IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORGING OR SHAPING NAILS AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Bernard Peard Walker and Charles
Bosworth Ketley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
31st December 1883.
BERNARD PEARD WALKER of Moseley in the County of Worcester Mechanical
Engineer and CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY of Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Mechanical Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORGING
OR SHAPING NAILS AND OTHER ARTICLES
"
Our Invention relates to that class of machinery in which articles are produced
from a metal rod by means of a series of blows given in a rapid succession by four
hammers arranged round the axial centre line and acting alternately in pairs on
opposite sides of the said rod the action of the hammers being governed or
controlled by a model or pattern interposed between their fulcra similar to that
described in the specification of Letters Patent granted to the beforesaid Bernard
Peard Walker dated the 13th of November A.D. 1868 N° 3446
The said Machinery has heretofore been restricted to only partly making and
perfecting the nails or other articles the separating of the nails or other articles
from the rod being in most cases performed in another machine and in making such
nails the blade or shank only was perfected the head being afterwards formed by a
separate machine.
The chief object of our Invention is to provide means whereby the said
machinery or apparatus will automatically perfect the head or ends and thus
finish the various articles forged or shaped by it-It can then be applied to rapidly
manufacture nails and other articles from a metal rod intermittently fed in between
the hammers and will be especially applicable to the manufacture of horse shoe
nails-Our Invention has also for its object to provide an improved arrangement of
mechanism for actuating the hammers whereby a more effective blow is obtained
than heretofore.
One part of our invention consists in applying to the said machinery a peculiar
arrangement of automatic feeding device whereby the metal rod is fed in between
the hammers. This we accomplish as follows In the front of the machine we
provide a slide which is moved to and fro in suitable guides by means of a cam or
other arrangement on a revolving shaft and a lever pivotted to the framework of
the machine and to the slide and held by a spring in contact with the surface of

page_text: the cam attached to the said slide and moving with it is a pair of spring tongs or
their equivalent and in front of the slide is a pair of stationary spring tongs
or their equivalent The moving tongs grip the metal rod and draw it through the
stationary tongs and feed it in between the hammers At the proper time the
moving tongs return and take a fresh grip on the rod it meanwhile being held fast
by the stationary tongs The approach of the slide to the hammers is limited by
adjustable screws.
Another part of this Invention consists in providing means whereby the model
or pattern is moved independently of the metal rod Heretofore the model or
pattern has been rigidly connected to the tongs or other appliance which holds the
metal rod and has moved in concert therewith and the motion of the hammers faces
has been governed or controlled by the motion of the metal rod but according to
our said Invention we move the model or pattern by a cam or a revolving shaft and
a lever pivotted to the framework or otherwise and to the model or pattern By
moving the model or pattern independently of the metal rod we are enabled to
forge or shape articles having a sharply curved contour and to separate them from
the rod by the action of the hammers.
Another important feature of this Invention consists in applying to the said
machinery or apparatus means whereby a head is formed upon the end of the metal
rod before the rod is acted upon by the hammers-This part of our Invention
enables the said machinery or apparatus to automatically perfect and finish nails
and other similar articles with great rapidity whereas heretofore it could only be
applied to forging or shaping their shanks. This we accomplish as follows In
front of the hammers and supported by the framework of the machine is a pair of
gripping dies which are opened and closed by the action of a cam on a revolving
shaft and levers pivotted to the frame The metal rod is fed in between the
gripping dies by the forward motion of the intermittent feeding device hereinbefore
described The rod coming to rest the gripping dies close and hold it-The forepart
of the rod protrudes from the dies and a heading tool advancing compresses the
said forepart and forms therefrom the head
While the rod is being held by the gripping dies the moving tongs of the feeding
device make their backward stroke and take a fresh grip on the rod The gripping
tools now open and the headed rod is fed forward-at the same time the hammers
are brought to act on the rod by the action of the model or pattern moving
between their fulcra and they gradually close and forge or shape it from head to
point to a nail or other article in conformity with the shape of the said model or
pattern Ultimately the nail or other article is separated from the rod leaving a
piece protruding through the gripping dies to form the head of the next The
model or pattern now partly withdraws from between the hammer fulcra and
causes the hammer faces to open and the finished nail or other similar article falls
away The gripping dies now close on the rod, the heading tool advances, the
rod is fed forward the hammers operate and another nail or other article is formed
as before Sometimes the action of the hammers alone is not sufficient to point and
separate the nail or other article from the rod as above described and we then
provide two moving cutting tools supported by the framework of the machine and
worked by cams on a revolving shaft and levers pivotted to the frame The
cutting tools close by the action of the said cams and separate the finished nail or
other article from the rod directly after it has been formed by the hammers and
they leave the forepart of the rod protruding through the gripping dies to form
the head of the next as hereinbefore described We sometimes find it necessary to
employ a "knocker-off" tool worked by a lever and cam to ensure the finished
nail or other similar article falling away.
We use the said cutting tools and "knocker-off" also when we are forging or
shaping articles other than nails The above mentioned revolving cam shaft may
either be geared together with ordinary gearing or all the revolving cams may be
fixed on one and the same shaft.
The said metal rod from which articles are forged or shaped according to our

page_text: Invention may either be worked hot (it having been previously heated in a
suitable furnace) or cold according to the kind of metal operated on and the class
of article required to be produced
Our said Invention further comprises an improved arrangement of mechanism
for actuating the hammers We carry this part into operation as follows. A ring
surrounds but does not touch the hammer levers near the ends which carry the
forging tools The said ring is vibrated rapidly about its centre in suitable
bearings provided in the framework of the machine by a crank pin on a revolving
shaft or other suitable means Rapid vibratory motion is communicated from the
ring to the hammer levers by four links having ball and socket joints at either
end The links are attached to the ring in such positions that the opposite
hammer levers close and open together-Springs press the hammer levers
outwardly and keep the links in contact with the said hammer levers and with
the ring