IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND HEADING NAILS
Year: 1866

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to John Garrett Tongue, of the Firm of Tongue and
Birkbeck, Patent Agents and Engineers, of 34, Southampton. Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND HEADING NAILS."—A.
communication from abroad by Jacob Russell, Henry Townsend M°Coun,
James Lemuel Romer, and Thomas Townsend Buckley, all of the City of
Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, and State of New York, United States
of America.
Sealed the 7th May 1867, and dated the 10th November 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Garrett Tongue
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th November 1866.
I, JOHN GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue & Birkbeck, Patent
Agents and Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention.
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND HEADING NAILS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to cutting and heading nails by machinery without
turning or reversing the nail plate to give the requisite taper after each
successive cut.
The nature of the Invention consists, firstly, in a combination of a pair
of cutters having in addition to their clipping action an oscillating motion
about an axis perpendicular or nearly so with their cutting edges, a direct
forward feeding device and a pair of reciprocating headers.

page_text: Another portion of the Invention consists in a novel combination in a nail-
cutting and heading machine with a straight or direct nail plate feed of
cutters, nipper, gripper, and headers arranged for operation together on a
frame or bed having an oscillating movement about an axis perpendicular or
nearly so with the clipping edges of the cutters, and said Invention further
consists in a peculiar arrangement of the nipper relatively to the cutters and
headers in nail-cutting and heading machines, and operating to turn the cut
blank at or about the middle of its length on to its "flat" prior to its being
gripped for heading, also in so operating headers on opposite sides of the feed
as that by giving them in addition to their heading action a united oscillating
movement in a crosswise direction relatively to the feed the blanks are
successively acted upon by the opposite headers alternately.
For the purpsoe of carrying out these improvements upon the base plate
of the machine a horizontal frame is arranged which is so hung or supported
on a vertical or nearly vertical shaft or axis as to be capable of oscillating
horizontally. The lower frame or base of the machine, which is stationary,
carries as its forward end by uprights the nail plate feeding table, which may
be set inclining downwardly towards the cutters, and slide through grooves in
the uprights so as to be adjustable relatively thereto. The upper frame
carries by suitable uprights or supports the several operating parts of the
machine, including the cutters, nippers, grippers, and headers, which in
addition to their several or respective motions have a horizontal oscillating
movement in common with the base on the before-named axis, which latter
may be described as perpendicular or nearly so to the clipping edges of the
cutters. This oscillating movement serves to vary or reverse the action of
the cutters, so that in their cut across and through the nail plate as it is fed
down or along the stationary table they will alternately as they are oscillated
from one side to the other cut in oppositely tapering directions, thus giving the
nail blanks their required taper without oscillating or turning the plate out of
which they are made. The nail plate is fed down or along the table through a
forward' guide up to and for action on it of the cutters by dogs which hook
through a slot in the feed table on to the rear ends of the plates and urge them
forward by cords and weights; but one of these dogs may be in action at a time
or they may operate on separate plates simultaneously one in rear of the other
for short intervals, each dog after having urged its plate a certain distance
being tripped by coming in contact with an inclined plane when the succeeding
plate in the rear will continue by the action of its dogs to press forward the
remaining portion of the first plate till the whole or nearly the whole of it is
utilized or cut up, and so on for any number or series of plates, one following

page_text: the other. One cutter is carried by a block attached to or forming part of the
main oscillating frame while the other cutter is secured to a head block forming
part of a cross rocking beam which is hung by bearings in supports on the
frame and has arms or levers running backwards, by which the cutter has its
up-and-down motion given it to effect the cut by a rocking beam through
pit-men connecting said arms or levers with cranks or eccentric pins attached
to or connected with a main driving shaft of or to which may be connected
the driving pulley. In rear of the other cutter are arranged springs which
may be constructed to serve as gauges to the nail plate, or separate gauges
may be provided, but which serve as the nail blank is cut to hold it till and
whilst a nipper rod comes forward and catching the blank near its lower edge
turns it over on to the "flat" for the proper formation of the head, and grasp
it by the grippers. After thus turning the blank, which is done at about the
middle of its length or thereabouts (which avoids tipping up of the blank
endwise), said nipper rod forms a rest in conjunction with the springs before
referred to for the blank till the gripper or grippers get hold of it, said grippers
being divided and the nipping rod passing centrally therethrough. So soon as
or immediately after the grippers have got fair hold of the blank either one of
two headers, according to the side to which the whole working mechanism
is oscillated relatively to the nail plate is brought to bear against the head
end of the blank, and form the head, after which the grippers and nipper
having retired the headed nail drops below. It will be obvious that a; the
cutters oscillate on an axis across the nail plate, which is stationary thereto,
not only is the cut established in oppositely tapering directions, and so the
turning or oscillation of the plate avoided, but that each blank cut will by
the oscillation of the cutters be delivered or fed into the machine alternately
in closer proximity to the one header than the other, and the thickest end of
the blank adjacent to the nearest header, so that though the two headers
may simultaneously make heading strokes, only one of them can operate at a
time on a blank and each one alternately. The nipper rod acting as described
may be operated by a lever, and yoke rod worked by a suitable cam on a
countershaft deriving its motion by suitable gear from the main 'shaft to
project the nipper rod forward, while a spring may be employed to draw it
back when relieved from thrust on it by the cam.. The gripper or grippers
may also be similarly operated by means of a lever hung on a fulcrum shaft,
and acted upon alternately by a suitable cam on the main shaft, a spring
being also applied. The headers may have their reciprocating motion given
them to effect the heading of the blanks as they, in common with the cutters,
nippers, and grippers oscillate with the frame by means of levers, to which
..

