Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Horse Shoe Nails.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, Sist July,
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar., 1900-Accepted, 12th May, 1900
Date of Application, oist July, Fo00
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar., 1900-Accepted, 12th May, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Horse Shoe Nails.
JAMES SWALWELL, 29, Godfrey Road, Newport, Mon., Manager of Works, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention has reference to that class of machines by which a horse shoe
nail blank is drawn out, headed, bevelled, and pointed, and provides for these
purposes apparatus by which the blanks are automatically fed, from a hopper
to the drawing rolls, from which they pass to the heading, bevelling, and
pointing apparatus, which finishes the nail ready for use.
The improved machinery may be described as follows:-
Upon a suitable base plate at or near one end, a capstan block is cast or fixed,
upon this a loose horizontal ring is fitted. The top of this ring projects above
the top of block sufficiently to allow a number of square holes to be formed
The top
in the ring. In these holes the heading dies or matrixes are fitted.
side and one end of these holes are made parallel with the centre line and the
top of ring, the bottom at an angle corresponding to the set of the nail head,
and the other end at an angle corresponding to one side of the nail head.
The matrixes or heading dies are made in three parts the bottom part is
fitted into the bottom of box with its top face flush with top of capstan block.
The part for one side of head is fitted between this face and the top of box, and
against the angular end.
The other part in which the shape of head is cut forms the die for the front
and one side of head, when this part is in position the outsides fit against the
top and one end of the box and the other sides against the angular faces of
bottom and end dies, thus forming a matrix which any pressure on the outside
tends to close or if from the inside to open owing to the angles of bottom and
end. The other end of base plate is fitted with bearings for driving and crank
shaft, in line with the centre of dies in loose ring.
Behind the capstan block and at right angles to the driving shaft, the
standards for the rolls and pinions are fixed, two pairs of rolls are fitted one
above the other, over the top pair a guideway is fitted and over the guideway
a turn plate with grooves cut opposite each other on the face forming part of
one end of a hopper having a slot through the bottom. In this slot a blade
or plate with a groove cut lengthwise through the top works up and down
intermittently picking up the blanks in the groove and presenting them with
their head upwards to be fed into the grooves in the turn plate which is then
moved round a step bringing the next groove in position to receive a blank.
As the blanks reach the guideway over the rolls they drop through it head
downwards and are rolled on two sides dropping through a twisted guide way
to the second pair of rolls to be rolled on the front and back, then passing
through a guideway into a turn plate fitted below with its axes in a line with
centre line of rolls.
This turn plate has a recess in its face. A stationary block is fitted in this
recess and carries a plunger fitted in a horizontal position across its face.

page_text: A series of grooves in the turn plate receive the blanks as they drop through
the guideway with their heads downward to the stationary block which forms a
stop round which it is carried step by step until it is brought opposite the plunger
in stationary block and its point opposite a set of the dies fitted in the loose
ring on capstan block, the plunger is moved forward by a cam pushing the rolled
shank through the dies on to the capstan block with its point towards the centre
of block.
The loose ring is moved round step by step until the blank is brought
opposite a slide carrying a heading punch working at right angles to the point
where the blank was fed into the dies, the driving shaft moves the slide forward
and upsets the head.
The next step carries the nail blank (now held firmly by the dies) on to a steel
block or anvil fixed in the capstan block and flush with its top where the shank
is pressed and the bevil formed for the nail point, then round to a punch the
shape of a nail point and shank on its two sides fitted in capstan block with
its point towards the centre, with clearance on its two sides and below to allow
a pair of cutters to be moved down to shear the excess of metal from the sides
of the point and allow the shearings to pass below, thus finishing the nail.
The ring carrying the finished nail still held firmly in the dies is moved
round to the point directly opposite to the point where the head was upset, a
ram is moved forward inside the ring and presses upon the peice with the shape
of the head formed in it, forcing it outwards thus releasing the grip on the nail
which is driven out of the dies by a finger working under the rain striking it
on the point directly the head is released.
Dated this 29th day of July 1899.
Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Horse Shoe Nails.
☑
I, JAMES SWALWELL, of No. 29, Godfrey Road, Newport, in the County of
Monmouth, Manager of Works, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained. in and by the following statement :--
My invention has reference to that class of machinery by which horse shoe
nail blanks are drawn out, headed, bevilled and pointed and consists of the
construction and arrangements of parts hereinafter described for effecting the
said objects.
The improved machinery constituting my invention consists of the following
parts.
