IMPROVEMENTS IN NAILING MACHINES FOR NAILING THE SOLES TO THE UPPERS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon and
Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
London, and 1, Rue Laffitte, Paris, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
NAILING MACHINES FOR NAILING THE SOLES TO THE UPPERS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES." A communication from abroad by
Louis Goddu, of Winchester, County of Middlesex, Massachusetts, United
States of America.
Sealed the 25th July 1879, and dated the 9th May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th May 1879.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue Laffitte,
Paris. "IMPROVEMENTS IN NAILING MACHINES FOR NAILING THE SOLES TO THE
UPPERS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES." [A communication from
abroad by Louis Goddu, of Winchester, County of Middlesex, Massachusetts, United
States of America.]
This Invention relates to improvements in nailing machines for nailing the soles
to the uppers in the manufacture of boots and shoes.
The Invention has for its object the production of a machine which shall make
headed nails from a wire, and then drive them into the sole.
In this improved machine instrumentalities are provided,, by which to automa-
tically determine the length of the headed nail to be formed from the wire,
according to the thickness of the stock or material entering into or composing the
sole of the shoe or boot being nailed.
The horn has combined with it devices to always lower it a definite distance
from the position it occupied when the nail was driven, notwithstanding variations
in the thickness of the stock, to provide for releasing the stock in order to permit it
to be fed.
The wire when being formed into a nail is first clamped at its lower
end between dies, which will preferably be so made as to corrugate or indent the
surface or body of the nail, after which a point forming cutter or slide acts upon
the wire a short distance above the said clamps, and offsets the wire, as will be
bereinafter described, so that as the said cutter descends or moves in the direction
Dina B11

page_text: of the length of that part of the wire held clamped within the dies, the said cutter
will sever the said wire diagonally, and force part of the metal below it into a head
forming recess at the upper side of the clamps or dies, while the end of the wire
connected with the wire upon the supporting reel will be completely forced laterally
into the point shaping recess, just above the portions of the clamps which shape or
grasp the body of the nail.
The frame work of the machine is composed of the column or base, and a top
part fixed thereon.
A cam hub is moved by bevel pinions, and the mainshaft receives within a cam
groove, a roller or stud of a driver bar, to the lower end of which by a screw, is
attached the driver, it extending into and being guided by a guide, the said cam
groove raising and lowering the driver at the proper times.
The lower end of shaft which carries a hub is provided with an eccentric pin or
projection which enters a hole in a slotted portion of the feeding bar, pivotted and
having a serrated surface which engages the sole edge below the under face of a
guide-nose, from which the finished nail is driven by the driver directly into the
sole.
The length of the feed may be varied if desired by making it adjustable, or by
providing a moveable slide controlled by a screw.
The horn of the machine of any suitable shape is adapted to swivel or turn freely
about the upper end of the rod provided with a collar upon which the horn rests,
the said rod forming practically a part of, or a continuation of the swivelling horn.
At or near the lower end of the horn rod is attached a rack, which, by its teeth,
engages with a sector shaped toothed short end of a connecting lever, the longer end
of which is toothed, and engages with rack teeth on a block attached to the horn-
depressing rod, which is provided with a fixed collar fitted to a longitudinal passage
in the column, and which has its upper end extended through a bearing sleeve
placed in the column, the said rod being always acted upon so as to throw it down-
ward by a spring which surrounds the rod and rests upon the collar, the force of
the spring being controlled at pleasure by raising or lowering a bearing or spring
controller through a toothed rod which engages rack teeth at the side of a bearing.
The strength of the spring determines the force of the upward pressure of the horn-
end against the inner sole, and consequently the force with which the stock is
clamped between the horn end and a guide nose.
The horn end in rising strikes a sharp blow, which takes up and holds the settle
of the stock. When a nail is being driven, the rod is clamped by means of clamps
composed of two pivoted blocks fitted within a yoke, guided at one end by a rod
about which is an adjustable spring, and which at its other end is connected with a
link adjustably connected at its upper end with one arm of a rocking lever, the
other arm being provided with a roller or stud to enter a cam groove in a disc, the
said cam,
and lever, and link, besides operating the clamp to hold the rod and horn
in fixed position when nailing, also acting positively to grasp and lift the rod, and
lower the horn after each nail is driven for a certain distance below the position in
which it was so locked, to permit the feed to take place, and then the spring is left
free to act, to throw the horn upward until it again pinches the stock between it
and the nose, the upward movement of the horn being more or less, according to
the thickness of the stock. "
The rod may be lifted by a rod which, connected with the rear end of a foot-
treadle, abuts against an ear of a block, and consequently the horn may be thereby
depressed.
