Improvements in Apparatus for Forming Wire Nails or Staples, and for Nailing Boxes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 25th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Forming Wire Nails or Staples, and
for Nailing Boxes.
We EDWARD WILLIAMS, of Sealand Road, Chester, in the County of Chester,,
Machinist, and WILLIAM THOMAS EVANS, of Mount Street, Newton Heath,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Timber Merchant, 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 is designed to provide apparatus for nailing boxes or cases with
wire nails in which the nails are cut from a continuous reel of wire formed into the
shape of a staple with shanks of equal or unequal length and driven into the sides
of the box to secure the parts together by a series of successive and simultaneous
operations.
The apparatus comprises feed rolls by which the wire in a continuous length is
fed into the machine vertically reciprocating cutting tools by which the wire is cut
to the desired length reciprocating bending tools and stationary anvils by which
the nail is shaped to the form of a staple horizontally reciprocating pushers
placed at the sides of the anvils by which the nails are removed from the anvils
and vertically reciprocating hammers or driving tools by which the nails when
formed are driven into the parts of the boxes to be mailed together.
It will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
a machine is illustrated designed to form and drive four nails at one operation. It
will be understood however that by increasing or reducing the parts the machine
may be adapted for making and driving a greater or less number of nails at each
operation.

page_text: wire as it passes through and are actuated by racks d connected to the reciprocating
cross head B engaging with ratchet wheels d on the roll spindles. The amount of
feed which determines the length of the nails is regulated or adjusted by altering
the length of the racks d or it may be regulated by the diameter of the feed rolls D
which are made changeable. The top rolls D₁ are mounted in pivoted or
swivelling brackets d to which any required amount of pressure may be applied
by the screws d. In advance of the feed rolls D D' are placed tubes e which
guide the wires E as they are fed forward to be cut.
At the back of the cross head B are affixed two brackets or tool holders F F¹
which move up and down with the cross head and slide in guides ff. To the
tool holders are clamped by setscrews or other suitable means the reciprocating
cutting tools G and the reciprocating bending tools H. Each of the reciprocating
cutting tools G operates in conjunction with a fixed cutting tool g to cut off a
length of the wire and with an anvil or block K to bend or form the nail.
The cutting tool G is formed with a V-shaped groove in the bottom and a small
groove g' in the side to allow it to pass over the wire as it descends and bends it.
The fixed cutting tool g is preferably in the form of a short tube bevelled at one
side placed at the end of the guide tube e.
The anvil or block K is placed beside the fixed cutting tool g and below the
reciprocating cutting and bending tools G and H so that one descends at one side
of it and the other at the other side thereof.
The wire is thereby cut off and bent over the anvil K into a staple or nail E
being left suspended or hanging over the anvil. The anvil or block K is formed
with a longitudinal groove or slot k through which the wire E has been passed
before being operated upon and should, there be any tendency of the cutting tool G
and bending tool H as they recede to lift or carry away the nail the groove in the
anvil will prevent it.
At either side of each of the anvils K are placed horizontal sliding pushers L L'
which move to and fro in a plane at right angles to the cutting tools G and bending
tools H to deliver the nail E' when formed from the end of the anvil. The end of
the pusher L is raised above the top of the groove or slot k in the anvil or block K
above the top or head of the nail E. As the throw or travel of the centre sets of
the pushers L is greater than that of the outer sets L they are connected by
rods and worked together in pairs. The cams M M are connected with
the sliding pushers L L by the bell crank levers M2 and short links m² and the
springs m m³ are attached to the levers M' by a rod m extending therefrom. The
slides are moved in one direction by the cams M M¹ and in the opposite direction
by the springs m m¹. We prefer to arrange the springs to move the slide inwards
and the inward movement of the slides delivers the nails E to the grooves n in
which the hammers or driving tools N slide up and down.
The hammers or driving tools N are formed of straight strips of metal and are
attached to the front side of the reciprocating cross head B by which they are
moved up and down in the grooves n. The number of these hammers may
correspond with the number of feed rolls or ends of wire fed into the machine or
there may be a greater number of hammers than nails so that without altering the
position of drivers nails may be driven in at different positions along the edge of
the box. The hammers move up and down in the grooves or races n formed in
the front plate O into which the nails E' are delivered when formed by the
pushers L L. Each nail E' when it is formed and delivered to the groove n is
driven by the hammer N into the place it is required to occupy in the box.
The grooves in back of the front plate O are enlarged at the centre and taper
towards the bottom to allow for any expansion of the nails or staples E' as they
leave the bending blocks or anvils K.
The position of the bending and cutting tools and the reciprocating horizontal
pushers which deliver the nails are changeable and adjustable at different intervals
along the machine to allow for the driving of the nails at different places or
positions required by the size or construction of the boxes under operation.

