IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORGING AND FINISHING HORSE-NAILS, RIVETS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES."
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederic William Wallner, of Cologne, in the German
Empire, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORGING
AND FINISHING HORSE-NAILS, RIVETS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederic William Wallner
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th January 1882.
FREDERIC WILLIAM WALLNER, of Cologne, in the German Empire.
"IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORGING AND FINISHING HORSE-NAILS, RIVETS, AND
SIMILAR ARTICLES."
My Invention of improvements in certain parts of machinery for forging and
finishing horse-nails, rivets and similar articles, relates to that class of machinery
in which the nails or other articles are produced from heated metal rods of suitable
size and section, by means of a system of rolling, performed by two pairs of suitably
engraved fluted or plain rolls working at right angles to each other but of which
one pair is situated in advance of the other pair, and further by a system of pressing
or hammering the nail blanks so prepared and afterwards punching them through
a suitable die, but all combined in one machine working intermittently by suitable
gearing. Such machinery is described in the Specification to the Patent of William
Horsfall No. 763 of 1878.
In that machine the rods are simply passed continuously through the rolls and
are subsequently further manipulated by a straightening machine, pickling and
punching through a die, in one or more separate machines for these purposes, causing
repeated handling and consequently loss of time and waste of metal.
My improvements in this part of the said Invention consist in combining the
rolling, pressing or hammering (which latter is entirely new as regards Horsfall's
Patent) and the punching all in one machine; and in a combination of new
mechanism to enable me to perform this, and especially for producing an inter-
mittent advance and stopping of the rod for a certain interval to allow it to be
operated upon by the press, the hammers and the punching die; as well as the
mechanism by which I bring about the perfect rest of the rod after its advance;
and that by which I actuate the press and cause the hammer blows aud the
punching to take place.
The above mentioned intermittent action is produced by a cog-wheel fixed upon
the main shaft, which only has a few cogs at 2 points of its periphery and opposite
to one another, and which drives another cog-wheel fixed on the spindle of the
lower roll of the first pair, but which has its full complement of teeth.
The arrest of the rod is produced by the cog-wheel only partially supplied with
cogs, but as the cog-wheel on the under rod spindle acquires a considerable velocity

page_text: it must be held fast the moment the one set of cogs in the one wheel are free. This
is accomplished by a hooked lever which by means of a spring at its back is forced
into notches in the periphery of a disc attached to the back of the cogwheel on the
lower roll spindle. The hooked lever is disengaged at the proper moment by a
cam-disc on the main-shaft.
The press-head and the vertical hammer head are actuated by means of single
and double armed levers and links set in motion at proper periods by means of a
cam-disc on the main-shaft, and springs or weights are used for bringing them
again to their normal positions, where this is required.
According to another improvement I cause the nail blank to have such a form on
leaving the last pair of rolls (which are so engraved as to produce this) that when
the point of it and the head have received a certain number of blows or squeezes
from either the hammer or the press respectively, these parts of the nails when
finished are harder and more rigid than the main part of the shank, producing
therefore a horse-nail, for example, of a temper as yet never attained, and which is a
great desideratum in shoeing horses.
Another improvement consists in the employment of a neutral gas flame, (that is
neither oxidising nor reducing) created in a suitable, portable furnace, for heating
the rods, thereby avoiding the creation of oxide or scale upon them, shortening
the time of heating and improving the appearance of the finished articles, but in
order to realise this to its utmost extent I have invented an apparatus consisting
of steel wire bristles or brushes in combination with scrapers for the purpose of
cleansing the rod and blanks completely, in case any oxide should be formed, which
apparatus at the same time forms guides to the rod and blanks in passing from one
pair of rolls to the other pair, from thence to underneath the press or hammers, and
again to above the punching die, this apparatus being placed between each of the
parts mentioned, and between the furnace and the first pair of rolls. This apparatus
also keeps the rod from being chilled in its passage and during its period of rest.
