CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING PINS AND PIN NAILS
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victòria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-eighth day of July, in the fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Newton, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said William Newton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said William Newton, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, an Invention of " CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING PINS AND PIN NAILS," being a
communication from a foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said William Newton, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Newton, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
The Invention of improvements in machinery for making pins and pin nails,
which has been communicated to me by a foreigner residing abroad (as above
said), consists in a novel construction or arrangement of machinery, containing
many known agents before employed for similar purposes, but in this instance
differently formed and newly arranged, in order to effect the manufacture of
pins and pin nails in a more perfect, convenient, and expeditious manner than
could be done in the existing machines, to which I have alluded, having the
like objects. The improved machinery is shewn in the several Figures of
the accompanying Drawings, and is described by the Inventor nearly in the
following words :-
The operations necessary for the manufacturing of a pin or a pin nail
from wire, are five in number, and are performed in the following order :-
Firstly, the wire which has been placed on a bobbin or reel, contiguous to
the machine, is introduced, drawn, and straightened in the machine by certain
apparatus, shewn and described hereafter.
Secondly, the head is made by pressure in a die by a punch, at two or more
operations.
Thirdly, the wire forming the shank, after having been headed, is cut off by
shears or cutters at the desired length.
Fourthly, the shank is pointed by grinding its end against a rotary file.
Fifthly, the pin, in a completely finished state, is drawn out of the machine
by nippers, and let fall into a box or appropriate receiver below.
All these operations are produced by a power communicated from the
revolving action of the main rotary shaft of the machine. This shaft carries
the various cams for putting successively into action the various parts or
mechanism which effect the five operations above mentioned. The general
construction and movements of the mechanism will be the same, whether pins
or pin nails are to be manufactured; but I shall first describe the mode of
manufacturing pins, and afterwards state what modifications are necessary in
the machinery for the manufacturing of pin nails.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is a horizontal view of the machine
complete; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, vertical section, taken
through the centre of the main shaft; Fig. 4, horizontal section, taken like-

page_text: wise through the centre of the main shaft; Fig. 5 is an end.elevation of the
machine, as it would appear from the right hand of Figs. 1 and 2, the pullies
being removed, and their shafts represented in section; Fig. 6 is an elevation
taken from the opposite end of the machine to that shewn in the preceding
Figure, and from which the fly wheel and driving pulley have been removed;
Fig. 7 is a vertical section, taken through the machine in the dotted line
A, B, of Fig. 4; Fig. 8 is also a vertical section, taken through the machine
a little distance behind the preceding Figure, in the dotted line C, D, of Fig. 4;
Fig. 9 is a another vertical section, taken in the direction of the linie E, F, of
Fig. 4; Fig. 10 is a vertical section, taken through in the dotted line G, II,
of Fig. 4; Fig. 11 is an elevation of the bobbin, on which is placed the coil
of wire intended to be operated upon; Fig. 12 is an elevation of the circular
plate, which carries the holders that conduct the pius to the pointing apparatus,
with the racthet wheel and lever that drives the carrier plate round; this
Figure is drawn on a scale double that of the preceding Figure; Fig. 13 is
an edge view of the last-mentioned apparatus; Figs. 14, 15, 16, and 17 are
various views and sectional representations of one of the pin holders detached,
froni its carrying plate, which Figures are considerably magnified to shew
their parts more distinctly; Fig. 18 is a detached view of the lever which
carries the moveable clamp of the cutter; this Figure represents the two
positions taken by this lever when open and closed, also a detached view of
the moveable guide, and of the operation of the levers which put the said
guide into action and cause it to cut the wire. Fig. 19 is a detached view of
the punch and one of the carrier pullies in section; Fig. 20, an elevation of
the driving end of the lever, carrying the click or dog which drives the ratchet
wheel; Fig. 21, face and edge views of the cam, with an excentric groove
that acts upon the reverse end of the lever; Fig. 22, elevation, shewing
detached the parts of the mechanism employed for pointing the pins by means
of circular files or grinders. The same letters indicate the same parts in
all these Figures. a, a, a, a, &c., foundation plate and framework of the
machine; b, b, driving pulley actuated by a gut or rope, deriving its motion
from any first moving power; c, c, main shaft, carrying the various cams,
hereafter described, the said shaft being driven by the pulley fixed upon it;
d, d, fly wheel on the main shaft c, for the purpose of regulating the motions
of the machine; e, e, front end chair, or support fixed on. the foundation
plate a, a; in this chair turns one end of the main shaft c, c;.f, f,.back end
chair, forming a support to the extremity of the foundation plate a, a; on this
part of the plate are fixed three bearings, in which the other end of shaft c
turns; g, pulley fixed on the shaft c, for the purpose of transmitting the

page_text: motion to other pullies, hereafter described; h, bobbin, on which is placed the
coil of wire to be worked into pins; i, straightening studs, between which
passes the wire, and by the action of which it is straightened before it proceeds
into the machine.
