Improvements in the Manufacture of Cut Nails, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 13th June, 1895-Accepted, 27th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Cut Nails, and in Apparatus
therefor.
I, CHARLES MARCH, Managing Director of The Clyde Nail Company,
(Limited), Newton, in the County of Lanark, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the manufacture of cut nails from strips of iron,
steel or other metal with chisel or double beveled points and with heads produced
in the cutting operation, without the use of dies or headers and without the necessity
of turning or similarly manipulating the strip, by means of apparatus whereby the
rate of production is increased and the cost reduced.
Under the invention the body or shank of the nail is cut with straight sides
parallel throughout its length the point being obliquely and symmetrically cut or
beveled from both sides whilst the head is formed with inclined sides so as to
resemble in contour the section of a countersunk headed nail the angle of bevel or
inclination of the sides of the point and head being identical.
The machine for cutting the nails is, under one modification, furnished with two
stationary bed knives and two corresponding shearing knives' or cutters which are
formed each with a straight portion corresponding in length to' the body or shank
side of the nail and with a beveled or inclined portion at or near each end corre-
sponding in inclination and 'length to the beveled edges of the point and head
respectively, one end being inclined inwards and the other outwards. The cutting
edge of the one bed knife corresponds to one edge of the cut nail and that of the
other knife to the opposite edge of the nail, the beveled ends being oppositely
inclined in the two kuives, and by shearing the metal'strip first under one cutter to
remove a waste piece at the end and thereafter under each cutter alternately nail
blanks or nails are cut off with points and heads forined as described, and with the
sides symmetrical in form. This method of cutting nails differs from that of
cutting brads and similar nails, having heads formed upon one side only and tapered
in their length instead of being pointed; in that the strip is presented alternately to
cutters of different shape without inclining or turning the plate in lieu of presenting
it to a single cutter and obtaining the desired formation of head and taper of the
uail by suitable inclination of the strip or by turning it over; and by operating the
machine so that one cutter descends 'as the other 'rises two nails' can be cut during
each revolution of the operating shaft the production of the machine being thus -
doubled.
+
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Under another modification the machine is provided with a single stationary bed
knife having a straight cutting edge and beveled or inclined ends. At each end of
the fixed knife a short movable knife is fitted the two knives being carried on a slide
and at such a distance apart that whilst one movable knife is in close contact with
the end of the bed knife the other movable knife is quite clear of the opposite end.
These movable knives are each ground or formed with chisel like or double beveled
ends
ds contiguous to the stationary bed knife so that when alternately brought into
contact with that knife' they closely fit the beveled end and' form a beveled 'or
inclined cutting edge in continuation of the straight cutting edge of" the stationary
bed knife. Two upper shearing knives are used one having its ends beveled or
inclined in one direction whilst the other has its ends'inclined in the opposite
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page_text: direction and they are arranged and operated to descend alternately upon the metal
strip over the bed knife whilst the movable bed kuives are in like manner alter-
nately brought iuto close proximity to the stationary bed knife so that whilst at
each alternate shearing action the beveled ends of the cut strip are inclined in one
direction, at each successive shear their inclination is in the opposite direction, and
nails or blanks are cut of the formation above described the head and point being
formed alternately from the same edge of the strip without turning the latter. The
movable parts of the bed knife and the shearing knives are actuated by levers from
the cam shaft so that two nails or blanks are cut during each revolution.
Dated this 12th day of September 1894.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Cut Nails, and in Apparatus
therefor.
I, CHARLES MARCH, Managing Director of The Clyde Nail Company,
(Limited), Newton, in the County of Lanark, 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 has for its object the manufacture of cut nails from strips of
iron, steel or other metal with chisel or double beveled points and with heads
produced in the cutting operation, without the use of dies or headers and without
the necessity of turning or similarly manipulating the strip, by means of apparatus
whereby the rate of production is increased and the cost reduced.
Under the invention the body or shank of the nail is cut with straight sides
parallel throughout its length the point being obliquely and symmetrically cut or
bevelled from both sides whilst the head is formed with inclined sides so as to
resemble in contour the section of a countersunk headed nail the angle of bevel or
inclination of the sides of the point and head being identical.
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section and Fig. 2 a plan of a nail making machine
constructed in accordance with my invention, and
Fig. 3 is a plan to a larger scale of the stationary and shearing knives used in
this machine.
Figure 4 is an end view of a gripper used in conjunction with the feeding
device and hereinafter referred to.
