IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF HORSE SHOE AND OTHER NAILS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Leander Wolcott Boynton, of Hartford, Connecticut,
United States of America, now of 8, Southampton Buildings, London, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
HORSE SHOE AND OTHER NAILS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Leander Wolcott Boynton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th October 1880.
LEANDER WOLCOTT BOYNTON, of Hartford, Connecticut, United States of
America, now of 8, Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF HORSE SHOE AND OTHER NAILS."
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery for the manufacture of
horse shoe and other nails, and is designed to afford the means for producing such
nails in a very expeditious and economical manner.
The said Invention comprises machinery or apparatus for forming the shanks
and partially forming the heads, and for finishing the heads of the said nails.
In a machine embodying the first part of my improvements the framing is con-
structed in a peculiar manner, as hereinafter described, so as to afford the greatest
practicable solidity and steadiness to the working parts of the machine. I provide
four die wheels or discs, in or upon whose peripheries are formed the shank-forming
dies. Two of these discs are mounted on horizontal shafts, and the other two discs
on vertical shafts; the vertical and horizontal discs are arranged in two planes
intersecting each other, and the peripheries of the four discs work in close proximity
to each other at the point of intersection of these planes. These discs are so arranged
that the four surfaces of the said discs where they meet at the said point of
intersection form the four walls or sides of the dies.
The die surfaces on the one pair of discs are not of the same width as those of
the second pair of discs, the object of this difference of form being that the wider
surface of the latter may cover the sides of the former when the die surfaces are
brought together.
The diameter of the die-wheels or discs will be in proportion to the length and
number of the dies on their periphery, and these dies may be so formed that each
will produce a nail of different length and shape.

page_text: I will now more particularly describe the construction of this part of my
improved machinery. The lower part of the framing is formed at its upper side
and along its entire length on both sides of one of the discs to serve as a bearing
for the shaft of the said disc, and at its central portion it has a cavity or recess into
which the said disc projects. Upon this lower portion of the frame I place the
portions which cover the top of the said shaft and form the end pieces of the frame.
Within these end pieces I place portions which are recessed to receive the discs and the
vertical shafts of the same. These pieces rest on the last named pieces, and at their
upper surfaces they are level with the upper surface of the end-pieces. Upon these
upper surfaces I place another portion which forms the top and side bearings for the
shaft of the upper disc, and is provided at its central portion with a recess or cavity
for the reception of the said disc. The above described portions of the frame are
secured together in their proper positions by strong bolts passed through them and
secured by screw nuts or by other suitable fastenings. This manner of constructing
the frame gives great strength and stability to the machine, while at the same time
it affords great facility for putting the parts together or removing or replacing any
of them.
One of the said shafts, preferably the lower shaft, is geared with the driving
shaft provided with fast and loose belt pulleys, whereby it receives motion from any
suitable source, and the said driving shaft is geared with the shaft of the first disc.
This shaft and the shaft of the second disc are geared together by spur wheels.
The first disc has formed or fixed on its side bevel wheels which gear with similar
wheels on the vertical disc shafts. By this arrangement of gearing the required
movement of all of the die wheels or discs is transmitted to them from the shaft of
the first disc, and the four discs are always kept in the proper relative position.
Parts of the dies project from the periphery of the disc, and have a curved
This formation of the
inclination or slope from one of its recesses to the next one.
dies gives the required taper to the nail shanks, and as the nail is equally or nearly
equally tapered on all four of its sides it will be brought to a point. It is not
necessary in practice to provide means for severing each nail from the succeeding
one as they are formed, but if desired I may provide the dies with a cutting edge
for this purpose.
prefer to form one part thereof with a shoulder which will
produce on the partially formed heads a corresponding shoulder, for a purpose
hereinafter specified.
I will now proceed to describe the other part of my improved machine, whereby
the heads of the nails as they come from the first set of dies are finished in the
second set of dies. This second part of my Invention is carried into effect as
follows, that is to say :-
I provide a strong frame of cast iron or other suitablo material. In the sides of
this frame I place a fixed or stationary shaft, whereon a roll or cylinder, hereinafter
termed the lower die roll, rotates. Another rod, termed the upper die-roll, is mounted
on a rotating shaft, or has solid journals fitted to turn in suitable bearings in the
sides of the said frame. The construction of the said die-rolls and the arrangements
for operating the dies are important features of my Invention, and are essential to
the proper working of the machine. The said lower or stationary shaft has formed
in it a longitudinal cam groove which may extend the entire length of the roll.
The die roll or cylinder which surrounds this shaft does not bear directly thercon,
except at its ends. The body of the said roll is made of segments, each of which
contains a holding die or holder. These holders are arranged to hold the nails
radially and present their heads to heading or head forming dies in the upper roll.
