Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 26th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 9th Sept., 1887
I, GEORGE JOSEPH CAPEWELL of Cheshire, Connecticut, United States of America,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the manufacture of nails, and to machinery or apparatus
therefor.
My improvements are chiefly applicable to nail-machines of that kind or class
wherein a length of nail-wire is fed cold into the machine, and is cut into short
oblong blanks which pass between roller dies whereby each blank is gradually drawn
to form the nail-shank and is then delivered to mechanism for bevelling, trimming
and heading the said blank to form the finished nail; the several operations upon
the blank from the time of its severance from the rod to the time when it drops from
the machine a finished product, being automatically performed.
Some of my said improvements are however, also applicable to other kinds or
classes of nail-machines.
The main object of my invention is to provide a machine in which all the types
of horse-shoe nails in use in various Countries can be automatically made, and
in which all the required shapes and sizes of the several types can be equally well
produced. To this end my invention comprises various improvements all hereinafter
described.
In my improved machine, there are upright frames which are fixed to or form
a part of the bed-plate, and in which most of the shafts and journals of the several
rotary parts of the mechanism have their bearings.
The nail wire is fed from a reel between guide-rolls and between feed-rolls, below
which the oblong blanks are cut from the end of the said wire. Each blank passes
between roller dies carried by a series of shafts arranged in pairs, at intervals,
in bearing blocks supported in the said frames. The function of the roller dies
is to draw the blank to form the nail-shank leaving unaltered the part which is
to form the head. From the last pair of dies of the series the blank is passed
into the control of mechanism by means of which the several operations of bevelling
and trimming the point and swaging and forming the head are performed.

page_text: In the rear of the machine on the main shaft is supported a driving pulley which
turns freely on the said shaft, except when engaged by the clutch device. The clutch
device is operated by means of any convenient or ordinary form of shipping lever,
and a detailed description of this device is not needed in order to understand its
operation. On the main shaft there is fixed a pinion which is geared with and drives
a toothed-wheel fixed on the heading cam shaft, and also a large toothed wheel,
on the shaft of which is fixed a pinion from which two other toothed wheels
are driven. One of each of the pairs of roller-die shafts extends between two of the
aforesaid frames, while the other shaft of each pair extends beyond the said frame
and is united by means of a coupling to a short driving shaft having fixed thereon
one of a train of gear-wheels. One of these gear wheels is fixed on the feed roll shaft ;
the next is fixed on the cut-off shaft; the next five gear-wheels below that are fixed
on the several roller-die shafts, which are arranged alternately upon opposite shafts of
each pair, so that the roller-die shafts which are connected by smaller gear-wheels are
driven toward each other in each pair. The rest of the series of roller-dies are driven
by similar small gear-wheels. One of the aforesaid toothed wheels is also in gear with
a pinion on the shaft from which the " quarter turn" plate and other devices
hereinafter described are operated.
A wire-straightening lever is pivotally connected to the top of one of the frames
so as to move in the plane of the front of the frame, and has guide rollers upon
opposite sides of its pivot. On the top of the frame is secured an adjustable block
provided with a stop by means of which the angular position of the wire-straightening
lever is determined. This stop may be removed to allow the lever to be swung into
a vertical position, and is replaced to hold it in such angular position that the
said guide rolls in connection with the two feed rolls directly below them, may be
used to straighten the wire as it is fed into the machine. The feed rolls are carried
by the projecting ends of shafts which are supported in spring seated bearing blocks,
that enable these rolls to yield and move apart so that their adjacent faces will conform
to the slightly varying thickness of the nail-wire or stock. They may be held
permanently apart, however, by means of a wedge lever which is pivotally connected
to the frame, and to a wedge the point of which projects between the rolls from
beneath.
After the end of the wire is passed between the feed rolls, it is intersepted in its
- downward progress, by meeting the end of a gauge pivotted to the frame, and
adjustable in the direction of movement of the wire by means of a nut on a
screw-threaded rod, which is attached to the frame at the end opposite the said nut,
and passes through the body of the gauge. The position of this gauge determines
the exact length of the blank which is sheared from the rod by means of the cut-off
device. This cut-off device consists of a "dead" cutter seated in a block attached
to the frame and adjustable by means of a feed-screw toward and away from the path
of the nail-wire as it is fed into the machine; and of a "live" cutter which has
a sliding motion in a guide-way formed in a block attached to the frame. This live
cutter is thrust forward by means of a cut-off lever under the impulse of a wiper
consisting of cam lugs projecting from a rotary cut-off shaft and is held outward
by means of a spring, one end of which is attached to the cutter and the other to the
frame. By the forward movement of this cutter, a certain length of stock is sheared
off, which is dropped directly into the upper end of a guide-way, down which
passes between the first pair of roller dies.
it
When the whole of the length of nail-wire has been unwound from the reel and the
end of the said wire passes below the inner end of a feeler-arm, the outer end
of which is secured to a rotary stop rod, a spring pulls this arm sidewise, rotates the
said rod and stops the machine by means of a device hereinafter described. In case
the oblong blank cut from the end of the wire by the cut off device, becomes clogged,
so that it does not drop into the guide-way, it is pushed against the end of a slide
block which in turn pushes another rod and a spring outward against the end
of a stop finger fixed on the stop rod, in such manner as to partially rotate this rod,
and thus stop the machine. This movement of the said slide block releases one end

page_text: of a tilting cut-off lever latch and allows the opposite and hooked end of this latch
to engage with the cut-off lever and hold it forward out of contact with the wiper,
and thus completely stops the movement of the cutters.
Another stop device is employed, in case a blank becomes clogged in the guide-way.
This guide-way is formed in a sectional block. One of the parts of this block
is attached to the face of the frame, the other part is attached to the fixed part
by means of dowels taking into holes in the said fixed part, and is held in its proper place
by the pressure of a stop-lever. This stop lever is made in two parts both pivotted to
a standard by a common pivot, in a position to move in a plane at substantially right
angles to the guide-way, the longer part overlapping the shorter part, and being
provided with a turn button or like device, the overhanging edge of which may
be made to engage with the outer edge of the shorter part so that, when the movable
block is thrust outward by the clogging of a blank in the guide-way, the whole lever will
be turned so as to thrust the outer end of the lever inward and push against the stop
finger on the stop rod and thus turn the latter and stop the machine. The movable
block or section of the guide-way is held in place by the stop-lever under the pressure
of a spring.
In order to show in what part of the guide-way the difficulty or clogging has
occurred, an indicator is secured to the face of the frame in such a position that the
said stop lever will be caused, by the outward push of the movable block or section to
act upon a spring catch and trip a slide which is then thrust out of the box or casing
of the indicator by the impulse of a spring, thus indicating the locality of the clogging.
After removing the cause of the stopping, the parts are replaced, the indicator set and
the machine again started.
The guide-way is a tubular channel formed in the substance of the said blocks or in
any other convenient manner, and is so twisted lengthwise between each pair of
roller-dies that the blank which is subjected to edgewise pressure in one of the pair of
dies turns, in its passage to the next pair, so that it grasped and pressed flatwise,
that is to say, it is turned through an angle of ninety degrees in its passage from one
pair of dies to the succeeding pair of dies; the result of this operation of the dies
alternately upon opposite sides of the oblong blank being to shape it so that it leaves
the last pair of dies formed as regards the shank section, but unaltered as regards the
head section, with the exception of the inclined shoulders formed by the roller dies as
hereinafter described.
The roller dies are made in segmental sections and are removably secured to the
die-shafts, as,
for example, by means of dowel pins and screws. Each die-section has
two or more die-grooves for shaping the blanks. These die-grooves are formed at
equal distances from the opposite sides of the face of the die-section, so that, when one
groove has become worn the unworn groove may be brought into use by reversing
the die-section, and this may be done with but slight loss of time.
"
As soon as the nail-blank, in its progress down the guide-way, has passed the last
pair of shank-forming dies, it passes directly into a quarter-turn" plate, the function
of which is to change the direction of motion of the blank, which, up to this time, has
passed from pair to pair of the dies by the action of gravity. This "quarter-turn" plate
is so made that it has two or more independent transverse tracks or channels along
which a blank can move without the least obstruction from end to end. A plate or
disc is sometimes used for this purpose having a removable cover. By the term
independent as herein used, to characterize the channels in the "quarter-turn" plate,
I intend to bring out the fact that each channel or covered track is complete in itself
and has a clear way with unbroken walls from end to end, although several channels
may cross the same centre of rotation of the plate or its equivalent. In machines of
this class as heretofore constructed the channels open into each other; in fact they
radiate from a common central space and thus require that a nail-blank shall be pushed
completely out of one channel before the next blank can be dropped into the other
channel, and there is danger of clogging the blank in its movement along the channel
by reason of the breaks in the walls. By means of my improvement the risk of such

