IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR FORGING HORSE SHOE NAILS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Julius Boult of 323 High Holborn in the County
"2
of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR FORGING
HORSE SHOE NAILS' a communication from William Werts a person residing
at Philadelphia Pennsylvania, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Julius Boult at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th June 1883.
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR FORGING HORSE-SHOE NAILS" [a communi-
cation from William Werts a person residing at Philadelphia Pennsylvania, United
States of America.]
This invention relates especially to that class of horse shoe nail machines in
which an anvil having a concave face is combined with laterally operating dios for
forging the edges of the nail blank and with a forging roller carried round by a
crank and acting in connection with the anvil to flatten and taper the shank; one
object of this invention being to control the forging roller and to readily change
its course in respect to the anvil; further objects thereof being to operate the
lateral dies by simple mechanism, to regulate their movement, to provide
appliances for cutting the forged nail from its nail rod and feed the latter inter-
mittingly to the machine, and to provide suitable means for heating the nail rod
upon its passago to the forming mechanism.
A machine embodying this invention consists of the following parts.
There is a base plate, to suitable bearings on which is adapted a cranked driving
shaft which may be either forged in one piece with the crank, or the shaft may be
in two parts each provided with a crank, and the two cranks being connected
together by the crank pin.
An arm carries at one end a forging roller, the journals of which are at liberty
to revolve freely and at a short distance from the roller the arm embraces and is
carried by a crank pin the rear end of the arm being connected to a pin or suitable
arms on the rock shaft, which is preferably forged in one piece with the arms
and pin

page_text: Another shaft vibrates in two bearing blocks, one adapted to each of two
vertical guides secured to the base of the machine, the blocks being made adjust-
áble in the said guides say by, set-screws, one above, and the other below each
block, the raising of the block being accomplished by the lowering of the forging
roller, and the latter being raised by the lowering of the blocks.
The rock shaft or vibrating shaft has at one end an arm the pin of which is
connected by a link to a pin, projecting from a block, adjustably secured to a
sliding rod which is adapted to guides on the base of the machine The sliding
rod is connected by a link and knee joint rods to the horizontal forging die. In
like manner, and through the medium of mechanism similar to that last described,
another arm on the rock shaft is caused to operate another horizontal dic
The dies which, during the operation of the machine approach each other simul-
taneously and are retracted simultaneously, while the forging roller is elevated, are
adapted to guides some of which are secured to the bed of the machine, others
being adjustablo thereon, so that they can be set up as the dies wear,
In order that the movement of the dies towards each other may be readily
adjusted the outer end of each knee joint rod is connected to a stud, which passes
through a slot in the base plate and is confined thereto by a nut, after loosening
which the stud may be adjusted by a small set screw.
An anvil has a concave face and it may be made in the arc of a circle, or on a
curve approximating thereto; the edge of the forging roller also traverses, during
the lower part of its course, in the arc of a circle, or in an approximate curve.
These two curves bear such relation to each other, that in some part of its move-
ment the roller is at a distance from the anvil, and gradually approaches the latter
so as to be at a short distance from the face of the said anvil when the forging
roller reaches-an-appropriate point.
The under side of the horizontal dies conforms with the shape of the concave
face of the anvil and slides on the same, the guides overlapping the dies, and
keeping them down to their places, the said dies being preferably inclined where
the inclined portions of the guides bear upon them. The edges of the two dies
are inclined so as to impart the desired lateral taper to the shank of the nail, the
edges being indented so as to form a lateral enlargement, which is to constitute the
head of the nail.
The severing of the nail from the rod is effected by two knives, one attached to
cach of the two arms pivoted to a pin passing through a link hinged to one arm of
a lever, which is pivoted to the base of the machine, and through the medium of
which the arms aro raised and lowered.
The last named arms pass through slots in the base plate, and are forced apart,
and against the ends of the slots by a spring interposed between the arms. During
the forging of the nail these arms with the cutters are depressed and out of action,
but just before the nail is completed they are elevated, and being brought within
range of the dics, the latter force the arms and knives towards each other, and the
finished nail is thus severed from the rod, after this the arms and cutters are at
once depressed, brought out of action, and remain out of action until another nail
has to be severed from the nail rod.
The mechanism I preferably used for effecting the desired movement of the lever,
and the raising and lowering of tho knife arms and their knives may be explained
as follows. The fulcrum pin of the lever is adapted to a bearing in a hanger
secured to the under side of the bed plate, and the long arm of the lever terminates
in a projection adapted to notches in the periphery of a disc on a shaft which has
its bearings in attachments to the base plate of the machine.
