IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NAILS AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Huggett, of 36, Terminus Road, East-
bourne, in the County of Sussex, and John Albert Huggett, of
21, Union Grove, Olapham, in the County of Surrey, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NAILS AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Huggett and
John Albert Huggett at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 11th October 1869.
We, JOHN HUGGETT, of 36, Terminus Road, Eastbourne, in the
County of Sussex, and JOHN ALBERT HUGGETT, of 21, Union Grove,
Clapham, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NAILS AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
nails and in apparatus employed in such manufacture.
In order to produce nails such as those used by farriers we take a nail
rod of a thickness corresponding approximately with the width of the

page_text: stem of the nails to be produced, and we roll this rod on edge between
a pair of rollers. One of the rollers of the pair has recesses in its face at
distances apart about equal to twice the length of the nail. The rollers
reduce the width of the rod at once down to the thickness of the stem of
the nail except were the recesses come round, and at these points the rod
is left of its original width or nearly so. In order to keep the thin nail rod
truly on edge as it passes up to the nip of the rollers we cause it to pass
to them through a guide trough of a width but just sufficient to allow
the rod to pass freely. The sides of the trough are continued right up
to the centre line of the two rollers and serve to prevent the metal
spreading laterally. As the rod passes from these rollers it is received
into another guide trough which takes it between two rollers of large
diameter so set as to operate on the parts of the rod which the first
rollers left of the original width, and these parts it crushes down so as
to spread them to the width required for the head of the nail. The
sides of the guide trough here again keep the rod on edge until it is
brought to the nip of the rollers. The rod now has as it were a serics
of bulbs upon it, each bulb being of a size and approximately of the
form to make the heads of two nails. The rod rolled in this manner is
next cut into lengths by machine shears, which divide the rod in the
middle of each of the bulbs, and then by other shears the pieces are
divided into separate nails, the cut being made in the middle of the piece
and in an oblique direction so as to leave each portion or nail with a
pointed end. In order that this cut may be truly made a presser is
caused to come down upon the piece and hold it very firmly whilst the
shearing blades act upon it. The nails which are not yet perfectly
formed are next inserted into dies for moulding the head. A number of
these dies are fixed upon a roller which rotates step by step, and at each
motion brings one of the dies with a nail underneath a plunger which
descends upon the top of the head and so moulds the head to the form
of the die. The nails after heading are further pressed on all sides by
pressing instruments made to the form of the nail. The nail is fed
forward on to a hard metal plate, and two pressers advance one from
either side and nip the nail between them, whilst a third presser
descends on to the top of the nail, which is thus pressed on all sides by
pattern surfaces corresponding exactly to the form which it is desired to
give to the nail. By this operation the point of the nail which was on
one side is brought into the centre and the nail is perfected.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Huggett and John Albert Huggett in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JoпN
HUGGETT, of 36, Terminus Road, Eastbourne, in the County of Sussex,
and JOHN ALBERT HUGGETT, of 21, Union Grove, Clapham, in the
County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said John Huggett and John Albert Huggett,
Her special licenco that we, the said John Huggett and John Albert
Huggett, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said John Huggett and Jolin Albert Huggett, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thercafter 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 THE
MANUFACTURE OF NAILS AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Huggett
and John Albert Huggett, our executors or administrators, by an instru̟,
ment in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us or them, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Albert Huggett, on behalf
of myself and the said John Huggott, 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 has for its object improvements in the manufacturo
of nails, and in apparatus employed in such manufacture,

