Improvements in and connected with Apparatus for Driving Tacks.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 19th June, 1897-Accepted, 7th Aug., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Apparatus for Driving Tacks.
I, ALBERT EDWARD STIRCKLER of 200 Kettering Road Northampton, in the County
of Northampton, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to apparatus for driving tacks intended inore particularly for
use in the manufacture of boots and shoes and consists of means hereinafter
described whereby tacks from the smallest size (say of an inch) upwards can be
automatically fed into proper position to be separately acted on by the hammer or
driver proper so that the said tacks will be caused to enter the work in a perfectly
straight direction or at right angles to the surface of the work, and the tacks may
be driven into the work up to their heads, or they may be driven partly into the
work so that their heads will project above the surface of the work. The hammer or
driver proper is carried by a plunger fitted to slide up and down in the body
constituting the handle of the tacker, the said plunger being acted on by a spring
tending to maintain it in its elevated position, it being caused to descend against
the pressure of the spring by hand or other suitable means. The plunger is
prevented from turning axially in the body or handle by a projection on the said
body or handle entering a longitudinal slot in the plunger, or by a projection on
Interposed
the plunger entering a slot in the interior of the body or handle.
between the lower end of the body or handle and the nozzle of the tacker is a
box or chamber in which works a tack separating blade and in which is a groove
or passage in which the hammer or driver proper works. This box or chamber is
divided vertically, through the passage in which the haminer or plunger works,
into two parts the said two parts being connected together by screws and connected
to the body or handle of the tacker by a screw formed on the upper end of the
box screwing into an internal thread in the lower end of the body of the tacker.
On the lower end of this divided box or chamber there is also provided a screwed
projection onto which the nozzle of the tacker is screwed. Connected to the box
or chamber is a chute down which the tacks pass into position to be acted on
by the hammer or driver proper, the heads of the tacks being engaged in grooves
or channels in the sides or cheeks of the chute, and the pointed ends of the
tacks being downwards as they pass down the chute. At the lower ends the
grooves or channels in which the heads of the tacks engage, are curved towards
and communicate with the passage in the box or chamber in which the driver
proper works and into which the lowermost tack passes from the chute when the
lower end of the hammer or driver proper is in a position above the lower ends
of the grooves or channels. The lowermost tack is separated from the rest of the
tacks in the chute by a blade arranged to reciprocate in a slot or opening formned
through one side of the box or chamber at the lower end of the said chute, the
said blade being carried by an arm or lever centred to the body of the tacker
and pressed inwards by a spring, the outward movements of the said separating
blade being effected by the plunger coming into contact with a projection on the
lever carrying the said separating blade. The separating blade fills from top to

page_text: bottom the passage through which the tacks pass from the chute into the passage
in which the driver works so that it will not be possible for the points entering
between the blade and passage in which it works as to cause them to be directed
out of their proper course, whilst the upper end of the said blade is so near to
the channel in the chute through which the heads of the tacks descend, that it
is not possible for the tacks to enter the passage in which the hammer or driver
proper works, otherwise than with their pointed ends downwards, thus admitting
of tacks of the smallest size being used with the tacker. To permit of the heads
of the tacks entering the passage in which the hammer or driver works, when the
lower end of the said driver is below the separator blade, the side of the driver
which is towards the separator blade, is flattened or hollowed from near its lower
end to a suitable distance upwards, and the shoulder thus formed on the lower
end of this flattened or hollow part as the driver rises catches against the lower side
of the head of the tack so as to bring the point thereof into the passage in which
the driver works. The projection on the lever which carries the separating blade, or
the portion of the plunger which acts thereon to force the separator blade outwards,
may be adjustable in position longitudinally so as to vary as required according to
the length of the tacks the time at which the separator blade shall come into action.
