MAKING CUT NAILS FROM STRIPS OF IRON OR STEEL
Year: 1884

page_text: THOMAS EDWIN MANSFIELD 27 South Street Bedminster Bristol Nail Machinist
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for MAKING CUT NAILS FROM STRIPS
OF IRON OR STEEL to be as follows:-
2
This is an invention of machinery adapted for making cut nails from strips of
iron or steel, two machines are required one for making the shanks the other for
heading. The first machine essentially consists in a central revolving vertical shaft
with a horizontal cam on top working six sets of cutters in guides divided equally
round the hexagonal frame and each acting against a corresponding set of fixed
cutters cutting off the shanks from the lower end of a vertical length of bar rolled
to the angular shape of the shank and fed vertically down over the cutters. The
second machine consists in a central revolving horizontal shaft with three cams the
two outside ones working two pairs of horizontal levers in guides one pair on each
side of the shaft each lever carries a die near the end which works on a vertical
stud fitted in the bed plate. At every revolution of the shaft each pair of dies
opens and closes one opening while the other pair closes (alternately) and holds fast
a shank which is brought to them by a vertical wheel having holes at equal
distances all round into which the shanks are fed also a rack at the side with teeth
at distances to correspond with holes. A lever coming horizontally from the axle
alongside of rack is fitted with a little bolt this springs into every tooth. At the
end of this lever is an adjustable connecting rod connected to a long horizontal
lever under the machine bed. It is worked by a cam on the main shaft. By the
centre cam the header dies are worked being carried by horizontal plungers in
guides advancing and retiring at each revolution (alternately) one advancing in
time to head the shank which is being held by the closed dies, the dies and plunger
then recede releasing the finished nail it is then carried round by the feed wheel
a sufficient distance for another shank to take its place and wait while the same
operation is being made on the opposite side. The finished nails are removed by
a reliever which is attached to the long horizontal lever under the machine bed, by
this lever the feed wheel is also worked.

page_text: THOMAS EDWIN MANSFIELD 27 South Street Bedminster Bristol Nail Machinist
I do hereby declare the nature of my invention for MAKING CUT, NAILS FROM
STRIPS OF IRON OR STEEL and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This is an Invention of Machinery adapted for making Cut Nails from strips
of Iron or Steel, two machines are required, one for making the shanks and the
other for heading.
The shank machine essentially consists in a central revolving vertical shaft A
with a horizontal cam B on top with one or more throws C in (according to the
size of the machine) working several sets of cutters D in guides E divided equally
'round the frame and each acting against a corresponding set of fixed cutters F,
cutting off the the shanks from the lower end of a vertical length of bar rolled to
the angular shape of the shank and fed vertically down over the cutters, under each
set of cutters is an adjustable spring bolt G to determine the width of shanks.
Each of the working cutters in guides are independent of the others and are each
fitted with a loose piece H that can be drawn out for the purpose of disconnecting
them which enables the attendant to take each or either set out to grind or prepare
for another length or size, while the others are in operation, there being no necessity
whatever to stop the machine. Several sizes can be made at the same time, or all
one size as desired, at the rate of about one thousand per minute of three inch or
any other size downwards or proportionate numbers of different sizes. The speed
is comparatively slow, it only being necessary to make about forty-two revolutions
per minute.
The heading machine consists in a central revolving horizontal shaft I with
three cams J on, the two outside ones working two pairs of horizontal levers K in
guides one pair on each side of the shaft each lover carries a die L near the end
which works on a vertical stud M fitted in the bed plate, at every revolution of the
shaft each pair of dies opens and closes, one pair opening while the other pair closes
and holds fast a shank which is brought to them by a vertical wheel N having
boles at equal distances all round into which the shanks are fed, also a rack at the
side with teeth at distances to exactly correspond with the holes. A lever O coming
from the axle alongside of rack is fitted with a little bolt P which springs into
every tooth successively, it is worked from the centre cam J by a long horizontal
lever and connecting rods R either under or above the machine bed. The shanks
are thrown into a box or receptacle S, a boy then draws them in rotation with the
points in the direction of the wheel, along a passage from the receptacle to the
mouth of an inclined way T, provided to convey them to the feeder U. The shanks
arriving at the bottom of the inclined way fall over a narrow slot V exactly opposite
the hole to receive it in the wheel. A little spring fastened to a slide advancing
and retiring longitudinally (in a bracket fixed to the bed plate in front of the feed
wheel) takes a shank in at each advance the slide is worked either by a disc on the
end of the main shaft having a slot across the face wherein is an adjustable pin
going through one end of a rod connected to a horizontal lever on a vertical stud

page_text: working the slide, or by a combined horizontal and vertical lever W carried by
a stud in the bracket the horizontal part having a stud in the end which is worked
by a longitudinal slot in the long lever Q under the machine bed, the vertical part
connected in a similar way to a short vertical lever X working the slide. By
the centre cam the header dies are worked being carried by horizontal plungers Y
in guides advancing and retiring at each revolution one advancing in time to head
the shank which is being held by the closed dies L, the dies and plunger then
recedo releasing the finished nail, it is then carried round by the feed wheel a
sufficient distance for another shank to take its place and wait while the same
operation is being made on the opposite side. The finished nails are removed by
a reliever Z which is attached to the long lever under the machine bed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
An Invention specially designed for making iron or steel nails to supersede the
well known patent wrought nails such as manufactured at the present time by
Messrs J. J. Cordes & Company Newport Monmouthshire. Two machines are
required one wherein the shanks are made from strips rolled to the angular shape
of the shank and fed vertically down over the cutters. Each set of cutters are
independent of the others and so constructed to enable the attendant to take each
or either set out to grind or prepare for another length or size, while the others are
in operation, there being no necessity whatever to stop the machine. Several sizes
can be made at the same time or all one size at the rate of about one thousand per
minute or about five hundred and forty thousand per day of nine hours of three
inch or any other size downwards or proportionate numbers of different sizes. The
centre motion is a very powerful one having a number of throws in, according to
the size of the machine or the number of cutters it has to work, but the number of
throws are in either case less than the number of cutters this is done so that all the
cutters shall not be cutting at the same time the result of which the machine is
driven with much less power. The speed is comparatively slow it only being
necessary to make about forty two revolutions per minute thereby. causing very
little wear and tare. The second machine, which is for heading has two feed
wheels so that two sizes can be headed or all one size as required, cach wheel
being independent of the other one can be worked alone should it be necessary
through accident or repair, a boy standing at each wheel draws the shanks in
rotation with the points in the direction of the wheel along a passage from
a receptical to the mouth of an inclined way provided to convey them to the
feeder, the shanks arriving at the bottom of the inclined way fall over a narrow
slot exactly opposite the hole to receive it in the wheel, a little spring fastened to
a slide advancing and retiring longitudinally (in a bracket fixed to the bed plate in
front of the feed wheel) takes a shank in at each advance, but while one spring is
advancing and taking a shank into the one wheel a shank is being headed in the
other, at every revolution of the main shaft two shanks are fed, headed and
removed from the machine completed.
Dated this Eighth dow of Tune 1995