Upon a base plate at or near one end, a capstan block is cast or fixed. Upon
this block a loose horizontal ring or sleeve is fitted the top of the said ring or
sleeve projecting above the top of the block. In the upper part of the ring or
sleeve is a series of rectangular holes constituting box like openings for the
reception of a series of heading dies or matrices. The top or upper horizontal
side and one vertical side of each hole in the ring are parallel with the axis of
the said hole; the bottom or lower horizontal side of the said hole is inclined
to the axis of the hole at an angle corresponding to the set of the nail head to
be produced, and the other vertical side of the said hole is inclined to the axis
of the hole at an angle corresponding to one side of the nail head. The matrices

page_text: or heading dies are each made in three parts, the bottom part fitting into the
bottom of the box like hole in the ring or sleeve of the capstan block, its acting
face being flush with the top of the capstan block, the other two parts of the
die fitting on the lower part, a hole the counterpart of the head of the nail to
be produced being formed at the middle of the die. By the inclination of the
bottom and one side of the dic and its box like hole, outward pressure on the
die effects the closing of the matrix of the die and pressure from the inside
effects the opening of the matrix of the die.
The other end of the base plate is fitted with bearings for the driving and
crank shaft
Behind the capstan block and at right angles to the driving shaft the standards
for the rolls and pinions are fixed. Two pairs of rolls are fitted one above the
other. Over the top pair of the said rolls a guide-way is fitted and over the
guideway is a turnplate with radial grooves in its face, the said turn plate
forming part of one end of a hopper having a slot through its bottom. In the
slot in the bottom of the hopper a blade or plate having a groove cut length-
wise through its top works intermittently up and down picking up the blanks
in the said groove and presenting them with their heads upwards to be fed
into the grooves in the turn plate which is then moved round step by step
bringing the successive grooves in position to receive a blank.
When the
blanks are brought by the rotation of the turn plate over the guideway leading
to the first pair of rolls they drop through it head downwards and are rolled
on two opposite sides by the said first pair of rolls from which they pass through
a twisted guideway to the second pair of rolls to be rolled on the front and
back, passing thence through a guideway into a second or lower radially grooved
turnplate. This second turnplate has an axial recess in its face in which recess
a stationary block is fitted. In the said stationary block is a horizontal slot
in which a plunger works. A series of radial grooves in the said second turn-
plate receives the blanks as they drop through the bottom guideway the heads
of the nails coming in contact with the stationary block which forms a-stop
round which the series of nails is carried step by step until they are brought
one by one in line with the plunger in the said stationary block, the point of
the nail being presented to one of the series of dies fitted in the loose ring or
sleeve on the capstan block when the plunger is moved forward by a cam and
the rolled shank of the nail is passed through the dies on to the capstan block
with its point towards the centre of the block. The loose ring or sleeve of the
capstan block is moved round step by step and the nail blank is thereby brought
opposite a slide carrying a heading punch operated by the driving shaft which
moves the slide forward and upsets the head of the blank. The next step
carries the nail blank now held firmly by the dies on to a steel block or anvil
fixed in the capstan block and flush with its top where the shank is pressed
or planished and the evil formed for the nail point; then the blank is carried
round to a punch having the shape of a nail point and shank on its two sides
which punch is fitted in the capstan block with its point towards the centre of
the said block and with clearance on its two sides and below to allow a pair
of cutters to be moved down to shear the excess of metal from the sides of the
point and allow the shearings to fall through the capstan block, thus finishing
the nail. The die carrying the finished nail is moved round by the ring to a
point directly opposite to the point where the head was upset when a ram is
moved forward inside the ring and presses upon one or both of the upper parts
of the die, forcing the said part or parts outwards and thereby releasing the
grip on the nail which is driven out of the die by a finger striking the nail on
the point directly the head is released.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in side elevation; Fig. 2 in
end elevation, partly in vertical section and Figure 3 in sectional plan, horse
hoe nail making machinery containing my improvements.

page_text: Figures 4 to 16 both inclusive represent detans
of the said machinery.
Figure 17 represents elevations at right angles to one another of one of the
horse shoe nail blanks which are supplied to and finished by the machine.
Figure 18 represents similar views of the said blank after the first rolling 5
operation.
Figure 19 represents similar views of the said blank after the second rolling
operation; and Figures 20 and 21 represent the said blank after the heading
and pointing operations respectively.
The same letters and figures of reference indicate the same parts in the 1
several figures of the drawings.