The separator blade may have a movement towards and from the passage in which
the driver works, or the said blade may be wedge shaped so as to move the separated
tacks sideways into the passage in which the driver works. The point or end of the
nozzle of the tacker is provided with a transverse groove or passage in which are
fitted a pair of spring jaws between which the shank of each tack, admitted to the
passage in which the driver works is forced by the driver in its descent. The point
of the tack enters a small hole or passage formed in the contiguous faces of the
spring jaws, by which the tack when being driven is guided into the work in a
perfectly straight direction or at right angles to the surface of the work. To ensure
the point of the tack entering this small hole or passage the spring jaws have formed
in them above the said hole or passage a conical recess, the large part being of a
diameter equal to the diameter of the passage in which the driver works and the
smaller part or apex of the conical recess terminating in the small hole in the faces
of the jaws. The length of this conical recess from the largest part or base to the
apex should not exceed say an eighth of an inch so as to admit of tacks of the smaller
size say ths of an inch long being driven by the tacker. The point of the tack
enters this conical recess and when the end of the driver descends on to the head of
the tack the point of the tack is directed by the said conical recess into the small
opening and there through and guided thereby in a straight direction into the work;
then by the further descent of the driver the head of the tack pressing against the
sides of the conical recess forces the spring jaws apart and admits of the head passing
from between the jaws. The end of the driver which acts on the heads of the tacks
is tapered so as to readily free itself from between the jaws after driving the tack.
When the tacker is intended for "welting" or work in which the tacks are not
required to be driven into the work up to their heads, the slot in the head of the
nozzle in which the spring jaws work is made sufficiently deep that the end of the
nozzle will project beyond the spring jaws to a distance equal to tho length of
the portion of the tack to be left projecting above the surface of the work.
The chute carried by the tacker is charged with tacks from a tack charging
apparatus comprising a chamber preferably of a conical shape arranged to rotate on a
horizontal axis.
One end of the chamber is closed whilst the opposite end (the smallest end in the
case of a conical chamber) is open and provided with an inwardly projecting flange
or rim rotating in contact with a stationary hopper into which the tacks are fed and
from which they pass into the rotary chamber. The interior circumference of the
rotary chamber has longitudinal flutes or grooves or is provided with one or more
longitudinal shelves or lifters by which as the chamber rotates the tacks are elevated
and caused to descend onto a concave double inclined surface carried on the upper
end of an inclined chute fitted to reciprocate longitudinally in suitable bearings.

page_text: The said chute is provided with a narrow slot into which the shanks of the tacks
falling onto the double inclined surface are conducted and down which the tacks slide
until the chute is filled with tacks, the heads of which tacks rest on the upper edges
of the sides of the narrow slot. The portion of the slot in the chute situated inside
the rotary chamber and the hopper is open whilst the portion which is outside the
said hopper is covered or partly covered by a plate or plates to prevent the tacks from
being shook out of the slot by the vibrations of the apparatus in their passage down
the chute.
The vibratory reciprocating movement of the chute may be imported by means of
tappets, teeth or projections on the inner surface of the closed end of the rotary
chamber (or on the shaft on which the chamber is mounted) acting on the inner end
of the chute to force the chute outwards, and so arranged that a varying reciprocating
movement may be obtained, the inward inovement thereof being obtained by a spring
attached at one end to the chute and at its other end to a fixed part of the apparatus
the said spring tending to maintain the inner end of the chute in contact with the
said tappets, teeth or projections. To prevent any tacks from obstructing the passage
of the other tacks down the chute, I provide on the hopper or other suitable part of
the apparatus a deflector or angular piece somewhat like a ploughshare, the pointed
end of the said deflector being directly over the slot in the chute, so that should a
tack tend to lie cross ways on the chute, or otherwise so as to cause an obstruction it
will be deflected by the said deflector from the chute into the hopper. Or the chute
itself is also fastened by screws or otherwise a small plate with a suitable projection
so that the upward reciprocating motion of the chute causes this projection to push
away any tacks that may obstruct the passage of the other tacks.
