NAILS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR
THE SAME.
33
This Invention has for its object improvements in finishing horse nails, and in
machinery for the same.
For the purpose of finishing horse nails after that they have been already roughly
formed I pass them between a pair of rolls, which are turned on their peripheries
to forms corresponding respectively to the face and back of the nail. The nails are
passed in succession between these rolls in such a position that the length of the
nail is parallel to the axes of the rolls.
I employ to feed the nails forward a finger or feeder moving to and fro over the
surface of the lower roll. The nails are laid one at a time on this feeder, which then
moves forward and takes the nail up to the point where it is caught in the nip of
the rolls.
The nails on leaving the rolls have broad points which require to be sharpened
by removing a portion on either side; this I effect by laying the nail upon a bed
or bolster of steel having cutting edges on either side, and then a V shaped cutter
is brought down upon it. The cutting edges of the latter are on the two inner
sides, and they correspond with the cutting edges on the bolster, whilst both corre-
spond with the form of the point they are intended to produce. I mount the
moving cutter upon a disc on a revolving axis, and I set the bolster in such a
position that as the axis revolves its cutting edges act with those of the moving/
cutter to produce a shear like cut.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Albert Huggett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
November 1879.
JOHN ALBERT HUGGETT, of 12, Ferndale Road, Clapham, in the County of
Surrey. IMPROVEMENTS IN FINISHING HORSE NAILS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR
"
THE SAME."
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in finishing horse nails, and in
machinery for the same.
For the purpose of finishing horse nails after that they have been already roughly
formed I pass them between a pair of rolls, which are turned on their peripheries to
forms corresponding respectively to the face and back. of the nail. The nails are
passed in succession between these rolls in such a position that the length of the
nail is parallel to the axes of the rolls.
I employ to feed the nails forward a finger or feeder moving to and fro over the
surface of the lower roll. The nails are laid one at a time, on this feeder, which then
moves forward and takes the nail up to the point where it is caught in the nip of
the rolls.
The nails on leaving the rolls have broad points which require to be sharpened
by removing a portion on either side; this I effect by laying the nail upon a bed or
bolster of steel baving cutting edges on either side, and then a V-shaped cutter is
brought down upon it. The cutting edges of the latter are on the two inner sides,
and they correspond with the cutting edges on the bolster, whilst both correspond
with the form of the point they are intended to produce. I mount the moving
cutter upon a disc on a revolving axis, and I set the bolster in such a position that
as the axis revolves its cutting edges act with, those of the moving cutter to produce
a shear like cut.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pair of rolls, such as I employ in finishing horse
nails according to my Invention. The standards in which the bearings of the rolls
are carried are only indicated in outline, and the driving gear by which they are
actuated is not shewn, being such as is ordinary and well known; Figure 2 shows a
front view of the rolls; Figures 3 show a plan and a side view of the unfinished nail
in the form in which it is brought to the finishing processes. I produce such
unfinished nails by shearing transversely a suitably formed bar, as is described in
the Specification of former Patents granted to me. After shearing, the edges of the
nail blanks are smoothed by the well known process of rumbling in a barrel.
Figures show a plan and a side view of the nail after it has been passed between
the finishing rolls, but before the sharpening of the point; Figure 4*, is a plan of
the nail after sharpening; Figure 5 shews the feeding instrument separately;
Figure 6 is a front elevation of the apparatus for sharpening the point of the nail
by shearing off the superfluous material from either side after that the point has
been flattened out by the finishing rolls; Figure 7 is a plan partly in section of the
pointing machine; and Figure 8 is a sectional end elevation of the same; in
Figures 1 and 2, a and b are the finishing rolls, they are accurately formed so as to
meet in an eye exactly corresponding to the sectional form to be given to the
finished nail, and to which form the nail blank only approximates; c is a feeding
finger which lies in contact with the surface of the lower roll, and onto the top of
this finger the unfinished nails are successively laid by the attendant; the finger c

page_text: then rises and takes the nail up to the nip of the rolls, and it passes through; the
feed finger then falls back ready to receive another nail for finishing.
In this way the nails are passed between the finishing rolls at a speed, say, of
sixty per minute. The feeding finger c forms part of a bent bar c', which has a slot
formed in it at e, where it is mounted on a block d on which it is free to slide for
a short distance. The block d is itself capable of turning upon a pin screwed
centrally into the axis of the lower roll; c³ is a bowl or small roller on the bar c';
e is a ring carrying projections e¹, e², and revolving with the rolls; its action is as
follows: When one of the projections e¹ comes into contact with the bowl c³ it
causes the finger c to be pressed upon the face of the lower roll so firmly as to be
carried up with it. The bar c' strikes against the stopf just at the time when the
nail blank is caught between the rolls, and the projection e' then passes the bowl c³;
the feeder is then rapidly drawn back by the spring g ready to act again. In order
to equalise the wear upon the face of the roll the ring e receives a slow movement
independently of the axis on which it is mounted. The ring e is fast with the spur
wheel e which gears with the pinion g* turning upon a stud axis, and the
pinion g* gears also with the spur wheel / fixed upon the axis of the lower roll.
The wheel has either a tooth more or a tooth less than the wheel e°.
In Figures 6, 7, and 8, i is a disc mounted upon an axis carried in suitable bearings,
and driven at a speed of about forty-five revolutions per minute; k, k, are a pair
of steel cutters which are received into a recess in the face of the disc, and there
held by a clamp. The cutting edges are of a V form; is an adjustable support
which can be adjusted in position in front of the disc, and clamped by screws; m is
a steel cutter or bolster with cutting edges on either side, and which is clipped
securely to the support ; n is a guide ring with an opening on one side to allow
the axis to pass, and attached by tap screws to the face of the disc i; it is so
formed that between it and the face of the disc a guide groove i¹ is left to receive
the point end of the nail.
In using this machine the nails requiring to be pointed, and then in the form
represented by the Figures 4, are placed by the operator upon the top of the bolster
or stationary cutter m between two stops on the support which project above the
top of the bolster, and the point of the nail from which the superfluous material is to
be shorn is pressed forward to the bottom of the guide groove it, the position of the
nail being thus accurately secured the end is cut to a sharp point by the meeting of
the cutters and m.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,―
First. The process of finishing horse nails consisting in passing the roughly
formed nail sideways between rolls, the faces of which are suitably fashioned to
impart to the nail its finished form.
Second. The process of sharpening horse nails by flattening the points and
shearing by means of a V formed cutter and bolster.
Third. The machinery for finishing horse nails substantially as described and
represented in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Albert Huggett, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
JOHN ALBERT HUGGETT. (L.S.)