In order that these heads may be presented to the heading dies in the most
advantageous manner I provide means whereby the nail holders are drawn inward
just before they are subjected to the action of the heading dies, and are then pushed
up vertically or nearly so to the said dies. For this purpose the holders are fixed
upon bearing pieces whose central portion runs upon the surface of the said fixed
shaft, while their ends are fitted to slide in radial guideways in the end pieces of
the said lower die roll, The said fixed shaft is arranged with its cam groove in

page_text: such a position that when the roll is rotating the holder will enter the said groovo
just before the nail carried therein comes in line with the heading die. To ensure
this action of the holder I prefer to employ stationary cams or convex pieces
secured to the frames at the ends of the shaft in such a position as to act on the
ends of the holders and force them into the groove as they arrive at the same in
their revolution around the shaft. The said upper roll or cylinder has an outer
portion formed of segments, each of which contains a steel block wherein the
heading die is formed. These blocks are made taper and are well fitted into the
segments into which they are inserted from their inner side, the segments then
being screwed or otherwise firmly secured on the body of the roll.
A suitable driving shaft is mounted in bearings in the framing, and is provided
with fast and loose driving pulleys, which may be connected by a belt with one of
the shafts described in the first part of this Specification, or it may be otherwise
operated; or these pulleys may be replaced by toothed wheels geared with one of
the said shafts. This driving shaft has a toothed pinion which gears with a wheel
on the shaft of the upper roll, and the latter is geared with the lower roll by means
of toothed wheels.
The part of the machine from which the finished nails are discharged is furnished
with curved grooved guides. As the nails are brought round by the rolls to these
guides the upper extremities of the latter meet the heads and thereby extract the
nails from the dies. The nails as they leave the said dies are supported by these
guides with their shanks hanging down through the grooves thereof. In this
position they slide down into a box which is open at the bottom, and the nails pass
therefrom to any suitable weighing apparatus arranged below the said box.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Leander Wolcott Boynton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th April 1881.
LEANDER WOLCOTT BOYNTON, of Hartford, Connecticut, United States of
America, now of 8, Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF HORSE-SHOE AND OTHER NAILS."
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery for the manufacture of
horse shoe and other nails, and designed to afford the means for producing such
nails in a very expeditious and economical manner.
The said Invention comprises machinery or apparatus for forming the shanks
and partially forming the beads, and for finishing the heads of the said nails.
My Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, in which,―
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the portion of the said machinery
which forms the shanks and partly forms the heads of the nails, and
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a side view drawn to an enlarged scale of two discs forming part of
the said machinery.
Figure 4 is a plan of a portion of the same.
Figure 5 shews a nail in one of the forms in which it leaves the first set of dies.
The remaining Figures are hereinafter described.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawings.
I will first describe the part of my Invention illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4
of the Drawings. a represents the main framing, which is constructed in a peculiar
manner, as hereinafter described, so as to afford the greatest practicable solidity and
steadiness to the working parts of the machine; b, c, d, e, are four die wheels or
discs whose peripheries are provided with the shank forming dies. It will be seen
that two of these discs b, c, are mounted on horizontal shafts, and the other two
discs d, e, on vertical shafts, that the vertical and horizontal discs are arranged in
two planes intersecting each other, and that the peripheries of the four discs work
in close proximity to each other at the point of intersection of these planes. The
dies are shewn at f, g; fis the part which forms the shank of the nail and g is the
part in which the head is partially formed. The aforesaid discs are so arranged
that the four surfaces f, g, that is to say, these surfaces on all four of the said discs
where they meet at the said point of intersection form the four walls or sides of
the dies, as shewn in Figure 1.
It will be seen by reference to this Figure that the dic surfaces on the discs b, c,
are not of the same width as those of the discs d, e, the object of this differenco of
form being that the wider surface of the latter may cover the sides of the former
when the die surfaces are brought together.
It is obvious that the diameter of the die wheels or discs b, c, d, e, will be in
proportion to the length and number of the dies on their periphery, and that these
dies may be so formed that each will produce a nail of differont length and shape.