I will first describe the principal parts of the machinery and the functions
of the said parts and afterwards the details and modes of operation.
A is the hopper into which blanks of the kind represented in Figure 17 are
placed.
B is the first pair of rolls by which the blanks are, one by one, rolled on
their opposite sides; and C is the second pair of rolls by which the blanks are
rolled on their opposite edges.
D is the capstan block and E is the loose ring or sleeve working on the said
block, the said ring carrying the series of heading dies ; F, G, H are the slides
carrying the punches or tools working in conjunction with the dies in the
ring E and block 1) by which tools and dies the heading, bevelling and pointing
are in succession effected.
The hopper A is represented drawn to a larger scale in longitudinal vertical
section in Figure 4; cross section in Figure 5 and plan in Figure 6; Figure 7
is a vertical section of the slotted plate or blade working in the hopper the
said section being taken on the dotted line, a Figure 4.
The hopper A consists of a receptacle with inclined sides a, a and slotted or
open bottom a¹ the said hopper being connected to the framing of the machine
by a slotted web or rail a² Arranged and working in a vertical guideway in
the hopper A is a vertical plate or blade b, the said plate or blade being slotted
at top the said slot when the plate or blade is in its raised position forming a
continuation of the slot in the rail or web a² (see Figures 4 to 6). The plate
or blade is raised or lowered by a lever c (see Figure 1) attached to the
vertical arm at the front edge of the said plate, the said levere being operated
through the link and rod c², a stud on the latter engaging in a box cam
on the shaft 8 which drives the pair of upper rolls B. The shaft 8 is driven
from the principal shaft 1 of the machine through the spur wheels 2 and 3,
bevil wheels 4 and 5 and spur pinions 6 and 7 the last named pinion being on
the shaft 8.
When the plate or blade is depressed the top of the slot in the said blade
occupies the open bottom or slot a in the hopper A and nail blocks descend
into the slot in the plate or blade b, the heads of the blanks being supported
by the edges of the slot. The plate or blade being raised the nail blanks p
picked up are pushed on to the slotted rail or web a² by a bar i which is pressed
back when the blade or plate descends by a lever k turning on a pin 2 (see
Figure 2) the lower end of the said lever engaging in a slot in a plate 11 (see
Figure 3) secured to a sliding push bar 7 attaclied to a lever m worked by a cam n
The bar is made to follow the return motion of
on the principal shaft 1.
the lever by the spring and on the return motion of the said bar it
advances along the slot in the plate or blade and pushes the nail blanks p
before it (see Figures 4 and 5).
The nail blanks p pushed along the slotted rail or web a² by the bar i are
received one by one in the radial slots of a turnplate q which is situated at the back
of and closes the slotted web or rail a². The said turnplate q is keyed to a
shaft which receives an intermittent partial rotation through the ratchet

page_text: wheel 2 and pawl q³ the said pawl ³ being situated on a rod r which is raised
and lowered in the following manner. The rod is connected at its lower end
by means of a link or toggle 1 (see Figure 2) to a second and horizontally
sliding rod one end of which is connected to a lever s worked by a cam s² on
the principal shaft 1 (see Figures 3 and 10).
When the nail blanks have been carried by the step by step rotation of the
turnplate 'g through a half rotation they are presented head foremost to a
vertical guideway (see Figure 2) down which they fall to the first pair of
rolls B by which they are rolled on their two opposite sides, the nail blank
being somewhat lengthened, by the said operation (see Figure 18). From the
said rolls Beach of the blanks passes through a twisted guideway t¹ to the second
pair of rolls C by which the blank is rolled on its opposite edges and is still
further lengthened (see Figure 19). From the second pair of rolls C the rolled
blank falls through another vertical guide-way 12 to a second radially grooved
turnplate (shown separately in front elevation and vertical section drawn to a
larger scale in Figures 8 and 9 respectively). The turnplate has an axial
recess occupied by a stationary disc u¹, the periphery of which disc forms a
stop for the heads of the rolled blanks when they fall into the radial grooves
of the turnplate ". A portion of the front of the turnplate u is carried by a
quadrant plate u² fixed to the framing of the machine the said plate u² closing
the open sides of the grooves occupied by the rolled nail blanks. The turn-
plate is formed on one end of a shaft 3 on the other end of which shaft is a
ratchet wheel and stop wheel the said ratchet wheel being operated by a
pawl on the rod or bar 2 by the sliding motion of which the pawl q3 of the
first turnplate ratchet wheel is also operated as herein before described. When
the rolled blank has been turned by the turnplate through a quadrant and the
said blank has been thereby brought from a vertical into a horizontal position
the said rolled nail blank is pushed from the turnplate into one of the series
of dies in the ring or sleeve E by a plunger 13 occupying a horizontal slot in
the stationary disc u of the turnplate the said plunger being operated by the
push rod herein before described.