A further improvement consists in the application of 4 rolls suitably engraved
and geared, working at an angle of 45° to one another, to form the blank out of the
heated rod. This arrangement has been made in order to avoid the formation of a
"fin" at each corner of the blank, which is unavoidable through wear with these
"quartette" rolls when placed at 90° to one another.
Another improvement relates to the method of hammering the blanks formed by
rolling, whether by the latter system or that of Horsfall, by means of blows dealt
horizontally as well as vertically and the mechanism by which I accomplish this,
consists in two hammers working horizontally by means of leaf or spiral springs
actuated each by a vertical disc with cams on its surface fixed on the main driving
shaft. The vertical hammer is actuated by means of connecting links from one
end of a lever worked by a disc with cams on its periphery placed also on the main
driving-shaft as in the other modified machine.
Another improvement relates to the production of nails with any peculiar
formed head, such as those of a larger size, rivets, &c. In this case generally, I
only employ one pair of rolls but, in certain cases I make them of a length
sufficient to take in 4 or more bars of metal at one time. After the bar or bars
have passed through the pair of rolls the blanks arrive upon the dies containing
the necessary indentation for them and the heads which are about to be formed.
At this moment the heading die, fixed on the end of a lever is brought forward and
presses the head to the desired shape. During this time, however, the vertical
hammer or press has come down upon the blank so as to help to hold it fast and
assist to form the head, in so far, as any necessary indentation is made in its die
for this purpose. The vertical hammer is actuated by links, cam disc and lever as
previously mentioned. Weights or springs are employed to bring the vertical
hammer and the lever with the heading die in its upper face into their normal
positions as in the other modifications.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frederic William Wallner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th July 1882.
FREDERIC WILLIAM WALLNER of Cologne in the German Empire. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORGING AND FINISHING HORSE NAILS, RIVETS, AND
SIMILAR ARTICLES."
My Invention of improvements in machinery for forging and finishing horse
nails, rivets and similar articles, relate to that class of machinery in which the nails
or other articles are produced from heated rods of suitable size and section by
rolling, between two pairs of suitably framed rolls, working at right angles one to
the other and of which one pair is placed in advance of the other and my Invention
consists in combining in one machine the several operations of rolling, pressing or
hammering and cutting off the nails from the rods-My Invention further consists
in means for heating the rods previous to their being passed to the rolls.
In Sheet I of the accompanying Drawings I have shewn one form of machine as
arranged to carry out my Invention. This machine is intended more particularly
for making horse nails but with only slight modification it may be also employed
for making other nails rivets and similar articles.
Fig: 1 shows a longitudinal section of the machine, Fig: 2 a side elevation
Fig 3 a sectional plan on the line W X Fig 1, Fig: 4 is a cross section on the
line Y Z Fig 1.
:
The nail rod A (Fig: 1) from which the nail is to be made is first heated to the
proper high temperature in a furnace to be hereafter described. It is then passed
between the rolls B B, which are suitably formed as shown at B' B' for elongating
a portion of the rod to form a nail. From these rolls which are set horizontally the
rod passes to the vertically set rolls C. C. which are formed on their peripheries as
shewn at C2, C3, so as to produce a string of nearly finished nails. The form of the
nearly finished nail is preferably cut in the undermost of the pair of rolls C. C.
(Fig 1), the whole form being cut slightly below the surface of the periphery. The
uppermost of the two rolls C. C. (Fig: 1) is perfectly flat or made with a slightly
projecting rib which fits into the groove of the lower roll in which the form of the
nail is cut. The rolls are also formed to leave an excess of metal at the heads and
points of the nails such excess being hammered down in the subsequent operations
thus forming a nail with a hard head and point and a tough shank see Fig 1d.
Sometimes the rib may be made higher, in which case the form of the nail is cut on
its periphery the groove being then perfectly flat at the bottom see Fig: 1b C2. C².
The rolls do not carry the rod A forward with a continuous but with an intermit-
tent motion and at each stroke only so much of the rod is pushed forward as serves
to make one finished nail as cut in the lower roll C or cut in the rib of the roll C².
