Improvements in the Manufacture of Nails and in Machines therefor."
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 24th Dec., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
"Improvements in the Manufacture of Nails and in Machines
therefor."
I, GEORGE GODDU, of Winchester, Massachusetts, United States of America,
Mechanic, 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:-
This invention relates to a string nail adapted for use in the manufacture of
boots and shoes, and to an apparatus for manufacturing duplicate string nails
from a substantially flat band or ribbon of substantially uniform thickness
throughout its length, whereby each string nail comprises a series of connected
headed and pointed nails having their points of the same ductility as the original
band or ribbon, to enable the string nail to be coiled and uncoiled without liability
of breaking and also to effect a superior clinching of the stock and avoid breaking
of the points when driven into the stock, and whereby the tapered side of each
nail extends from the point to the head of each nail to enable the metal ribbon or
band to be cut into duplicate string nails without waste of metal.
In accordance with this invention, the ribbon or band which is to be formed into
duplicate nail strips comprising connected headed and pointed tapering nails of
uniform length, is cut longitudinally and transversely intermediate of its sides,
the longitudinal cuts being inclined with relation to the sides of the ribbon or
band, and the transverse cuts extending substantially at right angles to the sides
of the ribbon or band and made of less length than the width of the said ribbon
or band, so as to leave uncut portions of metal at opposite ends of the said trans-
verse cuts, which uncut portions form the points of one set of nails and a portion of
the heads of a contiguous set of nails, so that duplicate nail strips of connected
headed and pointed nails are formed at one operation without waste of metal and
without decreasing in the nail strips thus formed, the ductility of the original
ribbon or band.
The ribbon or band may and preferably will be cut longitudinally and trans-
versely as above stated by means of rotatable cutting disks or circular dies,
between which the said ribbon or band is fed, and which are arranged with the
inner side of one disk overlapping the outer side of the other disk to an extent or
distance substantially equal to the length of the transverse cuts in the ribbon or
band.
.
The circular disks or dies are provided on their contiguous or adjacent over-
lapping faces at their circumferential edges, with a plurality of connected or con-
tiguous shallow recesses, preferably tapering and constituting the dies proper, each
of which is substantially triangular in shape on the periphery of the said disks,
and tapers or inclines radially from the said periphery toward the side of the disk.
The edges of the recess in the periphery of the cutting disks, constitute the
cutting edges of the dies, and the triangular edges on the periphery of one disk
extend in an opposite direction from the triangular cutting edges of the
co-operating disk, so that the said edges may register or coincide when the circular
dies or disks are rotated in opposite directions.

page_text: which register like ears or projections as on the bearing a², and the ears or laterally
projecting lugs as are adjustably fastened to the lugs or ears a", by means of bolts
ears 8 and into
or screws a, extended through suitable slots in the lugs or
suitably threaded sockets in the lugs or ears a', the lugs or ears a8 also having
threaded holes through which are extended adjusting bolts a¹, which bear on the
upper surface of the lugs or ears a. The cutting disks A³ A are mounted on the
end of the shafts a a', which project beyond one end of the bearings a² a3 and, in
the present instance, the cutting disks A³ A' are rendered fast onto the shafts a a¹
so as to revolve therewith, by means of caps or washers a¹², a¹³, fitted over the ends
of the shafts a a¹ and secured thereto by means of screws a¹, a5, which are tapped
into the ends of the shafts a a¹, and which have their heads abutting against the
ends of the caps or washers a¹, a¹³. The shafts a a¹, as herein shown, are pro-
vided at one end of the bearings a a³ with annular flanges a¹6 a17, Fig. 6, between
which and the nuts or washers a¹2 a¹³, the cutting disks A3 A4 are firmly clamped.
