CERTAIN NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR NAILING SHOES OR VARIOUS OTHER ARTICLES WITH WIRE
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Elmer Townsend, of the State of Massa-
chusetts, of the United States of America, for the Invention of
"CERTAIN NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR NAILING
SHOES OR VARIOUS OTHER ARTICLES WITH WIRE."-A communication from
Louis Goddu. residing in the State aforesaid.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henry Elmer Townsend.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 24th April 1871, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
ELMER TOWNSEND, of the State of Massachusetts, of the United States
of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for “CERTAIN NEW AND
USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR NAILING SHOES OR VARIOUS OTHER
ARTICLES WITH WIRE," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for

page_text: the same, and have made solemn Declaration that the same was
communicated to me by onc Louis Goddu, a resident of the State
aforesaid.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Elmer Townsend, do
hereby declare that the following Complete Specification, under my
hand and seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings making part of this Specification, of which Drawings Figure 1
is a front elevation, Figure 2 a side view, and Figure 3 a vertical and
longitudinal section of my new or improved nailing machine; Figure 4
is a transverse and vertical section taken through the nail driver. Such
other Figures or Drawings as may be necessary to a full or proper
illustration of my Invention will be hercin-after referred to and
described.
The machine exhibited by the said Drawings contains the main
essential elements of a nailing machine, they consisting of a guide nose,
a nail driver and its operative mechanism, a mechanism for feeding in
the wire from which cach nail is to be severed, a mechanism for receiving
the wire and transferring the nail portion thereof to the guide nose
passage, and, finally, a mechanism for severing a nail from the wire.
In addition to the said collection of essential elements the machine
has a mechanism for supporting the shoc, and one for feeding it along.
with an intermittent motion, in order that the nails may be driven into
it at their proper distances asunder and in the required positions.
The nature of my Invention of the improvements made in such a
machine may be thus defined, the same consisting,―
In the nail transferrer and the movable cutter combined with and
arranged in one sectoral gear lever disposed with the guide nose in
manner and to operate substantially as herein-after explained and
represented.
Also in the combination of a sectoral gear lever and its operative
grooved cam with the nail transferrer and the movable cutter combined
with and arranged in one sectoral gear lever disposed with the guide
nose, substantially in manner and to operate as herein-after set forth.
*Also the combination of the arm of the sectoral lever with the fulcrum
shaft thereof by means of a friction clamp whereby the said arm is

page_text: enabled to move on and not turn the fulcrum shaft in case the nail
driver should stop the transferrer in its rotary movement.
Also certain mechanism for cstopping the pendulous supporter of the
jack.
Also the pawl gauge and its stop lever combined as hercin-after
lescribed, and arranged on one shaft, and with adjustable stops.
Also an adjustable fulcrum and a clamp screw thereof combined with
the slotted feeding lever and its operative eccentric.
Also the machine as provided with the stationary head, a movable
feeder, and a movable jack carrier, all substantially as described and
represented.
Also the stationary head as made with a bevelled bottom or a circular
curved gauge and bearing therefor arranged substantially as described
and represented, such being for the purpose of enabling the machine to be
employed in nailing across the rear part of a tap sole without interference
from the liccl of the shoc..
Also the arrangement of a chip-discharging passage in the nose piece
and with respect to the cutters, as hercin-after described, and as repre-
sented.
A denotes the stock head or frame for supporting the operative parts, it
terminating in or being provided with the guide nose B, which has a vertical
passage a leading down through it. Through this passage the nail after
being severed from the wire is driven or forced by the nail driver,
shown at c. The said nail driver is fixed in the lower part of a carrier
or vertical slide rod C arranged in the frame or stock A, and provided
with a spring D; the purpose of which is to depress the carrier after cach
clevation of it, such depression being with power sufficient to cause the
nail driver to force the nail into the article into which it may be required
to be driven. Within the frame or stock A and disposed therein as
represented is the main shaft E, carrying a fly whcel F, and provided
with a gear & to engage with a pinion e fixed on another shaft f. The
said shaft ƒ has a crank wheel y fixed upon it to whose crank a rod / is
pivoted, the said rod at its lower end being pivoted to a pedal i. By
applying his foot to the pedal and moving it a rotary motion may be
imparted by a person to the shaft E, or the said shaft may be put in
revolution by other suitable means. There is fixed on the shaft E a
double cam G, it being furnished with cam grooves k, l, arranged in its