I will now more particularly describe the construction of this part of my
improved machinery. The lower part a' of the framing is formed at its upper side
and along its entire length on both sides of the disc to serve as a bearing for the
shaft h of the said disc, and at its central portion it has a cavity or recess a² into
which the said disc projects. Upon this lower portion a¹ of the frame I place the
portion which covers the top of the said shaft h, and which has vertical
extensions forming the end pieces of the frame. Within these end picces I place
the portions or pieces a, which may be adjusted by the screws h, and which are
recessed to receive the discs d, e, and the vertical shafts i of the same. These
pieces a* rest on the piece as, and at their upper surfaces they are level with the

page_text: upper surface of the aforesaid end pieces. Upon these upper surfaces I place the
portion a which forms the top and side bearings for the shaft j of the upper disc c
and is provided at its central portion with a recess or cavity for the reception of the
said disc, as shewn in Figure 1. The above described portions of the frame a are
secured together in their proper positions by strong bolts passed through them
and held by screw nuts or by other suitable fastenings.
This manner of
constructing the frame gives great strength and stability to the machine, while at
the same time it affords great facility for putting the parts together, or removing
or replacing any of them.
One of the said shafts, preferably the lower shaft h, is geared with the driving
shaft * provided with fast and loose belt pulleys h¹, h³, whereby it receives motion
from a steam engine or other motor. The shaft h and the shaft j are geared
together by spur wheels 1, 2. The disc has formed or fixed on its sides bevel
wheels 3, which gear with similar wheels 4 on the discs d, e. By this arrange-
ment of gearing the required movement of all of the die wheels or discs is
transmitted to them from the shaft h, and the four discs are always kept in their
proper relative position.
It will be seen by reference to Figure 3 that the parts of the dies project from
the periphery of the discs, and have a curved inclination or slope from one recess g
to the next one. This formation of the dies gives the required taper to the nail-
shanks, as shewn in Figure 5, and as the nail is equally or nearly equally tapered
on all four of its sides it will be brought to a point. It is not necessary in practice
to provide means for severing each nail from the succeeding nail as they are formed,
but if desired, I may provide the dies with a cutting edge for this purpose, or I
may employ the cutting off mechanism hereinafter described. I prefer to form the
part g with a shoulder g, such as that shown in Figure 3, which shoulder will
produce on the partially formed heads a corresponding shoulder, as shewn in
Figure 5. This last named shoulder facilitates the formation of the flange of the
nail head shown in Figures 6 and 7, which represents finished nails.
I will now proceed to describe the part of my improved machinery whereby the
heads of the nails as they come from the first set of dies are finished in the second
set of dies. This part of the said machinery is illustrated in Figures 8 to 15 of the
accompanying Drawings, in which
Figure 8 is a front elevation of such machinery, and
Figure 9 is an end elevation of the same.
Figure 10 is a transverse vertical section on the line x, x, Figure 8.
Figure 11 is a rear elevation, and
Figures 12, 13, and 14 represent various details of the said machinery.
Figure 15 is an end elevation of portions of the same hereinafter described.
Figure 16 is an elevation representing the two portions of the machinery
constructed according to this Invention, combined and arranged in the most
convenient manner for the purpose of my Invention.
I provide a strong frame n of cast iron or other suitable material. In the sides
of this frame I place a fixed or stationary shaft o whereon the lower die roll p is
mounted and rotates. The upper die roll q¹ is mounted on a rotating shaft q or is
provided with journals fitted to turn in suitable bearings in the said frame. The
construction of the said die rolls and the arrangements for operating the dies are
important features of my Invention and are essential to the proper working of
the machine. The said lower or stationary shaft o has formed in it a longitudinal
cam groove of which may extend the entire length of the roll. The die roll or
cylinder.p which surrounds this shaft does not bear directly thereon except at its
ends. The body of the said roll is made of segments each of which contains one of
the holding dies or holders ?. These holders are arranged to hold the nails radially
and present their heads to the heading or head forming dies s in the upper roll.
In order that these heads may be presented to the heading dies in the most
advantageous manner, I provide means, most clearly shown in Figures 12, 13, and 14,
whereby the nail holders are drawn inward just before they are subjected to the

page_text: action of the heading dies, and are then pushed up vertically or nearly so to the
said dies; for this purpose the holders r are fixed upon bearing pieces r', whose
central portion ² runs upon the surface of the shaft o, while their ends ³ are fitted
to slide in radial guideways p³ in the end pieces 24, one of which is shewn
in Figure 12. It will be seen by reference to Figures 10 and 15 that the shaft o
is arranged with its cam groove o' in such a position that when the roll is rotating
in the direction of the arrow, Figure 10, the holder will enter the said groove just
before the nail carried therein comes in line with the heading die. To ensure this
action of the holder I prefer to employ stationary cams o³, as shown in Figure 15,
or convex pieces secured to the frames at the ends of the shaft in such a position
as to act on the ends of the bearing pieces of the holders and force them into the
groove o¹ as they arrive opposite the same in their revolution around the shaft o.
