Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Horse-shoe Nails.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left. 21st June. 1892-Accepted, 23rd July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Horse-shoe Nails.
We, GEORGE ALBION COOMBS, of Gothenburg, in the Kingdom of Sweden
Engineer, and THE UNITED HORSE-SHOE AND NAIL COMPANY, LIMITED, of
Millwall, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in machinery for finishing nail blanks
which have been previously punched or cut out of strips of iron or steel plate rolled
with ribs or flanges at the sides which form the heads of the finished nails, or for
finishing nail blanks produced by any other means; that is to say the improvements
relate to machinery in which the rolling-out or drawing, pointing and trimming, of
the shanks of such blanks are effected.
One part of the improvements is connected with the devices for preventing the
choking of certain of the guide-ways, through which the nail blanks pass, by an
accumulation of such nail blanks, so that such choking or accumulation shall not
cause injury to the machinery.
For this purpose we employ, in connection with the guide tube through which
the nail blanks pass in their passage from the upper die rollers to the lower, a
hinged door for closing the front of the said guide tube. This door is held closed
by a spring-catch so constructed and adapted that it will yield and allow the said
door to open when the outward pressure of an accumulation of nail blanks in the
said guide tube becomes sufficient to overcome the resistance of the said spring.
On the aforesaid door is centred a lever or arm adapted, when the said door is in
its closed position, to hold an intercepting finger clear of the feed tube through
which the nail blanks are introduced into the machine; but when the aforesaid
door is forced open by an accumulation of blanks in the guide tube between the
drawing rollers, the said interceptor is released and a spring then causes its point
to enter the feeding tube through a hole in the side thereof so as to prevent the
introduction of any more nail blanks into the machine until the accumulation of
blanks in the guide tube has been removed, and the door again closed. The lever
or arm on the door is also so placed and adapted that if an undue accumulation of
nail blanks takes place in the straightening or setting mechanism, placed below the
lower set of drawing rolls, the consequent opening of the hinged door or front of
that mechanism liberates the lever on the door of the guide tube, enabling it to
release the before mentioned interceptor to the action of its spring, whereby its
point is introduced into the feed tube, so as to stop the introduction of more nail
blanks into the machine until the straightening and setting mechanism has been
cleared of its accumulation of blanks, and its door or front is again closed.
Another part of the improvements relates to the door or front of the above
mentioned straightening or setting mechanism, and consists in applying thereto an
adjustable knife-edge instead of the fixed knife-edge heretofore employed for the
purpose of guiding the head of the blank in the proper direction as the blank
leaves the lower set of drawing rollers, in order to effect the required straightening
or setting of such blank.
Another part of the improvements relates to the nippers for transferring the nail
blanks, as they leave the straightening and setting mechanism, to the pointing and
trimming devices and this part of the improvements consists of the following
arrangements :-
plate
Fixed to the machine is framework which acts as a vertical guide to a
which slides up and down upon it. This plate bears against the front of the frame.

page_text: and slides thereon with adjustable friction produced by pieces of raw hide or leather
let into a portion of the aforesaid plate which slides on the back of the frame, the
said pieces of hide or leather being held in their places by springs the ends of
which bear upon metal plates covering the said pieces of hide or leather. On the
aforesaid plate is fitted a sliding bar to which is fixed a pin the end of which passes
through a slot in the plate, such slot only allowing a limited up and down move-
ment to the said pin. Mounted on the aforesaid plate are two nipper-arms or levers
which are pivoted on fulcra screwed through the plate and secured at the back
by nuts. The holes in the nipper arms or levers, through which these screws. pass,
are slotted to allow of a small lateral adjustment of the said arms or levers by
means of set screws, according as the nipper arms or levers are required to be placed
nearer to or further from the vertical centre line of the frame to enable the jaws of
the nippers to be adjusted to suit the width of the heads of the nail blanks that are
being operated upon. Provision is made by means of a stop piece to prevent.any
nail blank from coming lower down into the jaws of the nippers than another, and
to cause all nail blanks coming into the nipper jaws to be gripped thereby exactly
at the same part, thereby ensuring that all the nail blanks are presented by the
nippers in exactly the same position in front of the pointing and trimming matrix,
and consequently that all the finished nails shall be of exactly the same length.