page_text: clogging is avoided and greater speed in the feeding of the blanks into and out of the
several channels in the plate is ensured.
The said plate or its equivalent a number of pipes is mounted on a short shaft
provided with a bevel-wheel gearing with a like bevel wheel on the shaft of the
quarter-turn" mechanism. One of the large gear-wheels above mentioned gears
with a pinion on a shaft on which is fixed an excentric. This excentric is connected
by a strap and rod with the crank mounted on the "quarter-turn" shaft so that it is
free to swing or vibrate on the said shaft. On the said shaft and next to the hub of
the crank are located three ratchet wheels which are secured to the shaft and a spring
pawl pivotted to the said crank engages with the teeth of one of the said ratchet wheels
to change the vibrating movement of the crank into the intermittent step-by step
rotation of the shaft which operates the "quarter-turn" plate.
It is important that the movement of this plate should be positive and that, when
it stops after each partial rotation, there should be no lost or return motion of the
plate, as the inlet end of each channel must correctly register with the bottom of the
guide-way in one of its positions, and in its next position, must correctly register with
the nail-socket of the heading dic, into which the blank is thrust by the drive-in rod.
To give this positive motion to the "quarter-turn" plate there are detent levers
pivotted at one end to a suitable bracket or support and with the free end of each
adapted to make contact with the teeth of two of the said ratchet wheels. A pin
projecting from the side of the said crank in the forward movement of the crank
pushes one of the detent levers out of engagement with a tooth on the corresponding
ratchet wheel thus allowing the shaft to turn by contact of the said spring pawl with
a tooth of another ratchet wheel this rotation of the shaft continues until the end of
this detent lever engages the next tooth of its ratchet wheel and stops it, at the same
time the other end of the other detent lever slips into engagement with a tooth in the
corresponding ratchet wheel and prevents rotation of the shaft in the opposite
direction.
The function of the drive-in mechanism is to force the blank out of the
"quarter-turn" plate into the heading die, and a reciprocating movement is given to
the drive-in rod by a link connected to the lower end of the drive-in lever the upper
end of which is fixed on a crank shaft supported in bearings cross-wise of one of the
aforesaid frames.
On the other end of this shaft is secured a crank arm connected by a rod with
the pitman slide of the header-die operating mechanism. By means of this device the
vertical movement of the pitman is translated into a horizontal reciprocation of the
drive-in rod. In order to prevent the breaking of the parts by the clogging of
a nail-blank in the "quarter-turn plate, the drive-in lever is made in sections, the
upper one being fast to the crank-shaft and provided at its lower end with a curved
arm or quadrant while the lower section of the drive-in lever is pivotted to this upper
section and is held in engagement with it by means of a spring pin, seated in a socket
in the upper section and having a conical end taking into a recess in the lower section
of the drive-in lever.
If this drive-in lever meets with resistance in its reciprocating motion, the effect
will be to separate these sections of the lever, and to push outward the spring and
thus turn a bell-crank-lever supported on a lug on the frame, in such manner as to
operate to turn the stop rod with a stop finger on which this bell-crank-lever is
connected.
"
The heading dies into which the nail blank is driven from the "quarter-turn
plate, are held in a heading plate which is fixed upon and turns with a shaft. The
rotary motion of this shaft is an intermittent step-by-step motion exactly timed with
the motions of the "quarter-turn" plate and this step-by-step motion is given by the
following device viz.:-At a convenient point on the heading plate shaft there is
secured a ratchet wheel and a detent wheel. A crank arm is fitted to turn loosely on
the said shaft. A spring pawl is pivotally connected to one side of the crank arm and
is adapted to engage with the teeth of the ratchet wheel. Vibratory movement is

page_text: imparted to this crank by means of a pitman driven from a crank pin fast to the side
of one of the gear-wheels. This pitman is composed of two parts which are fitted to
slide lengthwise upon each other and the outer part is held in its extended position by
means of a pin fixed in a spring by means of which the conical point of the pin is
caused to engage with a socket in the side of the said outer part. In case there is
any obstruction to the rotary movement of the heading plate shaft, this pitman yields
lengthwise when a certain degree of pressure is reached, and prevents the breaking of
the parts.
The hooked upper end of an arm which is secured to the bed plate, limits the upward
movement of the said crank arm, and, after the pitman has been closed together as
above described, it is again extended to the proper length by the pull of the crank
upon one end of the pitman, and of this hooked arm upon the other end thereof.
In order to hold the heading plate in the proper position at the end of each of its
partial rotations, two detent levers are employed. The operation of the lever is
effected by gravity; the other lever is lifted by a pin on the crank arm and depressed
by a spring at proper times, a lug or tooth on the under side of the lever dropping
into a recess in the edge of the detent wheel and aiding in holding the heading plate
shaft and the plate firm against rotation in either direction until the proper time for
the next movement.
After the nail blank has been driven into the heading die it is carried with the
heading plate in its step-by-step rotation and, in one of the pauses of this plate, it is
held with the point end of the shank between bevelling dies, by the operation of which
a bevel is produced on the nail shank. On the front end of the heading cam shaft
there is secured a bevelling cam which, in its rotation, acts upon a roller journalled
in the end of a tilting lever, a short arm or knuckle on which pushes a plunger
having on its outer end a flat die with great force upon the nail-shank while it is held
on another die which is secured to a base plate. The said plunger is lifted off the
work and held in contact with the said knuckle by a spring seated in a socket in the
frame or in a block attached thereto. The bevelling die is a round disc with a flat
face, while the other die is formed preferably on the end of a cylinder and has a
bevelled edge and a counter sunk centre the angular position of the working surfaces
of the die being such that the proper degree of bevel is given to a nail laid raidially
upon it. The advantage of this form of die is that when it has become worn and
uneven at any part by simply rotating it on the central screw that fastens it to the
bed or base plate, a new surface is brought into play and this makes a cheap and
durable device. The flat die is rotary in like manner to renew the working surfaces.
At another pause in this intermittent movement of the heading plate, the nail is
presented to the action of trimming dies which by shearing off a scrap, leave a point
on the nail. One of the trimmer dies is a wedge-shaped-punch clamped between jaws
or cheek pieces in a recess in the trimmer base by means of screw bolts and presenting
one end to the back of the point end of the nail-blank, while the other end is supported
against the end of a screw bolt held in a fixed position by means of a nut. The other
trimmer die is made up of two blades clamped in a socket in the trimmer slide and
held apart at the back ends by a wedge solid with the slide while the front ends
meet at a point a short distance in front of the face of the slide, the wedge-shaped
lateral opening between and lengthwise of the blades presenting, at the end of this
die, an opening exactly conforming to the end of the punch which enters this opening
at each reciprocation of the slide, the said scrap being sheared or trimmed from the
nail-blank by its operation.
There is fast to the trimmer base a reciprocating clearer which is carried by a spring
scated spindle in a socket in the base and has a V-shaped or forked point, the tines
of which extend over and are adapted to slide lengthwise of the aforesaid die or punch.
The normal position of the clearer is in a plane slightly in advance of the end of
this die, and the front end of the trimmer slide, in its movement strikes the end of
the clearer, pushes it back along the other die and at the same time the latter die
cuts off the scrap from the nail-blank and pushes it into the die or punch. On the
return movement of the slide, the clearer follows it out under the impulse of the

page_text: spring and pushes the scrap off from the die or punch, and causes it to fall clear of the
mechanism through an opening below the dies.
The trimmer slide is reciprocated by means of the crank shaft coupled thereto by
a pitman a pinion being fixed on this shaft and geared with a pinion fixed on the
operating shaft. The trimmer base and slide are so arranged that they can he moved
to-and-fro to adjust the mechanism according to the length of the nail to be trimmed.
The next and final operation to which the nail blank is subjected in the machine
is the swaging of the head; this is done by means of the heading dies.
One part of each of these dies is formed in, or preferably attached to, the heading
plate, while the other part is carried by a reciprocating plunger operated by the
heading slide which is attached to the bed of the machine.
The heading cam shaft has mounted thereon a heading cam and a follower cam
these two cams are in close rolling contact with cam rolls journalled in projections
from the pitman slide which has a vertical reciprocation in guides secured to the
frame. The lower end of the pitman slide is pivotally connected to one end of a
link, the other end of which is connected to toggle arms. One of the latter is pivotted
to and thrusts against the solid body of the bed, while the other end is pivotted to
and thrusts against a heading slide which moves in guide-ways attached to, or formed
in, the bed of the machine. This slide has projecting through its face a number of
stout bolts the front ends of which may be adjusted with reference to the face of
the slide and held in place by means of nuts. In the forward movement of the slide
its front end, or the ends of these bolts strike the rear end of two plungers and
drive them forward toward the heading plate. The front ends of these plungers
either form, or are fitted with, the complementary parts of the heading dies.
In some instances the front end of one of the said plungers strikes upon the end
of the nail which is held in the heading die plate, and swages it to shape, while, in
other instances, in connection with nails of peculiar form that will be hereinafter
described, the end of the plunger has fitted thereon a cupped or recessed die. The
heading plate or the die which is held in it is backed up and supported under the
blow of the plunger by a suitable butt-piece.
After the head has been formed on the nail, it is pushed out from the plate, or at
the next pause, by means of a push out device. This push out is a sliding rod or
punch moving in a socket in the trimmer piece in line with the axis of the nail,
which, in one of the pauses of the plate, stops directly opposite the inner end of
the rod.
The outer end of this rod is pivotted to one end of the push-out lever whose
other end is provided with a pin projecting into a cam-slot in the face of a cam
which is fixed on and rotates with, the trimmer slide shaft. As soon as the nail
is clear of the heading plate it drops through an opening in the bed of the machine
into any suitable receptacle. As an aid, however, in removing the nail from the
heading plates, a pull out device, may be used. This device consists of a slide dove-
tailed to a stand or bracket and carrying a hooked bent lever the front end of which
is adapted to embrace the head of the nail and is held firmly upon it, in the return
movement of the slide, by the pull of a rod through the medium of a lever which is
driven by a cam fixed on one of the operating shafts.
Several of the devices for partially rotating the stop rod have been already explained
and the effect of such partial rotation of the rod is to stop the machine. When the
rod turns in one direction a knock off device is lifted out of contact with an adjustable
block on the knock off rod which at once yields and moves endwise in a bracket under
the impulse of a spring which pushes the upper end of the swinging knock-off lever
against the end of the said rod. The lower end of this lever is forked and engages
with a groove in a sliding block splined or keyed upon and turning with one of the
operating shafts. This block has a number of cams or lugs which are by this move-
ment of the block brought into contact with the upper end of a lever pivotted to the
bed or base plate with its lower end engaging with a bolt which is, by this movement
of the said lever drawn back so as to release the clutch rod, into a socket in the side
of which the end of the bolt is adapted to catch when the rod is at one end of its

