IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF NAILS AND SPIKES."
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Mellor, of the City of York, Mechanical
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF NAILS AND SPIKES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Mellor at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd October 1867.
I, GEORGE MELLOR, of the City of York, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF NAILS AND SPIKES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the arrangement or combination of parts berein-
after described of machinery for manufacturing nails and spikes from rods
of heated iron, by which arrangement or combination the said nails or
spikes are made with great rapidity and accuracy of figure, my said
Invention being improvements on Inventions described in the Specifica-
tions of Letters Patent granted to William Whittle, and dated respectively
20th day of August 1862, No. 2327, and 24th day of September 1864,
No. 2351. The feeding of the rod of heated iron into the machine is
effected by a pair of grooved rolls geared together and rotating in a vertical
plane. The upper roll is capable of rising and falling vertically, so as to grip
or release the rod passing between it and the lower roll. The descending
motion of the upper roll is effected by means of a spring worked by a cam on

page_text: a side shaft of the machine, the length or throw of the cam being arranged to
suit the length of rod to be fed into the machine. The rod is fed by the rolls
into the machine until its end comes in contact with the end of the heading
tool which acts as a stop, the said rod being fed under the cutting-off tool
and between the pointing rolls and racked slides herein-after referred to. The
upper feeding roll rising the feeding rolls rotate without gripping the rod
between them; the cutting-off tool descending cuts off the length of rod
against the edge of the fixed cutter, the cutting-off tool remaining in its
depressed position for a time and preventing the feeding of the rod into the
machine should the feeding rolls have a tendency to advance the rod. The
cut off length of rod is situated between two excentric pointing rolls and two
parallel slides provided with racks, the two rolls enclosing the horizontal sides
of the rod, and the slides the vertical sides of the rod. The lower pointing
roll rising grips the rod between it and the upper roll, the rolls having no
rotary motion; the heading tool advancing compresses the end of the rod
against shoulders on the said rolls, thereby forming the head of the nail or
spike; the heading tool retires, and the pointing rolls and the slides simul-
taneously advance, carrying the nail or spike forward. The acting surfaces of
the rolls being excentric to their axes the said surfaces approach one another
in their advancing motion, thereby tapering or producing a flat point on the
nail or spike, and the slides which confine the rod at its sides prevent its
spreading laterally. The slides are supported and closed or pressed against
the nail or spike by wedges. The nail or spike thus formed falls from the
rolls, but in order to ensure its certain and speedy removal from the working
tools after it has been finished a striker or knocker-off is made to advance,
and by striking the nail or spike removes it from between the rolls and slides.
The machine is now ready to make another nail or spike by the repetition of
the operations described. The pointing rolls have not a continuous rotary
motion, but have a reciprocating motion, that is, they move through about
one-third of a circle in fashioning the nail or spike, and the nail or spike
having been removed, from the machine the said rolls perform a back or
retiring motion through the same angle. The advance of the pointing rolls is
effected from the driving shaft by a cam acting on a rod and connecting links
jointed to arms, on the said rolls, and the retiring of the rolls is effected by a
spring. The rising of the lower pointing roll for gripping the rod between it
and the upper roll is effected by a lever acted on by a cam from the driving
shaft of the machine. The slides for preventing the lateral spreading of the
rail or spike have a reciprocating motion given to them by means of racks
formed on them, with which racks pinions on the shaft of the top pointing roll