A ratchet wheel is secured to one end of the last named shaft, and is operated
Bay by an eccentric on the driving shaft through the medium of an eccentric rod,
a bell crank lever pivoted to the bed plate, and a pawl.
A strong spring bears on a projection on the long arm of the knife lever and a
lighter spring on the short arm, the strong spring resisting the effect of the
weaker spring, and tending to force the projection of the long arm of the lever

page_text: into a notch of the disc excepting at intervals, when one of the pins on another
dise secured to a suitable shaft raises the said spring, and when this takes place
the weaker spring will be at liberty to depress the short arm of the lever, and
with it the arins, and knives above referred to, and they will remain thus depressed
until another notch in the first disc presents itself to the projection of the long
arm of the lever, at which time that pin of the disc which had maintained the
strong spring out of action recedes therefrom, and permits the spring to depress
the projection into the notch of the first disc and this will result in the instant
rising of the short arm of the knife lever the raising of the arms and knives and
the severing of the completed nail from the nail rod in the manner described
above. In place of the light spring a weight may be suspended from the lever,
but a spring is preferred.
The shaft for the discs has its bearings in attachments to the base plate, and is
driven from another shaft through the medium of wheels. The finished and
severed nail is pushed from the anvil by the nail rod in feeding the same
forward.
For the feeding of the nail rod the opposite edges of a suitable plato are adapted
to guides on the bed plate, and an intermitting reciprocating motion is imparted
to this plate, the latter being moved forward by springs, and backwards by.
projections which may be at the back of a disc, on the disc shaft, a lug on the
under side of the base plate being within range of the projections.
There are four projections of quadrangular form and at equal distances apart,
and when the projections are in suitable position, the sliding plate is at liberty
to be moved forward by the springs, the backward movement being effected by
One of the projections as the disc is intermittently rotated.
In front of the machine are a series of upper and lower grooved rollers the
journals of the lower rollers being in fixed bearings, and those of the upper rollers
in bearings adapted to slide in guides on the base plate and acted on by set screws
which can be screwed down to impart more or less friction to the journals, for it'
should be understood that while the nail rod can be drawn forward with the plate
above described, it cannot be moved without an effort during the interval when
the said plate is being moved back by the devices above described.
Other guides and friction devices which will readily suggest themselves to expert
mechanics may be substituted for the grooved rollers
On the feed plate are two pairs of cam levers the levers on each side of the nail
rod being connected by rods; on each of those rods a spring so acts as to cause
cam-shaped portions of the levers to gripe the nail rod; this is during the forward
movement of the feed plate, and while the heated end of the nail rod is being noted*
upon by the forging roller and jaws. As the feed plate is retracted, however, tho
hold of the cam levers on the nail rod ceases, for, the said rod is so held by the
rollers that it cannot be carried back with said plate. One pair of cam levers
might suffice for the griping the nail rod, but two pairs of levers are preferred.
In order that the nail rod may be maintained at the desired heat while being
fed to the forming mechanism, a heater is placed midway between the anvil and
feeding device. This beater consists of a metallic case, either square or round,
supported upon the bed plate in any approved manner; the case is lined with firo
clay a chamber or passage being left for the passage of the nail rod therethrough.
Pipes conduct the heating material to the chamber gas, oil, coal, tar, or other
preferred material may be employed in generating heat.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alfred Julius Boult in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th December 1883.
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex
" a
Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR FORGING HORSE-SHOE NAILS
communication from William Werts, a person residing at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
United States of America
This invention relates especially to that class of horse-shoe nail machines, in
which an anvil having a concave face is combined with laterally operating dies for
forging the edges of the nail blank and with a forging roller carried round by a
crank and acting in conjunction with the anvil to flatten and taper the shank; one
object of this invention being to control the forging roller and to readily change
its course in respect to the anvil, further objects of this invention being to operate
the lateral dies by simple mechanism to regulate their movement, to provide
appliances for cutting the forged nail from the nail rod and feed the latter
intermittingly to the machine and to provide suitable means for heating the nail
rod upon its passage to the forming mechanism.