page_text: sliding play. This clutch rod moves in guides on the bed of the machine and is
pivotted at one end to the shipping lever by means of which the clutch is operated
and, at the other end to a hand lever at the front of the machine. The upper end of
this lever is conveniently located for starting the machine from the front end, after a
spring has pulled the clutch rod back to stop the machine.
An important feature of my invention is the method or process that enables me to
produce nails with heads of any desirable size from nail-stock of comparatively small
cross-sectional area. One feature and particular point of improvement in this respect
consists in forming the nail shank on a blank of suitable size, then swelling the head
section of the blank laterally in dies and then completing the forming of the head by
successive blows or pressure in dies of the required shape; a further feature of
improvement relates to the method of preventing the jamming of a blank in the
heading die which in one form consists in forming an abrupt shoulder on the blank
where the shank terminates and making the heading socket in the die with walls of
less slope than that of the shoulder. For this purpose I use a heading die which has
a socket tapering from its broader openings in the upper face of the die to the
narrower portions on the other side of the die. This socket has on two of its sides a
substantially straight taper from the upper to the lower surface of the die, although
both sides are relieved slightly near the bottom of the die, while on one of the
remaining sides the lower portion is cut away at an angle with the upper part of the
sloping surface on a plane more nearly conforming to the slope of the opposite side,
which is an even slope from top to bottom.
In compressing the oblong head section of the blank to the requisite final shape of
the head by methods heretofore adopted there is danger of crippling this section in
the first blow struck upon it by the heading dies, and this is particularly the case
when the head section is made long enough to provide a sufficient mass of stock to
form a large head. This crippling of the stock in the head section I effectually
prevent by placing the nail-blank in the heading dies with the shoulders resting
against the opposite and regular sloping sides of the socket, the blank standing erect
in the die, and in this position striking it with a cupped die, the form of the cup or
recess in this die being governed by the size of stock from which the head is to be
formed.
The result of the operation of the cupped die upon the nail-blank as above described
is to swell the head section at about its central portion and thus form a brace against
heading or crippling at this part, if it is desirable to finish the head by striking the
blank a further blow end wise with a flat or other die while it is held in the lower die.
The function of the shoulders on the nail blank is to support it in the socket in the
die by the contact of the outer edge of such shoulders with the sloping sides of the
socket; the effect being, that when the head section of the blank is compressed
lengthwise by a blow or pressure in the dies, the blank will not be pushed far enough
into the socket to cause it to jam; the angular shape of the shoulders at the parts in
contact with the sides of the socket providing sufficient resistance to inward movement
of the blank to cause the head section to be compressed lengthwise and yet leave the
blank so loosely held on the die that it may be readily pushed out when required. If
it were not for the resistance to inward motion thus offered by this peculiar construc-
tion of the relative parts of the socket in the die and the blank, the latter would be
pushed so far through the die as to prevent or greatly obstruct its removal except
with extreme difficulty, from any heading socket in a solid die of the kind above
referred to.
1
The head of the nail may be finished, while the blank is still held in the socket by
means of a flat die that causes the head section to fill out into the socket and conform
substantially in shape thereto; this final forming of the head causes the blank
which until this time has stood substantially erect in the socket, to tip over toward one
side in the socket and the shank to project at an angle with the lower face of the die.
This makes one side of the head conform substantially to the plane of the back of the
nail, while the opposite side stands at the proper slope to the front of the nail, the top
of the head sloping downward slightly from the plane of the back of the nail or being

page_text: bevelled. The degree of this latter slope or bevel depends upon the relative thickness
of the head. The nail, after the head is thus finished, is easily pushed out from the
sockets in the die.
In making a nail with a proportionately large head, a blank, which is usually cut
from a wire or rod of stock, rectangular in cross-section, as above described is used.
After forming the shank by any ordinary and convenient process, the blank is pressed
in a die, the socket in which is proportionately larger than the socket used in making
the nail above described. The head section of this blank is subjected to the action of
the cupped die and the socketted die to produce a peculiar swell, a result precisely the
same as that produced in the operation above described; the shoulders on the blank
having precisely the same function as in the case of the other nail. The nail-head
may be subjected to the operation of a number of dies having cups or recesses of
various shapes prior to the final blow with a flat die, the blank remaining meanwhile
in the socket in the lower die. The effect of the final blow tips the nail blank to one
side as above described so that the shank projects at an angle from the lower side of
the die.
When it is desired to make a nail of the shape composed of frustums of pyramids
joined at their bases, the blank is not subjected to the action of a flat finishing die but
the head is left in one of the intermediate stages.
In order to form a comparatively large head, it was formerly necessary to use a
nail-stock of an area in cross section almost equal to that of the head in its largest
part and to draw the nail shank down from this large stock. This was impossible
unless the stock was heated, and a process that involves this heating of the blanks is
objectionable for reasons bearing not only on the time taken but on the large number
of steps in the process and on the quality of the finished article, points unfavourable
to this process as compared with my process in which the stock has no preliminary
heating.
By means of my improvement in the method of making the heads, nail stock of the
proper size to be drawn down into a shank without unfavourably affecting the tenacity
and cohesion of the fibres of the metal may be used, and although this requires a
relatively long head-section to be left, yet such a head-section is by my process and
devices thoroughly and exactly compressed while unheated, to the desired shape and
size, gaining in such process extreme compactness, density and wearing qualities.
Instead of making use of the peculiar resisting shoulders on the blank, a sectional
die divided in a plane lengthwise of the head is sometimes used, the plane of the
section passing through the socket.
In this sectional form of heading die one section of the die is backed up by the
substance of the die-plate and the opposite die part or section is pushed radially
outward by means of a sliding wedge so as to complete the die and the head forming
socket. This movable part of the die is held in the plate or the die block by splines
or keys fitting into grooves in the edges of the block. The wedge moves in and out
in its socket in the plate in a plane substantially at right angles to the face of the die,
and is moved in to close the die parts by a spring actuated plunger which is pushed
forward by the heading slide and, just before the flat face die strikes the head of the
nail blank, comes into contact with the wedge and forces and holds it in and the die
parts together. The wedge is pushed out to allow the die parts to separate to release
the nail by a bevelled surface on the end of the die striking a cam or inclined surface
on the bed of the machine and in the path of the wedge as it revolves with the die
plate.
The solid form of heading die is sometimes held in place by dowel pins or screws
projecting into sockets in the plate and also by means of the twin buttons which are
oval in form, and are held to the plate by screws passing through a slot in the centre
of the button, the opposite ends of which overlie the flanged edge of the die held
between each two buttons.
In this form of my invention provision is for the first time made, in a machine
embodying a rotary heading plate, for the holding of a complete socketted heading die
in the plate, and a material advantage results from this construction in simplicity of

page_text: parts, great ease of renewal of worn parts, and superior work, as regards the nail due
to solidity and rigidity of the die; and this is made possible by reason of my improve-
ment above described, whereby I provide for enabling a nail after heading to be easily
removed from the die.
Provision is also made in my machine for using a sectional heading die in the die
plate, the several parts of such sectional die being surrounded on all sides by the
substance of the plate, the ends only being practically flush with the opposite faces of
the plate. The parts of the die, the line of division between which passes through the
heading socket, are closed together by the movement of the sliding wedge by the
means above described.
The advantage of this feature, vizt. the location of the blank holding die closely
held and surrounded on the sides by the substance of the heading die-plate is that the
pressure upon the die parts in swaging the head of the nail to shape, is borne by the
substance of the heading plate, whereas in prior machines of this class, in which a
rotary heading plate is used, one part only of a sectional die has been borne by the
plate in mortises in the periphery of the plate while another section of the die has
been borne on the bed of the machine.
In the operation of this prior die, the lateral thrust upon the die parts is brought
upon the shaft on which the heading plate is borne and tends to bend the shaft and
throw the plate out of alignment, and thus interfere with the correct registering of
the blanks with the several tools to the action of which they are subjected in the pauses
in the intermittent motion of the plate.
The function of the "quarter turn" plate being to change the direction of motion
of the blank as stated, it may perhaps be more properly called a switch-plate, and it
has in the independent crosswise channels an improvement over prior devices used in
like machines in that it reduces the possibility of any clogging of the blanks in the
channels. And it also prevents the contact of the blank with another, and so increases
the speed with which the nails may be made. When the blank drops into either of
the channels it passes to the opposite end and strikes a guard plate, and is thus held
as the switch plate turns into the proper position to receive the thrust of the end of
the drive-in rod, which enters through an opening in the guard that forms a guide for
the inner end of the said rod.
In some instances I construct the heading die in sections as hereinafter described
to prevent jamming of the nail in the die, that is to say, to permit the ready removal
of a nail from the die after it has been driven into the said die to form the head. The
sections of the die are fitted in a taper rectangular hole in a block which is secured in
any convenient manner in the die-plate. The die-sections are made oblong in
transverse section and are fitted together. When a nail is driven into the die the said
sections are forced tightly into the taper hole in the block and are thus caused to press
tightly against each other at the corners and ensure the formation of well defined or sharp
corners on the nail head. The taper of the hole in the block must be such that,
however tightly the nail may be driven into the die, the die sections cannot become
jammed in the said block, and the nail can therefore be pushed out of the die by the
application of a very slight pressure to the pointed end thereof. Any suitable means
may be provided for retaining the die sections in the block whilst permitting the said
sections to move to and fro therein through a sufficient distance to relieve the nail
from pressure when being pushed out of the die.
The said die-sections are sometimes arranged within a taper hole in the die-plate,
instead of in a separate block fitted and secured therein.
Dated this 95th dose of Ontahan 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Nails and to
Machinery or Apparatus therefor.
I, GEORGE JOSEPH CAPEWELL of Cheshire, Connecticut, United States of America,
Manufacturer, 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 :-
My improvements relate chiefly to nail-machines of the class described in the
Specification of former Letters Patent dated 22nd January A.D. 1884 No. 1926, that
is to say, machines which are so constructed that, when a length of nail-wire is fed
cold into the same, it will be cut into short oblong blanks which will pass between
roller dies whereby each blank will be gradually drawn to form the nail-shank and
will then be delivered to mechanism for bevelling, trimming and heading the blank to
form the finished nail the several operations upon the blank from the time of its
severance from the rod to the time when it drops from the machine a finished product,
being automatically performed.
Certain of my said improvements are, however, applicable to other kinds or classes
of nail-machines.
The main object of my invention is to provide a machine in which all the types
of horse-shoe nails in use in various countries can be automatically and continuously
manufactured, and in which all the required shapes and sizes of the several types can
be produced.
My said invention comprises various improvements hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a horse-shoe nail-machine constructed according to
my present improvements, some of the smaller parts of the said machine being omitted
for the sake of clearness.
Figure 2 is an elevation of the right hand side of the said machine, some of the
smaller parts being omitted, and a portion of the bed-plate removed.
Figure 3 is a plan, partly in horizontal section on the line, a Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a rear elevation of part of the said machine, showing the driving gear
and shafts and also part of the mechanism for imparting intermittent or step-by-step
rotation to the heading-die plate hereinafter described.
Figure 5 is a vertical section of the lower part of the machine on the line y, y
Figure 2.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the left hand side of the said machine, drawn to an
enlarged scale.
Figure 6 is a front elevation, drawn to an enlarged scale, of the upper part of the
machine, showing details of the feed device, cut off, gauge and several of the stop or
safety devices hereinafter described.
Figure 7 is a plan or top view of the front part of the machine, showing details of
construction.

