IMPROVE- MENTS IN MECHANISM FOR AND IN THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING BLANKS FOR ANIMAL SHOE NAILS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gerald Clarence Hopper, Clerk to Messieurs Brandon
and Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton
Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MECHANISM FOR AND IN THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING BLANKS
FOR ANIMAL SHOE NAILS." A communication from abroad by Thomas House
Fuller, of Boston. County of Suffolk. Massachusetts. United States of America.
Sealed the 4th April, 1879, and dated the 14th October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gerald Clarence Hopper at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th October 1878.
GERALD CLARENCE HOPPER, Clerk to Messieurs Brandon and Morgan-Brown,
Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR AND IN THE METHOD OF MANU-
FACTURING BLANKS FOR ANIMAL SHOE NAILS." [A communication from abroad
by Thomas House Fuller, of Boston, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts, United
States of America.]
This Invention relates to improvements in mechanism for and in the art or
method of manufacturing blanks for animal shoe nails, and consists in mechanism
to punch blanks for the said nails from a rolled, flanged, or ribbed plate or strip
combined with feeding mechanism, which intermittingly grasps and feeds forward
the said flanged strip or plate, and then releases the strip or plate and moves back
along over it, again grasping the strip or plate to be again fed forward to the
punches, this operation being repeated after each descent of the punches.
Also in a machine for the manufacture of blanks for animal shoe nails, a series of
punches and dies to shape the blanks and intermittingly operated feed, and
mechanism to straighten the long rolled flanged strip supported in coil form in
advance of the feeding mechanism.

page_text: Also in the combination with an intermittingly reciprocating and grasping feed
of an adjustable stop to control the backward reciprocation of the feeding devices
and a stop to determine the forward reciprocation of the said feeding devices.
Also in the combination with the carriage which supports the feeding devices of
an operating arm provided with friction rollers, one of which is movably supported
upon the said arm, the two rolls rotating in contact.
Also in the combination with a nail plate grasping lever or jaw held up by a
spring of a striker, connected with the punch slide to open and release the grasp of
the said jaw upon the nail plate, preparatory to the backward movement of the
said feeding devices.
Also in that improvement in the art or method of making animal shoe nails
which consists in punching from a rolled ribbed plate blanks of different widths,
those cut from one edge of the plate being wider than those cut from the other edge
of the plate, the object being to economize waste heretofore common and necessary
when cutting the blanks of equal widths.
The main shaft of the machine suitably supported in a long sleeve-like bearing
of the frame has upon it a driving pulley adapted to be made fast and loose upon
the shaft as may be desired, by the action of suitable clutching mechanism placed
under the control of a suitable treadle.
Upon this shaft at its forward end is an eccentric, which is surrounded by the
strap, and the strap is connected with the punch carrying slide, it having at its
lower end two punches which co-operate with the openings of the die supported
upon the bed of the machine.
This punch slide has a striking arm rigidly attached to it, provided, preferably,
at its lower end with an adjustable roller, which as the punches strike the iron acts
upon the rear end of a member of the feeding mechanism which grasps the other
side of the rolled and flanged nail strip and causes this member to rise from and
release the nail plate, so that feeding mechanism may be moved backward over the
nail plate and away from the punches while they hold the nail strip.
The main shaft has at or near the fly wheel and eccentric or cam portion, which
at the proper time acts upon a roller at the upper end of a rod connected with an
arm of a rock shaft, having an arm which is connected with another arm provided
at its upper end with a friction roller, which as the arm is raised and lowered acts
against the inclined face of a block of steel attached to an ear, which is extended
downward from the movable carriage, which carries two grasping jaws which are
made to engage and release the nail plate strip at the desired intervals, grasping
and releasing the strip and carrying it forward intermittently.
The carriage is returned or moved back away from the punches by means of a
spring, one end of which bears against a fixed portion of the bed, and the other end
against a lever.
The said other arm has at its upper end a second roller mounted upon a link
-pivotted at the rear of the said friction roller.
