A New or Improved Method of and Apparatus for Heating and Feeding Pieces of Metal such as Nail Blanks and the like to Nail Forging and similar Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th May, 1889-Accepted, 13th July, 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Method of and Apparatus for Heating and
Feeding Pieces of Metal such as Nail Blanks and the like to
Nail Forging and similar Machines.
I, CHRISTIAN ALBERT JENSEN of 77 Chancery Lane in the County of London
Patent Agent (a communication to me from abroad by Anders Victor Andersson of
Christiania Norway Mechanical Engineer) 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 consists in heating blanks for nails and other objects and feeding
them to a nail making machine in a continuous and uninterrupted manner and
apparatus therefor specially designed for that class of nail-forging and similar
machines where the nails or other objects are cut out from thin pieces of metal and
forged from these blanks. Machines of this kind have hitherto inostly been fed in
such manner, that the blanks or plates were fetched from an opon fire or furnace
by the operator by means of a pair of tongs and brought to the machine one by
one.
By this manner of heating and feeding the blanks to the machine not only much
heat is lost, because the furnace must be open, but a great deal of labour is needed
for the feeding.
The object of this invention is to avoid these disadvantages and with this object in
view, a furnace is constructed which allows the blanks to pass through the same
The movement
continuously, being heated while passing through the furnace.
through the furnace is caused either by the weight of the blanks themselves or by
means of a spring or weight.
The invention also consists in the construction of mechanism whereby the heated
blanks may be taken from the furnace to the nail-forging machine.
In order to prevent the blanks from becoming welded together in a continuous pile
by the heat it is advisible to wet them and then to heat them in a drum with coal
dust or the like the drum being either shaken or rotated before putting them on the
feed mechanism.
Referring to the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 shews a vertical section through
a furnace embodying this invention; Figure 2 is a rear view of the same, partly shewn
in section; Figure 3 is a plan and Figure 4 plan of the furnace shewing part of the
nail forging machine in dotted lines.
The furnace A is preferably placed on standards or framework and is as usual
provided with grate and fire door, while it has a special fire channel or flue B on the
side for the products of combustion which flue communicates with the fire-box at a
and with the chimney through C (Figure 1). The blanks x, which are generally of a
rectangular form as shewn pass the flue B in a continuous column or pile from below
in a direction opposite to that of the products of combustion and are thereby heated,
the flue being as shewn so constructed that the flames will touch the blanks on all
four sides.
The blanks X are introduced into the flue B at its lowest point, and the said flue is
so wide that two piles of blanks may pass through the same.
In order to feed the blanks continuously through the furnace the same is provided
with automatic feeding devices and to allow of feeding two piles of blanks upwards
independently of each other two independent but otherwise similar feed mechanisms
are provided which in the drawing are shewn in different positions. The feed
mechanism shewn in sectional side elevation in Figure 1 and to the left in end
elevation partly in section, in Figure 2 is in the position, when fresh blanks are laid
on the same that is in its lowest position-while the other is shewn in an elevated

page_text: Position. Only a small number of blanks æ are shewn resting on the feed mechanisms
so as to render the drawing clear.
The feed mechanism has a platform C, (that serves to carry the blanks) which is
mounted on top of a forked rod c, being guided in a hole in a cross-bar of the
frame.
By means of the weighted lever D, the end of which rests against a roller d
mounted in the forked end of the carrier rod c underneath the platform, this latter
will constantly be pressed upwards. The blanks are guided laterally during their
upward movement by means of the guide bar E which runs from the upper end of the
flue B'and may be adjusted by means of screws e (Figure 1) or their equivalents, to
to suit the different sizes of blanks. The guide bar E is forked on its lower end, so
that the lever D may move freely in the slot.
The blanks are preferably not piled directly on the platform C but are laid on a
swinging arm F which is provided with sides and an end piece f¹ (Figure 1) to form
a sort of box. When the box on this arm is filled with blanks it is swung upwards
so that the pile of blanks comes right above the platform C and is arrested in this
vertical position by means of an arm or catch F¹ and serves as a guide for the blanks.