I now proceed to describe the peculiar movements of the mechanism which
are to produce, in the above stated order, the five operations necessary for the
making of a pin.
First operation. Introduction of the wire into the machine.-1, slide or
carrier sliding on a dovetailed rail made of cast iron, seen at m, Figs. 6 and 10.
This carrier is in brass and receives an angular lining of cast iron which is
fixed to it by means of set screws 1, 2. A screw 3, fixed on a small bracket
projecting from the end of the angular rail, regulates the extent of the retro-
grade motion of the said slide. The slide 1 carries at its inner end, and at the
height of the head of the pinchers o', a small guide to direct the wire. n,
regulating piece, serving, in conjunction with the screw 3, to adjust with great
accuracy the motion of the slide 1; o, cubic stop or stay fixed on the slide 1;
o', clamp or pincher, moveable on a stud or screw fixed in the slide 1; the
tail of the clamp is pressed at suitable intervals by a cam or excentric wheel
about to be described; p, p', cam or excentric wheel fixed on the working
shaft c, and revolving with the same. This excentric is constructed so as to
es the pinchers o¹ against their
perform the following operations:-It
stop o, and thus presses the wire by the action of its circumference. It
drives forward the slide by the action of a portion of its face on the
adjusting piece n; thus the slide is drawn forward, with the wire of which
it has taken hold. The circumference of the cam continues to act against
the pinchers o¹, and its face drives the slide a small distance further to
supply a sufficient quantity of metal for the formation of the head of the
pin, which in the machine is made by two operations. When the head is
made in the manner hereafter stated, the circumference of the cam quits
the pinchers o', and the face of the said cam brings back the carrier to com-
mence again and repeat the same motions. These are the functions of the
cam p, p', with reference to the manufacturing of a pin; it is also used for
extracting the pin when completely finished, and the actions of which will be
described in the, fifth operation. Fig. 5 shews a front view of the cam; it
presses the pinchers o¹, from p unto p¹.
Formation of the head.-Having described the introduction of the wire
into the machine by the motions of the cam p, p', I proceed to state by what
pieces, and in what manner the head is made.
There is a moveable guide in which passes the wire drawn into the

page_text: In each
machine by the slide 1; this guide serves also as a cutter to cut off the
shank. r, a spring pressing against the wire and acting upwards so as to
retain the wire in its place when the shank is cut off; s, plate with a central
aperture in which the main shaft revolves freely; this plate is fixed on a
bush or collar s¹, which revolves in a cast-iron support fixed on the founda-
tion plate. In the plates are cut twelve grooves v on each side, and at
equal distances around the said plate; these grooves receive steel bearers u,
united together by screws passed through holes bored in the plate.
pair of bearers u is introduced the axle of a wharve or pulley w; the axle
of this wharve is perforated so as to admit the wire through it, carried in
by the slide . In the thickness of the wharve is cut a cavity to receive
a helical spring, which presses constantly against the wire, maintains it in
its place, and obliges the wire to revolve with the wharve. This spring may
be seen at Fig. 16, where it is marked w². The plate s is so fixed that one
of its wharves arrives constantly at the proper place to receive the wire passed
in by the slide 1; thus the wire passes always through one of the wharves w,
and projecting about one-third of an inch beyond, it enters in the clamps y, y',
(one of which y is fixed and the other moveable), and finally comes up to the
punch h³.
