IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANufacture OF CUT NAILS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ryan Danks and Robert Porcy Walker,
both of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Nail Manu-
facturers; for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANufacture
OF CUT NAILS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ryan Danks and
Robert Percy Walker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 29th August 1874.
1
- WC, JOHN RYAN DANKS and ROBERT PERCY WALKER, both of Wol-
verhampton, in the County of Stafford, Nail Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
facture of Cut NAILS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention has reference principally to nails made by nail-cutting:
and heading machinery from strips of rolled homogeneous metal, that is,
the iron, steel, or semi-steel made by the process of manufacture com-
monly called the Bessemer process.

page_text: Our said Invention consists in preparing the said homogeneous metal
for the manufacture of nails by rolling it into strips, thick at one edge
and sharp or knife edged at the other edge, that is, having a wedge
figure in cross section. Or we roll strips of metal of the kind described,
but having at its thick edge a beading or rib from which the heads of
the cut nails are conveniently formed. Or the strip of homogeneous
metal may
have the figure of two of the wedge-shaped strips described
joined together edge to edge or base to base, and cither with or without
the beadings or ribs from which the heads of the cut nails are con-
veniently made.
When we roll the homogeneous metal in strips of the kind last
described, we divide the said strips down the middle before cutting them
into nails.
In order to give to cut nails a greater power of resisting withdrawal
from the wood or material into which they may be driven, we form on
one or both sides of the strips from which the nails are to be cut, cor-
rugations or indentations. These corrugations or indentations in the
strips, give to the nails cut from them an undulating or irregular figure
on two opposite sides, by which the nail is made to take a much firmer
hold of the wood or substance into which it is driven than nails having
plain sides.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Létters Patent,
filed by the said John Ryan Danks and Robert Percy Walker in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd February 1875.
:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
RYAN DANKS and ROBERT PERCY WALKER, both of Wolverhampton,
in the County of Stafford, Nail Manufacturers, send greeting.
८
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
L

page_text: thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said John Ryan Danks and Robert
Percy Walker, Her special license that we, the said John Ryan Danks
and Robert Percy Walker, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said John Ryan Danks and Robert Percy
Walker, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 In-
vention for "Improvements IN THE MANUFACTURE of Cut Nails," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Ryan Danks and
Robert Percy Walker, our executors or administrators, by an instru
ment in writing under our, or their hands and seals, or under the
hand and seal of one of us or them, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner thé
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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Ryan Danks on behalf of
myself and the said Robert Percy Walker, 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 :-
Our Invention has reference principally to nails made by nail-
cutting and heading machinery, from strips of rolled homogeneous
metal, that is, the iron, steel, or semi-steel made by the process of
manufacture commonly called the Bessemer process, or other process
whereby the said homogeneous metal may be manufactured, such for
example, as the Siemens-Martin process.
Our said Invention consists in preparing the said homogeneous metal
for the manufacture of nails by rolling it into strips, thick at one edge
and sharp or knife-edged at the other edge, and having at the thick
edge a beading or rib from which the heads of the cut nails are con-
veniently formed. Or the strip of homogeneous metal may have the
figure of two of the wedge-shaped strips described joined together, edge-
to edge or base to base with the beadings or ribs from which the heads-
of the cut nails are conveniently made.

page_text: When we roll the homogeneous metal in strips of the kind last
described, we divide the strips down the middle before cutting them into
nails. Or we roll strips having the figure in cross section of two wedge-
shaped strips joined together base to base, but with V shaped depressions
on both sides along the middle of the strip, at which V shaped
depressions the strip is divided longitudinally before being cut up into
nails.

page_text: are cut up into nails, and the heads perfected by the ordinary
machinery.
The beadings marked b, b, in Figures 1 and 2, and c, c, in Figure 3,
are suitable for the manufacture, by the heading machine, of the
5 heads of nails of the kinds called rose heads, clasp heads, and clout
heads.
Figure 4 represents in cross section a strip of homogeneous metal
thickest near its middle and sharp or knife-edged on both its edges,
there being formed during the rolling process V shaped depressions
O opposite to each other in the middle of the strip, as represented.
Before being made into nails the strip is divided longitudinally at the
point f.
When required a sharp point may be given to the nails by cutting
tools cutting off the broad point of the nail in the manner illustrated in
Figure 5, where the dotted lines indicate the triangular pieces cut off
on either side the point of the nail.
Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 represent in cross section
strips of homogeneous metal, or of iron, or other metal, corrugated or
indented according to our Invention, so as to give the nails cut there-
from an undulating or irregular figure on two opposite sides, by which
the nails are made to take a much firmer hold of the substance into
which they are driven than nails having plain sides.
In Figure 6 the indentations leave intermediate projections having
the wedge-like figure represented.
In Figure 7 the indentations are such as to leave rounded projections,
as shown.
In Figure 8 the indentations are wedge shaped, leaving plain parts of
the strip between them.
In Figure 9 the indentations consist of a series of nearly circular
grooves.
In Figure 10 the indentations on opposite sides give to the body and
point of the nail an undulating or wave-like figure.
Figure 11 shows a nail made from the strip, Figure 9.
Figure 12 shows a nail cut from a strip indented with two series of
parallel grooves crossing one another; and Figure 13 shows a nail cut

page_text: from a strip having a series of grooves or depressions situated trans-
versely on the strip.
Figure 14 represents a strip and nail cut therefrom, having the figure
of one half of the strip, Figure 4, the said strip, Figure 14, being
indented or corrugated according to our Invention.
We do not limit ourselves to the precise shapes of the strips
represented, nor do we limit ourselves to any particular forms of the
depressions or corrugations.
may
The corrugating or indenting of the strip according to our Invention
be effected in the final rolling process by which the strip is made. 1
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that
we claim as our Invention of improvements in the manufacture of cut
nails,-
First. Manufacturing the said nails from strips of homogeneous 1
metal made by the process commonly called the Bessemer process, or
other like process, the said strips being fashioned by rolling into the
several sectional figures represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the
accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. Corrugating or indenting the strip of homogeneous metal. 2
or other metallic strip from which nails are cut, in the manner herein-
before described and illustrated in Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,
and 14 of the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ryan Danks, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of February, in the 2
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
ISAIAH DANKS,
Wolverhampton.
JOHN RYAN DANKS (L.S.)