page_text: gear; the pointing rolls and slides are thus made to advance and retire simul-
taneously. Each of the said slides is provided with a recess to receive a strip.
of steel or hard metal which acts against the nail or spike being made.
The wedges by which the slides are supported and closed against the nail or
spike are worked by an arm from the lever which raises the lower pointing
roll. The feed rolls are worked by bevil wheels and pinions from the side
shaft described. The cutting-off tool is worked by a cam from the said side
shaft. The heading too! which first acts as a stop is advanced to meet the:
incoming rod by means of a lever worked by a cam from the said side shaft,
and the said heading tool is, after the rod has been gripped between the
pointing rolls, further advanced to head the rod by means of a cam on the
driving shaft. The knocker-off is worked by a lever acted on by a cam on
the side shaft of the machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Mellor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th March 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
MELLOR, of the City of York, Mechanical Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Mellor, Her special. licence that I, the said George Mellor, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Mellor, my executors, administrators, 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 Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF NAILS AND SPIKES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said George Mellor, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Mellor, 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:-
My Invention consists of the arrangement or combination of parts herein-
after described of machinery for manufacturing nails and spikes from rods
of heated iron, by which arrangement or combination the said nails or spikes
are made with great rapidity and accuracy of figure, my said Invention
being improvements on Inventions described in the Specifications of Letters
Patent granted to William Whittle, and dated respectively 20th day of
August 1862, No. 2327, and 24th day of September 1864, No. 2851. The
feeding of the rod of heated iron into the machine is effected by a pair of
grooved rolls geared together and rotating in a vertical plane. The upper
roll is capable of rising and falling vertically so as to grip or release the rod
passing between it and the lower roll. The descending motion of the upper
roll is effected by means of a spring worked by a cam on a side shaft of the
machine, the length or throw of the cam being arranged to suit the length of
rod to be fed into the machine. The rod is fed by the rolls into the machine
until its end comes in contact with the end of the beading tool, which acts as
a stop, the said rod being fed under the cutting-off tool and between the
pointing rolls and racked slides herein-after referred to. The upper feeding
roll rising by the action of a spring the feeding rolls rotate without gripping the
rod between them; the cutting-off tool descending cuts off the length of rod
against the edge of the fixed cutter, the cutting-off tool remaining in its
depressed position for a time, and preventing the feeding of the rod into the
machine should the feeding rolls have a tendency to advance the rod. The
cut off length of rod is situated between two excentric pointing rolls and
two parallel slides provided with racks, the two rolls enclosing the horizontal
sides of the rod, and the slides the vertical sides of the rod. The lower
pointing roll rising grips the rod between it and the upper roll, the rolls
having no rotary motion the heading tool advancing compresses the end of
the rod against shoulders on the said rolls, thereby forming the head of the
nail or spike; the heading tool retires and the pointing rolls and the slides
simultaneously advance carrying the nail or spike forward; the acting
surfaces of the rolls being excentric to their axes the said surfaces approach
one another in their advancing motion, thereby tapering or producing a
flat point on the nail or spike, and the slides which confine the rod at its
sides prevent its spreading laterally. The slides are supported and closed or
pressed against the nail or spike by wedges; the nail or spike thus formed

page_text: falls from the rolls, but in order to ensure its certain and speedy removal
from the working tools after it has been finished a striker or knocker-off is
made to advance, and by striking the nail or spike removes it from between the
rolls and slides. The machine is now ready to make another nail or spike by
the repetition the operations described. The pointing rolls have not a continuous
rotary motion but bave a reciprocating motion, that is, they move through about
one-third of a circle in fashioning the nail or spike, and the nail or spike having
been removed from the machine the said rolls perform a back or retiring
motion through the same angle. The advance of the pointing rolls is
effected from the driving shaft by a cam acting on a rod and connecting
links jointed to arms on the axes of the said rolls, and the retiring of the
rolls is effected by a spring. The rising of the lower pointing roll for
gripping the rod between it and the upper roll is effected by a lever acted on
by a cam from the driving shaft of the machine.. The slides for preventing
the lateral spreading of the nail or spike have a reciprocating motion given
to them by means of racks formed on them, with which racks pinions on the
shaft of the top pointing roll gear; the pointing rolls and slides are thus
made to advance and retire simultaneously. Each of the said slidės is
provided with a recess to receive a strip of steel or other hard metal, which
acts against the nail or spike being made. The wedges by which the slides
are supported and closed against the nail or spike are worked by an arm
from the lever which raises the lower pointing roll. The feed rolls are worked
by bevil wheels and pinions from the side shaft described; the cutting-off
tool is worked by a cam from the said side shaft. The heading tool which
first acts as a stop is advanced to meet the incoming nail rod by means of
a lever worked by a cam from the said side shaft, and the said, heading tool
is, after the nail rod has been gripped between the pointing rolls, further
advanced to head the rod by means of a cam ou the driving shaft. The
knocker-off is worked by a lever acted on by a cam on the side shaft of the
machine.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe,
with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in which the same
is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in plan and Figure 2 in front elevation a machine
for the manufacture of nails and spikes from heated' rods of iron constructed
according to my Invention; Figure 3 is a cross section of the same taken
through the pointing rolls; Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the feeding
rolls and pointing rolls; Figure 5 is a back elevation of the side shaft of the
machine, and Figures 6 and 7 are parts of the machine separately, as herein-

