IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING NAILS FROM EITHER HOT OR COLD BARS OF IRON OR OTHER METAL
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Southwood, of Kensington, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING NAILS FROM EITHER HOT OR COLD BARS
OF IRON OR OTHER METAL."
Sealed the 7th November 1862, and dated the 13th May 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Southwood
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 13th May 1862.
I, WILLIAM SOUTHWOOD, of Kensington, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING NAILS FROM EITHER HOT OR
COLD BARS OF IRON OR OTHER METAL," to be as follows:-
In the manufacture of nails from hot iron or other metal I use a strong cast-
iron frame and bed, upon which I fix or mount in the usual way a wrought-iron
shaft or shafts, and on the same have a motion for advancing the heated metal
into the machine, at such lengths as the nails, to be made may require. A
portion of the heated bar is then to be cut off, the same cutter or cutters dividing
it into two parts, which operation partially forms the points of two nails;
immediately it is so acted upon and separated from the bar or rod, a
feeder and cutter recede, and immediately thereon pressers, plungers, or dies
are advanced which form and finish the points and shanks of two nails or
blanks, the pressers, plungers or dies hold the shanks or blanks whilst a header or
heading dies advance towards each blank or shank, and form a head upon each.

page_text: The headers and pressers, plungers, or dies then recede, and by means of
a reliever the nails are drawn from the machine leaving it ready for
another and similar operation. The foregoing is for making nails from
bars of iron or other metal when the bars of iron are so cut or made that
the fibre or grain of the iron or metal runs longitudinally or traverses the
length of the bars. These bars may be used either hot or cold, but I prefer
using them in a heated state. When the width of the strips or bars
of metal determines the length of the nails made I have a strong cast-iron
framing, and within this another frame baving three cutters, one perpendi-
cular and the two others very nearly at right angles, the upright one
cuts upon both of its working edges, thus in effect making four cutters. This
inner frame has a to-and-fro or oscillating motion which forms or deter-
mines the points of the nails to be made, one or more bars of metal may be
cut at one time in this machine when pointed nails only are required, but when
nails with a head called brads or headed nails are made I cut only one bar at
a time. For making or forming the heads to the nails so made, I use all
the ordinary methods well known in the trade, but whether I use one or more
bars when the width of the iron or strip of metal determines the length of
the nail I can so arrange as to put in the bars of metal perpendicularly.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Southwood, in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SOUTHWOOD, of Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord'
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give, and grant unto
me, the said William Southwood, Her special licence that I, the
said William Southwood, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said William Southwood, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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

page_text: Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING
NAILS FROM EITHER HOT OR COLD BARS OF IRON OR OTHER METAL,"
upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Southwood, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Southwood, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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 for "Improvements in Machinery for Manufacturing
Nails from either Hot or Cold Bars of Iron, or other Metal," is represented by
the Drawings and Specifications bereunto annexed, the same letters in different
views of the machinery indicate the same parts.
Figure I., is a plan with the cutting lever (k) and standard (a 1) removed;
Figure II. is a plan shewing the action of the headers; Figure III. shews
a transverse section through (c, d); Figuro IV. is an enlarged section
through (a, b); Figure V. are details of the feeder (r); Figure VI. is a
plan of the cutting lever (k) and standard (a 1); Figures VII, and VIII.
shews the cams for working the headers (h 1), cutting lever (k), and
plungers or pressing dies (7). (a) is a strong cast-iron bed or table
fixed in any convenient way either upon wood or iron standards, upon this
bed all the parts of the machine are fixed or mounted; (h) is the driving
shaft upon which is fixed or mounted a fly-wheel (e), tight and loose
pullies (d), two cams (e) for working a connecting rod (f), two cams
or castings (g), these are double cams, upon the outside of which are
fixed cams (g 1) for working the heading levers (h), "which when in action
gives the heading punches (1) a to-and-fro motion, and the ends of which
work in a groove (i), and an inner cam or groove (5) which works the cutting
lever (k); upon this lever (k) are fixed two gudgeons (1), which work
freely in the groove (j) also upon the shaft (b) is fixed a double cam (m)
for working a die or plunger box (1), these, cams cause the die box to move
to and fro. As the shaft (6) turns round in manner following, the cam (m 1)
comes in contact with the end of the die box (n) and presses it forwards,
for the purpose of pressing, forming, and finishing the blanks or shanks of
the nails; when this is done it is caused to return by means of the cam (m2)