This roller as the arm last referred to is lifted travels over a block attached to the
bed, and also remains in contact with the said friction roller at its rear side, holding
it up to its work, both rollers rotating in the contrary direction and in contact.
The other member of the feeding mechanism is pivotted on ears which rise from
the carriage, and the rear end of the said upper member is in this instance lifted by
strong springs which cause this jaw or member to grasp the nail plate extended
under it and between it and the fixed jaw of the carriage.
The backward motion of the carriage and consequently the feeding devices of
which the carriage forms a part, is controlled by a stop made as a screw placed and
adjustable in an ear of the fixed framing, a lug rising from the carrige striking the
end of the said stop.
The forward position of the feeding devices is controlled by a screw in an ear of
the fixed framing.
Screws adjust and hold the die in proper position with relation to the punches,

page_text: A presser prevents the end of the nail plate rising with the punches, and side
gages guido the sides of the nail plate.
A treadle operates a device which makes the driving wheel fast or loose on its
shaft.
The blanks from the different die openings fall into separate chutes.
In Inventions previous in use great waste of material together with the end
pieces of the short plates has resulted, and by the frequently handling of short plates
much valuable time of the operator of the machine has been lost.
In this Invention the nail plate strip is rolled in long lengths, and provided at
each edge with ribs for the heads of the nails' lengths, say, from 25 to 50 or more
feet.
After passing from the rolls of the rolling machine the plate is reeled or coiled
away, and the reeled nail plate is then placed in front of the feeding mechanism
with the end of the plate between the intermittently actuated grasping surfaces or
jaws, and the plate preferably acted upon by a straightening mechanism of three
rollers is straightened and intermittently fed forward to the punches by the feeding
devices, the machine not needing to be stopped until the end of the plate arrives at
the members of the feeding devices.
To save waste the blanks cut from one edge of the plate are made wider at one
part than are the blanks cut from the other edge of the plate.
In this way the waste is left in the former-mentioned blanks, making them
suitable for the manufacture of nails of a size larger than those made from the
latter-named blanks.
.
These blanks so formed will be subsequently cold rolled and drawn, and flattened
at their point ends, and sheared to form proper driving points for the animal shoe
nails.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Gerald Clarence Hopper in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th April 1879.
GERALD CLARENCE HOPPER, Clerk to Messrs. Brandon and Morgan-Brown,
Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR AND IN THE METHOD OF MANU-
FACTURING BLANKS FOR ANIMAL SHOE NAILS." A communication from abroad by
Thomas House Fuller, of Boston, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States
of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in mechanism for, and in the art or
method of, manufacturing blanks for animal shoe nails, and consists in mechanism
to punch blanks for the said nails from a rolled, flanged, or ribbed plate or strip
combined with feeding mechanism which intermittingly grasps and feeds forward
the said flanged strip or plate, and then releases the strip or plate and moves back
along over it again, grasping the strip or plate, to be again fed forward to the
punches, this operation being repeated after each descent of the punches.

page_text: Also in a machine for the manufacture of blanks for animal shoe nails, a series of
punches and dies to shape the blanks, an intermittingly operated feed of the class
herein-after described, and mechanism to straighten the long rolled flanged strip
supported in coil form in advance of the feeding mechanism.
Also in the combination with an intermittingly reciprocating and grasping feed
of an adjustable stop to control the backward reciprocation of the feeding devices,
and a stop to determine the forward reciprocation of the said feeding devices.
Also in the combination with the carriage which supports the feeding devices of
an operating arm provided with friction rollers, one of which is movably supported
upon the said arm, the two rolls rotating in contact to operate as herein-after
described.
Also in the combination with a nail plate grasping lever or jaw held up by a
spring of a striker connected with the punch slide to open and release the grasp of
the said jaw upon the nail plate preparatory to the backward movement of the said
feeding devices, substantially as herein-after described.