page_text: In order to produce nails such as those used by farriers, we take a
nail rod of a thickness corresponding approximately with the width of
the stem of the nails to be produced, and we roll this rod on edge
between a pair of rollers; one of the rollers of the pair has recesses in
its face at distances apart about equal to twice the length of the nail.
The rollers reduce the width of the rod at once down to the thickness
of the stem of the nail except where the recesses come round, and at
these points the rod is left of its original width or nearly so. In order
to keep the thin nail rod truly on edge as it passes up to the nip of the
rollers we cause it to pass to them through a guide trough of a width
but just sufficient to allow the rod to pass freely. The sides of the
trough are continued nearly up to the centre line of the two rollers and
serve to prevent the metal spreading laterally. As the rod passes from
these rollers it is received into another guide trough which takes it
between two rollers of large diameter so set as to operate on the parts
of the rod which the first rollers left of the original width, and these
parts it crushes down so as to spread them to the width required for the
head of the nail or thereabouts; the sides of the guide trough here
again keep the rod on edge until it is brought to the nip of the rollers.
The rod now has as it were a series of bulbs upon it, each bulb being
of a size and approximately of the form to make the heads of two nails.
The rod rolled in this manner is next cut into lengths by machine shears
which divide the rod in the middle of each of the bulbs, and by other
shcars the pieces are divided into separate nails, the cut being made in
the middle of the piece and in an oblique direction so as to leave each
portion or nail with a pointed end. In order that these cuts may be
truly made pressers are caused to come down upon the piece and hold it
very firmly whilst the shearing blades act upon it. The nails which
are not yet perfectly formed are next inserted into dios for moulding
the head. A number of these dies are fixed upon a roller which rotates
step by step, and at each motion brings one of the dies with a nail
underneath a plunger which descends upon the top of the head and so
moulds the head to the form of the dic. The nails after heading are
further pressed on all sides by pressing instruments made to the form
of the nail. The nail is fed forward on a hard metal surface and two
pressers advance one from either side and nip the nail between them,
whilst a third presser descends on to the top of the nail, which is thus
pressed on all sides by pattern surfaces corresponding exactly to the

page_text: of the nail which was on one side is brought into the centre and the
nail is perfected.
And in order that our said Invention may be most fully understood
and readily carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the Drawings
hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 a front view of the machine for
rolling the nail rod; Figure 3 is a section of some of the parts.
Being
a, a, is a strong frame fixed against a wall and carrying in suitable
bearings two pair of rollers b, b, and c, c. The rollers b, b, are shown
separately in plan at Figure 4; d is the driving axis on which is a pinion
gearing with a pinion on the axis of one of the rollers b, and also with
a spur wheel on the axis of one of the rollers c. The rollers b, b,
and c, c, are also geared together in pairs. In Figure 1 the driving
train is indicated by the red circles. These Figures represent the parts,
say, one-fourth of the real size; Figure 5 shows full size or thereabouts
the section of the nail rod as it is brought to the machine.
suitably heated it is inserted into the funnel e, the mouth of which is
narrowed so that the rod is compelled to pass between the rollers b, b,
on edge. One of the rollers 6 has recesses in its circumforence and is
so formed as to reduce the nail rod to the form shown at Figures 6. In
order that the rollers b, b, may not spread the nail rod laterally or leave
a fin at the edge of the rod the axes of the rollers are supported end-
wise on screws f, f, and the workman as he passes the rod through
the rolls sets up one of the screws so as to cause the bosses or enlarged
parts b*, *, on the rollers to bear firmly against each other and to avoid
friction and needless wear he loosens the screw as soon as the rod is
rolled. The rod which is now of the form shown at Figures 6 passes
from the rollers b, b, between the guide plates 9, g, to the rollers c, c.
The plates are fixed to the side frames and are kept apart by distanco
pieces g*, g*, slightly exceeding the thickness of the nail rod which
guide the rod down to the rollers c. After passing the rollers c, c,
which are both cylindrical, the nail rod is of the form shown at Figures 7
and is finished so far as the operation of this machine is concerned.
The nail rod so prepared is next cut by means of shears midway through
each of the bulbs or enlargements, and also midway of the spaces
between them. In this manner nail blanks are produced such as aro