The projection on the above mentioned plate is arranged to pass through a cover
plate fastened on the inside of the hopper. The longitudinal projections shelves or
tack lifter in the rotary chambers may be adjusted in position longitudinally as may
be required. The lower end of the chute carried by the filling apparatus is provided
with a removable stop to prevent the tacks from passing out at the lower end of the
said chute until required. It is also fitted with a lever by which the extent of
reciprocation of the chute is regulated, the said lever being caused to engage by one
or other of a series of notches on the lever with a portion of the apparatus so as to
regulate the distance to which the spring connected to the chute can draw the said
chute inwards, and so regulate the extent or entirely stop the reciprocation of the
chute. On the lower end of the chute carried by the tack charging apparatus are
hooked projections to engage with pins or projections on the upper end of the chute
carried by the tacker, which pins or projections or one of them when attaching the
tacker to the tack charging apparatus, acts on the lever which regulates the
reciprocation of the chute to release the said lever. At the same time a projection
on the chute of the tacker removes from the slot or groove in the chute of the
charging apparatus the stop which prevented the tacks from passing from the said
slot or groove. This stop being removed the chute on the tacker and the chute of
the charging apparatus when thus connected, constitute one continuous chute down
which the tacks can pass, until the chute on the tacker is filled with tacks. On
removing the tacker from the charging apparatus the stop will automatically enter
the slot or groove in the chute of the charging apparatus and prevent the escape of
the tacks therefrom.
If desired the tack charging apparatus may be constantly rotated by means of a
driving band from a suitable inotor, passing round a pulley on the shaft carrying the
rotary tack chamber or the said charging apparatus may be set in motion by the act
of attaching the tacker to the charging apparatus. A convenient way to effect this
is to mount loosely on the shaft which carries the rotary chamber, a pulley round
which the driving band from the motor passes, and to provide on the said shaft, a
friction or other clutching device which cannot turn on the shaft but which can be
slidden there, along by a lever acted on by the tacker or a part carried thereby when
connecting it to the charging apparatus so as to cause the clutching device to engage
with the loosely mounted pulley, and so cause motion to be imparted from the said

page_text: pulley to the shaft carrying the rotary tack chamber. On detaching the tacker from
the charging apparatus, the clutching device will be released and the pulley on the
shaft will continue to rotate without imparting motion to the apparatus.
Dated this 22nd day of August 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in and connected with Apparatus for Driving Tacks.
I, ALBERT EDWARD STIRCKLER, late of 200 Kettering Road, but now residing at
26 Billing Road, Northampton, in the County of Northampton, Engineer, 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:
My Invention relates to apparatus for driving tacks intended more particularly for
use in the manufacture of boots and shoes and consists of means hereinafter described
whereby tacks from the smallest size (say of an inch) upwards can be conducted
from a chamber or reservoir into the tacker and arranged in proper position to be
separately acted on by the hammer or driver proper so that the said tacks will be caused
to enter the work in perfectly straight direction or at right angles to the surface of
the work and the tacks may be driven into the work up to their heads or they may
be driven partly into the work so that their heads will project above the surface of the
work. I will describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 of which represents in side elevation a combined tack driving and tack
feeding apparatus constructed according to my invention. Figure 2 is a longitudinal
section of the tack feeding portion of the apparatus drawn to a larger scale. Figure 3
is a tranverse section on the line 1-2 Figure 2, looking towards the closed end of the
rotary tack chamber. Figure 4 is a side elevation and Figure 5 a plan of the lower
end of the chute carried by the tack feeder. Figures 6 and 7 are longitudinal sections
at right angles to each other of the tack driving portion of the apparatus or tacker,
Figure 8 is a transverse section on the line 3-4, Figures 6 and 7. Figure 9 is a
vertical section of a modified form of nozzle and Figure 10 represents the spring jaws
detached. The hammer or driver proper A of the tacker is carried by a plunger B
fitted to the slide up and down in the body C constituting the handle of the tacker
the said plunger being acted on by a spring D tending to maintain it in its elevated
position, it being caused to descend against the pressure of the spring by hand or
other suitable means. The plunger is prevented from turning axially in the body or
handle C by a projection or stud a, in the body or handle, entering a longitudinal
slot b in the plunger B, or by a projection on the plunger entering a slot in the
interior of the body or handle. Interposed between the lower end of the body or
handle C and the nozzle E of the tacker is a box or chamber F in which works a tack
separating blade G and in which is a groove or passage c in which the hammer or
driver proper A works. The passage c in the box F is preferably formed by bushes c'
ns shewn in Figure 64 and the said box is provided with removable plates a' so that
when the bushes or the removable plates become worn they can be readily removed
and replaced by fresh pieces thereby increasing the durability of the tacker. The box
or chamber F is divided vertically, through the passage c in which the hammer or
plunger works, into two parts the said two parts being connected together by screws d
and to the body or handle of the tacker by a screw thread e on the upper end of the
Faid box screwing into an internal thread in the lower end of the body or handle C.