page_text: oming in contact with a clamp (0), which is screwed or fastened to the
under part of the die box (n), and rests one part of it upon the back part of
the bed of the machine and slides in a guide pin (o 1). Also upon the
shaft (b) is fixed a double cam (p); this cam works a lever (7), which
gives a to-and-fro motion to the feeder (r), (v), to this feeder (") is attached
a holder (s), which works upon a pin (s1) and is kept up to its work
- by a small spring (t); there is another spring (1) which keeps the feeder
constantly pressing against a guide, or regulating pin (u); this regulating
pin (u) enables the workman to so regulate the feeder (7) as to divide the
iron at all times equally into two parts. Immediately under the feeder (r)
is a wheel (v) and lever (w); this lever (w) is acted upon and kept con-
stantly towards the wheel (v) by means of a small spring (w1); this wheel
and lever is for the purpose of preventing the iron or metal when being made
into nails from recoiling. (a) is what I call the under cutter, upon this cutter
the feeder (7) slides freely, carrying with it the bar of metal such a distance
into the machine as the cam (p) and lever (1) determines; this lever (7) acts
upon a pin (71). It will be seen by an arrangement upon the feeder (r)
that when the lever (9) is moving the feeder and with it the metal into the
machine, the spring (t) is pressing the point of the holder (s) upon the
metal and holds it firmly against the feeder (r) and causes the metal to
be drawn inwards; it will be seen also that the feeder bas a recess made or
formed in it, seen at (y) in Figure V., which holds firmly the rod of metal
during the cutting, and prevents it from canting during the operation of
cutting; the canting of the iron or metal is also prevented by the feeder (1)
working under a slide fixed at each end of it and lettered (-). When the lever
q returns before it acts upon the feeder () it touches the end of the holder
(s) at (s1) and causes it to open and thereby leave the metal cut
away or divided from the bar behind; (1) is another cutter, and should
be fitted parallel with the under side of the feeder (r) level with the top
or edge of the under cutter (a), and immediately over which the bar of
metal should pass so that a portion of it may be divided or
cut away
by the top cutter (2); this top cutter (2) is held to its work by a pin as
shewn, and is fitted upon a slide made in the standard (al), and is
moved or acted upon by the lever (k); (3) is what I call an anvil, and which
is firmly screwed to the bed as shewn in Figures III. and IV.; (4 and 5) are
two small pieces of steel which are also held up to their work by set pins;
these pieces of steel are set to come one level with the anvil and the other
level with the under side of the cutter (a), and may be readily taken out when
worn; (6) is another die or plunger box; these boxes are fitted and made to

page_text: slide in duftails upon the bed (a); (7) are four dies or plungers. These dies
or plungers so soon as the piece of metal has been divided from the bar
advance and hold the shanks of the nails firmly whilst a head is made upon
each by the heading punches (h 1), they also give form to the blanks or
sbanks of the partially formed nails as required; they are fitted and tightly
screwed into the die or plunger boxes as shewn by set pins (8). (7 a) are
thickness pieces the exact thickness of the under cutter (a), one of the dies or
plungers (7) slide immediately under the cutter (a), and another one upon the
top of the cutter (a) and are met by the opposing dies or plungers in the
opposite direction. These dies or plungers are so fitted that when each pair is
in close proximity they assume the form of the shank of nail, and it will be
seen, as before stated, that one pair closes above the cutter (a) and the other
pair partially under it; one pair holding the shank of a nail to receive a bead
from one heading pin, and the other holding another shank to receive another
head immediately and simultaneously in the opposite direction. (9) is a
fulcrum or lever, upon the end of which is a section of a cog wheel which
works into a half pinion wheel (10); upon this half pinion wheel (10) is a
cam (11) working in a plate (12) attached to the end of the die or plunger
box (6); the half pinion wheel (10), cam (11), and plate (12) are confined
and kept in their place by a cover (13); it will be seen by this arrangement
that when the lever (f) moves to and fro it works the half pinion wheel (10)
and causes the die or plunger box (6) to have a to-and-fro niotion also.
(14) is what I call a reliever, fixed as shewn; it is kept up or out of action
by a small spring (15), is acted upon by a stud (16) attached to the cam (m).
This reliever when the nail is finished is acted upon by the stud (16) and
drags when the die or plunger box recedes" the nail from the anvil and
allows it to drop through a hole made for that purpose in the bed (a). (17) is
a small spring fixed to the heading pin (h1), the purpose of this spring is to
guide the upper nail from the front of the heading pin when it is struck by
the feeder (1) so that it may also fall thro' a hole in the bed (a) made for
that purpose. The action of the machine is as follows when actuated by some
motive power-The operator or workman places a bar of metal "the size
and form necessary "into the end of the feeder (r), pushing it as far as the
cutter (1), when the holder (s) seizes hold of it, the feeder (r) then carries it
into the machine the distance required and holds it until the top cutter (2)
has cut away the portion necessary for making two nails; this top cutter, by
the arrangement before explained and shewn, passes down between the
holder (s) and feeder (») and cuts away from the bar of metal sufficient to
make two nails, at the same time dividing it into two parts similar in shape