In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved horseshoe nail machine;
Figure 2 is a side elevation; Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal central section;
Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section on line y y of figuro 1. Figure 5 is a
perspective view of part of the feeding mechanism; Figuro 6 is an enlarged
sectional view of the cutting mechanism. Figure 7 is a side view of the anvil and
forging dies, enlarged; Figure 8' is a plan view of the anvil and parts of the
forging dies; Figures 9, 10 11 and 12 are perspective views illustrating the changes
of the rod into nails; Figure 13 is a sectional view of a portion of the feed
mechanism.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
It may be well in the first instance to refer to figures 9 to 12, figure 9
representing the crude nail rod; figure 10 an incipient nail formed on the rod by
the machine; figure 11 the nail nearly completed but still attached to the rod
and figure 12 the completed nail severed from the rod.
Referring to the machine illustrated in the several figures, 1 is the base plate to
suitable bearings 2 on which is adapted the cranked driving shaft 3 which may be
either forged in one piece with the crank or the shaft may be in two parts cach
provided with a crank and the two cranks being connected together by the crank
pin 4 as shown in the drawing.
An arm 5 carries at one end the forging roller 6 the journals of which are at
liberty to revolve freely and at a short distance from the roller the arm embraces
and is carried by the crank pin 4, the rear end of the arm being connected to a
pin 7 on arms 8, 8 on the rock shaft which is preferably forged in one piece
with the arms and pin. The shaft 9 vibrates in two bearing blocks 10 one
adapted to each of the vertical guides 11, 11 secured to the base of the machine,
the blocks being made adjustabl'in the said guides, in the present instance by set
screws 12 and 13 one above and the other below each block as best shown in
figure 3, the raising of the blocks being accomplished by the lowering of the
forging roller and the latter being raised by the lowering of the blocks.
The rock shaft 9 has at one end an arm 14 the pin of which is connected by a
link 15 to a pin 16 projecting from a block 17 adjustably secured to the sliding
rod 18 which is adapted to guides 19, 19, on the base of the machine. The
sliding rod is connected by the link 20 and knee joint rods 21 and 22 to the

page_text: horizontal forging die 23. In like manner and through the medium of mechanism
similar to that last described another arm 24 on the rock shaft 9 is caused to operate
another horizontal die 25.
The dios 23 and 25 which during the operation of the machine approach each
other simultaneously and are retracted simultaneously while the forging roller is
elevated, are adapted to guides 26, 26 and 27, 27, the former of which are secured
to the bed of the machine the latter being adjustable thereon so that they can be
set up as the dies wear in a manner more fully explained hereafter.
In order that the movement of the dies towards each other may be readily
adjusted the outer end of each knee joint rod 21 is connected to a stud 28 (fig 4)
which passes through a slot in the base plate and is confined thereto by a nut,
after loosening which, the stud may be accurately adjusted by a small set screw 29.
The anvil 30 is shown in Figures 3 and 4 but the arrangement and relation to the
forging dies 23 and 25 can be best explained by reference to the enlarged views
figures 7 and 8. As shown in figure 7 the face 31 of the anvil is concave and may
be made in the arc of a circle or on a curve approximating thereto; the edge of
the forging roller also traverses during the lower part of its course, in the arc of a
circle or in an approximate curve as indicated by the dotted line xx fig 7.
These two curves bear such relation to each other that, at 32 the roller is at a
distance from the anvil and gradually approaches the latter so as to be at a short
distance from the face of the said anvil when the forging roller reaches the
point 83. It is this relation of the course pursued by the edge of the forging
roller to the face of the anvil which insures the imparting of the proper shape or
taper to the nail and the thickness of this tapering portion of the nail will depend
upon the adjustment of the above mentioned blocks 10, 10, by which adjustinent
the forging roller can be made to traverse in a course nearer to or further from the
anvil. It will be seen by reference to figure 7 that the underside of the
horizontal dics conforms with the shape of the concave face of the anvil and slides
on the same, the guides 26 and 27 overlapping the dies and keeping them down
to their places the said dies being preferably inclined where the inclined portions
of the guides bear upon them.
On referring to the enlarged plan view fig. 8. it will be seen that the edges 34
and 35 of the two dies are inclined so as to impart the desired lateral taper to the
shank of the nail, these edges being indented at 36 36 so as to form the lateral
enlargement 37 fig. 10 which is to constitute the head of the nail.
In operating on the heated rod introduced above the anvil by mechanism
hereinafter described the dies and forging roller act on the rod alternately the
roller flattening out the rod and imparting to it a varying thickness and the dies
contracting the rod and imparting the desired lateral tapor to it. It has been
found in practice that about ten actions of the forging roller and dies in alternatoly
flattening and contracting the nail rod are necessary to completely form the nail
before it is cut off from said rod. The severing of the nail from the rod is effected
by two knives 38 38 one attached to each of the arms 39 and 40 which are pivoted
to a pin 41 passing through a link 42 which is hinged to one arm of a lever 43
which is pivoted to the base of the machine and through the medium of which
the arms are raised and lowered.