Also in that improvement in the art or method of making animal shoe nails
which consists in punching from a rolled ribbed plate blanks of different widths,
those cut from one edge of the plate being wider than those cut from the other
edge of the plate, the object being to economize waste, heretofore common and
necessary when cutting the blanks of equal widths.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in front elevation mechanism
for practising this Invention; Figure 2, a side elevation thereof; Figure 3, a partial
side view taken at the rear of Figure 2; Figure 4, a face view of an eccentric at the
rear of the main shaft; Figure 5, a longitudinal section taken through the feeding
mechanism, it being shown as grasping and having been moved forward with the
nail plates; Figure 6, a similar section, the feeding devices having released the nail
plate, and having been moved backward; Figure 7 is a top view of the feeding
inechanism; Figure 8, details to be referred to; Figure 9, à face view of a rolled
and ribbed nail plate marked to designate the lines on which it will be cut to form
blanks of different widths, to thereby save waste; and Figure 10 shows a similar
view to Figure 9, it representing in heavy black lines the metal wasted in the old
plan of cutting the blanks of equal widths.
The main shaft a of the machine suitably supported in the long sleeve-like
bearing 6 of the frame, has upon it a driving pulley c adapted to be made fast and
loose upon the shaft, as may be desired, by the action of suitable clutching
mechanism placed under the control of a suitable treadle. Upon this shaft a, at its
forward end, is an eccentric d, which is surrounded by the strap i, and the strap is
connected with the punch-carrying slide f, it having at its lower end two punches
2, 3, which co-operate with the openings 4, 5, of the die g, supported upon the bed h
of the machine.
Tlis punch slide has a striking arm i rigidly attached to it, see Figure 1, provided
preferably at its lower end with an adjustable roller 6, which as the punches strike
the ron acts upon the rear end of the member of the feeding mechanism, which
grass the upper side of the rolled and flanged nail strip k, a cross section of which
is shown on an enlarged scale at Figure 11, and causes the said member to rise from
andrelease the nail plate, so that the feeding mechanism may be moved backward
alor over the nail plate and away from the punches while they hold the nail
stri
The main shaft a has, at or near the fly wheel, an eccentric or cam portion l, see
Figure 4, which at the proper time acts upon a roller 7, at the upper end of a rod m
conected with an arm n of a rock shaft o having an arm p which is connected with
anrm q provided at its upper end with a friction roller r, which, as the arm is
raid and lowered, acts against the inclined face 8 of a block of steel attached to an
eas, which is extended downward from the moveable carriage t which carries the
tv grasping jaws j, u, which are made to engage and release the nail plate strip at
th desired intervals, grasping and releasing the strip, and carrying it forward
inrmittingly.

page_text: The carriage is returned 'or moved back away from the punches by means of a
spring w, one end of which bears against a fixed portion of the bed, and the other
end against the ear 8.
The arm q has at its upper end a second roller x mounted upon a link 10 pivoted
at the rear of the roller r.
The roller, as the arm q is lifted, travels over the block 12 attached to the bed h,
and also remains in contact with the roller at its rear side, holding it up to its
work, both rollers rotating in the contrary direction und in contact.
The upper member j of the feeding mechanism is pivoted at 13 on ears 14 which
rise from the carriage t, and the rear end of j is in this instance of this Invention
lifted by the strong springs 15, which cause the jaw j to grasp the nail plate extended
under it, and between it and the fixed jaw u of the carriage.
The backward motion of the carriage, and consequently of the feeding devices, of
which the carriage forms a part, is controlled by the stop 16, made as a screw,
placed and made adjustable in an ear 17 of the fixed framing, a lug 18 rising from
the carriage striking the end of the said stop.
The forward position of the feeding devices is controlled by a screw 19 in an
ear 20 of the fixed framing.
The screws 21 adjust and hold the die in proper position with relation to the
punches.
The presser 22 prevents the end of the nail plate rising with the punches, and
the side gages 23, 24, guide the sides of the nail plate.