page_text: Figure 8 is a horizontal section on the line x, x, Figure 6.
Figure 9 is a horizontal section on the line 2, 2 Figure 6.
Figure 10 is an elevation of the right hand side of the part of the machine shown
in Figure 6.
Figure 11 is a vertical section and,
Figure 12 a plan or top view drawn to a still further enlarged scale of an indicator
hereinafter described.
or
Figure 13 is a side elevation, of the lower part of the guide-way showing in
vertical section two of the roller dies, and in edge view the " quarter turn
switch plate hereinafter described. This and the following figures are all drawn to
an enlarged scale.
وو
Figure 14 is a face view of the said "quarter turn or switch plate with the cover.
removed, showing also an edge view of the heading die-plate.
29
Figure 15 is a vertical central transverse section of the said "quarter turn or
switch plate.
Figure 16 is a face view of part of a heading die-plate showing several of the dies.
in place, and showing also means for holding them in the said plate.
Figure 17 is a perspective view of one of the removable shank-forming dies
hereinafter described.
Figure 18 is a sectional elevation showing the bevelling dies and means for operating
the same as hereinafter described.
Figure 19 is
vertical section on the line y¹, y¹ Figure 18.
Figure 20 is a front elevation, partly in vertical section, showing the heading die,
heading-die-plate, and butt-piece, hereinafter described.
Figure 21 is a section on the line y², y² Figure 20.
Figure 22 shows face views of the upper and lower trimming dies hereinafter
described.
Figure 23 is a side elevation and
"
Figure 23 a plan of part of the mechanism for operating the "quarter turn or
switch plate and pull-out device hereinafter described.
Figure 24 is a side elevation of part of the said pull-out device.
Figure 24 is a central longitudinal section of the said pull-out device, drawn to a still
further enlarged scale.
Figure 25 shows different views illustrating details of the trimming devices.
Figure 26 is a longitudinal section of the telescopic pitman hereinafter described
and shown in Figure 4.
Figure 27 is a plan partly in horizontal section showing part of the knock-off
device hereinafter described and illustrated in Figures 5 and 5º.
Figure 28 shows different views illustrating the forms of the blanks at the several
steps or stages in the manufacture of the nails.
Figure 29 shows, in front and edge views, one type of borse-shoe nail.
Figure 30 shows, in front and edge views, another type of horse-shoe nail.
Figure 30 is a plan or top view of the said nail.
Figure 31 shows in side view and in plan or top view another type of horse-
shoe nail.
Figure 32 shows in side and end views a blank of the size adapted to make the nail
shown in Figure 29.
Figure 35 is a plan or top view of the head of the nail shown in Figure 29.
Figure 34 shows in front and edge views, a nail-blank which has been rolled,
bevelled and pointed.
Figure 35 is a front view of one of the heading dies.
Figure 36 is a vertical section through a pair of heading dies, the upper one of
which has a cup-shaped recess.
Figure 37 is a transverse section of the lower die shown in Figure 35, lengthwise
of the socket or aperture.
Figure 38 shows, in front and edge views, a blank after the head has been partly
formed by the use of the cupped heading-die,

page_text: I a central transverse section through a pair or heading dies adapted to
form the type of nail shown in Figure 30.
Figure 40 is a central section through these heading dies on a plane at right angles
to that of the view shown in Figure 39.
Figure 41 is a central section showing the said heading dies closed upon the
blank.
Figure 42 is a central section through the said heading dies on a plane at right
angles to that of the view shown in Figure 41, showing the said dies closed upon the
blank..
Figure 43 is a section of the lower heading-die in which the nail head is finished.
Figure 44 is a section on a plane at right angles to Figure 43 showing the heading-
dies closed upon the blank.
Figure 45 shows in plan and end views, a blank from which the nail shown in
Figure 30 is adapted to be made.
Figure 46 is a front view, partly in vertical section of part of the heading die plate
showing sectional dies inserted therein.
Figure 47 is a horizontal section on the line z, z, Figure 46.
Figures 48 to 50 are different views hereinafter described illustrating a modification
of my invention.
Figures 51 to 53 are different views hereinafter described illustrating a method
hereinafter described for diminishing liability to fracture of the dies, and
Figure 54 is an elevation of the right hand side of the machine illustrating a device
for holding the nails in the heading-die-plate.
A is the bed or base plate of the machine b, 61, 62, 63 are upright frames which are
formed on or secured to the said bed, and in which many of the shafts and journals of
the rotary parts of the mechanism have their bearings. C is the rod or wire from
which the nails are to be made. The end of this rod or wire is fed from a reel c¹
between the guide-rolls g, g¹ and between feed-rolls E, below which oblong blanks are
cut from the end of the said rod; each blank passes between roller dies carried by a
series of shafts F, F1 arranged in pairs, at intervals, in bearing blocks supported in
the said frames. The function of the roller dies is to draw the blank to form the nail-
shank, leaving unaltered the part which is to form the head. From the last pair of
dies of the series, the blank is delivered to mechanism by means of which the several
operations of bevelling and trimming the points and swaging and forming the head
are performed.
In the rear of the machine, on the main shaft B is mounted a driving pulley B¹
which turns freely on the said shaft, except when engaged by the clutch device B², a
part of which only is shown in the drawing Figure 3. This clutch device is arranged
to be operated by means of any convenient form of shipping lever, and a detailed
description of this device is not needed in order to understand its operation. On the
main shaft B and near the back of the frame 63 (see Figure 4) there is fixed a
pinion 6* which is geared with and drives a gear-wheel 65 fixed on the heading cam
shaft d, and also a large gear-wheel 66, on the shaft of which is fixed a pinion 67, from
which the two larger gear-wheels 68 and 6° are driven. One of each of the pairs of
roller-die shafts extends between the frames 6 and 6', while the other shaft of each
pair extends beyond the frame 61, and is united by means of a coupling f (see
Figure 2) to a short driving shaft having fixed thereon one of a train of gear-wheels.
Of these gear-wheels the upper one f¹ is fixed on the feed-roll shaft; the next fis
fixed on the cut off shaft; the next five gear wheels below that are fixed on the
several roller die shafts, all of which are driven from the larger gear-wheel 68 and
are arranged alternately upon opposite shafts of each pair, so that the roller-die shafts
which are connected by smaller gear-wheels are driven toward each other in each
pair. The over-lying arrows in Figure 1 show the direction of motion of the several
gear-wheels. The remaining roller dies of the series have motion imparted to them by
means of similar small gear-wheels from the gear wheel 6°. This latter wheel is also
in gear with a small gear-wheel on the shaft from which the "quarter circle pipe" or
quarter turn" plate and other devices hereinafter described are operated.
66