On the lower end of this divided box or chamber there is also provided a screwed
projection onto which the nozzle E is screwed. Connected to the box or chamber Fis

page_text: a chute H formed by two plates or cheeks h connected together by screws 2, distance
pieces being interposed between the cheeks so as to form a narrow groove down which
the tacks pass into position to be acted on by the hammer or driver proper A, the
heads of the tacks being engaged in grooves or channels in the sides or cheeks
of the chute and the pointed ends of the tacks being downwards as they pass down
the chute. The lower ends of the grooves or channels are curved as shewn at h³
the lower end of the curved portion being in direct communication with the passage c
in the box or chamber F in which the driver proper A works, and into which passage c
the tacks pass one by one in a vertical or approximately vertical position from the chute
when the lower end of the hammer or driver proper is in a position above the lower
ends of curved portion h³ of the grooves or channels h². The lowermost tack is
separated from the rest of the tacks in the chute by the blade G which is arranged to
reciprocate in a slot or passage 2 formned through one side of the box or chamber F,
the said blade being carried by an arm or lever I centred at K to the body C of the
tacker and pressed inwards by a spring the outward movements of the said separating
blade being effected by the plunger B coming into contact with a projection m on the
lever I carrying the said separating blade. The separating blade fills, from top to
bottom, the passage n through which the tacks pass from the chute H into the passage c
in which the driver works, so that it will not be possible for the points of the tacks to
pass the blade G into the passage n, whilst the upper edge of the said blade G is in
line with or so near to the lower edge of the curved portion h' of the channel in the
chute through which the heads of the tacks descend, that it is not possible for tacks
even of the smallest size to enter the passage c otherwise than with their pointed ends
downwards. The lower end of the driver proper A is tapered or conical, and to permit
of the heads of the tacks entering the passage c when the lower end of the driver
proper is below the separator blade the side of the driver, which is towards the separator
blade, is flattened or hollowed from near its lower end, to a suitable distance upwards
as shown at p, a shoulder p being thus formed at the lower end of this flattened or
hollow part, which as the driver rises catches against the lower side of the head of the
lowermost tack so as to cause the point thereof to enter the said passage c, the tapered
end of the driver permitting of the shank of the tack passing into the said passage.
The projection m on the lever I which carries the separating blade G may be adjustably
fitted to the lever I, or the portion B of the plunger which acts on the said projection
may be adjustable in position longitudinally, as shewn, so as to vary as required the
time at which the separator blade shall come into action. In the point or end of the
nozzle E of the tacker is a transverse groove or passage e in which is fitted a pair of
spring jaws (Figure 10) between which jaws the shank of each tack admitted to
the passage c is forced by the descent of the driver. In the contiguous faces of the
spring jaws a small hole or passage d is formed by which the tack when being driven
is guided into the work in a perfectly straight direction or at right angles to the
surface of the work. To ensure the point of the tack entering this small hole or
passage d, the spring jaws have formed in them, above the said hole or passage, a
conical recess 7, the large part of which corresponds in diameter to the diameter of the
passage c in which the driver A works and the smaller part or apex of the conical
recess terminates in the small hole or passage d'. The length of this conical recess
from the largest part, or base, to the apex should not exceed say an eighth of an inch
so as to admit of tacks of the smallest size, say ths of an inch long, being acted on
by the driver proper to cause the point of the tack to enter the work before the jaws
commence to open. The point of the tack enters this conical recess and when the end
of the driver A descends onto the head of the tack the point of the tack is directed by
the said conical recess into the small hole or passage d2 and is guided thereby in a
straight direction while being driven into the work. The point of the tack enters the
work before the head of the tack is pressed by the driver against the sides of the
conical recess, after which by the further descent of the driver the head of the tack
by pressing against the sides of the conical recess forces the spring jaws apart so as to
adinit of the head of the tack passing from between the jaws. The end of the driver
acts on the heads of the tacks being tapered as shewn at creadily frees itself from
between the jaws after driving a tack. When the tacker is intended for "welted

page_text: work" or work in which the tacks are not required to be driven into the work up to
their heads the end of the nozzle E in which the spring jaws work is made to extend
beyond the point which the end of the driver reaches when in its lowest position, to a
distance equal to the length of the portion of the tack to be left projecting above the
surface of the work as shewn for instance in Figure 9. To prevent the screws d' by
which the spring jaws are connected to the body of the tacker, from becoming loose
by the vibrations of the parts, when the tacker is in use, the heads of the screws are
each provided with a notch to receive a key e driven into the body of the tacker
through a hole f in a lug formed on the part of the spring jaw through which the
screw passes.