The shafts a a¹ are rotated in opposite directions by means of a gear a20 on the
shaft a (see Fig. 4) meshing with a gear a² on the shaft a, the said gears being
adjustably fastened to their shafts as by screws or bolts a22a23 extended through
split hubs a 25 of the said gears, and through elongated slots in the shafts, only
one of the said slots a being shown in Fig. 11, the said bolts being provided with
a head 650 and with a nut 651 (see Fig. 3).
The shaft a¹ in the present instance is represented as the main shaft, and has
mounted upon it driving pulleys a26 a27, the shaft a¹ having its extreme end
journaled in a bearing hub a attached to a substantially U-shaped bracket or
arm a2, which, in the present instance, is represented as integral with the table or
platform a. The cutting disks A3 A4 are provided on their peripheries at their
circumferential edges, with a plurality of connected or contiguous shallow recesses
b constituting the dies proper, and each of the said recesses or dies is provided, in
the present instance, with substantially triangular cutting edges, consisting of a
substantially long inclined cutting edge b' and a shorter transverse cutting edge
62, the inclined cutting edge b' extending from one face of the cutting disk A³
until it meets the inner end of the transverse cutting edge 62, which also extends
from the same face of the cutting disk. The inclined cutting edge of the
die on the cutting disk A, and the transverse cutting edge of the said die,
extend in an opposite direction from corresponding cutting edges of the dies b on
the disk As, and the disks A³ A* are arranged on their respective shafts a a¹ so as
to overlap one another a distance substantially equal to the length of the
that in the revolution of the cutting
transverse cutting edges 6³, so
disks A3 A4 in opposite directions, the cutting edges of the contiguous
dies on the cutting disk A³ will register or coincide with the cutting
In order that duplicate string
edges of contiguous dies on the disk Å*.
nail
of
strips
connected headed and pointed tapering nails, may
be made at a single operation and without loss of metal from a ductile ribbon or
band A, the transverse cutting edges 62 of the dies on the co-operating cutting
disks A A+, are made of a length less than the width of the band or strip A, so
5 that when the said band or strip is fed or passed between the cutting disks A³ A*,
it will be cut longitudinally and transversely intermediate of its sides 2-3, so that
the successive transverse cuts leave on opposite sides of them, uncut or connected
portions of the strip, which form respectively the point of one nail and a portion
of the head 40 of a contiguous nail; and the inclined cutting edges of the dies b
O form a longitudinal cut in the band A intermediate of its sides 2-3, and inclined
with reiation to the said sides as shown in Fig. 14, to form in one operation, the
tapering sides 50 of two nails, which tapering sides extend from the head 40 of
one nail to the head 40 of the next adjacent or contiguous nail, thereby permitting
duplicate string nail strips A¹ A² to be formed from the band A without loss of
5 metal.
In the present instance, I have represented in the drawings, each of the cutting
disks A³ A as provided with two sets of dies b at the opposite edges or sides of

page_text: the said disks, so that in case the cutting edges of one set of dies should become
dulled, the other set of dies may be utilized by transferring the cutting disk A³
from the shaft a to the shaft a', and the cutting disk A' from the shaft a¹ to the
shaft. In practice, the shaft á is adjustable radially with relation to the shaft
a', by the adjusting screws a¹0 (see Fig. 4), so that the cutting edges of the dies b'
on the disks A3 A4 may be brought substantially in contact or in such close
proximity as will effect a complete cut of the band A passed or fed between them,
and also to take up wear in the gears a20 a21, whereby the teeth of the said gears
may engage so as to obviate back-lash..
The shaft a¹ is prevented from moving endwise by the flange a abutting
against one end of the bearing a³, and by the gear abutting, against the opposite
end of the said bearing, and to compensate for wear of the flange and one end of
the bearing, and of the gear a20 and the opposite end of said bearing; the gear
a20 is adjustably secured to the shaft a¹ as above described. The shaft a is con-
fined against endwise movement in a similar manner by the flange a¹ and the
gear a, and wear is. compensated for by adjustably securing the said gear as
above described. In this manner the cutting edges of the dies b on the cutting
disks A³ A' are kept in proper working position with relation to each other.