The said upper roll or cylinder has an outer portion q' formed of segments, each of
which contains a steel block wherein the heading die 8 is formed. These
blocks are made taper, and are well fitted into the segments, into which they are
inserted from their inner side, the segments then being screwed or otherwise firmly
secured in the body of the roll.
The driving shaft t is mounted in suitable bearings in the framing, and is
provided with fast and loose driving pulleys t', t, which may be connected as shown
in Figure 16 by a belt, with one of the shafts of the machine shewn in Figures 1 to 4,
or may be otherwise operated'; or these pulleys may be replaced by toothed wheels
geared with one of the said shafts. This driving shaft has a toothed pinion 5 which
gears with a wheel G on the shaft of the upper roll, and the latter is geared with
the lower roll by means of the toothed wheel 7. These wheels 5, 6, 7, are indicated
by dotted lines in Figure 9.
The part of the machine from which the finished nails are discharged is furnished
with curved grooved guides v. As the nails are brought round by the rolls to these
guides the upper extremities of the latter meet the heads and thereby extract tho
nails from the dies; the nails as they leave the said dies are supported by these
guides with their shanks hanging down through the grooves thereof. In this
position they slide down into the box w, which is open at the bottom, and the nails
pass therefrom to any suitable weighing apparatus arranged below the said box.
Instead of forming the discs b, c, d, e, with dies f, g, of such a shape as to produce
a nail with a pointed shank, as above described and shewn in the Drawings, I in
some cases so shape the said discs and dies that they will produce a nail whose
shank has parallel edges its entire length, so as to leave sufficient stock to permit
the point of the nail to be cut therefrom, and I add to the machine that forms such
shanks, and opposite the feeding side of the same, mechanism that cuts off the nails
and at the same time points them while passing between the shank forming dies,
and immediately after they leave the latter. This mechanism is illustrated in
Figures 17, 18, and 19 of the Drawings in which,―
Figure 17 is a rear view, and
Figure 18 an end view of the said mechanism applied to my improved shank
forming machine, and
Figure 19 illustrates on an enlarged scale the action of the said die and punch.
For the production of nails with shanks having parallel edges, and designed to
have their points cut after the formation of the said shanks, I modify slightly the
shape of the discs and dies to give the required shape to the shanks as above stated.
For the purpose of separating and pointing the nails, I attach to the machine on
the delivery sido a swinging punch that separates and cuts the point of each nail
while it is passing through and immediately after it leaves the dies that form the
shank of the nail. To accomplish this result I mount in suitable bearings near the
top of the frame a a shaft B which extends across the machine. On this shaft, at one
end thereof, I fix a gear wheel C of the same diameter as the two gear wheels 1 and 2
on the main shafts hand; from which it derives its motion. At or near the centro
of the said shaft B, and directly over the punch D in the swinging frame E, I fix
on the said shaft a cam wheel B' provided with cams or projections equal in

page_text: number to that of the dies on the periphery of the die wheels; these projections
cause the punch D to make as many downward movements at each revolution of
the cam shaft as there are nails formed on the die wheels, and thereby cut and
point the nails. As each nail is pointed while it is in motion the swinging frame E
that contains the dies for pointing the nails must have a corresponding forward
motion. For this purpose I place on the end of the lower shaft h another cam wheel F
containing the same number of cams or projections as the cam wheel B'. The
projections on this wheel F in the rotation of the latter strike the point G on the
lower end of the swinging frame E. By this action the said swinging frame and
cutting die D are carried forward at the same rate of speed as the nail, and at the
same time that the nail is passing through the dies; then the weight of the
swinging frame carries it back to its normal position. A coiled spring that
surrounds the punch raises the same after it is released by a projection on the cam
wheel B. Tho partly formed nail is now ready for heading.
Having thus fully described my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim in machinery for the manufacture
of nails,-
First. The four series of rotating dies, arranged and working in planes at right
angles to each other, in such a manner that a space is left at the point where these
planes intersect each other, in which space the metal is compressed, and thereby the
nail shanks are formed and the heads partially formed, as above set forth.
Second. The novel construction of the frame of the machine, substantially as
described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying Drawings and for
the purpose specified.
Third. The combination of the two rolls or cylinders, one of which is provided
with holders, wherein the shanks of the nails are held while their heads are
presented to and shaped by the dies in the other roll, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The grooved guides arranged in combination with the said rolls or
cylinders, and with weighing apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Fifth. The four series of rotating shank forming dies, the heading rolls or
cylinders, and the mechanism for actuating the saine (either with or without the
mechanism for cutting off and pointing the nails), all combined, arranged, and
operating substantially as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Leander Wolcott Boynton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
WALGODOVINITION