The chute H carried by the tacker is charged with tacks from a chamber K, pre-
ferably of a conical shape as shewn in Figure 2, arranged to rotate on a horizontal axis.
One end K' of this chamber is closed whilst the opposite end K (the smallest
end in the case of a conical chamber) is open and provided with an inwardly projecting
flange or rim rotating in contact with a stationary inclined hopper L into which
the tacks are fed and which conduct the tacks into the rotary chamber K. The interior
circumference of this rotary chamber has longitudinal flutes or grooves, or is provided.
as shewn, with one or more longitudinal shelves or lifters which are capable of
being adjusted in position longitudinally according to the quantity of tacks in the
chamber so that the quantity of tacks raised by the shelves or lifters may be approxi-
mately the same at all times. These shelves or lifters as the chamber rotates elevate
the tacks and cause them to fall onto a concave double inclined surface H³ carried
on the upper end of an inclined chute H2 fitted to reciprocate longitudinally within
the chamber K. The chutes H and H are each provided with a narrow slot o. The
shanks of the tacks falling on to the double inclined surface H³ enter the slot o in
the chute H and pass therefrom into the chute I until the said chute H is filled
with tacks, the heads of the tacks resting on the upper edges of the sides or cheeks of
the narrow slot o. The portion of the slot o in the chute H2 which is situated
inside the rotary chamber K and in the hopper L, is open to receive the tacks whilst
the portion which is outside the said hopper is covered or partly covered by a plate or
plates o' to prevent the tacks from being shaken out of the slot in their passage down
the chute by the vibrations of the apparatus.
The longitudinal vibrator or reciprocating movement is given to the chute H by
means of tappets, teeth, or projections M on the shaft K³ which carries the
chamber K or the said projections or tappets may be formed on or attached to the
inner surface of the closed end of the said chamber. These projections
or tappets as the chamber rotates act on the inner end of the
chute H to force the chute outwards, the inward movement thereof being
obtained by a spring N attached at one end to the chute and at its
other end to a fixed part of the apparatus, the spring N tending to
maintain the inner end of the chute in contact with the said tappets, teeth, or
projections which may if desired be of different heights so as to vary the reciprocation
of the chute. To prevent any tacks from obstructing the passage of the other tacks
down the chute I provide, preferably on the hopper L a deflector or angular piece O
somewhat like a plough-share, the said deflector being directly over the slot o in the
chute H, to prevent the tacks from crowding on the chute and causing an obstruction.
A passage is formed in this deflector through which a projection q on a plate q* fixed
to, and reciprocating with the chute, passes and pushes away any tacks that may tend
to obstruct the passage through the chute. Instead of the plough shaped deflector a
plate, screwed onto the hopper L and provided with a passage for the projection 9 to
reciprocate in, may be employed. The lower end of the chute H³ is provided with a
removable stop or gate P to prevent the tacks from passing out at the lower end of
the said chute, which stop Pinay be removed from the passage in the said chute H
when the tacker is attached thereto to be charged with tacks. The chute H² is
provided with booked projections 8 with which pins or projections & on the chute H
engage to connect the tacker to the tack feeder, the chutes H and H, when thus
connected and the stop P removed, constituting one continuous chute down which the

page_text: tacks can pass into the passage in which the driver proper A works. When the tacker is
detached from the chute H the stop or gate P should be replaced to close the passage
through the chute H. The chamber K may be caused to rotate only when the tacker
is attached to the chute H2, and may be set in motion by the act of attaching the tacker
to the chute. A convenient way to effect this is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 and
consists in mounting loosely on the shaft K³ which carries the chamber Ka
driving pulley S round which the driving band from the motor passes and having
attached thereto or formed in one therewith one part T of a friction or other
clutching device T T the part T being fixed on the shaft K. The pulley S together
with the part T of the clutch is fitted to slide on the shaft K³ and can be
operated by a forked lever U engaging in a groove u in the boss of the pulley S. The
outer end of this lever, which may be weighted, rests upon or against a roller
carried on one end of another lever V centred beneath the base of the apparatus, the
other end v of the said lever V having an inclined surface on which bears a roller w
carried by a bent lever W centred to the side or lower end of the chute H. When
connecting the chute H of the tacker to the chute H2 a stud x on the chute H strikes
the lever W causing the roller to depress the end of the lever V and raise the
opposite end thereof, the roller u2 being thereby moved from the position shewn in
Figure 2 onto a mised part u³ on the lower end of the forked lever Ù thereby forcing
the part T of the clutch into frictional engagement with the part T and so
imparting rotation to the chamber K. On detaching the tacker from the chute H
the clutching device and levers by which it is operated will automatically return to the
position shewn in Figure 2 and the pulley S on the shaft will continue to rotate
without imparting motion to the chamber K.