In order to secure the complete severance of the ribbon or band into duplicate
nail strips, the said band is firmly held against movement close up to the cutting
point or edge of the dies, which may and preferably will be accomplished by
means of a guide for the band, preferably made as herein shown, (see Figs. 1, 4, 8
and 9), and consisting of a block or metal piece 65 having at its rear end an arm 66,
which is fastened to the lug or ear a as by a screw 67 extended through a slot 100
in the arm 66, normally covered by the flange on the head of the said screw: The
block is provided, as shown, with a substantially flat upper face having in it a
longitudinal slot, channel or guideway 41 of substantially the same area in cross
section as the band or ribbon, so as to form a bottom upon which the strip rests,
and upright side walls separated from each other substantially the width of the
strip, so as to substantially engage the strip and prevent lateral movement of the
latter with relation to the cutting edges of the disks A3 A4, and the front end of
the said block is split vertically and longitudinally for a portion of its length to
form spring fingers 42, 43. which are drawn or held together by a screw 68, and
the fingers 42, 43 on their front under side are curved or arc-shaped, as at 44,
(see Figs. 1 and 9) and of substantially the same curvature as the cutting disk A,
so that the end of the guide may extend substantially to the cutting point of the
two disks. The guide 65 is provided with a cap 60 secured: thereto by a screw: 612,
and tapering on its upper surface toward its front end, to confine the band in the
guideway 41 up to substantially the cutting point as shown in Fig. 1..
The fingers 42, 43 of the guideway are clamped or drawn together by the screw
68, which is inserted through them near their rear ends, that is, near the rear end
of the longitudinal slit in the block 65, so as to leave or impart to the front end
of the fingers, a slight spring action, which permits the said fingers to yield
slightly in case of any slight irregularity in the width of the band A, and the
guideway 41 is preferably made slightly tapering; from us rear toward its front
or discharge end, which permits the band to be easily drawn by the cutting dies
through the said guideway, in case the said band should be slightly wider in parts
than the width of the guideway, between the fingers: 42-43:
The cap 610 is fastened by the screw 6 to the solid rear part of the guide block 65;
so that the front end of the cap may yield or be lifted in case the band A, should
be of uneven thickness: The fingers 42, 43 of the guide block may be adjusted
toward and from each other by means of the adjusting screw 68, to enable bands or
ribbons A of varying widths to be presented properly to the cutting dies, so that
the duplicate nail strips may be formed with uniform sizes of nails.
The severed ribbon or band A may and preferably will be passed through
straightening devices shown as rolls. 6120, 6130. One of the rolls 6120 is loosely
mounted on a stud or arbor 614 carried. by an upright or bracket 615 secured to the

page_text: table a as by a bolt or screw 16, and the other roll as 6130 is eccentrically mounted
in a hub or sleeve 617 on the bracket 6 and, as shown, is provided with a handle 618
by which the eccentrically supported shaft for the roll 6130 may be turned in its
bearings, so as to increase or decrease the pressure or binding effect of the
rolls 130, 6120 on the string nail strips cut by the dies of the disks A3 A: In the
passage of the ribbon or band A between the cutting disks A3 A4, the nail.
strips AA are forced by the cutting action of the disks A3, A* one above and the other
below a plane extended between and tangential to the cutting disks, and these nail
strips are again brought into substantially the same plane, after they have passed
beyond the cutting dieks A3, A4, by the straightening. rolls. 6130, 6120
The nail strips A1 A2 formed as above described, may and preferably will be
wound upon separate reels C C located on the opposite faces or sides of a toothed
disk or gear c and of a construction as will be described.