For every rotation or half rotation as may be arranged, one partially formed nail
arrives upon the anvil D (see Figures 1. 2. and 3 Sheet I) and during the time
that the rolls stand still this nail is pressed upon or hammered by a die or
hammer d¹ fixed in the head d carried by the lever E. In this head d²
is also a cutter D immediately in rear of the die d which at the same
moment as the pressing takes place severs from the string of nails on the rod
the now nearly finished nail just in advance of the nail being hammered. The
nails so cut off now only require pointing and cleaning in the usual manner to be
ready for the market. Suitable guides are provided between the heating furnace
and the first pair of rolls, between these and the second pair and again between
these and the pressing dies or hammers. The action of the mechanism by which
the above described operations are performed is as follows. The main shaft G

page_text: carries the pulleys F F (which are driven by bands from any prime mover), and also
the toothed wheel H. This wheel H in its turn drives the toothed wheel J which
is keyed upon the spindle of the lower roll C.
The two rolls C. C. are geared together.
The wheel H has teeth on two portions only of its periphery, not all round it, so
that whilst it is continually rotating the wheel J is only turned round periodically.
By this means the rolls are from time to time brought to a stand still and it is
during this rest that the pressing dies come into operation. The rolls B B also
stand still during this time, being worked by gearing from the spindle of the
roll C. This gearing consists of the toothed wheel L on the spindle C which by
means of an intermediate wheel drives the toothed wheel N, upon the spindle of
which the two cone wheels 01 O'. are keyed. These cone wheels give motion to
the pair of horizontal rolls B B.
In order to lock the rolls during the time of rest I employ a locking lever P
which is pivotted to the frame and by means of a spring Q is caused to enter a
notch formed in a locking ring R forming a part of the wheel J, at the moment
when the rolls have ceased to turn. The locking lever is withdrawn from the notch
just before the cogs in H gear with those in J, by the action of a cam on the
ring S on the main shaft, which raises the opposite end of the lever P. In order to
vary the length of the nail blank produced by the rolls B B change wheels are
employed such wheels being substituted for the wheel N. To facilitate this change
the intermediate wheel for communicating the motion to N is mounted on a stud
carried by a hanging lever M. This lever is carried by the spindle of the roll C,
and may be clamped in any required position in the slotted guide M¹.
The frame which carries the rolls B is made adjustable by means of a screw b
and nut b', the nut b' being fixed to its under or foundation plate, the screw b
being supported in the main frame of the machine and working in the nut so that
the distance between the two pairs of rolls B C may be; regulated according to
circumstances. The means for pressing or hammering the nearly finished nail
consists of the cam-dise T on the main shaft G which acts on and raises one end of
the double armed lever U which causes the other arm to descend and by means of
a connecting link c rocks the lever E. In the head of the lever E the top die d' is
fixed which now comes down upon the lower die or anvil D and performs the
pressing or hammering operation.
So soon as the cam T on the disc has passed the nose of the lever U and the
pressing has been accomplished the spring V raises the lever E to its former
position preparatory to a second operation. At the next forward movement of the
rolls the so pressed nail arrives over the opening in the anvil block and when the
lever E comes down again it is cut off by the knife and falls through the opening
out of the machine ready for pointing.
Fig. 5 shows a modification of the foregoing arrangement whereby repeated
blows can be given to the partly finished nail instead of one severe pressing. The
general arrangement is nearly the same as the foregoing but here the wheel H has
teeth on one portion only of its periphery, corresponding to the long cam on the
disc on the main shaft. This disc has several cams instead of two on its periphery.
The lever E is raised from the opposite end of the arm to which the dies are fixed,
by which arrangement of modification sharp blows aided by the spring are brought
to bear upon the partly finished nail.
