Improvements in Tack-driving Machines."
Year: 1893

page_text: rinted as amended in accordance with the decision of the Comptroller General
A
L 1000
eprinted as amended in accordance with the decision of the Comptroller General
dated the th August 1902.
Date of Application, 12th Sept, 1893-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED)..
"Improvements in Tack-driving Machines."
Í, JOSEPH EPHRIAM CRISP, of Somerville, in the County of Middlesex, and State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in tack-driving machines, such as are used
in the manufacture of boots and shoes, which arrange and drive loose tacks placed in
bulk in a hopper which forms part of the machine.
These improvements comprise:
First, improved delivery-mechanisın, which is combined with the shoot in which
the loose tacks are arranged and move in their journey from the tack hopper to the
tack-separating and feeding mechanism, and which automatically adjusts itself to
tack shanks of varying tapers, sizes, and lengths, so that they will all nove under
the same frictional action from the end of said shoot to their next position under the
driver.
Second, an improved tack-feeding and separating finger and actuating mechanisın
therefor.
Third, an improved-taek-delivery-nozzle-which-will-deliver-and-guide-tacks-with
very short- shauks,--so--that said-shanks will be-parallel-with--the-centre--line
of said nozzle--at-the-time-their-points-contact-with-the-material-into-which-they
ure-to-be-driven.
In order that this invention may be clearly understood it will now be described
with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine showing the improved tack-feeding and
delivery devices in operative position,
Figure 2 is an elevation of the machine upon the side opposite to that shown in
Figure 1,
:
Figure 3 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the tack-driving
apparatus showing its relation to the tack shoot,
Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line x x of Figure 1,
Figure 5 is a vertical section of the tack-feeding apparatus, showing its relation to
the shoot,
Figure 6 is a horizontal section on the line z
of Figure 1,
Figure 7 is a perspective elevation of the rotary disc which prevents the tacks from
clogging the upper end of the tack shoot,
Figure 8 is a perspective section on the line y y of Figure 3, showing the
improved apparatus for separating and moving the lower tack of the column of tacks
in said shoot to a position beneath the driver,
.
:
Figure 9 is a horizontal section on the line y y of Figure ‍3,
'
Figures 10 to 13 are partial sections, like Figure 9, showing the various positions
of the tack-separating and feeding device,
Figures-14-to-20 are views which chow-the-construction-and operation of the

page_text: improved--taek--guiding mechanism, and--which-will--be-hereinafter-particularly
referred-to.
The Figures 5, 6, and 7 aforesaid illustrate tack-arranging mechanism of a kind
which is well known, therefore they are not hereinafter particularly described.
The frame 1 of the machine is mounted upon the stand 2, and supports and carries
the tack hopper 3, the driving shaft with the driving pulley 4, cam 5, crank disc 6,
and suitable starting and stopping clutch mechanisin there on, the tack shoot 7,
driver bar 8, and guide for the lasts 9. The stand 2 also carries the jack 10, and its
operating treadle 11.
The above-mentioned parts may be made of any suitable forin or size and of any
of the well-known designs for machines of this class and to such machines may be
applied the improvements which are herein set forth as the subject matter of the
present invention, and are constructed and operated as follows:-
At 12, there is forined upon or attached to the frame 1 of the machine a suitable
hub or projection which supports the stud 13, and upon the stud 13 there is mounted
the bell-crank lever 14, (see Figures 1 to 4) so that it can swing upon said stud. One
arm of the bell-crank lever 14 is provided with the roll 15 which engages with the
cam 5 fixed upon the driving-shaft, so that each revolution of the driving-sbaft
produces one full reciprocation of the bell-crank lever 14, which is correctly timed
with relation to the reciprocation of the driver bar 8.
The other arm of the bell-crank lever 14 is slotted and in this slot is fitted the
stud 16 which can be secured by the nut 17 at any desired point on the arm and
thus vary the notion given the roll 18 mounted upon the stud 16.
Also, formed upon or attached to the frame 1, are the bearings 19 and 20 in which
are mounted the rocker shaft 21.
To the upper end of the rocker shaft 21 there is fixed the slotted lever 22 to the
slot of which is fitted the roll 18 which thus transmits the motion of the cam 5 to
the rocker shaft 21, whose range of motion can be varied by the moving of the roll 18
with reference to the centre of the bell-crank lever 14.
To the lower end of the rocker shaft 21 there is fixed the lever 23 which is made
with the dependent hub 24, and below said hub is formed the extending arm 25,
Figures 1 and 4.
To the outer free end of the arm 25 there is fixed the pin 26 Figures 4, 8, and 9,
and hung upon this pin so that it swings thereon is the arm 27 whose outer free end
carries the tack-feeding finger 28 which is held in any desired position by the
screw 29.
A screw 30 is fitted in the centre of the hub 24 and holds the arm 27 up to the
under surface of the arm 25; this screw passes up through the slot 31 formed through
an enlarged portion of the arm 27, and the spring 32 resting against one end of the
slot and the body of the screw 30 acts to press the opposite end of the slot 31 against
the back side of the body of the screw 30, which thus forms a stop for the swing of
the arm 27 in one direction, while the spring 32 permits of an elastic swing in the
opposite direction.
As shown by Figures 9 to 13, the outer end of the arm 27 is squared so that it will
slide against the outer side of the throat 33 through which the tacks pass to the
delivery nozzle.
As shown by Figure 1 the parts herein before described are all so located that the
feed finger 28 is correctly positioned with reference to the inclined tack chute 7
which leads from the tack hopper 3 to the throat 33, and with reference also to said
throat.
The driving-shaft revolves the cam 5 once for each tack driven, and the movements
given to the feed finger 28 by the revolution of the cam 5 are illustrated in Figures 9
to 13 of the drawings, as follows:-
Figure 9 shows the position of the feed finger at the time the tack previously
delivered is just entering the material. As the cam 5 revolves, the feed finger swings,
upon the centre of the rock shaft 21, directly in towards the throat of the machine
until the square face of the arm 27 rests against the outer side of the throat 33, as

