IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORGING NAILS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, Patent Agent, of 20, South-
ampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORGING NAILS."-A com-
munication from abroad by S. Menans, residing at Paris, in France.
Scaled the 3rd October 1861, and dated the 13th April 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by tho said Charles Denton Abel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th April 1861.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, Patent Agent, of 20, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for, "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORGING NAILS," to be
as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the formation of nails with points and heads
from a rod or bar of metal, by passing the same through an aperture formed
by four radially advancing and receding rectangular steel dies, situated in one
and the same plane, which piece of metal on the dies approaching one another
becomes squeezed between the same, and is formed by them into the required
shape. A hammer actuated by a cam on the driving shaft of the machine,
and by a powerful spring, and provided with another die for forming the head
of the nail, is then forced against a portion of the partly formed nail projecting
from the face of the other four dies, and forms the same into the head of the

page_text: nail. The four first-mentioned dies then recede from one another in radial
directions, thus enlarging the aperture between them; the rod of metal is then
again pushed forward by the feeding apparatus, by which the finished nail is
pushed out from between the dies, and the operation is repeated. The four
dies for forming the body of the nail receive the requisite motion by means of
a lever receiving a reciprocating motion from a crank on the driving shaft,
which lever imparts its motion to an upright frame sliding against another
fixed frame. The four dies are placed between these two frames in such a
manner that one die is attached to the fixed frame, while the second die works
between guides on the fixed frame, and receives a radial motion from the
reciprocating frame. The other two dies are attached to the moveable frame,
one of them simply moving up and down with the same, while the other has,
besides this motion, a radial motion imparted to it sliding in a groove formed
in the moveable frame, which radial motion it receives from an inclined plano
attached to the fixed frame. These dies, as also the die in the hammer for
forming the head, are adjustable by means of set screws, and may be removed
and replaced by other dies for forming nails of different shapes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th October 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
DENTON ABEL, Patent Agent, of 20, 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 Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Denton Abel, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
Denton Abel, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Charles Denton Abel, my exécutors, 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FORGING NAILS," a communication to me from
abroad by S. Menans, residing at Paris, in France, upon the condition (amongst

page_text: others) that I, the said Charles Denton Abel, 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 nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Charles Denton Abel, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
Le performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by tho
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
:
This Invention has for its object the formation of nails with points and
heads from a bar of metal by passing the same through an aperture formed.
by four radially advancing and receding rectangular steel dies, situated in one'
and the same plane, which piece of metal on the dies approaching one another
becomes squeezed between the same and is formed by them into the required
shape. A hammer actuated by a cam on the driving shaft of the machine,
and by a powerful spring, and provided with another die forming the head of
the nail, is then forced against a portion of the partly formed nail projecting
from the face of the other four dies, and forms the same into the head of tho
nail. The four first-mentioned dies then recede from one another in radial
directions, thus enlarging the aperture between them; the rod of metal is then-
again pushed forward by the feeding apparatus by which the finished nail is
pushed out from between the dies, and the operation is repeated.
Figure 1 on the accompanying Drawing shews a side elevation of tho
improved nail-forging machine; Figure 2 shews a plan of the same; and
Figures 3 to 10 shew various details of the same: Similar letters indicate
similar parts in all the Figures.
A is the frame of the machine, similar in most respects to that of machines
in present use. This frame is provided with plummer blocks carrying the
driving shaft O which is provided with a fly wheel Z, and is driven by means
of the fast and loose pullies X, X'; upon this shaft O are also fixed two cams
B, B', which actuate respectively the hammer M carrying the die m for
forming the head of the nail, and the lever C fixed upon the shaft C'. This
Clever C is actuated by the spring C² in such a manner that after having been
depressed by the rotating cam B', it is caused to rise again by the action of
this spring. The apparatus Y for feeding forward the metal rod to be formed
into nails is actuated by the crank plate P, the connecting rod p, and the
slotted crank pl, fixed on the spindle q. Its arrangement is. similar to that of