When the weighted lever D (which in the meantime has been held in its lower position
by means of the handle D¹ or similar means) is now let loose, the blanks will be taken
up into the flue B. When the lowest blank of the pile has passed the edges of the
springs G, these will spring forward underneath the pile, and while this latter rests on
the ends of the said spring G the lever D with the platform is again lowered, the
arm F swung down and in like manner a pile of blanks is again brought over the
platform C. When the flue B has been filled to the top and the blanks are heated
sufficiently they are transported one by one from the top of the flue to the forging
machine.
From both sides of the top plate of the furnace A there runs a curved bridge or
channel H to the mouthpiece or entrance m of the nail making machine M. (Figure 4)
continued in the top plate of the furnace in the form of a horizontal slot and two
vertical slots which latter serve for the passage of the teeth i on the end of the
swinging transporting arm I. This arm I is mounted on a shaft K, which is put in
motion by means of the lever L connected with a moving part in the machine, or in
any other suitable way, and the arm is secured to the said shaft by means of a pin k so
that it may also swing a little in the vertical direction; when the arm swings towards
the furnace, the angle-piece m on the arm will slide over the spring mounted on the
furnace, thereby lifting the teeth or projections i across the uppermost blank then
the arm drops down behind this blank and its teeth will take the same through the
slot over the bridge H to the machine. The angle piece m will now pass underneath
the spring 1.
The transporting arm I takes the blanks out at the top of the flue B at the same
rate as the pile of blanks in the channel moves upwards, and when the operator
hears that the springs G, spring forward under the pile (by means of a bell which
may be arranged to sound in connection with the springs) he moves the arm F back-
wards and places a new pile of blanks on the same, while the feed mechanism
continues to move the pile upwards through the flue and from same to the machine.
When the arm F is ready for being thrown up again, he waits a moment when the
transporting arm I has just brought a blank whereupon the lever D¹ is rapidly thrown
down and the platform C follows, while the blanks in the furnace will be stopped by
the springs G. The arm F is then lifted up and arrested and the weighted lever D
released, when the whole apparatus is again in complete working order. As the
drawing down of the lever D and the lifting of the arui F does not require more time,
than is required for the machine to work up a blank into nails it will never occur
that the machine is not provided with a blank for forging.
The furnace as shewn is constructed for two machines but one furnace may be
used for feeding more machines if the furnace be provided with several flues and
mechanism similar to that already described.
It is also evident that the construction of the furnace as well as of the feed mechanisms

page_text: may be carried out in several ways. The blanks may for instance move downwards
instead of upwards and then sink downwards under the influence of their own weight,
whereby the arrangement of a weighted lever is avoided. The flue B might also be
made horizontal and the bridge H vertical or approximately so and a slide mechanism
might be used instead of the transporting arm I. It will however be found that
although the construction described and shown in the drawing is generally advantageous
modifications may easily be made to suit different constructions of nail making or
similar machines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
First. The method of feeding blanks or metal pieces into an enclosed heating
furnace heating the blanks during their progress through the furnace and feeding them
from the furnace into a nail-making machine in a continuous and uninterrupted manner
substantially as described.
Second. In a heating furnace for nail-forging machines and the like the combination
with the furnace or fire box of a flue or flues having at each end an opening for the
introduction and the exit respectively of the metal plates or blanks which pass through
the flue under the influence of a weight or spring power or by their own weight in a
continuous manner substantially as described and shewn.
Third. In a heating furnace for nail forging machines and the like the combination
with the flue B of the lever D the forked carrier rod c and platform C, substantially
as set forth.
Fourth. The combination in a heating furnace for nail forging machines and the
automatic feeding devices connected therewith of the swinging arm F and the
springs G with the forked carrier rod c for the purposes specified.
Fifth. The combination in a heating furnace for nail forging machines with the
flue B of an automatic transporting mechanism consisting of a swinging arm I or its
equivalent the bridge H the slots h h and the teeth i substantially as set forth.
Sixth. The apparatus for automatically feeding and heating metal pieces or blanks
used for forging nails and the like substantially as described and shewn.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.
LALAU HUS ALL UPLY OL
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.