The arms 39 and 40 pass through slots 44, 44 in the base plate and are forced
apart and against the ends of the slots by a spring 45 interposed between the
arms and shown by dotted lines in fig 6 and plain lines in fig. 4. During the forging
of the nail these arms with the cutters are depressed and out of action but just
before the tenth action of the dies they are elevated and being brought within
range of said dies the latter force the arms and knives towards each other and the
finished nail is thus severed from the rod, as indicated in figure 12, after which
the arms.and cutters are at once depressed, brought out of action and remain out
of action until another nail has to be severed from the nail rod.
The mechanism which is preferred for effecting the desired movement of the
lever 43 and the raising and lowering of the arms 39 and 40 and their knives can

page_text: be best explained by reference to figs 3 and 5. The fulcrum pin 46 of the
lever 43 is adapted to a bearing 47 in a hanger 48 secured to the underside of the
bed plate and the long arm of the lever terminating in a projection 49 adapted to
notches in the periphery of the disk 50 on a shaft 51 which has its bearings in
attachments to the base plate of the machine. A ratchet wheel 52 is secured to
one end of the shaft 51 and is operated in the present instance by an excentric
on the driving shaft through the medium of the excentric rod 53 bell crank
lever 54 pivotted to the bed plate and a pawl 55, see fig 2.
A strong spring 56 bears on a projection on the long arm of the lever 43 as best
observed in fig 5 and a lighter spring 57 on the short arm the strong spring
resisting the effect of the weaker spring and tending to force the projection 49 of
the long arm of the lever into a notch of the disc 50 excepting at intervals when
one of the pins 58 on the disc 59 secured to a shaft GO raises the said spring and
when this takes place, the weaker spring will be at liberty to depress the short
arm of the lever and with it the arms 39 and 40 and knives above referred to and
they will remain thus depressed until another notch in the disc 50 presents itself
to the projection 49 of the long arm of the lever at which time that pin of the
dise 59 which had maintained the strong pin out of action recedes therefrom and
permits the spring to depress the projection into the notch of the disc 50 and this
will result in the instant rising of the short arm of the lever 43 the raising of the
arms 39 and 40 and the severing of the completed nail from the nail rod in the
manner described above. In place of the light spring 57 a weight may be
suspended from the lever but a spring is preferred.
The shaft 60 has its bearing in attachments to the base plate, and is driven from
the shaft 51 through the medium of wheels shown in Fig 5 or any other suitable
system of gearing. In the present instance the ratchet wheel 52 has such a number
of teeth and the extent of the movement of the pawl is such that the above
described movement of the lever 43 and consequent rising of the knives within.
range of the dies shall take place immediately before the tenth action of the dies
but if a greater or less number of actions be required before the nail is severed
from the rod, the mechanism described must be altered accordingly. It will be
understood that the fiuished and severed nail is pushed from the anvil by the nail
rod in feeding the same forward, the device for feeding the nail rod to the machine
being shown in Figures 1. 2 and 3.
The opposite edges of a plate 61 are adapted to guides 62 on the bed plate and
an intermitting reciprocating motion is imparted to this plate the latter being
moved forward by springs 63 and backwards by projections 64 which in the present
instance are at the back of the above mentioned disc 41 on the shaft 60 a lug 65
on the under side of the base plate being within range of the projections as will be
best understood by Figure 13.
There are four projections 64 of quadrangular form and at equal distances apart
and when the projections are in the position shewn in Figure 13 the sliding plate
is at liberty to be moved forward by the springs, the backward movement being
effected by one of the projections as the disc 59 is intermittently rotated.
In front of the machine are a series of upper and lower grooved rollers 66 the
journals of the lower rollers being in fixed bearings and those of the upper rollers
in bearings adapted to slide in guides on the base plate and acted on by set screws 67
which can be screwed down to impart more or less friction to the journals, for it should
be understood that while the nail rod 68 can be drawn forward with the plate 61
by the spring 63 it cannot be moved without an effort during the interval when
the said plate 61 is being moved back by the devices above described.