This stop-piece also prevents the nail blank, when released from the nippers, from
falling into and injuring the mechanism below. The nipper jaws are preferably
made removable so that they can be readily changed when required. The lower
ends of the nipper arms or levers carry, on suitable fulcrum pins, two toggle. arms
or links the opposite ends of which are carried by the above-mentioned pin which
passes through a slot in the sliding plate; and to this pin is connected one end of a
sliding bar which is pinjointed at the other end to a link connected to the main
Jever which actuates the whole nipping and transferring devices. The stroke of the
nippers is regulated by set screws placed at the bottom of the frame carrying the
said'nippers.
:-
The action of the above described nipper arrangements is as follows:-
Assuming the nippers to be at lowest position, the main actuating lever-presses
up the sliding bar and thereby forces the pin to the upper end of the slot in the
sliding plate, taking with it the ends of the toggle arms or links which draw in the
lower ends of nipper arms or levers towards the centre line of the nippers; and
forces out their upper ends, opening the nipper jaws carried by them. The upper
side of the pin being now at the top end of the slot in the sliding plate, the con
tinued motion of the main actuating lever causes the said plate to slide up on its
trame into its highest position. The nipper jaws are now ready to close on the
head of the nail blank as it leaves the straightening and setting mechanism. On
the down stroke of the actuating lever commencing, the slide bar is pulled down and
with it the pin until the lower side thereof comes against the bottom of the slot.in
the sliding plate. The toggle arms or links have then closed the nipper jaws on to
the head of the nail blank, and the downward motion continuing, the sliding plate
and the nippers on it are carried to their lowest position, whereby the nail blank
is brought exactly opposite the pointing and trimming matrix. The pointing. and
trimming punch or die then moves forward and forces the nail blank out of the
nipper jaws and through the said matrix whereby the superfluous material is trimmed
off the blank in the usual way. The main actuating lever then commences its next
upward stroke, firstly opening the nipper jaws, secondly raising the nippers,
thirdly closing the nipper jaws and fourthly lowering the nippers, and so on
- repeating the same cycle of operations at each up and down movement of the
actuating lever.
Another part of the improvements relates to the means of guiding the upper.end
of the yoke or connecting rod by which motion is transmitted from the cam' on
the main shaft to the lever operating the transfer nippers. Heretofore the upper
end of the said yoke or connecting rod has been guided by the shaft itself or by a
'radius-bar pin-jointed to the frame of the machine. According to our present

page_text: invention, we extend the said upper end upwards and adapt it to slide in a bracket
or other suitable support secured to the frame of the machine, whereby the wear
and tear is taken off the shaft and sides of the yoke or connecting rod and the
pin-joints of the radius bar are dispensed with.
Dated this 21st day of September 1891.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Horse-shoe Nails.
We, GEORGE ALBION COOMBS, of Gothenburg, in the Kingdom of Sweden,
Engineer, and THE UNITED HORSE-SHOE AND NAIL COMPANY, LIMITED, of
Millwall, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
This invention relates to improvements in machinery for finishing nail blanks
which have been previously punched or cut out of strips of iron or steel plate
rolled with ribs or flanges at the sides which form the heads of the finished nails, or
for finishing nail blanks produced by any other means; that is to say the improve-
ments relate to machinery in which the rolling out or drawing, pointing and
trimming of the shanks of such blanks are effected, and in order that the said
improvements may be fully understood we will now proceed to describe the same
with the aid of the accompanying two sheets of drawings in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of so much of a horse shoe nail finishing machine with
our improvements applied thereto, as is necessary for the elucidation of the present
invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken on line 1-1 of Figure 1 and looking from
left to right in that figure.
Figure 3 is a similar sectional elevation but with certain of the parts in a
different position.