page_text: after explained. The same letters and figures of reference are employed to
indicate the same parts in each Figure of the Drawings.
a, a, is the framing of the machine; b is the main or principal shaft,
provided with the fly wheel c and fast and loose pulleys d, d. Geared to the
main shaft 6 by the bevil gearing e is a side or cam shaft f, and geared to the
said side shaft by the bevil gearing his a short shaft i; k, l, is the pair of
rolls for feeding the heated rod into the machine. The said feeding rolls are
grooved to admit the nail rod, and the said rolls rotate in a vertical plane.
A continuous rotary motion is given to the said feeding rolls by means of the
pinions 1, 2, worked from the shaft i (see Figure 1). The upper roll of the
pair of feeding rolls k, l, is capable of rising and falling vertically in its
bearings, so as to grip or release the nail rod passing between it and the lower
roll. The descending motion of the upper roll k is effected by the spring m
(see Figure 1) worked by a cam on the side shaft f. When the pressure of
the spring m is relaxed the upper roll k is raised from the lower roll ³ by
means of a spring. The said feeding rolls continue to rotate, but do not
advance the nail rod, the said rolls slipping over the said rod. The lower
roll k may be made capable of rising and falling in its bearing instead of the
upper roll, but I prefer the arrangement represented in the Drawings. The
length or throw of the cam on the shaft which operates upon the spring m
is arranged to suit the length of rod to be fed into the machine. n is the
cutting-off tool, and o the fixed cutter (see Figure 4), between which the
length of rod fed into the machine is cut off. The cutting-off tool n is
connected with the lever p turning on the centre q, the said lever being worked
by a cam on the side shaft f. r, s, are the rolls by which the cut off length
of nail rod is held during the action of the heading tools, and by which the
nail is pointed. The said rolls r,, are excentric to their axes t, t, and have
a reciprocating motion given to them through about a third of a circle. The
lower roll is also capable of rising and falling vertically in its brasses or
bearings for the purpose of gripping and releasing at the proper times the nail
rod between it and the upper roll. The advance motion of the pointing
rolls r,, is effected in the following manner :-Keyed on the shafts t, t, of
the said rolls are arms u, u, connected by the links v, v, to the rod w, the said
rod receiving an advancing motion from the cam x on the main shaft b. The
retiring motion of the said rolls r, r3, is effected by the strong spring y pressing
on the end of the rod w in the manner represented in Figure 2. The rising
motion of the lower pointing roll to grip the nail rod between it and the
upper roll during the action of the heading tool s is effected in the following
manner-The brasses,, in which the shaft t of the lower roll turns are

page_text: carried by sliding bars 1, 1, on either side the roll (see Figure 3), working
in the framing of the machine. The said sliding bars 1 are connected to the
cross bar 2, 2. The sliding bars 1, cross bar 2, and brasses are raised by
means of the lever 3, the longer arm of which is acted upon by the cam 4 on
the main shaft b; the retiring motion of the said lever 8 is effected by the
spring 8. Tho short arm of the lever 3 is provided with a screw bolt 5
having an adjusting or check nut 5°. The lever 3 is supported by the pin or
When
axis 8 passing through two brackets on the frame a of the machine.
the long arm of the lever 3 is pressed down by the cam 4 the upper end of
When the
the bolt 5 bears upon and raises the cross bar 2 and lower roll.
end of the bolt 5 is removed from the cross bar 2 by the raising of the long
arm of the lever 8 the brasses, 2, of the said lower roll are depressed. by
means of the slides 6 worked by arm 7 fixed on the said lever 8 (see Figure 2),
and the said roll is thereby sufficiently separated from the upper roll to permit
of the introduction of the nail rod between the said rolls.
The construction of the slides 6 will be readily understood by referring to
the separate view, Figure 7, of one of the said slides, and also of one of the
brasses in which the lower roll is supported. 8, 8*, are the racked slides situated
parallel or nearly parallel to the pointing rolls r, ³, by means of which slides
the lateral spreading of the nail is prevented during the action of the said
pointing rolls. The said slides have a reciprocating motion given to them by
means of toothed wheels or pinions 10 on the shaft t. of the upper pointing
roll gearing with the toothed racks of the said. slides (see the separate view
of one of the said slides and toothed wheels, Figure 6). The said slides are
guided in their motion by the guide plates 11, 11. As the toothed wheels 10
are connected with the shaft t of the upper roll r the reciprocating motion of
the said roll and slides is effected simultaneously. Each of the said slides 8, 8,
is provided with a recess to receive a strip of steel or other hard metal, which
acts against the nail or spike being made. The acting parts of the said slides
are marked 8 in Figure 8. The said racked slides 8, 8, are supported and
closed against the nail or spike by means of wedges 12, 12, worked by the
The manner in which
arm 13, connected by a pin and slot with the lever 8.
the arm 18 acts upon the wedges 12, 12, and the latter upon the slides 8, 8,
At the bottom of the lever 3 a
will be best seen by referring to Figure 3.
draw wedge 20 is placed to prevent the slipping of the arm 18. By screwing
up the wedge 20 the racked slides 8, 8, may be set closer together. The
beading tools which also acts as a stop is carried by the slide 14 working
in guides on the bed of the machine. The said slide 14 is operated upon by
the cam 15 on the main. shaft b, and also by the lever 16 operated upon by
.