page_text: said headers are attached or form part, said levers being secured to rocking
bars working on pivots or bearings, and being acted upon by lifters through
projections. on the cutter rocking beam, which as it vibrates will by the
connection described give the necessary reciprocating or heading action to
the headers. It is almost unnecessary to observe that the cams and other
contrivances which give motion to the cutters, nipper, gripper, and headers
are so pitched or arranged relatively to each other as to secure to each
of these functional devices its proper and timely action, as herein-before
described. In some cases the nippers, grippers, and headers may bé
arranged so as not to oscillate with the bed or frame which carries the
cutters, but be stationary in this respect, and their motion confined to their
necessary reciprocating actions to perform their respective functions, the
cutters alone in addition to their clipping action having an oscillating movement
about an axis perpendicular or nearly so with their cutting edges to give the
requisite taper in opposite directions each successive cut without turning or
reversing the nail plate, such oscillating' cutters operating in combination with
a direct feeding device and a pair of reciprocating headers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Garrett Tongue in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck, Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 84, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Garrett Tongue, Her special license that I, the said John
Garrett Tongue, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Garrett Tongue, 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 CUTTING AND HEADING NAILS," a communication

page_text: to me from abroad by Jacob: Russell, Henry Townsend McCoun, James Lemuel
Romer, and Thomas Townsend Buckley, all of the City of Brooklyn, in the
County of Kings, and State of New York, United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Garrett Tongue, 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 naturė
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 John Garrett Tongue, 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:-
This Invention relates to cutting and heading nails by machinery without
turning or reversing the nail plate to give the requisite taper after each.
successive cut.
The nature of the Invention consists, firstly, in a combination of a pair of
cutters having in addition to their clipping action an 'oscillating motion about
an axis perpendicular or nearly so with their cutting edges, a direct forward
feeding. device, and a pair of reciprocating headers.
:
Another portion of the Invention consists in a novel combination in a nail-
cutting and heading machine with a straight or direct nail plate; feed of cutters,
nipper, gripper, and headers arranged for operation together on a frame or bed
having an oscillating movement about an axis perpendicular, or nearly so, with
the clipping edges of the cutters, and said. Invention further consists in a
peculiar arrangement of the nipper relatively to the cutters and headers in nail
cutting and heading machines and operating to turn the cut blank at or about
the middle of it's length on to its "flat" prior to its being gripped for heading;
also in so operating headers on opposite sides of the feed as that by giving
them in addition to their heading action a united oscillating movement in a
crosswise direction relatively to the feed the blanks are successively acted
upon by the opposite headers alternately.
"
The nature of the Invention having been specified; its description with
reference to the accompanying Drawings forming. part of this Specification
will be proceeded with.
:
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a nail-cutting and heading machine
constructed according to this Invention; Figure 2, a central longitudinal
vertical section thereof; Figure 3 a plan of the same, and Figure 4 a. trans-

page_text: verse vertical section of the machine in part taken as indicated by the line
,, in Figure 1. Like letters denote corresponding parts throughout the
several Figures.
* Referring to the accompanying Drawings A represents the base plate of the
machine on which a horizontal frame B is arranged, which is so hung or
supported on a vertical or nearly vertical shaft or axis C as to be capable of
oscillating horizontally. The lower frame or base A of the machine, which is
stationary, carries at its forward end by uprights a, a, the nail plate feeding
table D, which may be set inclining downwardly towards the cutters S, S¹,
and slide through grooves in the uprights so as to be adjustable relatively
thereto. The upper frame B carries by suitable uprights or supports the
several operating parts of the machine, including the cutters, nippers, grippers,
and headers, which, in addition to their several or respective motions have a
horizontal oscillating movement in common with the base B on the axis C,
which latter may be described as perpendicular or nearly so to the clipping
edges of the cutters; this oscillating movement serves to vary or reverse the
action of the cutters, so that in their cut across and through the nail plate as
it is fed down or along the stationary table D they will alternately as they
are oscillated from one side to the other cut in oppositely tapering directions,
thus giving the nail blanks their required taper without oscillating or turning
the plate out of which they are made. The nail plate E, shown by black
lines in Figure 1, and by red lines in Figures 2 and 3, is fed down or along the
table D, through a forward guide b, up to and for action on it of the cutters
by dogs c, c, which hook through a slot in the feed table on to the rear ends
of the plates and urge them forward by cords and weights d; but one of these
dogs may be in action at a time, or they may operate on separate plates simul-
taneously, one in rear of the other, for short intervals, each dog after having
urged its plate a certain distance being tripped by coming in contact with an
inclined plane e, when the succeeding plate in the rear will continue by the
action of its dog to press forward the remaining portion of the first plate till the
whole or nearly the whole of it is utilized or cut up, and so on for any number
of series of plates, one following the other. The one cutter S is carried by a
block F attached to or forming part of the main oscillating frame B, while
the other cutter S¹ is secured to a head block forming part of a cross rocking
beam G, which is hung by bearings f in supports on the frame B, and has
arms or levers 9 running backwards, by which the cutter S¹ has its up-and-
down motion given it to effect the cut by the rocking of the beam G through
pitmen connecting said arms or levers with cranks or excentric pins į
attached to or connected with a main driving shaft H, of or to which I may