page_text: In front of the machine is placed a table P upon which the box is placed to be
nailed. The height of the table is capable of adjustment by the screw' p to permit
of boxes of any size being nailed thereon. The table may also be raised and
lowered by means of the treadle p' against the under edge of the front plate.O.
To the front plate O is pivoted a lever R which is raised to set the machine in
operation each time the table P is lifted into position with a box to be nailed.
Each time the lever R is raised the driving shaft is caused to rotate one revolution
and one cycle of operations of the machine is carried out.
The lever R is connected by a rod o with a disc r to which it imparts a rotary
movement on the other side of which is placed a spiral clutch s engaging with a
similar clutch & attached to a toothed wheel S. The toothed wheel S engages
with a rack S' which is moved to and fro by the rotary movement of the tooth
wheels and disc r. When in its normal position the end of the rack rod lies
between the rotating toothed wheel T and the disc U and holds the pawl u out of
gear with the internal teeth of the wheel T.
The wheel T revolves loose on the shaft and is constantly rotated by the
toothed wheel T and the dise U is keyed to the shaft and carries the pawl u which
when in contact with the internal teeth of the wheel T is carried round with it.
The cranks C and the cams M M are keyed to the shaft t and are rotated by it.
The raising of the free end of the lever R draws down the rod c and rotates the
dise spiral clutch and toothed wheel S withdrawing the rack S¹ from the
wheel T. The rotary movement of the spiral clutch s also causes it to move
laterally upon its spindle so that by the time the rack S' has been drawn out its
full distance the clutch has been drawn clear of the clutch s¹ and the rack is
again automatically moved back by the spring 2. As soon as the wheel disc has
completed one revolution the pawl comes' again into contact with the rack rod and
is thrown out of gear with the internal teeth.
It is also to be understood that the machine may be placed with the cutters G
benders H and drivers N horizontal and the blocks or anvils K and the slides L
vertical the latter raising each nail when cut.
In operation the box or parts of the box to be nailed together are placed upon
the table P in front of the machine and the table raised into position by the
treadle pl until the parts are held tightly against the edge of the front plate O.
This also raises the lever R and sets the machine in motion. The cross head B
descends carrying down with it the hammers or driving tools N at the front of the
machine and the cutting and bending tools G and H at the back. This downward
movement of the cross head B by means of the hammers N drives the already
formed nails which have been delivered into the grooves n into the box and at the
same time by means of the cutting and bending tools G and H cuts off and forms
a number of fresh nails. At the same time as the cross head B with the hammers N
and tools G and H are descending the pushers L L' are drawn back by the action
of the cams M M'. The upward movement of the cross head B raises the
hammers N and the tools G and H and also operates the feed rolls D D' by which
another length of wire is fed into the machine. As the cross head B is raised the
pushers L L are moved forward by their springs to deliver the nail just formed in
readiness for the next stroke of the hammers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Apparatus for forming or cutting nails or staples and driving them into boxes
constructed with reciprocating cutting and bending tools carried by a reciprocating
cross head or bar which act in conjunction with a fixed block or anvil and cutting
device to ent off the wire and form a nail or staple sliding pushers to deliver the
nail or staple when formed and reciprocating driving tools by which the nails or
staples are driven into the box substantially as described.
2. The apparatus for feeding in the wire and forming the nail or staple comprising

page_text: feed rollers placed at the side of the machine a fixed block or anvil over which the
nail is bent, a fixed-cutter vertically reciprocating cutting and bending tools by
which the wire is severed and bent and horizontally sliding pushers placed
alongside the fixed block or anvil whereby the finished nail is delivered substantially
as described.
3. In a box nailing machine the combination with a reciprocating cross head or
bar of a number of driving tools attached thereto and moving up and down in
grooves into which the nails are delivered when formed by horizontal pushers
sliding at right angles thereto substantially as described.
4. In a box nailing machine the apparatus for setting it in motion comprising
the lever R which is raised by the box or case the spiral clutchss the toothed
wheel S operated thereby and the rack S₁ which penetrates the interior of the
wheel T and throws the pawl u into and out of gear with the internal teeth
substantially as described.
5. In a box nailing machine the combination with the mechanism for driving the
nails of a movable table upon which the box is placed capable of adjustment at any
desired height by a screw and of being raised into position for nailing by a treadle
and lever substantially as described and shewn.
6. In a box nailing machine the combination with the driving tools N of a guide
plate O provided with grooves n enlarged or widened at the centre and tapering
towards the bottom substantially as described and shown with reference to Fig. 9.
7. A machine for forming nails or staples from wire and driving them into boxes
having the several parts constructed and arranged in combination substantially as
described.
Dated this
1
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.