Figure 4 is a back view of the transferring nippers shown in front view in
Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 5 is a partial plan view of the machine, and
Figures 6 and 7 are detail views of certain parts to be hereinafter referred to.
The machine shown in the drawings effects the rolling out or drawing and
pointing of the shanks of the nail blanks in the usual way by means of two pairs
of ordinary drawing rollers A A and B B with circumferential die grooves formed
therein corresponding to the shape and size of the finished nail to be produced.
These rollers turn in bearings in the frame C and are driven by gearing D from the
driving shaft E which is preferably driven by a friction pulley not shown in the
drawings. The upper pair of rollers A A partly roll out or draw the shanks of
the nail blanks introduced between them through the guide tube F and the lower
pair of rollers BB complete the rolling out and pointing of the shanks of the
blanks which are conducted from the upper pair of rollers to the lower through
the guide tube K. Beneath the lower pair of rollers B B is placed the usual
mechanism for straightening sidewise and for imparting a certain definite amount of
curvature or set flatwise to the rolled-out blanks, and below the straightening and
setting mechanism is placed the nippers which receive the rolled-out blank as it
comes from the rollers and straightening and setting mechanism, and grasp and
convey it to the part of the machine where the trimming or removal of the super-
fluous metal from the rolled-out blank is to be effected.

page_text: The nail blanks are fed by hand one after another into the feeding tube F and
are allowed to descend therein one at a time in the usual way by the mechanism
shown in Figure 5, that is to say as the roller shaft A' revolves, the stops A* on
the collar A³, fixed to the said shaft, strike one end F of the bent lever F and
withdraws its other end F³ momentarily from the tube F, permitting a blank to
fall down the said tube into the rollers A. A.
One part of the improvements is connected with the devices for preventing the
passage of nail blanks into the machine when the guide ways, through which the
nail blanks pass, become choked by an accumulation of such nail blanks, so that
such choking or accumulation shall not cause injury to the machinery.
For this purpose we employ in connection with the guide tube K through which
the nail blanks pass in their passage from the upper die rollers to the lower, a
hinged door or plate L for closing the front of the said guide tube. This door is
carried by a bar L' hinged to the frame C at L* and is held closed by a spring
catch L² the face of which is inclined as shown at Figure 6 and takes into a corre-
spondingly shaped hasp L³ so that it will yield and allow the said door to open by
turning on its hinge pin Lx when the outward pressure of an accumulation of
nail blanks in the said guide tube K becomes sufficient to overcome the resistance
of the said spring L. On the aforesaid door L is pivoted a lever M adapted,
when the said door is in its closed position as shown in Figures 2 and 3, to hold the
upper end of an intercepting lever or finger O, which is pivoted to a fixed carriage O',
clear of the feed tube F through which the nail blanks are introduced into the
machine; but when the aforesaid door L is forced open by an accumulation of
blanks in the guide tube K between the drawing rollers A A. and B B the said
interceptor O is released and a spring P then causes its point to enter the feeding
tube through a hole F in the side thereof, so as to prevent the introduction of any
more nail blanks into the machine until the accumulation of blanks in the guide
tube K has been removed, and the door L again closed. The lower arm of the
lever M on the door L bears, when the said door is closed, against the projecting
stop N on the end of the door I of the straightening and setting mechanism, or
against the face of the door itself, or, if preferred, against any suitable stop
independent of the said door I. When the lower end of the lever M bears against
the stop N or against the door I and an undue accumulation of nail blanks takes
place in the said straightening or setting mechanism placed below the lower set of
drawing rolls, the consequent pressing open of the hinged door I or front of that
mechanism against the action of the inclined retaining spring H' in the same
manner as the door L applied to the guide tube K liberates the lower end of the
lever M on the door L of the guide tube K, enabling its upper end to release the
beforementioned interceptor O to the action of its spring P whereby its point is
introduced into the feed tube F, so as to stop the introduction of more nail blanks
into the machine until the straightening and setting mechanism has been cleared of
its accumulation of blanks and its door or front is again closed and the lever M,
and interceptor O, restored to the positions shown in Figures 3 and 4.