page_text: A wire-straightening lever G (see Figure 6) is pivottally connected to the top of the
frame b so as to move in a plane parallel to the front of the frame, and has, upon opposite
sides of its pivot, the rollers g, g¹. On the top of the frame is secured an adjustable
block g provided with a stop g³ by means of which the angular position of the wire-
straightening lever is determined. This stop g³ may be removed to allow the lever to
be swung into a vertical position, and is replaced to hold it in suchlangular position that
the rolls 9, g¹, taken in connection with the two feed-rolls directly below them, may
be used to straighten the wire as it is fed into the machine. The feed rolls E are
carried by the projecting ends of the shafts e, which are supported in spring seated
bearing blocks e so that they may yield and move apart to cause their adjacent faces
to conform to the slightly varying thickness of the nail-wire or stock. They may be
held apart if desired by means of the lever e² which is pivotally connected to the
frame, and is coupled to a wedge e³ the point of which projects beween the rolls from
beneath, as illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings.
""
After the end of the wire is passed between the feed rolls, it is intercepted, in its
downward progress, by meeting the end of the gauge I which is pivotted to the
frame, and is adjustable in the direction of movement of the wire by means of the
nuti on the screw-threaded rod i¹, which is attached to the frame at the end opposite
the said nut, and passes through the body of the gauge. The position of this gauge
determines the exact length of the blank sheared from the rod by means of the cut-
off device H. This cut-off device comprises a
"dead
cutter h seated in a block
firmly attached to the frame and adjustable by means of the feed-screw h¹ toward and
away from the path of the nail-stock as it is fed into the machine; the said device
also comprises a "live" cutter h² which has a sliding motion in a guide-way formed
in a block attached to the frame. This live cutter h² is thrust forward by means of
the cut-off lever h³ under the impulse of the wiper h* consisting of cam lugs pro-
jecting from the rotary cut-off shaft f6, and it is held outward by means of the
spring ho one end of which is attached to the cutter and the other to the frame b. By
the forward movement of this cutter, a certain length of stock determined as above
stated by the gauge I is sheared off, the blank thus cut off drops directly into the
upper end of the guide-way K down which it passes between the first pair of roller
dies whereby it is reduced to the shape shown at 2 in Figure 28.
When the whole of the length of nail-wire or stock has been unwound from the
reel and the end of the said wire passes below the inner end of the feeler-arm / fixed
on the rotating stop-rod L, the spring 1 (see Figure 7) pulls this arm sidewise,
rotates the rod L, and stops the machine by means of a device hereinafter described.
In case the oblong blank cut from the end of the wire or nail-rod by the cut off device
should not drop into the guide-way, it will remain between the live cutter h² and a
slide (Figure 8) and when the live cutter operates to sever another blank from the
rod or wire, will be pushed against the end of the said slide 2, which in turn will
push the rod and spring 1* outward against the end of a stop finger 1 fixed on
the rod L is such manner as to partially rotate this rod, and thus stop the machine by
means of the device hereinafter described.
This movement of the slide 12 releases one end of the tilting cut-off-lever latch h°,
and allows the opposite and hooked end h of this latch to engage with the lever h³
and hold it forward out of contact with the wiper, and thus completely stops the
movement of the cutters, until the slide 2 is again moved back to its normal position.
The use of this stop or safety device in combination with the tools for cutting the
blanks successively from a continuous rod or wire, is an important feature of my
present invention.
Another stop or safety device is employed in case a blank becomes clogged in the
guide-way K. This guide-way is formed of sections or blocks K1, K2. The sections
or blocks K' are firmly secured to the front of the frame b, and the other section or
blocks K² are attached to the fixed parts by means of dowels taking into holes in the
said fixed parts, and are held in their proper places by the pressure of a spring
actuated stop lever k. This stop lever is made in two parts k², k³, both of which are
pivotted to the bracket k', by a common pivot, in a position to move in a plane at

page_text: substantially right angles to the guide-way; the longer part k², over laps the other
part 3, and is provided with a turn-button k or similar device, the overhanging
edge of which may be made to engage with the outer edge of the part ³ so that, when
the block or section K2 is thrust outward by the clogging of a blank in the guide-way,
the whole lever will be turned so as to move the outer end of the lever inward and
push against a stop finger on the stop-rod L, so as to turn the latter and stop the
machine by means of the device hereinafter described. Each outer section or
block K² of the guide-way is held in place by a stop-lever k under the pressure of a
spring acting upon the outer arm of this lever.
To enable the operator or attendant to readily ascertain in what part of the guide-
way the obstruction or clogging has occurred an indicator J combined with each
stop-lever k and is secured to the front of the frame b. see Figure 6 in such position
that the corresponding stop-lever k will be caused by the outward push of the section
or block K2, to act upon a spring catch and trip a slide which will then be thrust
j
out of the box or casing of the indicator by the impulse of the spring, thus
indicating the locality of the clogging. After removing the cause of the clogging,
the parts are replaced, the indicator set, and the machine again started.
The guide-way K is a tubular channel, formed in the substance of the blocks K' K²
or in any other convenient manner, and is so twisted lengthwise between each pair of
roller-dies that the blank which subjected to edgewise pressure between one pair
of dies turns, in its passage to the next pair, so that it is grasped and pressed flatwise,
that is to say, it is turned through an angle of ninety degrees in its passage from one
pair of dies to the succeeding pair of dies; the result of this operation of the dies
alternately upon different sides of the oblong blank is to impart to the blank in
succession the several forms shown from 2 to 9 in Figure 28, so that it leaves the
last pair of dies formed as regards the shank-section w², but unaltered as regards
the head section w¹ with the exception of the inclined shoulders formed by the
roller-dies.
The roller dies f³ are made in segmental sections and are removably secured to their
shafts, for example, by means of dowel pins and screws. Each die-section f4 (Figure 17)
has two or more die-grooves f for shaping the blanks. These die-grooves are formed
at equal distances from the opposite sides of the face of the die-section, so that, when
one groove has become worn, the unworn groove may be brought into use by reversing
the die-section, and this may be done with but slight loss of time.
"
"
As soon as the nail-blank, in its progress down the guide-way, has passed the last
pair of shank-forming dies, it passes directly into the switch-plate or quarter-turn
plate M, the function of which is to change the direction of motion of the blank, which,
up to this time, has passed from pair to pair of the dies by the action of gravity. This
quarter-turn" plate or switch-plate M is so made that it has two or more independent
transverse tracks or channels m, m¹ along which a blank can move without the least
obstruction from end to end. In the form shown in the drawings (Figures 13, 14
and 16) a plate or disc is used for this purpose having a removable cover m³ the said
plate is shown in Figure 14 with the said cover removed to illustrate the operation
of the plate and of the drive-in rod n, and to show the independent channels. By the
term independent as used herein in characterizing the channels in the "quarter-turn
plate, I intend to bring out the fact that each channel or covered track is complete in
itself and has a clear way with unbroken walls from end to end, although several
channels may cross the same centre of rotation of the plate or its equivalent. In
machines of this class as heretofore constructed, the channels open into each other;
in fact, they radiate from a common central space and thus require that a nail-blank
shall be pushed completely out of one channel before the next blank can be dropped
into the other channel, and there is danger of clogging of the blank in its movement
along the channel by reason of the breaks in the walls. By my present improvement,
however, the risk of such clogging is avoided, and greater speed in the feeding of the
blanks into and out of the several channels in the plate is ensured, as one blank may
fall into one channel before the other blank is thrust out of the channel at right angles
thereto,

page_text: The plate M, or its equivalent a number of pipes, is mounted on a short shaft
supported in a bracket or standard m¹ (Figure 3) and provided with a bevel gear-
wheel m³ geared with a like bevel-gear wheel m² on the shaft m² of the "quarter-turn
mechanism. The large gear-wheel 69 ahove referred to gears with a pinion 6" on the
shaft 62 (Figures 3 and 4) and an eccentric 613 on the latter is connected by a strap
and rod with the crank ms, which is mounted on the shaft m' so as to allow the
crank to swing freely or vibrate on the shaft. On the shaft m' and next to the hub
of the crank are located three ratchet-wheels m³, m¹, m¹² which are secured to the
shaft, and a spring pawl 13 pivotted to the crank m8 engages with the teeth of the
ratchet-wheel m³ to change the vibrating movement of the crank into an intermittent
step-by-step rotation of the shaft m' which operates the "quarter-turn" plate or
switch-plate.
It is important that the movement of this plate should be positive, and that, when
it stops after each partial rotation, there should be no lost or return motion of the
plate, as the inlet end of each channel must correctly register with the bottom of the
guide-way in one of its positions, and, in its next position, must correctly register with
the socket or aperture of the die in the heading-die plate, into which the blank has to
be thrust by the drive-in rod n. To provide for this positive motion of the ". quarter-
turn" plate, detent levers m14, m¹³ are pivoted at one end to the standard m, with
their free ends adapted to engage with the teeth of the ratchet-wheels m¹¹, m12
respectively.
In the forward movement of the crank a pin m¹ projecting from the side of the
crank m pushes the detent lever m¹ out of engagement with a tooth on the ratchet-
wheel m", thus allowing the shaft to turn by the engagement of the spring pawl m¹³
with a tooth of the ratchet-wheel m³, this rotation of the shaft continues until the end
of this detent lever m¹ engages with the next tooth of the ratchet-wheel m" and stops
it, at the same time, the other end of the detent lever m¹5 slips into engagement with
a tooth in the ratchet m¹² and prevents rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction.
The function of the drive-in mechanism is to force the blank out of the "quarter-
turn" plate into the heading-die plate; reciprocating movement is imparted to the
drive-in rod n by the link n connected to the lower end of the drive-in lever n², the
upper end of which is fixed on a crank shaft n³ (Figures 2 and 5) supported in
bearings crosswise of the frame b¹.
On the other end of this shaft n³ is secured a crank arm n* connected by a rod n³
with the pitman slide d' of the mechanism for operating the heading die. By means
of this device, the vertical movement of the pitman is translated into a horizontal
reciprocating movement of the drive-in rod. To prevent the breaking of the parts
by the clogging of a nail-blank in the "quarter-turn" plate the drive-in lever n² is
made in parts or sections, the upper part or section n being fixed on the crank-shaft
and provided at its lower end with a curved arm or quadrant n', while the lower part
or section of the said drive-in lever is pivoted to the upper part or section thereof and
is held in engagement therewith by means of a spring-pin, seated in a socket in the
upper section and having a conical end taking into a recess in the lower section of the
said drive-in lever.
If this drive-in lever meets with resistance in its reciprocating motion, the effect
will be to separate these sections of the lever, and, to push outward the spring n and
thus turn the bell-crank-lever n³, which is supported on a lug on the frame 61, in such
manner as to turn the stop rod L, this bell-crank-lever being connected with a stop
finger on the said rod L.
The dies D in the heading die plate O into which the nail blanks are driven from
the "quarter-turn" plate, are held in the said heading die plate which is fixed upon
and turns with the shaft O¹. The rotary motion of this shaft is an intermittent step-
by-step motion suitably timed relatively to the motions of the "quarter-turn" plate,
and this step-by-step motion is imparted to it by the mechanism shewn in Figures
1, 2, 3 and 4, that is to say :-
At a convenient point (in this instance at the end of the shaft o' near the back of
the machine) there is secured a ratchet wheel o² and a detent wheel o³ (Figure 4),