The fixed capstan block D and the dies and parts connected therewith are
shown separately drawn to a larger scale in Figures 11, 12, 13 and 14.
Figure 11 is a plan (with part in section) of the said capstan block and Figures 12
and 13 are vertical sections taken on the dotted lines a, and y, y respectively
of Figure 11: Figure 14 represents views of one of the dies separately.
The sleeve or ring E which is loose on the top of the fixed capstan block D
has near its upper edge a series of equi-distant rectangular holes e constituting
die boxes. The upper edge of each hole is parallel with the upper edge of the
ring or sleeve but the bottom edge inclines upwards (see Figures 12 and 13)
and one of the side or vertical edges of each hole is parallel to the radial axis
of the hole while the other side inclines inwards towards the said axis as is
The dies are each
best seen by reference to the part in section in Figure 11.
made of three parts (see Figure 14) a bottom part and two upper parts. The
axial hole or opening formed when the three parts of the die are put together
is the counterpart or matrix of the head of the finished nail. The bottom parts
of the dies are put in the die holes or boxes in the ring E and are retained
in position by the hoop e¹ fixed to the ring E. The upper parts of the dies v
are placed on the lower parts and are kept in place by a second hoop e² secured
to the inner side of the standard J of the machine, see Figure 2. The said
second hoop e² has a somewhat larger diameter than the ring E (see Figures 12
and 13) and is arranged eccentric to the said ring E as will be understood by
a comparison of the positions of the ring e² in Figures 12 and 13. By con-
structing the dies in the manner hereinbefore described and by arranging
the hoops e¹, e2 in the ways hereinbefore described, the parts of the dies are at
certain parts of the ring E, somewhat loose in the boxes e, that is to say, the

page_text: upper parts of the dies are capable of a slight motion on the lower parts, while
the parts of the dies at other parts of the said ring E are preceived close in
the said boxes e.
The partly made nails in the second turnplate u are fed horizontally into the
die at the position indicated by the arrow in Figure 11 the said partly made
nail being pushed out of the radial groove in the turnplate by the horizontal
plunger (Figures 8 and 9).
The partly made nail in the die e is carried round by the intermittent partial
rotation of the ring or sleeve E by a spring pawl (see Figure 3) acting on
ratchet teeth formed near the bottom edge of the ring E.
The said pawl
is carried by a rod or bar el connected at one of its ends to a lever which
engages the cam z on the principal shaft 1 (see Figure 10). Under the ratchet
teeth is a series of equi-distant notches et with one of which a stop bar e
engages on each partial rotation of the ring E. The stop bar is operated
through a lever 10 and cam 11 (see Figure 1) on the shaft 9 by which the second
pair of rolls C is driven.
When the rolled nail blank has been carried, by the step by step motion of
the ring or sleeve E, through a quadrant the head of the rolled blank is presented
to a heading tool or punch f carried by the slide F which slide is actuated by
a crank 12, on the principal shaft 1. and connecting rod 13 attached at its outer
end to the slide F. The die in line with the punch is kept close in its
box e by the second or uppers hoop 2 which at this point bears on the ring E.
The stem of the nail blank is covered at this position by a radial bar fixed
to the top of the capstan block D..
The action of the punch on the head of the partly made nail causes the said
head to fill the matrix of the die and the said head has the shape given to it
represented in Figure 20.
.
By the next partial rotation of the ring E the partly made nail just headed
is brought on to a hardened steel plate or anvil d let into the top of the capstan
block D. The partly made nail in this position is operated upon by a tool
carried by a slide G which works in the upright or standard J. The slide G_is
connected to a lever g actuated by an eccentric on the principal shaft 1. By
the operation of the tool last described the point end of the partly made nail
has the bevel given to it represented at 72 in Figure 21.
By the further turning or step by step motions of the ring E the partly made
nail is carried from the anvil on to a fixed tool having the shape in plan
of the stem of the finished nail to be made. By the action of a hollow or
stripping punch working over the fixed tool the V point of the nail is
made as will be best understood by reference to Figure 21. The capstan
block D has at this part a hole in it passing into its hollow base through
which hole the shearings fall out of the machine (see Figures 11 and 13).