Another part of the improvements relates to the door or front of the above-
mentioned straightening or setting mechanism, and consists in applying thereto a
knife edge H (see Figures 1 and 7) secured to the end of the said door I by screws,
instead of using the unadjustable knife-edge heretofore employed for the purpose
of guiding the head of the blank in the proper direction as the blank leaves the
lower set of drawing rollers, in order to effect the required straightening or setting
of such blank. By this arrangement the knife may be adjusted so that its edge
projects more or less, as may be required, into the space H through which the nail
passes in order to be subjected to the straightening or setting process.
Another part of the improvements relates to the nippers for transferring the nail
blanks, as they leave the straightening and setting mechanism to the pointing and
trimming devices, and this part of the improvements consists of the following
arrangements
Fixed to the machine is a framework Q, see Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, which acts as

page_text: a vertical guide to a plate R which slides up and down upon it. This plate R
bears against the front of the frame G, and slides thereon with adjustable friction
produced by pieces of raw hide or leather R' let into holes in that portion of the
aforesaid plate R which slides on the back of the frame Q, the said pieces of hide-
or leather being held in their places by springs S the ends of which bear upon
metal plates S covering the said pieces of hide or leather. On the aforesaid
plate R is fitted a sliding bar S* to which is fixed a pin T, the end of which passes:
through a slot in the plate R as shown in Figures 1 and 4, such slot only allowing
a limited up and down movement therein to the said pin. Mounted on the afore--
said plate Rare two nipper-arms or levers U U which are pivotted on fulcra V V
screwed through the plate R and through the filling pieces which slide in the
spaces Qbetween the broad and narrow guide pieces of the frame Q and secured
at the back by nuts. The holes in the nipper-arms or levers U U, through which
these screws pass, are slotted to allow of a small lateral adjustment of the said
arms or levers by means of set screws V' according as the nipper-arms or levers
are required to be placed nearer to, or further from, the vertical centre line of the
frame, to enable the jaws of the nippers to be adjusted to suit the width of the
heads of the nail blanks that are being operated upon. This adjustment is effected
by slacking back the screws V V and screwing inwards, or outwards, the set.
screws VV. When this adjustment is made, the nipper-arms are held in the
desired position by the screws V V clamping the washer plates W W against them..
By these means the distance apart of the jaws X X of the nippers may be
regulated to suit the width of the head of the nail that is being operated upon..
Provision is made, by means of a stop piece Y¹ rivetted to the plate Y, (see Figure 4)
to prevent any nail blank from coming lower down into the jaws of the nippers
than another and to cause all nail blanks coming into the nipper-jaws to be gripped
thereby exactly at the same part, thereby ensuring that all the nail blanks are
presented by the nippers in exactly the same position in front of the pointing and
trimming matrix % and consequently that all the finished nails shall be of exactly
the same length. This stop-piece also prevents the nail blank, when released from
the nippers, from falling into, and injuring, the mechanism below. The nipper-
jaws X X are preferably made removable being held in place by the screws X'X'
so that they can be readily changed when required. The lower ends of the nipper-.
arins or levers U U carry, on suitable fulcrum pins, two toggle arms or links Tthe
opposite ends of which are carried by the above-mentioned pin T which passes
through a slot T' in the sliding plate R, and to this pin is connected one end of a
sliding bar S which is pin-jointed at the other end to a link S³ connected to the
main lever A which actuates the whole nipping and transferring devices. The
stroke of the nippers is regulated by set screws Q1 placed at the bottom of
the frame Q carrying the said nippers.
The action of the above described nipper arrangements is as follows:--Assuming.
the nippers to be at their lowest position, the main actuating lever A presses up the
sliding bar S and thereby forces the pin T to the upper end of the slot T in the
sliding plate R, taking with it the ends of the toggle arms or links T¹ which draw
in the lower ends of nipper-arms or levers U towards the centre line of the nippers,.
and forces out their upper ends, opening the nipper jaws X X carried by them.
