IMPROVEMENTS IN MED BAR MITH M An ATTEN
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cornforth, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MED
BAR MITH M
An ATTEN
"
Sealed the 22nd May 1874, and dated the 9th December 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cornforth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th December 1873.
I, JOHN CORNFORTH, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CUT NAILS AND TACKS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention has reference to that part of machinery for the manu-
facture of cut nails and tacks, by which the feeding into the machine
and the turning over of the nail strip or nail plate from which nails or
tacks are to be cut are effected.
The object of my Invention is to effect the feeding of the said nail
plate or nail strip in such a manner that the said nail strip shall not only

page_text: be turned over after the cutting of one nail and before the cutting of
another but shall also be moved longitudinally after the cutting of each
nail so as to withdraw the end of the nail plate or strip from against the
cutter during the turning over of the said plate or strip, and its advance
after it has been turned over into the required position for the cutting of
the next nail or tack. The strip is also raised from the bottom cutter
during the time it is being turned over. The nail plate or strip is fed
down a tube in the ordinary way. At the middle or other convenient
part of the said tube is a fixed collar having two ratchet teeth formed
on opposite points of its edge. Upon this fixed collar is a loose rotating
collar carrying a pawl or click pressed upon the edge of the fixed collar.
The holder of the moveable cutter carries an arm, to the end of which
a cord or catgut is attached. This cord passes round the loose collar and
is kept in a state of tension by a spring or weight. On the working of
the machine the vibration of the cutter holder and arm carried by it
causes a backward and forward rotation of the loose collar, and the pawl
or click carried by it acting on the teeth on the edge of the fixed collar
gives an intermittent rotatory motion to the said fixed collar and to the
feeding tube carrying the nail plate or strip; the nail plate or strip being
turned over or having a semi-rotation given to it after the cutting off
from it of a nail or tack, the said tube being also lifted, so that the strip
does not rest or press on the lower cutter during the turning over of
the strip.
The longitudinal motion of the nail plate or strip is effected in the
following manner :-On opposite points of the end of the feeding tube
levers are jointed, the short outer ends of the said levers being of a shape
proper to grip the rod by which the nail plate is carried when the longer
arms of the said levers are separated. These longer arms are jointed by
short links to a sliding collar on the feeding tube. By sliding the said
collar towards the rear end of the feeding tube it first opens the long`
arms of the levers and closes the shorter arms so as to make the latter
grip the feeding rod. By its further motion it carries back the said rod
and consequently the nail plate or strip carried by it. On the contrary
motion of the sliding collar the grip on the feeding rod is relaxed, and
the rod and nail plate are pressed forward in the ordinary way.
The motion of the sliding collar is effected by the fork of a lever
actuated by means of a cam on the principal shaft of the machine. Or
the motion of the sliding collar may be effected by the loose rotating

page_text: collar, inclines on the latter acting on inclines on the former and giving
the necessary advance motion thereto.
Instead of taking the motions of the feeder from an arm or lever
carried by the holder of the cutting tool they may be taken from a cam
on the driving shaft, and instead of the long arms of the gripping levers
being connected with the sliding collar by means of links they may be
pressed together by means of springs and opened by inclines on the
sliding collar.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Cornforth in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CORNFORTH, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Cornforth, Her special license that
I, the said John Cornforth, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Cornforth, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE OF CUT NAILS AND TACKS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Cornforth, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and.
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Cornforth, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention has reference to that part of machinery for the manu-
facture of cut nails and tacks, by which the feeding into the machine
and the turning over of the nail strip or nail plate from which nails or
tacks are to be cut are effected.
The object of my Invention is to effect the feeding of the said nail
plate or nail strip in such a manner that the said nail strip shall not only
be turned over after the cutting of one nail and before the cutting of
another but shall also be moved longitudinally after the cutting of each
nail so as to withdraw the end of the nail plate or strip from against the
cutter during the turning over of the said plate or strip, and its advance
after it has been turned over into the required position for the cutting of 1
the next nail or tack. The strip is also raised from the bottom cutter
during the time it is being turned over. The nail plate or strip is fed
down a tube in the ordinary way. At the middle or other convenient
part of the said tube is a fixed collar having two ratchet teeth formed on
opposite points of its edge. Upon this fixed collar is a loose rotating
collar carrying a pawl or click pressed upon the edge of the said fixed
collar. The holder of the moveable cutter carries an arm, to the end of
which a cord or catgut is attached. This cord passes round the loose
collar and is kept in a state of tension by a spring or weight. On the
working of the machine the vibration of the cutter holder and arm
carried by it causes a backward and forward rotation of the loose collar,
and the pawl or click carried by it acting on the teeth on the edge of the
fixed collar gives an intermittent rotatory motion to the said fixed collar
and to the feeding tube carrying the nail plate or strip; the nail plate
or strip being turned over or having a semi-rotation given to it after the
cutting off from it of a nail or tack, the said tube being lifted, so that
the strip does not rest or press on the lower cutter during the turning
over of the strip.
The longitudinal motion of the nail plate or strip is effected in the
following manner :-On opposite points of the end of the feeding tube
levers are jointed, the short outer ends of the said levers being of a shape
proper to grip the rod by which the nail plate is carried when the longer

