Process and Machine for Preparing and Finishing Nails of All Kinds, and more particularly Horse Shoe Nails.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1894
Process and Machine for Preparing and Finishing Nails of All Kinds,
and more particularly Horse Shoe Nails.
I, JOSEPH MICHAEL LAUGHLIN of 3, Rue Rampon, Paris, France, Engineer,
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 a process and machine for economically preparing and
finishing all kinds of nails and especially horse-shoe nails produced without any
waste of material by stamping (or other suitable operation) from a plate or strip
of iron or soft steel of suitable profile. The machine is designed to finish the nail
after it has been pointed, but of which the head and shank are only roughly shaped
and also to complete the sharpening of the point. For this purpose the nail is
compressed, on its two sides and two faces, between dies, the sharpening and the
straightening of the point being obtained by the compressing of said point between
the dies of the block which holds the nail, as will be hereinafter described.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, wherein
Figures 1 and 2 represent opposite face views and Figure 3 an end view of the
machine, the fly-wheel being removed in Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section, on lines 1-1, 2-2, Figure 9, the wheel which
carries the die-holding blocks being removed to shew the right-hand cheek plate.
Figure 5 is a section shewing the left-hand cheek plate.
Figures 6, 7, 8, are sections on lines 3-3, 4-4, 5-5 respectively.
Figure 9 is a plan of the machine.
Figure 10 is a section, on line 6-6, of one of the die-operating devices, and
Figure 11 is a plan of same.
Figure 12 is a section shewing the general arrangement of the die-holding blocks.
Figure 13 is a section and face view of the device for conducting the nail from
the distributor to the die-holding blocks upon their revolving carrier.
Figure 14 is a face and side view of the block-carrying disc, also shewing the
mode of fixing the blocks thereto.
Figures 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19, shew details of one of the die-holding blocks.
Figures 20 and 21 shew a side elevation and end view of a key or fastener.
Figures 22 and 23 shew an elevation and plan of the device used for forcing the
key into the die-holding block.
Figure 24 shews the plate from which the nail blanks are cut out.
Figure 25 shews the section of the plate.
Figure 26 represents a nail blank obtained from this plate.
Figure 27 shews the blank after it has been acted upon by the first pair of dies.
Figure 28 shews a completely-finished nail after it has been compressed by
the other pair of dies.
Figure 29 represents a plan view of a modified form of metal strip from which
nail blanks may be obtained.
Figure 30 shews an edge view of the same strip and Figure. 31 represents a
nail blank obtained from this strip.
Figure 32 represents an edge view of another form of strip.
My process consists in obtaining, without any waste of material, blanks for nails
of any kind or shape, and more particularly for horse shoe nails, by stamping, cutting,
or otherwise, the said blanks from a plate or strip of rolled iron or soft steel, such
as shewn in Figures 24, 25, 29, 30, and 32. These blanks will be shaped as shewn
in Figure 26 if cut from the plate shewn in Figure 24, while they will be shaped

page_text: as in Figure 31 if cut out from the strip shewn in Figure 29. Figure 32 will give
a blank very nearly similar to that shewn in Figure 26. The blank thus obtained
is converted into a completely-finished nail by the action of my. new system of
machine which gives it its final shape by compression only and without any waste
of material.
The machine is driven by a fly-wheel a keyed upon shaft a¹ upon which are also
keyed two cam drums a² a³ and a cam disc a. The drums a3 a³ have upon their
circumference a semi-circular helical cam groove a, as shewn in Figure 9,
and on their outer ends cam grooves as a (Figures 1, 2, and 9). Rods b bl
carry friction rollers which engage in the grooves as a whereby said rods
are reciprocated in guides c by the rotation of shaft a'. To one end of
the rod a pawl is pivoted at 6 (Figure 2) which is pressed by a spring e into
engagement with and rotates a ratchet wheel d keyed on a shaft d. Upon the
opposite end of shaft d' is keyed a disc d having peripheral equidistant recesses d³
and equal in number to that of the teeth of ratchet wheel d. The stud 67 on the
end of rod 6¹ enters at each stroke of said rod one of the recesses as it comes
opposite thereto, thus regulating the rotation of shaft d¹ by ratchet wheel d.
do, do, are clip brakes for stopping the motion of shaft d' at the exact moment the
pawl has completed its stroke and has therefore ceased to act upon the ratchet
wheel d. The brakes d are each formed, as shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 9, of a pair
of clips between which the shaft d turns with slight friction. By this means the
shaft will always be revolved to the same extent at each stroke of rod b, the
action of the cams a, a, being so timed that the stud will only advance for
the purpose of entering a recess d³ after rod b has completed its stroke and shaft d¹
has been rotated to an extent corresponding to one tooth of the ratchet wheel d.