The horn rod has projecting from it a rigid arm adjustably connected, with which
is the regulating device to aid in governing the length of each nail, according to the
thickness of the stock, and the position of the upper end of the horn.
After passing between the feed rollers the wire enters a guideway, and from it
the free end of the wire is fed into and between the faces of a clamp composed of
two blocks, one of which is fixed, while one is moveable, it being connected with a
vibrating arm actuated by a cam.

page_text: When these clamps are closed upon the wire, the cutter made as a steel block,
and being preferably flat faced, is moved forward against the wire then resting
between the dies, and extending through the groove to the reel, and forces the wire
into the groove, causing one side of it to assume the shape of the parts, offsetting a
portion of the wire above the heading space; then the cutter is moved downward,
and its lower corner cuts into and through the wire diagonally, and as the lower
face of the cutter meets the top of the die, the cutter crowds the metal under it
into the heading space or die, and forms a head to correspond in shape with the
spaces of the clamps or dies, and leaves the end of the wire pointed for the next
nail, the point being a clinching point. The shape of the point and head of the
nail may be varied by changing the outline of the dies.
The nail having been formed as described, the clamps or dies are opened, and the
cutter elevated and moved back, and then the driver descends and drives the
headed nail downward through the nose.
The cutter is attached to a slide bar which is raised and lowered by means of a
vibrating toothed disc at the end of a rock shaft set in motion by a cam on a shaft,
the said disc engaging the teeth of a rack pivoted to the slide bar.
The bar is moved to press the cutter forward by means of a lever actuated by a
cam, the end of the lever having a pin provided with a swivel block which enters
a groove in the bar.
When it is desired to prevent the wire feed from working, or nails from being
made, a hook moved by an arm is turned so as to engage the pin of an arm, and
the hook is locked in position by means of a spring pawl which engages a notched
portion.
In this machine the horn or its end is always held in position against the stock
or material being nailed, the horn crowding the said stock upward against the
fixed nose and clamping it, and consequently the upper end of the horn, during the
nailing process, occupies a variable position according to the thickness of the stock,
and these various positions are herein denominated the variable base line, and the
horn is positively lowered a fixed and uniform distance from this variable base line
to release the stock when it is to be fed.
In this machine the wire is not wasted when the head and point are formed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
November 1879.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue Laffitte,
Paris. "IMPROVEMENTS IN NAILING MACHINES FOR NAILING THE SOLES TO THE
UPPERS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES." A communication from
abroad by Louis Goddu, of Winchester, County of Middlesex, Massachusetts, United
States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in nailing machines for nailing the soles
to the uppers in the manufacture of boots and shoes.
The Invention has for its object the production of a machine which shall make
headed nails from a wire and then drive them into the sole.

page_text: In this improved machine instrumentalities are provided by which to automatically
determine the length of the headed nail to be formed from the wire, according to
the thickness of the stock or material entering into or composing the sole of the
shoe or boot being nailed.
The horn has combined with it devices to always lower it a definite distance
from the position it occupied when the nail was driven, notwithstanding variations
in the thickness of the stock, to provide for releasing the stock in order to permit
it to be fed.
The wire when being formed into a nail is first clamped at its lower end between
dies which will preferably be so made as to corrugate or indent the surface or body
of the nail, after which a point forming cutter or slide acts upon the wire a short
distance above the said clamps, and offsets the wire as will be hereinafter described,
so that as the said cutter descends or moves in the direction of the length of that
part of the wire held clamped within the dies, the said cutter will sever the said
wire diagonally and force part of the metal below it into a head forming recess at
the upper side of the clamps or dies, while the end of the wire connected with the
wire upon the supporting reel will be completely forced laterally into the point
shaping recess just above the portions of the clamps which shape or grasp the body
of the nail.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation a nailing machine embodying this Inven-
⚫tion.
Figure 2, a front elevation of the upper part thereof.
Figure 3 is a view of the head of the machine, the covering or face plate being
withdrawn to show the feeding mechanism, the driver slide, and the cutter and
clamps, the cutter being drawn back and elevated.
Figure 4 is a section of Figure 3 on the dotted line thereon.
Figures 5 to 8 are details to be referred to.
Figure 9, a section of the cam for operating the nail driver or bar.
Figure 10 is a rear elevation of the machine column and connected parts.
Figure 11, a vertical section thereof.
Figure 12, a cross section on the dotted line Figure 11.
Figure 13, a left hand side elevation of Figure 2.
Figure 14 is a rear side elevation of one of the cam hubs, its front side being
shown in Figure 1.
