Improvements in and relating to Machines for Cutting Nail Strips and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date claimed for Patent
being date of first Foreign Application (in 11th Nov., 1895
United States of America),
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 9th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 9th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 22nd Aug., 1896
United States
America),
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 9th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 9th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 22nd Aug., 1896
Improvements in and relating to Machines for Cutting Nail Strips
and the like.
I, JAMES ALEXANDER HORTON, of Reading, in the County of Middlesex,
State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 mechanism for producing articles, such as nail or slug
strips, which are made by severing a strip of sheet metal longitudinally into two
sections, each having alternating projections and recesses, the projections of each
section being connected by one edge of the section, which is left continuous and
forms the material for the heads of the slugs or nails. Slug or nail strips of this
character are used in boot and shoe slugging or nailing machines, each section into
which the strip is cut, as above mentioned, constituting a strip of slugs or nails
united at their heads by the uncut edge of the section, and adapted to be used
with an organized machine for separating the slugs or nails one at a time from the
strip and driving them.
The invention has for its object to provide certain improvements relating to the
dies for longitudinally severing a strip into two sections, and to an organized
machine of which said dies form parts.
The invention consists in the several improvements which I will now proceed to
describe and claim:
Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,-
Figure 1 represents a plan view of a portion of a strip which has been partially
severed by the means constituting my invention.
Figure 2 represents a perspective view of the fixed cutting-die and the
clamping-die co-operating therewith, said parts being shown in position to clamp
and hold the strip.
Figure 3 represents a side view of the parts shown in Figure 2.
Figure 4 represents a perspective view of a portion of the fixed cutting-die and
a portion of the yielding bottom clamping-die which co-operates with the movable
cutting-die hereinafter referred to.
Figure 5 represents a side view of the construction shown in Figure 4.
Figure 6 represents a perspective view of portions of the fixed cutting-die, the
movable cutting-die, and the top and bottom clanping-dies.
Figure 7 represents a side view of the parts shown in Figure 6.
Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11 represent views similar to Figure 7, showing the parts
at different stages of the operation.

page_text: Figure 12 represents a top view of a portion of the fixed cutting-die.
Figure 13 represents a section on line 13, 13 of Figure 12.
Figure 14 represents a view similar to Figure 7, illustrating the function of the
inciined portion of the fixed cutting-die shown in Figures 12 and 13.
Figure 15 represents a section on line 15, 15, of Figure 1.
Figure 16 represents a section on line 16, 16 of Figure 1.
Figure 17 represents a perspective view of a portion of the strip, showing the
transverse inclination given to the strip at one end of the cut formed by the
cutting-dies by the incliced portion of the fixed cutting-die.
Figure 18 represents a view of a portion of the strip, showing the distortion
of one edge thereof that is avoided by the inclined portion of the fixed
cutting-die.
1.
Figure 19 represents a front elevation of an organized machine of which the dies
shown in the preceding figures are parts.
Figure 20 represents a side elevation of said machine.
Figure 204 represents a section on line 20ª, 20" of Figure 20.
Figure 21 represents a section on line 21, 21 of Figure 19.
Figure 22 represents a section on line 22, 22 of Figure 21.
Figure 23 represents a section on line 23, 23 of Figure 21.
Figure 24 represents a section on the line 24, 24 of Figure 23.
Figure 25 represents a perspective view of the fixed cutting-die and the bottom
clamping-die and their holders.
Figure 26 represents a side view of the reels which coil the sections of the
strip.
Figure 27 represents a section on line 27, 27 of Figure 26, looking toward the
right.
Figure 28 represents a section on line 28, 28, of Figure 27.
Figures 29 and 30 represent views of the lower reel and its actuating mechanism,
taken from opposite sides.
Figure 31 represents a sectional view of the cutting and clamping dies prior to
the cutting operation.
Figure 32 represents a similar view after the cutting operation.
Figure 33 represents a perspective view of the bottom cutting-die, showing the
strip forced thereinto by the operation represented in Figure 32.
The same letters and numerals of reference indicate the same parts in all of the
figures.
The mechanism hereinafter described is intended to sever a strip a of sheet
metal into two sections a¹, a' of the form shown in Figure 1, each section having
alternating projections and recesses and comprising a string of slugs or nails, the
form of the sections being such that the projections of oue strip are taken from
the recesses of the other. My invention is not limited, however, to the production
of slug or nail strips, and may be used for longitudinally dividing a strip into two
sections having interlocking edges of any desired form.