page_text: arms of the said levers are separated. These longer arms are jointed by
short links to a sliding collar on the feeding tube. By sliding the said
collar towards the rear end of the feeding tube it first opens the long
arms of the levers and closes the shorter arms so as to make the latter
grip the feeding rod. By its further motion it carries back the said rod
and consequently the nail plate or strip carried by it. On the contrary
motion of the sliding collar the grip on the feeding rod is relaxed, and
the rod and nail plate are pressed forward in the ordinary way.
The motion of the sliding collar is effected by the fork of a lever
actuated by a cam on the principal shaft of the machine. Or the
motion of the sliding collar may be effected by the loose rotating collar,
inclines on the latter acting on inclines on the former and giving the
necessary advance motion thereto.
Instead of taking the motions of the feeder from an arm or lever
carried by the holder of the cutting tool they may be taken from a cam
on the driving shaft, and instead of the long arms of the gripping levers
being connected with the sliding collar by links they may be pressed
together by means of springs and opened by inclines on the sliding
collar.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to
describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation a cut nail or tack machine, with
which is combined feeding mechanism constructed according to my
Invention; Figures 2, 3, and 4 are parts of the same drawn to a large
scale. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1,
2, 3, and 4. a is the feeding tube supported in front of the machine;
a² is the nose of the feeding tube; b is the feeding rod pressed forward
in the feeding tube a by a weight as usual; c is the nail plate or strip
carried by the feeding rod b; d is the moveable cutter fixed in the
holder e. The feeding tube a is supported at one end in the open or
forked bearing e, and at the other end in the collar f, upon which it
swivels. On the stem of the bearing e is a roller g, upon which the
feeding tube rests, the said tube being held down in the bearing e by the
spring and cord h. The bearing or collar fis supported in the adjustable
bracket i.

page_text: The semi-rotation of the feeding tube a for turning over the nail
plate c is effected in the following manner:-On the said feeding tube a
is a loose rotating collar (shown separately with a portion removed on
a larger scale in Figure 2), the said collar / working on a fixed collar
in the said tube (see Figure 2), the said collar 7 being furnished with
ratchet teeth m, m, on opposite points of its edge. The rotating collar k
carries a pawl n pressed home by the spring n². The pawl n and spring n²
are contained in the box ⁄² on the collar k. Around the rotating collar k
a cord or catgut p is wound, one end of the said cord being fixed to the
long arm of the cranked lever q, and the other end to the spring r, by
means of which spring the said cord p is kept in a state of tension. The
cranked lever q is worked by the cam p² on the shaft p³. By the action
of the cam p², lever q, cord p and spring r, an alternating semi-rotation
is communicated to the rotating collar k, and the pawl n on the said
collar acting in succession on the ratchet teeth m, m, gives an inter-
mittent rotatory motion or motion through half a rotation to the feeding
tube a, and turns over the nail plate or strip. The return or back motion
of the feeding tube after the nail plate has been turned over is prevented
by a ratchet wheels on the tube a, with the teeth of which a pawl t
engages; the said pawl being situated on the side of the tube opposite to
that on which the pawl n is situated.
The action of the machine is as follows:-A nail having been cut
from the end of the nail plate c the cam p² comes into action, and the
lever lifts the cord or catgut p, which gives a semi-rotation to the
collar k, at the same time lifting the nose end of the tube a from off the
lower cutter, which motion of the collar is transmitted by means of
the pawl n to the ratchet wheel m on the feeding tube a, and the said
.tube is moved through a semi-rotation and the nail plate turned over,
the nail plate being also withdrawn from the cutters by the mechanism
herein-after described. The descending motion of the lever q next takes
place by means of the spring r, to which the cord p is attached, and a
semi-rotation in the opposite direction is communicated to the collar k
by the said cord p and spring r, the pawl n now sliding over the ratchet
wheel m, and hence communicating no motion to the feeding tube, the
return motion of the feeding tube being prevented by the pawl t and
ratchet wheel s. The feeding tube now occupies the position represented
in Figure 1, and by the descent of the cutter d a nail or tack blank is
cut from the end of the nail plate, and so on.