page_text: result of this combination of mechanism is that the tack shanks are balanced across
the front surface of the feeding finger and move forward at all times parallel with
the driver bar and are dropped straight into the throat of the machine, instead of
moving head or point forward and being dropped crosswise in the throat to be cut
off by the driver on its descent.
The-tack-delivery nozzle forming part-of-this invention-is-of-especial-use in the
driving of-very-short-tacks, that-is-to say theks-where--chanks-are-not-of-n--greater
length-than-twiee-the-diemeter-of-the-head.
Such-tucks, when-used-in-machines having the ordinary delivery-appliances-are
liable-to-be-either driven-very slanting-or-to-be pressed sidewice-down-upon--the
material inte-which-it-is--desired-to drive-them; in either-eace-they-are-useless and
are-wasted. Heretofore, the various-devices-used-to-direct-tneks,-when-mechani-
eally driven, have mostly, if not-all, been-designed-to-net-ns-guides-fer--the-points
of-the-tacks-eloce-to-the-werk;-and-these-devices-so-enlarge-the-lower-end of the
uzzle-that-it is comparatively useless in enses-where-it-is desired to--drive-tacks
close-to-e projecting edge of-any-kind.
The tack-delivery-mechanism shown-by Figures 14 to 20 of the accompanying
drawings subjects the edges of the tack-heads, as they are forced through-it-by-the
driving bar,-to-a-slight frictional nction. The driving bar is made-smaller-than-the
hends of the taeks-to-be-driven and has-a-square-end-which contacts-with-the-apper
side of the tack-head; the friction-upon-the-edges-of-the-tack head-causes-the-top
of the head-and-the-bottom-of-the-driver-bar-to-come squarely-together. This
causes the--shank-of the--tuck to move-down--parallel-with-the-driver-bar,-and-of
course-to-enter-the-work-perfectly-square-therewith.
Figures-14 and 20-show--an--elevation--and-plan-respectively;-of-the-device, full
size. It comprises-a nut-30,-adapted-to-be-screwed-to-the-frame-1-of-the-machine
ns-shown in Figure 3 for instance. Also-an-outer--cone-40, whese-upper-end-has-a
serew-by-which-it-can-be-attached-to-the-upper-part--30.
Beth-of-these-parts-have-a-central-hole-which-is-made-taper-and-somewhat-larger
than-the-largest part of the largest-tack heads it is desired-to-move-through-them;
this feature-is-elearly shown in Figures 16-and-17. -It-ecmpriser, further, the
guiding device proper, 11, Figure 15,-which-consists of a very thin-metal cone
device-whese-lower-part is split into-any-desired-number-of-flexible cegments. This
eene-is--Hanged--at-its--upper-end-co--that it-can--be-held-in-position--between the
parts 30-and-40-when-the caid-parts-are-cerewed-together-in-the-manner-indiented
in-Figures-16-and-17.
The taper-of-the-cone-41-is-made-such-that-the tacks to be-used-will-drop-freely,
nearly to the lower end of it; the lower end-of-this-cone, when-designed-for
guiding-very-short-tacks-is-co-held-between the parts-20-and-40-that--the point-of
the tack will be at the lower-end-of-the--part-40- when-the-head-of-the-tack-is-at
the lower-end-of-the-flexible cone-11.
In other words, these guide cones 41-are-made of lengths suited to the-tacks
they-are-to-operate-upon-and, when -set-in-operative-position,-the-head of the tack
separates--from--the-guide-tube-just-as-the-point-of-the-tack-enters-the-work-inte
which it-is-to be-driven:
The-outside-parts 30 und 40-are-made of-sufficient-strength to prevent-injury-to
the-thin inner-part 41; the-central hole-in-the-lower-part-10-is-of-cufficient-size-to
allow-of--the-expansion of the-lower-end-of-the-tube-41--as-the-tack heads-pass
through it. All of these parts are correctly-tempered.
Figures 18- and 10-show by enlarged horizontal-cross-sections-the-positions-of
the-lower-end-of the flexible-guide--tube--when-it--receives-and-delivers-a taek;
respectively.
From the above description of the construction and operation of the improvements
in tack-driving machinery it will be seen, that they are simple in construction, that
they mutually co-operate to produce a new and useful result, and, that they can be
a lapted for use upon any machine in which loose tacks are placed in bulk in a