page_text: to (Number 18), carrying one portion down upon the anvil (3) and leaving the
other portion upon the cutter (a); the feeder (r) then recedes, when the dies
or plungers advance and form and finish the shanks of two nails holding them
firmly whilst the headers come up and form the heads; the dies and plungers
then recede, the reliever (14) draging with it the under nail from the anvil,
the upper nail being left upon the cutter (a) and which is struck away by the
next operation of the feeder (1) as it advances with the bar. This machinery
will make nails from either hot or cold bars of metal. I prefer using
heated rods of iron called and known by the name of "slit rods."
I claim as my improvements in the foregoing description of machinery the
cutting and dividing "slit bars" of iron or other metal into two parts for the
purpose of making nails, substantially as herein described.
I claim also a feeder for holding the ends of bars of metal to prevent their
canting whilst they are being cut for the purpose of making nails, substantially
as herein described.
.I
My Invention for improvements in machinery for manufacturing nails from
bars of iron or other metal when the width of the iron or metal determines the
length of the nail is as follows:-These nails are called shoe bills or brad nails.
Figure I. is a plan; Figure II. is an elevation; the remaining Figures
represent various parts of the machine, whether in plan, elevation, or detail.
use the same Figures to denote the same parts of the machine, whether in
plan, elevation, or detail. (a) are two standards made of strong cast iron, on
which the machine is mounted; (b) is a strong cast-iron frame with two
gudgeons (c); these gudgeons are fitted into the standards (a), the frame (6)
hangs thereon so that it may be readily moved to and fro; (d) are two cutters
fitted into the frame (b) as shewn; (c) are two pedestals or brackets which
carry a crank shaft (f); upon this shaft are mounted two fly wheels (9) and
driving pulley (h); there are also fitted to this shaft two connecting rods (i);
one end of each of these rods is fitted to gudgeons upon a lever (); this
lever () rests or sits upon the inside of the frame (6) by means of two other
gudgeons, and is fitted as shewn into two pedestals (); in this lever () is
cast a cutter box in which is placed the cutter (1), and which is sus-
.tained or regulated by a screw (l); at the other or top side of this lever two
.guides (m) may be seen; these guides are regulated by screws (u) and
determine the width of the head of the nail; they are retained in their places
by means of screws (o); these screws (o) fix the guides and cutter firmly
together; it will be seen that there are three cutters only, the under cutter is
, fixed a little at an angle in the cutter box so as to give a shear to it, and it
cuts on both edges; (p) is a connecting rod fitted to a bell-crank motion (9),

page_text: and which is fitted to the standard (a) upon a gudgeon (v) on the fly wheel (9);
to the bell crank (g) is fitted a link (s) which is fitted to a pin (t) fastened
on to the frame (b). It will be seen by this arrangement that as the shaft or
wheel turns round it will give a to-and-fro motion to the frame (6), and
consequently if a bar of iron was held perpendicularly over the machine and
allowed to drop upon the under cutter it would cut off sharp
pieces of
iron called shoe bills or brad nails. The mode of working this machine after
it has been put into motion by some motive power is:-The operator holds one
or more rods of metal, the width of the nail required, immediately over the
machine and allows them to drop perpendicularly into and between the cutters,
when the action of the machine will determine the sharpness of the points
required. The rods or bars may be placed into and between any of the
ordinary guides used and well known in the cut nail trades, and which is not
necessary to explain here; the ordinary method of heading nails may be
applied to this machine, but to which I have no claim.
What I claim as my Invention for making nails from bars of iron or other
metal when the width of the bars of metal determine the length of nails to
be made, is fixing three cutters as herein explained, and giving to them a
to-and-fro or oscillating motion, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Southwood, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelvth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
W. SOUTHWOOD. (L.S.)