The cutting mechanism comprises a fixed cutting-die band a movable cutting-
die (see Figures 2, 4 and 6), said dies, having comb-shaped cutting edges, and
being arranged so that the projections of one enter the recesses of the other, a
strip a placed between said dies being therefore cut along lines corresponding to
the shape of the cutting-edges, one section of the strip being depressed into the
spaces between the teeth of the fixed die by the descent of the movable die.
Co-operating with said dies are a bottom clamping-die c, and a top clamping-
die The bottom clamping-die c is formed to enter the spaces in the fixed
cutting-die, as shown in Figure 4, these projections coinciding with the projections
of the movable cutting-die b', while the top clamping-die c has its projections
formed to enter the recesses of the top cutting-die and coinciding with the
projections of the fixed cutting die b. The fixed cutting die is mounted upon a
suitable bed d on the supporting-frame, while the movable cutting-die b' is affixed
to a block or holder e mounted on a slide e, which is movable between fixed

page_text: guides ff, on the supporting frame, and may be reciprocated vertically by any
suitable means-such as an eccentric on the driving shaft g, said eccentric being
connected by a suitable strap or rod with the slide e
The bottom clamping-die c is secured to a swinging holder h, which is pivoted
at to the supporting-frame, and is yieldingly supported by springs i, a stop j
limiting the upward movement of the said holder. The bottom die c, and its
holder are positively raised at intervals by means of a rod or plunger k movable
in a fixed guide in the supporting-frame, and connected at its lower end with a
lever k, Figures 20 and 21, which is pivoted at k to the supporting-frame and
has at its swinging end an adjustable-contact piece 43 which bears upon a cam k
on a shaft m. The top .clamping-die c' is secured to a holder n which is pivoted
at n' to the supporting frame, and is normally raised by springs o.
represents a rod or plunger passing through the holder n and through fixed
guides in the supporting frame, and having a cross-rod pl at its upper end bearing
on the upper surface of the holder n. The lower end of the rod p is connected
with a lever p2, which is pivoted at p³ to the supporting-frame, and has at its
swinging end a contact piece p1 bearing on a cam p on the shaft m. The rotation
of the shaft in causes the rods or plungers k and p to reciprocate vertically, the
rod k in rising pushing the holder h and bottom clamping-die e upwardly while
the rod p in descending pulls the holder and top clamping-die e' downwardly.
The described mechanism is timed so that the plunger & descends, leaving the
bottom clamping-die e supported only by the springs i, while the movable cutting-
die is descending and forcing one section of the strip downwardly into the fixed
cutting-die. The bottom clamping-die is thus allowed to yield to permit the
depression of one of the sections of the strip and is afterwards raised positively to
eject said section from the fixed cutting-die by the upward movement of the
plunger k. The downward movement of the rod or plunger p draws the top
clamping-die down upon the strip a so that the latter is clamped between the top
clamping die and the fixed cutting-die b, the top clamping-die being held in this
position during the cutting operation, and subsequently released by the upward
movement of the rod or plunger p, said movement permitting the springs o to raise
the top clamping-die. The first tooth or projection of the fixed cutting-die & is
inclined or bevelled on its upper surface, forming an inclined face 2, (see
Figures 12, 13 and 14), the outer end of the first tooth being thus depressed below the
outer ends of the other teeth of the fixed die by about the thickness of the strip a.
The object of this torination of the fixed cutting-die is to give the portion of the
strip a immediately adjoining the end of the cut formed by the cutting-dies the
transverse inclination 3, (shown in Figures 16 and 17), this inclination connecting
the depressed section a2 with the raised section a¹ by a gradual incline, and
preventing the abrupt upward bending or distortion of the edge of the strip at the
end of the cut, which would take place, as shown in Figure 18, if the first tooth of
the fixed cutting-die were flush with the other teeth of said die. This feature,
namely, the inclination of the first tooth of the fixed die-is one of considerable
importance and is the result of much study and experiment over the problem of
preventing the distortion or wrinkling of the edge of the strip at the end of each
cut made by the cutting-dies.