The gear c, as herein shown, (see Fig. 10) is composed of a rim 5 and a cross
bar 6 from which extends à hub , and the said rim is provided with an annular
side flange 8 constituting the periphery of the reel C, and with which co-operates a
removable side composed of a ring or rim. 9 attached to a spider 10 detachably
mounted on the hub 7, it being secured thereon by a nut 12. The rim 9 of the
removable side of the reel C is preferably provided with strengthening ribs 13 on
its outer side, and is further provided with radially extended openings 74, Fig. 1,
with which co-operate radial grooves or channels 15 in the side of the gear ; to
permit of the passage of a binding or tie wire, under and about the coil of string
nails wound on the reel C, so that the coil (shown in Fig. 16) may be easily
removed from the periphery 8 of the said reel, after the removal of the side 9..
The reel C¹ is separate from the gear 4 and is provided with two sides, one of
which is composed of the rim 14, spider 150, from which latter extends a hub 16,
and an annular flange 17 integral with the rim 14, the hub 16 being fitted loosely
on a stud or pin 18 driven into the hub 7 of the gear and extended beyond the
hub 16, which has fitted loosely on it the removable side 20.
The side 20 is secured by means of a nut 21 engaging screw-threads on the end
of the hub 16, and the completed reei C¹ is secured on the pin 18 by a nut 22. The
gear and its attached reels C C¹ are supported by a substantially semicircular
arm 10, secured to a bracket c¹0 as by a bolt or screw 12, the said bracket being.
secured to the table a³ as by a bolt or screw c2. The substantially semi-circular
arm is provided with a substantially central and longitudinal groove (20 (see
Fig. 3) into which extends the gear c4.
The gear
is rotated as herein shown by means of a pinion 7 fast on a shaft or
arbor, having bearings, as herein shown, in a sleeve or hub c, secured to or
formin? part of the bracket clo, the said shaft having fast on it a hub c18 with
which co-operates a loose pulley c¹, connected by a belt c¹5 to the pulley a7 on the
main shaft al. The loose pulley c¹ is held in frictional but yielding engagement
with the hub c13 by means of a spring c¹6 encircling the threaded end of the
shaft between the pulley c and an adjusting nut c, and by means of said nut, the
tension of the spring 16 may be regulated as desired, to increase or decrease the
friction between the pulley and hub c. This frictional construction or device.
constitutes an automatic tension regulator for the coils wound on the reels. The
shaft is further provided as herein shown, near its opposite end with a worm d
(see Fig. 3) which engages a worm gear (see Figs. 2 and 5) fast on a shaft or
arbor (see Fig. 5) having bearings in a hub or sleeve d³ secured to or forming
part of the bracket clo. The bearing sleeve or hub c, as shown in Fig. 3, is pro-
vided with an opening or slot 20 into which the worm gear extends to engage
the worm d The shaft has secured to or forming part of it a heart-shaped cam
or eccentric d, provided. with a re-entrant portion or notch d5 located at sub-
stantially the center of the shaft &, and with which co-operates a finger or pro-
jection on a guide arm or lever ', pivotally mounted as at 8 (see Fig. 2) to a
depending lug or arm on the curved arm or support d¹º. The finger do on the
lever pis held in engagement with the heart-shaped cam d by means of a

page_text: spring d¹, shown as fastened at one end to the lever and at its other end to a
pin d extended from the arm cl⁰ (see Fig. 5).
The lever is provided with a substantially horizontal arm 10 having two
sets of upright fingers forming guides 16, 17, which are properly separated or
spaced to co-operate with the reels C C¹ and between which the nail strips are
carried on their passage to the said reels.
To ensure that the edges:40, on that string nail strip which passes head foremost
onto one of the reels C and C¹ may not become entangled or caught in its guide d¹6
or d, the upright fingers of such guide can be provided with rounded or other
suitably bevelled surfaces. Or the guideways or channels 16, d may be made
somewhat similar to the guideway 41 and of sufficient length to effectually obviate
the liability to such catching or entanglement.