In Sheet II I have shown a modification in the arrangement of the machine
for effecting the said several operations of rolling hammering and cutting
off the nails from a bar of metal. In this modification the rolls instead of being
placed at right angles to one another as has been previously described are placed
obliquely at 45° for instance. By this arrangement the "fin" which would
necessarily otherwise be formed at the corners is avoided and if such a tin is formed
at all, it will be on the sides of the blank which is less objectionable as it will be
beaten down in the subsequent operation of hammering. This operation is per-
formed by hammering on three sides upon an anvil. The top side is hammered by

page_text: a vertical hammer and die and the two sides by horizontal hammers with dies
fixed in their heads:
This arrangement of machine is shown in Figures 7 to 9 Sheet II Fig: 7 being
a longitudinal section of my modified form of machine. Fig: 8 is a cross section
on the line Y Z. Fig. 7 and Fig: 9 a cross section on the line W X Fig: 7 the latter
Figure clearly showing the arrangement of the rolls.
The heated rod passed through the rolls a a which are so made as to give the
form roughly to the nail.-The rod is then passed to the hammering operation which
takes place on the three sides at once viz: on the top by means of the hammer b.
and the sides by the side hammers e. e. The side hammers give a full blow, not
as in most machines, one at an angle. The hammer b which forges the upper side
of the nail is similar to that described under Fig: 5 where the hammer falls by its
own weight-The force of the blow can be regulated by a counterweight-The
slight variations in the construction can however be clearly seen from the Drawings-
The two hammers e. e which forge the sides of the nail are actuated by cams on
the cam discs f. f see Fig: 8. The hammer heads and discs are placed at the
opposite ends of the double armed levers to the cams which actuate them. Two
leaf springs g. g, are fixed at the back of the levers which force them forward
powerfully when let loose after the cams have passed. The stroke of the hammers
is regulated by studs J. J screwed into the anvil block.
The rest of the mechanism varies only slightly from that already described
and shewn on Figures 1 to 5 Sheet I from which the action can be plainly seen and
understood:
A further modification of this horse nail machine is shewn at Figures 12, 13
and 13ª Sheet III in longitudinal section, in plan and end view respectively. In
this machine the rod passes through only one pair of rolls instead of two pairs.
One of the pair of the rolls is made in one or other of the forms above described.
The tang and point of the partly formed nail after leaving the rolls arrive in a
shallow groove in the die d. on the anvil block C where they are subjected to
severe pressure from another die d¹. which is fixed in the press head D. The nail
is also held fast by these dies whilst the bead is being formed. This operation
is performed by means of a heading die fixed in the heading block L actuated by
the lever arm E. The portion of the rod on which the head is partly formed (see
Fig. 13) is enclosed in a hollow space between the upper and lower dies d¹ and d
which forms a guide whilst the heading die is pressing the head into shape. This
can be clearly seen from the Drawings of the dies to a larger scale in plan, vertical
section and end view Figs. 13 b c and d respectively; Fig. 13e being a plan view of
the hammer or presser head.
The mechanism for driving the rolls and the pressing head does not differ in
principle from that already described. On the main shaft O are fixed the driving
pullies and the partially toothed wheel M which gears into the full toothed
wheel N fixed on one of the roll spindles to give the intermittent motion. The
downward movement of the press head D is brought about by a cam H on the
cam disc fixed on the main shaft O which works the lever G to which the press
head D is connected by the link rods L. L. The cam is for a considerable portion
of its periphery concentric so that after the first pressing has taken place the nail
is held fast during the time the heading die is forging up the head to shape. This
operation is performed by the cam F on a second cam disc on the main shaft O
forcing out the sliding block L¹ in which works one end of the lever E. The sliding
block L' is mounted on a rod suitably placed for the purpose. The heading die
is fixed to the sliding block L which is also mounted on a rod or rods and working
in this block is the upper end of the lever E. A spring S draws back the block L
to its original position and a counter weight X on the lever G causes the press
head to return to its former position when the cam releases the lever, so that the
nail may pass out of the anvil block to be cut off at the next operation of the die.
The cutting off of the pressed and so far finished nail takes place in front of the
heading die at that part where the point of the nail tang joins the metal destined

page_text: to form the complete head of the fresh nail (see Fig: 13º). The knife or cutter D²
(see Figures 13b c and d) is fastened to the press head D and is of such a width that
an opening D³ may be formed therein to permit of the heading die passing
through to press up the head in the space in the dies d and d¹ immediately behind
the cutter.