Upon shaft d' is also keyed a wheel d' (Figure 14) which carries the blocks/hercin
after described, for holding the nails and bringing them opposite the dies.
h, h, h, h, are pairs of lever arms, the upper pair h, h', being provided at their
ends with friction rollers g, y, and the lower pair h2, h3, with friction rollers g' g¹g², g²,
engaging respectively in the circumferential grooves a³ of drums a³, a³. The lower
pair of levers, h³, also carry friction rollers g², g², running in guide grooves g³. g³,
and for the purpose of supporting the levers ³, ³, in a horizontal position. The
upper pair of levers are supported by the drums while the lower pair of
levers 2, 3, are prevented from being carried upwards by the drum, by the guides i, i.
Each lever turns freely upon a pivot and acts by a campon a sliding die-
holder (Figures 9, 10, 11,) which is forced forward by the cam k² and retracted
when the lever moves in the opposite direction, by means of an internal cam k or
collar attached to cam and engaging a stud on strap k fixed to the die-holder.
The die-holders ke slide in guide grooves in the frame. By the rotation of shaft a¹
the cam grooves a turn the levers h, h', h, h³, on their pivots k and so move the
die-holders either towards or away from each other.
The blocks for holding the nails and sharpening the points are held in the
disc d' by their shanks received in peripheral sockets and secured by a set-
screw engaging in a circumferential groove f, as shewn in Figure 14, so that
the blocks are retained, but may turn in their sockets. Each block has one or
more recesses f³, assuming that there is only one recess as shown in the drawing
this recess receives the two nail-pointing dies fe, f, separately represented in
plan in Figures 16 and 17 and in elevation in Figures 18 and 19, the former of
which dies is secured by a screw f8 and is provided with a groove f for giving the
desired form and sharpness to the point of the nail. The block fand die fare
each formed with a taper mortise 10 to receive a key f" whereby the die or dies fi
are secured in the block, the key being of a form in cross-section corresponding
with that of the mortise and likewise tapering, as shewn separately in Figures 20
and 21, so that in driving the key through the mortise f 10 the die or dies will be
forced towards the corresponding die or dies f" so as to clamp between them the
nail or nails. The blocks have radially projecting pins 1, 1, 1, 13, which are
caused to strike against studs m, m³, m³, m³, (Figures 4 and 5) for rotating the

page_text: blocks in one or other direction. The block carried by disc d' is disposed between
two cheeks n, n', in the machine framing, the cheek n having a hole o (Figure 4)
for giving passage to a stud hereinafter described, for tightening the key f in its
mortise 10 which is effected by a swell n formed on the cheek n, a similar
projection n being formed on the other cheek at a point diametrically opposite
thereto for producing the reverse effect. The studs m, m', on cheek n rotate the
block through 90° so that it will present the two other sides of the nail to the
lower dies, while similar studs m² m³ upon check n' rotate the block in the opposite
direction to return it to its original position. n are slots in the cheeks n n' for
permitting of the free rotation of the blocks. The nail blanks (as in Figure 26 for
instance) are first placed in a distributor, consisting of a toothed pinion p
(Figures 2, 3, 4, 9) between the teeth of which they are inserted and retained by a
collar ps received in a recess formed in the teeth and secured in place by a clamp P¹
upon a vertical spindle P which carries the distributor p². The nails are fed to
each block by a guide shoot p fixed to a plate p' screwed to collar p' which has a
gate immediately above the guide, a nail passing freely down by gravity every time
one is brought in a line with the guide p. The guide p has an aperture p* at its
lower end (see Figure 13) which is closed by a shutter p mounted on a stem p
and receiving a sliding motion as hereinafter described, the shutter preventing the
nail from falling through the aperture pt. The nail is delivered by the guide p
between the dies ff in the block f. The stem p (Figures 3, 9, 13,) is fixed to
the part of the upper die holder (see Figures 9, 10, and 11,) and so has the same
to and fro movement as the latter. The distributor p is rotated from a ratchet
wheel på engaged by a spring-pressed pawl p jointed to a bell crank lever pl
pivoted on a centre p" and terminating in a curved part p" against which one end
of the cam k on the boss of the upper die-operating lever h abuts when said lever
oscillates on its centre k, thereby oscillating p10 about pl1 and drawing back the
pawl p and rotating the distributor p to the extent of one tooth of wheel på,
p' being returned to position by a spiral spring p¹³ when lever his oscillated in the
reverse direction, so as to keep the curved end p1 of the bent lever in contact with
the cam. The part po is held constantly in contact with the toothed wheel på by
a spring or otherwise. To the boss of lever is fixed an arm q (Figures 22 and 23)
which acts on a tappet 92 through the medium of a link q' secured to said arm q by
a screw q³ and connected to tappet 92 by a pin q* upon which said tappet pivots.