Figure 15 is an underside view of Figure 13 to show the feeding device which
engages and moves the shoe, the said Figure also showing the under face of the nose
of the machine.
Figures 16 to 20 inclusive represent the cutters and dies for severing and
shaping the nails.
.
Figure 21 a section of clamp or die 50, very much enlarged beyond the scale
adopted for Figure 20.
Figure 22 shows one of the nails made by the machine herein described, the nail
being shown enlarged.
Figure 23 is a detail to be hereinafter referred to.
The frame work of the machine is composed of the column a or base, and top
part b fixed thereon.
The cam hub c moved by the bevel pinions d, e, and the mainshaft f receives
within its cam groove 2 the roller or stud d² of the driver bar e², to the lower end
of which by the screw 3 is attached the driver 4, it extending into and being
guided by a guide 5, the said cam groove raising and lowering the driver at the
proper times.
The lower end of the shaft 6 which carries hub c is provided with an eccentric
pin or projection 7, see Figures 13 and 15, which enters a hole in a slotted portion 8
. of the feeding bar f¹ pivoted at 9 and having a serrated surface 10 which engages
the sole edge below the under face of the guide nose g from which the finished nail
is driven by the driver directly into the sole.
The length of the feed may be varied if desired by making the pin 7 adjustable,

page_text: or preferably by providing in the portion 8 a movable slide controlled by a screw
as in Figure 15.
The horn h of the machine, of any suitable shape, is adapted to swivel or turn
freely about the upper end of the rod i, provided with a collar j, upon which the
horn rests, the said rod forming practically a part of or a continuation of the
swivelling horn.
At or near the lower end of the horn rod i is attached a rack, see Figure 11,
which by its teeth engages with the sector shaped toothed short end of a connecting
lever, the longer end of which, toothed as at 12, engages with the rack teeth 13
on the block 14, attached to the horn, depressing rod l, which is provided with a
fixed collar 15, fitted to the longitudinal passagen in the column, and which has its
upper end extended through the bearing sleeve 16 placed in the column, see Figure
11, the said rod 7 being always acted upon so as to throw it downward by a spring m
which surrounds the rod and rests upon the collar 15, the force of the spring being
controlled at pleasure by raising or lowering the bearing or spring controller 16
through the toothed rod o which engages rack teeth at the side of bearing 16. The
strength of the spring m determines the force of the upward pressure of the horn
end 17 against the inner sole, and consequently the force with which the stock is
clamped between the horn-end and guide nose g.
The horn end in rising strikes a sharp blow which takes up and holds the settle
of the stock. When a nail is being driven the rod is clamped by means of the
clamps p composed of two pivoted blocks 18, 19, fitted within a yoke guided at one
end by a rod 20 about which is an adjustable spring 21, and which at its other end
is connected with a link adjustably connected at its upper end with one arm s of
a rocking lever s, t, the other arm t being provided with a roller or stud to enter
the cam groove u in the disc w, the said cam, and lever, and link, besides operating
the clamp to hold the rod and horn in fixed position when nailing, also acting
positively to grasp and lift the rod and lower the horn after each nail is driven
for a certain distance below the position in which it was so locked to permit
the feed to take place, and then the spring m is left free to act to throw the
horn upward until it again pinches the stock between it and the nose g, the
upward movement of the horn being more or less according to the thickness of the
stock.
In practice it has been found desirable to make the rod l, where operated upon
by the clamps, of other than cylindrical form, as, for instance, triangular or
waved.
The rod may be lifted by a rod x, which, connected with the rear end of a foot
treadle 23, abuts against an ear y of the block 14, and consequently the horn may
be thereby depressed.
A second foot treadle 24, one end of which is shown in Figure 10, is by link 25
connected with a crank on the driving wheel 26 of the main shaft f, so as to rotate
it, or the shaft f may be rotated in any usual manner.
The horn rod i has projecting from it a rigid arm 27, adjustably connected with
which is the regulating device to aid in governing the length of each nail according
to the thickness of the stock and the position of the upper end of the horn.
This regulating device is shown as a rod 28, at the top of which is a socket piece
29, to receive within it a foot 20 pivoted to an arm 31 of a rock shaft 32, which
at its other end has a pawl carrying arm b², having one or more pawls 33 to engage
the ratchet wheel 34 on the shaft 35, which carries the lower or principal roller 36
of the wire feeding device, see Figures 2 and 7.