Other guides and friction devices which will readily suggest themselves to expert
mechanics may be substituted for the grooved rollers
On the plate 61 are two pairs of cam levers 69. the levers on one side of the
nail rod 68 being connected by rods 70 and those on the other sides by similar
rods and on each of these rods a spring 71 so acts as to cause the cam-shaped
portions 37 of the levers to gripe the nail rod, this is during the forward movement

page_text: of the plate 61 and while the heated end of the nail rod is being acted upon by the
forging roller and jaws. As the plate 61 is retracted however, the hold of the cain
levers on the nail rod coases for as before remarked the said rod is so held by the
rollers that it cannot be carried back with said plate 61. One pair of cam lovers
might suffice for griping the nail rod but the use of two pairs of levers are
preferred.
In order that tho nail rod may be maintained at the desired heat while being
fed to the forming mechanism, a henter is placed midway between the anvil and
feeding device. This heater consists of a metallic caso cither square or round 72
supported upon the bed plate 1 in any approved manner the case is lined with fire
clay 73 a chamber or passage 75 being left for the passage of the nail rod there-,
through. 74 are pipes for conducting the heating material to the chamber 75.
Gas, oil, coal tar or other preferred material may be employed in generating heat
Having now fully described the nature of the said invention and the manner of
performing the same as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent I claim
1. The combination in a horse shoe nail machine of the following instru-
mentalitics namely "a a concave anvil, "b" a cranked shaft "c" an arm carried
by the crank pin of the shaft and provided near one end with a forging roller
and "d" a cranked rock shaft free to oscillate and having a crank pin carrying the
opposite end of the said arm all substantially as set forth.
"
2nd The combination of the anvil, the cranked shaft 3, the arm 5 carrying tho
forging roller, the cranked rock shaft 9 connected to the said arm and the
vertically adjustable bearings adapted to the said shaft 9 substantially as specified.
3rd The combination of the anvil the cranked shaft 3, the arm 5, the crank shaft 9,
dies 23 and 25 and intervening mechanism whereby the dies are operated from the
said shaft 9 substantially as described.
4th. The combination of the rock shaft 9 and its arms 14 and 24, the guided
reciprocating rods 18 and 18 adjustably connected to the said arms the dies 23
and 25, and the above described knee joint connections of the rods with the dies
all substantially as set forth.
5th The combination of the reciprocating bars 18, 18 the dies 23 and 25 the knee-
joint arms 21 and 22 connected to the dies and to the bars and the adjustable pin 28
to which the arm 21 is connected substantially as set forth.
6th The combination of the reciprocating rods 18, the dies 23 and 25 the knee-
joint rods 21 and 22 and the adjustable studs 28, to which said rods 21 are connected
substantially as set forth.
7th The combination of the anvil 30 having a concave face 32 the arm 5 and its
forging roller and the reciprocating dies 23 and 25 having undersides conforming
to the face of the anvil, with the guides 26 and adjustable guides 27 substantially
as described.
8th The combination of the anvil, the reciprocated dics 23 and 25 the pivotted
arms 39 and 40 cach carrying a knife 38 with automatic mechanism whereby the
said arms are at intervals elevated within range of the dies so as to be operated
thereby, substantially as specified
9 The combination of the anvil and reciprocated dies 23 and 25 and the knifo
carrying arms 39 and 40 with the lever 43 the intermittently rotated disc 50 the
springs 50 and 57 and mechanism whereby the lever 43 is relieved at intervals from
the pressure of the said spring 56, all substantially as set forth.
10th The combination of the lever 43 carrying the knife arms 39 and 40, the
springs 56 and 57 the intermittingly rotated shaft 51 and its notched disc 50 the
shuft 60 geared to the said shaft 51 and having a disc 59 with pins 55 substantially
as described
11 The combination in a nail machine of the following elements, namely first,
the anvil, reciprocated dies 23 and 25 and arm 5 carrying the forging roller;
second, a guide plate 61 and mechanism for reciprocating the samo; third one or
more pairs of cam levers for griping the nail rod and releasing the same and fourth

page_text: a device for permitting the same to be fed under friction all substantially as set
forth.
12th The combination of the guide plate 61 its cam levers and lug 65 with an
intermittently rotated shaft carrying a disc or plate having projections 04 and with
springs 63 substantially as shewn and described.
13 The combination with a horse shoe nail machine of a heater through which
the nail rod passes befor reaching the forming mechanism substantially as shewn
and described.
14th In'a horse shoe. nail machine of the character herein specified, a nail rod
heater having an outer casing 72 lining 73 and pipes 74 adapted and arranged to
conduct the fuel for consumption to the interior of the heater substantially as shewn
...and described
In witness wherof I the said Alfred Julius Boult have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty sixth day of December in the year of our Lord one -thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.