2 is a screw-stem which is adjusted by a nut q and which passes down through a
hole tapped in the arın 7 and abuts at its end against the end of tappet y', so that
when lever oscillates in one direction, the arm q will cause the screwed stem q to
move the tappet forward and on the lever moving in the opposite direction, the
tappet will be drawn back by the link q'. The advance movement of the tappet q
is to drive the key f" forwards in the block and so actuate the movable die f' or
jaw, and it occurs whenever a key f" comes opposite the hole o in the cheek n before
mentioned. Upon the boss of the upper lever his fixed an arm r (Figures 1, 3,
and 9,) having a friction roller on its extremity running in a slightly inclined
slot, so that when lever h' turns on its axis k the arm r and roller will also turn
and thus raise or lower the slotted head of the rod terminating at its lower
end in a fork r¹. When a die-holding block arrives opposite the projection n³ the
key is forced back, the dies f' and f' separate, and the nail which is then
engaged by the fork is discharged by the downward movement of the latter if the
nail is not already disengaged by its own weight. When a nail is presented between
the two upper dies, it is held in the proper position with regard thereto by a
pressers fitted to slide in a guide in plates and carrying a pair of friction
rollers s, between which passes a rod s mounted in guides and provided at its
opposite end with a friction roller s running in a cam groove & in the end of
drum a', whereby the rod s will receive reciprocating motion and owing to its
extremity being slightly curved it will in passing between the rollers &³ impart an up
and down movement to the presser s.
6
The following is the action of the machine supposing the parts to be in the

page_text: position represented in the drawings, the upper dies being closed together and
the lower dies separated and the shutter p³ in front of the aperture p. If
now the fly wheel be turned a quarter revolution, the upper levers will be
moved towards each other and the corresponding die-holders k' and dies will be
separated, while the lower levers, ³, will be moved apart and the dies actuated
thereby will be moved together and compress (so as to give it the desired form
Figure 29) the nail which has been previously acted upon by the upper dies
(Figure 28) as hereafter described. The spiral spring p¹ at same time causes the
ratchet på to rotate one tooth, the shutter will be drawn back to uncover the
aperture p, the arm will raise the forked extractor, the tappet q² will move back-
ward, rod will be drawn backward, and presser 8 raised. The side rod 6 does
not move and consequently shaft does not turn and the die-carrying blocks f
remain stationary, whilst the other side rod moves backwards. On shaft a
rotating another fourth of a revolution, the upper levers h, h', will remain stationary
and the lower ones ; h³, will move towards each other while the corresponding
die-carriers and dies will move apart and the side rods b, b', remain stationary.
On the fly wheel rotating a third quarter of a revolution, the upper levers h, h', and
also the lower ones ², ³, remain stationary and the side rod 6 is moved forwards
and rotates the ratchet wheel d one tooth. Each block is replaced by the next
preceding, the block 1 takes the nail which it carries away from guide p and places
it opposite the aperture o, in order that when the upper levers are about to move
apart, the tappet 92 shall strike the key f" in said block and tighten it in the
mortise 10. The block 2 whose key has already been inserted a certain distance
by the action of tappet 9' passes in front of the projection and the key f" being
more firmly driven in finally closes the die "up towards fe so as to form the
point of the nail, at same time sharpening it, after which block 2 brings the nail
opposite the upper dies. The nail carried by the block 3 has meanwhile been sub-
jected to the action of the two upper dies and received the desired form on its two
sides. This block 3 in rotating about the shaft d' abuts against the first stud m
which partly turns it, so that it occupies the position of block 4. The second
stud m completes the rotation of block 4 which presents the two other faces of the
nail to the two lower dies. The block 5 carrying the nail which has been acted on
by the lower dies and which is now perfectly finished strikes the stud m² on the
check n' which commences to rotate it in the reverse direction the block then
occupying the place of block 6 where its rotation is completed by the action of
stud m³. The key of block 7 is forced back by the projection-n³, so as to separate
the dies 6, 7, and the nail being no longer retained is received between the limbs
of the extractor fork. As for the other blocks 8, 9, 10, 11, they each advance one
step, so that block 12 occupies the place of No. 1 and so on for the others.