The operation of the machine herein shown, may be briefly described as
follows: the substantially flat, ductile band or ribbon A, of any desired length
and of substantially uniform thickness throughout its length, is passed through
the guide 65 to the cutting disks A3 A4, and is cut longitudinally and transversely
between its sides by the dies b on the said disks, as the latter are revolved, and after
passing beyond the cutting disks A3 A4, the duplicate nail strips A', A², which are
severed from each other but remain integral with or attached to the uncut ribbon
№17
or band A, pass between the rolls 130, 6120 and then through the guides die,
of the strip carrier to the reels C C¹, upon which they are wound in successive
layers by the traverse of the strip carrier . When the reels C C
are full, the machine is stopped, and the coil on the reel C is removed
after being tied together as described, and may be placed directly onto the reel of
a nailing or other machine, as its nails point in the proper direction for driving
them. The coil on the reel C₁ is wound reversely and, therefore, this coil is
unwound from the reel C and wound upon a similar reel so as to properly position
the points of the nail. By making the cutting disks of a diameter, which permits
their circumferential length to be divided by the length of nail desired, the
individual nails of the string nails are made of uniform length.
By making the shafts a a¹ longitudinally adjustable as described, the cutting
edges of the disks A3 A4 may be accurately positioned or aligned so as to ensure
proper cutting of the band. So also. by making the shaft a adjustable radially
with relation to the shaft a¹, the cutting disks may be adjusted so that their
cutting edges are properly positioned and the teeth of the gears a20 21 kept in close
mesh or contact. The automatic tension device ensures the string nails being
properly wound on their reels, as it governs the rotation of the gear and the
reciprocation of the strip guide . The guide b is made adjustable in a plane
substantially parallel to the axis of the shafts a a¹, so that the said guide may be
properly positioned with relation to the cutting dies.
By reference to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the guide 6 has its guideway 41 ex-
tended beyond a vertical line tangential to the cutting disks and close up to the
dies which are cutting the ribbon or band, and by reason of the guide being
provided with a bottom upon which the ribbon rests and with upright side walls,
which embrace the sides or. edges of the ribbon or band, the guide has imparted
to it the function of a support for the ribbon or band on its bottom and sides, so
as to obviate the ribbon or band turning or curling up sidewise under the action
of the disks A3 A4, which in no way support the ribbon or band. The liability of
the ribbon or band to curl or twist sidewise and thereby be improperly presented
to the cutting edges of the disks A3 A4, which would result in spoiling both of the
string nails, is increased if the cutting dies of one of the disks should be duller
than the other.
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:-
1. A machine of the character described, comprising a rotatable cutting disk

page_text: ided on its periphery with a plurality of substai
ng inclined and transverse cutting edges of unequal length and extended from
circumferential edge of one face of the disk toward the other face of the said
to form cutting dies, and a co-operating cutting edge upon which rests the
erial cut, substantially as described.
A machine of the character described, comprising a rotatable cutting disk
plurality of substantially triangular recesses
vided on its periphery with a
ing inclined and transverse cutting edges of unequal length and extended from
circumferential edge of one face of the disk toward the other face of the said
kto form cutting dies, and a co-operating rotatable disk overlapping the first
k and having like cutting dies with their cutting edges extended in an opposite
rection from the cutting edges of the dies on the first mentioned disk, sub-
antially as described.
3. A. machine of the character described, comprising a rotatable cutting disk
ovided on- its periphery with a plurality of substantially triangular recesses
aving inclined and transverse cutting edges extended from the circumferential
Ige of one face of the disk toward the other face of the said disk, and a
-operating cutting edge upon which rests the material cut, and a guide for the
ibbon or band extended toward and in close proximity to that die of the disk
hich is cutting the ribbon or band, substantially as described.
4. A machine of the character described, comprising a strip cutting mechanism,
otatable reels, a reciprocating traverse provided with two strip guides co-operating
with said reels, mechanism to rotate said reels and reciprocate said strip guides, a
tension mechanism controlling the rotation of said reels and the reciprocation of
said traverse and its guides, and a straightening device intermediate of the strip
guides and cutting mechanism, substantially as described.