The angular
Before describing the formation of the head it is proper to explain the
manner in which the rotation of the plate s takes place, the motion of this
plate being in a contrary direction to that of the working shaft c:-a', a³,
cam fixed on the shaft c, and before the plate s. This cam is composed
of one circular disc a, fixed diagonally, and of another disc fixed to the
former, in which is cut an excentric groove. In this groove is introduced
a stud b', fixed in the lever c¹. c', c, lever oscillating on an axis fixed by
a screw nut in a bush bored in the upper part of the support t.
part c is of one piece, and the part is linked or jointed to the first;
moreover, a helical spring connects the part to the part c¹. The part c
carries at its extremity a catch or dog, which drives the ratchet wheel d',
fixed on the collar or bush of the plate s. When by the motion of the
excentric the stud is driven from the centre of the machine, the arm c' causes
the arm c² to tumble, and the dog on the arm c, having penetrated in one of
the teeth of the ratchet wheel d', causes it to turn the distance of one tooth,
and the click c' enters the following tooth of the ratchet and prevents it
returning; it is in this manner that the plate s is set in motion. When the
configuration of the groove in the disc a' brings the stud towards the centre,
the tumbling of the lever c² and the pull of the helical spring causes it to
enter in one of the notches or teeth of the ratchet, where it is ready to

page_text: operate again. A complete revolution of the cam a thus causes the ratchet
d' to escape one tooth, and brings another wharve in a suitable position to
receive the wire. The plate's carries on its back studs equal in number to
those of the wharves; as the action of the catch gives to the plate too great an
impulse, the said plate is brought back again into its place by the spring e³,
acting against one of the studs, as seen in Fig. 8. As we have scen, the wire
is directed through one of the wharves in the plates, and penetrates in the
clamps or jaws y and y¹; the one marked y, being moveable, rises to allow
the wire to enter and also to give room for the passing of the wharve which
carries the headed shank. The moveable clamp is fixed on a lever f, having
its fulcrum on an axis 4. The long end of this lever is actuated by a cam f³,
fixed on the shaft c. The said cam is so shaped as, first to hold the wire
while the first portion of the head is formed, next, to set it at liberty to allow
its being driven up by the slide or carrier, and, finally, to press it again,
in order that the head may be finished. From 5 to 6 the cam flowers
gradually the lever f'; from 6 to 7 it presses the wire to resist the action of
the punch, which forces the metal into the shape of a pin's head, as will be
'seen hereafter; from 7 to 8 it opens the clamps or jaws to allow another
length of wire to be introduced; finally, from 8 to 9 it presses again the wire,
while the punch finishes the head. g', spring pressing against the lever ƒ¹,
and raising it as soon as the cam has ceased to act on the long arm of the
said lever. The two clamps or jaws y, y', (see Figures 18, 19,) are hollowed
so as to allow the punch to penetrate up to one half of their length. The
part of the said jaws in which the forcing and the shaping of the metal
takes place is conically scooped out so as to form a die or matrix for the
under part of the pin's head. ', collar in which passes the punch holder h²;
this collar is fixed to the frame of the machine. h³, steel punch, with a
cavity at its extremity, to shape the head of the pin. The knee-jointed lever
2, 12, is set in motion by a cam, fixed on the shaft c, and operating on the
punch a pressure sufficiently to force the metal into the shape of a head. It
may be seen that the said cam operates at two intervals, as the cam f², above
described, and jointly with the same.