Figures 5 and 6 are part vertical section and part plan respectively of a
modification of the nail making machine, and
Fig. 7 is a plan also to a larger scale of the stationary and shearing knives used
in this machine.
Fig. 8 is a plan of a nail as produced by cutting the strip with knives of the
form shewn.
Referring to Figures 1 to 4 the machine for cutting the nails is furnished with
two stationary bed knives, A, B, and two corresponding shearing knives or
cutters C, D, which are formed each with a straight portion as shewn particularly
at Fig. 3 corresponding in length to the body or shank side of the nail, and with a
beveled or inclined portion at or near each end corresponding in inclination and
length to the beveled edges of the point and head respectively, one end being
inclined inwards and the other outwards. The cutting edge of the one bed knife A
corresponds to one edge of the cut nail, the beveled ends being oppositely inclined
in the two knives A, B, and by shearing the metal strip first under one cutter C

page_text: to remove a waste piece at the end and thereafter under each cutter D, C,
alternately nail blanks or nails are cut off with points and heads formed as
described, and with the sides symmetrical in form. This method of cutting nails
differs from that of cutting brads and similar nails, having heads formed upon one
side only and tapered in their length instead of being pointed, in that the strip is
presented alternately to cutters of different shape without inclining or turning the
strip, in lieu of presenting it to a single cutter and obtaining the desired formation
of head and taper of the nail by suitable inclination of the strip or by turning it.
over, or by shearing a strip rolled to the nail section. By operating the machine
so that one cutter descends as the other rises, the knife actuating levers being
connected to cranks set diametrically opposite each other for this purpose, two
nails can be cut during each revolution of the operating shaft the production of
the machine being thus doubled. The strip E from which the nail is cut is fed
forward by means of a weight E¹ attached to one end of a cord taking over a
pulley F the other end of the cord acting on the jawed feed rod G in which the
strip is secured. A guide jaw H secured in a horizontal lever I pivoted on the
machine bed is actuated from a cam J on the main shaft K (which is operated in
the usual manner) to feed the strip alternately under each cutter a second jaw or
gripper L in which rests the feed rod G being so actuated from a cam M also on
the main shaft K as to present the strip parallel to each of the cutters. The
gripper L is maintained normally closed by a spring / and is centred on the lever I
to hold the feed rod G against the pull of the weight E' whilst the strip is moved
from one set of knives to the other, the feed rod being released when the strip is
brought opposite the knives, by the opening of the gripper which is effected by one
or other of its lower limbs s striking against projecting arms on a transverse
bracket T secured on the machine frame.
Under the modification illustrated by Figures 5 and 6 the machine is provided
with a single stationary bed knife N having a straight cutting edge and beveled or
inclined ends. At each end of the fixed knife a short movable knife O is fitted, the
two knives O being carried on a slide and at such a distance apart that whilst one
movable knife O is in close contact with the end of the bed knife the other
movable knife O is quite clear of the opposite end. These movable knives are
each ground or formed with chisel like or double beveled ends contiguous to the
stationary bed knife N so that when alternately brought into contact with that
knife they closely fit the beveled end and form a beveled or inclined cutting edge
in continuation of the straight cutting edge of the stationary bed knife. Two
upper shearing knives P, Q, both secured in the same knife head, are used, one
having its ends beveled or inclined in one direction whilst the other has its ends
inclined in the opposite direction and they are arranged and operated to descend
alternately upon the metal strip over the bed knife N whilst the movable bed
knives are in like manner alternately brought into close proximity to the
stationary bed kuife N by means of a lever R pivoted at S and actuated by a cam
on the main shaft so that whilst at each alternate shearing action the beveled ends
of the cut strip are inclined in one direction, at each successive shear their
inclination is in the opposite direction, and nails or blanks are cut of the formation
above described the head and point being formed alternately from the same edge
of the strip without turning the latter. The movable parts O of the bed knife N
and the shearing knives P, Q, are so actuated that two nails or blanks are cut
during each revolution.
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
1. A nail making machine furnished with two stationary bed kuives and two
corresponding shearing knives, constructed, arranged and operated to form a
finished nail without the use of dies or headers and also without the necessity of

page_text: inclining or turning the strip. from which, the nail is formed,, substantially, as
described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings.
2. A nail making machine furnished with a single stationary bed knife and two.
movable end bed knives constructed, arranged and operated to form in combination
with shearing knives a finished nail without the use of dies or headers and also 5
without the necessity of inclining or turning the strip, from which the nail is
formed, substantially as described. with reference to Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the
drawings.
Dated this 12th day of June 1895.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agent,
62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent..