IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MAKING CUT NAILS FROM BAR OR SHEET IRON
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Southwood, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES
FOR MAKING CUT NAILS FROM BAR OR SHEET IRON."
Sealed the 1st September 1877, and dated the 5th March 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Southwood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th March 1877.
WILLIAM SOUTHWOOD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MAKING CUT NAILS FROM BAR OR SHEET
IRON."
My Invention relates to those machines in which three cutters are arranged in
triangular form, and between which the ends of the bar or bars is or are caused to
appear by a to-and-fro motion imparted to them by mechanism from the main
driving gear of the machine, and such as I have described in the Specifications of
two Patents granted to me, one in the year 1875, No. 3439, and another in the year
1876, No. 68.
In the first-named Specification I describe a series of vertical tubes, down which
the bars in strips are allowed to descend to feed the cutters, said tubes having a
to-and-fro motion. Now it has been found in practice that these tubes interfere con-
siderably with the progress of the work, and the speed of the cutting; so, in lieu
thereof I purpose using spring holders attached to solid handles for feeding the
bars to the cutters, and to attach to the machine one or more spring gauges to
regulate and determine the size of the heads of the nails.
In the second-named Specification I refer to pushers being operated by a cam or
eccentric which has been found in practice to be inefficient for the purpose; so,
instead thereof I purpose using spring pushers, which shall be released by a tappet
or lug on a cam which will expedite the action of the pushers and cause the
machine to work more efficiently.
In adapting the foregoing improvements to my already patented machinery I
must of necessity slightly modify the arrangement of it, which will be clearly

page_text: shown in my Final Specification to be deposited hereafter, and to which a claim or
claims will be made in accordance with the construction, whether for vertical or
horizontal machines.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Southwood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
September 1877.
WILLIAM SOUTHWOOD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MAKING CUT NAILS FROM BAR OR SHEET
IKON."
My Invention relates to those machines in which three cutters are arranged in
triangular form, and between which the ends of the bar or bars is or are caused to
appear by a to and fro motion imparted to them by mechanism from the main
driving gear of the machine, and such as I have described in the Specifications of
two Patents granted to me, one in the year 1875, No. 3439, and another in the year
1876, No. 68.
In the first-named Specification I describe a series of vertical tubes, down which
the bars in strips are allowed to descend to feed the cutters, said tubes having a
to-and-fro motion. Now it has been found in practice that these tubes interfere con-
siderably with the progress of the work, and the speed of the cutting; so, in lieu
thereof I purpose using spring holders attached to solid handles for feeding the bars
to the cutters, and attach to the machine one or more spring gauges to regulate and
determine the size of the heads of the nails.
In the second-named Specification I refer to pushers being operated by a cam or
eccentric, which has been found in practice to be inefficient for the purpose; so,
instead thereof I purpose using spring pushers which shall be released by a tappet
or lug on a cam which will expedite the action of the pushers and cause the
machine to work more efficiently.
In adapting the foregoing improvements to my already patented machinery 1
must of necessity slightly modify the arrangement of it.
The first part of my said improvements is shown in Figure 1 of the annexed
Drawings. a is the spring holder fitted to a bar b, free to fall in the guide c of the
machine during the to-and-fro movement of the guide c under the action of the
cam d'and connecting rods e, f, as did the tubes referred to in my previous Specifi-.
cation, No. 343975, the tubes being shown in Figure of the annexed Drawings
simply to represent the positions occupied by the spring holders which I substitute
for them.
In Figure 3 of the annexed Drawings g, gare spring gauges fitted in the machine,
and receive the ends of the strips of metal depending from the spring holders, and
according to the distance they are set apart, determine the width of the head of each
nail made. These gauges are adjustable by screw pins h, h, and can be fixed in the
required position by lock nuts i, i, as shown, other screw pins, j,j, being fitted to
keep the gauges up to their work. The screw pins pass through projections fixed
to the side of the lever ; this lever is shown detached in Figure 4.
Figure 5 is a plan of a nail-making machine according to my Invention; Figure 6,
a detached view of the main frame; Figure 7, views of knives which work in sets
of three, as in the view Figure 3, in triangular order, or in sets of five as in Figure 5.
The knives shown in Figure 7 make shoe bills, while those shown in Figure 8
are for joiners or flooring brads, each set of knives for these nails is composed of
three knives as before, as also the "bill" cutter on each side, these being firmly.
screwed against the top knife blade of the set. Figure 9 is a top view of the lever
shown in Figures 3 and 4.

page_text: Figure 10 is the top view of a gauge, through the apertures 1, 2, of which the
strips to be cut pass. This gauge is adjustable by screws to enable it to be set and
also to enable it to be removed when a part of the cutter is worn out. This gauge is
applicable to shoe "bills," while that shown in Figure 11 is applicable to flooring
brads.
Figure 12 is a detached view of the upper part of the frame A, with the holders
arranged side by side, as previously described for the tubes.
I claim, as this first part of my Invention, fitting spring holders in sliding bars
for holding the strips of metal, from which shoe bills or brads are made, as herein-
before described, and as shown at Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings.
Secondly. I claim under this first head fitting spring or regulating gauges in nail-
making machines, as shown in Figure 3 of the annexed Drawings, as and for the
purpose set forth.
The second part of my Invention is represented in Sheet of the annexed
Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation; Figure 2, a sectional transverse
view; Figure 3, a plan; Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 being detached views of parts of
said machine. a is the spring pusher, capable of being actuated by the cam b, the nose
of which, after drawing the pusher in, suddenly releases it, the cam nose still retaining
its hold of the pusher within the race, and as the cam moves on, it overtakes the
pusher again and draws it back. When the pusher is released the spring m draws
it in against the end of the nail blank last cut, forcing it into position for being
headed by the header n. p is a piece of metal for holding the blank against the
cutter until it arrives opposite the heading dies and pusher, it being then caught by
a catch q, to retain it in that position until the pusher has transferred the blank to
the heading dies; the holder then returns to receive another blank. During this
manipulation the cam r is adjusted to hold the cutter stationary and also the
blank.
I claim as this part of my Invention,―
The combination of cam with tappet lug, spring pushers and holding pieces, with
catches arranged as shown in the annexed Drawings, as and for the purposes
described.
I also claim the above combination in connection with the strap eccentric appli-
ances 7, by which there is a pause or rest of the movable cutter which holds the
blank while the pusher acts upon it and forces it between the gripping dies for the
heading thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Southwood, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of September, One thousand eight hundred and
parente SAWA
W. SOUTHWOOD. (LS.)