page_text: During the semi-rotation of the nail plate in the feeding tube a the
said nail plate is withdrawn from the lower cutter by the mechanism
best seen drawn to a large scale in Figures 3 and 4; Figure 3 representing
a plan of a portion of the feeding tube, and Figure 4 a cross section of
the same with the said mechanism applied thereto.
On the feeding tube a is a sliding collar u having inclines on its
face, and on the face of the rotating collar k herein-before described
similar inclines o² are made. Jointed to opposite sides of a second sliding
collar ware levers x, x, the long arms of which press upon inclines u³, u³,
on the periphery of the sliding collar u, and the short arms of the said
levers press upon sliding bolts 23, which latter grip the feed rod b
carrying the nail plate. The sliding collar wis connected by means of
the india-rubber spring y to a fixed collar on the feeding tube a.
The action of the parts last described is as follows:-After a nail or
tack has been cut from the end of the nail plate c the lever q continues
its descent, the inclines v on the sliding collar u being acted upon by
the incline v² on the rotating collar k, the said collar u is pushed back.
The inclines u² opening the levers x the bolts x³ close upon and grip the
feeding rod 6 carrying the nail plate. The further advance of the
inclines u² carries back the collar w and with it the feeding rod b and
nail plate, when by the reverse motion of the rotating collar k the sliding
collar u can return, the india-rubber spring y pulls back the sliding
collar w, and through the levers x the sliding collar u, and the grip
being taken off the feeding rod 6 the nail plate or strip is fed to the
cutters by a weight or spring in the ordinary way.
Instead of working the sliding collar for gripping and withdrawing
and releasing the feeding rod by the action of the rotating collar as last
described the said sliding collar may be worked by a forked lever acting
on flanges on the said collar, the said forked lever taking its motion from
a cam on the principal shaft of the machine. This modification of my
Invention is illustrated in plan in Figure 5, and side elevation in
Figure 6, where 1 is the sliding collar worked by a forked lever between
the flanges 2, 2; 3, 3, are the gripping levers connected by the links 4, 4,
to the sliding collar 1.
By an examination of the Drawing it will be seen that on the sliding
of the collar 1 in one or other direction the short arms of the levers 3, 3,
are either closed upon and made to grip and withdraw the feeding rod 6
or are opened from off the said rod.

page_text: Figure 7 represents a side elevation of a nail or tack machine con-
taining modifications of the feeding mechanism already described;
Figure 8 is a plan of the feeding mechanism, and Figures 9, 10, 11, and
12 are cross sections of the same; Figure 13 is an elevation of a part of
the same, and Figure 14 is a longitudinal section of the feeding tube.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 7 to
14. In this feeding mechanism the ordinary feeding rod and tongs or
clams for holding the nail plate or strip are dispensed with.
a is the
feeding tube shown separately in Figure 14, having a flat opening made
across it to receive the nail plate or strip 6. The said feeding tube a has
a spring nose piece a'. The said feeding tube a is supported in the cross
bearings c, d, the said cross bearings swivelling on the forked arms c³, d³,
the arm c² being capable of a vibratory motion on its centre, as herein-
after described; the forked arm № has no motion. The intermittent
rotary motion of the feeding tube a for the purpose of turning over
the nail plate or strip 6 at the proper times is effected by the rotatory
collar e on the said tube, the pawl or click on the said collar acting in
succession upon the ratchet teeth a³, a², (see Figure 11) on the feeding
tube a. The alternate semi-rotation of the collar e is effected by the cord
or catgut 9, arm h on the cutter holder i and spring %, the action of the
parts being the same as corresponding parts in Figure 1, excepting that
the cord g is worked by an arm on the cutter holder i instead of by an
independent arm worked by a cam.
In order to prevent the feeding tube a performing more than a semi-
rotation on each motion of the arm h, the mechanism represented in
Figure 12 is employed. m is a stop lever, the toothed end of which
engages after each semi-rotation of the feeding tube with one of the
ratchet teeth a³ on the said feeding-tube. The stop lever m is situated
on the opposite side of the tube a to that on which the pawlfis situated,
and when by the motion of the rotating collar e the pawlf has given a
merely semi-rotation to the feeding tube a the rise e² (see Figure 11) on
the collar e lifts the end m² of the lever m and causes its opposite end to
engage with one of the ratchet teeth a³, and thereby prevent the further
advance or motion of the said feeding tube a. The nose end a* of the
feeding tube a is lifted and withdrawn from the fixed cutter during the
turning over of the nail plate by the following mechanism :-n, p, are
two oscillating arms turning respectively on the centres n³, p³, the said
oscillating arms being connected together by the jointed connecting