5. A machine of the character described, comprising a strip cutting mechanism,
a gear, reels secured to said gear to revolve therewith, a reciprocating strip
carrier co-operating with said reels, a main driving shaft, a counter shaft, gearing
actuated by the counter shaft to rotate said reels and strip guide, and frictional
mechanism driven from the main shaft and controlling the rotation of the counter
shaft and the said reels, and the reciprocation of the strip guide, substantially as
described.
6. A machine of the character described, comprising a rotatable cutting disk
provided on its periphery with a plurality of substantially triangular recesses
having inclined and transverse cutting edges, a co-operating rotatable cutting disk
transverse cutting edges
overlapping the cutting edge of the first mentioned disk and provided with sub-
stantially triangular recesses having inclined and
extended in an opposite direction from the cutting edges of the first mentioned
disk, means to rotate said disks, and an adjustable guide co-operating with said
disks, substantially as described.
7. A machine of the character described, comprising a rotatable cutting disk
provided on its circumferential edge with dies, a co-operating cutting disk having
on its circumferential edge co-operating but reverse dies, shafts on which said
5 disks are mounted, gears on said shafts in mesh with each other and longitudinally
adjustable thereon, bearings for said shafts, one of which is adjustable radially
with relation to the other, and guide for the ribbon or band co-operating with
the cutting disks, substantially as described.
8. A machine of the character described, comprising a rotatable cutting disl
50 provided on its circumferential edge with dies, a co-operating cutting disk having
on its circumferential edge co-operating but reverse dies, shafts on which sai
disks are mounted, gears on said shafts in mesh with each other and longitudinall
adjustable thereon, bearings for said shafts, one of which is adjustable radiall
with relation to the other, and an adjustable guide for the ribbon or band c
55 operating with the cutting disks, substantially as described.
9. A machine of the class described, comprising the rotating circular cuttin
disks A³ Aª having their peripheries substantially in contact and provided with t

page_text: dies b reversely arranged on the peripheries of said disks at the circumferential
edges of the opposite sides of said disks and provided with substantially long
inclined cutting edges b¹ and substantially short transverse cutting edges b², which
co-operate to cut the metal ribbon, and the stationary guide 65 provided with a
guideway of substantially the same area in cross section as the ribbon or band
to be cut and having a bottom upon which the ribbon or band rests and upright
side walls which embrace the sides or edges of the ribbon or band, and which
bottom and side walls are extended close up to the active cutting dies of the disks
A³ A to impart to the guide 65 the double function of a support for the ribbon or
band and thereby enable a narrow ribbon or band to be cut into duplicate. string
nail strips, substantially as described.
10. A machine of the character described, comprising a strip cutting
mechanism, reels upon which the said strips are wound, a reciprocating lever pro-
vided with two strip guides co-operating with said recls, and a tension mechanism
controlling the rotation of the said reels and the reciprocation of the said lever and
attached guides, substantially as described.
11. A machine of the character described comprising disks having circum-
ferential cutting dies of uniform length and with cutting edges reversely arranged,
means to rotate said disks in opposite directions, and an adjustable guide having
adjustable fingers, substantially as described.
12. A string nail for use in the manufacture of boots and shoes, consisting of
a metal strip cut from a substantially flat, thin, ductile metal band or ribbon of
substantially uniform thickness throughout its length, and characterized in that
one side of the string nail strip is substantially straight and the other side is com-
posed of sections inclined and transverse with relation to the substantially straight
side to subdivide the said strip into a series of connected headed and pointed
tapering nails, with the inclined sections of uniform length and extended from one
transverse section to the next contiguous transverse section, whereby duplicate
string nails may be formed from the ribbon or band without loss of metal and
without decreasing the ductility of the original band or ribbon at the points of
the connected nails to enable the string nail to be coiled and uncoiled without
liability of breaking at the said points and to ensure proper clinching of the nails.
Dated the 26th. day of October 1897.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.