page_text: while a crank arm of is fitted to turn loosely on the shaft. A spring pawl o' is
pivotally connected to one side of the said crank arm and is adapted to engage with
the teeth of the ratchet wheel o². Vibratory movement is imparted to this crank by
means of a telescopic pitman o driven by means of a crank-pin fixed in the side of the
gear-wheel b³.
This pitman is composed of two parts one of which is fitted to slide lengthwise
within the other and the outer part o' of which is held in its extended position by
means of a pin os fixed ir a spring o whereby the conical end or point of the said pin
is held in a hole or depression in the side of the part of.
In case there is any obstruction to the rotary movement of the heading plate
shaft o' this pitman yields lengthwise when a certain degree of pressure is reached and
prevents the breaking of the parts.
The hooked upper end of the arm o, which is firmly attached to the bed plate,
limits the upward movement of the crank-arm o* and, after the pitman has been closed
together or contracted as above described, it is again extended to the proper length
by the pull of the crank upon one end of the pitman while the other end thereof is
held down by the said hooked arm o¹0.
In order to hold the heading plate in its proper position at the end of each of its
partial rotations, the detent levers o¹², o¹³ are employed. The operation of the detent
lever o¹ will be clearly understood on referring to Figure 4 of the drawings; the
lever o¹³ is lifted by a pin on the crank-arm of and depressed by the spring o at the
proper times; the lug or tooth o¹ on the under side of the said lever o¹³ drops
into a recess in the edge of the detent wheel and assists in holding the heading-plate
shaft and the plate firmly against rotation in either direction until the proper time
has arrived for the next movement.
After the nail-blank has been driven into the heading die, it is carried with the
heading-plate in its step-by-step rotation and, in one of the pauses of this plate, it is
held with the point end of the shank between the bevelling dies P, P¹, by the
operation of which, the bevel shewn at 10 in Figure 28 is produced on the nail-shank.
On the front end of the heading-cam shaft d, there is secured the bevelling cam p
(Figures 1, 2, 18, 19) which, in its rotation, acts upon a roller journalled in the end
of a tilting lever p', this lever has a short arm or knuckle p², which pushes the
plunger (on the outer end whereof is the flat die P) with great force upon
the nail-shank, while it is held on the die P¹ which is secured to the bed pt. The
plunger p³ is lifted off the work and held in contact with the knuckle p² by the
spring p seated in a socket in the frame bor in a block attached thereto.
The bevelling die P is a round disc with a flat face; the other bevelling die P¹ is
formed preferably on the end of a cylinder and has a bevelled edge and a counter-
sunk centre, the angular position of the working surfaces of this die being such that
the proper degree of bevel is given to a nail laid radially upon it. The advantage of
this form of die is that, when it has become worn and uneven at any part a new
surface thereof may be brought into operative position by simply rotating the said die
on the central screw that fastens it to the bed. A cheap and durable device is thus
produced. The flat die P is made rotary in like manner to enable an unused part of
the working surface to be brought into operative position.
During another pause of the heading die-plate, the nail is subjected to the action of
trimming dies R R which, by shearing off a scrap w³, leave a point on the nail as
shown at 11 in Figure 28. One of the trimmer dies R is a wedge-shaped punch
clamped between jaws or cheek pieces in a recess in the trimmer base by means of
screw bolts and presenting one end to the back of the point-end of the nail-blank
while the other end is supported against the end of a screw-bolt locked in position
by means of a set-nut or lock-nut. The other trimmer die R¹ is made up of two
blades clamped in a socket 3 in the trimmer slide 4* and held apart at their rear ends
by a wedge solid with the slide, while the front ends meet at a point short distance
in front of the face of the slide, the wedge-shaped lateral opening between the
blades presenting, at the end of this die, an opening, exactly conforming to the
end of the punch R, which enters this opening at each reciprocation of the slide,

page_text: the scrap w
being sheared or trimmed from the nail-blank by the operation of the said
dies R, R¹.
A reciprocating scrap-clearer is carried by a spring seated spindle in a socket in
the base and has a V-shaped or forked point, the tines of which extend over and
are adapted to slide lengthwise of the die or punch R. The normal position of this
scrap-clearer is in a plane slightly in advance of the end of this die or punch, and the
front end of the trimmer slide, in its movement, strikes the end of the said scrap-
clearer and pushes it back along the die R, and, at the same time, the die R¹ cuts off
the scrap w from the nail blank and pushes it onto the die R.
In the return movement of the slide, the scrap-clearer follows it under the impulse
of the spring and pushes the scrap from off the die R causing it to fall clear of the
mechanism through an opening below the dies.
The trimmer slide is reciprocated by means of the crank-shaft coupled thereto
by the pitman and carried in bearings in a standard a pinion 710 being fixed on
this shaft and geared with a pinion 15 fixed on the shaft 6". The standard is
secured to the bed-plate by screw-bolts passing through elongated slots, so that it can
be moved or adjusted in either direction with the trimmer base and slide to adjust the
mechanism according to the length of the nail to be trimmed.
The next and final operation to which the nail-blank is subjected in the machine is
the swaging of the head; this operation is effected by means of the heading dies
hereinafter described.
One of each pair of these dies is either formed in, or by preference inserted and
secured in the heading die plate; the other die is carried by a reciprocating plunger
operated by the heading slide, which is attached to the bed of the machine.
The heading cam shaft d has mounted thereon a heading cam d' and a follower
cam d2 Figures 2 and 5, these two cams are in close rolling contact with the cam
rolls d journalled in projections from the pitman slide d which has a vertical
reciprocating movement in guides secured to the frame b¹. The lower end of the
pitman slide d' is pivotally connected to one end of a link d³, the other end of which
is connected to toggle-arms do. One of the latter is pivoted to and thrusts against the
solid body of the bed, while the other arm is pivoted to and thrusts against the
heading slide d' which moves in guide-ways formed on or attached to the bed A of
the machine. This slide has projecting through its face stout bolts d³ the front ends
of which may be adjusted with reference to the face of the slide and which may be
held or locked in place by means of set-nuts. In the forward movement of the slide,
the ends of these bolts de strike the rear ends of the plungers do, d¹0 respectively, and.
drive them toward the heading-die plate. The front end of each of these plungers
either forms, or is fitted with a heading die.
In some instances, the front end of the plunger do is flat as shown in Figure 21
and strikes the end of the nail w, which is held in the heading-die-plate, and swages
it to shape; in other instances, in forming nails of the peculiar form hereinafter
described, the end of the plunger has fitted thereon a cupped or recessed die. The
heading die-plate or the die which is held therein is backed up or supported against
the blow of the plunger by the butt-piece d¹².
After the head has been formed on the nail, it is pushed out from the heading die-
plate, during the next pause thereof, by means of the push out & Figures 1 and 3.
This push out is a sliding rod or plunger moving in a socket or hole in the trimmer
base in line with the said nail.
The outer end of this rod is coupled to one end of the push-out lever s¹ whose
other end is provided with a pin projecting into a cam-groove s² in the cam s³ which
is fixed upon, and rotates with the trimmer slide shaft 77. As soon as the nail is clear
of the heading-die-plate, it drops through an opening in the bed of the machine into
any suitable receptacle.
To ensure and facilitate the removal of the nail from the heading die-plate, the
pull-out devices Figures 23, 23" 24 and 24" is sometimes used. This device comprises
the slide dovetailed to a standard or guide so and carrying a hooked bent lever s
pivotted thereto at s*. The front end of this lever is adapted to engage with the head
0

page_text: of the nail after the latter has been partially pushed out of the plate, and is held
firmly in engagement with the head of the nail, in the return movement of the slide
by the pull exerted by the rod s upon the short arm of the said levers; the return
movement of the said slide being effected, through the medium of the rod s8, by the
levers, which is pivotted at s" and is driven by the cam 10 fixed on the shaft ¹².
Several of the devices for partially rotating the stop-rod L have been above
explained, and the effect of such partial rotation of the rod is to stop the machine by
means of a device hereinafter described. When the rod L turns in one direction, the
knock off t (Figures 5 5ª, and 27) is lifted out of contact with the adjustable block t¹
on the knock-off-rod 2 which at once yields and moves endwise in the bracket t³
under the impulse of the spring t which turns the knock-off lever to upon or about
its pivot * and pushes its upper end against the end of the said rod. The lower end
of this lever is forked and engages with a groove in a sliding block to keyed upon and
turning with the shaft 612. This block has cams or lugs & formed thereon, one or
other of which is by this movement of the block, brought into contact with the upper
end of a lever t8 pivoted to the standard t on the bed A. The lower end of the
lever to engages with a sliding piece or bolt to, which is, by this movement of the
lever t, drawn out of a notch in the clutch rod B³, into which notch one end of
the bolt is adapted to catch when the said rod is at one end of its stroke or move-
ment (see Figure 3.) The clutch rod B³ moves in guides on the bed of the machine
and is coupled at one end, to the shipping lever by means of which the clutch
is operated, and, at the other end, to the hand-lever B at the front of the machine.
The clutch rod B³ is acted upon by a spring B' which, when the said rod is released
by the withdrawal of the bolt 10, operates the said clutch rod and disconnects the
main shaft B from the driving pulley, thus automatically stopping the machine.
upper end of the lever B4 is conveniently located for starting the machine by hand
from the front end, after the spring B has pulled the clutch rod back to automatically
stop the machine.
The
An important feature of my invention is the method or process that enables me to
produce nails with heads of any desirable size from nail-stock of comparatively small
cross-sectional area. One feature and particular point of improvement in this regard
consists in forming the nail-shank on a blank of suitable size, then swelling the head
section of the blank laterally in dies, and then completing the forming of the head by
successive blows or pressure in dies of the required shape; a further feature of
improvement relates to the method of preventing the jamming of a blank in the
heading die which in one form consists in forming an abrupt-shoulder on the blank
where the shank terminates and making the heading socket in the die with walls of
less slope than that of the shoulder.
The nail-blanks w are oblong pieces of metal cut usually from the long rod or wire
of stock, which is rectangular in cross-section. The blank shown in Figure 32, is of
suitable size to form the nail illustrated in Figures 29 and 33 and, in, the practice
of my invention, the shank is first formed, preferably by means of the dies above
described that operate on the blank without preliminary heating; the shank may,
however be formed in any ordinary or suitable manner, the head section w¹ of the
blank being left substantially of the dimensions illustrated in Figure 34. Looking at the
nail-blank edgewise the taper is gradual on the opposite sides from the head section
into the shank section, while on the edges of the blank are formed the abrupt-
shoulders where the head section merges into the shank section of the nail-blank.
In forming the head, of the nail shown in Figure 29 I make use first of a heading
die D¹ Figures 35, 36, and 37, which has a socket u tapering from the upper or
outer to the lower or inner surface of the die. This socket has on the two sides u¹
a substantially straight taper from the upper to the lower surface of the die, although
both sides are relieved slightly near the bottom of the die; the lower portion u³
of one of the remaining sides of the said socket is cut away at an angle with the
upper part thereof on a plane more nearly conforming to the slope of the opposite
side u², which is an even incline from top to bottom.
In compressing the oblong head-section of the blank to the requisite final shape