page_text: be the driving pulley. In rear of the cutter S¹ are arranged springs J, J,
which may be constructed to serve as gauges to the nail plate, or" séparate
gauges may be provided, but which serve as the nail blank j is cut to hold it'
till and whilst a nipper rod K comes forward, and catching the blank near its'
lower edge turns it over on to the "flat" for the proper formation of the head
and grasp of it by the grippers. After thus turning the blank, which is done
at about the middle of its length or thereabouts (which avoids tipping up of
the blank endwise), said nipper rod forms a rest in conjunction with the.
springs J, J, for the blank till the gripper or grippers L get hold of it, said
grippers being divided, and the nipping rod K passing centrally therethrough.
So soon as or immediately after the grippers have got fair hold of the blank,
either one of two headers M, M, according to the side to which the whole
working mechanism is oscillated relatively to the nail plate is brought to bear
against the head end of the blank and form the head, after which the grippers
and nipper having retired the headed nail drops below. It will be obvious
that as the cutters oscillate on an axis C across the nail plate, which is
stationary thereto, not only is the cut established in oppositely tapering direc-
tions, and so the turning or oscillation of the plate avoided, but that each
blank cut will by the oscillation of the cutters be delivered or fed into the
machine alternately in closer proximity to the one header than the other, and
the thickest end of the blank adjacent to the nearest header, so that though
the two headers may simultaneously make heading strokes, only one of them
can operate at a time on a blank and each one alternately.. The nipper rod K;
acting as described, may be operated by a lever N and yoke rod O worked by
a cam P on a countershaft Q deriving its motion by gear k, k, from the
main H to project the nipper rod forward, 'while a spring u may be employed
to draw it back when relieved from thrust on it by the cam. The gripper or
grippers L may also be similarly operated by means of a levers hung on a
fulerum shaft i, and acted upon alternately by a cam V on the main shaft and
spring m being also applied. The headers M, M, may have their reciprocating
motion given them to effect the heading of the blanks as they in common with
the cutters, nippers, and grippers oscillate with the frame B by means of
levers T, to which said beaders are attached or form part, said levers being
secured to rocking bars U working on pivots or bearings r, and being acted
upon by lifters n through projections o on the cutter rocking beam G, which
as it vibrates will by the connection described give the necessary reciprocating
or heading action to the headers. It is almost unnecessary to observe that
the cams and other contrivances which give motion to the cutters, nipper,
gripper, and headers are so pitched or arranged relatively to each other as to

page_text: secure to each of these functional devices its proper and timely action, as
herein-before described. In some cases the nippers, grippers, and headers
may be arranged so as not to oscillate with the bed or frame which carries
the cutters, but be stationary in this respect, and their motion confined to
their necessary reciprocating actions to perform their respective functions, the
cutters alone in addition to their clipping action having an oscillating move-
ment about an axis perpendicular or nearly so with their cutting edges to
give the requisite taper in opposite directions each successive cut without
turning or reversing the nail plate, such oscillating cutters operating in com-
bination with a direct feeding device and a pair of reciprocating headers.
.Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of per-
forming or carrying the same into practice, it should clearly be understood that
the arrangement and construction of the parts may be varied to some extent
without departing from the true character of the Invention, which consists,→
First, in the improved arrangement and combination in a machine for
cutting and heading nails of a pair of cutters having an oscillating motion.
about an axis: perpendicular or nearly so with their cutting edges a direct
forward feeding device and a pair of reciprocating headers, substantially as
herein shown and described.
Second, in the improved arrangement and combination with a stationary
nail plate feeding table or its equivalent of cutters, nipper, gripper, and headers.
arranged for operation together on a bed or frame having an oscillating motion
about an axis perpendicular or nearly so with the clipping edges of the
cutters, substantially in the manner herein shown and described.
Third, in the arrangement relatively to the cutters and headers of the
nipper K operating to turn the blank at or about the middle of its length,
essentially as herein shown and described.
Fourth, in the headers M, M, having in addition to their reciprocating or
heading motion an oscillating movement in unison towards and from opposite
sides of the nail plate feed, substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Garrett Tongue, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.