The pawl carrier is moved from its backward or lowest position to cause the
pawl to actuate the feed wheels by means of a link 37 connected with the end 38,
see Figures 1, 2, and 5 of a rock shaft 39, which has another arm 40, see Figures 3
and 5, provided with a roller stud 41, which is acted upon by a cam 42 on the main
shaft f, the cam being however so shaped, as at 43, to permit the spring 44 in the
tube 45 to press upon the ear 46 of the arm 38 of the rock shaft 39, and quickly

page_text: throw the pawl carrier backward, placing its pawl in position to again engage the
ratchet wheel 34.
If the backward stroke of the pawl was always the same the nails would all be
of the same length, but this backward movement of the pawl is made variable
according to the thickness of the stock, and the pawl carriers can move backward
only until the footpiece 30 of the arm 31 of rock shaft 32, which carries the pawl
carrier, meets the end of the regulating rod 28, the upward termination of which is
variable, according to the position of the top of the horn.
In this way only sufficient length of wire for each nail, and that according to the
thickness of the stock, is fed forward by the wire feeding device.
The upper roller 47 of the feeding device is pressed down upon the wire on the
positively moved roller 35 with more or less force by means of a spring 48 and a
screw 49, see Figure 3.
After passing between the feed rollers the wire enters a guide way, and from it
the free end of the wire is fed into and between the faces of a clamp composed of
two blocks 50, 51, one of which, the one 50, is fixed, while the one 51 is movable,
it being connected with a vibrating arm 52 actuated by a cam 53, see Figures 9
and 15 at the lower end of shaft 6, a suitable spring moving it in the opposite
direction quickly.
Figures 16 to 20 show different views of the sides, faces, and other parts of the
said clamps or dies 50), 51, some being of full working size.
The clamp or die 50, composed of steel, has at its lower portion indentations 54
above it, one half 55 of the head shaping die, then the point shaper 58, the point
off set 57, and the wire groove 56.
The die or clamp 51 has indentations 54* and a head shaping die 55*, the portions
54 and 54*, and 55 and 55* coming exactly opposite, clamping the wire between
them, and indenting or roughening its body.
When these clamps 50, 51, are closed upon the wire, the cutter 59, made as a
steel block and being preferably flat faced, is moved forward against the wire then
resting between the dies, and extending through the groove 56 to the reel, and
forces the wire into the groove 56, causing one side of it to assume the shape of the
parts 57, 58, off setting a portion of the wire above the heading space or die 55.
Then the cutter 59 is moved downward, and its lower corner 61 cuts into and
through the wire diagonally, and as the lower face of the cutter meets the top of
the die 51, the cutter crowds the metal under it into the heading space or dic, and
forms a head to correspond in shape with the spaces 55, 55×, and leaves the end of
the wire pointed for the next nail, the point being a clinching point.
The shape of the point and head of the nail may be varied by changing the
outline of the dies.
A nail such as this machine will make is shown at Figure 22. In that Figure
63 is the head; 64, the point offset from the side of the wire; and 65 is the indented
body.
The nail having been formed as described, the clamps or dies 50, 51, are opened,
and the cutter elevated and moved back, and then the driver descends and drives
the headed nail downward through the nose g.
The cutter 59 is attached to a slide bar 66, which is raised and lowered by means
of a vibrating toothed disc 67 at the end of a rock shaft 68 set in motion by a cam
70 on shaft, see Figures 3 and 14, the said disc 67 engaging the teeth of a rack 71
pivoted to the slide bar 66.
The bar 66 is moved to press the cutter forward by means of a lever 72 actuated
by a cam 73, the end of the lever having a pin provided with a swivel block 74,
which enters a groove in the bar, see Figure 3.
When it is desired to prevent the wire feed from working, or nails from being
made, the hook 75 moved by the arm 76 is turned so as to engage the pin 77 of arm
31, and the hook is locked in position by means of the spring pawl 78, which engages
a notched portion 79, Figure 7.

page_text: In this machine it will be seen that the horn or its end 17, is always held in position
against the stock or material being nailed, the horn crowding the said stock upward
against the fixed nose and clamping it, and consequently the upper end of the horn
during the nailing process occupies a variable position according to the thickness of
the stock, and these various positions are herein denominated the variable base line,
and it will be noticed that the horn is positively lowered a fixed and uniform
distance from this variable base line to release the stock when it is to be fed.
In this machine the wire is not wasted when the head and point are formed.
The toe SO of the lever 52 is slotted and connected with the said lever by means
of a set screw 81, see Figure 23, so that in case the driver becomes broken or
caught between the dies, the said toe may slip and prevent the machine being
broken.
The cutter 59 is and the dies will be fluted longitudinally to meet corresponding
fluted portions of the parts cooperating with them, this construction enabling the
cutter and dies to be securely held in place.