page_text: shown at Figures 8. In order that the point may be truly cut, we prefer
to employ a spring presser, it descends somewhat in advance of the
moving shear blade and holds the nail rod firmly against the stationary
blade whilst the cut is made.
The next operation is to fashion the head of the nail. For this
purpose the blank is taken to the heading machine; Figure 9 is a front
section, and Figure 10 a side section of this machine. It consists of a
strong frame a carrying an axis b with fast and loose belt pulleys c, c,
upon it; d is an eccentric on the axis giving in the manner shown a
vertical motion to the plunger e, the guides for which also serve to tie
together the uprights of the frame a as is shown by the horizontal section
Figure 11. At the lower end of the plunger e is fitted the flat ended
heading punchf, also shewn in Figure 12; g is a roller in which the
dies are fitted, it is mounted on the fixed cylinder i. The Drawing
shows eight pairs of dies upon the roller, but the number may be varied.
Between the descents of the plunger the roller g is made to rotate step
by step so as to bring round the dies in succession. This motion is given
to the roller by means of the eccentric j on the axis 6 acting through the
rod k on ratchet teeth formed at g' on the cylinder g. The way in
which the parts giving this motion are arranged is more clearly shown
in respect to the pressing machine herein-after described and which
contains similar parts. A pair of the heading dies h is shown separately
at Figures 13, between the two parts making a pair, coiled springs are
fitted in cavitics provided for the purpose, they serve to open the dies
very slightly for the discharge of the blank after heading, and also to
keep the dies in the recesses in the roller g. The nail blanks (in a
cold state) are placed in the dies by hand and by the rotation of the
roller
9 are carried under the heading punch which then moulds the
head of the nail. In order that the dies may be quite closed at the
time when the pressure is given they are supported by set screws / in
the levers m which are centred to the frame at m¹ and are drawn
inwards (against the pressure of their springs) by the descent of the
plunger, the friction pulleys n, n, carried by the plunger acting against
inclines at the upper ends of these levers. A plain surface is formed on
the top of the cylinder i on to which the dies descend and stand solidly
whilst the pressure is given; o, o, are pushers contained within the dies
to force out the blanks after heading, they abut on the eccentric i
turned in the cylinder i and when the moulds travel round the under
side of the cylinder the pushers advance and eject the headed blanks,

page_text: leaving the dies ready to be refilled; Figures 14 show the blank in the
form to which it has now been brought and in which form it is passed
on to the pressing machine to be finished.
In place of completing the head in one machine we sometimes use
two machines, and this we prefer. The first machine brings the head
approximately to form, and its dies are suitably made so to do; the
second machine finishes the head, and has dies such as the Drawings show;
Figure 15 is a side view; Figure 15* is a horizontal section, and Figure 16
a front view of the pressing machine. a, a, is the frame; b, the main
axis; c, c, the belt pulleys; d, the main eccentric, and e the plunger as
for the heading machine; g is a roller on the face of which are fixed a
number of hard metal surfaces h, corresponding with the dies of the
heading machine, but each in one piece and fixed to the roller. One of
theso surfaces is shown separately at Figures 17, the nail blanks are
laid upon them by hand each with its head resting against the stop h¹.
The punch or top die which the plunger e carries is shown separately at
Figures 18 and simultaneously with the descent of this punch upon the
blank it is squeezed laterally by the two dies p, p, shown separately in
plan at Figures 19. These dies are firmly fixed to the slides q, q, which
travel in guides provided for them on the frame and are actuated by the
levers, r, passing through them, these levers turn on axes at 1, ²,
and take their movements from the friction pulleys 8, 8, carried by the
plunger. The eccentric j for rotating the roller g acts on a cap j¹ held at
one end by the link connecting it with the frame a. At the other end
it has the rod k hung from it which at its lower end is so made as to
take into the teeth g'. There are also teeth on the roller g at g³ on
which a holder works to retain the roller truly in its place whilst the
plunger descends or sufficient friction may be applied to the roller to
keep it stationary except when the rod is acting upon it; Figures 20
show the nail as it is discharged from this machine and in its finished
form.
The Invention although especially applicable to the manufacture of
horse nails is not confined thereto, other nails may be similarly made.
In the case of horse nails we prefer to anneal them before sending them
into the market.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, we would have it understood that what we

page_text: First. The arrangement of apparatus for rolling nail rods to a form
suitable to be cut up into nail blanks, substantially as herein described.
Second. The arrangement of apparatus for pressing nail blanks
between dies acting simultaneously on the nail blank on all its four
sides and so as to reduce it to the form of a nail, substantially as herein
described.
Third. The manufacture of nails substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Albert Huggett, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.