page_text: machines in present use and requires no further description. The hammer M
slides backwards and forwards in a horizontal direction, being guided in its
motion by the guides N, N, fixed to the framing A, and capable of adjustment
by means of set screws. The hammer M on being pressed backward by the
revolution of the cam B is then thrown forward with sufficient force to form
the head of the nail by means of the die ma by the action of a strong spring on
the end m' of the hammer, which spring is not shewn on the Drawing, and
may be of any suitable construction. The die m is fixed in the hammer M by
means of set screws, and can be changed at pleasure; it contains the mould of
the head of the nail. The fixed frame E and the moveable frame F which,
with their arrangement of dies K, K, K³, K', form one of the most important
parts of this Invention, are shewn separately in detail in Figures 3 and 4,
Figure 3 shewing a front view of the fixed part E, and Figure 4 a front view i
of the moveable part F. On being put together the two surfaces shown in
these Figures are in contact with each other..
Figure 5 shews an elevation of the two parts E and F when put together;
Figure 6 shews a plan of the same; and Figure 7 shews a vertical section
through the same. The fixed frame E is bolted firmly to the part G of the
framing A; upon one face of the same are fixed projections e, e, forming
accurately planed grooves d, in which slido the rectangular steel prisms or
dies K', K2, the position of which in the grooves is regulated by the wedges
, . Upon this same face of the frame E are formed the two checks e', e',
which are carefully planed and act as guides to the moveable frame F sliding
up and down between the same. Plates R, R, are bolted on to the cheeks
e', e', to keep the frame F against the fixed frame E and insure its working
accurately.
The frame F is caused to slide up and down between the cheeks c¹, o¹, by
the lever C to which it is attached. On that face of the same which is
in contact with the face of the frame E are fixed the projections f, f, f,
carefully planed and forming grooves, in which the steel dies K³ and K+ slide.
These projections are of the same height as those e, e, on the frame E, and
put together they fit into the
they are so arranged that when E and F are
spaces left between the projections e, e. The position of the dies K³ and K*
in their respective grooves is regulated by means of the wedges ³ and k', which
are actuated by means of the screws a³, x'.
In Figures 8 and 9 are shewn the relative positions of the four steel dies
K', K, K, K, when the frames E and F are put together. Of these four
dies, K³ is fixed, being accurately adjustable by means of the wedge and set
screw al; K is capable of moving backwards and forwards in the direction of

page_text: groove
the
in which it slides, which is at an angle of about forty-five degrees;
it is actuated by means of the wedge, the position of which is regulated by
the set screw ; the die K³ is fixed in its groove on the face of the moveable
frame F, and consequently has the vertical reciprocating motion of the same
imparted to it, maintaining at the same time its inclined position of about forty-
five degrees. Lastly; the die K* being placed in a groove on the face of the
frame F, and at the same time being actuated by the wedge k which is fixed
in the frame E, it not only receives a vertical reciprocating motion from the
frame F, but it is also caused to slide in its groove, following the inclined sur-
face of the wedge x. Thus it will be seen that of the four dies K¹ is fixed,
K2 moves in a radial direction at an angle of about forty-five degrees, K³
moves only vertically up and down, and K* moves in a radial direction at an
angle of about forty-five degrees. The result of these respective motions will
clearly be that each of the three moveable dies is caused to slide upon the face
of its neighbour in consequence of the reciprocating motion of the frame F;
and that the rectangular space formed between them when they have receded.
owing to the frame F having moved downwards, becomes gradually smaller as
they approach each other during the upward motion of the frame F, and even-
tually the opening is completely closed.
It will be understood that if a rod of metal is fed forward between the dies
when they are apart by the feeding apparatus Y it will be pressed into what-
ever shape has been given to the edges of the dies, and these being bevilled off
so as to meet at the bottom, whilst a space is left between them at the other
part (as shewn in the transverse section through the dies at Figures 7 and 10),
they will sever the piece of metal which is to form the nail from the rod held
by the feeder, at the same time forming a point to the nail. Whilst the nail
is thus held between the dies K', K, K³, K, a portion of the metal projecting
beyond the face of the latter in the direction of the die m, the hammer M,
upon which this die is fixed, is thrown forward through the opening a in the
frame F, as herein-before described, and thus forms the head of the nail. The
operation of the machine takes place in the following manner :-The frame F
having been brought to its lowest position by the lever C, and the dies K', K³,
K³, K, being consequently furthest apart, the feeder Y introduces the rod of
metal between them through the aperture 6 in the frame E; the lever C then
raises the frame F, by which the dies K', K, K³, K', approach each other
and squeeze the piece of metal between them into the required shape, at the
same time separating it from the rod of metal; the hammer M is then thrown
forward and forms the head of the nail; the hammer is then drawn back again
by the cam B, the frame F again descends, the dies K', K, K³, K', separate,

page_text: and the rod of metal is again fed forward between the dies, at the same time
pushing out the finished nail through the opening a in the frame F, and a fresh
nail is formed.
The great advantage of the above described arrangement over the machines
in present use is the finished state in which the nail is delivered from the
machine, it only requiring slightly retouching afterwards. The description of
nail which the machine will make admits of great variation, and depends upon
the particular formation of the dies K', K², K³, K, and m, which may be
changed at pleasure.
In Figure 11 are shewn a variety of shapes of nails made by this machine.
Having now described the nature of this Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the exact form of
the various details as shewn on the accompanying Drawing, as these may be
variously modified without departing from the principle of this Invention, nor do
I claim generally the construction of the nail-making machine in so far as it is
similar to the machines in present use; but what I claim under the before in.
part recited Letters Patent is,―
Firstly, the arrangement wherein four dies working in one fixed and one
moveable frame are caused to operate upon a rod of metal for forming it into
nails with points, substantially as herein-before described with reference to the
accompanying Drawing.
Secondly, the general improvements in the nail-making machine, as herein-
before set forth with reference to the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL. (L.S.).