If desired one or more rods can be operated at the same time in this machine,
by increasing the number of grooves in the rollers and dies, thus enhancing the
production of the machine. It will of course be understood that the rolls are
stationary all the time the pressing, cutting off and heading operations are
going on.
The gas heating furnace which I employ for heating the nail rods is shewn in
Sheet II in longitudinal section at Fig: 10 and in cross section at Fig: 11; h h is
the upper portion or chamber which is preferably formed of fire clay-P is the
body of the furnace into which the fuel is introduced-Q is a closed ash pit O is the
dead plate and N. a door communicating with the fuel chamber P, K. is a tuyere
for introducing air under the fire grate R to generate the gases-M is a tuyere in
the shape of a slit for the introduction of the air to produce the combustion of the
gases. generated in P, and which pass up through the opening p¹, into the chamber h
to heat the rod or rods a. a. h'-is the chimney for carrying off the products of com-
bustion are the air pipes provided with well fitting valves-W. W. are hoppers on
either side of the furnace for containing the fuel and out of which the fuel falls
onto the dead plate O through the openings, o¹ o¹ The furnace is portable and can
be moved from and to the furnace with ease when necessary-The joints in the
blast pipes are turned conical and fit air tight, so that no packing or breaking of
joints is requisite on removing or replacing the furnace-Air tight doors and small
stoke holes are provided throughout at suitable points in the ends of the retort and
in the furnace and ash pit. By the use of gas and a neutral flame no oxidation of
the rod takes place thus the formation of scale is avoided, which has great
advantages. As the flame cannot always be regulated to a nicety I introduce
coarse carbonaceous matter into the retort h so as to entirely avoid the formation of
scale on the rod-I also use wire brushes R Fig: 6 Sheet II. to clean the rod on its
passage through the machine such brushes being placed wherever it is possible. The
brushes are so constructed as also to form guides for the rod to and from the rolls
and dies. Four spring scrapers r. r. r. r. are fixed to each of the brush backs and
sides for this purpose and so interlock with and cross each other at right angles
that the rod must take a straight direction and yet each spring and scraper can
rise and fall as unevenesses occur in the rod.
Having now described my Invention for "Improvements in Machinery for
Forging and Finishing Horse Nails, Rivets, and similar Articles," and explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I would here remark that I am aware nail
blanks have already been formed by rolling between two pairs of rollers set at
right angles to one another, the rollers having notched surfaces to form the heads,
and I therefore make no claim for such rolling separately, but what I wish to claim
under the above in part recited Letters Patent, is :-
First: The arrangement and combination of parts substantially as herein described
and shewn with reference to Sheet I. of the Drawings, and constituting a machine
in which the three several operations of rolling, hammering, or pressing and cutting
off the nails from the nail rod are effected, and the means for giving the rod an
intermittent forward motion as set forth.
Second: The means above described for ensuring to the nail a hard head and
point and tough shank.
Third: The arrangement of rolls substantially as described and shewn with
reference to Figures 7. 8, and 9, Sheet II., of the Drawings.
Fourth: The arrangement of the side hammers e e and the means for actuating
the vertical hammer b, substantially as herein described and shown with reference
to Figures 7, and 8, Sheet II., of the Drawings.

page_text: Fifth The means substantially as herein shown and described for ensuring an
intermittent feed to the nail rod.
Sixth-The combination of one pair of rolls arranged to act on one or several
rods at the same time to form the shanks, with a press head or die working ver-
tically, and a die working horizontally, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
Seventh The means above described for gripping the unfinished nail and
presenting it, after the severance of the last finished nail, to the heading die.
Eighth: The means for heating the rod substantially as herein shewn and
described.
Ninth
The means substantially as herein shewn and described for cleaning the
rod or bar after heating.
In witness whereof I the said Frederic William Wallner have hereunto
set my hand and seal the Tenth day of July in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
FR. W. WALLNER. (L.S.)