page_text: shown by Figure 10, and the point of the feed finger has moved between and
separated the lowermost tack of the column in the shoot from its followers.
The further revolution of the cam 5 causes the outer end of the cam 25, to which
the arm 27 is pivoted, to move still further ahead, and since the outer end of the
arın 27 is resting against the face of the throat 33, the spring 32 yields and the
outer end of the arm 27 moves directly forward to the position shown by Figure 11,
the feeding finger carrying the tack with it to the centre of the throat.
Figure 12 illustrates the position of the feed finger at the termination of the first
part of its retrograde movement, where the end of the arm 27 has slid directly back,
resting on the throat and held against the face thereof by the spring 32.
At this point the body of the screw 30 is in contact with the end of the slot 31 as
shown by Figure 9, and the last part of the revolution of the cam 5 swings the arm 27
out to the position shown by Figures 9 and 13 ready for another full operation.
During a portion of the backward motion of the feed finger the rear side of the feed-
finger contacts with and moves back the lower tack in the shoot, to cause the said
tack to position itself better for subsequent separation from the column.
From the above description of the operation of the tack feed finger it will be
seen :--
That its range of motion is governed and adjusted by the position of the roll 18
with reference to the levers 15 and 22; and that it moves in a path which, in plan,
is L-shaped that is to say it moves in, forward, back, and out, in contradistinction to
the old and well known "
"
square or "four-time feed" whose motion is, in, forward,
out and back. This change of motion results in insuring the freer flow of tacks by
the continued loosening of the lower end of the column of tacks in the inclined
shoot.
Tacks used in the manufacturing arts are made of many sizes and lengths and the
taper of their shanks is different. This irregularity, though slight by actual measure-
ment, is large when compared with the size of the tack shanks, which shanks are the
only available part of the tack that can be used to guide them when operated upon
by the feeding finger.
The tacks must be guided, to cause the tack shanks to balance themselves.above
and below the feeding finger so that they will move forward with their shanks parallel
with the driving bar or driver of the machine and reach the throat of the machine
in a position to receive the stroke of the driver fair upon their heads.
Figures 3, 4, 8 and 9 illustrate the simplest form of a tack-guiding device which
fulfils every necessary requirement to ensure the perfect feeding of the tacks; it is
constructed and operated as follows:-
To the frame of the machine 1 at 34 there is secured the thin spring 35 whose
free end has a peculiarly-shaped inclined block 36 fixed thereon; the outer end of
this block is located with reference to the throat of the machine as shown by
Figures 8 to 13.
The inner side of the block 36 is so inclined and curved that as the tacks reach the
lower end of the tack shoot they are stopped by the curved portion in the correct
position for the feeding finger 28 to swing in behind the lower tack of the column,
and froin this curve the block is made a straight incline to its point of contact with
the inner side of the throat.
In the inner side of the block 36 there is formed the groove 37 which is made of
sufficient depth to clear the point of the feeding finger 28 when the face of the arm 27
is resting upon the outer side of the throat 33 and the point of the block 36 upon its
inner side.
This allows the feeding finger to pass fully behind tacks of all sizes without
affecting the action of the block 36 which forms the gate which stops the flow of the
tacks down the shoot and also the device which guides them into the throat.
At 38 the spring 35 is reduced in width sufficiently to allow of sufficient torsional
motion to enable the inclined face of the block 36 to swing to tack-shanks of varying
tapers, and bear with the same pressure upon said shanks above and below the
feeding finger as said finger moves said shanks past the block into the throat. The

page_text: hopper from which they are arranged in order in a shoot, whence they are fed, and
then driven, mechanically.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a tack-driving machine, a tack-separating and feeding finger, whose operative
movements are approximately confined to two sides of a rectangle, an operating cain,
and adjustable lever connections therefor substantially as hereinbefore described, for
the purposes specified.
2. In a tack driving machine, a combined stop-gate and tack feed-guide mounted
upon a spring capable of lateral and torsional flexibility, substantially as hereinbefore
described, for the purposes specified.
3. In a tack-driving machine, a tack-delivery tube consisting of unyielding
separable--outer--parts, coned-internally and--supporting--an-internal--guide-cone;
whose-lower-end-is-composed-of-yielding segments, substantially-as-hereinbefore
described,-for-the-purposes-specified.
34. An improved tack-feeding device, constructed arranged and operating sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 8 to 13 of the
accompanying drawings substantially as herein before described, for the purposes
specified.
45. An improved tack-driving machine substantially as herein before described
with reference to Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings, for the purposes
specified.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.
45 Southampton Buildings London W.C. Agents for the Applicant.