page_text: 1
opposite sides, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, which are side views of such
cam. Furthermore there is fixed on the shaft E at its front end a cam
or wiper m, whose purpose is to effect the elevation of the nail driver
carrier C at the proper times and to allow it to be driven downward by the
spring D. The said cam m is particularly shown in Figure 7, which is a
front view of the cam and the feeder H to be hercin-after described.
The purpose of the said feeder is to feed the shoe along with an inter-
mittent movement in order that the nails may be driven into it at
suitable distances apart. The feeder formed with an înclined and angular
and serrated foot-n is supported on an eccentric o fixed on the shaft E.
A long slot p in the feeder receives a stud or roller q carried by a plate r
arranged to slide vertically within the head or stock A, and provided
with a set screw s extended through a slot made in the head. This
screw serves to regulate the altitude of the stud or roller 7, and as a
consequence the extent of feed or lateral movement of the feeder
foot.
From the above it will be seen that during each revolution of the
eccentric o the feeder will have not only up-and-down but lateral motions
imparted to it whereby it will be caused to feed the shoe along. The
wire from which the nails are to be successively cut is to be led through
a passage of a guide I, and thence against the milled or toothed
.periphery of a feed wheel K, thence through a conduit v to and past the
cutting edge of the stationary cutter arranged as shown, from thence
the wire passes into the passage Z of the transferrer L. The said trans-
ferrer carries a cutter y which operating in conjunction with the
stationary cutter x serves at the proper period to sever a nail from the
wire. In this machine the transferrer is a toothed sector pivoted at
its lower part in the nose piece or head B, its pivot being shown at a¹ in'
Figure 3.
From the above it will be seen that the transferring passage Z and the
movable cutter carrier are in one and the same sectoral gear lever whose
arc b¹ engages with the toothed arm c¹ of a sectoral gear lever X.
Figure 8 is a side view, and Figure 9 is a rear end view of the said
sectoral lever X, which consists of a shaft d', the arm c³, and a second
arm e¹, arranged as represented. The shaft is pivoted or takes a bearing
in and extends through the head or stock A, and the arm e¹ carries a stud
or roller f¹ to enter: the rear groove of the double cam G. The arm e' is
split upward and provided with a screw g¹, the whole being as shown in

page_text: Figure 9, and for the purpose of clamping the arm upon the shaft ď.
The arm being split or slit as shown at ¹ and provided with the screw g²
(which goes through the arm on one side of the slit and screws into that
part of the arm which is on the other side) becomes when fixed to the
shaft clamped to it by a clamp whereby the arm is enabled to move on
and not turn the fulcrum shaft, in case the nail driver should be within
and stop the transferrer in its rotary movement, an accident which is
liable sometimes to occur. Were it not for the clamp as described or
were the arm e¹ rigidly fastened to thic shaft, breakage of the machine
would be liable to result from such accident. By the movements of the
transferrer L the wire will be cut or the nail will be severed from it by
the cutters, and subsequently will be moved directly over the guide nose
passage a ready for being driven by the nail driver.
Figure 10 is a top view of the feed wheel and its operative mechanism
as detached from the head A.; Figure 11 is a transverse section of the
pawl gauge, exhibiting its ratchet, and the operative gear and pawls
thercof; Figure 12 is a transverse section of part of the head A with the
stop lever and stops of the pawl gauge.
The feed wheel K is fixed on one end of a horizontal shaft ¹ pivoted
in the head A and provided with a ratchet / fastened on the said shaft.
There is also on the shaft so as to turn looscly on it a gear m³, to which
two pawls n³, n², to work in the teeth of the ratchet are pivoted. These
pawls project beyond the ratchet on its inner side and upon the periphery
of the pawl gauge o¹ formed as represented. The said pawl gauge o' and
its stop lever p¹, turn freely on the shaft k³, and are connected by a bár
or handle q', so that they move together when moved on the shaft. The
pawl gauge formed as shown operates with two adjustable screws or
stops, arranged in the head A in manner as represented. The
purpose of the stop lever and its adjustable stops is to regulate the extent
of movement of the pawl gauge o' which gauges the distance or arc of
movement of the ratchet, and thereby serves to regulate the feeding of
the wire as the thickness of the sole to be nailed may require. By taking
hold of the handle q' the attendant can move simultaneously both the
stop lever and the pawl gauge as may be necessary from time to time to
vary the feed of the wire while the machine may be nailing a sole. This
arrangement and combination of the pawl gauge and the stop lever
renders it very convenient for the attendant to operate them as circum-
stances may require. The lower part of the head A is bevelled or curved