The cutting-dies and the clamping-dies are timed to operate as follows:-The
strip is fed intermittingly by a feeding mechanism hereinafter described, and after
each feed movement is grasped and held between the fixed cutting-die band top
clamping-die c, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the bottom clamping-die at the same
time being flush with the fixed cutting-die and bearing upon the under side of the
strip. (See Figures 4 and 5.) The movable die then descends upon the strip,
Figures 6 and 7, and passes through the strip, as shown in Figure 8, the bottom
clamping die yielding and at the saine time exerting a strong upward yielding
pressure against the depressed section of the strip. The strip and the sections
thereof are therefore clamped at all points prior to and during the cutting
operation, so that the tendency of the metal to expand under the pressure of the

page_text: dies in any direction is reduced to the minimum. The movable cutting-die then
rises, as shown in Figure 9, leaving the depressed section of the strip engaged with
the fixed cutting-die and the other section clamped between the fixed cutting-die
and the top clamping-die, the strip and its section being thus firmly held while the
feeding device is retracted preparatory to taking a new hold upon the strip. After
the retraction of the feeding device the top ciamping die is released by the red p
and is raised by the springs o out of contact with the upper section of the strip, as
shown in Figure 10, after which the bottom clamping-die is positively raised by
the rod or plunger k, and is caused to eject the lower section of the strip from the
fixed cutting-die, as shown in Figure 11, the two sections being then released and
free to be moved forward by the feed mechanism. The object of the raising of the
top clamping-die before the bottom clamping-die rises is to prevent the positive
upward movement of the bottom clamping-die from forcing the lower section of the
strip back into the spaces of the upper section of the strip, it being desirable that
the two sections be kept separated from each other, so that each can be readily
coiled upon its own coiling reel, as hereinafter described. In case, however, it is
desirable for any reason to reinsert the lower section into the spaces of the upper
section, the operation of the clamping-dies may be timed so that the upper die will
hold the upper section against the positive upper pressure of the lower clamping
die. The feed movement of the strip takes place while the dies are in the position
shown in Figure 11, after which the top clamping-die descends upon the strip, and
the series of operations above described are repeated.
By reference to Figures 1 and 17, it will be seen that the end of the cut formed
by the forward portion of the cutting-dies, or those nearest the front of the
machine constitutes one edge of a tooth, the other edge of which is to be
subsequently cut from the inclined portion 3. The feed movement of the strip
carries it far enough to bring the inclined portion 3 into position to be acted on by
the portions of the cutting-dics at the rear ends of the latter, the subsequent
descent of the movable cutting die causing the completion of the said partially
formed tooth. The clamping of all portions of the strip by the cutting-dies and by
the clamping-dies, as above described, enables the said incomplete tooth to be
completed without liability of rolling or being distorted during the operation. This
result is due to the confinement of the metal by the clamping-dies as well as by the
cutting-dies, so that the teeth are held flat and no tooth can turn upwardly at either
edge.
The strip feeding mechanism, which advances the strip step by step under the
dies, comprises a slider, fitted to move horizontally in guides on the frame of the
machine, and provided with a series of spring-pressed dogs r, which are arranged
to grasp the strip a and feed it positively forward when the feeding slide is
advancing, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 21, and to slip on the strip without
moving it, when the slide is being retracted.
with
The feeding mechanism includes also means for reciprocating the slide r, said means
comprising a rock-shaft, jourualled in bearings on the supporting frame, an
arm, affixed to said shaft, and connected by a link with an ear on the slider,
an arm, also attached to the rock-shaft, and a rod connecting the arm
a holder or socket secured to a wrist-pin 8 eccentrically mounted upon a disk
affixed to the driving-shaft g. The rotation of said disk causes the wrist-pin to
revolve, and thus impart an up and down motion to the rod, the latter rocking
the rock-shaft and imparting a back-and-forth motion to the slide r. For the
purpose of minutely adjusting the length of movement of the slide r, I provide the
arm with a nut 10, Figure 31, which is movable lengthwise of the arm in a slot
formed in the latter, and is held in any position within the range of its adjustment
by means of an adjusting-screw, which is journalled in the arm and is
engaged with the nut 10 so that rotation of the screw moves said nut toward or
from the rock-shaft. The nut 10 is provided with a stud
end of the connecting-rod is engaged. It will be
distance of the nut 70 and stud from the rock-shaft
13, with which the lower
seen, therefore, that the
determines the extent of

page_text: the feed movement, and that by rotating the screw a very minute adjustment of
said movement can be effected. The nut is positively secured after its
adjustment by means of a clamping nut 14.
s and represent reels upon which the sections a¹, a² of the strip are coiled.