page_text: the cam 17 on the side shaft f. The said slide 14 is first advanced by the
lever 16, so that the beading tools carried by it may meet the incoming nail
rod and thus act as a stop, and after the nail rod has been cut off by the
cutters n, o, and gripped between the pointing rolls r, r, the said slide 14
is further advanced by the cam 15 and a head formed by the heading tool on
the nail rod. The manner in which the slide 14 is operated upon by the
lever 16 and cam 15 will be readily seen by referring to the plan, Figure 1.
.19 is the knocker-off for removing the finished nail or spike from between the
rolls r,. The said kocker-off 19 is connected with the end of the lever 18,
the latter being worked by a cam on the side shaft f.
The action of the several parts of the machine is as follows:-The heated
nail rod situated between the pair of feeding rolls k, k², being gripped between
the said rolls by the descent of the upper roll k is fed against the beading
tool (temporarily acting as a stop), the said heading tool being advanced to
meet the incoming rod by the action of the lever 16. Before the nail rod
reaches the heading tools it is fed under the cutting-off tool n and between the
pointing rolls r, r³, and racked slides 8, 8*. The upper feeding roll k rising
the rolls k, k, rotate without gripping the rod between them. The cutting-off
tool n descending by the action of the lever p and its cam cuts off the length
of rod against the edge of the fixed cutter o, the cutting-off tool remaining in
its depressed position for a time, and thereby preventing the feeding of the rod
into the machine should the rolls k, k, bave a tendency to advance it. The
cut-off length of nail rod is situated between the excentric pointing rolls r, r,
and slides 8, 8, the two rolls 1, 3, enclosing the horizontal sides of the rod,
and the slides 8, 8*, the vertical sides of the rod, as will be understood by an
examination of the cross section, Figure 3.
cut off from the nail rod the lower pointing roll is raised in the manner
herein-before described, when the cut off length of rod is gripped between it
and the upper roll. During the gripping action of the rolls r,, they have
no rotary motion. The rod being held between the two rolls r,, the cam 15
now comes into action, and bearing upon the lever 16 advances the slide 14
and heading tools, and compresses the end of the rod against the shoulders,
on the said rolls (see Figure 4), and forms a bead on the said rod. The
cam 15 and lever 16 no longer acting on the slide 14, the said slide retires by
the action of a spring, and the heading tool s is withdrawn from the rolls r, .
By the descent of the lower pointing rolls the headed rod is released, and by
the operation of the cam x, connecting rod w, and links v the pointing rolls r, r,
are made to advance through about a third of a circle, and carry the nail
forward. The slides 8, 83, are at the same time carried forward by the toothed
As soon as the length has been

page_text: wheels 10, and supported against the nail by the advance of the wedges 12, 12..
By the advance of the rolls r, r, their acting excentric surfaces approach,
one another and thereby taper or produce a flat point on the nail the
lateral spreading of the nail being prevented by the slides 8, 8*, confining
the said nail at its sides. On the cam a coming to the end of its throw the
pointing rolls r, r³, remain stationary, being held by the said cam until the nail.
is removed from between the said rolls and the slides 8, 8", by the advance of
the knocker-off 19. The nail being removed the rolls r, r, and slides 8, 8,
make their return motion by the action of the spring y, when the heading
tools is again advanced by the lever 16; the cutting tool n rises and another
portion of nail rod is fed by the feeding rolls k, l, under the said cutting
tool between the pointing rolls r,, and against the heading tools when
the operations described are repeated. Although I prefer as herein-before
described, to make the lower pointing roll capable of rising and falling, yet
the upper roll may be made capable of the same motion in place of the
said lower roll. I prefer to make the pointing rolls r, r², of a steel or hard
metal tongue fitted into a collar, the said collar being prevented from turning
on the shaft by a key. The racket slides 8, 8*, may be made of brass by the
process of casting, a recess being left in them to receive a strip of steel or
hard metal as herein-before described.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein-before described and illustrated, as the
same may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention; but
I claim as my Invention of improvements in machinery for the manufacture
of nails and spikes,-
Firstly. The construction and arrangement or combination of the parts of
feeding rolls for feeding the rod of iron into the machine, and the means
of operating the said rolls, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The construction and arrangement or combination of the parts
of the excentric rolls and racked slides for gripping the rod during the
heading process, for pointing the nail or spike, and for preventing the lateral
spreading of the nail or spike, and the means of operating the said rolls and
slides, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawings.
Thirdly. The construction and arrangement or combination of the parts
of the heading tool, and the means of operating the said heading tool so as to

page_text: make it act also as a stop, substantially as herein-before described and illus-
trated in the accompanying Drawings.
Lastly. The general arrangement or combination of the said feeding,
gripping, pointing, and confining parts, and the cutting-off tools into a
machine, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Mellor, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
M. HUMBLE,
York.
GEORGE MELLOR. (L.S.)