The treadle 25 operates the device 26, which makes the wheel c fast or loose on
its shaft.
The blanks from the different die openings fall into separate shoots 27, 28, shown
in dotted lines, Figure 1.
The spring 29 lifts the arm n and rod m.
Heretofore in the manufacture of animal shoe nails the nail plates have been
made quite short, and have been held at their ends by tongs, which were made to
travel along with the plate toward the punches, and upon reaching the rear end of
the plate the machine has been stopped, the tongs have been unclamped from the
plate and moved backward and clamped at the rear end of a new plate, and also, as
heretofore practised, the nail blank u*, bx, see Figure 10, have been cut of equal
widths, and pieces of metal, such as shown in heavy black lines c, c¹, have been
wasted.
This waste c, c³, together with the end pieces of the short plates has resulted in
the production of very considerable waste of metal, and by the frequent handling
of short plates much valuable time of the operator and of the machine has been
lost.
In this Invention the nail plate strip is rolled in long lengths and provided at
each edge with ribs for the heads of the nails, lengths say from 25 to 50 or more
feet.
After passing from the rolls of the rolling machine the plate is reeled or coiled
into the shape shown in Figure 1, and the reeled nail plate is then placed in front
of the feeding mechanism with the end of the plate between the intermittingly
actuated grasping surfaces or jaws j, u, and the plate preferably acted upon by a
straightening mechanism composed, as herein shown, of three rollers 31, 32, 33, is
straightened and intermittingly fed forward to the punches by the feeding devices,
the machine not needing to be stopped until the end of the plate arrives at the
members j, u, of the feeding devices.
To save the waste represented by the heavy black lines c¹, Figure 10, the blanks d, d,
cut from one edge of the plate, see Figure 9, are made wider at the line x, x, than
are the blanks e, e, cut from the other edge of the plate.
In this way the waste represented at cl, Figure 10, is left in the blanks d, making
them suitable for the manufacture of nails of a size larger than those made from
the blanks e.
These blanks so formed will be subsequently cold rolled and drawn and flattened

page_text: at their point ends, and sheared to form proper driving points for the animal shoe
nails.
The blanks & at the line are of greater area than are the blanks e under the
line Y which is at the same distance from the heads of the blanks e as is the line c
from the heads of blanks d.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is,―
First. In a machine for the manufacture of animal shoe nail blanks, mechanism
to punch blanks from a rolled, flanged, or ribbed plate, combined with feeding
mechanism which intermittingly grasps and feeds forward the said flanged plate,
and then releases the plate and moves back along over it, again grasping the strip
and again feeding it forward to the punches after each operation of the punches,
substantially as described.
Second. In a machine for the manufacture of blanks for animal shoe nails a series
of punches and dies to shape the blanks, an intermittingly operated feed of the class
herein described, and mechanism to straighten the long rolled flanged strip supported
in coil form in advance of the feeding mechanism, substantially as described.
Third. The combination with intermittingly reciprocating and grasping feeding
mechanism of an adjustable stop to control the backward reciprocation of the
feeding devices, and a stop to determine the forward reciprocation of the said feeding
devices, substantially as described.
Fourth. The combination with the carriage which supports the feeding devices
of an operating arm provided with friction rollers, one of which is moveably
supported upon the said arm, the two rolls rotating in contact to operate substantially
as described.
Fifth. The combination with a nail plate grasping lever or jaw held up by a spring,
of a striker connected with the punch slide to open and release the grasp of the said
jaw upon the nail plate preparatory to the backward movement of the said feeding
devices, substantially as described.
Sixth. That improvement in the art or method of making animal shoe nails which
consists in punching from a rolled ribbed plate blanks of different widths, those cut
from one edge of the plate being wider at or near their heads than those cut from
the other edge of the plate, the object being to economize waste heretofore common
and necessary when cutting blanks of equal widths, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Gerald Clarence Hopper, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
GERALD CLARENCE HOPPER. (L.S.)