The upper side of the pin T, being now at the top end of the slot in the sliding
plate R, the continued motion of the main actuating lever A causes the said plate R
to slide up on its frame Q into its highest position, and to carry the nippers U U
with it as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The nipper-jaws are now ready to close on
the head of the nail blank as it leaves the straightening and setting mechanism..
On the down stroke of the actuating lever A commencing, the slide bar S* is pulled
down and with it the pin T until the lower side thereof comes against the bottom
of the slot T' in the sliding plate R. The toggle arms or links T₁ have then closed
the nipper jaws X X on to the head of the nail blank, and the downward motion
continuing, the sliding plate R and the nippers on it are carried to their lowest.

page_text: に
position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 whereby the nail blank is brought exactly
opposite the pointing and trimming matrix Z. The pointing and trimming punch
or die Z' then moves forward and forces the nail blank out of the nipper jaws and
through the said matrix Z whereby the superfluous material is trimmed off the
blank in the usual way. The main actuating lever A'then commences its next
upward stroke, 'firstly, opening the nipper jaws, secondly, raising the nippers,
thirdly, closing the nipper jaws, and fourthly, lowering the nippers, and so on
repeating the same cycle of operations at each up and down movement of the
actuating lever.
Heretofore the upper end of the yoke or connecting rod E', see Figure 1, by
which motion is transmitted from the cam or cams on the main shaft E to the
lever A operating the transferring nippers, has been guided by the shaft itself
passing through the slot therein, or by a radius bar pin-jointed to the frame of the
machine, we have found it preferable to extend the upper end of the yoke or
connecting rod E' upwards into a square stem E2 which is adapted to slide in a
bush Ex of a bracket E³ or other suitable support secured to the frame of the
machine, whereby the wear and tear is taken off the shaft and sides of the yoke or
connecting rod and the radius bar and its pin-joints are dispensed with, but we make
no claim to this arrangement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed we desire to have it
understood that we are aware that it is not novel to employ a yielding hinged door
in connection with the guide tube or the straightening and setting mechanism of
machines of this class; nor is it novel to employ certain forms of interceptors in
connection with such doors for the purpose of preventing the further supply of nail
blanks to the machine when such doors are opened by an accumulation of blanks
behind them and that we make no claim generally to such doors or to their
combination with interceptors; but that what we do claim is :-
First In machinery for the manufacture of horse shoe nails, the automatically-
acting devices for preventing the further introduction of nail blanks into the
machine when an accumulation thereof takes place in the guide tube between the
two sets of rollers, consisting of the hinged door L closing the front of the said
guide tube K, the lever M pivotted on the said door, the spring-actuated
intercepting lever or finger O and a stop for the lower end of the lever M to bear
against, all combined, arranged, and operating as hereinbefore described, and
illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 of the drawings.
Second In machinery for the manufacture of horse shoe nails, the automatically-
acting devices for preventing the further introduction of nail blanks into the
machine when an accumulation thereof takes place, either in the guide tube
between the two sets of rollers, or in the straightening and setting mechanism,
consisting of the hinged door L closing the front of the said guide tube K, the
lever M pivotted on the said door, the spring actuated intercepting lever or finger O
and the hinged door I with, or without, a stop N for the lower end of the lever M
to bear against, all combined, arranged, and operating as hereinbefore described,
and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 of the drawings.
Third In machinery for the manufacture of horse shoe nails, the combination,
with the door of the straightening and setting mechanism, of an adjustable knife-
edge, as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 7 of the
drawings.
Fourth In machinery for the manufacture of horse shoe nails, the improved
construction of transfer nippers which consists of a vertically sliding main plate
moving on its guides against adjustable frictional resistance, and carrying
horizontally adjustable nipper-arms or levers; and a secondary sliding bar, a pin
and links acting in combination with the main sliding plate so as to raise and lower
the same vertically and to open and close the nippers, all combined, arranged and

page_text: operating as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the
drawings.
Dated this 20th day of June 1892.
G. A. COOMBS.
UNITED HORSE SHOE & NAIL CO., LIMITED.
W. H. Beck,
Per G. E. Gunyon,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.