When
the fly-wheel completes the last quarter of its revolution, the rod 6' moves forward
and its nose engages in the recess d³ facing it, in order to so regulate the position
of the blocks that they may be brought exactly opposite the parts which act upon
them or upon the nails which they carry. The rod 6 at same time moves backward,
rod advances and brings down the pressers upon the head of the nail, so as to
hold it exactly opposite the upper dies, the lower levers remain stationary and the
upper levers separate, and the corresponding die-holders and dies are brought
together and compress on both sides the blank shown in Figure 26, so as to give it
the desired shape as shown in Figure 27. The pawl pis drawn backwards and
rotates the ratchet wheel p" one tooth, causing the nail which is presented above
the guide shoot p to fall through the gate in the collar at this point and enter
between the dies f, f, in the block beneath it, the nail being prevented from
falling forward, as before explained, by the shutter which by the movement of
the die-holder k' produced by the lever is slid over the aperture p¹. The
extractor before mentioned as operated by arm r fixed on the lever h¹, is moved
downwards and removes the nail from the block in which it is contained if the nail
has not already become disengaged by its own weight. The same series of
operations are repeated in the same order, and so on.

page_text: The action of the machine may be thus summarized :-Supposing both the
upper and lower dies to be separated, if the fly-wheel a makes a quarter-turn, the
At the next quarter-
series of die-holding blocks will turn one-twelfth of a circle.
turn of the fly-wheel, the position of each block is regulated by the locking of
disc d' by rod b', the pressers holding the blank nail (Figure 26 for instance)
while it is undergoing the action of the upper dies, on two opposite sides so as to
arrive at the shape or form shewn in Figure 27. At the third quarter-turn the
upper dies separate and then the lower dies compress the nail on the two sides
presented to them, in order to finish the nail as shewn in Figure 28. At the
fourth quarter-turn the lower dies separate.
By means of this invention a nail is produced of superior quality and of great
strength, owing to the compression to which it is subjected in giving it the
desired form.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is: :-
1st. The herein described process of preparing, by stamping or otherwise,
(without any waste of material) from suitably profiled iron or soft steel plates or
strips, blanks for horse-shoe and other nails and finishing the same by compression
without any waste of metal whereby the nails become much stronger, substantially
as herein specified.
2nd. A machine. for the application of the above described process, wherein
a series of blocks mounted around an intermittently-revolving disc carry pairs of
point-forming and nail-carrying dies, operated as described, to which the nails are
fed in succession from a distributor and by which the nails are presented
successively to the action of two pairs of shank-pressing dies of which the first pair
compress the nail upon two flanks and the other pair upon its two faces without any
waste of metal, as specified.
3rd. In the herein described machine the combination, with the block carrying
the nail-pointing and carrying dies and with the movable die, of a transverse-
sliding taper key actuating the said movable die, as and for the purpose specified.
4th. In the herein described machine the combination, with each block in which
the nail pointing and carrying dies are mounted and with the taper key actuating
the sliding die as described, of the tappet mechanism and projections for pro-
ducing the sliding movements of the said key in its mortise, as and for the
purpose specified.
5th. In a machine of the kind described the combination, with the distributor
constructed as described, of a shutter for preventing the nail from falling forward
and retiring when the nail is fed to the nail-pointing dies, as specified.
6th. In the herein described machine the combination, with the rotating series of
nail-pointing and carrying dies and blocks, of the sliding presser for holding the
nail when presented to the action of the upper pair of shank-pressing dies, as
described.
7th. In the herein described machine the combination, with rotating series of
nail-pointing dies, of the extractor fork receiving up and down motion, as
described.
8th. In the herein described machine the combination, with the shaft carrying
the rotating series of nail-pointing and carrying dies, of the clip-brake acting
thereon and the locking mechanism actuated from the main shaft, as specified.
Dated this 15th day of December 1893.
J. M. LAUGHLIN,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.