page_text: a sufficient
of the head, there is danger, in the methods heretofore adopted, of crippling this
section in the first blow struck upon it by the heading-dies; this is particularly
the case when this head section w¹ is made long enough to provide
mass of stock to form a large head. I effectually prevent this crippling of the
stock in the head-section by placing the nail-blank in the heading dies with the
shoulders resting against the opposite and regularly sloping sides of the socket
(as shewn in Figure 37 of the drawings) so that the blank stands erect in the die,
and, while in this position, striking it with a cupped or recessed die D2, the form of
the cup or recess in this die D2 being determined by the size of stock from which the
head is to be formed.
The result of the operation of this cupped die upon the nail-blank is to swell the
head-section at about its central portion was shewn in Figure 38 and thus strengthen
the said section and prevent crippling at this part thereof. If desired the head is
finished by striking the blank a further blow end wise with a flat or other die while it
is held in the die D¹.
The function of the shoulders wo on the nail-blank is to support it in the socket u in
the die D¹ by the contact of their outer edges with the sloping sides u₁ of the socket ;
the effect being that, when the head-section of the blank is compressed lengthwise by
a blow or pressure in the dies, the blank will not be pushed far enough into the socket
to cause it to jam, the angular shape of the shoulders at the parts in contact with the
sides of the socket providing sufficient resistance to inward movement of the blank to
cause the head section to be compressed lengthwise and yet leave the blank so loosely
held in the die that it may be readily pushed out when required. If it were not for
the resistance to inward motion thus offered by this pecular construction of the
relative parts of the socket in the die and of the blank, the latter would be pushed so
far through the die as to prevent or greatly obstruct its removal, except with extreme
difficulty, from any heading socket in a solid die of the kind above referred to.
The head of the nail w is as above stated, sometimes finished, while the blank is still
held in the socket u, by means of a flat die; in this case, the said die causes the head-
section to fill the socket and conform substantially to the shape thereof; this final
forming of the head causes the blank, which until this time has stood substantially
erect in the socket, to tip over toward the side u² in the socket so that the shank
projects at an angle with the lower face of the die. One side of the head is thus made
to conform substantially to the plane of the back of the nail, while the opposite side
stands at the proper slope to the front of the nail, the top of the head sloping
downward slightly from the plane of the back of the nail or being bevelled. The
degree of this latter slope or bevel depends upon the relative thickness of the head,
and in the case of a nail of the type shown in Figure 29, will be very slight. The
nail, after the head is thus finished, is easily pushed out from the sockets in the die.
In making a nail such as that shown in Figures 30 and 30", with a proportionately
large head, after forming the shank the blank is pressed in a die D³ Figures 39 to 44,
the socket in which is proportionately larger than the socket used in making the nail
shown in Figure 29, in about the ratio by which the head of the one nail exceeds the
head of the other nail. The head section 3 of this blank is subjected to the action of
the cupped die and the socketed die to produce the peculiar swell 4 (Figure 41) a
result precisely similar to that produced in the operation above described with
reference to the nail shown in Figure 29, the shoulders on the blank having
precisely the same function as in the case of the other nail. The nail head may be
subjected to the operation of a number of dies having cups or recesses of various
shapes prior to the final blow with a flat die D (Figure 44), the blank remaining
meanwhile in the socket in the die D³. The effect of the final blow tips the nail-
blank to one side as in the case above described so that the shank projects at an angle
from the lower side of the die, as shown in Figure 44. The bevel or angular slope of
the upper side of the die with relation to the back of the nail being very considerable
in the case of the head of the nail shown in Figure 30.
When it is desired to make a nail of the shape composed of frustrums of pyramids
joined at their bases, of the type shown in Figure 31, the blank is not subjected to the

page_text: action of a flat finishing die, but the head is left in one of the intermediate stages
substantially in the condition shown in Figure 43 of the drawings.
The relative area in cross-section of the nail-blank and the finished nail-head is
shown in one instance in Figures 32 and 33, and in the other in Figures 45 and 30.
In order to form a comparatively large head, it was formerly necessary to use nail-
stock of an area in cross-section almost equal to that of the head in its largest part and
to draw the nail shank down from this large stock. This was impossible unless the
stock was heated and a process that involves heating of the blanks, is objectionable not
only by reason of the time required for heating but also by reason of the large number
of steps in the process and the inferior quality of the finished article.
By my improvement in the method of making the heads, stock of proper size to be
drawn down into a shank without unfavorably affecting the tenacity and cohesion of
the fibres of the metal may be used, and although this necessitates a long head-section,
yet such a head-section is by my method and devices thoroughly and exactly
compressed, without heating of the blank, to the desired shape and size, gaining
in such compression extreme compactness, density and good wearing qualities.
Instead of making use of the peculiar resisting shoulders on the blank, I sometimes
use a sectional die D divided in a plane lengthwise of the socket and passing through
the said socket.
This sectional form of heading die is shown in position in the machine in the detail
view Figure 21, and also in Figures 46 and 47. One section of the die is backed up
by the substance of the die-plate or block and the opposite die section is pressed
radially outward by means of a sliding wedge D* so as to complete the die and the
head forming socket thereof. The movable part of the die is held in the plate or die-
block by splines or keys fitting into grooves in the edges of the said plate or block.
The wedge can move to and fro in its socket in the plate or block in a plane
substantially at right angles to the face of the die; it is moved in to close the die or
bring together the sections thereof by the spring actuated plunger d¹³ which is pushed
forward by the heading slide d' and, just before the die or plunger d strikes the head
of the nail-blank, comes into contact with the wedge D* and forces and holds it in the
die-plate thus pressing the die parts together. The wedge is pushed out to allow the
die parts to separate to release the nail, by a bevelled surface on the end of the die
striking a fixed cam d¼ secured to the bed of the machine in the path of the wedge as
it revolves with the die-plate.
The solid form of heading die D is shown in place in the die plate in Figures 14
and 16 the die being held in place by dowel pins or screws projecting into sockets in
the plate, and also by means of the turn-buttons D' which are approximately oval in
form, and are held to the plate by screws passing through a slot in the centre of the
said buttons, the ends of which, when in the position shown, overlap the flanged edges
of the dies.
Provision is thus made in my machine for using either a solid socketted heading
die or a sectional heading die in the die-plate, the said die being surrounded and
supported by the substance of the plate and its ends being practically flush with the
opposite faces of the plate.
The advantage of this feature viz., the arrangement of the blank holding die so that
it is closely surrounded on the sides and supported by the substance of the heading
die-plate, is that the pressure upon the die parts in swaging the head of the nail to
shape is borne by the substance of the heading plate.
In some instances, I construct the heading die as shown in Figures 48 to 50 to
prevent jamming of the nail in the die, that is to say, to permit the ready removal of
a nail from the die after it has been driven into the said die to form the head.
Figure 48 is a face view of the die plate with some of the dies therein; Figure 49 is
a section on the line 1, 2, Figure 48 and Figure 50 shows, in side elevation and edge
view, one of the sections of the die. D, D are the die-sections, of which four are
shown; if desired, however, the die may be divided into two or any other suitable
number of sections. The said sections are fitted in a taper rectangular hole in a
block D' which is to be secured in any convenient manner in the die-plate O.