The hollow or V shaped punch is carried by the slide H which is attached
to the lever which is worked from the eccentric 2 on the principal shaft 1.
By the operation of the punch the nail in course of manufacture is finished.
When the finished nail has reached, by the turning of the ring E, a point 4
opposite to that at which the heading punch f operated it is ejected from the
machine in the following manner : —
A channel section bar 14, capable of a slight sliding motion in guides, carries
near its outer end a cranked arm or finger 15 (see Figure 12) and has at its
other end a roller 16 bearing on a cam 17 on the principal shaft 1 (see 5
Figures 15 and 16) the said roller 16 being kept to its bearing on the cam 17
by a strong coiled spring 18. By the action of the cam 17 on the channel
bar 14 the cranked arm or finger 15 is made to press the upper parts of the
die slightly outwards and thereby release the grip of the die on the nail head.
A second sliding bar 19 working in the channel of the first named sliding 5
bar 14 carries near its outer end a cranked arm or finger 20 which bears on

page_text: the point of the nail (see Figure 12). The second sliding bar 19 has a greater
range of motion than the sliding bar 14 the said bar 19 being operated by a
lever 21, link 22 and second lever 23 a stud on the end of which engages the box
cam 24. The arm or finger 20 on the outward motion of the bar 19 urges the
nail forward and ejects it from the machine.
From the description herein before given it will be understood that during
the working of the machine there is simultaneously going on the first rolling
of a nail bank, the second rolling of another blank and the heading, bevelling
and pointing of other blanks previously rolled and the discharging or ejecting
of a finished nail from the machine.
I wish it to be understood that by modifying the shape of the dies and tools
of the machinery hereinbefore described the said machinery may be fitted for
the manufacture of horse shoe nails of various shapes.
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:
First; Machinery for the manufacture of horse shoe nails hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings the said machinery
consisting of the following combination of parts, namely:-A hopper for
receiving nail blanks, appliances for automatically feeding the said blanks
from the hopper one by one to rolls by which the said blanks are rolled on
opposite sides and edges and appliances for transferring the rolled blanks to a
series of horizontal dies carried by a loose sleeve or ring capable of an inter-
mittent partial rotation on a fixed capstan block with which capstan block and
die carrying ring a heading punch, bevelling tool, shearing punch and nail
releaser and ejector are combined substantially as herein before described and
illustrated.
Secondly; In machinery for the manufacture of horse shoe nails of the kind
referred to in the preceding claim, a hopper for receiving the nail blanks and
appliances for automatically feeding the said nail blanks one by one to a radially
grooved turnplate by which they are delivered to the rolls the said automatic
appliances consisting essentially of a slotted plate or blade capable of a vertical
rising and falling motion in the hopper the slot in the plate or blade when the
said plate or blade is in its raised position being in line with a horizontal
rail at the back of the hopper and with one of the radial grooves in the turn-
plate, the nail blanks picked up by the plate or blade being pushed along the
slot of the raised plate or blade by a reciprocating pusher working substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Thirdly; In machinery for the manufacture of horse shoe nails the combina-
tion with a radially grooved turnplate for receiving the blanks head foremost
from the rolls, of a stationary block or disc occupying an axial recess in the
turaplate and constituting a stop for the heads of the nail blanks and a plunger
working in a horizontal slot in the said stationary block or disc for pushing the
nail blanks when they are brought into a horizontal position from the said. turn-
plate into the dies in which they are to be headed and further treated substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings
Fourthly; In machinery for the manufacture of horse shoe nails the con-
struction and arrangement of a fixed capstan block having upon it a loose
sleeve or ring carrying in a series of equi-distant rectangular openings near
its upper edge the dies or matrices for forming the heads of the nails, means
for giving the said loose ring an intermittent partial rotation and the com-
bination with the said ring of a heading punch, a bevelling punch and a
pointing or shearing punch and appliances for ejecting the finished nail sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Fifthly; Making the dies or matrices to be used in conjunction with the
loose die carrying ring claimed in the preceding claim in three parts kept in

page_text: place by hoops on or around the loose ring the parts of the dies being con-
structed so that two of the parts are capable of motion on the third part for
the purpose of opening or closing the matrix of the die substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the Twenty-seventh day of February 1900.
JAMES SWALWELL.