The reel a is affixed to a shaft s, which is journalled in bearings in the supporting
frame and is provided with a gears, which meshes with a gear s affixed to the
shafts of the upper reel st. The shaft of the lower reels is given a step-by-step
rotation in the direction required to wind a section of the coil thereon by means of
an arm t, which is mounted to oscillate on the shaft and has a connection
therewith by means such as the clutch shown in Figure 20^, whereby when the
arm tis oscillated it will impart a step-by-step rotation to the shaft. In order
that the extent of rotary movement imparted to the reels may vary and gradually
increase as the reels increase in diameter, I provide the arm t with a slide t*, which
receives motion from the driving-shaft of the machine through mechanism
hereinafter described, said slide being supported by the coil a³, formed by winding
the section upon the lower reel, said slide having a stud projecting over the coil,
and provided with a trundle-roll t, which bears upon the periphery of the coil.
The slide t is connected by a connecting-rod t with an arm to affixed to a
rock-shaft t, the latter having an arm t, which is connected by a rod t with the
eccentric wrist-pin on the driving-shaft. The slide t³ therefore receives a
back-and-forth motion of uniform length from the driving-shaft through the
described connection; but as said slide moves outwardly upon the arm t as the
coil accumulates it will be seen that the movements imparted to the arm and to
the shaft of the lower coil are successively shorter as the coil increases. Hence,
the same amount is wound upon the strip with each movement of the reels,
regardless of the size of the coils. The slide t³ is pressed downwardly by means of
a spring u, which is arranged to press the trundle-roll against the periphery of
the coil with sufficient force to cause the winding of the strip into a compact roll.
The upper reel, s', which receives motion from the lower reel through the
gears 3, s, is provided with a coil-compacting device consisting of an arm v
pivoted at v¹ to the supporting frame, and pressed downwardly against the coil upon.
the reels by means of a spring v2. The arm has a handle v³, by means of which
it may be raised from the coil and thrown back out of the way, with its end *
bearing against a stop , in which position it will be held by the spring v2, as will
be readily seen.
To enable the rotation of the coils to be conveniently stopped while the operator
is securing the ends of the strip-sections to the reels, I make the connecting-rod t
in two separable sections 8, 9. The section 9 has a socket which receives the
section 8, and also has a spring-pressed latch 10, which engages a notch 12 in the
section 8. By raising the latch 10, the two sections are separated and the connecting-
rod t becomes inoperative. The latch 10 may be held raised by means of a key 13
arranged under the latch, as shown in Figure 26.
It will be seen by reference to Figure 20, that both the feed mechanism and the
coiling-reels are actuated by one driving-shaft, each of said mechanisms being
connected directly to the single wrist-pin 8. Said wrist-pin is adjustable on the
disk by means of an adjusting-screw, said screw enabling the feed movement
and the strip coiling movement to be simultaneously adjusted. In addition to this,
the feed mechanism has the independent adjustment above described, while the
coiling mechanism has also an independent adjustinent, the connecting-rod t being
engaged with the arm to by a bolt which is adjustable in the slot in said arm.
The cam-carrying shaft m is rotated by power communicated from the driving-
shaft through a shaft to connected by bevel gears w¹, w with the driving-shaft and
bevel gears wo, w with the shaft m.
It will be seen that by the employment of four intermeshing dies, as shown and
described, the projecting portions of each die are supported laterally by entering
the recesses of the die with which it intermeshes. Hence, there is no liability of
breakage of any projecting portion or tooth.

page_text: I may use any other suitable feeding device, such as a roll-feed, instead of the
slide with the spring-pressed dogs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what. I
claim is
1. In a machine of the character specified, the combination of a fixed cutting-iie,
a movable cutting-die formed to co-operate with the said fixed die in severing &
strip longitudinally into two sections, mechanism for reciprocating said movable die,
a movable bottom clamping-die co-operating with the movable cutting-die in
clamping the strip and one of the sections thereof, a movable top clamping-die
-co-operating with the fixed cutting-die in clamping the strip and the other section
thereof, and mechanism for operating said clamping dies, as set forth.