page_text: The die-sections are made oblong in transverse section and are fitted together as
shown in Figure 48. When a nail is driven into the die, the said sections are forced
tightly into the taper hole in the block D' and are thus caused to press tightly against
each other at the corners and thus ensure the formation of well-defined or sharp corners
on the nail-head. The taper of the hole in the block D' must be such that, however
tightly the nail may be driven into the die, the die-sections cannot become jammed in
the said block, and the nail can, therefore, be pushed out of the die by the application
of a very slight pressure to the pointed end thereof. Any suitable means may be
provided for retaining the die-sections in the block D' whilst permitting the said
sections to move to and fro therein through a sufficient distance to relieve the nail from
pressure when being pushed out of the die. In the drawing, I have shown, for this
purpose, screws 18 which are inserted in screw-threaded holes in the block D' and
enter recesses or cavities D° in the backs of the die-sections. These recesses or cavities
are made larger than the ends of the screws to permit the necessary play or freedom
of movement of the die-sections for the purpose above specified.
The said die-sections are sometimes arranged within a taper hole in the die-plate,
instead of in a separate block fitted and secured therein.
I sometimes provide in the manner hereinafter described for diminishing liability to
fracture of the heading dies by reason of the stress to which they are subjected in the
operation of forming a nail-bead. I have found that, when the quantity of metal in
the head-section of the blank is such that the socket of the heading die will be
completely filled thereby when the head is formed and will be subjected to great
pressure on all of its walls, the dies are liable to be cracked or fractured at the
corners. To obviate this disadvantage, I made the head-section of the blank of such
shape that, when the said blank is placed in the die, only two of its sides will bear
against the walls of the socket in the die as shown in Figures 51, 52 and 53. Figure 51
is a side elevation of the said die, Figure 52 shows the said die in plan, and Figure 53
is a section on the line 22, 22, Figure 52. It is evident that, in forming the nail-head,
the sides or walls u will not be subjected to pressure until the head is nearly or
completely formed. The quantity of metal in the head-section of the blank is preferably
so proportioned relatively to the size of the socket in the die that, by the time the
head is completely formed, only a slight pressure will be exerted upon the said sides
or walls ut.
In some instances, I provide means for preventing the displacement of the nails in
the heading-die-plate while they are being bevelled or pointed or while they are
moving, in the rotation of the said plate, from the drive-in mechanism to the bevelling,
pointing or heading devices. For this purpose, I prefer to use a curved plate T,
shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 and in full lines in Figure 54, which is an elevation
of the right-hand side of part of the machine. The plate T is provided with rods or
plungers T which fit into bosses or cylinders T2 formed on a bracket T3 secured to
the frame b. Springs T are arranged within the bosses or cylinders T2 and bear
against shoulders on the rods or plungers T so that they hold the plate T in position
with a yielding pressure. The said rods or plungers are screw-threaded and provided
with nuts T whereby the plate T may be adjusted. Some of the rods or plungers are
made to project beyond the outer surface of the plate T so that, during the operations
of bevelling and trimming or pointing, the nails will be held in place with a greater
pressure than when they are moving between the several devices for bevelling, pointing
and heading.
In the operation of the heading dies heretofore used, the lateral thrust upon the die
parts is brought upon the shaft on which the heading plate is borne and tends to bend
the said shaft and throw the plate out of alignment therewith, and thus interfere with
the correct registering of the blanks with the several tools to whose action they are
subjected in the pauses in the intermittent motion of the said plate. By using the
butt-piece above described, I obviate this defect.
The function of the " quarter-turn" plate herein before described being to change
the direction of motion of the blanks as above stated, it is more properly termed a
switch-plate; it has, in the independent cross wise channels, an advantage over the

page_text: "quarter-turn" plates heretofore used inasmuch as no clogging of the blanks can
take place in the said channels. Moreover it prevents the contact of one blank with
another and thus increases the speed with which the machine may be safely driven. When
the blank drops into either of the channels m or m² it passes to the opposite end and
strikes a guard plate, shown in Figure 14 of the drawings and is thereby held up
while the switch plate turns into the proper position for it to receive the thrust of the
end of the drive-in rod, which enters through an opening in the guard, which opening
forms a guide for the inner end of the said rod.
:-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it understood that I claim
First The wire-straightening lever provided with the guide-rollers substantially
as described, and with means for retaining it in its operative position as above
specified.
Second-The combination, with the wire-straightening lever provided with the
guide-rollers, of the adjustable and removable clamping device, substantially as, and
for the purposes, set forth.
Third The combination, with the feed-rolls, of the spring seated bearing blocks
and the wedge coupled to a lever pivoted to the frame of the machine and having its
point situated between the said rolls, substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Fourth-The combination, with the feed-rolls, of the adjustable gauge I extending
into the path of the nail-rod or wire, the cutters for severing the nail-blanks from
the said rod or wire, the cut-off lever, the wiper that operates the cut-off lever, the
cut-off lever latch and the stop device, all substantially as, and for the purposes, set
forth.
Fifth The employment of a lever connected with the stop-rod and pressed against
the nail-rod or wire as it is fed into the machine, so that, when the end of the rod or
wire passes the said lever, the latter will swing across the path of the said rod or wire
and stop the machine, substantially as set forth.
Sixth The combination, with the cut-off device, of a slide connected with
mechanism for stopping the machine and so arranged that, should a blank, after
being severed from the nail-rod or wire, fail to drop into the guide-way, the live
or moving cutter, in severing the next blank from the said rod or wire, will operate
the said slide, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Seventh-The combination, with the cut-off device and the slide 13, of means
whereby, when the said slide is operated by the live or moving cutter, it will release
a catch for preventing the further operation of the cut-off device until the said slide
and catch are returned to their normal position, substantially as, and for the purpose,
set forth.
Eighth The combination, with the guide-way for conducting the nail-blanks from
pair to pair of the roller-dies and composed of fixed and removable blocks or sections,
of a stop-lever one end whereof is held by means of a spring in contact with the
removable.block or section, the other end being in contact with a stop-finger fixed on
the stop-rod, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Ninth The stop-lever composed of two parts or pieces k², ³ and provided with
means for operatively connecting the said parts, whilst permitting their disconnection
for the purpose of removing the outer block or section of the guide-way, substantially
as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Tenth-The combination, with the removable outer block or section K² and the
stop-lever, of an indicator arranged to be automatically operated or released by the
movement of the said lever, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Eleventh A switch-plate arranged to be intermittently rotated and to receive the
nail-blanks from the guide-way and present them to the heading-die-plate as above
described, and having two or more independent transverse channels, substantially as,
and for the purpose, set forth.
Twelfth The employment of a telescopic pitman for connecting the driving
mechanism with the mechanism for imparting intermittent or step-by-step rotation

page_text: to the heading-die-plate, and means for automatically extending the said pitman, all
substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Thirteenth The combination, with the rotary heading-die-plate, of the improved
mechanism for imparting intermittent or step-by-step rotation thereto, consisting of
a crank-arm on the shaft of the heading-die-plate carrying a spring pawl, a ratchet-
wheel and a detent-wheel fixed on the said shaft, detent-levers whereby the said shaft
is firmly held in position while at rest, a telescopic pitman connecting the said crank-
arm with the driving mechanism, and a hooked arm for extending the said pitman, all
substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Fourteenth-The bevelling dies consisting of the flat faced die attached to the plunger
and capable of rotary adjustment thereon, and the complementary die having an
annularly bevelled and countersunk surface and attached to a suitable base-plate so
that it is capable of rotary adjustment thereon, substantially as, and for the purposes,
set forth.
Fifteenth The combination of parts comprising the rotary cam p fixed on a shaft
of the operating mechanism, the lever pl having the knuckle p², and the spring
retracted plunger p³, substantially as described, whereby I provide for operating the
bevelling dies as above specified.
Sixteenth-The combination of the pointing or trimming dies, the sliding scrap-
clearing device, the trimmer-slide, and means for operating the same, all substantially
as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Seventeenth The combination of the heading-die-plate having an intermittent
rotation and provided with two or more nail-holding and head-forming dies adapted
to carry the nail-blanks with their ends protruding from the said plate, the bevelling
dies, the trimming dies provided with the scrap-clearer, the reciprocating comple-
mentary heading-die, the push-out device, and means for operating the same, all
substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Eighteenth The combination, with the heading-die-plate and the reciprocating
heading-die, of the butt-piece d¹², substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Nineteenth-The improved device comprising the rods and lever s¹, substantially as
described, for starting or pushing the finished nails from the heading-die-plate, as
above specified.
Twentieth-The improved device comprising the hooked lever s, the rod 58 and the
levers, substantially as described, for pulling the finished nails out of the heading-
die-plate, as above specified.
Twenty first The combination, with the stop-rod L, of mechanism substantially as
described whereby the said stop-rod, when actuated by any of the safety or stop
devices, will cause the release or disengagement of a clutch-lever for stopping the
machine, as above specified.
Twenty second-The above described method of forming a nail-head with one of its
sides in line with the corresponding side of the shank and with its upper end at an
acute angle thereto, by compressing the head-section of the blank between dies one of
which has one of its walls relieved or cut away while the opposite wall has a uniform
inclination throughout, substantially as described, so that, in forming the head, the
nail-blank will be tipped sidewise in the said die as above specified.
Twenty third-A nail-forming die having a socket with one of its walls relieved or
cut away while its opposite wall has a uniform inclination throughout, substantially as,
and for the purpose, set forth.
Twenty fourth-The above described method of providing for the prevention of the
jamming of the nail-blanks in the dies, consisting in forming on the lower end of the
head-section of the blank inclined shoulders the inclination of which relatively to
the axis of the blank is greater than that of the walls of the said die, substantially as
described.
Twenty fifth-The combination, with a sectional die in the heading-die-plate, of a
sliding wedge and means for operating the same, substantially as, and for the purpose,
set forth.

page_text: Twenty sixth-A heading die composed of sections fitting into a taper hole in a
die-plate or in a block fixed in the said plate, and secured in such a manner that they
are capable of a slight to-and-fro motion therein, for the purpose above specified.
Twenty seventh -The improved sectional die consisting of the parts constructed and
combined substantially as described with reference to figures 48, 49, and 50 of the
drawings for the purpose specified.
Twenty eighth-The above described method of providing for diminishing the
liability to fracture of the heading dies, consisting in so forming the head-section of
the nail-blank that two of its sides will bear against the corresponding walls of the die
when the blank is placed therein, while the other two sides of the said head-section
will be out of contact with the die until the head is formed or nearly formed, as above
specified.
Twenty ninth-The combination, with the heading-die plate, of means for preventing
endwise displacement of the nails therein, substantially as, and for the purposes, set
forth.
Thirtieth-The improved nail-machine consisting of the parts constructed and
combined substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings and
operating as above set forth.
Dated this 26th day of July 1887.
GEORGE JOSEPH CAPEWELL.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.