To vary the extent of clinch at the point of the nail, the end must extend more
or less through the stock. This variation is herein provided for by adjusting the
regulating rod 28 as to its height with relation to the top of the horn. The rod is
connected with the arm 27 by nuts 83, 84.
The hook device 75 to prevent the action of feed may be thrown into position to
engage the pin 77 to stop the feed at any position of the pawl carrier, and at the
next ascent of the pawl carrier the said hook will positively hold the feeding devices
engaging the pin 77.
The nose has above it at front and rear two prongs 85, 86, and the ends of the
dies 50, 51, next the portions 54 are reduced to enter between these prongs 85, 86,
the prongs acting to retain and assist in guiding the nail when the dies are
retracted.
Having thus 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,-
1st. In a nailing machine to unite the uppers and soles of boots and shoes, a
horn and a rigid nose above it, combined with mechanism to automatically adapt
itself to the thickness of the stock, and with mechanism to automatically and posi-
tively depress the said horn a fixed and determined distance from a base line,
variable according to the thickness of the stock, substantially as described.
2nd. In a machine for uniting the uppers and soles of boots and shoes the com-
bination with wire feeding mechanisin, of mechanism to sever the wire, and
simultaneously form the point for one and the head for another nail, substantially as
described.
3rd. In a machine for uniting the uppers and soles of boots and shoes, the
combination with an upwardly pressed horn to thereby adapt it to the thickness of
the stock, and mechanism to hold it locked in position while a nail is being driven,
and wire feeding mechanism of connecting mechanism between the horn and feeding
incchanism, to vary the length of the wire fed into the machine, to thereby auto-
matically adapt the length of the nail to the thickness of the stock.
4th. The combination with the clamping dies provided with head shaping cavities
to grasp and hold the wire, of a cutter to sever the wire diagonally, and to follow
the upper end of the nail being severed, and form an enlarged head upon it while
held by the clamping dies, substantially as described.
5th. The combination with the clamping dies provided with a heading cavity and
a point shaping cavity or off setting recess of a cutter, to first act upon the wire
and bend it into the point shaping cavity, and then cut into the wire diagonally to
form an enlarged head upon and sever a nail from the length of wire, substantially
as described.
6th. The feeding rollers ratchet 34 fixed with relation to one of them, and pawl
carrier and a pawl, and its rocker shaft and mechanism to always throw the pawl
carrier and pawi forward to a certain fixed point, combined with a spring to throw

page_text: the pawl carrier backward, and a variable stop to arrest the backward movement of
the pawl carrier according to the position of the upper end of the horn, substantially
as described.
7th. The combination with clamping dies to grasp and hold the wire, and a cutter
to sever and form an enlarged head, as described on the nail to be driven, combined
with feeding mechanism adapted to feed into the dies a variable quantity or length
of wire, according to the thickness of the stock, to thereby form headed nails of
different length, as needed in stock of differing thickness.
8th. The combination with the horn and regulating rod 28 and pawl carrying
rock shaft for the feeding mechanism, of a hook to hold the pawl carrier in elevated
position, and prevent the operation of the wire feeding mechanisin, substantially as
described.
9th. The horn, the horn depressing rod 2, and the connecting lever between them,
combined with the spring to depress the rod 1, and control the extent of upward
pressure of the upper end of the horn against the stock, substantially as described.
10th. The rod, collar 15, and bearing 16, and spring m, combined with an
adjusting device o, to move the bearing and compress the spring, substantially as
described.
11th. The cutter carrying bar 66, and mechanism to move it laterally to press the
end of the cutter' against the wire, combined with the pivoted rack 71 and the
oscillating pinion 67 to permit the cutter to be moved downward, substantially as
and for the purpose described.
12th. The combination with the moveable die and its arm of a slotted toe held
thereto, substantially as described.
13th. The cutter or die fluted at its side to enable it to be held securely and
rigidly, substantially as described.
14th. The nose provided with the prongs 85, 86, combined with the dies, substan-
tially as described.
15th. In a machine for uniting the soles and uppers of boots and shoes the
following instrumentalities, viz. :-A horn to enter the shoe mechanism to move the
end of the horn a fixed distance from a variable base line as described, a variable
spring to strike or impact the end of the horn against the stock held between it and
the nose preparatory to or when driving a nail, and feeding mechanism to feed a
wire a variable distance in accordance with the thickness of the stock, substantially
as described.
16th. The horn depressing rod mechanism to lift and depress it, the horn and
pivoted lever connecting them, combined with an independent regulating rod or
device, connected with and moved by the horn to control the extent of movement
of the wire feeding mechanism and the length of the wire to be formed into a nail,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)