page_text: rod p³, the handle end of which drops upon a pin or stud p' on the said
arm p. The arm p and parts connected with it are shown detached.in
Figure 9. The oscillating arms n, p, are worked from the cam p³ on the
shaft p. The oscillating arm p is connected to the feeding tube a
through the forked arm c², the axis p² of the said arm p passing through
the framing of the machine and being fixed to an eye p', in which the
vertical axis ps on the forked arm c² engages. The forked arm c³ is
shown separately in Figures 9 and 13, and the other forked stationary
arm d³ is shown separately in Figure 10. When the rise on the cam po
acts on the arm n the said arm moves in the direction of the arrow, and
a corresponding motion is given to the other arm p through the con-
necting rod p³. As the arm p makes its vibratory motion the same
motion is given to the forked arm c², the said arm c² turning on its
centre p³, and the feeding tube slides in the bearing d, and is moved
towards a horizontal position so as to withdraw the feeding tube from
the cutters and lift the nose end of the said tube from the lower cutter.
As the feeding tube takes a nearly horizontal position the cross
bearings c, d, of the forked arms c³, d², swivel on their centres. After
the nail plate has been turned over and the cam p³ ceases to act upon
the arm n the feeding tube makes its advance motion and returns to the
position represented in Figure 7. The advance motion of the feeding
tube and parts connected with it is effected by a spring acting on the
arm n.
The feeding of the nail plate 6 is effected in the following manner :-
q is a sliding collar on the feeding tube a connected by the spring q² to
the sliding collar r on the said tube a. On opposite sides of the collar
levers 's, s, are jointed, the longer arms being connected by the links 8², 8³,
to the sliding collar q. On the top of the cross bearing piece d of the
forked arm d² is an adjustable hooked plate t, the hook of which engages
with a flange q³ on the sliding collar q. Just before the feeding tube a
reaches the end of its retiring motion from the cutters the flange q³
comes against the cross bearing d and the retiring motion of the gripping
levers is arrested, the grip of the said levers upon the nail plate 6 being
at the same time tightened, the feeding tube a continuing its retiring
motion. The spring nose piece a slides back upon the stationary nail
plate b, which nail plate is thus advanced out of the spring nose piece at
a sufficient distance for the cutting of another nail or tack blank on the
advance of the feeding tube. The said feeding tube a advancing towards

page_text: .
the cutters, the flange g³ no longer pressing against the cross bearing a
the tightness of the grip of the levers s, s, is relaxed, and when the
flange q³ is arrested by the hooked arm the said grip of the forked
levers 8, 8, upon the nail plate is altogether removed, and the nail plate 6
is carried between the cutters by the grip of the spring nose piece at of
the feeding tube a.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I
do not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my 1
Invention; but I claim as my Invention of improvements in machinery
for the manufacture of cut nails and tacks,―
First. The construction and combination of parts herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
Drawings for turning over the nail plate or strip and for lifting the nail ]
plate from the lower cutter during the turning over of the said nail
plate.
Secondly. The construction and combination of parts herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 7, 8, 11, 12, and 14 of the accom-
panying Drawings for turning over the nail plate or strip.
Thirdly. The construction, and combination of parts herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, and 13 of the accom-
panying Drawings for lifting and withdrawing the feeding tube from the
cutter during the turning over of the nail plate or strip, and advancing
the said feeding tube after the nail plate has been turned over.
2
2
Fourthly. The arrangement or combination of parts herein-before
described and illustrated in Figure 1, 3, and 4 of the accompanying
Drawings for gripping and withdrawing the feeding rod carrying the
nail plate or strip on the turning over of the said nail plate and the
releasing of the said rod after the nail plate has been turned over; also 3
the arrangement or combination of parts described and illustrated in
Figures 5 and 6 for the same purpose.
Fifthly. Constructing the feeding tube in the manner herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 14 of the
accompanying Drawings, whereby the ordinary feeding rod is dispensed 3
with and the combination with the said feeding tube of the mechanism

page_text: herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 for advancing
the nail plate or strip in the feeding tube.
In witness whereof, I the said John Cornforth, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
JOHN CORNFORTH. (L.S.)