Third operation. Cutting off the shank.-When the head is made, the wire
is pressed at its extremity into the jaws by the action of the punch. The wire
must then be cut at the proper length and the shank detached; this operation
takes place in the following manner:-The wire, before it had reached the
jaws, had passed through the moveable guide q, and the wharve of the plate s;
this wharve maintains the wire in its place by means of its internal spring (seen
in Fig. 16 on an enlarged scale); when the head is finished as above stated, the

page_text: moveable guide q is slightly lowered, and cuts the wire by the contact of its
lower surface with the upper surface of a fixed piece q', represented in Figures
18 and 19. This motion of the guide q is produced by the movement of the
lever f¹ (see Figures 7 and 8). When this lever is no longer pressed by the
arm f, and is brought back into its place by the energy of the spring g¹, a
stud 10 acts against the small lever, which, tumbling on its axis at 11, brings
back the lower extremity of the lever ³, to which the lever is linked. The
lever ³ thus impelled, turns on its axis the required distance, and lowers its
upper extremity, on which is fixed the moveable guide q: The guide thus
lowered detaches the shank, which is carried off by the wharve w. The head
of the lever f, having been at this period of the operation raised by the action of
the spring, and having assumed the position represented in black lines, Fig. 18,
leaves a free and open psssage to the wharve carrying the shank, which has
just been detached. The plate is then set in motion, because the stud of the
tumbling lever c¹ is driven back by the exentricity of the groove and another
wharve is brought between the moveable guide and the fixed jaw, in order to
receive the wire supplied by the carrier and to begin again the operations just
described. In the same Fig. 18, the blue lines indicate the position of the
lever f when it is lowered to close the jaws.
Fourth operation. Pointing of the shanks.-The headed shanks are succes-
sively carried round by the revolution of the plate s carrying the pullies, in
which they are respectively inserted. In order to point them they must be
subjected to the action of revolving files or grinders, having at the same time a
reciprocating motion; while the files act on the points of the shanks, the latter
revolve and bear at the same time on a rest or support, which maintains them
subjected to the action of the rotary files. The heads of the shanks, in their
revolution along with the plate s, pass through three or a greater number of
grooved guides, which prevent the shanks from being drawn forward by the
operation of the files. Motion is given to the wharves in the following
manner-A pulley g is fixed on the working shaft; it is surrounded by a gut
or cord, which being crossed, transmits a contrary motion to a pulley k, fixed
on the extremity of the shaft k'. The other extremity of the said shaft kc
carries a pulley, surrounded by a crossed rope, which transmits an inverted
motion to the wharves or pullies on the plates (see Fig. 7); the consequence
of this disposition is, that the pullies of the plate s revolve in the direction of
the pulley g, and also of the working shaft c, and the shanks turn forcibly along
with their respective pullies or wharves w. By the rotation of the plate's the
shanks, the heads of which project about one-third of an inch beyond the
wharves, will be brought into the grooved guides. These guides are equal.in

page_text: number to the rotary files, which will be described presently. In the machine
represented in the annexed Drawings, there are three sets of files and three
grooved guides, but this number may be varied. h, grooved guide (Figures 2
and 3), fixed on a support ³, forming an angle, to leave a space sufficient for
the revolution of the cam f, here above described (see Fig. 22). ', small rail
fixed by hinge joints he to the support s³, and carrying at its upper part the
bearings, which receive the file or rotary grinder 13. The said bearings are
fixed by bolt and nut to the top of the rail . The reciprocating motion is
given to the rails in the following manner :-The circular plate a³, of which
the circumference is purposely bent, comes at one part of its revolution closer
to the plates and then recedes, thus producing a lateral motion. A slide or
carrier m', sliding in a groove, cut in an angular piece fixed on the support s³,
receives the motion given by the plate a³, and transmits it to a segment m², on
which are fixed the links m³ attached by joints to the rail . In this manner
the rails are carried forward on the shanks, and with them their files, which
make the point by grinding away a portion of the meta!. The files are fixed
on small pullies, which are driven round by guts or cords, set in motion by a
series of pullies placed above the machine. These pullies are actuated in any
convenient manner. n' is a rest on which the pin bears while the file is
making the point.