page_text: back from the guide nose in manner as represented at 7 the curve being
a circular arc. Against this are a circular curved gauge &' is arranged
as shown, it being held in place by set screws (which go through slots
in it and screw into the head. The said gauge is for determining the
distance of the row of nails from the edge of a solc, such edge while the
machine may be at work resting against the lower end of the gauge.
By making the head A with the bevel or curved bed as described for
the gauge arranged with the nose or nail driver passage a in manner
as shown, the machine can be used to nail across a tap sole" at or near
its rear end without interference from a licel when projecting from the
sole of a shoe. Therefore the circular curved gauge and bed arranged
as set forth renders the machine capable of cross nailing a "tap sole" as
explained.
"
In the Drawings the movable main carrier of the jack is shown at M.,
as pivoted by means of a universal joint to a pedal O, which in turn is
pivoted to the frame A, and provided with an adjustable weight P, all as
shown. Tho said carrier M. supports by means of a secondary carrier or
supporter T the jack R which carries the shoo last S, the jack being
nade as represented, or in any other proper manner. The said jack has
a cylindrical socket piece or bearing u³ which rests on and encompasses
à journal or pivot ¹ projecting upward from the pendulous supporter T.
The said supporter T is pivoted to the jack carrier (the pivot being as
shown at 2) and at its lower part is provided with two stops w¹, x¹,.
arranged as shown. Between these stops are two other slotted stops U, V,
that extend across one another and are held to the jack carrier M. by a
clamp screw y¹ going through their slots and being screwed into the said
jack carrier. These stops U, V, are more particularly shown in Figures
13 and 14, which are side views of them. The adjustable stops U, V,
arranged and applied in manner shown with respect to the jack carrier M,
and the pendulous supporter T, are much better than thumb screws to
extend in opposite directions from the jack carrier, as they take
up less
room and do not interfere with the operation of the jack, and can be
casily adjusted.
In this machine it will be perceived that I employ a stationary head A,
a movable feeder H, and a movable jack carrier M. This construction
of the machine is much better than that where the head is movable so as
to effect the feeding of the shoe along, as the stationary head machine is
simpler, easier of construction, and better in operation.

page_text: It will also be perceived that in my improved machine as represented
the transferring nail passage thercof goes through or crosses the axis of
the fulcrum of the movable cutter carrier L. In consequence of this the
nail wire should it be fed forward too far by any accidental cause will
bring up against the bearing of the said fulcrum and be estopped thereby
so as to prevent it from projecting beyond the transferrer in a manner to
clog the machine or cause damage to result to it. A chip discharging
passage is shown at a³ as formed in the nose piece and opening out of it,
in manner as shown, its purpose being to discharge the chips or small
pieces of the wire that may be removed while the cutters may be in the
act of severing a nail from the wire. Were it not for this passage such
chips would be liable to clog the machine.
In the above described machine I claim as of my Invention the
following, viz.,-
I claim the wire transferring passage Z, and the movable cutter y
arranged and combined in one sectoral gear lever L disposed within and
pivoted to the guide nose substantially in manner and so as to operate as
described.
I also claim the combination of the sectoral gear lever X as.described,
and its grooved cam or rear groove of the cam G with the nail trans-
ferrer passage Z, the movable cutter y, and their common sectoral gear
lever Larranged and combined with the guide nose B or its passage a, as
described.
I also claim in the nailing machine as described the combination of
the arm e¹ of the sectoral gear lever X with the fulcrum shaft of such
lever by means of a friction clamp as described, such being for the
purpose specified.
I also claim the adjustable crossed stops U, V, as arranged and com-
bined, as explained and represented with the carrier M and the pendulous
supporter T provided with stops w¹, x¹, as set forth.
I also claim the pawl gauge o' and the stop lever p¹ combined in
manner as described and arranged on one shaft and with the adjustable
stops r¹, r¹, as set forth.
I also claim the adjustable fulcrum 9 provided with a clamp screw 8,
as described, in combination with the slotted feeder H, and its operative
eccentric o, all being arranged in the head A as explained or repre-
sented.

page_text: I also claim the nailing machine as constructed with a stationary
head A, a movable feeder H, and a movable jack supporter or carrier, all
substantially as described.
I also claim in the nailing machine the stationary head A as made or
provided with the bevelled bottom or circular curved gauge s¹ and
bearing therefor, arranged substantially as described and represented,
such being for the purpose as specified.
I also claim in the nailing machine the chip discharging passage a³,
arranged in and combined with the nose piece and the cutters, all
substantially as explained and represented.
Furthermore, I claim the nailing machine as composed of mechanical
clements or instrumentalities, substantially as hercin-before described
and as represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Signed and sealed this Twenty-fourth day of March, A.D., 1871.
In presence of
witnesses,
R. H. EDDY,
§. N. PIPER.
HENRY ELMER TOWNSEND. (L.S.)