2. In a machine of the character specified, the combination of a fixed cutting-die,
a novable cutting-die formed to co-operate with the said fixed die in severing a
strip longitudinally into two sections, mechanism for reciprocating said movable die,
a movable bottom clamping-die co-operating with the movable cutting-die in
clamping the strip and one of the sections thereof, a movable top clamping-die
co-operating with the fixed cutting-die in clamping the strip and the other section
thereof, means for yieldingly supporting and positively raising said bottom clamping-
die, and means for operating said top clamping die.
3. In a mechanism of the character specified, the combination of a fixed comb-
-shaped cutting-die, having its first tooth bevelled or inclined on its top surface, a
movable comb-shaped cutting-die formed to co-operate with said fixed die, and
mechanism for reciprocating the movable die, the said bevelled or inclined tooth
imparting a transverse inclination to the portion of the strip adjacent to one end of
the cut made by said dies.
4. In a machine of the character specified, the combination of a fixed cutting-die,
a movable cutting-die formed to co-operate therewith, a yieldingly supported
movable top clamping-die, adapted to co-operate with the fixed cutting-die in
clamping the strip and one of the sections into which it is cut, mechanisin for
alternately depressing and raising said clamping-die, a bottom clamping-die adapted
to co-operate with the fixed cutting-die in clamping the strip and the other section
into which it is cut, a spring yieldingly supporting the bottom clamping-die, and
mechanism for positively raising said bottom clamping-die, the top die being raised
before the bottom die rises, whereby the sections are left free to be raised by the
bottom die.
5. In a mechanism of the character specified, the combination of a pair
of cutting-dies, adapted to sever a strip longitudinally into two sections, two
reels geared together and adapted to coil the said sections, an oscillatory arm
connected by means such as a clutch with one of said reels, and adapted to rotate
the latter step by step, a slide on said arm supported by the coil on said reel, and
means for imparting a back-and-forth motion to said slide and through the latter to
the arm, the slide being gradually moved outwardly on the arm by the coil as the
latter increases, whereby the step-by-step rotary movements of the reels are
successively shortened in proportion to the increase in the diameter of the coils.
6. In a machine of the character specified, the combination of a pair of cutting-
dies adapted to sever a strip longitudinally into two sections, two reels geared
together and adapted to coil the said sections, an oscillatory arm connected by
means such as a clutch with one of said reels and adapted to rotate the latter step-
by-step, a slide on said arm supported by the coil on said reel, a driving-shaft, and
separable connections between said shaft and the slide, whereby the latter may be
readily made inoperative to stop the motion of the reels.
7. In a machine of the character specified, the combination of a pair of cutting-
dies, adapted to sever a strip longitudinally into two sections, two reels geared
together and adapted to coif the said sections, an oscillatory arm connected by
means such as a clutch with one of said reels and adapted to rotate the latter

page_text: step-by-step, a slide on said arm supported by the coil on said reel, a driving-shaft,
and connections between said shaft and slide comprising a two-part connecting-rod
the parts of which are separably interlocked.
8. In a machine of the character specified the combination of a pair of cutting.
dies adapted to sever a strip longitudinally into two sections, two reels geared
together and adapted to coil the said sections, an oscillatory arm connected by
means such as a clutch with one of said reels and adapted to rotate the latter step--
by-step, a slide on said arm supported by the coil on said reel, means for imparting
a back-and-forth motion to said slide, and through the latter to the arm, and a.
coil-compacting device arranged to act on the coil of the other recl.
9. In a machine of the character specified, the combination of the driving-shaft,
the strip-feeding device, the fixed and movable cutting-dies, the clamping-dies, the
strip coiling reels, and connections between the driving-shaft and the said feeding
device, movable cutting-die, clamping-dies, and reels.
10. In a machine of the character specified, the combination of the driving shaft,
the strip-feeding device, the strip-coiling reels, the two series of devices connecting
the shaft respectively with the said feeding device and reels, each series having
provision for its independent adjustment, and means for simultaneously adjusting.
both series.
11. In a machine of the character specified, a strip winding or coiling mechanism.
comprising a reel, an oscillatory arm connected by means such as a friction-clutch
with the reel and adapted to rotate the latter step by step, a slide on said arm
supported by the coil on said reel, and means for imparting back-and-forth motion
to said slide and through the latter to the arm, the slide being gradually moved
outwardly on the arm by the coil as the latter increases, whereby the step-by-step
rotary movements of the reel are successively shortened as the diameter of the coil.
increases.
Dated this 20th day of March 1906
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.