Fifth operation. Extraction of the finished pin. When the pin has passed
successively under each of the three files, or a greater number of files, if neces-
sary, it has become completely finished; nothing more is to be done except
to extract it from its pulley or wharve, that the same may be prepared for
receiving another shank when the said wharve shall pass between the move-
able guide g and the jaws y, y'. To this effect a grooved guide o² (Figures 1
and 4) is fixed on a carrier p³, which receives a reciprocating motion of a
greater extent than the length of the pin. This carriage p² is moved at proper
intervals by the cam p, which drives out the said carrier p² as soon as the head
of the finished pin is engaged in the eye of the guide o². A coil spring placed
inside the said carrier p³ brings it back to its place to allow the guide o³ to
receive the pin brought by the following pullies w. It will be observed that
in the annexed Drawings the plate s carries only twelve pullies; but it will be
evident that a greater number may be applied, if found convenient. It is also
to be remarked that although I have thought it advantageous to form the
solid head of the pin by partially pressing at first the end of the wire, bring-
ing up the same and pressing a second time, the pressure might be given
by three operations; it would then be required to modify accordingly the cams
ps f², and j.

page_text: Manufacturing of pin nails.-The modifications necessary for manufacturing
with the above machine pin nails consist,-
First, in the feeding cam p, which must then introduce at once the whole
of the wire necessary for making a pin nail.
Secondly, in the cutting of the wire, which must take place before the head
is made.
Thirdly, in the pressure given by the punch, which is not divided into two
operations.
Fourthly, in the cam j, which must produce only one effect.
Fifthly, in the cam f2, which also must complete the whole pressure at once.
Figures 23 to 25 represent the cams modified for the making of pin
nails; they are marked with the same letters as in the pin machine. Fig. 26
represents the lever for cutting the shank off at a proper length before
the head is formed. For this purpose the lever f¹ drives the lever ³ by
means of a stud fixed in the latter, which stud is lowered by a projection
fs from the said lever f'. When the cam fs (Fig. 24) lowers the lever fi
(Fig. 26), this lever brings down the moveable guide q, and cuts off the
shank by the contact of its surface with the surface of the fixed cutter q'.
The working of the machine is exactly the same as for the making of pins,
all the operations being produced by the rotation of the working shaft, and
all the pieces, excepting those represented in Figures 23 to 26, acting in
a similar manner. It will be understood that the punches and jaws must be
modified according to the size of the wire and the nature of the heads to be
formed on the nails. In case it should be required to manufacture a stouter
kind of pin, used by some trades, the strength of the working parts of the
machine ought to be increased, and the same ought to be done if it is wished
to make pin nails beyond a certain size, and, on the other hand, if finer wire
were worked, the various parts of the machine might be made lighter. This
indication will suffice to enable any mechanician conversant with similar
machines to appropriate the mechanism to the pins or pin nails. he might wish
to manufacture.
I claim with reference to the making of pins, first, the mode of feeding in
the wire by means of a slide driven by a peculiar cam, so shaped as to impart
to the wire, by the rotation of the working shaft, all the motions necessary for
the formation of the head.
Secondly, inserting the wire in wharves or pullies carried by a plate moving
in a direction contrary to that of the working shaft.
Thirdly, the mode of forming the head by two or several operations, so that
after having experienced a first pressure the wire be brought up again to the

page_text: punch to an extent equal to the diminution which the length of wire has
experienced by the spreading of the metal under the punch..
Fourthly, the general combination of the punch jaws and knee-jointed lever,
as the whole is represented in the annexed Drawings.
Fifthly, the mode of cutting off the headed pin and extracting it from its
position to convey it to the pointing apparatus.
Sixthly, the pointing apparatus, with its revolving files, its rest, and guides
to retain the pin by the head, and the reciprocating motion of the pointing
apparatus.
Seventhly, the special mode used for extracting the finished pin, and the
manner of taking for that purpose the necessary motion from the feeding cam.
Eighthly, the general combination of the machine for producing the above
results, as it has been here before described, and represented in the annexed
Drawings...
And with reference to the manufacture of pin nails, I claim the application
of the whole machine, with the modifications necessary to appropriate it to the
manufacture of pin nails, as the whole has been here before described, and
represented in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Newton have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-two.
WILLIAM (L.S.) NEWTON.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twenty-eighth day of
January, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Newton came
before our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi--
cation aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.