Instead of starting the tack feeding portion of the apparatus by the act of attaching
the tacker thereto as hereinbefore described, the chamber K may be constantly
rotated, in which case the pulley S is fixed to the shaft K3 and the clutch T T and
levers are dispensed with. In this case I provide on the lower end of the chute H
a lever R having one end notched as shewn at R2. Figures 4 and 5 to engage with a
stationary part of the apparatus when the tacker is detached and so retain the end
of the chute H2, which is acted on by the tappets, M, out of the range of the said
tappets and prevent the vibratory motion being given to the chute. By the act of
attaching the tacker to the chute I, one of the pins or projections S on the chute H
which engage the hooked projections S on the chute H presses the end R³
(Figures 4 and 5) of the lever K so as to raise the end R free of the stationary part
of the apparatus and admit of the tappets M acting on the chute H2 to impart to it
the longitudinal vibratory motions as hereinbefore described.
Although I have described a means for setting the tack feeding device in motion
by the act of attaching the tacker thereto I do not restrict myself to the arrangement
described, neither do I restrict myself to the employment of means for starting the
tack feeding device by the act of attaching the tacker thereto, nor to the arrangement
described for opening and closing the passage through the chute on H³.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I, declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In apparatus for driving tacks, the combination of a rotary chamber to contain
the tacks to be fed into the driver or tacker and means for rotating the said chamber;
one or more longitudinally adjustable ribs or lifters projecting from the interior of
the rotary chamber, by which. ribs or lifters the tacks are elevated and caused to
fall onto a double inclined surface or surfaces inclining towards each other; a chute
to which the double incline piece is attached the said chute having a slot or opening
into which the shanks of the tacks enter and down which they pass,
the said tacks being supported by their heads on the top edges of
the sides of the slot or opening; and means for imparting to the chute a
longitudinal reciprocating, motion.as the chamber rotates so as to cause the tacks.
to pass down the chute, substantially as hereinbefore described.

page_text: 2. In a combined tack feeding and tack driving apparatus the combination of a
rotary chamber to contain the tacks to be fed into the tack driver; longitudinal ribs
or lifters in the interior of the chamber for elevating the tacks as the chamber
rotates; a chute projecting inside the chamber into which chute the tacks elevated
by the ribs or lifters are caused to enter, a cam surface or series of tappets in the
interior of the chamber, in combination with a spring attached to the chute for
imparting a longitudinal reciprocating or jogging motion to the chute, substantially
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
3. In a tack feeding apparatus the combination with a rotary chamber to contain
the tacks, a chute into which the tacks are caused to enter by the rotation of the
chamber; and means for imparting a longitudinal reciprocating or jogging motion
to the chute, substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
4. In a tack feeder and tack driving apparatus the combination with a chamber to
contain the tacks to be fed into the tack driver the said chamber having one end
open and arranged to rotate on a horizontal or approximately horizontal axis, the
open end of the chamber rotating against a stationary hopper into which the tacks.
are placed and from which the said tacks pass into the rotary chamber; an inclined
reciprocating chute passing through an opening in the stationary hopper to the
interior of the rotary chamber; means for feeding tacks into the chute by the
rotation of the chamber and a projection on the chute reciprocating through a
passage in a plate or deflector formed on or attached to the interior of the hopper;
the said projection serving to prevent the tacks from obstructing the passage through
the chute, substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. In apparatus for feeding tacks into a tack driver or tacker the combination
with a chute down which the tacks pass into the tacker of a ploughed shaped
deflector for preventing the tacks from obstructing the passage through the chute,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
6. In a tack feeding and tack driving apparatus the combination of a
rotary chamber to contain the tacks to be fed in to the driver or tacker, an inclined
reciprocating chute composed of two parts lineally connected together at their
abutting ends to form a continuous chute for the passage of tacks from the
rotary chamber to the tack driver or tacker; and a lever pivotted to the chute
engaging with a fixed part of the apparatus to prevent the chute from reciprocating
when the two portions of the chute are separated the said lever being disengaged
from the projection by the act of connecting the two parts of the chute, so
as to permit of the reciprocating movement of the chute substantially as hereinbefore
described.
7. In a tack driving apparatus or tacker an inclined chute down which the tacks
to be driven pass into position to be operated on by the driver proper, the said
chute being formed by connecting together two plates or cheeks, a space being
provided between the said cheeks to receive the shanks of the tacks the contiguous
faces of the plates being grooved to receive the heads of the tacks and the lower
portion of the said grooves being curved into the passage in which the driver proper
works, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
8. In a tack driving apparatus or tacker the combination of an inclined shute down
which the tacks pass into position to be operated on by the driver proper; a bladd
caused to reciprocate in a passage in the lower end of the chute, or in a box o
chamber provided at the lower end of the chute, to separate the lowermost track from
the rest of the tacks in the chute the said separating plate being of a width to occupy
from top to bottom the passage through which the tacks pass from the chute into the
passage in which the driver proper works, the upper edge of the separating blade
being so located with reference to the grooves in the cheeks of the chute down which
the heads of the tacks pass as to ensure that tacks of any size will enter the
passage in which the driver proper works with their pointed ends downwards
substantially as bereinbefore described.
9. In a tack driving apparatus or tacker the combination of an inclined chute dow
which the tacks pass into position to be acted on by the driver proper,

page_text: separating blade for separating the lowermost tack from the rest of the tacks in the
chute, the said separating blade being operated by the plunger which carries the
driver proper and means for varying the time in the movement of the plunger at
which the separating blade shall be operated substantially as hereinbefore described.
10. In a tack driving apparatus or tacker the combination of a supply channel or
chute from which tacks pass into position to be operated on by the driver proper, a
separating blade operated so as to admit one tack at a time into the passage in which
the driver proper works, a recessed or flattened part on the driver proper to admit of
the head of the lowermost tack in the chute to project into the passage in which the
driver proper works when the lower end of the said driver is below the
separating blade, a shoulder on the lower end of the driver proper below the said
flattened or recessed portion, which shoulder when the plunger rises comes into
contact with the under side of the head of the said lowermost tack and causes the
shank of the tack to enter point downwards the passage in which the driver proper
works substantially as hereinbefore described.
11. In a tack driving apparatus or tacker the combination with a
reciprocating plunger carrying the tack driver proper, of a nozzle having a passage
in which the driver proper works, a transverse groove or opening in the end of the
said nozzle, spring jaws working in the said groove, or opening, grooves or
small passages in the contiguous faces of the spring jaws to guide the points of the
tacks into the work before the spring jaws begin to open, a conical recess formed in
the jaws above the grooves or small passages to guide the points of the tacks into the
said small passages, substantially as hereinbefore described.
12. In a tack driving apparatus or tacker of the kind hereinbefore described the
combination with the spring jaws having a conical recess and passage for guiding
the tacks in a straight direction into the work, of a tack driver proper having the
operating end which comes into contact with the heads of the tacks, tapered so as to be
easily freed from between the jaws after driving a tack substantially as hereinbefore
described.
13. In tackers or apparatus for driving tacks the combination of spring jaws by
which the tacks are guided into the work and screws by which the spring jaws are
secured to the body of the tacker the heads of the screws being notched to receive
keys or pins to prevent the screws from turning by the vibrations of the parts of the
tacker when in use substantially as herein before described.
14. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the apparatus for
feeding tacks into a tack driver substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
15. The combination of parts constituting the apparatus for driving tacks
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX.
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.